2017 - Day 18 - Cleveland, OH

Today was our rest day in Cleveland.  It was a great day for a rest day for me personally because I was getting sick.  But I think because I got to rest for a day, I'm getting over it.  We went in the morning to a service project at a really nice MS clinic in downtown Cleveland.  It was a good clinic that did its best to give its residents a great quality of life and obviously cared about them.  I felt bad that I felt so crummy because I couldn't help as much as I would have liked but I picked up cigarette butts and helped plant flowers.  Those projects are always good reminders of how good we have it.  As one of the other team members put it a couple of weeks ago, "there but for the grace of God go I".  

We also got free tickets to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame so we all went there this afternoon.  I enjoyed myself, but not as much as in 2014.  The exhibit was about Rolling Stone this time, which just didn't speak to me.  Nobody I know reads Rolling Stone.  But still we had a good time.

I also went out to Best Buy and traded in my new MacBook Pro for an even *newer* MacBook Pro, with the Touch Bar.  I wanted the new one because you can hook up an external graphics card to it.  I love these machines.  Still getting used to the keyboard and the Touch Bar but it was so easy to set up and the screen looks fantastic and I already dropped it from a height of about 4 feet and nothing happened.  Try that with my old Windows laptop.

Having a great time out here in Ohio!

2017 - Day 17 - Cleveland, OH

Ah, Cleveland.  Believeland.  I was here in 2014 to see the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, which was awesome.  But this time, with that out of the way, I can explore.  Yesterday was a great day of riding.  We only did 60 miles, so the heat didn't bother us so much (it is really hot here!).  I rode most of the way with Eric and Tony's baseball coach, Matt.  It was really cool to talk to him; he's an amazing competitor with a strong will to live and succeed, which is good because he's had brain cancer twice (!).  I asked if he was sick of talking about it but he said nobody ever wanted to talk about.  So we talked about it.  I won't reveal too much of what he said but it did make me feel better to hear his words since my brother is struggling with cancer as well.

I started getting sick yesterday so I had to take it easy and be in bed early.  Feeling some scratching in my throat.  A few other tidbits, perhaps.  Oh yes!  Somebody really awesome left a note in my cubby a couple of days ago; just a nice note saying how awesome it was to have me here, and they also left me a t-shirt.  I don't think people know how much stuff like that means to me; it's one of the whole reasons I go on this trip, to feel connected to other people.  Also, Jennifer gave me her hammock because mine stunk.  Everybody is so nice.

Today we're going to do a service project, so stay tuned for that!

2017 - Day 16 - Geneva-On-The-Lake, OH

Yesterday was a good day.  We rode straight through Pennsylvania without stopping and ended up in another state park in Ohio.  I remember coming through here, going the other way, in 2014.  The town itself is very touristy, with mini golf and ice cream and all the rest, but the park itself is natural and beautiful.  We went swimming for the second day in a row in Lake Erie, which felt amazing even though the lake itself seems kind of dirty, and the bugs are bad. 

We rode a full century yesterday, and it felt really good.  I'm rediscovering the joy of the physicality of cycling and it is really so much more fun to be in good shape and to feel capable.  I felt like I could do another 30-50 easy, and that's a nice feeling.  And I'll need it because I have a half ironman coming up in August!  Everyone is really nice in the group and I'm having fun; I want to focus on the physicality of the cycling from now on in this trip and really get myself ready to go for that ironman! 

2017 - Day 15 - Lake Erie State Park, NY

Today was a good day.  We rode 66 miles along the shores of Lake Erie to Lake Erie State Park.  The last 30 miles or so we rode in a 7 person pace line, which is the longest I've ever ridden in a pace line that long.  It was a lot of fun and easy riding.  Camping here reminds me of being a kid; it's a lot like the campgrounds we used to use down in the Allegheny mountains, with lots of green grass and little cabins you can rent.  The weather is still impeccable.  We went swimming in Lake Erie and everybody was afraid of the rocks but I had the bright idea to wear lake shoes. 

I hesitated to put this in the blog, but today I got a call that an old friend had passed away.  It didn't really hit me that hard because we hadn't talked in over 10 years and were never really that close, but still it was a weird thing to find out.  Just another reminder that life is short.  I was encouraged that when I heard that I did feel a sense that I was really living life to the fullest.  Being here, at this campground, doing this with these people, I am in no hurry to stop living, but if I had to, I would know that I had done the most I could! 

2017 - Day 14 - Buffalo, NY

Today was the Buffalo and Canada day, meaning that we woke up in Lockport, rode through Niagara Falls, down the Niagara River on the Canadian side and ended up spending the night in the hostel in Buffalo.  It was a great day.  The morning ride through Lockport and the ride in Canada went by in a bit of a blur.  I've been to the falls before so no big deal there although it was nice to see it again and have my friends see it.  Believe it or not the weather has been perfect, if possibly even a bit too hot and sunny.  My body is getting used to the sun slowly but the overall effect is to make me a bit sleepy.  I was excited to get to Buffalo.  Since the hostel couldn't take us we went to the Hatch and had some delicious food while watching the expensive boats come in and out of the harbor.  Buffalo is clearly on the rise; I saw all the signs of a good, healthy economy.  Brian explained to me that the frontier of hipsters moved from SF to Portland to Austin and now to Buffalo, and that seems true.  We went to his brothers' brewery and it looked a lot like Portland.  Of course it's a bit of an illusion since the weather happens to be awesome right now, but still.  There are a lot of bad neighborhoods still but definitely signs of resurgence - which was the name of the brewery, not by coincidence.  We then went on to a bike shop and helped Brian be on local TV, then to his friends place, then the hostel.  I could write a whole entry about hostels and how awesome they are.  Buffalo is trying to shut the hostel down because they want to do something more lucrative with the building, which is a shame.  Hostels really contribute to the artistic and social nature of an area.  Without a hostel we'd be camping out outside the city most likely and it wouldn't be nearly as easy to explore.  And explore we did; a bunch of us went to the Anchor Bar for wings and beer.  The Anchor was way more awesome than I remembered; I always thought it was dumpy but it isn't at all, and the wings were amazing.  Sometimes tourists do get the best stuff!  I was able to pick up the tab for everybody too, which felt nice.  It's really great to be able to connect with where you're from and realize that it's a lot more awesome than you remember.  So often things are the other way around.  :)

Goodbye, Buffalo!  I think I may come back sooner than I might have previously thought.  :)

2017 - Day 13 - Lockport, NY

I miss the food.  Birch beer, beef on weck, noodle salad with tuna fish, strawberry gelatin dessert, baked beans with pork, and a spread of dips and crackers.  Everything amazingly delicious.

Today we spent the whole day on a bike path.  That sounds nice, but it was actually an embarassment of riches type scenario.  The path was a bit dull to be honest; the canal is not all that pretty really.  And the constant rumbling and bumping of the road is starting to take a toll on my wrist and lower arms.  Tomorrow we get off the path and ride up to Niagara Falls (yay!) and go up into Canada to ride along Lake Erie.  Should be really great fun.  About half the team (a bit more) is going into Canada, the other half isn't for various reasons (Eric and Tony don't have passports for example).  Tomorrow night we'll be in Buffalo (!) where we should have a pretty damn good time.  But for today, it's noodle salad with tuna fish in Lockport!

2017 - Day 12 - Spencerport, NY

So many things today!  Every day is a new adventure.  First of all, the weather held for a second straight day.  This part of the country is really beautiful when the weather is as gorgeous as it has been for the past two days.  We spent the better part of today on the Erie Canal Canalway bike trail, and we'll be on it for most of the next two days as well, it's quite long.  It's a lot of fun being on a dedicated bike path but there definitely are down sides, one of them being that it's quite complicated to follow the directions.  We got lost a couple of times; at one point we found Richard and Brian riding back towards us telling us we had missed an unmarked turn onto a bridge.  Eric's teammate Tony has showed up and I rode with the two of them.  Tony got several flat tires and when he took the tube off the second time I was there and saw that his rim tape was about a million years old.  So we used electrical tape but stopped by a bike shop to pick up rim tape.  I made the mistake of asking the guy to wrap my handlebars but he took it upon himself to do a full tune up of my bike that took about 40 minutes, meanwhile everybody was waiting for me.  I really don't like bike shops, and I especially don't like it when they're condescending.

Tonight we had Stefani Pratt's parents drop by and give us all food!  And the town gave us free showers at the museum.  Honestly it continues to amaze me how nice everybody us.  And Donna drove us back and forth to the showers so I got to hang out with Kitty again.  Then we played Euchre and I got some work done.  I love this trip and I love these people!

2017 - Day 11 - Sodus Point, NY

Today was a very fun and interesting day.  First of all, the weather today was as good as yesterday's was bad.  This part of the country looks so amazing when it's a nice day, and today was one of the nicest.  Bright, sunny, a bit on the colder side which is good when you're riding, bug-free and just glorious.  I'll remember the smell of cut grass, the way the hills rolled out under us, the chirping of birds, the sun glinting off the water.  I spent a good part of the day riding with Amanda, which was fun because I don't hang out with her as much and it was cool to just chat.  Then, in the afternoon, I met up with my parents (!) and we went to see my Aunt Sandy (!) and my cousins Tim and Mike, and had dinner at a steak house.  Now I'm blogging from inside a bed and breakfast in Sodus Point, and there's a beautiful sunset.  A few interesting tidbits from today: I haven't seen my Aunt in many years and my cousins in even more.  I often feel like I don't have a lot of family so it's good to see family.  They are really great.  I really like them.  Sandy still runs a store in Wolcott and her son Mike lives with her and does really good woodworking.  They're just good people.  Tim reminds me of Brian, my cousin on my mom's side.  It's good to know that you're from somewhere.

Can't wait for more riding, and more adventures. 

2017 - Day 10 - Pulaski, NY

Toes frozen, I walked into the grocery store and stopped the first clerk I saw.  "Socks," I squeaked out.  "Do you have any socks?"  "No socks...no socks in this whole town."  First I tried the thrift shop - closed.  Then the Dollar store - closed.  Finally the Rite Aid had, in the back, on clearance, red socks with hearts on them for little girls.  I quickly stripped off the plastic grocery bags and wet socks on my feet and slapped the girl socks on as far up as they would go - toes wouldn't fit - and hopped back on, hoping frostbite wouldn't set in.  80 miles in the cold and rain: here's a life tip for you.  If somebody says "hey, do you want to ride a bike 80 miles in the rain from Old Forge to Pulaski, New York" the answer is "No".  Even if they offer you a thousand dollars - just say no.​

Today was a heroic victory, and for every heroic victory you need almost insurmountable odds, and so, I welcome the adversity and the cold and the rain.  I grew as a person today, no question about it.  But I'm not in a hurry to do it again!​

2017 - Day 9 - Old Forge, NY

New York!  Land of my birth.  It looks pretty much the same.  Today we got rained on, but then the sun came out and right now it is very nice.  Sitting in the camp store, hangin' out on the wifi, trying to get some work done.  As the sun starts to come out I feel myself coming back out of my numbness into my own personality.​

Today I want to write a bit about gas stations.  Chances are, many of us don't think much about gas stations.  We probably think of them as faceless nameless corporate wastelands where we fuel up and get out as quickly as possible.  In many large cities, that's all they are.  But in small towns, the gas station represents the one piece of retail that everybody needs.  When a town is small enough to only have one thing, that one thing is almost certainly going to be a gas station, because even rural folks need to put gas in a car (in fact they need it even more).  So the gas stations becomes the "retail everything"; the general store, the movie rental place, etc.  One thing I always enjoy is when the gas station lets local folks sell whatever they're making locally; usually food of course but sometimes also arts and crafts.  If I make seashell watches in some tiny town, chances are the only hope I have of selling any is (other than the internet) the front counter at the local gas station.  So that's where you find them, the little trinkets and doodads that identify a place as itself and not somewhere else.  And, of course, for us they are godsends; places to park, buy a coke or a beer, hang out, fill up the water.​

2017 - Day 8 - Newcomb, NY

Stayin' in a Catholic Church in Upstate New York.  Ahh, the memories.  The area behind the altar where altar boys prepare the Eucharist.  The pews.  The holy water. The smell of candles.

Shanon got in a wreck today.  Scary.  But she's ok.  Train tracks.​

Good conversation.  Free pizza. Yam-Slam.  Shower.  Blog.  Bed.  Another beautiful day tomorrow.  Every day now is warmer and sunnier.​

2017 - Day 7 - Middlebury, VT

I know I'm supposed to blog right now, but I'm really tired.  Today was a rest day, but last night my laptop broke.  Which wouldn't be a huge deal except that I'm still trying to do my job while I'm out here, and obviously I can't do that without a laptop.  So I spent today running around taking care of that.  As you live out here on the road more and more, trust becomes a really key word.  Trust.  Trust in your teammates, trust in your gear, trust in your bike, trust in yourself.  Not because of some grand philosophical drive to trust people but simply because you realize how important it is to save yourself time and be able to focus on what's really important.  When I bought that laptop, I had a bad feeling about it.  It felt flimsy.  It had shiny keys, as if they were trying to distract me from something.  And it was cheap - too cheap.  And here it is, broken already only 4 months later.  I should have known better.

Anyway, yes - trust.  And because trust becomes so important out here, it just becomes more important at home as well.  You start to measure people not by how "awesome" they may be but whether you feel like you can trust them: to keep their word, to do the right thing, generally to not cause you trouble. 

By the way, that delicious looking thing is a maple creemie. 

Oh, and cats are really really good at hiding in vans. 

2017 - Day 6 - Middlebury, VT

Whew.  So, I'm supposed to blog now, but I can't think of anything to say.  Today was great.  The morning was sunny and fun.  By later in the day the weather turned on us.  We got to meet a guy named Bruce.  I got wet.  My camera works really well.  This blog post isn't going very well.  Honestly it's hard to put thoughts together.  Two Brothers brew pub had $4 Otter Creek beers and I had 3 of them with Brian.  Is this interesting?  I don't know.  Maybe I will have more philosophical thoughts tomorrow.  Let's just get to the photos. 

2017 - Day 5 - East Thetford, VT

Goodbye, New Hampshire.You are a beautiful and pastoral place, but I will not miss the night we spent in you, except in the sense of character building, in which case, great job.Today was a pretty "average" day; just a gorgeous day of riding followed by a home cooked meal of chicken, pasta, chocolate chip cookies and local ice cream, and a shower in a neighbor's house, with another neighbor doing my laundry.So, you know, an average day.I realize it's almost a cliche by now but it's so invigorating to see how kind people can be.

One of the things you realize traveling around the country is how many different viewpoints we have in this grand big country.  Today a gentleman - a local, maybe in his 50s - sat down near my conversation at dinner and proclaimed that the internet was a waste of time and we should just get rid of it all because it didn't do us any good and was just making us all autistic.  He asked me what I do and I said I was a software engineer but that didn't deter him at all he just plowed on.  I finally just got up; not because I was annoyed at his opinion but because I just realized we had so little in common there wasn't much good in communicating.  I'm happy to have him believe what he believes.  I'm also glad he can't control what I do with my life.  So, I guess what I'm saying is hooray freedom and democracy in action.  :)

2017 - Day 4 - Lincoln, NH

Lots of stuff today!  This morning we had a great breakfast at this diner called Ricky's.  Good old fashioned American cooking.  A bunch of older guys were in there eating and finished up just as we came in.  The waitress said they were Romeos: Retired Old Men Eating Out.  It looked like they were having fun, don't get me wrong, but when I'm older I kind of hope I have something more interesting to do than eat at diners. 

To understand Lincoln, NH, you have to understand that I hate two things: rain, and mosquitoes.   Last night we had some rain but it wasn't that bad; I stayed dry and slept well but a lot of my stuff got wet.  Tonight, though, we had a second straight night of rain, and it was bad rain, and we're sleeping in this muddy mosquito-infested swamp.  At one point it hailed on us - hailed! - and it was so bad we all took shelter in the trailer.  People offered to take me to a hotel but I'm trying to tough it out.  Right now I'm hiding from the mosquitos in one of the day vans while I update my blog.  

We went over the Kncamagus pass today at about 2800 feet.  It was a good climb.  I stopped off at Lily Pond and dipped my feet in the cold clear water, and for a brief moment the world was perfect.  Lots of good conversation, great friendly team.  I'm having a great time, but I wouldn't mind if we didn't have to camp in the rain and mosquitos anymore!

Oh, and we saw a moose!  It was a beautiful sunny day at the top of the pass and a moose visited us. 

2017 - Day 3 - Naples, ME

Well, well, well.  Day 3.  Today I learned that one should really get in some bicycle training before starting off on 2500 miles across country.  But it's cool.  My legs will adjust.  A ride like this you really have to just do your own thing.

I've come a long way

Today felt good.  Three years ago, when I set out on these journeys, I was looking for something.  I didn't know what that was, but I felt like I would know it when I found it.  And today I had this sense, this feeling that whatever it was I was looking for, I found it.  And I guess the thing I was looking for most was self-reliance.  Not so much in the literal sense; I always knew that I was good at doing things and taking care of myself physically.  I think more in the emotional sense; that feeling that I was a good and valuable person, that I didn't have to rely on the opinions of others to feel like I was worthwhile.  That's been a long time coming, and of course it's a work in progress.  But I have a job I love, a hobby I enjoy, a relationship status I'm comfortable with, and some plans for the future that I'm genuinely looking forward to.  A lot is still to be determined, but I'm happy with where I'm at.

Though it would be nice if I could do something about these damn mosquitoes!

2017 - Day 2 - Damariscotta

Another day in paradise!  Today we had a "group cookout", which was really fun.  Community and food, my two favorite things.  It was a 55 mile ride but a challenging one, mostly because it was very cold.  So I wrote a poem about it: 

Today I was cold. 
If I may be so bold,
It makes me feel old
To be so cold.

Nature unfolds, 
Down roads I rolled,
My bars I did hold,
Holy crap is it cold.

Maybe tomorrow I'll have something more amazing to write about. 

2017 - Day 1 - Belfast, ME

Not to be a downer, but today we rolled past a house that had burned down.  There was a woman who was working traffic control as they tried to clean up.  She was really cool and gave us donuts.  But she told us that unfortunately there were fatalities.  The house was still smoldering.  Events like that serve as a reminder of how lucky we are to be out here during this.  I feel very privileged to be healthy and alive.  The weather was amazing and the cycling was very idyllic.  I already can tell this is going to be a great group.  Maine reminds me of Upstate New York; it's so seductive in the summer because the weather can be so amazing.  My tent is right out by the water and there's a light wind blowing.  What an amazing start to the trip!

2017 - Day 0 - Bar Harbor, ME

Maine is a very patriotic place.  Today was Day Zero - Orientation Day.  The team went over all the basics of how to ride with our group, which I've already had and even helped lead, so I was focused on just enjoying the town around us.  I've been all around the US and I'm always fascinated by people's worldview, as much as you can tell from just being in a place for a few days.  And one of the things you really notice about Maine is the level of patriotism.  American flags and patriotic symbols are everywhere in town.  But it's not like when we were in Kentucky or Texas; it's more of a liberal patriotism, a sort of in-your-face kindness.  I've developed a bit of a theory, which is that places are patriotic in inverse proportion to their importance to America.  That is to say, the places you think of as quintessentially American - New York City, San Francisco, Washington, DC - are not very patriotic.  Whereas places most foreigners couldn't find on a map - Maine, Eastern Kentucky - are patriotic as heck.  I am not sure yet quite why that is.

I enjoyed Bar Harbor very much.  I sat next to a woman named Maggie who was 74 tonight while eating pizza.  We got into a long conversation about politics.  She's really worried about where the country is heading for her grandkids' sake.  She just lost her husband 6 months ago and is terrified at how alone everyone seems, how angry they are, the rhetoric that Trump uses.  We agreed on almost everything, but it was interesting to see it from a 74 year old widow's perspective.  It's what I love about these trips - the people you meet.  Godspeed, Maggie, and may God Bless America. 

Oh!  I almost forgot the hike.  Shanon and I went on the Beehive trail in Acadia National Forest.  I'm super glad I bought that America the Beautiful pass because it saved us $24.  Anyway, it was a ladder climb on iron rungs; short but incredibly fun with some amazing views.  Highly recommended. 

2017 - Bar Harbor, ME - T-Minus Zero

Getting closer!  Today I did a "test ride" out to the hotel where my route leaders were staying.  I flunked that ride :0.  I forgot how bad iPhones can be in the rain.  Why are we such an advanced civilization but we can't figure out how to make a phone that can be used when it drizzles??  I got lost and ended up on a bike path that said it was closed.  I didn't believe it, but a few hundred yards later I was slogging through mud and dodging construction equipment.  Anyway, eventually I was on a bus to Bar Harbor.  It is very cold and rainy here.  The town itself is nice, but very very touristy.  I've never seen so many quaint little motels and bed and breakfasts.  Does anybody actually live here?  The landscape is so very green and wet.  There's a particular kind of light green that you only find up here.  I splurged and got an actually full 1 1/4 pound lobster and ate the whole thing.  It was delicious, surprisingly good even though I'm not really a lobster guy.  Oh, and we walked out to this island in the harbor that you can only walk to when it's high tide, which is pretty cool.  Don't forget where you are and get trapped!!  But what you're really here for is the pictures, so I will indulge you.  One more day of preparation and then the day after tomorrow it's time for the bike!!