Wednesday was a great day. Absolutely perfect weather, and everyone arrived safely at the hotel in Marina Del Rey - even those who weren't sure where they were staying or how to get there. Our hotel is in a perfect spot - across the street from the beautiful marina and a 10 minute walk from Venice Beach.

Jenny and Ginny rode their bikes down from the Bay Area, taking a leisurely two days with a spa night in San Luis Obispo. Gigi and Stacy also rode down from the East Bay, but went hard core taking Highway 5 and braving the high winds and crazy drivers. Rhonda and Maria followed them in Rhonda's truck which she has generously offered as our support vehicle for this ride.

Gail flew in on Tuesday from Pennsylvania, and Megan flew down Tuesday night from San Jose. Yvette flew in just before the briefing Wednesday evening.

After quick introductions in the bar, we had our first group briefing. There were gifts, a few tears and lots of laughs. It is clear to everyone that this is a very special group and that this is going to be an amazing week.

We wandered across the street for dinner at Casa Escobar. This was the end of the evening for some, while others enjoyed a night cap in the hotel bar, making friends with Jim the bartender. It didn't take long for them to win Jim over to the Amazon Heart fan club (I'm not sure if that was due to the sweet talk or big tips!). Jim (Burning Man alias "Quest") kept the bar open an extra couple of hours to accommodate his new friends.

All in all, a fantastic start to Amazon Heart Thunder US 2007