Thursday, August 27, 2009
I've made it!
So I'm sorry if it still seems like I'm stuck in Utah, but I did make it across the country! I've been trying to find time to write a few entries but post 4k summer has quickly passed by. I'm already on my way back to school!! Hopefully I'll find some time this weekend and update you on everything since Utah.. including a ride with limited clothing! Take care! and check back soon.
Thursday, July 16, 2009
First Half of Utah
Our time in Utah has certainly not been as interesting as Colorado, but it has still been fun! There has been a lot of hot weather, many people getting sick, camping, fly infested buildings, gravel road for miles, and lots of ups and downs. I can't say for sure, but I think the route we've taken through Utah is perhaps my least favorite of the trip!
-Paonia to Grand Junction, Co
Today was my turn to drive again. It was a very short day and the tailwind helped people move along very quickly. We had quite a few flat tires a lot the way, but we all got in around 1pm. We stayed at Mesa State University and had very nice beds to sleep in. A good number of us went out and say the Bruno movie, it was pretty funny. The 4am wake-up the next morning was a bit rough though!
-Grand Jct, to Moab, UT
Welcome to the day from hell. The distance was crazy long, over 100 miles, and it was going to be HOT! Some of the day was actually spent on I-70, but the first 15 miles in Utah were old paved road covered in loose gravel. Not fun to bike on. So after our bikes were given a violent massage, we finally made it back onto paved roads. After lunch was about 50 miles through the desert with nothing around. It was pretty and very desert-like, but it was over 100 degrees. We had some flat tire problems and the last 20 miles crept by. Eventually we made our way to Moab. Our host couldn't let us in until 8pm so we had a little time to kill. Lets just say we found a local brewery and had just a little taste of the local brew. The names were cool because they were named after bike parts and such. Got a good night sleep and slept in a little on our day off the next day!
-Day off Moab
Welcome to the most fun on the 4k yet! Conor, Richard and I rented four wheelers for the afternoon! A little over 4 hours of riding around in the desert, seeing awesome views, dinosaur bones, and no one else was great. The pictures Conor took speak for themselves. We were really out there and it was like nothing else. Plus it was nice to be able to go more than 20 mph and have an engine helping ya along! After we got back all 27 of us went to Arches National Park and celebrated our last day of the second leg! 2/3 of the way done! Crazy!
-Moab to Green River
Not to bad of day. Not a really long distance and rolling hills on alright roads. We got in early and had some time to relax. It was interesting because we stayed at a community center that was also the local food bank. We got put in charge of sorting the food that just came in. 9 pallets of food! After tossing cans and boxes around, and managing to hit a few people in the head it was all sorted. We had dinner and went back to killing the million house flies bugging us during our sleep... They were nice enough to offer us anything we wanted to take with us.
This is where all the fun begins. Never did we really stop to think about where food banks get their food. Lets just say we learned the hard way to look at expiration dates before eating food. The ham they gave us for lunch the next day expired in April of 09. So about half the team has been having problems for the last few days, myself included, and all things point back to the food bank... Dealing with the heat and having mild cases of food poisoning suck.
There is one girl on the team who has not been very lucky. She has fallen a few times, had bathroom problems many times, and wasn't spared by this bug this time. To top that off she also has a bad rash, maybe poison oak? Ha, she is falling apart! But still trucking.
-Green River to Capital Reef National Park
So after people had been up all night due to the food problems, we already had full vans and people dropping like hats. I started the day with 5 people in my group and finished (well was picked up) with only me and Shareef. Caitlin dropped after 4.6 miles and Maddie was done after 30. Mary Lacey made it to lunch but got in the van shortly after that. Shareef and I biked together for a bit and found another group at a coffee shop in the middle of no where. I ate some bread and that's where we formed team 'Shuttle'. Our goal for the day was to get shuttled to the camp site. :)
So the mileage was wrong and actually about 20 miles further than thought. With a pretty good hill at the end of the day there was no way we could make it. About 15 miles from the end the van came and got us! One girl had a badly pulled muscle and the 3 others were just not feeling good at all!
After many discussions with the park rangers about the size of our group we finally pitched out tents. We showered in the river at Capital Reef and went out to some restaurant for Pizza. People were still feeling pretty bad and almost half of our team had had some symptoms. We all just went to bed and hoped tomorrow would be better.
-Capital Reef to Escalante
Welcome to the second day from hell! Last minute last night they decided to change the route for today because of some problems last years group had with the park rangers and the size of the group. Lets just say they thought we were a 'parade' and should pay outrageous fines.
-Paonia to Grand Junction, Co
Today was my turn to drive again. It was a very short day and the tailwind helped people move along very quickly. We had quite a few flat tires a lot the way, but we all got in around 1pm. We stayed at Mesa State University and had very nice beds to sleep in. A good number of us went out and say the Bruno movie, it was pretty funny. The 4am wake-up the next morning was a bit rough though!
-Grand Jct, to Moab, UT
Welcome to the day from hell. The distance was crazy long, over 100 miles, and it was going to be HOT! Some of the day was actually spent on I-70, but the first 15 miles in Utah were old paved road covered in loose gravel. Not fun to bike on. So after our bikes were given a violent massage, we finally made it back onto paved roads. After lunch was about 50 miles through the desert with nothing around. It was pretty and very desert-like, but it was over 100 degrees. We had some flat tire problems and the last 20 miles crept by. Eventually we made our way to Moab. Our host couldn't let us in until 8pm so we had a little time to kill. Lets just say we found a local brewery and had just a little taste of the local brew. The names were cool because they were named after bike parts and such. Got a good night sleep and slept in a little on our day off the next day!
-Day off Moab
Welcome to the most fun on the 4k yet! Conor, Richard and I rented four wheelers for the afternoon! A little over 4 hours of riding around in the desert, seeing awesome views, dinosaur bones, and no one else was great. The pictures Conor took speak for themselves. We were really out there and it was like nothing else. Plus it was nice to be able to go more than 20 mph and have an engine helping ya along! After we got back all 27 of us went to Arches National Park and celebrated our last day of the second leg! 2/3 of the way done! Crazy!
-Moab to Green River
Not to bad of day. Not a really long distance and rolling hills on alright roads. We got in early and had some time to relax. It was interesting because we stayed at a community center that was also the local food bank. We got put in charge of sorting the food that just came in. 9 pallets of food! After tossing cans and boxes around, and managing to hit a few people in the head it was all sorted. We had dinner and went back to killing the million house flies bugging us during our sleep... They were nice enough to offer us anything we wanted to take with us.
This is where all the fun begins. Never did we really stop to think about where food banks get their food. Lets just say we learned the hard way to look at expiration dates before eating food. The ham they gave us for lunch the next day expired in April of 09. So about half the team has been having problems for the last few days, myself included, and all things point back to the food bank... Dealing with the heat and having mild cases of food poisoning suck.
There is one girl on the team who has not been very lucky. She has fallen a few times, had bathroom problems many times, and wasn't spared by this bug this time. To top that off she also has a bad rash, maybe poison oak? Ha, she is falling apart! But still trucking.
-Green River to Capital Reef National Park
So after people had been up all night due to the food problems, we already had full vans and people dropping like hats. I started the day with 5 people in my group and finished (well was picked up) with only me and Shareef. Caitlin dropped after 4.6 miles and Maddie was done after 30. Mary Lacey made it to lunch but got in the van shortly after that. Shareef and I biked together for a bit and found another group at a coffee shop in the middle of no where. I ate some bread and that's where we formed team 'Shuttle'. Our goal for the day was to get shuttled to the camp site. :)
So the mileage was wrong and actually about 20 miles further than thought. With a pretty good hill at the end of the day there was no way we could make it. About 15 miles from the end the van came and got us! One girl had a badly pulled muscle and the 3 others were just not feeling good at all!
After many discussions with the park rangers about the size of our group we finally pitched out tents. We showered in the river at Capital Reef and went out to some restaurant for Pizza. People were still feeling pretty bad and almost half of our team had had some symptoms. We all just went to bed and hoped tomorrow would be better.
-Capital Reef to Escalante
Welcome to the second day from hell! Last minute last night they decided to change the route for today because of some problems last years group had with the park rangers and the size of the group. Lets just say they thought we were a 'parade' and should pay outrageous fines.
So instead we ended up on a dirt road in the middle of some other forest. The groups were pretty spread out and mine still wasn't feeling too good. After a few big climbs up loose gravel roads, we rested under a tree. There must have been someone watching from above because this awesome sheep farmer named Andy stopped to check and see if we were alright. We said yes and asked about the road. He said it was about 40 more miles of gravel and wasn't going to be fun on a road bike. As he headed away, someone jokingly put out their finger to hitch hike... Not really expecting him to back up and offer us a ride! So the 8 of us put our bikes in the back of his truck and were taken about 9 more miles up the road to where all the rest of our groups were. Originally we thought that the hitch hiking would be looked down upon but in the end everyone was going to get shuttled because of the road conditions. So from there we emptied the vans and shuttled people the rest of the 30 miles on the gravel road. People and still really feeling sick and pretty tired, and I'm no exception, but tomorrow shouldn't be too bad and hopefully everyone will feel better.
Escalante looks like a fun town for outdoors people and the campsite we are staying at is also an outdoors outfitter, so lots of fun things I could spends lots of money on! Luckily we have to pack pretty light and I am broke so I won't buy anything!
A few more days then a day off in Cedar City. I can't believe the trip is almost over, but I'm pretty excited to cross over that bridge and enter real life again! 2 months on the road can really take a told on your mental processing and social function! I miss everyone and can't wait to see you Chels at the bay in a few weeks!
Back to my amazing tent for the night! Talk to you later down the road! Peace, Love, Spandex!
Friday, July 10, 2009
Colorado is a Huge State!
So I haven't written in a while, but don't worry I haven't even crossed into another state! But whoa Colorado is a crazy state.
-Yuma to Wiggins, CO
Pretty flat day today. Lots of corn fields and no sign of the rocky mountains yet! We made it in without much challenge and arrived in the tiny town of Wiggins. The clouds didn't look too inviting and a rain storm was soon to follow. After the rain let up a gorgeous double rainbow appeared. It was so bright I think we could have actually found the beginning of it! We gave a presentation to only about 6 people and quickly went to bed.
-Wiggins to Boulder
Within the first few miles we could already see the rocky mountains in the distance. Just little snow covered peaks to begin with but as the day continued they got much bigger! The ride wasn't to bad into boulder, no crazy climbs but we knew what was coming!
We had the day off the next day in boulder and it was an awesome town. Just a few crazy people and some people with a little fixation on drugs, but all and all pretty outdoorsy people. I certainly fit in with the outdoors attitude. We walked around pearl street and explored the local bike shop. A few of us went to a Denver Rockies baseball game that night. Caitlin managed to get some free tickets and after some confusion about what day the tickets were for, we managed to get in. Seats were awesome and the fireworks after the game were even cooler! We got home late and went to bed! The next day we start conquering the mountains.
-Boulder to Estes Park
I love to climb! I was very sick of the flat roads and same exact scenery every day. We started the day off with a 17 mile climb up Ward. I was extremely happy to be climbing and even managed to pass some of the locals doing it. Not saying I was a crazy fast climber, but once I got my iPod going and found my rhythm I was set. We made it to the top and had some snacks. Got a free Gatorade at the general store there. Kept going until lunch and had some ups and downs. Would get pretty warm on the climbs and freeze on the descents. Couldn't figure out the right amount of layers. After lunch the weather turned for the worse. Our awesome descent into Estes Park was quickly made horrible by some freezing cold rain and even some hail. I was riding with Jackie and we managed to make it to the bottom before the big hail started but then took cover in a garage. We then warmed up at a resort and even had some hot chocolate with a little Irish flavoring, if you know what I mean... That certainly warmed us up!
Finally made it to the YMCA of the Rockies and it was even nicer than the resort we stopped at! A 4000 person campus... WHOA! It was really nice to have beds and we needed the rest before the climb the next day. It was also 4th of July, but considering I saw fireworks at the ballgame last night, I didn't go out, instead I slept!
-Estes to Grand Lake
Today we climbed the highest paved road in America. Over 12,000 feet high! That was about 5500 feet of climbing. Lets just say it was gorgeous. Talk about amazing views. There were some scary parts where the cars zooming past and the cliffs on the other side made things uncomfortable, but we all made it. Besides the few than zoomed past the lunch stop, we all warmed up at the top and enjoyed the views. After getting a group picture we started the descent. ONLY to find horrible road construction and MORE HAIL! I was not a happy camper, or biker. We had about 15 miles of dirt road to the destination, but that wouldn't have been bad if I wasn't chilled to the bone and tired. We stated at a school in Grand Lake and managed to get a $400 food donation that made us all happy. A warm shower was greatly welcomed and we even got to sleep in the next day!
-Grand Lake to Kremmling
Because the distance was pretty short, only about 47 miles and mostly down hill, we decided to sleep in. Got up at 9am, thats unheard of! But because we got a late start that allowed the afternoon storms to build up. And about 2 miles outside the town we got hit by another huge hail storm. Needless to say we weren't to excited this time. We all to refuge in an empty garage that was also occupied by about 38 billion mosquitoes. I got a ton of bites and they still itch to this day.
-Kremmling to Glenwood Springs
This was a tough day. Originally we were going to have to climb two more 12000 foot mountains but luckily there was an easier route. Although about 25 miles at the beginning were spent on dirt and another 20 miles later, it was still nicer than climbing. The views were amazing. We followed the Colorado river for much of the day and had many high cliff views. I took a ton of photos this day and am still amazed by the beauty of the mountains. The last 15 miles were on a bike path underneith highway 70 down through Glenwood Canyon next to the Colorado river. This was the perfect ending to a tough day spent on dirt. It was also nice to know that tomorrow was a day off!
On the day off I was awoken early because everyone went to bed really early and felt it would be fun to turn the lights on when the woke up!!! But whatever, I needed to get up and do some stuff. The bus ride into Glenwood was free so that was nice. I went into town with a few people and we saw the second Transformers movie, it was good and nice to sit down for a while. We then went to a few bike shops in town and just enjoyed walking around. We had a community dinner and game night later that night.
-Glenwood to Paonia
The day began with a talk about this HUGE hill coming up called McClare pass. The first 30 miles of the day were spent slowly climbing and once we got to about mile 34 we say the road switchback and go up very quickly. They even had a sign that told us it was 3 miles to the summit. We rose about 1800 feet in 3 miles. Crazy steep but an awesome challenge. I did it in 28 mins and the record was 18, but still it was a quick climb. We had lunch at the top. We then enjoyed the rolling hills all the way down to Paonia. Regardless of being in the hills, the headwinds were killing me. We strolled into Paonia and I took a nice hour long nap on the sidewalk :)
Another day off! We shortened the trip by a day this year so we happened to get a day off right after a day off. I slept in a bit this morning and got a great breakfast provided at the church. Last night we were talked to by a 70 year alum from Hopkins, Felix Belmont. He has been involved with the local radio station here for 30 years. Turning 91 last week, Felix is in incredible shape for his age. Once of the nicest persons I've met on this trip by far. He recalling of Hopkins from 1936-40 blew my mind. Oh how the times have changed. His rent was $4 a week, and food was $5 a week. He also worked for the school and made $10 a month!
Felix invited us down to the radio station the next day and Caitlin, Jackie, Mary-Lacey, Dan and I got interviewed about our ride. It was awesome. It wasn't live, but once it gets aired, it should be on their website. kvnf.org. Their new building was a very sustainably built green radio station. Awesome by my standards.
And this is where I stand, or sit... In the new public library. I wish I could write more about each day, but since internet is so few and far between, its hard to remember everything that happens. Luckily I have been taking lots of pictures and each one sparks another memory. I can't believe that this trip is 2/3 of the way done!
I can't wait to pull into San Fran and realize that I've biked across the country. I also miss Chelsie like never before, but know we'll see each other in just a few weeks.
I want to thank everyone again for their continued support. I should be able to update in a few days, but once we get out into Utah, even civilization will be hard to come by!
This trip continues to amaze me every day. Everywhere we go is a new adventure; the people we meet, the stories we are told, everything just adds to the overall awe of this amazing journey across the country. I don't think I'll ever be able to tell someone exactly how this trip feels but I hope that this blog and the photos I'll eventually get posted help. If you haven't done something crazy like this in your life, do it. I will remember this trip for the rest of my life.
Thanks! Talk to you again soon.
-Yuma to Wiggins, CO
Pretty flat day today. Lots of corn fields and no sign of the rocky mountains yet! We made it in without much challenge and arrived in the tiny town of Wiggins. The clouds didn't look too inviting and a rain storm was soon to follow. After the rain let up a gorgeous double rainbow appeared. It was so bright I think we could have actually found the beginning of it! We gave a presentation to only about 6 people and quickly went to bed.
-Wiggins to Boulder
Within the first few miles we could already see the rocky mountains in the distance. Just little snow covered peaks to begin with but as the day continued they got much bigger! The ride wasn't to bad into boulder, no crazy climbs but we knew what was coming!
We had the day off the next day in boulder and it was an awesome town. Just a few crazy people and some people with a little fixation on drugs, but all and all pretty outdoorsy people. I certainly fit in with the outdoors attitude. We walked around pearl street and explored the local bike shop. A few of us went to a Denver Rockies baseball game that night. Caitlin managed to get some free tickets and after some confusion about what day the tickets were for, we managed to get in. Seats were awesome and the fireworks after the game were even cooler! We got home late and went to bed! The next day we start conquering the mountains.
-Boulder to Estes Park
I love to climb! I was very sick of the flat roads and same exact scenery every day. We started the day off with a 17 mile climb up Ward. I was extremely happy to be climbing and even managed to pass some of the locals doing it. Not saying I was a crazy fast climber, but once I got my iPod going and found my rhythm I was set. We made it to the top and had some snacks. Got a free Gatorade at the general store there. Kept going until lunch and had some ups and downs. Would get pretty warm on the climbs and freeze on the descents. Couldn't figure out the right amount of layers. After lunch the weather turned for the worse. Our awesome descent into Estes Park was quickly made horrible by some freezing cold rain and even some hail. I was riding with Jackie and we managed to make it to the bottom before the big hail started but then took cover in a garage. We then warmed up at a resort and even had some hot chocolate with a little Irish flavoring, if you know what I mean... That certainly warmed us up!
Finally made it to the YMCA of the Rockies and it was even nicer than the resort we stopped at! A 4000 person campus... WHOA! It was really nice to have beds and we needed the rest before the climb the next day. It was also 4th of July, but considering I saw fireworks at the ballgame last night, I didn't go out, instead I slept!
-Estes to Grand Lake
Today we climbed the highest paved road in America. Over 12,000 feet high! That was about 5500 feet of climbing. Lets just say it was gorgeous. Talk about amazing views. There were some scary parts where the cars zooming past and the cliffs on the other side made things uncomfortable, but we all made it. Besides the few than zoomed past the lunch stop, we all warmed up at the top and enjoyed the views. After getting a group picture we started the descent. ONLY to find horrible road construction and MORE HAIL! I was not a happy camper, or biker. We had about 15 miles of dirt road to the destination, but that wouldn't have been bad if I wasn't chilled to the bone and tired. We stated at a school in Grand Lake and managed to get a $400 food donation that made us all happy. A warm shower was greatly welcomed and we even got to sleep in the next day!
-Grand Lake to Kremmling
Because the distance was pretty short, only about 47 miles and mostly down hill, we decided to sleep in. Got up at 9am, thats unheard of! But because we got a late start that allowed the afternoon storms to build up. And about 2 miles outside the town we got hit by another huge hail storm. Needless to say we weren't to excited this time. We all to refuge in an empty garage that was also occupied by about 38 billion mosquitoes. I got a ton of bites and they still itch to this day.
-Kremmling to Glenwood Springs
This was a tough day. Originally we were going to have to climb two more 12000 foot mountains but luckily there was an easier route. Although about 25 miles at the beginning were spent on dirt and another 20 miles later, it was still nicer than climbing. The views were amazing. We followed the Colorado river for much of the day and had many high cliff views. I took a ton of photos this day and am still amazed by the beauty of the mountains. The last 15 miles were on a bike path underneith highway 70 down through Glenwood Canyon next to the Colorado river. This was the perfect ending to a tough day spent on dirt. It was also nice to know that tomorrow was a day off!
On the day off I was awoken early because everyone went to bed really early and felt it would be fun to turn the lights on when the woke up!!! But whatever, I needed to get up and do some stuff. The bus ride into Glenwood was free so that was nice. I went into town with a few people and we saw the second Transformers movie, it was good and nice to sit down for a while. We then went to a few bike shops in town and just enjoyed walking around. We had a community dinner and game night later that night.
-Glenwood to Paonia
The day began with a talk about this HUGE hill coming up called McClare pass. The first 30 miles of the day were spent slowly climbing and once we got to about mile 34 we say the road switchback and go up very quickly. They even had a sign that told us it was 3 miles to the summit. We rose about 1800 feet in 3 miles. Crazy steep but an awesome challenge. I did it in 28 mins and the record was 18, but still it was a quick climb. We had lunch at the top. We then enjoyed the rolling hills all the way down to Paonia. Regardless of being in the hills, the headwinds were killing me. We strolled into Paonia and I took a nice hour long nap on the sidewalk :)
Another day off! We shortened the trip by a day this year so we happened to get a day off right after a day off. I slept in a bit this morning and got a great breakfast provided at the church. Last night we were talked to by a 70 year alum from Hopkins, Felix Belmont. He has been involved with the local radio station here for 30 years. Turning 91 last week, Felix is in incredible shape for his age. Once of the nicest persons I've met on this trip by far. He recalling of Hopkins from 1936-40 blew my mind. Oh how the times have changed. His rent was $4 a week, and food was $5 a week. He also worked for the school and made $10 a month!
Felix invited us down to the radio station the next day and Caitlin, Jackie, Mary-Lacey, Dan and I got interviewed about our ride. It was awesome. It wasn't live, but once it gets aired, it should be on their website. kvnf.org. Their new building was a very sustainably built green radio station. Awesome by my standards.
And this is where I stand, or sit... In the new public library. I wish I could write more about each day, but since internet is so few and far between, its hard to remember everything that happens. Luckily I have been taking lots of pictures and each one sparks another memory. I can't believe that this trip is 2/3 of the way done!
I can't wait to pull into San Fran and realize that I've biked across the country. I also miss Chelsie like never before, but know we'll see each other in just a few weeks.
I want to thank everyone again for their continued support. I should be able to update in a few days, but once we get out into Utah, even civilization will be hard to come by!
This trip continues to amaze me every day. Everywhere we go is a new adventure; the people we meet, the stories we are told, everything just adds to the overall awe of this amazing journey across the country. I don't think I'll ever be able to tell someone exactly how this trip feels but I hope that this blog and the photos I'll eventually get posted help. If you haven't done something crazy like this in your life, do it. I will remember this trip for the rest of my life.
Thanks! Talk to you again soon.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
It's been a month!
So we've been riding for over a month now! How crazy is that. Trust me when you do the same thing every day you tend to loose track of time... lets just say depending on how I'm feeling it may feel like we left 4 days ago or 4 months ago!
The weather has started to cool down for us, nothing much over 85 and cool in the mornings. We had an awesome time in Benkelman, NE and also got a day off there.
-Arapahoe to Benkelman
A pretty long day so we had to get up from our homestays around 4:30, but most of us pushed that to about 5... We got on the road and headed out past the miles of corn fields. The directions were pretty long and consisted of one road for 92 miles. The last 20 miles were brutal. Fierce headwinds are not a tall guys friend. My knees were killing me and I was almost in tears because of the pain and how slow we were moving. But we all finally made it and the town greeted up with open arms! Chris and Carolyn opened their house and business to us all and we were quick to make smoothies! They are one of the only people to have been invovled with the 4k since it started. The first group happened to walk into their diner right before a big storm and were housed for the night... the rest is history!
The next day was our day off and we got to take over the pool and just relax in small town america. With only 1009 people in the whole town, everyone knew who we were! Chris and Carolyn threw a big BBQ outside their coffee shop 'Jitter Connection' and invited the whole town. We closed down a portion of main street and met the locals. A bunch of kids came out and lots of the townsfolk. It was cool to talk about what we were doing and just have a good relaxing time. Of course being that fireworks are legal during the week before July 4th in Nebraska I was quick to purchase a few. After we headed home, fun occured in the streets of benkelman!
Instead of being crammed into a basement with 26 of my new closest friends, I opted to sleep outside in a tent. It was nice. But once that sun came up in the morning it was HOT and time to get moving.
Chris and Carolyn are trying to move back to California where their family is, but I'm sure Benkelman will stay on the 4k list. The people are great and the pace of life is even better.
-Benkelman to Yuma, CO
Another state down! We've made it to Colorado. Today was a very wonderful day. There were great surprises around every corner.
The first of the day happened at our 2nd water stop. It was inside a old school building that is now a community center in Laird, Co. Little did the water van driver know, but just last night there was a school reunion! With much of the classes graduating in the mid 50's the ladies that met us were great! We had a full array of leftovers and it was a great surprise! The joy went both ways and we sure made each others days. To continue to amazingness these two ladies came over to Yuma during dinner and delivered us all reunion hats! It was another great surprise.
Also during the ride today, right before lunch, we all waved to a biker heading the other direction. After three groups passed him he decided he better turn around and see what we were all about. Turns out he was the state senator for the town we were biking through. We all got talking about politics, our ride, and colorado. I happened to mention that I was having alot of problems with my left shoe. For those who don't know, bike shoes clip into the pedal so you can both push down and pull up. Well I lost one of the bolts that clip the cleat on and my shoe was pretty much useless. Greg Brophy offered to dig through his bike parts at home and drive out to Yuma to help me out. Now thats awesome. Not only was it cool to meet a state senator while out biking, but to have him and his family show up at dinner in Yuma, 30 mins away, and bring me a new cleat for my show... Thats wonderful.
It really blows my mind how much you can touch others lives with simple gestures! It goes both ways. Greg was excited to have met us out there, and he really helped me out too! The little old ladies we met today offered to cook us steak dinners and house us next year! Their surprise visit to dinner with presents meant the world to us. This ride is really starting to open my eyes to how generous people can be and how keeping a smile on your face and doing the right thing can get you a long ways in this world.
We are at homestays again tonight and all I can see from my house in every direction is wheat! It is so flat and so gorgeous that I'm at a loss for words. The dinner was great tonight and we actually get to sleep in till 7 tomorrow! Not too long of day tomorrow to Wiggins, about 75 miles. Then Boulder after that!
I'm having an awesome time and can't believe we are half way done! The rockies and dessart in front of us will be a challenge but so senic and breathtaking that I can't wait.
Thanks for check out the blog and I'll keep ya updated!
Peace, Love, & Spandex!
-Travis
The weather has started to cool down for us, nothing much over 85 and cool in the mornings. We had an awesome time in Benkelman, NE and also got a day off there.
-Arapahoe to Benkelman
A pretty long day so we had to get up from our homestays around 4:30, but most of us pushed that to about 5... We got on the road and headed out past the miles of corn fields. The directions were pretty long and consisted of one road for 92 miles. The last 20 miles were brutal. Fierce headwinds are not a tall guys friend. My knees were killing me and I was almost in tears because of the pain and how slow we were moving. But we all finally made it and the town greeted up with open arms! Chris and Carolyn opened their house and business to us all and we were quick to make smoothies! They are one of the only people to have been invovled with the 4k since it started. The first group happened to walk into their diner right before a big storm and were housed for the night... the rest is history!
The next day was our day off and we got to take over the pool and just relax in small town america. With only 1009 people in the whole town, everyone knew who we were! Chris and Carolyn threw a big BBQ outside their coffee shop 'Jitter Connection' and invited the whole town. We closed down a portion of main street and met the locals. A bunch of kids came out and lots of the townsfolk. It was cool to talk about what we were doing and just have a good relaxing time. Of course being that fireworks are legal during the week before July 4th in Nebraska I was quick to purchase a few. After we headed home, fun occured in the streets of benkelman!
Instead of being crammed into a basement with 26 of my new closest friends, I opted to sleep outside in a tent. It was nice. But once that sun came up in the morning it was HOT and time to get moving.
Chris and Carolyn are trying to move back to California where their family is, but I'm sure Benkelman will stay on the 4k list. The people are great and the pace of life is even better.
-Benkelman to Yuma, CO
Another state down! We've made it to Colorado. Today was a very wonderful day. There were great surprises around every corner.
The first of the day happened at our 2nd water stop. It was inside a old school building that is now a community center in Laird, Co. Little did the water van driver know, but just last night there was a school reunion! With much of the classes graduating in the mid 50's the ladies that met us were great! We had a full array of leftovers and it was a great surprise! The joy went both ways and we sure made each others days. To continue to amazingness these two ladies came over to Yuma during dinner and delivered us all reunion hats! It was another great surprise.
Also during the ride today, right before lunch, we all waved to a biker heading the other direction. After three groups passed him he decided he better turn around and see what we were all about. Turns out he was the state senator for the town we were biking through. We all got talking about politics, our ride, and colorado. I happened to mention that I was having alot of problems with my left shoe. For those who don't know, bike shoes clip into the pedal so you can both push down and pull up. Well I lost one of the bolts that clip the cleat on and my shoe was pretty much useless. Greg Brophy offered to dig through his bike parts at home and drive out to Yuma to help me out. Now thats awesome. Not only was it cool to meet a state senator while out biking, but to have him and his family show up at dinner in Yuma, 30 mins away, and bring me a new cleat for my show... Thats wonderful.
It really blows my mind how much you can touch others lives with simple gestures! It goes both ways. Greg was excited to have met us out there, and he really helped me out too! The little old ladies we met today offered to cook us steak dinners and house us next year! Their surprise visit to dinner with presents meant the world to us. This ride is really starting to open my eyes to how generous people can be and how keeping a smile on your face and doing the right thing can get you a long ways in this world.
We are at homestays again tonight and all I can see from my house in every direction is wheat! It is so flat and so gorgeous that I'm at a loss for words. The dinner was great tonight and we actually get to sleep in till 7 tomorrow! Not too long of day tomorrow to Wiggins, about 75 miles. Then Boulder after that!
I'm having an awesome time and can't believe we are half way done! The rockies and dessart in front of us will be a challenge but so senic and breathtaking that I can't wait.
Thanks for check out the blog and I'll keep ya updated!
Peace, Love, & Spandex!
-Travis
Saturday, June 27, 2009
Short day but full of fun!
-Franklin to Arapahoe
Today's a short day! only 57 miles. So we decided to have a little fun. This morning we were given a list of 20 or so items, pictures, things to do along the route. Crazy stuff! Lets see... Before even leaving Arapahoe I was wearing a sports bra and sitting on a tractor... Then I ate a live grasshopper. Then 3 of us ate live minos, and I got stuck eating two! I ate a whole apple, core and all... I peed off the top of the van and off the top of a very tall hay pile about 25 feet up! I mooned a few groups, shot of fireworks, even bought a condom out of a bathroom vending machine! Other things on the list were to put peanut butter on the face of a leg leader, get naked in the bathroom of a opposite sex, get a picture with cows, a picture in the corn fields, a picture with some locals, picture with a motorcyclist, and lots more!!
Lets just say it was a fun day. Unfortunately before it was done Kristine and Connor managed to hit the pavement pretty hard in an unsuccessful 'pirating' (spraying water on a group while passing them) attempt. She has fractured her tailbone and got a concussion... But we'll see how long she is off the bike. We all hope for a fast recovery! She's a trooper.
Tonight is a home stay. We actually get to sleep in a house! with beds, and tv and internet, and LAUNDRY! and private bathrooms and other people. Its awesome. I'm with 3 other riders about 5 mins away from town. Great modern farm house and love the family. Dinner was great tonight and gotta get some sleep tonight!
Alright, off to Benkelman tomorrow and a day off after that!
Take care!
Today's a short day! only 57 miles. So we decided to have a little fun. This morning we were given a list of 20 or so items, pictures, things to do along the route. Crazy stuff! Lets see... Before even leaving Arapahoe I was wearing a sports bra and sitting on a tractor... Then I ate a live grasshopper. Then 3 of us ate live minos, and I got stuck eating two! I ate a whole apple, core and all... I peed off the top of the van and off the top of a very tall hay pile about 25 feet up! I mooned a few groups, shot of fireworks, even bought a condom out of a bathroom vending machine! Other things on the list were to put peanut butter on the face of a leg leader, get naked in the bathroom of a opposite sex, get a picture with cows, a picture in the corn fields, a picture with some locals, picture with a motorcyclist, and lots more!!
Lets just say it was a fun day. Unfortunately before it was done Kristine and Connor managed to hit the pavement pretty hard in an unsuccessful 'pirating' (spraying water on a group while passing them) attempt. She has fractured her tailbone and got a concussion... But we'll see how long she is off the bike. We all hope for a fast recovery! She's a trooper.
Tonight is a home stay. We actually get to sleep in a house! with beds, and tv and internet, and LAUNDRY! and private bathrooms and other people. Its awesome. I'm with 3 other riders about 5 mins away from town. Great modern farm house and love the family. Dinner was great tonight and gotta get some sleep tonight!
Alright, off to Benkelman tomorrow and a day off after that!
Take care!
Welcome to the west!
Lets just start off by saying how HOT it has been the past week. With temps pushing 100 degrees it certainly makes biking interesting!
-Paola to Lawrence
Got an early start today to beat the heat. I was with the quick group and we were pushing 20mph for the first bit. The day started to drag towards the end but we had an awesome surprise waiting for us. We all got a late lunch at Longhorn Steakhouse! Luckily it was only 3 miles away from the church we were staying at. I managed to get some sunscreen in my eye that afternoon and it bothered me all night. So I didn't have the best night, but did meet someone at Ben and Jerries that was from vermont!
-Lawrence to Frankfort
Long day! But luckily the first 70 miles were pretty flat! Once the rolling hills started we all started to slow down. But with every up hill comes a nice down hill. As we got closer to the town it looked like we were headed right into a thunderstorm. With lightining on the horizon and rain drops falling, we zoomed the last 7 miles into town and managed to get a shower in before the skies opened up!
-Frankfort to Fairbury
My turn to drive! Pretty easy 70 mile day and not to many turns. Had a hard time finding food out in the middle of no where, but we managed. Lunch was served at an old grain elevator where I had to climb the 100 feet up and check out the view! Luckily the heat wasn't to bad and the A/C was even better. Fairbury was a great little town with brick roads and a pretty small population. Dinner was great and managed to get online a little. Micheal Jackson died! Its amazing what news does make it to us...
-Fairbury to Franklin
The skies looked pretty dark this morning, but it was nice to have overcast for a bit. No really rain but it kept the temps down. Today was over 100 miles, but didn't get too too hot. We finally made it in and even had a little time to relax. Lets just say I was happy to pass out pretty early and because the short day ahead we actually got to sleep in a little!
-Paola to Lawrence
Got an early start today to beat the heat. I was with the quick group and we were pushing 20mph for the first bit. The day started to drag towards the end but we had an awesome surprise waiting for us. We all got a late lunch at Longhorn Steakhouse! Luckily it was only 3 miles away from the church we were staying at. I managed to get some sunscreen in my eye that afternoon and it bothered me all night. So I didn't have the best night, but did meet someone at Ben and Jerries that was from vermont!
-Lawrence to Frankfort
Long day! But luckily the first 70 miles were pretty flat! Once the rolling hills started we all started to slow down. But with every up hill comes a nice down hill. As we got closer to the town it looked like we were headed right into a thunderstorm. With lightining on the horizon and rain drops falling, we zoomed the last 7 miles into town and managed to get a shower in before the skies opened up!
-Frankfort to Fairbury
My turn to drive! Pretty easy 70 mile day and not to many turns. Had a hard time finding food out in the middle of no where, but we managed. Lunch was served at an old grain elevator where I had to climb the 100 feet up and check out the view! Luckily the heat wasn't to bad and the A/C was even better. Fairbury was a great little town with brick roads and a pretty small population. Dinner was great and managed to get online a little. Micheal Jackson died! Its amazing what news does make it to us...
-Fairbury to Franklin
The skies looked pretty dark this morning, but it was nice to have overcast for a bit. No really rain but it kept the temps down. Today was over 100 miles, but didn't get too too hot. We finally made it in and even had a little time to relax. Lets just say I was happy to pass out pretty early and because the short day ahead we actually got to sleep in a little!
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
long day!
-Sweet Springs to Paola Kansas.
With highs up near 100 degrees and over 112 miles to bike, we all knew it was going to be a long day! Amazingly enough the first 50 miles just flew by. Unfortunately my group took a wrong turn and tried to set up lunch about 10 miles the wrong direction from the real lunch stop! But we made it back. I felt pretty bad after lunch and actually jumped in the van for a few miles, kinda dehydrated and just over heated. But made the the last 30 miles and had a nice big dinner.
Gotta run to breakfast and get on the road. Today is only 50 miles and should fly by!
Enjoy!
Peace, Love, & Spandex
With highs up near 100 degrees and over 112 miles to bike, we all knew it was going to be a long day! Amazingly enough the first 50 miles just flew by. Unfortunately my group took a wrong turn and tried to set up lunch about 10 miles the wrong direction from the real lunch stop! But we made it back. I felt pretty bad after lunch and actually jumped in the van for a few miles, kinda dehydrated and just over heated. But made the the last 30 miles and had a nice big dinner.
Gotta run to breakfast and get on the road. Today is only 50 miles and should fly by!
Enjoy!
Peace, Love, & Spandex
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Overdue Updates!
So I haven't posted anything since Cleveland! That's two weeks ago! I'm sorry for such a long delay, but Internet usage and free time are very limited. I'll try and do my best to include a day by day update since Cleveland, but after a while of doing the same thing every day it tends to blend together....
-Cleveland to Sandusky
As I said before I drove the van today, nearly impossible to find lunch for everyone so ended up buying some lunch meat. Not to difficult of day, but still nice to be driving the van. We made it into Sandusky with most of the afternoon to spare. We stayed at the middle school there and spent the night on the basketball floor. They had dinner waiting for us, HUGE foot long hot dogs. After dinner we all went to Cedar Point amusement park and had a blast. I LOVE roller coasters and only felt sick for a little bit after jumping on a big one right after dinner :).
-Sandusky to Fayette
Today was our first century, meaning biking over 100 miles. That's a lot of time spent pedaling all day. We got a bit of everything. Some rain, some sunshine, and lots of head wind. We had a few people take a spill while going over a railroad track during the rain and one girl went to the hospital. This was only at mile 15 so we still had a lot of miles ahead of us. Luckily the rain cleared up and we were making good time. I was exhausted for good bit of the day and even managed to fall asleep on my bike, didn't crash just rubbed into the rumble strip a little bit! The last 25 miles or so was hectic. 15 mph head winds and wide open fields. Everyone was exhausted and we were moving a pretty slow pace. We all made it to the host however.
Probably one of the more annoying things is that when you finally arrive at the host they have MUCH more energy than you do, yet you are still expected to be all cheerful and energetic. After this first century, my cheerfulness was seriously challenged....
-Fayette to Elkhart
Today we cross another state boarder! Well really two. Went up through Michigan and back down into Indiana. Nothing really special to mention about this day... the food was great at the host and they even fixed our bikes for us! The excitement really started at night...
The girls and guys were in separate rooms and the girls had a interesting visitor that night. A local peeping Tom, or Tim as we call him was whispering inappropriate fantasies... needless to say this ended up waking us all up, but no one was hurt and we all eventually laughed it off. Raffi, a guy on the team actually created a nice team song about him.
-Elkhart to Michigan City
Michigan city was awesome! We went to the sanddunes of Lake Michigan. We spelled out 4k with our bodies in the sand and also did a little skinny dipping! This wasn't the best city in terms of safety but it was still fun. The church looked like something built back in ancient times, like a huge european castle... and some people were sure it was haunted!
-Michigan City to Chicago!
RAIN! This whole day was either spent sleeping, waiting for the van to go back and forth to chicago, or driving. I didn't go with the first group of vans but went with the second then drove back to pick up the last group... it was a long day and we all wished we just had biked... to bad it was pouring!
Day off in Chicago...
Pretty much all day was spend at the bike shop or talking about doing something... luckily people finally made motions near dinner time and we went to Gino's East where we got some great deep dish pizza. We actually managed to dodge a 2 hour line because of the group size we went with.. don't know how that happened but it was awesome!
-Chicago to Kankakee
The weather really isn't on our side. it was about 50 degree and raining this morning! By mile 20 I was shivering uncontrollably and everything was wet! Luckily it warmed up and actually became really really really HOT! Kankakee was good, we stayed at a YMCA and had dinner at the local church.
-Kankakee to Bloomington
Today I got to witness the directors doing a 'no hands' contest. Chris made it 39 miles and Tom made it 33 miles with NO HANDS! it was impressive to say the least. We spent the last bit of the day on old route 66 which was all ripped up and needed new pavement! today was almost 100 miles and felt like it when we finally arrived. One of the groups took a 20 mile detour so their day was a little longer. one of our riders fell pretty badly and hasn't ridden since. but hopefully will get back on the bike tomorrow leaving sweet springs.
-Bloomington to Jacksonville
Today was a long long day, almost 115 miles. I guess I should mention that everything since cleveland has been pretty much flat. a 300 foot tall hill here or there, but pretty much flat. nothing to really complain about. Once we made it to Jacksonville we stayed at Illinois College, a great little school with some comfy beds!
-Jacksonville to St. Louis!
The weather looked pretty bad this morning, but some how we managed to dodge the big thunder storms but got rained on a little bit. We crossed over the Mississippi river on Route 66 on Chain of Rocks Bridge. Pretty cool and certainly happy to know that tomorrow was a day off!!! It was only a little scary biking through East St. Louis. If i was going to get shot anywhere on that trip.. thats where it would be!
-Day off in St. Louis.
Slept in a little bit and went over to REI. Messed up my rims yesterday in a crash where I managed not to crash! Caught my wheels in a groove in the cement highway and managed to unclip and step over my handlebars. Funny thing is another girl crashed because she was watching me crash... 2 other people hit the same groove but didn't mess up their rims quite as bad. But the weather was about 100 degrees in St. Louis today so didn't want to spend to much time outside. We stayed at Washington University in St. Louis and it was awesome. Very environmental conscious and i liked it alot!
-St. Louis to Montgomery City
HOT HOT HOT!! it was almost 100 degrees and very humid. A long day and we all were in bad moods. We all made it though and it was nice to get in some A/C... but not because we were camping! we all got in VERY late and it was a big mess to get everything set up and people eating and getting yelled at and tensions were high all around. Lets just say the camping part was enjoyable but the stress caused by certain people was not.
-Montgomery City to Fayette
Fayette was by far my favorite city so far. Everyone was wonderful and relaxed! The people were just very nice. We managed to dodge some nasty thunderstorms in the afternoon and ate lunch in someone front yard under a shady group of trees! It was another HOT day but i've learned to accept it. We stayed at the baptist church in town and had amazing food for dinner and breakfast. I met a couple who were originally from Vermont and New Hampshire! that was cool.
-Fayette to Sweet Springs
The ride was shorter today only 61 miles. Besides the 45 minute unexpected early wake up thanks to the directors, the day went great. We got to ride on a ferry across the Missouri river because the bridge was getting fixed and it was really nice of the Fayette people to work out a free ride for us and our vans! The road was really uncrowded after that... There were some NASTY fun hills for the last 20 miles of the day, but fun because it wasn't flat and straight!
To start our day off we went to mini-sprint kart racing last night! It was an awesome time. Cheap food, a cool beverage, and lots of town people cheering on very loud and fast cars as they fly around a dirt track! We got a picture with the young kids doing it. They can start as early as 6!!!! and one of the big winners was 11 and really cute.
The people Sweet Springs have been awesome to me. For a town of only 1600 they had a lot to offer us. We got to use the Pool at the park and shower there, we've managed to do our laundry!! thank the lord... We have internet at the school. The Kart racing was awesome! And they even provided every meal for us. We have a big BBQ for us in a few hours where the whole town is invited. We even had our third mail drop here! It was so nice to get mail! and I had more than anyone else!
This is the end our of first of three legs. So a new leader will take over of the next 20 or so days. I can't believe I'm over 1300 miles done with my journey across the country! there is still alot to come and i can't wait!
I miss everyone at home and school. I love you Chelsie! Thanks for all your support everyone!
Thanks for looking at my blog! Don't have a clue next time I'll be online but check back in a week or so!
-Travis
-Cleveland to Sandusky
As I said before I drove the van today, nearly impossible to find lunch for everyone so ended up buying some lunch meat. Not to difficult of day, but still nice to be driving the van. We made it into Sandusky with most of the afternoon to spare. We stayed at the middle school there and spent the night on the basketball floor. They had dinner waiting for us, HUGE foot long hot dogs. After dinner we all went to Cedar Point amusement park and had a blast. I LOVE roller coasters and only felt sick for a little bit after jumping on a big one right after dinner :).
-Sandusky to Fayette
Today was our first century, meaning biking over 100 miles. That's a lot of time spent pedaling all day. We got a bit of everything. Some rain, some sunshine, and lots of head wind. We had a few people take a spill while going over a railroad track during the rain and one girl went to the hospital. This was only at mile 15 so we still had a lot of miles ahead of us. Luckily the rain cleared up and we were making good time. I was exhausted for good bit of the day and even managed to fall asleep on my bike, didn't crash just rubbed into the rumble strip a little bit! The last 25 miles or so was hectic. 15 mph head winds and wide open fields. Everyone was exhausted and we were moving a pretty slow pace. We all made it to the host however.
Probably one of the more annoying things is that when you finally arrive at the host they have MUCH more energy than you do, yet you are still expected to be all cheerful and energetic. After this first century, my cheerfulness was seriously challenged....
-Fayette to Elkhart
Today we cross another state boarder! Well really two. Went up through Michigan and back down into Indiana. Nothing really special to mention about this day... the food was great at the host and they even fixed our bikes for us! The excitement really started at night...
The girls and guys were in separate rooms and the girls had a interesting visitor that night. A local peeping Tom, or Tim as we call him was whispering inappropriate fantasies... needless to say this ended up waking us all up, but no one was hurt and we all eventually laughed it off. Raffi, a guy on the team actually created a nice team song about him.
-Elkhart to Michigan City
Michigan city was awesome! We went to the sanddunes of Lake Michigan. We spelled out 4k with our bodies in the sand and also did a little skinny dipping! This wasn't the best city in terms of safety but it was still fun. The church looked like something built back in ancient times, like a huge european castle... and some people were sure it was haunted!
-Michigan City to Chicago!
RAIN! This whole day was either spent sleeping, waiting for the van to go back and forth to chicago, or driving. I didn't go with the first group of vans but went with the second then drove back to pick up the last group... it was a long day and we all wished we just had biked... to bad it was pouring!
Day off in Chicago...
Pretty much all day was spend at the bike shop or talking about doing something... luckily people finally made motions near dinner time and we went to Gino's East where we got some great deep dish pizza. We actually managed to dodge a 2 hour line because of the group size we went with.. don't know how that happened but it was awesome!
-Chicago to Kankakee
The weather really isn't on our side. it was about 50 degree and raining this morning! By mile 20 I was shivering uncontrollably and everything was wet! Luckily it warmed up and actually became really really really HOT! Kankakee was good, we stayed at a YMCA and had dinner at the local church.
-Kankakee to Bloomington
Today I got to witness the directors doing a 'no hands' contest. Chris made it 39 miles and Tom made it 33 miles with NO HANDS! it was impressive to say the least. We spent the last bit of the day on old route 66 which was all ripped up and needed new pavement! today was almost 100 miles and felt like it when we finally arrived. One of the groups took a 20 mile detour so their day was a little longer. one of our riders fell pretty badly and hasn't ridden since. but hopefully will get back on the bike tomorrow leaving sweet springs.
-Bloomington to Jacksonville
Today was a long long day, almost 115 miles. I guess I should mention that everything since cleveland has been pretty much flat. a 300 foot tall hill here or there, but pretty much flat. nothing to really complain about. Once we made it to Jacksonville we stayed at Illinois College, a great little school with some comfy beds!
-Jacksonville to St. Louis!
The weather looked pretty bad this morning, but some how we managed to dodge the big thunder storms but got rained on a little bit. We crossed over the Mississippi river on Route 66 on Chain of Rocks Bridge. Pretty cool and certainly happy to know that tomorrow was a day off!!! It was only a little scary biking through East St. Louis. If i was going to get shot anywhere on that trip.. thats where it would be!
-Day off in St. Louis.
Slept in a little bit and went over to REI. Messed up my rims yesterday in a crash where I managed not to crash! Caught my wheels in a groove in the cement highway and managed to unclip and step over my handlebars. Funny thing is another girl crashed because she was watching me crash... 2 other people hit the same groove but didn't mess up their rims quite as bad. But the weather was about 100 degrees in St. Louis today so didn't want to spend to much time outside. We stayed at Washington University in St. Louis and it was awesome. Very environmental conscious and i liked it alot!
-St. Louis to Montgomery City
HOT HOT HOT!! it was almost 100 degrees and very humid. A long day and we all were in bad moods. We all made it though and it was nice to get in some A/C... but not because we were camping! we all got in VERY late and it was a big mess to get everything set up and people eating and getting yelled at and tensions were high all around. Lets just say the camping part was enjoyable but the stress caused by certain people was not.
-Montgomery City to Fayette
Fayette was by far my favorite city so far. Everyone was wonderful and relaxed! The people were just very nice. We managed to dodge some nasty thunderstorms in the afternoon and ate lunch in someone front yard under a shady group of trees! It was another HOT day but i've learned to accept it. We stayed at the baptist church in town and had amazing food for dinner and breakfast. I met a couple who were originally from Vermont and New Hampshire! that was cool.
-Fayette to Sweet Springs
The ride was shorter today only 61 miles. Besides the 45 minute unexpected early wake up thanks to the directors, the day went great. We got to ride on a ferry across the Missouri river because the bridge was getting fixed and it was really nice of the Fayette people to work out a free ride for us and our vans! The road was really uncrowded after that... There were some NASTY fun hills for the last 20 miles of the day, but fun because it wasn't flat and straight!
To start our day off we went to mini-sprint kart racing last night! It was an awesome time. Cheap food, a cool beverage, and lots of town people cheering on very loud and fast cars as they fly around a dirt track! We got a picture with the young kids doing it. They can start as early as 6!!!! and one of the big winners was 11 and really cute.
The people Sweet Springs have been awesome to me. For a town of only 1600 they had a lot to offer us. We got to use the Pool at the park and shower there, we've managed to do our laundry!! thank the lord... We have internet at the school. The Kart racing was awesome! And they even provided every meal for us. We have a big BBQ for us in a few hours where the whole town is invited. We even had our third mail drop here! It was so nice to get mail! and I had more than anyone else!
This is the end our of first of three legs. So a new leader will take over of the next 20 or so days. I can't believe I'm over 1300 miles done with my journey across the country! there is still alot to come and i can't wait!
I miss everyone at home and school. I love you Chelsie! Thanks for all your support everyone!
Thanks for looking at my blog! Don't have a clue next time I'll be online but check back in a week or so!
-Travis
Sunday, June 7, 2009
Back on the road!
So after our day off we are back on the road!
I am back in the van today, because on friday I volunteered to drive for a girl who was out of town for her grandfathers funeral. So driving again, not bad, I really enjoy it!
Vans are all packed and we are ready to hit the road. Off to sandusky, ohio... Where we might go to cedar point amusement park! YAY.
Alright, I'll write next time I can!
Take care
Peace, Love, & Spandex
Travis
I am back in the van today, because on friday I volunteered to drive for a girl who was out of town for her grandfathers funeral. So driving again, not bad, I really enjoy it!
Vans are all packed and we are ready to hit the road. Off to sandusky, ohio... Where we might go to cedar point amusement park! YAY.
Alright, I'll write next time I can!
Take care
Peace, Love, & Spandex
Travis
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Baltimore to Cleveland
Where to begin... We are only 7 days in and already there are so many memories.
Day 1 - Send Off
So we started the day really early and met on campus around 5:30. It was raining, not the best send off but at least we got to leave! We biked from Johns Hopkins down to the inner harbor and luckily by the time we had gotten there it had stopped raining.
We had a nice send off ceremony where some members of the organizations we donate to spoke and the trip directors gave us an encouraging fair well.
I was in the first group to leave and it was exciting. With about 5 other people we headed out of the city. First to make it to the water stop at a firehouse that had snowcones! I was also the first to cross the PA state line! All and all the day went great and we ended up in Waynesboro, PA. We stayed at a church group building. It was a very nice place and our hosts were very welcoming!
Day 2 - Waynesboro to Bedford
An early, early morning! Up and on the road around 7:45. Here come the hills! It was time to cross the Appalachian mountains. Little did we know that a few days would be spent in the mountains! I was again in the front group and probably pushed myself a little more than necessary on the second day! We made it to Bedford and were shuttled to the local high school for some showers. Tonight was the first night we gave our presentation and Jackie and Joe did a pretty good job. The food was great and the people were too. Fell asleep quick and woke up to a soggy day!
Day 3 - Bedford to Greensburg
It was raining in the morning but quickly burnt off. We were headed back into the mountains! We had a couple really good climbs today and even made it up the biggest hill, expecting there to be a bigger one after that! I didn't push myself as hard as I did the past few days, but certainly made it there as one of the first riders. We stayed at a YMCA in an emergency youth shelter! Fun thing was that we went over to an Alumni's house for dinner and they had a pool! Very nice to relax. And plus it was my BIRTHDAY! so I got a cake! The pool was awesome and the hosts were great. It was nice to have a bed and I got a good night sleep.
Day 4 - Greensburg to Butler
So today it decided it was really going to rain! It was around 50 degrees and wet. Luckily it was a short day but that didn't make it any warmer. We were also out of the mountains so the terrain was pretty flat. We made it to Butler and found a warm shower at the YMCA. We were all cold and slept very well after a long day!
Day 5 - Butler to Youngstown
Today was a quick day! Only about 50 miles and good weather. We flew all day long and made our way to a church in Youngstown. Today was also the day that our van got backed into a street pole! Breaking two bikes, busting out our back window, and even breaking the power pole! Needless to say that was a highlight of the day. We also crossed over into Ohio. When we got to the church there were a bunch of kids learning bike safety! It was fun. I helped out cleaning out the van and with insurance stuff. Dinner was amazing. A great potluck with alot of community members. We actually got to sleep in the next morning too!
Day 6 - Youngstown to Cleveland
Today was my day to drive. I choose the big van without a back window to save the other driver from the stress of driving it. It was actually relaxing to be off the road for a day. The really stressful part of the day was finding lunch for everyone. I went in 14 places looking for donations and finally managed to get some Pizza and Wendy's. Our other van driver got lost a couple of times, but we all managed to meet up before Cleveland and caravan in. This was awesome! All 27 of us moving as one blob going to the city. I was still driving the van but it was fun. We actually got on the local news too! Check out our video!
http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/news_article.aspx?storyid=115375&catid=3
Day 7 - Cleveland Day Off
Yes! A day off! We are staying at Case Western Reserve Univeristy in dorms. Last night we all went out and hung out. It was tough to stay up until midnight! But luckily we could sleep in a little. Today also began the beard contest. I shaved down to a nice handlebar mustache! Check out my photo on facebook! We went out to breakfast at a little diner and it wasn't all I'd hope'd it would be. Then we went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It was awesome. Really cool! We walked around the city a good bit and split up into smaller groups. We also went and saw the movie UP! tonight, which was really really good! I've been designated the big van driver and I love it. Certainly comfortable driving it! Its also been nice to have a bed here too. We are off tomorrow morning for Sandusky. And maybe Cedar Point amusement park!!!
We have our first mail drop on the 8th, which will be cool to get some mail! If you feel like sending me something check out 4kforcancer.org and there are the drop sites.
Thanks for checking out my blog! Hope to have internet again soon, but we get another day off in Chicago, so if not before then, I'll update then!
Oh, I've been meaning to upload pictures, but have to wait for my cable to be sent to me. :( There are photos up on the 4k site.
Have a good one! And feel free to call, email, or whatever works for you to stay in touch with me! Talk to you all later!
-T
Day 1 - Send Off
So we started the day really early and met on campus around 5:30. It was raining, not the best send off but at least we got to leave! We biked from Johns Hopkins down to the inner harbor and luckily by the time we had gotten there it had stopped raining.
We had a nice send off ceremony where some members of the organizations we donate to spoke and the trip directors gave us an encouraging fair well.
I was in the first group to leave and it was exciting. With about 5 other people we headed out of the city. First to make it to the water stop at a firehouse that had snowcones! I was also the first to cross the PA state line! All and all the day went great and we ended up in Waynesboro, PA. We stayed at a church group building. It was a very nice place and our hosts were very welcoming!
Day 2 - Waynesboro to Bedford
An early, early morning! Up and on the road around 7:45. Here come the hills! It was time to cross the Appalachian mountains. Little did we know that a few days would be spent in the mountains! I was again in the front group and probably pushed myself a little more than necessary on the second day! We made it to Bedford and were shuttled to the local high school for some showers. Tonight was the first night we gave our presentation and Jackie and Joe did a pretty good job. The food was great and the people were too. Fell asleep quick and woke up to a soggy day!
Day 3 - Bedford to Greensburg
It was raining in the morning but quickly burnt off. We were headed back into the mountains! We had a couple really good climbs today and even made it up the biggest hill, expecting there to be a bigger one after that! I didn't push myself as hard as I did the past few days, but certainly made it there as one of the first riders. We stayed at a YMCA in an emergency youth shelter! Fun thing was that we went over to an Alumni's house for dinner and they had a pool! Very nice to relax. And plus it was my BIRTHDAY! so I got a cake! The pool was awesome and the hosts were great. It was nice to have a bed and I got a good night sleep.
Day 4 - Greensburg to Butler
So today it decided it was really going to rain! It was around 50 degrees and wet. Luckily it was a short day but that didn't make it any warmer. We were also out of the mountains so the terrain was pretty flat. We made it to Butler and found a warm shower at the YMCA. We were all cold and slept very well after a long day!
Day 5 - Butler to Youngstown
Today was a quick day! Only about 50 miles and good weather. We flew all day long and made our way to a church in Youngstown. Today was also the day that our van got backed into a street pole! Breaking two bikes, busting out our back window, and even breaking the power pole! Needless to say that was a highlight of the day. We also crossed over into Ohio. When we got to the church there were a bunch of kids learning bike safety! It was fun. I helped out cleaning out the van and with insurance stuff. Dinner was amazing. A great potluck with alot of community members. We actually got to sleep in the next morning too!
Day 6 - Youngstown to Cleveland
Today was my day to drive. I choose the big van without a back window to save the other driver from the stress of driving it. It was actually relaxing to be off the road for a day. The really stressful part of the day was finding lunch for everyone. I went in 14 places looking for donations and finally managed to get some Pizza and Wendy's. Our other van driver got lost a couple of times, but we all managed to meet up before Cleveland and caravan in. This was awesome! All 27 of us moving as one blob going to the city. I was still driving the van but it was fun. We actually got on the local news too! Check out our video!
http://www.wkyc.com/news/local/news_article.aspx?storyid=115375&catid=3
Day 7 - Cleveland Day Off
Yes! A day off! We are staying at Case Western Reserve Univeristy in dorms. Last night we all went out and hung out. It was tough to stay up until midnight! But luckily we could sleep in a little. Today also began the beard contest. I shaved down to a nice handlebar mustache! Check out my photo on facebook! We went out to breakfast at a little diner and it wasn't all I'd hope'd it would be. Then we went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. It was awesome. Really cool! We walked around the city a good bit and split up into smaller groups. We also went and saw the movie UP! tonight, which was really really good! I've been designated the big van driver and I love it. Certainly comfortable driving it! Its also been nice to have a bed here too. We are off tomorrow morning for Sandusky. And maybe Cedar Point amusement park!!!
We have our first mail drop on the 8th, which will be cool to get some mail! If you feel like sending me something check out 4kforcancer.org and there are the drop sites.
Thanks for checking out my blog! Hope to have internet again soon, but we get another day off in Chicago, so if not before then, I'll update then!
Oh, I've been meaning to upload pictures, but have to wait for my cable to be sent to me. :( There are photos up on the 4k site.
Have a good one! And feel free to call, email, or whatever works for you to stay in touch with me! Talk to you all later!
-T
Friday, June 5, 2009
Finally Have Internet!
So I finally have internet access in Clevland! It has been a long long day, so I will post a longer blog tomorrow.
Everything has been going great and I'm feeling good.
Alright, thanks to everyone who has posted on my facebook wall and kept in touch!
I will write more tomorrow.
Have a good one.
-Travis
Everything has been going great and I'm feeling good.
Alright, thanks to everyone who has posted on my facebook wall and kept in touch!
I will write more tomorrow.
Have a good one.
-Travis
Saturday, May 30, 2009
Late night filled with inspiring stories
After our ride today and all of my lovely flat tires, we all got back together and had a little serious time together.
We all discussed why we were here and what motivated us to do this ride. Everyone had inspirational stories even though some were more directly affected by cancer than others. There were some tears and some laughs. We all listened and respected the stories of our team members.
This summer is going to be a long one, but the group certainly seems to work. It will be great to get to know everyone on a closer level and make some friends that will last a lifetime.
Now that it's past midnight and I won't get to many more nights in an actual bed, its time to catch some Zzzz.
Good night
We all discussed why we were here and what motivated us to do this ride. Everyone had inspirational stories even though some were more directly affected by cancer than others. There were some tears and some laughs. We all listened and respected the stories of our team members.
This summer is going to be a long one, but the group certainly seems to work. It will be great to get to know everyone on a closer level and make some friends that will last a lifetime.
Now that it's past midnight and I won't get to many more nights in an actual bed, its time to catch some Zzzz.
Good night
Friday, May 29, 2009
It's wet and I have a flat tire...
So today started off with a tour of Sidney Kimmel comprehensive cancer center. Which I missed the first half of because I missed the Johns Hopkins bus there... but none the less still made it.
We then went back to the main campus for some lunch and met up for a short ride. I went with the group that went to Fort McHenry . It was pretty cool and fun to go down into the inner harbor.
Right when we got back the skies opened and all hell broke loose! Thunder, lightening, monster rain! and there was still some riders out in it.
We then had a meeting from inside a building as it poured outside. We went over basically what is going on each day this summer. Considering each day has pretty much the same routine, just different scenery it wasn't too difficult.
Then we had a couple hours to go relax. So I headed the 2.6 miles back to my hotel and on my ride popped a tire on a manhole cover. Alright not to bad, but then proceeded to break the valve off the next tube and break my hand pump! So I'm down too tubes and a hand pump all in 5 mins. I tried to put another tube in but the pump just wouldn't work.
So then I walked about 1.5 miles back to the hotel, while it RAINED! and this is where I remain now.... Luckily I had a little company from Chelsie on the phone while I walked back, so it didn't seem all that bad.
Hopefully this is a sign that all the bad bike problems are gonna happen before we leave on sunday! I'll cross my fingers ;) I'm well on my way to beating the record of 31 tubes over the course of the summer!
That's all for now.
We then went back to the main campus for some lunch and met up for a short ride. I went with the group that went to Fort McHenry . It was pretty cool and fun to go down into the inner harbor.
Right when we got back the skies opened and all hell broke loose! Thunder, lightening, monster rain! and there was still some riders out in it.
We then had a meeting from inside a building as it poured outside. We went over basically what is going on each day this summer. Considering each day has pretty much the same routine, just different scenery it wasn't too difficult.
Then we had a couple hours to go relax. So I headed the 2.6 miles back to my hotel and on my ride popped a tire on a manhole cover. Alright not to bad, but then proceeded to break the valve off the next tube and break my hand pump! So I'm down too tubes and a hand pump all in 5 mins. I tried to put another tube in but the pump just wouldn't work.
So then I walked about 1.5 miles back to the hotel, while it RAINED! and this is where I remain now.... Luckily I had a little company from Chelsie on the phone while I walked back, so it didn't seem all that bad.
Hopefully this is a sign that all the bad bike problems are gonna happen before we leave on sunday! I'll cross my fingers ;) I'm well on my way to beating the record of 31 tubes over the course of the summer!
That's all for now.
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Training in Baltimore - Day 1
Finally home after a long day fill with an information session, training ride, hope lodge visit, and some birthday cake.
Met the whole team this morning, all 27 people! Everyone seems to get along great!
After meeting everyone, we learned a little about bike maintenance. Then we went on a nice short ride. 15 miles or so. Everything felt good, don't mind the new bike at all!
On my ride back to meet up with everyone I got a flat tire! First one of the trip and not the last one for sure! But then we all headed down to Hope Lodge for dinner and to talk with cancer victims and their families. It was inspirational and really gave us all an idea what we were raising funds for.
After a long talk, we headed home around 9 and celebrated Rebecca's birthday with some coldstone ice-cream cake!
Now I'm off to bed and then another busy day tomorrow!
Met the whole team this morning, all 27 people! Everyone seems to get along great!
After meeting everyone, we learned a little about bike maintenance. Then we went on a nice short ride. 15 miles or so. Everything felt good, don't mind the new bike at all!
On my ride back to meet up with everyone I got a flat tire! First one of the trip and not the last one for sure! But then we all headed down to Hope Lodge for dinner and to talk with cancer victims and their families. It was inspirational and really gave us all an idea what we were raising funds for.
After a long talk, we headed home around 9 and celebrated Rebecca's birthday with some coldstone ice-cream cake!
Now I'm off to bed and then another busy day tomorrow!
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
Baltimore!
Made it to Baltimore! Sitting at the hotel just relaxing.
Have a few days of information sessions, rides, and stuff before we head out on Sunday!
I've got my bike sitting in the room with me and its all personalized! Red handlebar tape, red tires, red water bottles! Can you say I love red?
Alright, time to get a good night sleep!
I'll keep in touch over the next few days!
Special thanks to Jim Gray for his wonderful prayer this afternoon.
-Travis
Have a few days of information sessions, rides, and stuff before we head out on Sunday!
I've got my bike sitting in the room with me and its all personalized! Red handlebar tape, red tires, red water bottles! Can you say I love red?
Alright, time to get a good night sleep!
I'll keep in touch over the next few days!
Special thanks to Jim Gray for his wonderful prayer this afternoon.
-Travis
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
New Blog
Hey Everyone!
Throughout my cross country trip this summer with the 4k for Cancer, I hope to post to this blog and just keep everyone posted on our status, fun stuff along the way, and any other random things that happen!
Check back often and I'll try my best to post whenever I have internet access!
Tomorrow my Dad and I head down to Baltimore for pre-sendoff activities. I have had a crazy couple of weeks with tons of traveling, so more driving tomorrow sounds like a blast! I'm trying to get all packed and get my bike ready. It's kind of hard to pack everything you need for two months in ONE bag! but I will make it work.
Well check back later and hopefully I'll be posting all weekend, and then as much as I can on the trip!
Thanks for your support!
Throughout my cross country trip this summer with the 4k for Cancer, I hope to post to this blog and just keep everyone posted on our status, fun stuff along the way, and any other random things that happen!
Check back often and I'll try my best to post whenever I have internet access!
Tomorrow my Dad and I head down to Baltimore for pre-sendoff activities. I have had a crazy couple of weeks with tons of traveling, so more driving tomorrow sounds like a blast! I'm trying to get all packed and get my bike ready. It's kind of hard to pack everything you need for two months in ONE bag! but I will make it work.
Well check back later and hopefully I'll be posting all weekend, and then as much as I can on the trip!
Thanks for your support!
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