Final Thoughts

Sat, 15 May 2010 15:42:12 -0500

Another ride is in the books. This has been a great adventure filled with challenges, rewards, and life’s lessons. Groups come and go and like groups in the past, we’ve made life long friends and acquaintances, we laughed, we shared, we endured, we tolerated, we struggled, we hurt, we rode, and now we return home. The experiences of the road change many lives. I know that sounds like a cliché and many don't realize it for sometime after they return home...how something like this does affect the rest of their lives. Last night at the banquet, several expressed that they had checked off an important item on their bucket list and wasn’t sure what could ever top this experience...if it wasn’t the most significant physical thing they’d accomplished, it ranked right up there with what ever was the top. So...what’s next?
For the most part, it's been a great ride for us and we have mixed emotions as we reflect on what we've done. Basically, we are glad it's finally over, but we hate to see it end. We've developed some lasting relationships this ride and we will miss being around them after they depart their separate ways. There were several riders still milling around the motel when we finally got moving Satuday morning...were they waiting for a route rap so they could plan their day? Or were they waiting for us to unlock the trailer so they could load their luggage? What ever it was, they looked lost not having to ride to their next meal and they'll miss Barbara's chuck wagon this afternoon for sure. The Karen, Barb, and I finally got moving around 9 this morning...had to eat then load the van for the trip to Alabama where we’ll dock until it's time to drive to Astoria OR for the next trip in June. Before we left Savannah, Karen and I went out and tweeked the route through Savannah to Tybee to make it a bit more scenic and bike friendly so next trip we’ll be able to avoid some major traffic. Jim took the other van with the trailer to the office in New Hampshire and he’ll be able to have some much needed time off at home before heading out west to meet us in June.
Last night we put the capstone on the ride with a final dinner at the motel on Bay Street in downtown Savannah. It was a memorable affair that allowed each member the opportunity to share their thoughts about the ride and to share the evening with loved ones and friends. I think this group was pretty tired, but they mustered the strength to laugh at themselves and we even saw a tear of two as they shared their feelings. Jay and Bermuda Mike did a sketch on the idiosyncrasies of each rider and gave us a test to identify everyone’s calves. During dinner, I ran a slide show of various photos we took of the riders all the way across the country...some of the scenes seemed like a lifetime ago.
Everyone had a different reason for doing this ride and I'm sure there was sometime during the course of the ride when they all questioned their sanity for even thinking about doing such a thing. This group's emotions ran the gambit as they went from jubilation at the departure beach to the realization that this was a serious ride soon after they reached the desert at the 80 mile point on the first day. I saw a tired bunch as we rode into Albuquerque for our first rest day...a well deserved break as they had covered over 800 miles in the first short week. They continued their trek into the winds and even got their first relatively easy day into Dalhart aided by welcomed tailwinds to push them down the road at speeds they’d never before ridden over such a distance. From Dalhart, their luck held as they conquered the Panhandle of the Longhorn state. Then they hit Oklahoma to endure the two back to back 130 plus days into slight headwinds and over the constant hilly terrain on the day into McAlester. It seemed like an afterthought as we finished our second leg as, tired and beat up, they limped into Fort Smith for their last rest day before the final assault to the east coast. After Fort Smith their spirits seemed to be lifted as they hit the road. I don't know if it was the tailwinds, the much needed rest, or the time to reflect and collect their thoughts from the prior two and a half weeks, but what ever it was, they were armed with a new purpose and new focus as they took on the final 10 days. Their focus was keen on the eastern leg and held up all the way to the beach. When they triumphantly arrived at the beach, they celebrated. The Pacific water was poured, hugs were exchanged, and congratulations were in order.
As they go their separate ways, it will take them awhile to fully appreciate what they have accomplished and all will take something different from the ride. Some will continue their cycling adventures while others will not want to see a bicycle for awhile. But tomorrow or the next day when they return home and are flooded with questions from friends and family about the trip, it will begin to sink in. They will start to appreciate their immense accomplishment and will begin to miss the life on the road and their newly adopted family. They will wake up at 5:00 in the morning and suddenly realize their routine of the last 27 days is no longer applicable. They won't have to pack their bags, find the luggage van, sign in, mix their Gatorade, and pump up their tires, and put their butts on that hard bicycle seat for 5-8 hours a day. Dick will try to remember why he has a rubber band on his left wrist and I personally don't know what I'm going to do with myself while I'm home the next two weeks and especially what to do with the 2 hours a day I'll have by not doing a journal for awhile. Their bodies will scream for the stress of a 100 mile ride, the taste of Nutella, and the usual 6000 calories it has gotten used to for the last month. Every time they see a silver 15 passenger van, they will hunger for an oatmeal cookie and feel the need to tap the top of their head to get it to stop...it probably won't. It will be a shock when they get back to the regular grind, but they will all have a new perspective on life and on what is and what isn't important...for those who are going back to careers, they will have a recharged attitude to deal with the stresses of their job. I told them on day 1 they would stretch their comfort zone beyond their imagination and they did that. They endured heat, cold, rain, traffic, gravel road surface, rough chip and seal, snow, headwinds, and even a dog or two all across the nation. If they can handle the stress of this ride, they can handle anything and maybe they will start planning on their next ABB adventure and try to do it all again somewhere else. Where ever that will be, I’m sure it will “remind them of Hawaii.” During the ride they were too busy riding and eating to notice the end of the ride was closing in. Yesterday, all of a sudden, it was over.
As for me, I will miss these folks and hope we can ride again someday. Although we will never ride together again as a group, I'm sure we'll keep in touch after the ride and many of them will get together for reunion rides. That's what it is all about...the friends, the challenge, the memories. We had the pleasure to share experiences with 4 riders with foreign backgrounds: Nico, born in Chile; Reem, born in Lebanon; Wolfgang from Austria; and Per from Denmark; plus our two island casuals...Mike and Mike. This diversity only added to our experience...all different, but all the same in a way...great to have them all as part of our adopted family.
From what was heard at the banquet, the riders realized it's not the destination that is so important, but it's the journey to get there. But something I don't think they do realize is, the journey's not over. Now that they've completed this ride they will yearn for other challenges and will relive the memories of this ride for the rest of their lives. Getting to know everyone and making lifelong friends is part of the journey. A ride like this bonds a group beyond imagination...they become a family when they all endure the same hardships, the same pains, and all strive for the same goal for whatever their personal reasons. The friendships that were made on this trip are like all the other trips I've been involved with...they will last forever. They have joined the elite fraternity of riders that have crossed the US in short order. As you all know, I retired from the military where the salute is rendered as a symbol of respect. I am honored to salute them all for their grit, good nature, and final success.
I hope you have enjoyed following our progress across the country. As I close this edition of our spring adventure, may you be blessed with good health and be prosperous in the coming year. It's been a great ride...a tough ride, but one the riders will always remember. Maybe you will come out and make your own memories with us in the near future. On behalf of America by Bicycle and the on-road staff, I'll say good bye until we meet again. To the riders, it's been our pleasure being your support staff. May you continue to have tailwinds and strive to be an ambassador to our sport. Keep the rubber side down.

Day 27-Vidalia to Savannah...Finale

Fri, 14 May 2010 19:02:03 -0500

I wonder if anyone remembers California? Usually when we ask that question at rap someone would say, "Was that where the other ocean was?" It seems like a lifetime ago when we rode in California, Arizona, and New Mexico...at least I think I remember riding in those states. Then on the other hand, it seems like we just left...where did the time go? We had our last rap last night to discuss the last day's activities...going to the beach, packing up bikes, and the final banquet. I think it really set in...it was almost over and although the staff crew is ready for a break, we hate to see the ride come to an end...our new adopted family will be departing to their "real lives" by this time tomorrow. This morning we rode into the last sunrise of the trip...the last morning they get to load luggage and ride into the morning air with the dew glistening on the grass by the roadside...the last breakfast as a group...and tonight, the last meal together...I'll miss this bunch.
Before I forget to mention it, I appreciate all the emails I've received commenting on the journal. I'm happy to have brought the journal to you and am thrilled so many people have been following our progress...hope you'll continue to be readers of ABB adventures and maybe my efforts will inspire others to join us on the road.
We started the day with an early breakfast so we could get on the road as soon as it got daylight. We usually handicap the faster riders to load a bit after the "normal" people so we could get everyone to our rendezvous point near the same time, but this group moves along without help. Lots to do today for the fitting finale of our journey. With the banquet at 7:00 and the fact we needed to get all those bikes taken care of before dinner, we needed all the time to get to Savannah we could get. Our plan worked to perfection as it was late in the day before the normal order of riders on the road transpired and by the time that it did, we were pretty much grouped closely together.
Our luck has just been fantastic. We experienced another sunny, light wind day to Savannah. All in all it was a perfect finishing day for a long ride across the country. In spite of being bone weary, nothing seemed to bother them today as they powered themselves into the final miles eastward to the sweet smell of Vidalia Onions being harvested in the early morning.
Our route today took us on more highways than usual. As we get closer to our destination, fewer and fewer back roads are available, but the traffic was generally light and we were not to be denied our journey's destination. Our arrival into the Savannah area took us down 52nd street, a marked bike route that skirted old residential areas with Spanish Moss laden live oaks growing in the middle of the roadway. That's right, there were several huge trees that took up almost half the street and stood majestically as they have for hundreds of years before streets or houses were even thought of in this area.
We all arrived at our rendezvous point and at the Tybee Island post office just past Savannah by the appointed time of 2:00. The final rider to the post office was 11 minutes before the appointed deadline for rendezvous, but they had made a one last stop at a McDonald's before getting to Tybee. After a few obligatory photos of our anticipated triumph, we all set off to the beach for the final tire dip and transfer of Pacific Ocean water we had transported from Newport Beach in Irvine.
Our arrival wasn't without one last challenge, however. Seems there was some form of protest going on Tybee today and guess what? The beach was a zoo. Luckily we had a heads up on the matter so Karen, Jim, Barb and I drove the vans to the Tybee Post Office and parked about 2 miles from the beach area. Barbara stayed with the vehicles while Karen, Jim, and I rode our bikes to the beach to record the celebration. It was a good thing we didn't get the vans into the beach area...there wasn't a parking place to be found anywhere near the beach. As luck would have it, the news media was everywhere...so they just picked up on our arrival and put us in the news too. We were probably more important than some dumb protest anyway.
When the riders arrived at the beach the celebration broke out with a vengeance. Even though the beach was crowded, we made our way to the water's edge and found a pretty large area just empty...like it knew we were coming and just reserved that spot for us. Maybe it was red tide or something, but whatever it was, we had plenty of room to do our thing without entangling ourselves with the beach crowd. As the riders made their way to the water, they were bombarded with questions from the locals..."What's with all the bikes, Where did you all come from, When did you start, and You did what?" Almost without exception, the beachgoers were dumfounded or in disbelief. Many of them couldn't imagine what we'd just accomplished but all showed great respect when they finally accepted what was accomplished. After getting to the water, several people had to be restrained from throwing their bikes into the ocean or just leaving them. Karen assured them they would be ready to ride again in a few days so they'd better keep their bikes. Reluctantly, they retrieved them for future use. Others were more introspective. Like David who was just standing on the shore looking toward the water while taking stock in what he had just accomplished. We weren't sure what he was thinking but it probably had something to do with: WOW! His mood was broken when a couple of his new riding family enticed him to try to swim home. It was a joyous celebration...they've been hammered with the heat, cold, rain, and winds; they've endured chip seal, dogs, potholes, and urban traffic...but they were all standing on the beach together...victorious! They celebrated with the ceremonial pouring of the Pacific water into the Atlantic...ocean water they collected when they were at New Port Beach. As all stood around in support, Dick was given the honor of joining the waters...it's a small country when you really think about it. Heck, we were just dipping our wheels in the Pacific a mere 26 days ago...just a bike ride to us.
After the celebration at the beach, we loaded all the bikes on the vans for transport to a bike shop for shipping home. This works well so all the logistics are left to the shop and the riders don't have to worry about getting bikes disassembled before the banquet. The staff coordinated all the post ride activities with aplomb...load all the bikes, get to the bike shop, unload all the equipment, unload the luggage, acquire parking, coordinate dinner, store our belongings for an early departure tomorrow, sort out the guests spare parts, and finally prepare for dinner...busy afternoon, but tomorrow they can rest.
After a rushed shower and quick shuffling of duties to get all the guest's equipment taken care of, we were off to the final dinner. The food was great, the company was super, we had some laughs and tossed around lots of fond memories of our adventure. Several people had guests who came to share in the revelry of our accomplishment. It's always great to see family and friends after our rides...it makes it all come together.
Wow...what a whirlwind. I close today's activities with this page. I'll put a final wrap on this ride in the post ride summary page tomorrow where I'll try to put it all this in perspective...tune in...good night.

Day 26-Perry to Vidalia

Thu, 13 May 2010 20:00:45 -0500

Everyone was in great spirits this morning...and why shouldn't they be? It was another great day to be on a bike. We woke to mild temperatures and a promise of a warm and humid afternoon. Everyone was anxious to get going...they could smell the ocean from here.
The terrain still rolled today and everyone is about ready to see the flat approach to the sea tomorrow. The lumber industry is big in this area as it has been ever since we left Arkansas. We've passed several paper mills along the way and we see logging trucks even when we are out in the country. We are still seeing a lot of cotton fields albeit hard to recognize this time of year, and we are seeing more pecan orchards, peanut farms, and small towns as we get closer to Savannah. Many of these areas were large plantations in the late 1800s, but now many of them have been parceled out to smaller farm lots and some are used as pasture for horses and cattle.
While I was parked along the side of the road admiring all the above scenes, I was lucky enough to run into a nice couple. We chit chatted for a bit and I discovered the lady in the truck (Becky “Harp” Pritchett) was a pro basketball player in the 60s who played for the Redheads. I seem to remember they toured the country much like a female version of the Globe Trotters, but she made it clear that when they played they had some set items they did, but they came to play. Pride was a big factor for them I’m sure. It was nice to meet them and I hope I can be in the Portland OR area when she goes up to play an exhibition game soon. They had to leave before I could find out when they play...I’ll surf them up and see when they play.
Today we provided the group with a real southern treat...RC Cola and Moon Pies. You just can't say you've experienced the south if you've never had an RC Cola and a Moon Pie. Some think the real defining moment of a southern experience is when you eat grits, but no...it's RC Cola and Moon Pies. I'm not sure the Yanks were too fond of the treat, but they politely partook.
We had our second SAG stop (lunch) at a farm house about 2 miles out of Glenwood GA. The farm is owned by Dick and Susan Sohn who were kind enough to allow us to set up right in the middle of their property and by their house. On our first trip through a few years ago, Susan gave Barbara an overview of the history of their homestead. She explained her farm used to be an old cotton plantation and the house was the master's home. On the plantation, they had 38 "Little Houses" that housed the tenant farmers. To each "Little House" had a team of mules and a wagon to farm the plantation. When the cotton season was in full swing, all the 38 wagons would be in a line to the gin. The master paid all the tenants in "chits" to use in the plantation commissary. The tenants bought all they needed, or at least all they could get, from the commissary which was the building we used for our lunch. Sounds like a tough life to me. It was good to see the Sohn’s again this year...we meet some great folks on these rides and we get to visit them every season.
The riders all got in by 3:00 and began to disperse to the local eateries. A couple insisted on Mexican, but we warned them not to indulge in Mexican food in the south when there was a good BBQ place right next door. One of the things I've learned over all these trips is not to order out of the region...don't order seafood in Arizona, order Mexican; don't order Mexican in New England, order seafood; and don't order Chinese in the south (or anywhere for that matter), order BBQ!
Tomorrow we do our final ride to the sea...we need to stay focused one more day. Tonight we had our last Rap to cover the last day's logistics and talk about the final meal together. I think we've gotten everyone on the same sheet of music as far as what's going on tomorrow. It seems that every year there is something going on in Savannah when we ride through, but whatever we encounter tomorrow, I think we're up to the task to complete the ride with aplomb. Tonight we're tired, we're ready to finish...I hope Savannah is ready for us...see you tomorrow.
PS: To people following the site and who will be meeting the riders at the beach. The riders will be gathering at the post office on Tybee Island before making the final assault to the beach. We ask that friends and family refrain from stopping there to meet the riders. There's not much room there and it’s our time to finalize our plans for the mass ride to the beach. Please drive on through and wait for them at the pier at the end of Tybee Island. The pier is almost at the end of the road...to the left. Pray for one more safe day and we'll celebrate their achievement tomorrow evening.

Day 25-Columbus to Perry

Wed, 12 May 2010 20:40:18 -0500

Yawn...hard to roll out this morning...it’s always that way when we get to the Eastern Time Zone. But we can see the light at the end of the tunnel...or more appropriately...we can smell the surf of the Atlantic. We only have 4 more days counting today...we’re closing in on our destination.
Our route departed out of the motel straight to the city’s River Walk Bike Path for a leisurely 11 mile ride to Fort Benning. It was a beautiful departure along the Chattahoochee River in perfect conditions at departure, but we were wondering how long it would last before we got wet...not rain, but humidity. I wasn’t too concerned about their progress since all of them were together and they were on a bike path... WHO COULD GET LOST ON A BIKE PATH??? HOW CAN YOU GET LOST ON THE BIKE PATH? There's a major highway on the left and the river on the right...the only thing that runs between them was the bike path! Maybe I should have been more concerned since in the past, we’ve had several riders show up AWOL before they got to Benning, but this bunch rode with aplomb.
I was in the van and drove to the base to coordinate with the MPs so they would know we were coming...by the time the riders started filing through the checkpoint, the base patrols had been alerted and all was well. The bike path led us right into the middle of the base which is home of the Army Ranger School, Sniper School, and Infantry Training Center. The path cut off about 15 miles of busy urban traffic on our way out of town and allowed us to pass the Infantry Museum and several impressive monuments honoring fallen heroes. We tell the group to exercise caution if they approached any troop movements or mechanized infantry maneuvers while riding on base. An M1A1 Abrams tank operator might just like to try to see how flat he could squash a titanium bike if he got a chance. I also told them that the new tanks could travel about 45 MPH and shoot a gnat off the butt of a cow at 3000 yards while bouncing on rough terrain. With them wearing bright colored clothing, they'd be easy to sight in. Scott volunteered...or rather he volunteered Hawaii Mike to ride across the firing range to draw fire so the rest of them could sneak through unscathed. After hearing that, everyone was really looking forward to riding on the base...especially Mike.
It’s always a little nerve wracking getting on the base since it’s out of our normal routine to have to coordinate with authorities to ride on a roadway, but we had to alert the base on what we were doing. As it turned out, getting on the base was a piece of cake...getting off the base was another matter. They were in the middle of major construction right on our route where we get off base...both the base roadways and the highway we were working our way to. The road we use to get off base was completely gone...and there were lots of construction vehicles working in the area. I rushed ahead of the riders after talking to gate guards about how to get to the state road and diverted the riders to a different departure route. The riders made it a little easier since they were all together, but it was a bit hectic for a few minutes. If they had gotten there before me and gotten scattered all over that section of the base, I’m sure the ranger snipers would have had a field day...FRESH TARGETS!!!
The terrain after the base was anything but flat. It had large rollers that a rider referred to as large "stoppers" since they seemed to really slow him down...but the ride down the other side was great. There were no really big climbs, but we kept having those 150 foot rollers one after the other and after the last couple days in Alabama (you remember, the flat state) we had some pretty tired legs. After the first SAG at 40 miles, the terrain was pretty tame and with the lack of headwinds, everyone was moving pretty well. The day surprisingly turned out to another perfect day to ride a bike...perfect temperatures and no worse than light winds to contend with. Plus, we didn't have a bridge out all day, no lightning, no tornadoes, no rain, and no headwinds...now I ask, what fun was that?
The scenery is starting to change a little, but we are still seeing lots of cotton and more dairy farms than Alabama and Mississippi. We also started to see lots of pecan orchards and lots of peanut farms along the way. We are in the land of boiled peanuts...which I'm not fond of, but many of our riders in the past have tried them for the first time and seem to like them OK.
Everyone got in by 3:30 so it was a relatively easy day...we needed it after the climbing into Tuscaloosa and Prattville. Tonight we had rap to discuss the final two days and logistics and we held our famous ABB T-shirt swap. I told the riders this may be the highlight of the ride...or not.
Time's running down, we only have 2 more days left on our long journey. We are about ready for this to be over, but we hate to see it end. We will miss everyone when we wake up on Sunday morning and head for home...but until then, we need to focus for 2 more days on getting to Savannah safely. Thanks for following...see you tomorrow.

Day 24-Prattville to Columbus GA

Tue, 11 May 2010 20:53:39 -0500

Today we entered our last state...Georgia. We only barely got into the state, but we got in far enough to enter the eastern time zone. It's all down hill from here...well, not quite yet, but we're closing in on some tamer terrain. I think I said yesterday that the hardest thing about this morning was the fact that we had to ride out of town this morning...I was thinking I'd give them the next 4 days of route sheets and send them on their way...nah, I guess that's not a good idea. But it did cross my mind...more than once.
Our roads today were a bit fickle to say the least. The riders were either shaking and rattling on chip seal roads or they were on smooth as silk pavement. They had more smooth, but they might not think so. That's the nature of Alabama backroads...either way it's better than mixing it up with traffic.
We had a rather late departure this morning. After yesterday's tough climbing day, everyone's legs were a little on the tired side to say the least. At the first SAG several said they thought I told them today was easier than yesterday. On paper it is, but when you have the climbing we've had the last couple days, just getting on the bike today was a chore to some. All told, we had half the climbing as yesterday and not nearly the steepness even when we did climb.
Our route today took us through Wetumpka AL where they filmed Big Fish. Except for a 3 mile stretch on Hwy 14, we were pretty much in the back country the rest of the day. After Wetumpka, we cycled through Tuskegee and Tuskegee University. From there we stayed south of Auburn crisscrossing hwy 80 arriving in the south part of Columbus. I think it's only about 80 miles if we rode direct, but the backroads usually meander back and forth...safer but longer for sure.
I was in the van all morning trying to coordinate tomorrow’s trip through Ft Benning, but I got to ride from the lunch SAG to the motel. Karen held back to wait for me so we pretty much cruised...my legs are tired too. We caught up with Bermuda Mike and rode with him the last 20 miles or so. He’s getting much stronger for sure...as are most everyone. They are tired, but in the long scheme of things, they are kicking out the miles routinely now...what are they going to do this weekend? Go for a bike ride?
All in all it was a pretty quiet day. Everyone was moving along well and I think everyone is seeing the end of the ride looming before them. It's a shame the ride is almost over, but I think a couple of them are about ready to embrace a day without pedaling. I told them they wouldn't know what to do with themselves on Sunday and not to call us for a Rap.
Tomorrow we ride through Fort Benning and right by the Army Sniper School. I hear they are pretty good at moving targets...tune in and see if we sneak by unscathed.