Minot, ND may be one of the most boring places we have visited yet. Since my last posting, we have traversed the entire state of Minnesota as well as most of North Dakota and to be truthful, there is really nothing up here.
We left Duluth to begin our trek on Route 2, the route we will be taking all the way out to Montana. Long stretches of two lane road with nothing very interesting to look at along the way. Lot of open fields, few trees, and some extremely small towns along the way. The downfall of the trip over the last week has been the wind - 15 to 20 mile an hour headwinds that make 60 mile days as long as 120 mile days. Our direction sheets though have become quite short, turn out of church onto Route 2, continue on 2, turn into church at arrival. No chalking, few people getting lost, and a lot of people getting bored on the road.
The ride into Duluth was pretty flat, the ride out of Duluth was very hilly. We managed to hike up the ridge overseeing the city giving us quite a view of the city and the lake. Might I add too that I put my feet in Superior and it is quite chilly. It doesn't ever warm up past 60 or 65. So getting out of Duluth was a challenge and so began our battle with the wind. The day started out windless, but by the end, we were battling 15 mile an hour winds making the trip quite a long one.
The evening consisted of a "carnival" which should have been called dinner with games. By presenting dinner as a "carnival" many people had their hopes up, unfortunately it was a bust. Not enough food and the group and a number of goofy locals failing miserably at the hoola-hoop.
From there we touched on a number of other small Minnesota towns before crossing into North Dakota. Not much excitement, certainly not worth dwelling on. The ride though into North Dakota was the second longest day we've had yet, about 116 miles. The ride into Devil's Lake was an exciting one because we were going to be spending the evening with the Berg family. One of our trip leaders, Isiah, is from the small town just north of Devil's Lake. We all managed to get over there after the 116 mile ride only to be greeted by tractor rides, horse rides, and a hot tub (I also managed a haircut out of the equation as well). The farm was fantastic and the Berg family was so generous with everything - I would have lost my mind with 30 people destroying my home....
Being that the next day was only 58 miles, we felt it would be a good idea to sleep in at the Berg farm and get on the road by 10; bad idea, that was the worth wind we've dealt with yet. Anson and I managed to finish the trip in about 6 hours, the same amount of time we finished 120 miles the day before. That evening though we managed a dance party and a formal dinner which was fantastic. Everyone had a great evening and we hung out at the Dairy Queen following dinner giving everyone the necessary sugar to stay up past nine.
Today was our day off in Minot and again, not much to say for Minot. I don't think I will be relocating to Minot anytime soon. The ride in yesterday was fantastic, 60 miles in about 3 hours.
From here we will be heading off to Theodore Roosevelt State Park and then onto Montana for 11 days. Once we've traversed Montana we'll be on the home stretch, only Idaho and Washington left. We're slowly getting there one day at a time, a few more miles on Route 2, then the Rockies and the Cascades....
Keep writing and I'll post when Internet is available.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Duluth, MN and Judaism
Well I am sitting in a synagogue here in Duluth, MN which has possibly been one of the nicest places we've stayed yet. We rolled in yesterday after 80 miles on a paved bikepath and spent the evening wondering around Duluth, which I must say doesn't have much going on.
Since my last posting we have been through Minneapolis as well as a slurry of other towns. Wisconsin and Minnesota both have wonderful roads and I have really enjoyed cycling in this part of the country, it has been easy and enjoyable. Duluth sits right on Lake Superior which is the only lake I hadn't yet seen so this evening I ventured down and stuck my feet in thus completing a tour of the Great Lakes in the U.S.
Today we spent the day at a wonderful build site which was run by a local land trust. The homes were gorgeous, in fact initially, I didn't think we were in the right area. The homes are large and include hard wood floors as well as a number of other nice amenities. I was one of the lucky few who spent the day inside finishing up some painting; others spent the day moving dirt around outside while it was pouring down rain.....
Tomorrow we will be half way finished with the trip - 2000 down, 2000 to go. I continue to be amazed with the progress made, but now is no time to get complacent. We will be in North Dakota by Monday battling head winds across the state and out of the wonderful state of Minnesota.
Lot down, lot to go. I'll write again when I have a chance.
Incidentally, I did receive a wonderful gift today from a congregation member. Last night when I arrived at the synagogue I got to talking with a man who was preparing our kosher meal while I did some dishes. It turned out he was the local Jewish baker and would be supplying much of the food for the meal, including some whole made bread. Fantastic food, excellent bread, but no Challah. How can one have a kosher meal at the only synagogue within 350 and no challah? After having spent the day building, I returned to find a challah for me with a note wishing happy travels. Never know what you're going to find on a trip across the country. Who would have thought I would have managed a challah?
Since my last posting we have been through Minneapolis as well as a slurry of other towns. Wisconsin and Minnesota both have wonderful roads and I have really enjoyed cycling in this part of the country, it has been easy and enjoyable. Duluth sits right on Lake Superior which is the only lake I hadn't yet seen so this evening I ventured down and stuck my feet in thus completing a tour of the Great Lakes in the U.S.
Today we spent the day at a wonderful build site which was run by a local land trust. The homes were gorgeous, in fact initially, I didn't think we were in the right area. The homes are large and include hard wood floors as well as a number of other nice amenities. I was one of the lucky few who spent the day inside finishing up some painting; others spent the day moving dirt around outside while it was pouring down rain.....
Tomorrow we will be half way finished with the trip - 2000 down, 2000 to go. I continue to be amazed with the progress made, but now is no time to get complacent. We will be in North Dakota by Monday battling head winds across the state and out of the wonderful state of Minnesota.
Lot down, lot to go. I'll write again when I have a chance.
Incidentally, I did receive a wonderful gift today from a congregation member. Last night when I arrived at the synagogue I got to talking with a man who was preparing our kosher meal while I did some dishes. It turned out he was the local Jewish baker and would be supplying much of the food for the meal, including some whole made bread. Fantastic food, excellent bread, but no Challah. How can one have a kosher meal at the only synagogue within 350 and no challah? After having spent the day building, I returned to find a challah for me with a note wishing happy travels. Never know what you're going to find on a trip across the country. Who would have thought I would have managed a challah?
Saturday, July 19, 2008
Probably The Hardest Day Yet
Seeing as how I just posted recently, I really don't have much to say in regards to the places we have been, but I felt it necessary to discuss yesterday's ride from Madison to Gays Mills, WI. It was another century day which oddly went from being 102 miles to 126 miles which is what my odometer read at the end of the day.
Now 126 miles in a car is a long time, at least 2 hours on the freeway. Well what about the bike? I left Madison yesterday morning at about 7am and didn't get to Gays Mills until about 530pm, a solid 10 hours on the bike. The day started off nicely, quite nicely in fact, we were at the first lunch stop before I knew it. Before that point in time though we realized that there was a problem with our direction sheet, a 13 mile problem. According to the van odometer lunch 1 was at mile 38, I was at mile 51 when I got there. This though would not be last of the problems with directions. By the time we finished the day most had gone about 20 miles out of their way.
Lunch 1 to lunch 2 at mile 80 was fine until about mile 70 when things got hard. The sun was beating down, the temperature in the upper 80's, and we had some ridiculous hills; whoever said Wisconsin is flat should have their head checked. It's a good thing I got to the second lunch stop when I did because my camelbak was out of water and I was hurting. At this point in time my odometer was reading 100 miles.
As if the day wasn't difficult enough there was a another 25 miles following the second stop. I was hot, tired, and really in no mood to be around anyone so I rode most of the way myself. On the way to the second stop we had done some serious climbing leaving a 10% downhill on the way out. Not having to peddal and just holding on for the ride was fantastic until I realized that I was in the valley and Gays Mills was over the next pass. It was around this time that I would look down at the odometer and it had only moved about 1/10 of a mile. At about 10 miles out from stop #2 the last climb started, a climb that would last about 4 miles and move us up about 6000 feet. I couldn't even wear my glasses because they were covered in sweat and impossible to see out of. Every corner I turned there was more hill to climb, I didn't know whether to laugh cry, or just throw my bike in a ditch and walk. I was one of the first ones to leave from the second stop and at no point did anyone catch me which was surprising considering someone walking could have moved faster than me....
Well I made it to the top of that hill only to be taunted by the sign "Gays Mills, 6 miles." At any other point I would have thought "6 miles, I can do this." Well at this point I was losing my head but I managed to push through and arrive at the church following a huge downhill which was a great finale. We were welcomed by Gatorade and a pool as well as some great food. The church was small, but worked perfectly for us. The sweeps made it in at around 830 and everyone was either asleep or in bed reading by 930; hell of day.....
Now 126 miles in a car is a long time, at least 2 hours on the freeway. Well what about the bike? I left Madison yesterday morning at about 7am and didn't get to Gays Mills until about 530pm, a solid 10 hours on the bike. The day started off nicely, quite nicely in fact, we were at the first lunch stop before I knew it. Before that point in time though we realized that there was a problem with our direction sheet, a 13 mile problem. According to the van odometer lunch 1 was at mile 38, I was at mile 51 when I got there. This though would not be last of the problems with directions. By the time we finished the day most had gone about 20 miles out of their way.
Lunch 1 to lunch 2 at mile 80 was fine until about mile 70 when things got hard. The sun was beating down, the temperature in the upper 80's, and we had some ridiculous hills; whoever said Wisconsin is flat should have their head checked. It's a good thing I got to the second lunch stop when I did because my camelbak was out of water and I was hurting. At this point in time my odometer was reading 100 miles.
As if the day wasn't difficult enough there was a another 25 miles following the second stop. I was hot, tired, and really in no mood to be around anyone so I rode most of the way myself. On the way to the second stop we had done some serious climbing leaving a 10% downhill on the way out. Not having to peddal and just holding on for the ride was fantastic until I realized that I was in the valley and Gays Mills was over the next pass. It was around this time that I would look down at the odometer and it had only moved about 1/10 of a mile. At about 10 miles out from stop #2 the last climb started, a climb that would last about 4 miles and move us up about 6000 feet. I couldn't even wear my glasses because they were covered in sweat and impossible to see out of. Every corner I turned there was more hill to climb, I didn't know whether to laugh cry, or just throw my bike in a ditch and walk. I was one of the first ones to leave from the second stop and at no point did anyone catch me which was surprising considering someone walking could have moved faster than me....
Well I made it to the top of that hill only to be taunted by the sign "Gays Mills, 6 miles." At any other point I would have thought "6 miles, I can do this." Well at this point I was losing my head but I managed to push through and arrive at the church following a huge downhill which was a great finale. We were welcomed by Gatorade and a pool as well as some great food. The church was small, but worked perfectly for us. The sweeps made it in at around 830 and everyone was either asleep or in bed reading by 930; hell of day.....
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Almost Half
Madison, Wisconsin, what a town. I had heard alot about it from friends and family, that is a culturally rich town that just happens to get colder than hell in the winter. Well they were right and thank god I am not here in the winter. Linking the capital building to the university is a drag known as State Street which offers more ethnic restaurants than I have ever seen in one place, it is incredible. Last night we spent the evening wondering around campus and then found a watering hole for a much needed drink. I was still in bed by 1130....
The ride in yesterday was hot, damn hot, about 90 degrees. Wisconsin though is absolutely beautiful. The corn fields are vast and green and there is so much space out here. Yesterday, after departing from the small town of Janesville, WI we only had a 40 mile ride. Three of us decided to spend the morning in the library and were far behind the group, probably an hour or so. About 20 miles in we came to a piece of the road that was completely submerged by flooding; maybe 2 feet deep and 100 yards across. We could have just walked through, but conveniently, there happened to be a small paddle boat there. So two of us hopped in, bikes on the back, and paddled to the other side. I paddled back and picked up the third and we all managed to get our bikes across with no problems - props to the guy who left the boat there.
The last several days have been fairly easy and since my last posting, we blew through Chicago. The ride there was intense, about 115 miles from Edwardsburg, MI through Gary and into Chicago. The roads were fine until we got to Gary, then it got bad, really bad. Potholes that could easily swallow a bike. Guess we've had our first lesson in urban decay and where tax dollars go....
Chicago was amazing, as always. My mother met me there, along with a friend of hers, and we spent Saturday evening and all day Sunday just hanging out. I also slept in a real bed that evening which was phenomenal, this whole thermarest with a sleeping bag thing is getting old. It also seems as though every church we sleep in, whether air conditioned or not, is incredibly hot. I think I am the only one of the group who spends the first several minutes after arriving at the church looking for a fan of sorts. So anyway, Chicago was beautiful. Pakistani food Saturday, real food and coffee on Sunday, and then a walk up and down Michigan Avenue - if the city weren't so damn cold in the winter I would move there in a heartbeat.
Following our Chicago experience, we had a short day which took us through Northwesterns Campus and perhaps one of the most affluent areas I have ever been through. Mile after mile after mile or multi million dollar homes line the lake north of Evanston. Everything seems to be fading together, but I do remember that in Janesville we were graciously invited over to a families house whose son happens to be a trip leader on the route going across the southern U.S. The house was beautiful and the food was absolutely amazing. Grilled marinated chicken or tofu, roasted asparagus, green bean and tomato salad with basil, and beer, yes, lots of tasty imports. The evening was fantastic and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.
So today I have spent my day off catching up on sleep - I was the last one up of the group. When did 1030 become sleeping in late? I walked downtown and have been catching up on mail and just doing my thing, Ipod and all. Madison continues to amaze me and I wish we had more time here, but there are fantastic things in store, we'll be in Minneapolis in the coming days.
Keep checking and I'll keep writing when I get a chance.
The ride in yesterday was hot, damn hot, about 90 degrees. Wisconsin though is absolutely beautiful. The corn fields are vast and green and there is so much space out here. Yesterday, after departing from the small town of Janesville, WI we only had a 40 mile ride. Three of us decided to spend the morning in the library and were far behind the group, probably an hour or so. About 20 miles in we came to a piece of the road that was completely submerged by flooding; maybe 2 feet deep and 100 yards across. We could have just walked through, but conveniently, there happened to be a small paddle boat there. So two of us hopped in, bikes on the back, and paddled to the other side. I paddled back and picked up the third and we all managed to get our bikes across with no problems - props to the guy who left the boat there.
The last several days have been fairly easy and since my last posting, we blew through Chicago. The ride there was intense, about 115 miles from Edwardsburg, MI through Gary and into Chicago. The roads were fine until we got to Gary, then it got bad, really bad. Potholes that could easily swallow a bike. Guess we've had our first lesson in urban decay and where tax dollars go....
Chicago was amazing, as always. My mother met me there, along with a friend of hers, and we spent Saturday evening and all day Sunday just hanging out. I also slept in a real bed that evening which was phenomenal, this whole thermarest with a sleeping bag thing is getting old. It also seems as though every church we sleep in, whether air conditioned or not, is incredibly hot. I think I am the only one of the group who spends the first several minutes after arriving at the church looking for a fan of sorts. So anyway, Chicago was beautiful. Pakistani food Saturday, real food and coffee on Sunday, and then a walk up and down Michigan Avenue - if the city weren't so damn cold in the winter I would move there in a heartbeat.
Following our Chicago experience, we had a short day which took us through Northwesterns Campus and perhaps one of the most affluent areas I have ever been through. Mile after mile after mile or multi million dollar homes line the lake north of Evanston. Everything seems to be fading together, but I do remember that in Janesville we were graciously invited over to a families house whose son happens to be a trip leader on the route going across the southern U.S. The house was beautiful and the food was absolutely amazing. Grilled marinated chicken or tofu, roasted asparagus, green bean and tomato salad with basil, and beer, yes, lots of tasty imports. The evening was fantastic and everyone seemed to be enjoying themselves.
So today I have spent my day off catching up on sleep - I was the last one up of the group. When did 1030 become sleeping in late? I walked downtown and have been catching up on mail and just doing my thing, Ipod and all. Madison continues to amaze me and I wish we had more time here, but there are fantastic things in store, we'll be in Minneapolis in the coming days.
Keep checking and I'll keep writing when I get a chance.
Friday, July 11, 2008
The 1200 Mile Marker
First I'd like to personally apologize for not posting within the last week; we've been on the run and it seems as though all of the places we've been to do not have Internet access. Here I am sitting in Edwardsburg, MI in a church that looks as though it was built within the last two or three years. The main room that is currently home to our bicycles is enourmous with a concrete floor, it looks more like an airplane hanger than a church recreation room.
Todays ride was fantastic, it was one of the best rides I have had yet on the trip. It was a 78 mile day with the wind at my back most of the time and the roads in Indiana are so nicely paved, as though they new that bike and builders were going to be treking through their state. This morning we began in Camden, MI (not to be confused with Camden, NJ) and pedaled through Amish country which was beautiful. I spent most of the day talking with one of our trip leaders which helped to pass the time very quickly. We spent the day bouncing in and out of Indiana and Michigan following route 12, which again, was a great road for cycling.
The last several days have been quite busy. In fact, since my last posting on Sunday we have ridden all the way across Ohio and most of the Indiana/Michigan border putting us only 100 miles out of Chicago. Mind you, last Sunday we were in Cleveland. Riding through Ohio was quite interesting because we kept coming upon places which I had been to, but I had to remember that I had come by car from Columbus not by bike from the Atlantic ocean. For instance, one of our lunch stops was right at the entrance to Cedar Pointe, an entrance I know quite well. It was quite surreal knowing that I had come from New Hampshire.
That day, as well as the next day (yesterday) on our way to Camden were quite difficult. They were long, hot, and very windy. The day we rode into Bowling Green was a 98 mile day with a head wind fronting us the entire time. Given all the work that was done to get us there it felt more like 130-140 miles on the bike. Riding across Ohio was great, but that wind is relentless. Any direction you move it comes right at you.
Now let me back up and discuss our ride into Cleveland which was on Monday. We left Ashtabula Monday morning with some serious van problems. The previous evening (while I was out with my parents) the van had run into some trouble and had to be towed. It was taken to a repair place and the following day - Monday - the alternator was replaced. The procedure of course took the entire morning making it impossible for the van to catch us for lunch. Many of us stopped in a local diner type restaurant for some "lunchy" items which was fantastic - corned beef hash hasn't tasted so good in a long time. We sat at the counter and next to us sat a man who was probably still drunk from the night before. Now being that I did attend college, I do know how to deal with people who are still drunk at 11am. He was a nice guy, totally harmless, and quite interested in our trip. In fact, he had ridden his own bicycle to the diner for a bite to eat. Now I have heard some great quotes and I know some people struggle with geography, but perhaps one of the best things I heard thus far on the trip was:
"When you guys get to Washington D.C. can you get Bill Gates autograph?"
Close, but D.C. is on the east coast, Washington State is one the west coast. It was a bit of comic relief to say the least.
Upon leaving the diner we pedaled into East Cleveland which is notorious for being a pretty rough neighborhood. Yea the roads were bad but people were so facinated by us and amazed and excited when we told them what we were doing. Folks were yelling out of cars, off of porches, and from parking lots, it was great. Once we made it through East Cleveland we were on Superior Drive which took us right through the center of Cleveland. I gave some people a tour of the downtown area -hitting the water and the rock hall - and then took them over to the West Side Market which has been a family favorite for a long time. After we burned ourselves out on produce and fine cheeses we finally rode into Avon Lake - perhaps the best stop we've had thus far.
Avon Lake is a suburb of Cleveland to the east and a quite nice one at that. We were also to spend the two evenings there with host families, my family just happened to have a huge house right on the lake. Following dinner, the entire group traveled to my host families house for an evening of swimming in the lake. Perhaps one of the coolest parts was the fact that they had a trampoline as well as some other toys to play with in the water; we managed to entertain ourselves for the entire evening.
Tuesday was build day and was followed by a most generous donation - 30 tickets to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Most of the people on the trip had never been and I must say, after not being there for quite awhile, I was very much impressed with entire thing.
The stay in Avon Lake was fantastic. The people were so generous and the food was phenomenal. Everywhere we've gone people have been so generous with their time, their food, their churches, their showers, their washers and dryers, it just amazes me how generous people can be. The trip continues to be fantastic and I am very much looking forward to our time in one of the great cities of the world, Chicago.
Continue to comment and email, I will post again in the near future.
Todays ride was fantastic, it was one of the best rides I have had yet on the trip. It was a 78 mile day with the wind at my back most of the time and the roads in Indiana are so nicely paved, as though they new that bike and builders were going to be treking through their state. This morning we began in Camden, MI (not to be confused with Camden, NJ) and pedaled through Amish country which was beautiful. I spent most of the day talking with one of our trip leaders which helped to pass the time very quickly. We spent the day bouncing in and out of Indiana and Michigan following route 12, which again, was a great road for cycling.
The last several days have been quite busy. In fact, since my last posting on Sunday we have ridden all the way across Ohio and most of the Indiana/Michigan border putting us only 100 miles out of Chicago. Mind you, last Sunday we were in Cleveland. Riding through Ohio was quite interesting because we kept coming upon places which I had been to, but I had to remember that I had come by car from Columbus not by bike from the Atlantic ocean. For instance, one of our lunch stops was right at the entrance to Cedar Pointe, an entrance I know quite well. It was quite surreal knowing that I had come from New Hampshire.
That day, as well as the next day (yesterday) on our way to Camden were quite difficult. They were long, hot, and very windy. The day we rode into Bowling Green was a 98 mile day with a head wind fronting us the entire time. Given all the work that was done to get us there it felt more like 130-140 miles on the bike. Riding across Ohio was great, but that wind is relentless. Any direction you move it comes right at you.
Now let me back up and discuss our ride into Cleveland which was on Monday. We left Ashtabula Monday morning with some serious van problems. The previous evening (while I was out with my parents) the van had run into some trouble and had to be towed. It was taken to a repair place and the following day - Monday - the alternator was replaced. The procedure of course took the entire morning making it impossible for the van to catch us for lunch. Many of us stopped in a local diner type restaurant for some "lunchy" items which was fantastic - corned beef hash hasn't tasted so good in a long time. We sat at the counter and next to us sat a man who was probably still drunk from the night before. Now being that I did attend college, I do know how to deal with people who are still drunk at 11am. He was a nice guy, totally harmless, and quite interested in our trip. In fact, he had ridden his own bicycle to the diner for a bite to eat. Now I have heard some great quotes and I know some people struggle with geography, but perhaps one of the best things I heard thus far on the trip was:
"When you guys get to Washington D.C. can you get Bill Gates autograph?"
Close, but D.C. is on the east coast, Washington State is one the west coast. It was a bit of comic relief to say the least.
Upon leaving the diner we pedaled into East Cleveland which is notorious for being a pretty rough neighborhood. Yea the roads were bad but people were so facinated by us and amazed and excited when we told them what we were doing. Folks were yelling out of cars, off of porches, and from parking lots, it was great. Once we made it through East Cleveland we were on Superior Drive which took us right through the center of Cleveland. I gave some people a tour of the downtown area -hitting the water and the rock hall - and then took them over to the West Side Market which has been a family favorite for a long time. After we burned ourselves out on produce and fine cheeses we finally rode into Avon Lake - perhaps the best stop we've had thus far.
Avon Lake is a suburb of Cleveland to the east and a quite nice one at that. We were also to spend the two evenings there with host families, my family just happened to have a huge house right on the lake. Following dinner, the entire group traveled to my host families house for an evening of swimming in the lake. Perhaps one of the coolest parts was the fact that they had a trampoline as well as some other toys to play with in the water; we managed to entertain ourselves for the entire evening.
Tuesday was build day and was followed by a most generous donation - 30 tickets to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Most of the people on the trip had never been and I must say, after not being there for quite awhile, I was very much impressed with entire thing.
The stay in Avon Lake was fantastic. The people were so generous and the food was phenomenal. Everywhere we've gone people have been so generous with their time, their food, their churches, their showers, their washers and dryers, it just amazes me how generous people can be. The trip continues to be fantastic and I am very much looking forward to our time in one of the great cities of the world, Chicago.
Continue to comment and email, I will post again in the near future.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Onward and Upward
Two states in one day, not bad. We finally trekked out of New York today which was fantastic, I was getting sick of being only a few millimeters into our route on the back of the B&B shirts. The last couple of days have been quite busy and quite painful, a whole lot of miles. I am sitting in a church in Ashtabula, Oh right now after having spent the afternoon with my parents who so lovingly drove 200+ miles to the middle of nowhere to come and see me. It's always nice seeing family during a long trip like this; they want to do stuff like buy dinner and hang out. Ashtabula is located way in the top corner of the state about an hour from Cleveland right on the water. After walking through the quite limited downtown area we decided to try the only restaurant looking thing in the city. I had the prime rib, mom the fish, and dad opted for the Alfredo. It was descent and the waitress was nice; it's great to have someone else wait on you while you eat off of real silverware....
We left this morning from Westfield, NY which was our last stop in New York, located right on the border of Pennsylvania. It was a small little town, but the church was great and the dinner last night was phenomenal - I ate too much like I always do. It was a long day yesterday and after not having showered the previous day we were all ready for the well deserved shower, or so we thought. Showers were located at the public pool in a room no bigger than someones kitchen. It wasn't until after we had all jumped in the pool that we realized that the pool did not have any hot water, none and all, the only thing available after two days without a shower was the coldest shower I have ever taken - it was painful to say the least.
Yesterdays ride was nice, a bit long towards the end, but nice. One of my fellow riders (and midwesterns) Kathy decided about 80 miles in that she would clip the back of my tire and go flying off into a ditch. I don't know if she was just bored or what. She was fine, no injuries, just a little shaken up. Everyone stopped and we got her bike back in working order to finish off the trip. That morning we had left from Niagara Falls, NY following a day of relaxation at the falls.
Now the falls is perhaps one of the most surreal places I have ever been, it is as though the water is a nice back drop to a monstrosity of a casino or one of the many wax museums available for touring. July 4th we rode in from Lockport, NY which was a mere 20 miles. We unpacked, changed, and hoped in the van passports in hand for the falls. Several of us got there, looked at the falls (appreciated it for a time), crossed into Canada, looked in disgust at the silly touristy things, and ran as fast as we could out of there for some Chinese food. Well we found the Chinese and stuffed ourselves silly. Walking around the falls allowed our bellies to rest, but I swear I have never seen so many people in my life.
We returned to the church in Niagara for a 4th of July meal and had some down time before the van left to take people back for the fireworks show. I was pretty excited, fireworks over the falls, cool no? Well, to make a long story short, we missed them. The van always has to take two trips because there are too many of us for a single ride. Fireworks started at 10 and the first van load didn't even leave until about 915 for the 15 minute ride (in good traffic....) The van returned for the rest of us at about 950 and we raced over to the falls hoping to catch the show. When we got there everyone was walking back to their cars as though the show was over. How could that be it was only 10:08. Well, it was over, way to go Canada you put on an 8 minute show for the 4th.... Several of us were pissed, most of us relatively apathetic. We walked to the falls and looked at the red, white, and blue colors adorning them and then walked back to where the van was supposed to get us. The first van load had left by the time we got there and given the traffic, it took nearly an hour for it to get back. Fortunately, right in front of our pickup spot was an Indian restaurant whose aromas filled the air. Unfortunately, it was an "all you can eat" buffet and none of us were hungry. So we sat and thought about how nice it would be if we were hungry.
Tomorrow we will be riding to Avon Lake on the west side of Cleveland. It is good to be back in my home state though I know I will only be here until Tuesday. We'll be in Michigan for a short time and then onto Chicago which should be right around the half way point of the journey. We haven't hit 1000 miles yet, but we're getting there. The roads have really flattened out and we're back to the terrain that I know so well and have come to love: flat, very flat.
I'll keep writing when I get a chance, keep commenting.
Incidentally, I'd like to add that after discussion with my father this evening it should be noted that I perhaps presented his response to my trip in an ill light. He was very supportive of the trip (still is) and was excited about the whole thing. He still thinks I am crazy for doing it - I am starting to believe him...
We left this morning from Westfield, NY which was our last stop in New York, located right on the border of Pennsylvania. It was a small little town, but the church was great and the dinner last night was phenomenal - I ate too much like I always do. It was a long day yesterday and after not having showered the previous day we were all ready for the well deserved shower, or so we thought. Showers were located at the public pool in a room no bigger than someones kitchen. It wasn't until after we had all jumped in the pool that we realized that the pool did not have any hot water, none and all, the only thing available after two days without a shower was the coldest shower I have ever taken - it was painful to say the least.
Yesterdays ride was nice, a bit long towards the end, but nice. One of my fellow riders (and midwesterns) Kathy decided about 80 miles in that she would clip the back of my tire and go flying off into a ditch. I don't know if she was just bored or what. She was fine, no injuries, just a little shaken up. Everyone stopped and we got her bike back in working order to finish off the trip. That morning we had left from Niagara Falls, NY following a day of relaxation at the falls.
Now the falls is perhaps one of the most surreal places I have ever been, it is as though the water is a nice back drop to a monstrosity of a casino or one of the many wax museums available for touring. July 4th we rode in from Lockport, NY which was a mere 20 miles. We unpacked, changed, and hoped in the van passports in hand for the falls. Several of us got there, looked at the falls (appreciated it for a time), crossed into Canada, looked in disgust at the silly touristy things, and ran as fast as we could out of there for some Chinese food. Well we found the Chinese and stuffed ourselves silly. Walking around the falls allowed our bellies to rest, but I swear I have never seen so many people in my life.
We returned to the church in Niagara for a 4th of July meal and had some down time before the van left to take people back for the fireworks show. I was pretty excited, fireworks over the falls, cool no? Well, to make a long story short, we missed them. The van always has to take two trips because there are too many of us for a single ride. Fireworks started at 10 and the first van load didn't even leave until about 915 for the 15 minute ride (in good traffic....) The van returned for the rest of us at about 950 and we raced over to the falls hoping to catch the show. When we got there everyone was walking back to their cars as though the show was over. How could that be it was only 10:08. Well, it was over, way to go Canada you put on an 8 minute show for the 4th.... Several of us were pissed, most of us relatively apathetic. We walked to the falls and looked at the red, white, and blue colors adorning them and then walked back to where the van was supposed to get us. The first van load had left by the time we got there and given the traffic, it took nearly an hour for it to get back. Fortunately, right in front of our pickup spot was an Indian restaurant whose aromas filled the air. Unfortunately, it was an "all you can eat" buffet and none of us were hungry. So we sat and thought about how nice it would be if we were hungry.
Tomorrow we will be riding to Avon Lake on the west side of Cleveland. It is good to be back in my home state though I know I will only be here until Tuesday. We'll be in Michigan for a short time and then onto Chicago which should be right around the half way point of the journey. We haven't hit 1000 miles yet, but we're getting there. The roads have really flattened out and we're back to the terrain that I know so well and have come to love: flat, very flat.
I'll keep writing when I get a chance, keep commenting.
Incidentally, I'd like to add that after discussion with my father this evening it should be noted that I perhaps presented his response to my trip in an ill light. He was very supportive of the trip (still is) and was excited about the whole thing. He still thinks I am crazy for doing it - I am starting to believe him...
Thursday, July 3, 2008
1/8 Of The Way
I love sitting in public libraries, they are always interesting places. Right now I am sitting next to some old guy in black high-tops who insists on listening to really bad metal on head phones that everyone can hear; I am hoping he will be finished here soon it's been a long a day.
We're in Lockport, NY about 20 miles from Niagra Falls where we will be tomorrow for the Fourth (or "forth" if you are in rural New York).
(Also, if I might add, there was a sign posted in a small town the other day stating "no pubic restrooms". Take a look at the word before "restroom" it was actually spelled that way.) So, Lockport is a cute little town with some shops, restaurants, and at least one office building that is more than three stories. Todays ride was rough, it poured for most of the trip. We left Rochester, NY this morning with overcast skies. The entire morning we battled headwinds and slight rain, by the time we got to lunch it was absolutely pouring. Being that we had only 60 miles to ride today some of us figured we would just grin and bear it. Others decided to stick it out. The woman, in front of whose home we stopped, decided she would let people in from out of the rain to watch The Price is Right. The few of us who decided to go had to deal with pelting rain which is not easy to ride in, but we did it and made it into Lockport safely.
Rochester was relaxing - we spent two days there staying at the Rochester Institute of Technology which I must say is one of the ugliest campuses I have ever been to. Keep in mind that I graduated from Rutgers which is notorious for having one of the ugliest campuses in the country. We got into Rochester on Tuesday evening after an 86 mile day - which was sunny - and spent the evening doing nothing except eating and sleeping. Yesterday was a build day in an inner-city Rochester neighborhood where most of us spent the day clearing brush from behind houses. It was hot and those who were in charge of ordering lunch from Habitat ordered only enough pizza to allow each of the 30 riders two small pieces, people who are used to taking in about 5000 calories in a given day. It worked out, but the afternoon was hard.
We'll be out of New York on Sunday into Ohio and across to Chicago. We'll arrive in Chicago in 10 days which just amazes me considering we haven't even made it to Buffalo yet. From there we will move up through Wisconsin and Minnesota and across the forgotten states of North Dakota and Montana. People are still getting along and the trip has been a great experience thus far.
Keep commenting or emailing, I hope people are actually reading these long boring posts....
We're in Lockport, NY about 20 miles from Niagra Falls where we will be tomorrow for the Fourth (or "forth" if you are in rural New York).
(Also, if I might add, there was a sign posted in a small town the other day stating "no pubic restrooms". Take a look at the word before "restroom" it was actually spelled that way.) So, Lockport is a cute little town with some shops, restaurants, and at least one office building that is more than three stories. Todays ride was rough, it poured for most of the trip. We left Rochester, NY this morning with overcast skies. The entire morning we battled headwinds and slight rain, by the time we got to lunch it was absolutely pouring. Being that we had only 60 miles to ride today some of us figured we would just grin and bear it. Others decided to stick it out. The woman, in front of whose home we stopped, decided she would let people in from out of the rain to watch The Price is Right. The few of us who decided to go had to deal with pelting rain which is not easy to ride in, but we did it and made it into Lockport safely.
Rochester was relaxing - we spent two days there staying at the Rochester Institute of Technology which I must say is one of the ugliest campuses I have ever been to. Keep in mind that I graduated from Rutgers which is notorious for having one of the ugliest campuses in the country. We got into Rochester on Tuesday evening after an 86 mile day - which was sunny - and spent the evening doing nothing except eating and sleeping. Yesterday was a build day in an inner-city Rochester neighborhood where most of us spent the day clearing brush from behind houses. It was hot and those who were in charge of ordering lunch from Habitat ordered only enough pizza to allow each of the 30 riders two small pieces, people who are used to taking in about 5000 calories in a given day. It worked out, but the afternoon was hard.
We'll be out of New York on Sunday into Ohio and across to Chicago. We'll arrive in Chicago in 10 days which just amazes me considering we haven't even made it to Buffalo yet. From there we will move up through Wisconsin and Minnesota and across the forgotten states of North Dakota and Montana. People are still getting along and the trip has been a great experience thus far.
Keep commenting or emailing, I hope people are actually reading these long boring posts....
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