On the road again . . .biking in Colorado

One of the nagging questions that I wonder about, and that comes up now that the cross country ride is over is "Are you still riding your bike?"

Yes -- very much so.  In fact, Glenn D., a fellow cross-country rider who lives in the Denver area, lent me a classic red De Bernardi bicycle that he has kept up in great shape.  It was a state-of-the-art bike 20 years ago but with his exceptional care it was great fun to ride.  And, as it is a more traditional road bike instead of my normal touring bike (Jamis Aurora Elite) it was fun to shave off another 10 pounds of weight for climbing the hills in Colorado.

My wife, Cindy, and I were out on a retreat for about eight days but for seven of the eight days I slipped out for a few hours to climb the hills around Vail.   I was glad to get at least three "signature" rides of going up the Vail Pass (10,600 feet) twice and then a very challenging ride of riding through the town of Minturn and up and down Battle Mountain Pass (9200 feet) and returning to Vail.    The altitude and the grade of the hills were all wonderful flashbacks to our cross country trip.

Cindy rented a bike as well and we tooled around some of the bike paths together.   Most of the rides I'm going on since returning are much, much shorter than our cross country trip.   But, I'm enjoying them tremendously and they all give me warm memories of our nine weeks on the road.   Still, simply to ride for a bit with Cindy was something that we couldn't do for several months.  And, the mountains and colors of Vail were simply spectacular.   I saw so much of the country going from Seattle to Boston but when we arrived in Colorado I fell in love with the mountains.  

Once the cross country ride  finished we had a 10 day "bike free" vacation on the east coast and then came home to Minnesota.  On average I think I'm riding about five days a week since I've been home.  The Colorado ride was great to get some climbing legs back for a week.  Coming home to the short hills of Minnesota was great fun to see how much better and smoother I am climbing.  It's not that the hills aren't still hard -- but I have so much more confidence going up them and I keep thinking how short they are compared to these ones in Colorado or what we saw in Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota.   

I tooled around the lakes in Minnesota today and enjoyed a few hours out back on my own bike.  My sabbatical is coming to an end and I'm already starting to think about how far I can ride into the fall and winter.   Was up late last night looking at winter bike riding websites!


 

Top Memories: Welcome, Welcome and Welcome

It was often hard to stop and pull over for pictures.  We did it a lot, but the balance between taking a photo of another river or mountain vs. continuing on another 25 miles up a hill was a delicate one, especially riding with others in close formation.  Still, there were times that were no brainer photo stops -- and they all had something to do with entering a new state or special place.  As you can see, we felt very welcomed!

Funny thing is that sometimes we wouldn't see a sign going into a particular state.  For example, Minnesota didn't have a "Welcome to Minnesota" sign on the road we came in on.  But other times we would actually take the "welcome" photo as we rode into the next state.  For example, when we took the "Welcome to Maine" photo, we crossed over the other side of the road, turned around, and also took the "Welcome to New Hampshire" photo.    Get it? 

Let me also mention a special thank you to my fellow riders turned photographers as we all took turns photographing each other at each state along the way.    Cheers!

Top Memories -- Local Public Libraries

How did I spend my summer sabbatical?   Blogging and biking (but mostly biking).  
The thing is is that I didn't have a computer along the ride.  So I was completely dependent on local libaries along way -- at the mercy of their hours and general availability  (i.e. how close was it to where we were camping).   On the whole I think I was able to blog just over three times a week.   Like biking, blogging was a very new adventure.  It started as an idea that my wife, Cindy, and I would do together.  She set up the blog and then I would call in each night for her to post something interesting about the ride.  We often did this -- but in a short time she helped me figure out some of the ins and outs of it all and it became great fun for me and some of the other riders who blogged along the way.  One a bloger rider rolled into town, the first question always became, "Where is the public library?"  It became a slight addiction. 

It was common for us to talk about who was blogging about what and even ponder, "What should we blog about today?"   And, the funny thing is that generally we would only have about 15-20 minutes to post a blog depending on our available time and how long we could stay on the computer at the library.  Libraries varied in how long you could use their computers.   We also became quite the evaluators of each library.  One winner was the James E. Wickson Memorial Library.  

The James E. Wickson Memorial Library was located in a fun and funky tourist town of Frankenwuth, Michigan.    The town has a complete Bavarian theme and lots of tourist coming and going. Even the local oil change garage has a Bavarian look to it.   But what caught our attention was the fun little coffee machine they had for us as we took turns on the computers to blog. 

Writing from home this seems like such a little thing -- so what, a coffee machine in a library!   But we embraced fun little things when we were on the road -- like stopping under the shade of a tree or finding a place that would let us put ice into our water bottles.  This trip brought out the simple things in life for each of us.   Having coffee in an air conditioned library in a little Bavarian tourist trap of a town was just wonderful.  Thank you very much!

Top Memories -- Riding on the Moon

As I've been home for just under two weeks it is time for me to start organizing photos and enjoying some of the memories of the trip.   Here is the first of several photos and memories I'll share on the blog -- Riding on the Moon -- in South Dakota.

As I looked through the states that we would be riding through on our bike across America, South Dakota was lowest on my list.  Vermont was very high as I'd never seen much of the east coast before.  But South Dakota?  All I could think about was Wall Drug and lots of flat long headwinds as we would go across.  Truth is -- South Dakota was a smashing place to ride a bicycle across.  

One of the highlights was riding through the Badlands.  I had been to the Badlands several years ago and enjoyed it -- even camped there one night.  But generally in a car you just sort of blow bye it and say, "Hmm, that is interesting."  And then you  move on to Mount Rushmore or Wall Drug, depending on your direction.   But to ride for three or four hours through the Badlands with hardly a car around us in the middle of the week with a morning rising sun and 60 other fellow bicylists was great fun -- it was like riding on the moon.

Up until this point along the trip we had been hammering out long distances, huge climbs through Montana and Wyoming and the ride felt slightly like an endurance challenge.   But we all became giddy riding through the Badlands and taking photos as we rode and stopping at east point of interest.  We couldn't stop enough just enjoying the tremendous landscape afforded us on this unique corner of the world.  Just loved it. 

We Did It Together --- Thank You

Last night my wife, Cindy, helped me go through all the donation reports that have come in for this bicycle trip over the last three months.   We were so excited to be able to report to you that our initial goal of  "One Dollar A Mile" has been exceeded!

As of September 1st the total funds raised for this adventure was $4320.  These funds will be used in our ministry that allows me to train leaders in West Africa (primarily Nigeria and Ghana) in Community Development and Discipleship.   I loved cycling across America.   A very special blesssing of the trip was knowing that dozens of you -- our friends -- were supporting our work in Africa.  

Meeting this goal is a tremendous encouragement to us and we want to say thank you to each of you.    

Following Yellow Arrows

I just arrived home two days ago from the east coast.  After the ride completed, my wife, Cindy, and I spent several days in Boston before camping for three more days in Acadia, Maine and having a great time with her relatives in Albany, New York. We also had great fun visiting the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, NY and seeing the Boston Symphony in Tanglewood, MA.     My thought process was that if I spent nine weeks cycling to get to the east coast it would sure be nice to stay a bit and see some sights.   It was all more than great as a post bike trip celebration.

I'm now back home in Minneapolis.   Of course the big question is, "Have you gotten on the bike yet?"

Indeed I have and it was great to go out the day after we landed in Minneapolis. My first ride was a wonderful 30 mile ride that took me though Fort Snelling State Park, along side the Mississippi River and up Ohio Street and Grand Avenue in St. Paul.  I especially wanted to try some of the steeper hills in our area.  What was once a serious challenge has become very manageable.   It isn't that the hills are not hard or even have steep grades but that I found myself approaching them as, "No worries, this will be over soon, at least they are short."   My mind raced back to the Big Horn Mountains and 30 miles of hill climbing or the wonderful but steep climbs in Montana, Wyoming and South Dakota.    The hills were creating memories for me of the trip.   It wasn't that I raced up them but rather that I had confidence that I knew that no matter how steep they were I would soon be over them and moving along and along again.   I'm a little faster than before but even more so much more confident in riding in traffic, going up hills and simply enjoying the ride which made it a very enjoyable experience.  But there was one problem.  I missed the yellow arrows.

Throughout our entire trip, volunteer staff routers planned our route each day and marked yellow arrows all across the country helping us to know where to turn and guiding us across America.  It is one of the clear benefits of going with many others on such a trip.   And, I simply miss the simplicity of waking up early in the morning and rushing out on our bikes to follow the new yellow arrows of where we should go for the day.   Often we forgot the towns we were staying on and the towns we were heading to.   Like ants following single line, we just headed down the road following these yellow arrows.    It was one of the simple and comforting things about the trip -- just go where you are told.  Follow the yellow arrows.

On my bicycle I now have to think and plan and decide where to go and how long to go and when I should go back and what other things I need to do and become a responsible human being again!  On the bike, as in life, we have to make our own yellow arrows.  But some interesting things have changed.  For example, I returned from my ride yesterday and drove into my driveway.  Then I realized I needed to pick up the mail at the Post Office.  Rather than hop in my car to drive the mile to the Post Office, I just rode out again on my bike.  It was as if I was still on the bike ride going into a nearby town to pick up stamps. 

There are significant differences that I'm starting to feel now that I'm home.  Most of it has to do with distractions -- even good things like reading a book or walking the dog -- and all the other things to do - like mowing the lawn and washing dishes -- and people to connect with whom I have missed for the summer.   No more just biking for seven hours a day.  The best way to put it is that I miss following the yellow arrows! 

4200 Miles -- I rode my bicycle across America!

After several days of rolling shady hills through Vermont, Maine and New Hampshire we finally arrived in Gloucester, Massachusetts (just north of Boston) where we were rode the final mile together with a police escort taking us to the Atlantic Ocean.

Sadly and gladly the ride is over.  Sad to leave my new friends and fellow bicycle warriors who fought the hills and headwinds and long days with me every inch of the country.  Glad to know that this huge goal and lifelong dream has been accomplished and I'm ready to come home.

My dear wife Cindy met me in Durham, New Hampshire and we were able to enjoy the final two days together.  She joined with many other family and friends of my fellow riders to cheer us on at the end of the ride as we pulled into the parking lot of Gloucester High School at 1 p.m.   After we all arrived, as a group of 70 riders, we rode together the last mile to the beach and dipped our bicycle tires in the ocean.  Mission accomplished.

After celebrating with each other on the beach we all took showers and then met again in the evening for a small cruise on a whale watching boat in the Gloucester harbor.  It was great to see the family members of many of the cyclists and share highlight stories of our nine week adventure.   Indeed, as our tour leader Greg Walsh often said, "This is summer camp for adults."   So we exchanged addresses, email accounts and phone numbers and promised to be friends forever.   What a ride! 

Thank you all for reading along these nine weeks.   It has been so fun to hear from you along the way.  It has been a joy for me to both ride through the United States and also to write about it several times a week.  

Please know that as I have more to write about this amazing experience and some photos to share once I get back home.

Woof, Woof, Woof!

Every now and then a flash of fear comes across us as we ride our bikes across America.  Especially as we spend so much time on rural roads it is not uncommon to be greeted by dogs excited to see new people -- even ones wearing strange clothes and approaching quickly on bicycles.   Some are friendly and some see us as the highlight of their day chasing us far off their land.

As we ride we sometimes talk among ourselves of dog strategies to manage the situation.  Some cyclists like the "squirt the dog with your water bottle" theory.   Others are more in the "I don't have to be fast, just faster than you" theory, meaning they just have to out ride the slowest rider in our group.   A few suggest just yelling out in an authoritative voice, "NO!"

No matter the theory -- when you hear the barking come up behind you, it is hard not to have a knee jerk reaction and just pedal as fast as you can.    This has happened several times on our trip.  But many of us, especially those riding the whole coast to coast, know that it can also be our fellow rider Terry barking after a new rider!

Terry, a fifty-something Canadian man, with a grey pony tail, is one of our better practical jokers.  He has come up behind some of the riders and started his very real sounding bark --- only to watch riders bolt down the road hoping to avoid the huge dog they hear.

On Friday nights, like last night, we give each other "awards" -- small tokens of appreciation or jokes from the week of riding.   On two occassions Terry has received awards from newer riders.  A month ago a younger 20 year-old victim of this joke gave Terry a bone and last week another practical joker found himself a victim as well to Terry's barking.  He gave Terry a leash.  

Our ride is coming to a close.   But this is one of the fun memories I will take with me.  

Simple Pleasures

We rode from Stowe, Vermont to Littleton, New Hampshire today for a total of about 72 hilly miles.   But the cycling felt like I was on autopilot with my legs just taking me where they were supposed to go as I rode with Philippe (France) in the morning and Martin (UK) in the afternoon.   Vermont is a beautiful place to ride but so far the roads have been a little rough and narrow. My allergies are acting up so there was a little frustration but all very managable.

What came to mind today was the small simple pleasures that have become a part of the trip.   Last week I was sharing about the big wonders such as the Niagara Falls.  But there are small joys that we have learned to especially appreciate.   As I spoke with other riders here were some of their small pleasures:

Chocolate Milk.  Somehow it is a cyclists dream to have the cold and sweet drink that many of us haven't had since fifth grade. 

Root Beer Floats.  I had at least four on the trip -- decided to cut back a little.  One rider gave me the tip to order them at Dairy Queen as you can keep refilling the Root Beer if they give you too much ice cream. 

Shade under a tree.   We have been outside so much that I have become a complete tree hugger -- looking for all the shade a tree can give.

Park benches.   Great not only to sit on but good places to lock up a bike and explore the town.  A picnic table under shade is an exceptionally great thing to lay down on as you wait for dinner at 4 p.m. in the afternoon near a creek (yesterdays experience exactly). 

Tail winds.   Lovely.  They make us all feel like superheros on our bicycles.

A hot shower.  You wouldn't believe how many gym showers are either cold or luke warm at best.   Right up here would be good water pressure.  

Roadside blackberries and cherries.

Small acts of kindness.  I was coming out of the shower the other day and thought to myself, "Wouldn't it be great if someone gave me a bar of soap.  (I had just finished it that day).   Sure enough one of our riders bought a two pack bar of soap and just asked, "anyone need a bar of soap."   Simple things.

Public Libraries.  I don't carry a computer with me so I am at the mercy of the local public libraries and using their computers along the way.  I have to say it is great fun to see all the assorted styles and attitudes and just tone of the staff.   Some have coffee brewing and others made special efforts to let me know that water bottles are not allowed in the library.   Some love to ask about where we are coming from and going to.  Others just want to make sure we know that we have only 30 minutes on the computer!   Which reminds me my time is just about up!  

Only three more riding days to go!

Chunky Monkey

The highlight of our ride today was finding ourselves at the Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory just outside of Burlington, Vermont.   Many of us did the tour and were given a sample of the flavor of the day, Chocowlate Chip.    Of course, I (also) had a kid's scoop of Chunky Monkey at the Scoop Shop and we took photos around the Cowmobile.   It was a cyclists dream come true.   Grand Tetons - okay.  Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream Factory -- awesome!   Well, not really but it was great fun and an easier riding day for us.  Vermont is beautiful and the rolling hills, good weather and lighter schedule (only 50 miles) today made this a very relaxing way to begin to wrap up our trip as this is the last week.  We are now at a campground in Stowe, Vermont. 

Yesterday we rode from Lake Placid, New York to Burlington, Vermont and had a nice break in the day viewing the Ausable Chasm -- river, waterfalls and cliffs along the route.   As we wrap up the trip we are all faced with bittersweet emotions.   Part of me wants -- like Forest Gump -- to just turn around and ride back the other way.   I've spent all this time on my bike. I could simply keep going and going and going and going.   The other part knows that all good things must end and the memory of this trip will stay with me for the rest of my life.  Kris, one of our 50-something riders from Washington, rode this trip about ten years ago and came back for another time this year.  She mentioned that there wasn't a day that she hasn't thought of some aspect of the trip every day since.    I also spoke with Charlie, a rider who has joined us for several weeks along the route who he did a similar trip in 1992.  Charlie mentioned that for the next six months he woke up wondering what city he was in!  

I turned to Philippe (from France) who is on a computer next to me at the beautiful Stowe Free Public Library and it took us a few minutes to figure out where we were before Burlington, Vermont.   The pace is truly like a circus -- pulling up our tents and moving to the next town each day.   Yesterday was a treat though as we were able to stay at the dorms at the University of Vermont just up the hill from downtown Burlington. 

My big activity yesterday night was playing the role of Activity Director.  I spoke with Rob Panzera, the owner of Cycling Camp San Diego, who was visiting a friend on our tour.  He agreed to give a 45 minute talk on his cycling camp, nutrition, and cycling skills (climbing techniques).    After dinner and our evening meeting about 30 riders gathered around some shade outside of the dorms and he gave a nice talk about it all.   

Week 9--History Maker

Hard to believe we're at Week 9 already!  Here's this week's schedule:

Monday 8/16  Lake Placid, NY to Burlington, Vermont  48 miles
Tuesday 8/17  Burlington to Stowe  48 miles
Wednesday 8/18  Stowe to Littleton, New Hampshire  76 miles
Thursday 8/19  Littleton - Freyburg, Maine  65 miles
Friday 8/20  Freyburg to Durham, New Hampshire  85 miles
Saturday 8/21  Durham to Gloucester Mass. 64 miles

Cycling and Speedskating

Rode across New York state this week, finishing in Lake Placid, home of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics.  A highlight was riding my bike on the same track where speedskater Eric Heiden won five individual gold medals at the 1980 games.  Heiden later went on to become a cyclist, participating in the 1986 Tour de France.

The Battle of Sackets Harbor

About half-way from Oswego, NY to Watertown, NY we had a water stop in the town of Sackets Harbor, NY.  Our water jugs were set up next to the historic battlefield and information center right next to the harbor.   I had a real historical treat and spent about an hour on the battle field before moving on to a nice coffee shop and pulling myself back on my bike to finish the ride into Watertown.

Here is the story -- all of which I learned today at the information center and battlefield between about noon and 1 p.m.    It is all about the events that occured on May 29, 1813 during the War of 1812.   But first you need to know that battlefields on the whole are classified by somebody (according to the young guide at the information center) on a scale from A- C.  For example, Gettysburg and Vicksburg are Class A battlefields.  They are rated not just in terms of size but also to their degrees of strategic importance.  They were very proud to say this was a Class A battlefield.  Had we lost this battle we would all be saying "Eh" at the end of everything we say as good Canadians.

The British and the French were fighting along between 1793 - 1812 and the USA was trying to stay neutral.  Problem was, the British kept seizing US merchant ships and impresssing American sailors into service aboard British warships.   This didn't go over so well and tensions arose.    The U.S. began building big ships to protect Lake Ontario and this Sackets Harbor is one of the few areas deep enough to hold and receive large ships.   So the British attacked the area, landing on "Horse Island" and then moved to attack the fort on land while American squadrons were fighting on the other side of the lake.  

A huge battle occured and things got so intense that the US soldiers let out a 32 inch cannon full of grape shot and wiped out 30 percent of the attacking forces (roughly about 1000 red coats).   All this is a bit rough and the battle went back and forth for sometime but in the end the British retreated.  It was great fun to visit and learn all this along the way.    So often we have seen some huge natural wonders that to see some cool historic spots like this are a special treat.  I loved every minute of it.

The Incredible Hulk

Last night as I went to bed with my tent pitched on the lawn of the Oswego High School in Central New York, I felt like the Incredible Hulk.   My legs were so massive that they were like small trees.  It reminded me of the thighs that you see on Olympic speed skaters with veins and muscles on muscles.   Bicycling across the country changes a person dramatically.   And my waist was so slim that I need to go find a belt to keep my jeans from falling at least to my thick thighs.   Pulling on the handle bars, especially through the Teton, Cascade and Big Horn mountains have made my arms like Popeye so that I even cut off the sleeves of my jersey to make them more comfortable.  And, although the Hulk was green, I am red from the sun coming down on me daily. 

Then I woke up at 5 a.m. and realized it was a dream and I was the same ol' me! Many people have sent texts or messages wondering what I look like.  Because I don't have a computer and library computers don't have the capacity to download photos I'll have to wait a bit to post what I look like.  But basically I'm the same -- only about 10 pounds lighter as I weighed myself at the YMCA today (without clothes and before dinner!).   But in general cycling has been great for the legs and general health on the whole.  Folks on our trip look a little slimmer after 8 weeks of riding but we both eat like horses and ride like horses so there isn't a lot of weight loss or whatever most people expect.  Most will lose about 5-7 pounds.  There are a few exceptions though. One lady told me she lost 20 pounds about 10 years ago when she did this ride but then gained 30 pounds back!   

Anyhow -- I feel great and love being outside and riding seven hours or so a day but on the whole I needed to find a way to reduce some of the expectations you may have when you see me next!!  For me this has not been a weight-loss program per-se but  it is having great healthy side benefits.   I'm totally trying to think of a next goal to keep up the conditioning that biking 86 miles a day gives you.  But all of the riders know we need to reduce our eating before we stop the ride as we consume so much food every day to give us the calories to bike along mile after mile.   I am feeling lighter than I have in more than a dozen years though combined with the weight loss of another 10 pounds from simply training for this ride.   So I hope not to disappoint you all entirely!

Seven Natural Wonders of our Trip across America

We rode about 95 miles from Albion, NY to Sodus, NY today.   Fairly uneventful ride except we did have some nice glances of Lake Ontario from time to time.   It was relaxing to finish the ride at Sodus Point, New York before heading to the Village of Sodus where we are staying at the local public school.  
One sad note was a woman named Judy from Missouri who was in an accident yesterday and I heard broke her collar bone.   She had riden with us for the first three weeks of the trip and then was just joining us again this week. On the first ride of the week (Monday) she collided with another rider and won't be able to continue.

We are all very conscious of our last two weeks together.  Yesterday as I rode along I started to think of seven natural wonders that we have seen along the way.  Here they are:

1) Cascade Mountains.  Located in Washington these were the first mountains we passed and they were a good challenge as it was raining and even had snow at the top of the pass when we crossed them the last week of June.  I had never heard of these mountains before so to see the waterfalls coming out of the mountain as we rode up the hill was a real treat and blessing.   It reminded me how often good things come out of our struggles.

2) Teton Moutains.  This was my first time to see these fabulous peaks.  To ride and ride and ride with them in front of us as we came closer and closer was great fun. To go over the pass and see them close up on the front side was even more spectacular.   Slam dunk awesome and a significant cycling challenge to climb up and around them.

3) Devils Tower, Wyoming.  I think I'm the last person not to watch "Close Encounters of a Third Kind" which I blame in part for not knowing about this rock formation.   Wow.   We spent an off day hiking around it and camped so close we could see it directly as we got out of our tents.   Thanks to Teddy Roosevelt for making this one of the first national park sights to preserve it for future generations.

4) The Black Hills of South Dakota.   I had to lump several things together as our week of riding through South Dakota was one of the best.  Every rider remembers riding on the Needles Highway and past the Cathedral Spires.  It turned out to be a cyclist's roller coaster of a ride as we also went through Spear Fish Canyon, enjoyed one lane tunnels through huge rocks, pig tail bridges and then ended with the monuments of Crazy Horse and Mount Rushmore.   

5) The Badlands, South Dakota.  Even though I had seen them before I had never cycled through these interesting rock formations.  The best way I could put it is that this was as close to cycling on the moon as I will ever get.   We rode slowly for about 30 miles through the Badlands just taking our time and enjoying each stop along the road.  As a group we just had fun together and slowed down to take photos and be together.  Thanks South Dakota -- you really surprised me!

6) The Great Lakes -- Lake Michigan, Lake Erie, and Lake Ontario.  We took a five hour boat ferry  ride across Lake Michigan on the SS Badger and then rode along the shores of Lake Erie and Lake Ontario in parts of Michigan, Ontario and New York.

7) Niagara Falls, Canada and New York.   I'm a huge waterfall guy so this was one of my dreams to finally see.   I knew that someday I would have a chance to see it but didn't think I would end up biking for two months to make this dream come true!  And, it was good fun to hang out with my new biker friends as we took the Maid of the Mist boat tour and even ate breakfast on one of the towers high above the falls.

We now have 10 more riding days through New York and New England.   Each of us are trying to finish the trip well and enjoy not only the big sights but the small simple pleasures as well like having ice cream after long 95 mile rides on humid days.   Soon I will list some of the simple small pleasures of this trip as well.

Thank you for following along,

Niagara Falls, Canada

A few days ago I sat down to blog in Port Dover, Canada and my mind was completely blank -- I had no idea what to say.   But now after arriving in Niagara Falls there is almost too much to write about.  Today we rode 75 miles from Niagara Falls, Canada to Albion, New York.  I spread out  my sleeping pad an hour ago in the gym of the local High School.  We will spend the week riding through New York and should find ourselves in Lake Placid next weekend.

Seven weeks finished -- only two more to go with something like 3500 miles behind us and about 700 more to go.  This week takes us through New York and the final week we wrap up riding through New England.  I've not been to the east coast often so this is very interesting to me.    A great way to end the trip on a high.

I've not been to the Niagara Falls so I found it great fun to go down and look at it -- and later in the evening checked out the IMAX theatre (still using the 1987 film though) with some other riders.   Pretty much as I expected -- stories about tight rope walkers and those going down the falls in a barrel.   Given the choice I think I would prefer to walk across it on a rope.  Secretly, I've always wanted to be a tight rope walker.

Sunday morning I went with Eve (Georgia), Martin (UK), Jan and Marnix (Netherlands) to ride on the famous Maid of the Mist boat ride taking us right up to the falls.   I did all I could do on Sunday to stay completely off the bicycle for a good rest day.  Glenn, a rider from Colorado, joined me in attending a local Baptist church at 11 a.m. on Sunday.   It was a small church (approx 50 people?) with a least 20 percent of those attending their for the first time -- no doubt also coming to see the falls.

The thing about Niagara Falls, at least on the Canadian side, is that it is both a beautiful natural wonder and at the same time a tourist trap similar to some kind of combination of Las Vegas, San Francisco and New Orleans all mixed together.    After seeing the falls I walked on a main street with huge signs selling cuban cigars and promoting the House of Frankenstein, right next to Ripley's Believe It or Not and a half dozen wax museums.   The place is completely crazy once you get off the main area of looking at the falls.    I found it best simply to enjoy the Niagara Falls and to try to avoid the other distractions.

What is so cool is that we have bicycled from Seattle to Niagara Falls!   I can't believe it myself.   And, although we have two more full weeks of cycling, this feels like a major accomplishment and we all are very conscious that our time together is getting shorter and shorter.   Today's ride was an "easy" 75 miles so we ended up at an ice cream shop with several riders and began talking about the seven wonders of the trip to date.  I'll share them in a future post to be sure.  

Writing from the Albion Swan Public Library.

Week Eight - New York

This week is all about New York:

Niagara Falls, Ontario - Albion, NY  75 miles
Albion - Sodus  80 miles
Sodus - Fulton 72 miles
Fulton - Dexter  65 miles
Dexter - Star Lake 68 miles
Star Lake - Lake Placid  72 miles
Total Miles: 432

Blood, Sweat and Gears

I met a new rider at breakfast, George, who has joined us this week from Ohio.    There is a core of 40 of us that have been together from the start of the trip and are riding all the way across America.  Then each week folks like George may join us for any of the nine weeks we are riding.    In a way it has been good for us to continue to get some fresh blood into our group each week.   I like George's bicycle jersey which was from a ride he did in North Carolina called "Blood, Sweat and Gears."

Blood.  Thankfully I have been free of accidents.  But they happen most every day with some rider slipping on gravel or hitting an occassional pot hole in the road.  There are lots of close calls though so we are all closely paying attention to what is going on around us.    Many people have asked if I spend a lot of time reflecting along the way.  The truth is that you almost always need to have your "A Game" when riding.  So mostly I'm trying to watch the riders next to me, the road conditions, the cars (and huge semi trucks) and the odd dog here and there.   And, of course, I hate to mention it but in the theme of blood, there are hundreds of road kill including deer, rabbits, skunks, and assorted unknown animals along the roads.  

Sweat. We rode into West Lorne, Canada today from Richmond, Michigan. It was so hot last night in Richmond, Michigan that many of our riders who slept in the High School gym just found themselves so oppressed by the heat that they wandered out into the lawn of the school where the rest of us had set up tents. So, when I woke up I found someone sleeping right next to my bike and tent. Hello!  Things have been heating up a bit and with the flat roads we find ourselves moving quickly but also sweating up a storm.  Today we ended up at a ice cream shop next to the library in West Lorne.   I spent about an hour and a half cooling off at the ice cream shop waiting for the library to open at 2 p.m.

Gears.  Not much to say here except that I had my bike worked on last night.  There are two great bike mechanics that travel with us.  They put on a new back tire which had worn down, cleaned and oiled the chain, and worked on my disk brakes a bit to make sure I'm set to go for the remaining two weeks of our trip.  I think we are all growing attatched to our bikes.  I was riding with Philippe a few days ago and we were heading out of breakfast when he simply shared, "I just love my bike, it is like a horse to me."   This morning he took a picture of his ultimately clean cassette (the circular chain teeth on the back wheel) that the mechanics cleaned.  He said it was so clean you could lick it.  Man and bike becoming one. 

We move on to Port Dover tomorrow -- should be long 95 - 100 mile ride.   It is a fun change to now be in Canada for a few days until we end the week at the Niagara Falls. 

Raw Hide

A few weeks ago when we were in Minnesota our volunteer staff router, Bill, enthusiastically said, "This should be a great ride, you'll see a lot of corn on the right side of the road and soy beans on the left.  Later you will see some soy beans on the right corn on the left."

He was sure right for that day and several days to follow through Minnesota.  Now that we are in Michigan we have started to see a little bit more of the corn and soy beans again but on a lesser scale than Minnesota.  The actual route and scenery didn't make a huge impression on our minds -- no monuments, hills, forests or rivers.   Just soy beans and corn for much of the 87 miles.

We left Frankenmuth this morning and arrived by about 2 p.m. in Richmond, Michigan.   Frankenmuth was an interesting change of pace as it had a Bavarian Village theme.  Even the local muffler shop had a Bavarian look to it.   It was a tourist trap to be sure with about five fudge stores, a couple large breweries, coffee shops and german themed gift stores.  But it was also nice to ride through and hang out for a few hours for dinner and breakfast the next morning.  We camped out in our tents at the local middle school.  Due to the heat I hung out at the local library and did a blog entry.  I wasn't much into the tourist trap shoppiing mood. 

The last two days I've been hitting it hard on the bicycle so I wanted to relax a bit.  All went mostly according to plan until the end when a "pelaton" of cycling friends road past Philippe and I and we found ourselves in their midst.   But it was great fun to finish together at a strong pace without getting too wiped out.  Because I relaxed a bit in the morning it felt good to finish strong with another average day of 17 miles per hour.   To put this in perspective, before the trip I rode by myself and often would average 14 miles an hour. So with several weeks of riding and some flat roads and the company of stronger riders it has boosted my normal average.   I normally don't follow this too closely but this past week it has been interesting for me to note whether I'm burning out or growing stronger.  

Some friends have texted me and asked about how my butt is doing?  Sort of a personal question you would think.  But my simplest answer is, "Raw Hide."   You may be interested to know that every day I am covered from head to toe with some kind of lotion.  For my feet which have tended to crack due to sandels I have some lotion to keep them from hurting or even bleeding.  For my legs, arms, face and neck it is sun block as often as I can throughout the day.  And for the bums, there is a special chamois cream that is used with cycling shorts to minimize the chaffing that occurs mile after mile after mile after mile.  Some call it "Butt Butter."  Still, the sore butt syndrom, even with the precations, never goes completely away.   I / we do what we can but there is no quick fix solution.  It is just one of those things that comes with the territory!   This is all for the, "in case  you were wondering" department.

The Richmond Public Library was right next to the High School were we are staying at and is open till 8 p.m.  Funny, these are the simple pleasures we find on the road.   I've spent so much time under the shade in local parks and find myself very content in the air conditioned buildings of local libraries along this whole journey.   Even though my wife, Cindy, is a librarian I am mostly spoiled as she brings books home to me.  Soon I may be able to say I've been in more libararies around the nation than she has! 

Moved to Wonder

"People are moved to wonder by mountain peaks, by vast waves of the sea by broad waterfalls and rivers, by the all-embracing extent of the ocean, by the revolutions of the stars.  But in themselves they are uninterested."   -- Augustine of Hippo

We travelled 82 miles from Farwell, Michigan to Frankenmuth, Michigan today.   Yesterday I mentioned that I averaged 17 miles an hour for the whole of 95 miles.  Today was no slacker day either as I looked and saw my bike computer at 17.3 -- on a day that included plenty of both tailwinds and headwinds.    After lunch I grouped up with three other guys (Philippe from France, Martin from England, Bob (?) from Ohio) and we drafted with each other fighting through the headwinds.  Great fun but also hard work -- I'm a bit of the novice of the bunch so this is sort of like cycling camp for me.  

What I wanted to mention was how I see this quote from Augustine played out in our Cycle America tour.   Yes, we totally see the wonders of America.   Mountain peaks, think the Teton mountains.   Seas and Oceans -- we just crossed Lake Michigan and of course started from the Pacific Ocean from Seattle.   Stars -- I wish you could see the stars like we saw them in Montana and Wyoming.  Pure beauty.   Waterfalls -- we are on our way to see the Niagara Falls but have also seen dozens of them, especially coming out of the hills at the Cascade Mountains.   Rivers -- we cycle by them constantly including going over the Mississippi River, I wish I knew the names of all the others, including the one made famous by "A River Runs Through It" in Montana.   So this trip, outside of cycling is a wonder of beauty.   Slam dunk, hands down, a very wonderful way to slowly see the beauty of God's nature.  

And there is a beauty and true wonder in so many of those that I'm riding, eating, tenting and cycling with every day.  

There is Casey Gerety, an 18 year-old young lady, that skipped her graduation to come on this ride.  We all held an informal graduation for her! 

Mark Oncale, a 81 year-old man from New Orleans, started this trip as the fourth time to travel across the country by bicyle.  Our hearts were broken when he developed a nerve problem and had to pull out after a month of riding with us.   But now his dauthter, Sheree, has decided to ride the rest of the way in his honor.

Glenn Derussy from Colorado lost his wife due to cancer in February.  They always wanted to do something like this.  He is riding the trip in her honor. 

Jo Allen is a 32 year-old woman from England who is doing three huge cycling challenges as she took a leave of absence from her job.   She did a cycling camp in California that followed the Tour de California. She is crossing the country with us, and will end with doing some massive rides through the Alps -- and raising funds for charities along the way.

Kari, Larry and Nathan Noomen are riding as a family together.   Nathan is in Community College in California and it is refreshing to see them all enjoy the ride.

Philippe Melot from France has forgotten more American history than I have learned.  He is a retired lawyer writing a book about American - French relationships since the founding of America.   His wife is also a librarian and we are looking forward to connecting with our wives together when all this cycling comes to an end.   And, he loves America and rides with the American flag flying from his bike saddle.

Martin Prime, a 37-year-old man from England, decided to do this ride because it was the longest ride across America he could find. He loves cycling and has been a good friend along the way.

Jan and Marnix Landman -- a father and son combo from Holland.   They are fondly known as the Holland Express as they "race" across America together. Strong riders who love to stop at every coffee shop along the way.  And it is fun to see them grow as not only father and son but friends.   

Dan Olson, a 46-year-old cheese worker from Wisconsin who loves to cycle.  He has a touching story as a heart transplant survivor.   It would melt you into tears. 

Time and space do not allow me to continue -- forgive me for this especially if you are someone I missed -- Margaret, Norma, Eve, Tony, Tom, Terry, Frank and others. We have about 60 folks riding this week.

I need to close this blog entry but do you see what I mean?   Those that are with me -- sleeping in the tents next to me, passing me along the road, eating with me three meals a day,  are wonders as much as the oceans, rivers, mountains and waterfalls.     I'm seeing so many wonders but it is easy to forget that some of them are right next to me.

This Week--Thundering Falls Spectacular

Here's the schedule for the week:
Ludington, Michigan--Farwell      98 miles
Farwell-Frankenmuth                    85 miles
Frankenmuth - Richmond             88 miles
Richmond - West Lorne, Ontario 75 miles
West Lorne - Port Dover              96 miles
Port Dover - Niagara Falls           68 miles
510 total miles for the week, averaging 85 miles a day

Dollar A Mile Update

Thank you for your support of the Dollar A Mile efforts!  We're now at $3520, only $680 from the goal of $4200.  3520 miles translates to a few miles outside Sodus, New York which the group is scheduled to reach on August 10.  If you're interested in giving towards the final push towards the goal of $4200, please visit the Navigators website.  Thanks!

A FAST 95 MILES

I'm tired.  Sleepy.  Could just crash right now but have to wait for dinner at 5:30 p.m. and then our ride meeting afterwards followed by a massage afterwards.  The massage is for my left hand -- things continue to go numb and it has been hard to shift and increasingly harder to do other more simple things like holding a plate of food or anything that requires lifting or pressure.   But I can pedal so pedal I do!

The ride today was 95 miles from Ludington, Michigan to Farwell, Michigan.   This whole week is going to be more of a milage week I heard several riders mention, with fewer things to see and more miles to get us across Michigan and into Ontario, Canada by next week.  We should end our week on the Canadian side of the Niagra Falls.   There is something strange about Ontario our tour director, Greg Walsh, indicated.  He said, "if you don't see someone walking around in a space alien suite, you haven't seen the real Ontario!"  Guess we'll find out more about this later.

For today's ride I rode the first half with one of the volunteer staff members of Cycle America, Scott Wood.  He specializes in sports massages and so I'll link up later this evening with him.  But he is a very strong rider and just laid back and rode with me to the half way picnic at 42 miles.   For me though, it really stretched me out and it was great to get going fast on a Monday morning after yesterdays day off.  Then I linked up after the lunch with Philippe, our French cyclist of the tour.   And we moved along quite fast for me (not for him!) and as we finished up the day I noticed my average speed for the day was an incredible 17 miles an hour for the entire day.    We had a tail wind to be sure, but riding with these stronger guys really sped up my day as well.  

It was nice to finish the 95 miles by 2 p.m.  -- set up our tents at Farwell High School, home of the Eagles, and head off to do laundry.    A few blocks over was the Public Library where I am posting this report.   Time to run off to dinner.  

The S.S. Badger -- Ferry crossing Lake Michigan

Just a quick update.  We rode mostly in the rain from Plymouth, Wisconsin to Manitowoc, Wisconsin in the morning.   Went to the local bike shop for some warm wool socks to wear on the S.S. Badger -- a four hour ferry taking us across Lake Michigan to Ludington, Michigan.  Will hole up in Ludington for Sunday. 

Day 42 -- riding into town like horses

Just arrived into Plymouth, Wisconsin after a 69 mile ride from . . . wait a minute . . . where was I yesterday?  Beaver Dam, that's right.   Typically, I have to look at the route sheet we are given each day to remember both the date and current location.  This ride definately takes us into a different dimension of trying to figure out where we are and what date it is.  

Now that I'm oriented a bit -- let me say a few words about last night.  We stayed at Beaver Dam High School and it so happened that the local Beaver Dam Community Theatre company was doing Rodgers and Hammerstein's musical, Carousel.   So after dinner at a local Ponderosa Steak House -- we destroyed the buffett -- I came back to the High School and bought a ticket to the musical starting at 7:30 p.m.    The musical was good but not great.   I think one of the actor's grandmothers stood up to give it a standing ovation so the rest of us stood up as well.  As it ran late until 10: 30 p.m. I was dying to stand up anyhow.   That said, I"ve never seen the musical and it was worth sitting in the air conditioned theatre for three hours anyhow.    I know, not a raving review, but they sang well enough and it was good to have a diversion for the night.  

I've been on quite a run for evening entertainment.  Three days ago it was the Bike Museum in Sparta.  Then to the shows at the Circus World Museum in Baraboo and then the musical last night in Beaver Dam.   I'm a bit stumped what tonight may bring here in Plymouth.   I'm easily distracted and prone to wander the town for such things -- but I do need to do laundry and clean my bike and even rest a bit so if nothing big comes up I'm very happy to take it easy tonight.  

Not a lot to say about the ride.   The highlight was riding through one of the state national park areas with the shade from the forest canopy just after our picnic near the Butler Lake Recreaion area.   Plenty of rolling hills . . up and down . .  up and down.  I rode mostly alone today and linked up with a few riders here and there.   I think I took one photo of some cows next to a wind farm.  

It is fun to ride into our final town for the day.  It always feels like we are riding into town on horses.  I look a the small towns and can spot the bikes of fellow riders on each side of the small downtowns in each town. It has that feel of horses just tied up outside of a saloon.  Today a line of seven bikes were gathered together . . . sure sign that the coffee /  ice cream shop has been found.  I stopped for my root beer float at the Exchange Bank Coffee Shop and then headed for the Plymouth Public Library.  From here I saw a used book store that I'll drop in for a few minutes and then head over to the Plymouth High School to set up my tent (and air it out from last night's dew). 

A final look at my route sheet tells me this is day 42 of the 64 day trip.   Wow.   Tomorrow we will have only three more weeks to go having put six weeks behind us.   Thanks for reading along.

A light at the end of the tunnel

Yesterday was an interesting day as we rode from Sparta to Baraboo, Wisconsin.  Much of the early part of the day was on the Sparta-Elroy Trail, one of the first trail to rail routes ever created.    These bike trails can be tricky.   On one hand they are a welcome change as there are no semi-trucks edging the side of the road and traffic is limited to other bikers and an occasional bird watcher or jogger.   On the other hand, the trail was crushed limestone and was a bit slick after the rain which slowed us down a little and even caused a handful of accidents for some of our fellow riders.   On a couple points we stopped and walked our bikes through some tunnels (one was just short of a mile long) that were completely black when you started them and then you could literally see a small light at the end getting bigger and bigger.  All around us water was pouring out of the ground above us -- these were all tunnels built for the railroads in the late 1800's.    We all brought along small flashlights as it was pitch dark.   As you walked out of the dark tunnel and into the light it felt like we were stepping into paradise, a very great experience. 

It was a longer day with the slower trail -- about 75 miles.  I was glad to get into Baraboo, home of Circus World Museum.   I bounced into the school we were staying at (Jack Young Middle School), threw my sleeping pad on the gym floor, hit the showers and made it to Circus World by 3:30 p.m., just in time for their last performance.    They had a good small circus show with acrobats, jugglers and elephants.  I later saw a magic show and wandered around the musuem looking at all the colorful circus posters and even remembered a few acts that I saw as a kid in San Diego when the Ringling Brothers and Barnum and Bailey Circus came there in the 1970's.    It was all good fun and I asked a museum employee for a restaurant in the area as I was out too late to join the rest of our biker folks.    I was led to the Village Cafe -- an awesome little cafe with a southwestern theme -- a nice tuna burger did the trick for me along with a cappacino and piece of pecan something pie.  Really went high on the hog but it was nice to relax and be alone for a few hours. 

Today we rode a short 62 miles to Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.  Wisconsin is a charming place to ride -- nice rolling hills with farms.  But, not really a place that you need to pull your camera out so much -- maybe for a couple old one room school houses here and there -- but otherwise it was good just to ride with fellow bikers and chat along the way.   I ride a lot with many of the Europeans in our group from France, Holland and the United Kingdom and I'm enjoying their questions and perspectives as we bounce from one small town to the next. 

We are heading soon to Michigan and will take a ferry aross the Great Lakes and into Canada. I'm looking forward to arriving at the Niagra Falls by the end of next week.

Sparta, Wisconsin -- Bicycling Capital of America

Every town we ride through has their own distinctive niche that the town rallies around.  For example, De Smet, South Dakota was the Laura Ingalls Wilder center of the universe.   Today we rode from Pepin to Sparta, Wisconsin.   There is also a Laura Ingalls Wilder museum in Pepin as she was born in this very small town.  But now that we are 94 long miles away in Sparta we have learned that Sparta has proclaimed itself the "Bicycling Captial of America."   According to one local person I spoke with, it is because they were the first town to convert the railroad lines into bike paths sometimes known as the "Rail to Trails" paths.   They now have the Elroy-Sparta Trail which is connected to three other trails making 101 miles of connected State Trails.    I imagine and hope that we will travel a few miles on one of them tomorrow.

Today's ride was long and hot.  It reminded me of Aesop's fable of the wind and the sun and their argument to see which was stronger.   I (and my co-riders) felt especially targeted by both through out the day.  Oh, it also rained but that was a welcome relief to the wind and sun.  Ten miles from the finish, Martin Price, a good friend I've been riding with on several days declared, "I could kill for an ice cream right now."   But there was nothing around -- and little shade.   Still we pushed on as we do each day and found ourselves at Sparta's High School.  I'm sleeping in the gym as it is blazing hot outside -- actually it has cooled down to about 90 degrees.   To be fair, much of the earlier sections of the ride were rolling hills through small hills and farms -- very scenic and a welcome change from the standard corn and soybean farms through Minnesota and South Dakota.  But by the last 10 miles we faced a rough headwind that mostly destroyed us all. 

After a quick shower I rode into town and visited the Duke Slayton Memorial Space and Bicycle Museum -- strange combination but I also saw a brochure for a train and doll musuem somewhere around here so they must see the value in these kind of combinations.  Still, it was a nice place with tons of old bicycles and flight odds and ends. From my understanding, Duke Slayton was a Mercury astronaut from the Sparta area.    I'm excited about tomorrow -- I believe we are going to Baraboo, Wisconsin, famous for Circus World Museum.  They have a small theme park with old Circus Wagons and even a small one ring circus that I hope we make it in town to attend.  

Reporting from the Sparta Free Public Library.

Week Six Schedule--"Heartland Patchwork"

The group is now in cheese-land AKA Wisconsin.  Here's the schedule for the week:

Monday: Northfield MN - Pepin WI  69 miles
Tuesday: Pepin - Sparta 94 miles
Wednesday: Sparta - Baraboo 76 miles  Special Note:  Baraboo is home to the Circus World Museum!
Thursday: Baraboo - Beaver Dam 65 miles
Friday: Beaver Dam - Plymouth 60 miles
Saturday: Plymouth - Manitowoc 38 miles (plus catching the ferry across Lake Michigan)

Welcome to Wisconsin

Biked from Northfield to Pepin Wisconsin today (69 miles).  We crossed the Mississippi River and rode through Red Wing and on parts of the Cannon Valley bike trail, which was very shady and everyone loved it.  It was a nice change from the corn and soybean fields from the past few days.

(Cindy) It's been great to see Scott for a few days while the Cycle America team bikes through Minnesota.  Sunday afternoon we drove back to Northfield and I had a chance to meet many of Scott's fellow cyclists and listen in on the team meeting where they received an overview of the week and details for the next day's ride.  We were looking at a map of the US and it was amazing to think that these cyclists had pedaled from Washington state to Minnesota.  Wow!  Today I drove over to Pepin to meet up with Scott again before he continues eastward.

Home Sweet Home -- for 24 hours

Yesterday I rode as hard as I reasonably could, being helped along by my British friends, Martin Price and Jo Allen, who helped me arrive in Northfield, MN by 2 p.m.   I left at 7 a.m. and knew that this could be a long 100 miles from Hutchinson, MN to Northfield.     Generally the wind was in our favor and the hills just aren't the same as we experienced earlier in the Black Hills of South Dakota.   So we made good time and arrived at the Northfield High School where I showered and was met by Cindy who whisked me to our home in Richfield.

Great to be home and experience the small comforts.   Like sitting on my own sofa.  I was talking with Martin as we rode along a few days ago coming out of Watertown, South Dakota.  Martin briefly sat down on a sofa in the downtown area and simply reflected on this glorious experience and shared something simple, "It felt great, what a wonderful feeling just to sit on a sofa again."

Cindy and I then went out to a Mexican restaurant, had enchiladas and got caught up on our lives since we last saw each other more than five weeks ago before I left for Seattle.  Then we made quick stops to pick up a new camera and bike jersey before coming home to pet to the dog, do laundry and relax at home.   Oh, and I slept in until 5:50 a.m. this morning. 

Last night it was fun to look through some of the photos of the trip and just think back at all that we've seen along the way.  Attached is a shot of me in front of Devils Tower, Wyoming.   The truth is that I didn't even know it existed until this trip.  

Cindy will join me for parts of the next few nights -- attend our team dinner and meeting tonight in Northfield, meet some of the other riders, and then link up with me in Pepin, WI for a night before I continue on towards the east coast.  

Uff-Da -- arrived in Minnesota

We arrived in Minnesota with little fanfare. After leaving Watertown, South Dakota we rolled along Highway 20 (South Dakota) and found the roads immediately improved a bit upon entering Highway 40 (Minnesota). 

As a group we often enjoy stopping at the borders to take a picture of the "Welcome to (fill in the state) ___"  sign.    But in this case, my dear adopted state didn't have any such sign.   So our volunteer staff who route our course each day with yellow arrows telling us where to go spray painted a line in the road and wrote "MN" on one side and "SD" on the other.   This simple mark on the road was all we needed to take photos and enjoy crossing one more state together.

As you can expect we continued to roll along lots of corn fields and farms and 84 miles later we arrived in Montevideo, MN.    My general course of action is to ride through each town, find the local coffee shop, bike shop and library -- noting the hours of each.  That gives me a feel for how to plan each afternoon. 

Strange thing happened last night.   Many of us were sleeping in our tents in a field next to the Watertown Middle School.   It rained for several hours.  But then a wind came through and, for the most part, dried them out -- at least much more than I expected.    I continue to sleep hard each night which has been a blessing.

Okay -- off to the coffee shop!  Glad to be in Minnesota.

A Day to Remember

There are so many events that come and go along the way that make it impossible to remember them all.  But today few will forget our visit to Bryant Parkview Care Center, a nursing home facility of about 34 residents in Bryant, South Dakota.

Each day after about 15-20 miles or so we have a water break. Cycle America locks a few water coolers to a tree or post along the road allowing us to fill our bottles and move on.  Today we had our water break at this small nursing home that provided us with coffee and rolls and opened up their facility for us to come in and sit down and have a chat with their residents for about an hour as we moved along our ride.  I met with Leone Acres, a 89-year-old resident who homesteaded in South Dakota many, many years ago.  It was fun to see so many of the cyclists enjoy this special time of interacting and chating with so many of the residents.  

I was especially touched as it reminded me of my own Parkview Care Center in Buffalo, MN where my 87 year-old father-in-law, Earle,  is staying.   It allowed me a chance to pray for Earle and the chaplain, Pastor Highland Goodman.   Each day I dedicate a ride to a friend or family member.  Today it was for Highland Goodman and my friends in San Diego, Cottery and Rose Bryant, as we were in Bryant, South Dakota.    It is a simple thing but these are small ways I can engage with those in my life even though I can't be with them because of this ride.  

Well, we moved on and I had an opportunity to visit the South Dakota Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame (lots of old gloves and pictures), and the Toy Museum with shelves full of farm toys in Lake Norden.  They were both off the route but because our ride was shorter (60 plus miles) it gave us a chance to do some other things along the way.

Even though it was shorter ride, I rode with a few other cyclists through a closed road that was flooded to save about 10 additional miles of going around it.   We rode through the flooded road -- slowly trying to avoid slipping into the water as it came close to our lower gears and sprayed up at us as we crossed.    Yesterday our tour organizers saw carp crossing at this very point.  It was all great fun until one of the riders slipped into the water and snapped off his handle bars -- completely broken.   Even on shorter days things can sometimes go awry.   He has a recumbent bike and it may be hard to find the replacement parts quickly.  

We all arrived rather early into Watertown, South Dakota.  I connected with the first bike shop I found and bought a new tire -- my back tires were completely worn down from all the miles since we began the trip.  So far I've somehow avoided any punctures but yesterday I could see there wasn't much rubber left on the tire and it was time for a replacement.    My tent is now pitched at the Watertown Middle School -- looks like we may have some rain tonight. 

Little Bike on the Prairie -- now in De Smet, South Dakota

The major milestone today was that we celebrated our half-way point today just outside of Miller, South Dakota near Willie's Bar and Grill on Highway 14E.   Cycle America drew a chalk line on the side of the road indicating our half-way mark.  We all stopped and signed our names in chalk on the other side of the line -- we have passed the point of no return -- completing 2100 miles of our 4200 mile journey.  It was a low-key but nice thing to do together as we all stopped and took photos together. 

I rode with the Jan Train again (Jan, Marnix, Martin, Chuck and myself) today -- with a good tailwind for much of the day.   Our average speed was about 18 miles an hour.  These guys really stretch me -- but it is a good way to pass the miles and miles of prairie and farms.   We stopped at a local Country Store in Iroquois -- sort of a local hangout for the town.  I noticed that we have clearly seen the change from cowboy hats to seed hats in this part of South Dakota.   Folks are all nice -- always asking where we are from and where we are going. 

The ride was 77 miles from Miller to De Smet and we arrived early at about 1:15 p.m.   I visited the Laura Ingalls Wilder Museum and picked up some post cards.  This is the home of Laura Ingalls Wilder so they have a map and tours of all kinds of Wilder sites -- the Surveyor's House (1879-80),  Ingalls home (1887-1928), Almanzo and Laura's home (1894), and the Original Loftus Store -- I really have little idea what this all means but thought some of you may know more about it all!   I sort of feel like the wrong person in the wrong place -- but it is good fun to think of my wife, Cindy, and sister, Dawn, and how much they enjoyed reading these books!  To hear the young college ladies at the information desk in the museum  talk about "Pa" as if he were alive was a bit strange indeed.  These gals also shared about a family with three young girls who came yesterday all dressed up in prairie outfits and even persuaded their dad to wear suspenders like Pa. They had small round metal lunch boxes and even carried slate chalk boards as they came to visit the mecca of the Laura Ingalls Wilder Books.  

I normally ride around town a bit before checking in -- once I've showered, set up my tent and become settled it is hard to get back on the bike and go into town.  I'll bike around some of the sights -- have a root beer float maybe at the Loftus Store and wander over to the De Smet High School.

Lastly, I should note that we rode by the Worlds Largest Pheasant just outside the town of Huron.  It was one of those large giant side of the road displays were we stopped, took a photo and rode on.  

"The true way to live is to enjoy every moment as it passes -- it is in the everyday things around us that the beauty of life lies"   -- Laura Ingalls Wilder.

FROGS

If the theme of the last few rides has been grasshoppers -- today's emphasis was frogs -- not as many as the grasshoppers but plenty indeed along the road -- and lots of dead ones from the cars (and I suppose a few of our bicycles?).   

Today's report comes from the Miller Public Library in South Dakota. We are in the eastern part of South Dakota -- all the monuments and most of the mountains are finished - so this is full of heartland rides with plenty of wheat fields and crops being harvested.   Hardly a gas station or road side shop to be found for most of the 88 miles we rode from Pierre to Miller.  We did come across a wind farm with dozens of wind turbines (333 feet high) and a roadside marker (in the mud messying up several bikes).  But we did find some popsicles in the small town of Highmore, 63.8 miles into our ride.    Yep, those were the highlights -- frogs, popsicles, wind farms and wheat fields.   I'm on my way now to the Miller High School -- I think it will be a tent night rather than the gym.  

Yesterday was our day off in Pierre, South Dakota.  Surprisingly, I spent a lot of time riding around the city on my bike.  On Saturday, after a 90 mile day ride, I rode another 11 miles around the town including checking out the Lewis and Clark markers and trails.   I ate dinner at a small charming local Italian restaurant called La Ministra right in the heart of town.   Sunday I put on another 15 miles riding around the town -- breakfast at a Perkins (a sure sign I'm close to Minnesota), went to church with a fellow rider, bounced into the library, YMCA and the Pierre Mall for more sunblock, which I am buying now in bulk.   It was also relaxing to ride along the Missouri River and hit the local ice cream shop for another rootbeer float.    By the time I came back to our dorm at the Pierre Indian Learning Center I found I had biked around for at least 15 miles.   So, my day off time included at least 26 additional miles outside our normal 80-90 mile rides.   The thing is I'm enjoying it -- but the legs seemed a little tired today.  

The Grasshopper Challenge

Today we traveled 90 miles from Philip to Pierre, South Dakota.  The temperature reached 100 degrees.  This was a complete mileage day with hardly any towns between miles and miles of farmland.  This is the part of South Dakota I most dreaded, riding into a headwind on the open plains.  Instead, we had a great tailwind, making the day go fast.  We're staying in dorms at the Pierre Indian Learning Center.

Today's challenge I put out there was if someone caught one of the many grasshoppers in their hand I'd buy them an ice cream cone.  If they caught the grasshopper in their mouth, the prize would be two scoops of ice cream.  The winner (catching the grasshopper in his hand) was Marnix, Jan's son, who joined the bike ride this week and plans to ride the rest of the way to Boston.

After dinner, I biked around Pierre for another 10 miles to explore the city.  I saw part of the Lewis and Clark trail where they had a confrontation with the Teton Sioux in 1804.

Grasshoppers, Mt. Rushmore, Badlands, and Wall Drug

From the title you can see the wild contrast each day can bring.  I'm now writing from the Haakon County Public Library in the town of Philip.  I just arrived and set up my sleeping pad in the gym at Philip High School and wanted to get you caught up on the last few days.

The thing is, you could ask any of the riders where we were yesterday or two days ago and only a handful would even remember -- or at least it takes a bit of thought as we just keep pedalling forward each day.   But some rides are absolutely glorious and riding from Custer to Rapid City, South Dakota was one of those days.   And, that was three days ago (July 14).  

I left Custer around 7 a.m. and rode out alone.  Normally we eat together but I thought it would be nice to eat at a local cafe -- I met a few other riders and had a nice green chile breakfast burrito.   Then the ride through the hills and forest of the Black Hills was cool, shady and perfect weather.  Our route took me through the Needles Highway and the Cathedral rocks weaving through hills and tunnels and bridges ("Pig Tail Bridges") and the Mt Rushmore Monument.    The strange thing is, the ride was so good and perfect that even without Mount Rushmore it would have been a highlight ride.  Still, we climbed a steep grade to see Mt. Rushmore and I rewarded myself with a rootbeer float, sat in the shade and just enjoyed looking at these four great presidents.   The funny thing is is that this ride was one of the more difficult in terms of climbing -- not as bad as we had last week but it was so beautiful and I had so much energy, along with three and a half weeks of riding behind me, that it just was a wonderful ride.  I'm not tiring - but actually enjoying the rides more and more even though there are few "easy" days.

While the Mount Rushmore day was a scenic and challenging ride, the next day was more of a milage day -- riding from point A to Z and killing as many miles as quickly as possible.  Yesterday was a solo ride -- but going longer distances alone with little to see is tougher than tough.  I rode with three other riders in what we affectionally call "The Jan Train."   Jan is from The Netherlands and often rides with his son, Marnix, and Martin from the UK.   Chuck from Missouri also is a founding member of the Jan Train.   They ride fast but it stretches me and it is a great way to kill many long miles as fast as possible.   We rode 84 miles from Rapid City to Interior, South Dakota.  Interior is just outside of the Badlands National Park.  It is one of those three churches, two bars and 67 people kind of places -- with little or no shade in the campground!   The best part was that I could do laundry and it dried on a line in less than a half hour.   The temperatures are increasing and the sun is getting brighter.  Our cold days in Seattle are well behind us and we can feel the heat bringing it on -- the humidity is yet to hit us though -- but it is coming! 

Today is Friday -- July 16.  Every day seems like a Saturday so we often ask each other, "What day is this?"   Normally we look around at each other until someone figures it out.  But mostly we don't care -- the main thing is where we are going the next day and if it is more of a scenic day or a milage day.   But just like our Mount Rushmore day a few days ago, today was another All-Star day -- leaving early and riding in the morning for about 30 miles through the Badlands National Park.   There was little traffic and I felt as if we were as close to riding on the moon as I will ever get -- what an interesting sight.  I've been to the Badlands, but never cycled through it -- and it makes a big difference.  You just have a chance to enjoy it longer and take it in as you go from one rock formation to the next.   For lunch we arrived in the city of Wall, South Dakota  -- had our daily picnic at the local park in  and then wandered through the famous Wall Drug.   Lately with the heat I can't help myself -- I had my second Rootbeer Float of the trip.  Others enjoyed the five cent coffee.   The rest of the day I joined the Jan Train again and we shot out of town for another 35 miles to the town of Phillip.    Today had that nice combination of scenic riding in the Badllands along with some fun cycling at nice pace with a good group of guys in the afternoon.  A day like today was great for me -- a good national park and being stretched with some faster riders.  It was hot -- in the upper 80's -- but a good tail wind made it a nice ride. 

Oh, and the grasshoppers.  The last few days the roads have been lined with grasshoppers.   We've been crunching them for miles on end.    On occassion they hop on our back and ride along but for the most part they are popping up along the road everwhere.  

We finish our fourth week of cycling across America tomorrow as we go from Philip to Pierre, South Dakota -- a long 89 miles. Looks like it will be a hot one.   Last night, or was it the night before, our leader Greg Walsh mentioned that we have less than 2500 miles to go.   We finish our fourth week out of the nine week trip tomorrow.    Time to get back to the Philip High School and hit the showers.   Thank you for following along. 

Dollar A Mile Update

Thanks so much for your contributions to the Dollar A Mile effort!  You've given $2840 so far, getting Scott through Beaver Dam, Wisconsin.  Only $1360 to go to get Scott all the way to Boston.  All of Scott's expenses are covered for the bike ride so all funds raised are going to our community development ministry with Mission: Moving Mountains, a ministry of the Navigators.  Check out more information about Mission: Moving Mountains here.

H & B Souvenirs, Guns and Switchblades

We just passed Crazy Horse and I'm writing to you from the Custer Public Library.  We are staying tonight at Custer City High School, South Dakota.  Public Libraries are about the only place I can get to with a computer to do the blog so it has been a bit of a Public Library drought of recent.  And, there is always a time limit to sqeeze in emails and then shoot a quick blog entry so editing is not much of an option!

We ended our third week of cycling in a great location, the KOA at the foot of Devils Tower National Park.  And, there is basically only one thing to do there so we enjoyed hiking around Devils Tower, doing laundry and found a place to watch the World Cup (albiet it was in Spanish at a local Saloon).   About four of our riders are from The Netherlands so we supported them -- even though they lost to Spain 1-0.  

Yesterday we rode into South Dakota from Devils Tower (Wyoming).   It was a long 92 mile ride but the view was quiet spectacular as we rode through Spearfish Valley in the Black Hills of South Dakota.  Lots of rolling hills, rivers and forest.  We continued on throught the Black Hills today and rode from Leads to Custer -- 62 miles but lots of hills along the way.   I rode a good portion with Philippe, a semi-retired lawyer from Paris who has a great interest in American culture and a deep interest in the values of the American people -- he has even been riding with an American flag sticking out of his bike.  And, his wife is also a Librarian so it has been a fun to connect with him -- we had a good time hiking around Devils Tower on Sunday as well.  He is a walking encyclopedia of American history and culture. Later I connected with Chuck from Colombia, Missouri and we helped each other through some headwinds and hills to finish the day. The highlight of the day was riding bye the Crazy Horse monument.  Tomorrow we'll spend some time at Mt. Rushmore as we continue towards the Bad Lands.

After the Crazy Horse monument there was a store called "H & B Souvenirs, Guns and Switchblades."   I was sort of hoping for a coffee shop instead so we continued on to the town of Custer.   Well, my computer says my time is finished -- till the next public library . . . thanks so much for following along.   It has been an encouragement to see so many people that are behind us in this ride rooting us on.   Thank you, thank you.