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.