Two Wheels Across America

Our group has reached a milestone with the completion of this day - day number 52.  Even though exhausted, we were all exuberant as we made our final ride down to the beach in New Hampshire.  Our concluding act as a group was to dip our front wheel in the great Atlantic Ocean.  Under cloudless skies and 88 degree weather the beach was loaded with people enjoying the day.  We were greeted by friends, family and many on lookers which cheered us on as we proceeded down to the beach to do what had to be done that final wheel dipping.  You would have thought that the circus was arriving into town with all the noise and commotion that was being generated by our arrival.  I will never forget this moment, a moment of victory.

We were told to gather at Rye Junior High School in Rye, New Hampshire and to be there by 11:30 AM.  Most of the group arrived early as today was a bit shorter, just 62 total miles.  We lined up in groups of four and were about 8 rows deep.  Our group was given a police escort, with lights and sirens, as we proceeded the final three miles to Wallis Sands State Park in New Hampshire.  I think the whole town was aware of our arrival.  People clapped and cheered us on as we rode by.  Quite a memorable moment!

One lady in our group added up some numbers from our trip since we left San Francisco, California on June 6th.  She recorded 3,409 miles with 120,305 feet in elevation gain.  Our time on the bicycle was 263.4 hours with an average speed of just under 15 mph. Very impressive!

Most of our group has disbanded in Portsmouth and many have gone home to see loved ones.  Tomorrow I will take an airport shuttle to Boston Logan Airport at 7:00 AM and fly home to see my lovely wife.  Thanks to all of you for following my blog and supporting us in your prayers.  It has been a wonderful challenge that I have completed.  Please stay in contact with me.  God Bless You All, Lester

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After being in the state of New Hampshire for only one single day,  I have learned two things about this beautiful state.  Number one is it is always windy here the second is that it is very hilly even though the hills are small.  It is not a flat state.  Things are very green from all the rain and the roads are very busy due to all the people. 

Our ride today from Brattleboro, Vermont to Manchester, New Hampshire went very well.  Today was a day of lots of climb, over 6,000 feet, but the group didn't mind.  With tomorrow being our last day of the tour, the mood today was very upbeat.  The weather was beautiful except for the wind and the temps were very good.  The low was 57 degrees in the morning and the high of about 82 degrees this afternoon.  It was good bicycle riding weather. 

The evening meal was a bar-b-que presented by A.B.B. as a final celebration.  Each person was allowed to say something publically and many remarks were made that brought tears to our eyes.  As a group of thirty we have gotten to know each other quite well and the parting will be bittersweet tomorrow.  The tour will be completed tomorrow at about noon with the final dipping of the front wheel of our bicycles in the Atlantic Ocean.  The bicycles will then be taken to a local bike shop where they will be boxed up and Fed-Exed to our individual homes. 

With just one day left to Portsmouth, New Hampshire please continue to pray for the safety of our group.  God Bless You All, Lester

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Our arrival in Battleboro, Vermont marked state number twelve that we have traveled through.  With an accumulated mileage of 3783 we are looking forward to the conclusion of a first class tour of our beautiful U.S.A. Our group has held up well, we are still speaking to one another and actually enjoy each other's company.  It has been great traveling with such a fun group.

When we left our motel in Latham, New York this morning rain was threatening.  We talked about wearing rain gear verses not wearing extra gear.  Most decided to take a chance on the rain not happening and that worked out to be the best decision.  The sky remained overcast all day but never produced any rain at all.  We were all thankful, another great day of riding.

The days ride became more hilly as we entered Vermont.  Our route took us through the Appalician   Mountains and by the ski resort at Green Mountain. I thought that Vermont was pretty flat but with  ski areas the state does have some 3,000 to 4,000 foot peaks.  We followed our usual routine today upon arriving into Brattlesboro stopping at a restaurant that was built on the side of the hill overlooking the Conneticut River were we had our usual lunch and a milkshake.  The five of us then proceeded to an ice cream shop downtown and I consumed a double scoop ice cream cone.  It was a great way to end such a beautiful ride.

As the evening begins to come on a light rain is beginning to fall outside.  Our hope is that it will rain tonight but clear up for tomorrows ride.  We will have to wait to see what happens.  Thanks for all your prayers.  Please continue to pray for the safety of our group.  Only two days are left. God Bless You All, Lester

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As we traveled the back roads of New York, we noticed a lot of townships that were begun or established between 1725 to 1750.  It is different to see these townships that were well established before anything on the west coast.  Our local courthouse in Mariposa was built in the 1850's and is still in use today.  This building, by west coast standards, is really old but not  by east coast standards.

Our tour today followed parts of the Erie Canal and then we followed the Mohawk River for a portion of our ride.  New York seems to have a lot of lakes, rivers, reservours etc.  There is a lot of water in the state of New York.  I guess that the almost daily rains keep everything flowing and the lakes full.  It would be nice to have some of this water in California.   

The van was loaded at 7:30 AM today and the group immediately hit the road leaving Little Falls, New York in the rain.  It did not rain as hard today as it did yesterday but it rained pretty much all day until we arrived at the motel in Latham, New York at about 1:00 PM this afternoon.  Our mileage was a bit modified from the route map so our total today was about 76 miles.  With just three days left to ride we are all looking forward to our arrival in New Hampshire.

While riding on the bike path today I experienced flat number nine caused by a small piece of slate in my tire.  I guess that flats are a part of the experience of riding bicycles so all you can do is change the tube and go.  The weather yesterday and today has effected our riding somewhat but the warm rains are much better than the cold rains.  I am not sure what the weather will do tomorrow but we hope that the rains will stop as we will have a lot more climbing to do as we enter the state of Vermont. 

Please continue to pray for the safety of our group.  God Bless You All, Lester

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I have decided that the weather men back in New York have an advantage over weather men in California.  If they predict rain 90 % of the time they are right almost every time.  It looks like, to me, that it rains almost every day so they have a great advantage in their weather forcasts.  The weather station on T.V. said rain in New York today and guess what?  It rained all day long.

Because of a bit shorter day, in terms of mileage, "79" we were allowed to sleep a little later today.  Breakfast at 6:30 and load the van at 7:30 and on the road, in the pouring down rain, immediately after.  It was hard to form a pace line because each riders tires throw a rooster tail about 10 to 15 feet behind their bicycle in the rain making them hard to follow.  The challenge when riding in the rain is to avoid any puddle in the road.  Some of these small puddles, in and along side the road, can be twelve inches deep with water.  It is quite startling to hit such a small puddle and then realize that you can almost disappear into it.  Things to avoid while riding in the rain. 

Our group held up well today and everyone came through our first real rainy day with very few flat tires and no mechanical difficulties at all.  With day number 48 completed our group is counting down the last four ride days until we arrive in New Hampshire.  My total miles from the tour to date are 3626 just a bit over the A.B.B. total.  I have done a few out and backs and have added a little extra mileage. 

Please continue to pray for the safety of our group.  God Bless You All, Lester

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Today's weather was a complete turnaround from what we had yesterday.  From wind and rain to complete blue sky and no wind at all.  This was a day to ride bicycles in New York.  On top of it all, this was a day of short mileage, just 69 miles and not a lot of elevation gain.  The group is feeling good and continuing to count the days.

Our day began in Canandaigua, New York at 7:00 AM as ususal.  At mile 20 we went through the town of Waterloo, New York that is know as the birth place of Memorial Day.  We proceeded into the town of Seneca Falls, New York that's claim to fame is that it is the birthplace of women's rights.  There is a memorial hall of fame there to commerate the movement.  We stopped in Camillus, New York in order to eat lunch.  Our choice was Tony's Pizzeria.  Tony who actually lives in Liverpool, New York  about 50 miles away.  Tony himself was working with his son and he was born and raised in Italy and brought his expertise to New York for the world to enjoy.  The food was great!

The highlight of our day was a special dinner at the home of a brother of one of our group.  The dinner was supurb and the home was beautiful and the interaction among our group and our host was terrific.  A good time was had by all. 

With a possible weather change on the horizon.  It looks like we might see some rain to begin the day.  We will see what happens tomorrow and ride the 79 miles to Little Falls, New York in whatever the weather holds.  Please continue to pray for the safety of our group.  God Bless You All, Lester

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After 46 days on the road the rain finally found us and dumped upon us.  For over forty days the storms have been either behind us or before us on our trip.  We were told by staff that we were very lucky with 44 days of almost complete dry weather.  It was certainly not the norm.  Today we broke that pattern.

Leaving Hamburg, New York this morning at 7:00 AM the skies were threatening.  By 7:30 the rains had begun to do their duty and the patten continued throughout the morning.  By noon the rain became intermittent and we began to dry out somewhat.  We heard a lot of thunder but never saw the lightening.  It was a wild day in south central New York. 

Our trek today was done on state route 20 which was quite busy with cars and trucks.  I think that the large trucks and trailers leave steal places from tires blown apart along the roadway.  This, in turn, results in flat tires for our group of riders.  Yes, today was a day of lots of flats.  One woman that I tried to help today had a total of five flat tires.  While we were fixing her front and rear another rider stopped with a flat tire on the rear of his bicycle!  Little pieces of steel penetrate the tire and work their way into the tube and boom your tire is flat. 

Most of the riders made it into the motel before about 3:00 PM today and, as luck would have it, it almost immediately began to downpour with heavy winds.  We were able to watch the cloudburst comfortably through the motel windows.  Thank goodness! Tomorrow we will go back and do it all again.  Please continue to pray for the safety of our group.  God Bless You All, Lester

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We left the state of Pennsylvania this morning and entered into the empire state of New York.  As we skirted the southern and eastern edge of Lake Erie our tour continued eastward.  New York becomes the 10th state that we will traverse and we will spend five days doing so.  With the rain almost daily in this great state everything is lush and green.  It is very beautiful to see. 

The weather forcast today was for intermttent showers throughour the day with temperatures in the low 80's.  It had rained last night in Erie, Pennsylvania so the roads were damp and the outside air was cool and humid.  When we left the motel at 7:00 AM it was trying to rain but not producing much.  As we continued our trek eastward on and off showers threatened us but not enough to dampen our spirits.  We are a determined group.

We were able to see Lake Erie most of the day and from the southern shores it appears as large as the Pacific Ocean.  My roomate Rob tells me it is over 150 miles across the lake.  That makes it quite large by west coast standards.  Today's elevation gain was fairly flat so the day went by quickly.  With only 87 miles on our route maps I completed the ride in just over 5 hours.  It was a pretty good average for speed and just over 16.5 mph. 

Our group continues to hold up well.  Some are still fighting a cough but continue to ride each day.  Please continue to pray for the safety of our group.  God Bless You All, Lester

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Today was a much needed rest day.  A day to work on the bikes not to ride them.  As our primary means of transportation, the bicycle always needs to be cleaned, something replaced that has worn out, or a small adjustment to be made.  I have always told my sons that a clean bicycle always runs better than a dirty bicycle.  That's our motto!

A group of four of us, Oklahoma Rick, Kiwi Rick, Phil and I, played tourist today at Niagara Falls, New York.  Since we didn't all have passports, we had to stay on the American side of the falls.  It was very beautiful and well worth the time it took to drive up and see.  Travel time from Erie, Pennsylvania was about one hour and forty five minutes in a rented car.  When we arrived at Niagara Falls we bought tickets on the Maid of The Mist ride on a large barge boat.  This boat takes you on a round trip through the frothing waters between American and Horseshoe Falls.  We were all given a blue poncho to wear in order to stay dry under the thundering waters cascading down from hundreds of feet above.  It was quite remarkable to see.

Today's weather was quite rainy.  During our travels by car to New York, it rained pretty hard on us but upon our arrival to Niagara Falls the sun was shinning.  Tomorrow threatens to be about the same.  Showers in the AM and clearing in the PM.

Our excursion tomorrow will take us to Hamburg, New York which we will call home for the night. 

Please continue to pray for the safety of our group.  God Bless You All, Lester

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Our final century ride of our coast to coast tour brought us to Erie, Pennsylvania.  The town is located on the shores of the great lakes and that lake of course is Lake Erie.  As we crossed into the great state of Pennsylvania we began to notice the vineyards that were planted along the roadways.  It looks like the wine industry is alive and well in this area. 

We left our motel at our usual time of 7:00 AM and began our trek out of the state of Ohio.  At mile 70 we entered the first township of Pennsylvania.  I think that these towns are considered townships because they are so small, less than 1500 people.  They sure seem to have a whole lot of them.  Today’s ride was 103 miles and our total accumulated mileage is 3216!  With tomorrow being a rest day, many people are planning what they will see and do in this community.  Our plans might include going up to Niagara Falls.  We are told by the locals that it is about 110 miles north of here and well worth the trip to see.

When we left Youngstown, Ohio this morning the weather was very pleasant and the high temperature for today was about 90 degrees.  Since our arrival into Pennsylvania, the skies are beginning to look overcast and quite threatening.  Maybe some rain is on the horizon but hopefully it will blow over and be done by Tuesday morning.  Let’s hope!

Our group continues to be in good health and all are riding very strong.  We continue to count down the days to our arrival at the great Atlantic Ocean.  Please continue to pray for the safety of our group.  God Bless You All, Lester

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As we inch closer to the Atlantic Ocean, we are beginning to count down the days to our arrival.  With just nine ride days left plus a rest day on Monday July 18^th the end is in sight.  I think that our group is becoming a bunch of hardcore cyclists.  It is almost nothing to do a hundred mile day and 45 days ago, most of the group had never done such a ride.  How we have changed!

Tonight we call home the town of Niles, Ohio.  The ride to town was very nice as the weather cooperated quite nicely today. Partly overcast skies today kept the temperatures in the mid to upper 80’s which is quite pleasant.  The headwinds picked up a bit the last 25 miles or so but they were never a real problem. 

As we ride more in the suburbs we experience more traffic which has not been a real factor until we entered Ohio.  When the towns are all connected together the traffic flow seems to always be a concern on the narrow roads. 

I only took two wrong turns today, but ridding with Robb he got me straightened out pretty quick.  We didn’t do a lot of extra miles before we caught the error.  If you had to follow some of our ride sheets, with unmarked roads, you would surprised that we do as well as we do.  A.B.B. does a good job with their directions. 

Our group seems to be holding up well and all seem to be in good spirits and in good health.  Please continue to pray for the safety of our group.  God Bless You All, Lester

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I had a great day yesterday afternoon as my wife, daughter and grandson from Holland, Ohio and my daughter-in-law and grandaughter from Chicago took me to dinner.  It is always good to see family and especially so far from home.  I'm starting to feel like a man without a country.  My motel room is my home.

Today is number 40 for our group to be on the road.  We are all feeling a bit homesick but we are also determined to finish our ride across America.  With today's ride we have completed 3027 miles.  Our home tonight is Wooster, Ohio and we arrived into town at about 2:00 PM after traveling over 104 miles today.

The state of Ohio is not totally flat as we decided yesterday.  It has a lot of rollers that are very challenging to bicycle riders.  In a car you would probably never notice the small hills but on a bicycle you are aware of every little climb, 100 foot climb, 200 foot climb, 300 foot climb some a little steep and some a lot steeper.  I guess that is what makes our legs strong.

The weather today was very comfortable.  When we arrived into town the temperature was 87 degrees and a bit overcast.  I think that the clouds have cooled the temps off and yet have not brought any rain to our tour during the day.  This morning the roads looked a bit damp and I guess that it could have rained in the night.  I have been too tired to know what happens at night.  We have sure seen some beautiful country and hopefully, in the years to come, we might have the opportunity to return and spend more time looking around.  The USA is certainly a beautiful place to live.

Please continue to pray for our group.  God Bless You All, Lester

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The highlight of most of our days seems to center around our ice cream stops.  We usually find a local person and ask them where the best place is to get good ice cream.  We were given directions in Marysville, Ohio to just such a place and guess what?  We all (the four of us) received a free ice cream and a free bottle of water!  We've decided that this town is O.K. because of extenuating circumstances (loss of a freezer) the owner needed to liquidate all of the frozen products.  And guess what?  We were the receipants of some of their frozen goodies.  It turned out that we were at the right place at the right time.  Our lucky ice cream day.  We decided that life couldn't get much better than this!

Today was a long day so we left the motel a little early.  The group was at breakfast at 5:30 AM, the van was loaded at 6:30 AM and we hit the road shortly thereafter.  With ride time at just over 6 hours I was able to complete the 104 mile ride by 2:00 in the afternoon.  The many stops along the way included a stop for a mango smoothie, a stop for a strawberry milkshake at Dairy Queen and a couple of water stops to stay hydrated.  Sometimes I think that all we do during the day is eat but that's alright because we need fuel. 

The temperature was predicted to be over 100 degrees today but the warmest we saw it was in the low 90's.  Not too bad if you drink enough.  Tomorrow promises to be another long day so it looks like it will be early to bed and early to rise (4:45 AM).  Please continue to pray for the safety of our group.  God Bless You All, Lester

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We continued our trek eastward over Indiana and the temperatures began to warm up.  The temperatures climbed to the mid 90's and the humidity seemed awfully high.  We have no rain during the days rides.  It has all seemed to come at night.  That is a very good thing for we bicycle riders!

As we left the motel in Indianapolis, Indiana at 7:00 AM today we experienced a lot of traffic.  Our route took us through quite a bit of the city and I think that the morning rush hour was in progress as we traveled the back streets of the rather large city.  We all got out of the city and into the suburbs as we traveled through over twelve small sized towns on our 75 mile day.

The highlight of our day was a stop in the town of Knightstown, Indiana.  The school gym was used in the movie Hoosiers.  We were given a tour of the gym that was restored in order to produce the movie.  We even went downstairs into the locker room and saw that it was exactly like the movie shows.  Our guide, an older gentleman named Reed, was very informative and told us a whole lot about the school, town and surrounding community.  He was a real wealth of information.

Today's mileage was only 75 miles and our home tonight is Richmond, Indiana.  Our travels tomorrow will take us into Ohio so the day is quite a bit longer - 104 miles!  We are all hoping that the temperatures predicted, 105 degrees, will not actually happen.  We'll see!

Please continue to pray for the safety of our group.  God Bless You All, Lester

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It was a lovely day in Indianapolis, Indiana today and it was full of activities for my wife and I. We began our day with a full-on breakfast in the motel cafe. That seemed to get the day off to a good start. We left the motel and proceeded, by rental car, to our first destination the Eli Lilly Mansion.  This mansion is on a 100 acre plot of land that must have at least six full time gardeners.  The house is beautiful and very elaborately furnished with an early 20th century decor.  The grouds were planted with one of every kind of plant known to man and very well kept.  Because of the time of week, Tuesday, the mansion and grounds were not very busy.  Only a few groups of people were attending. 

We then headed next door to the Indianapolis Museum of Art to view the work of artists around the world.  It was pretty interesting to see what people consider art.  If I owned a lot of what I saw hanging on those walls I would probably take it to the SPCA!

Barbara then traveled in her rented car to see a girlfriend of hers that she had not seen in 32 years.  It was a short visit but enjoyed by both ladies.

We were invited to join a group of seven people for dinner at Saint Elmo's in downtown Indy.  The food was outstanding, the atmosphere was very nice and the company very enjoyable.  This restaurant was referred to us by a number of people and was definately worth the visit. 

A short afternoon shower blew in and lasted a couple of hours and then blew out and the sky cleared.  Quite normal for this part of the great USA. 

Tomorrow is back on the bicycles and our destination is Richmond, Indiana.  Please continue to pray for the safety of our group.  God Bless You All, Lester

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