Wednesday, August 09, 2006
Day 48 & 49
Clarksburg to Washington, DC - 53 miles
We did it! After 3,427 miles we arrived at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington. The last two days were shorter miles but both had around 4,000 feet of climbing. We all gathered about 3 miles from the memorial and then rode in together to meet about 60 family and friends waiting to greet us. Thanks to a retired writer for Business Week, Bill Cook, there were both TV and newspaper coverage.
We spent the afternoon and evening partying and saying our goodbyes. When I reflect back on the trip it was not about the miles or how hard the ride was but it was about the friends you make and the people I met along the way.
Would I ever go on a trip like this again? Absolutely, bicycling is the greatest way to see the world. You are moving fast enough to feel like you are getting somewhere but slow enough to totally interact with your surroundings.
On a seven-week bicycle trip across the United States, we all learned a lot about ourselves, our situations, and our colleagues. Here's what our homespun Texas philosopher, cattle man, rodeo rider, and family doctor David Ramsey says he learned.
1 The smoother the pavement, the shorter the distance you'll be on it.
2 Don't try to talk during climbs, especially to women, unless you want to be embarrassed.
3 In July, nothing ever really dries out in the Midwest.
4 When you live out of a dufflebag, the things you really need are always on the bottom.
5 Age is a relatively minor feature compared to mindset.
6 Physical appearances have little to do with physical abilities.
7 You don't have to have ice in your water when you are really thirsty.
8 Real friends help you even when you say you don't need it.
8 First impressions of people are often wrong, though not always.
9 Things hurt a lot worse when you focus on them.
10 You can go to sleep while sweating profusely.
11 Awfully big projects can be accomplished by just daily working at the goal.
Sunday, August 06, 2006
Day 47
Gettysburg - rest day
This was a much needed rest day. I have rode for 13 days without a full day off. I got a hotel room here and it was like heaven. I spent some time seeing the town and all of the battlefield things but mainly just rested. I also had to do all of my domestic chores for the last time.
The next two days are around 50 miles each so not to hard. Tomorrow we will have our final dinner together at a restaurant. It will be fun to look back over the last 48 days and remember all of the fun and challenges.
I am looking forward to being home with everyone but am also thinking about my next trip.
Flight 93
Day 42 to 46
Salem to Washington, PA - 63 miles
Washington to Confluence - 92 miles
Confluence to Bedford - 82 miles
Bedford to Gettysburg - 101 miles
We had one last day of riding in Ohio and then finally into the Pennsylvania mountains. There were a lot more hills to climb but not so much corn! On the day into Confluence we rode 52 miles on a rails to trail. The trail surface was crushed limestone which is smother than most of the roads we have been riding on in the last three states. The next day we started out with 31 miles on the Allegheny Highlands Trail. It was raining in the morning so that made for some messy riding.
During our ride to Bedford we stopped at the Flight 93 Memorial. I found it very moving to see the site and all of the personal things that family members have placed there. It sure brought back all of my memories of 911.
Our day into Gettysburg was great and hard. We had 101 miles with over 9,000 feet of climbing. Some of the grades were 12 to 16 percent. Most of the climbing came in the first 50 miles.
Another flat again yesterday. That is now 5. My rear tire has been replaced twice, once for wear and once for a glass cut. It is now booted because of a LARGE nail.
Today is a rest day in Gettysburg.... Only two ride days left to DC! Our groug has become a family. It will be hard to leave them and re-enter the real world.
The pictures I have uploaded are of the Flight 93 site.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Day 41
I am still very sick today. I rode about 25 miles down tomorrows route to find a hotel in hopes that it might be more comfortable than the tent. I hope this gets over soon as it is really hard to ride since I have not eaten much in two days.
Burton is a small town of about 1,400 people. On Sunday evening they had an old tractor pull. It was fun to watch the 1920's tractors trying to pull much compared to the modern ones. This is the smallest town that we have had a rest day in and the first we did not have a dorm room to stay in.
Monday, July 31, 2006
Day 34 - 40
Belvidere to Coal City - 107 miles
Coal City to La Porte, IN - 104 miles
La Porte to Kendallville - 91 miles
Kendallville to Napoleon, OH - 72 miles
Napoleon to Sandusky - 94 miles
Sandusky to Burton - 92 miles
Four states in seven days! Most of the riding was rural dairyland with Amish farms, corn, more corn, lakes, more corn, heat, humidity and mosquitos. This is not an area I would ever bike through again. If you stop for anything the mosquitos find you in about 10 seconds and their buddies show up a few seconds later. The temp has been in the 90's with the heat index around 110.
I managed to get the flu again the night before the ride to Sandusky. I am writing this on our day off in Burton and I am still a little sick. I am finally able to eat today so hopefully I will regain some strength.
There is a large amusement park in Sandusky so everyone got an early start that day to leave time for the park in the afternoon. We stayed in a city park that evening and it was really noisy until 2am.
The last day we move away from Lake Erie and into the hills. We also rode through downtown Cleveland but it was Sunday so the traffic was not bad. I believe this is the biggest city that we have been through.
Sunday, July 23, 2006
I believe this was our best rest day so far. The dorms are air conditioned and close to all of the stores. The lake is about 4 blocks away and a great place to hang out.
Some of the group went to the Trek factory. I opted out since I have been to a number of them. I just did my normal domestic chores and then relaxed. I did buy a new pair of shoes and had to set up the cleats on them. My right foot has spread even wider this year and my custom shoes have been bugging me.
Tomorrow we start seven days of cycling before our next rest day. This is our longest ride sequence for the trip. Well it is 7pm and time for bed.....
Day 32
Viroqua to Madison - 107 miles
Today was more of the same, hills, dairy farms and horse buggies. After Richland Center, about 40 miles in, things flattened some and we cruised through some large valleys.
As we approached Madison I started seeing other local riders and found Carol to ride with for about the last 20 miles. She was interested in our trip and told me all about the local ridding. It turned out we were on part of the course used by the Wisconsin Ironman race. The race is next month so people were out training.
Tonight we are staying at the University of Wisconsin in a dorm. Tomorrow will be a much needed rest day......
Day 31
We crossed the Mississippi River to enter Wisconsin, state number 7. Today we had some of the steepest climbing that we have had since the beginning. This area was never affected by the glaciers so all of the bumps are still there.
About mid day we were in Amish country with all of there farms, horse buggies and road apples. I spent some time talking with one Amish, John, who was loading a silo by hand. He explained the whole process of creating feed for his cows. His wife was out mowing their front lawn in a dress, bonnet and bare feet with a push mower.
I also stopped at a creamerie today and went through their tour. It was one that processed most of the local mike produced by the Amish farms.
We camped at a fair grounds in Viroqua and a local bike shop came out around 7pm. I think he was still working on bikes at 11pm!
Thursday, July 20, 2006
Day 30
Owatonna to Winona - 93 miles
Today started out nice and sunny, a lot different than yesterday. A group of us chose to begin the ride on the old route and change to the new route in Rochester. The old route was on highway 14 but the early morning traffic was not bad and the shoulders were wide and smooth.
In Rochester we rode past the Mayo Clinic as we went through the middle of town. A lot of old restored buildings and we also looked at the Ronald McDonald house which is next to the clinic.
At about 70 miles into the ride I stopped at a campground for water. The owner asked if I was interested in seeing her collection. It turned out to be 11 restored horse buggies and coaches from the late 1800 hundreds. They were all original and a story to go with each.
Our overnight is at the dorms of Winona State University. It was a nice surprise to have a dorm stay in the middle of our ride week.
Day 29
New Ulm to Owatonna - 95 miles
Have you ever ridden in a thunder storm so dark that it literally looked like midnight, we did.... The storm came in at about 8:30am from behind me. In about 5 minutes time it went from full light to total darkness. I was out front by myself so I found shelter in a church just before it hit. For about 2 hours we had constant lighting and hard rain and hail. At about 9am a lady showed up at the church and offered me coffee. We had a nice time watching the storm and chatting.
The rain continued on and off for the rest of the day making it fun and a little cold to ride. About 20 of the miles were on a bike path which was a nice change.
In Owatonna we stayed at the fair grounds and since it was raining they let us use the indoor beer garden to camp in. No beer but at least it was dry.
Monday, July 17, 2006
Day 27
Today was our first day using an ACA route. Up tell now we have been following maps prepared by the American Lung Association for their Big Ride. The Big Ride maps kept us on major highways that are very busy. Because of all of our complaints ACA has looked at the route and made some changes that will move us to more rural roads. It was nice today to not have all of the traffic.
More corn.... Today reminded me of the RAGBRI ride in Iowa. Corn, soybeans, peas and pigs.... One of the towns we traveled through was named Sleepy Eye. I tried to find out where the name came from but none of the locals seemed to know. They did have a great Dairy Queen which was a nice break at 75 miles.
We ended the ride at Martin Luther College where we will have a rest day tomorrow. New Ulm is a very "German" town with a lot of German restaurants and brew pubs. I am looking forward to exploring it tomorrow.
Day 26
Another state gone..... Today we rode into Minnesota. The landscape has changed to corn and soybean fields. I was the first out of camp today and no one caught me so I spent the day thinking about life by myself. It was kind of a nice change. The weather is still hot but the winds were gentle so I cruised along.
Today we stayed at the Danebod Folk School in Tyler. This is a Danish school and Lutheran Church that was started in 1888. The school was originally started in the Danish tradition to further educate adults. It has since become a meeting place to keep up their heritage in the US. I spent three hours with the pastor listening about the history and looking at all of the buildings. He seem to really enjoy having someone to tell the story of their heritage to. Since today was Sunday I went to their church meeting in the evening.
Day 25
Another day of rolling farm land. The weather is still hot, 107 degrees. I have been leaving camp just as the sun starts to lighten the eastern sky to try and beat some of the heat. It is a littler hard to see or be seen but it is worth it. The further east we go the landscape is getting greener with more crops. We passed through a lot of little towns and one larger one, Huron on the James River.
We ended the day in De Smet where Laura Ingalles Wilder, the author of the "Little House" books lived. They were having a pageant in honor of her. I walked around the town and seen where she had lived and went to school. We also had to make our pilgrimage to the Dairy Queen for a daily dose of ice cream.
It only got down to 89 degrees at night so it was hard to sleep. I am not looking forward to the nights further east where we will have heat and humidity.
