Milestones

Miles Ridden Today - 108.1   Average Miles Per Hour - 13.00

Today was a day full of many milestones in our Ride Across America and a day in the saddle that I will not soon forget!  One of the biggest things that happened was I rode the most mileage in a single day that I have ever ridden in my life - 109 miles!  But more on that in a bit.

I awoke this morning at 4:00 (actually I rolled out of bed at 4:00, I was actually awake at 3:30) and dressed and took care of my bike and equipment issues as quietly as I could.  Knowing this was going to be a long day (and hot) I wanted to get out as soon as I could.

Since we were staying at a Super 8 (by the way, the NICEST that we've EVER stayed in so far) I availed myself of the free breakfast and loaded up on carbs.  I've gone from someone who virtually NEVER ate breakfast to someone who now eats a bowl of oatmeal, three cups of coffee, an English muffin, two glasses of orange juice and some fruit before heading out.  I think the poor guy on desk duty was left in a state of shock but I knew I was going to need it.  Sadly, there was no waffle machine like at other Super 8's or I would have had one of those!

I headed off into the sunrise with thoughts of the long day ahead combining with thoughts of Lisa's mother.  I was hoping she was doing well and I was a bit concerned since I hadn't heard anything about how the surgery had gone.  I slipped into my usual routine of reciting my rosary to begin my ride (after of course annointing both myself and Pearl with Holy Water from our friend Rita) and had just finished when two momentous events happend - my gears started skipping like crazy and I saw my first flattened fauna of the day.

The flattened fauna was sort of cool because it was a rabbit and it was still fairly fresh - it must have happened that morning - I took video of it with the idea that I would start keeping a video log.  By the end of the day I would change my mind.

It was the second momentous occasion that really had me worried.  The gears skipping only eight miles into a 100 mile with lots of climbs could spell disaster and I was rightly concerned.  I turned the entire bike over on the side of the road and played with the adjustment for about ten minutes before realizing I had done all I could do right now.  So it was back on the road.  I made it to Congress in pretty good time and my average mph was still at 15.00.  I ducked in to replenish my water bottles (I have learned to NEVER miss a chance to do that) when I fell into a conversation with a nice gentleman named George.  He and I spoke about Sunrise, about why I was riding to help the kids and he asked me which way I was headed.  I told him up 89 to Ash Fork and that's when I learned valuable riding lesson # 27 - ALWAYS LISTEN TO THE LOCALS WHEN THEY WARN YOU ABOUT THE TERRAIN!  He warned me that the hill I was about to climb was steep and that he (did I mention he was on a bicycle?  I very nice hybrid that had a nice looking granny gear) could only make it about halfway to the top.  He said we were now about 3000 feet (my GPS confirmed this) and it would top out about 4700 feet before I hit Yarnell, a distance of about nine miles.

I thanked him for his time and I shared a brochure about our ride with him.  Then I set out on the road.  Shortly after heading out another cyclist pulled out ahead of me.  I called out "on your left" and I passed him, surely thinking he would sit in my draft until I wore myself out and then pass me on his way up the hill.  I figured this was a local who knew the terrain and was going to let me just blow up and be amused by the whole thing.  Funny thing happened, I looked back about 200 yards later and he was falling farther behind and I wasn't even pushing hard.  I just found my groove and kept up the rythm that I knew I could handle.  The new saddle and tires were working great so far and I just kept at it figuring at the current incline of 4% how hard would it be.

And then it kicked up, and it started getting warmer!  The incline started jumping to 8%, 9% and then it settled in to a steady 6%.  Whew!  6% I could handle, since I did that the first day.  With that incline I knew what to expect and just kept pedaling away.  Before I knew it I was at 4000 feet and still going up.  4500 feet, 4600 feet and just when I thought I'd had enough I saw the little indication on the horizon that the road was about to dip down and I saw the first buildings of Yarnell!  I had made it!  Another milestone!  A steady 9 mile climb and I didn't crack!  And it was getting hotter!

Fortunately, according to my Adventure Cycling Association maps I knew that I was now going to have a steady decline for quite a while so I settled in to enjoy the ride - and filme some more with the Flip Camera Matthew had gifted us with on Thursday night.  The plan is for Sarah to begin editing these clips on a weekly basis so I can post here, on Youtube, and on Facebook for all to see.

This relative calm would only last me until about six miles outside of Wilhoit when I was caught by a peloton of riders who stayed with me for a while (a pity ride as it were) chatted with me and then left me as surely as I had left that rider back in Congress.  Humble pie for one!  I watched (and filmed) them ride away as I kept slogging along at my 15 mph pace.  I caught back up with them at a little store outside of Wilhoit where I stopped to refill again.  They were surprised I wasn't breathing heavy and wiped out since at this point I had ridden 35 miles.  And then I got the local knowledge again.  This time via the kind lady who ran the store where I stopped.  She told me it was 16 miles to Prescott and it was all uphill at about 6% the entire way.  Ooof!  Turns out she was right.

I followed my (dubiously) accurate maps and just kept climbing (see earlier post on "Just Keep Pedaling").  I just put it in the low gear and kept going and going, and every time I saw another hairpin turn or curve in the terrain I just put my head down and kept going as the elevation slowly creeped higher.  I finally got out of the desert scrub and found myself surrounded by vegatation and Pine Trees!!!!!!  And just when I thought I was going to explode, along came the Cavalry!  Amy and the kids came around the corner with that familiar blue tarp on top of the van and I knew that ice cold water and perhaps some food was at hand!  The only bad thing was I still had a good four miles of climbing left to go!!!!! 

(I'm HOW Far from Prescott?!?)

So I refueled and Amy told me that today was the start of Rodeo Days in Prescott, AZ  so they would have some fun there and then catch up with me later.  I started climbing again (by now the heat was starting to climb and it was only 10:00 in the morning) and Amy filmed some footage of me climbing for the documentary Phil Rosenberg is putting together for us.  She would film by the side of the road and then leapfrog ahead to catch more footage.  If I wasn't so concentrated on not falling over from exhaustion it would have been funny.  Eventually she and the kids headed off to Prescott.  And before I knew it I was at the top of my climbing for the day with a sign that declared I had reached 6100 feet!  And then a sign that declared Prescott as Arizona's Mile High City;

(5350?!?! - Where Did the Elevation Go?!?)

And in all of this climbing my shifting problems had come back which really didn't help matters at all.  I had resigned myself to just dealing with it when just on the outskirts of Prescott I came across Ironclad Bicycles!  I thought this was my lucky day as someone there could probably help me!  Unfortunately there was a sign posted on the door that said "Gone to Parade!  Back at 11:30".  As it was 11:20  I decided to take a break and wait.  While there I had a lovely conversation with Cindy about bikes, biking in Prescott, the area, how she originally came from Jersey City, NJ, our Ride Across America, Sunrise Day Camp, the heat, the elevation until we both realized it was 11:50 and it didn't look like they were going to make it back on time.  With 54 miles still to go I decided to suck it up and just ride on - but not before sharing a brochure with her.  I wish her lots of luck with getting back into shape and conquering the loop!

So I made my way into Prescott proper and found myself overwhelmed with cars, people in cowboy hats, and a lot of detour signs pointing me around the city if I wanted to keep following my route.  Eventually I got sort of lost but I ended up right on the door step of High Gear Bike Shop!  And it was open!  I was saved!  I walked in and was greeted by a cool, hip and funky establishment (they have lawn chairs made out of old bicycle rims!)  Their chief mechanic Steve put Pearl up on the stand and immediately saw what the problem was - the shifter cables and housing were old and binding, and the routing of said cables was causing problems.  He fixed both in a jiffy, I got some Jelly Belly Energy Beans, some Caffeine infused Gu, and some energy fruit chews and after spending $24 I was back on the road with some good advice, directions and I left a few borchures.  All praise and thanks to Steve and if you're ever in Prescott - go to High Gear Bike Shop!  And here is a clip of Steve fixing my ride;

I wish I could say that the rest of the trip was eventful but after another hour on the road (by now it was about 12:45) all I could think of was tucking my head down and keeping the pedals turning.  I saw more road kill, and a LOT of road.  Thank God there wasn't more huge inclines because I don't think I could have handled it.  Amy and the kids caught up to me once more to tell me about the incredibly cool parade, the fried bread they ate, how William his a sharpshooter with a suction cup crossbow, and how much fun they had watching all the events!  I wish I could have joined them but then I never would have made it to Ash Fork.  I had another 30 miles to go so after they refueled me I ducked my head and got back to pedaling.

But there were interesting to sights to see on this longest day yet.  For instance, I couldn't help but take a video of this amusing situation;

And then five miles outside of Ash Fork what I thought was potential disaster struck - I heard this sound that made me think my wheel was coming off!  I looked down and there was a piece of wire embedded in my tire that was hitting my brake every time it went around!  I REALLY did not want to ahve a flat tire on the side of the road in 110 degree heat!  I stopped and took out the wire and when the tire didn't immediately deflate I pressed on hoping for the best!  I finally made it in to Ash Fork with no deflation and realized I couldn't find the motel on my GPS!  I checked my messages and found that Amy had left me two decrying the disgusting conditions of the two places in town.  We had some decisions to make!

After catching up with them at the gas station we realized we couldn't stay here (even the lady in the gas station says no one stayed there unless they were snowed in) so we decided to drive to Williams, AZ.  This now left us with another dilemma - do I leave from Williams and cut out 17.5 miles from my journey, or do I wake the entire family at 5:00 in the morning and have them drive me back to Ash Fork so as not to skip any of the route.

And here is once again where I am so grateful to my wife!  Not only has she been the head roadie, tour director, PR officer, logistics expert, and so much more, here she became my main motivator.  As fried as I was, all I could think of was stopping.  She remnded me that I would not only feel guilty but that I would also regret not finishing what I started out, and that I couldn't let myself comprimise this early in the ride.  And she was right - as she always is! 

So we drove to Williams, cruised around to find the best (and most affordable place to stay) and ended up in the Motel 6 - RIGHT ON OLD ROUTE 66!!!!  WE'RE STAYING ON ROUTE 66!!!!!!  The kids were so excited and we headed off (after I cleaned 109 miles of road grime off of me) in searh of dinner.  We had intended to stop at one of the various kitschy places that has sprung up in Williams to cater to the Route 66 nostalgia hunters but intead found ourselves at Dairy Queen - a place William has always wanted to eat.  On the way we found this great statue that the kids just had to be photographed in front of;

After chili dogs, mile shakes and blizzards we headed back for a well deserved rest.  My road crew (James, William and Sarah) gave me a much needed message and we're now getting ready for bed - another early morning and lots to do before we leave - the kids and I are going to ride on Route 66 together!!!!!

FFR - 1 Rabbit, 1 Squirrel, 1 Coyote, 1 Deer, 1 Raven (finally, one of those things gets it), 1 bright bird (not sure w hat species), 2 UFO's, 1 Raccoon
RRL - 1 Toilet, 1 Cooler, 1 Cooler Lid (I think it may have been from the same one, only miles apart)

Stay well y'all, and I'll update from the road!

For another perspective on our journey - Amy's blog is http://www.crosscountrymama.blogspot.com/

Securely donate and help us get the kids to Sunrise at https://www.wizevents.com/register/register_add.php?sessid=1809&id=1056
Check out our website at http://www.connorsarmy.org/

And On the Sixth Day He Rested?

So last night we had an amazing dinner at the home of Matthew and Marian with some incredible stir fry that he created before our eyes.  It was so nice to go to bed knowing I didn't have to wake up at any particular time.

However, my awakening also brought back the memory that I had to once again go out in a strange town in search of someone to fix our car!!!!  At this point I'm of the mind that we've pumped so much into this van (about $1800 so far) that we might as well keep since we won't get our money back out of it.  Amy hates our dear friend Vannikin and wants to sell it the week we get back - if not sooner.

Anyway, last as we were unloading the van Matthew noticed that our front two wheels were dangerously worn down so today's quest was to get them replaced and the front end aligned if possible.  I thought it would be a simple quest and we would be able to take the family to go see a move - either Brave or Madagascar 3.  But it was not to be.

To make a long story very short (you know how that goes against my usual proclivities) we couldn't get the Kelly Tires replaced by a dealer because he didn't carry that brand and he said the wear looked like an alignment issue (although the technician in Clinton, OK said he checked the alignment) so it wouldn't be covered by the warranty anyway.

So I went to Discount Tire and had to spend almost $500 to have THREE tires replaced.  It seems the previous owner had gotten a hole in the sidewall and instead of replacing the tire, only had it patched and the patch had gone bad and was causing a slow leak.  So an hour and a half later I was heading back to Matthew's house.

Then Matthew and I took the car to his mechanic to get the front end aligned to make certain this wouldn't happen again (we hope!).  And then back to Matthew's to wait for the mechanic to tell us it was ready.  So instead of going to the movies the day was spent working on the website, catching up with e-mails and picking Matthew's brain for ideas on how to promote our Ride Across America.

Last night (in the 100+ heat) I did some work on Pearl and put on the parts I purchased at Performance Bike - Continental Gatorskin Tires and Selle Italia SMP saddle.  When we finally got the call that the car was ready ($154 later) I rode Pearl to pick it up and did some more adjustments on the saddle to get it dialed in.  Tomorrow's going to be a long ride so I want to make sure it fitted properly.

Amy spent the day doing all the laundry we've accumulated in two weeks and when I got the van back we loaded it up, had a great Pizza dinner with Matthew and his daughters and then we said our goodbyes and headed off to our Super 8 in Wickenburg.

The heat is going to be up around 115 degrees tomorrow and I have 106 miles to ride so I'm getting up at 4:00 to start on the road by 5:00.  A cold breakfast (its Super 8 - our favorite chain after all) and I'll be out the door.  I've got everything set and ready to not wake up the family - I just hope I survive the day!

And much thanks to Matthew and Marian not only for their hospitality in Phoenix but for all of their brainstorming and scope ideas - we hope we can put them into action soon!

Stay well and I'll update you from the road - if I survive tomorrow!

For another perspective on our journey - Amy's blog is http://www.crosscountrymama.blogspot.com/
Securely donate and help us get the kids to Sunrise at https://www.wizevents.com/register/register_add.php?sessid=1809&id=1056
Check out our website at http://www.connorsarmy.org/

Potpourri in the Desert

(It's Desert Sage Y'All)

Miles Ridden Today - 54.32    Average Miles Per Hour - 13.86

So today saw us experience a variety of sights, emotions, musing and thoughts as I headed away from our night’s sojourn in Salome, AZ.

The day began most beatifically with the sun coming up over the courtyard that opened up to our rooms. I don’t know if I really properly described how cool the Westward Motel really is. It’s a small establishment with only a few rooms but its so cool and funky. When you drive up there is an old rusted open top roadster parked in front. The initial thought might be, “I’m staying in a junkyard?” but then you look about and you see the car’s presence in purely intentional. Everywhere you turn there are metal sculptures and other works of art that have been curated by the owner Rande and his lady friend. It really is a funky and eclectic mix and when I walked into the room I shared with the boys the cowskin on the floor only served to enhance the funky cowboy hipster feel.

As I was stirring at 5:00 this morning getting all of my preparations in order I was particularly struck by the fact that the sun was unusually beautiful this morning as my door faced east and I could see the sun rising above the rooftops across the street and the Saguaro in the front yard. (Side note: we went out of town last night looking for the blooming Saguaros only to realize that we had gone out too late and although we could sort of see them blooming, we couldn’t take any pictures because the flash feature wasn’t working well on the camera. Also, James was a bit freaked out about being in the middle of nowhere with the car having 43 miles to empty. After a valiant try we gave up and decided to do it again at an earlier hour when we get further north.)

As I started to go into the kitchen (yes, you get a full kitchen for your use at the Westward Motel which we availed ourselves of last night as Amy made meat loaf and black bean burgers) Rande handed my a cup of the strongest jet fuel I have ever had the pleasure to consume. He promised me that this crank would get me to Wickenburg in no time. After breakfast I had the greatest conversation with Rande finding out about his interesting life as a roadie for rock bands, how he and his partner ended up in Salome (of all places), and what the future of the valley holds for those who live (and winter) there. It almost made me think people like Rande have it right, just drop off the grid and live a simpler existence - but then I thought about the 115 degree temperatures and realized that was just stupid.

But finally it was 5:45 and time to push off for the last ride before a rest day and the shortest ride so far. I was pumped. Again, I had the experience of being the only moving thing on the road and enjoying the freedom of being “king of the road” at least until the first semi came along.

I also had a more important purpose for my ride today. Although our Ride Across America is raising money for Sunrise Day Camp, today I was riding for someone else entirely. One of my students contacted me last night to let me know that her mother was having surgery on Friday. Her mother had contracted a non-invasive form of breast cancer when my student was seven and she had beaten it back then. Now ten years later she was facing the fight again and this time she will be having surgery on Friday to remove the cancer and to have a double mastectomy. It really sucks because after five years you figure you’ve beaten it! I love this kid and her family have always been so supportive of what we’ve tried to do with Connor’s Army so I promised her that this ride would be for her mother. So today, as I rode I constantly thought of the energy I put into the pedal strokes going into the universe to be directed towards this woman. As I’ve often said before, don’t have the money that I wish I had to give to the cancer community, but I do have my strength and my energy and today it all went to somebody who is going to need as much as I can give tomorrow morning. Her surgery is scheduled for early in the day and she’ll be in most of the day so if any of you can remember, please send her your energy too - we’re all in this fight together.

In between my thoughts of this valiant woman, I found myself engaging in other musings. The thought that kept coming to me over and over was of that Keep America Beautiful commercial from the 1970’s with the Native American who looked out upon the landscape of garbage that our nation was accumulating and the final shot was of him with a single tear rolling down his face;



As I rode this stretch of Arizonian back highway it seemed that I couldn’t ride fifty feet with seeing another piece of trash on the road - mostly quart sized beer bottles. Considering I’m now in the land of Jan Brewer one of my other thoughts was this is how she views her state - one large garbage dump! And in more extrapolative musings I thought this is how so much of our culture has come to view our country - just a place to throw our stuff and refuse. It’s truly saddening to see what could otherwise be such a beautiful, pristine desert marred by so much detritus.

I am usually thinking of the kids of Sunrise when I ride and today I ruminatined long on how today they are enjoying camp for the first time. How I’ve only been teaching there for two years but how they seem like my own kids. How I miss being there and playing the introductory theatre games with them that I would be playing with them right now.   How I will be missing some of thosse familiar faces that I have grown to look forward to seeing each summer. 

And after much ruminating and profound brain things inside my head (and after a much needed rest stop with the family 18 miles outside of Wickenburg) I finally rolled into Wickenburg.  I knew we were supposed to meet at the Super 8 where we'll be lodging on Friday night so I went there and gave Amy a call - only to be met with the message that I had no network coverage!  This is not good!  If I can't readch her in a town as large as this, I could be up a creek ( a very dry on mind you) without a paddle.   - I could end up on the  side of the road to Kayenta looking like this;

(New Jenny Craig Weight Loss System?)

Turns out there were enjoying the Desert Cabelleros museum and lost track of time but we went to a lovely restaurant and had an amazing lunch and headed back to the museum so they could show me their favorites.  They also had on display a Penny Farthing (otherwise known as a "bone shaker") and the way my rear feels from the last few days I might as well have been riding one of those!  Its amazing to think that people actually did what I'm doing on one of those back in the day.

Since I had finally had enough and knew I needed at least one new tire we decided to head off to the Peoria Performance Bike shop to get me some saddle relief and some heavy duty tires.  We ended up with two Continental Gatorskin tires and a Selle Italia SMP saddle but I have to say I wasn't too impressed with the service here.  The shop mechanic was friendlier and more helpful than the salespeople and seemed so much more knowledgable.  In the San Diego shop the young man there was great and helped us get exactly what we needed - here, not so much.

And then we finally headed off to Phoenix to visit one of Amy's oldest (not in age mind you since I know he reads this) and dearest friends.  He and his family (wife Marian, twin daughters Jordan and Claire) opened their arms (and home) to us, made us welcome, fed us (Matthew made us an unbelievable stir fry meal!) and let the boys take over the Wii for the evening.  Sarah and the girls bonded (she rendered them in her unique manga style drawing).  I did my much needed bike maintenance and we got the kids to bed.   After talking to Matthew for a while I finally had to hit the sack while Amy stayed up until almost 2:00 catching up.

Oh, and during the evening we discovered that the two new tires we bought in Clinton, OK are already worn out.  WE ARE NOT HAPPY!  But that will be a blog for tomorrow as we go in quest of fixing said tires.

And the reports for today (we may be trying something after this post - showing pictures of some of the detritus I find on the road!);

FFR - 1 Possum, 1 Squirrel, 1 Horny Toad (I didn’t know it was dead until it didn’t move when I rolled three inches from it), 1 UFO
RRL - 1 Toilet Bowl (mostly intact), 1 mattress, 1 cooler (they seem to be everywhere out here), and although I usually don’t include clothing - 1 enormous (I swear it was the largest I think I've ever seen) bra.

And here are some links you should check out!

Amy's blog is http://www.crosscountrymama.blogspot.com/
Securely donate and help us get the kids to Sunrise at https://www.wizevents.com/register/register_add.php?sessid=1809&id=1056
Check out our website at http://www.connorsarmy.org/

In The Land of the Saguaro!

Miles Ridden Today - 60.54  Average Miles Per Hour - 11.83

So today saw me once again waking up with the early morning light and heading out to take advantage of the cool temperatures. Today's ride was supposed to be shorter so I had every hope of being able to finish by 12:00 if I left early enough. But more on that later.

Its a little freeing and sort of eerie to be riding through a town in Arizona at 5:45 in the morning. I was riding down one of the main avenues and saw almost no cars at all, all of the major businesses (Carl's Jr., Wendy's, The Two Starbucks, etc.) were not yet open and the town was quiet with just the beginnings of dawn touching the buildings. It was me, my bike and the sun. I only had five miles or so to the California/Arizona border and I was enjoying the freedom of being the only one on the road. Oh, did I mention it was already 70 degrees?

Once I got to the border I had to engage in this convoluted way to get across the Colorado river. Now, considering this is the state that begat Ron Paul and Governor Jan Brewer, I half expected to see armed state police, or at least National Guardsmen waiting halfway across the pedestrian bridge to make sure I was not "undesirable" or at least that I hadn't any California produce on me (I didn't).

It was a rather pleasant ride to Quartzite although I had to ride on the shoulder of I-10 with all the big trucks whizzing by and all. It was when I pulled off the highway to refill my water supply at the Love's Truck stop that the weirdness kicked in - next to the Love's was a huge used car lot and in front of it was an armored half-track with a sign on the side that said "Military 4 Ron Paul". Hmmmm, a hostile takeover bid? I saw more of these signs scattered about as I passed through Quartzite although no more Army surplus vehicles appeared (whewwww!).

Although it was starting to heat up I was enjoying the morning as I had found a system of relieving the pressure on my posterior somewhat and I was able to look about a bit more. And I noticed that we finally were seeing Saguaro Cactus everywhere! We had seen them on the Planet Earth dvd and on the way out but now I could see them up close and personal and it was so cool. I could see which ones were blooming and which ones were bearing fruit. I could even see birds flying in and out of the cactii seeking shelter from the heat. And every now and then up on a desolate slope I could see a Lone Saguaro standing sentry against invaders from the valley floor below.

And then I realized that the gentle four percent climb I was on was still going up! All in all it went up for 10 miles!!!! A lot of pedaling uphill and it wasn't even 9:00 in the morning yet. But here is where I started to get a little nervous as my water supply was running low. I have pretty much begun to use my little one drink a mile trick to motivate me and conserve water but now I was dangerously low. However, I was very happy becuase the town of Brenda was just two miles away and I could make that. Besides, Amy and the kids would probably come along soon anyway.

And here is where I cursed the Adventure Cycling Association maps! Whereas yesterday they were wrong about the general store being open (it was) they said that Brenda had a grocery store that should be open. And so full of anticipation for some nice cold beverage I rolled up and then I noticed the lights off and the big "For Sale" signs on the windows - gaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhh! I checked the next place down the street - "Closed for the Season"! Now I had nowhere to get water and I was down to half a bottle and half of my bladder of ice water - and 11 miles to the next stop! Not to worry, I left a message for Amy on her cell and I sat down to rest in the shade of a bush for a few minutes. I must have dozed off becuase five minutes I realized I needed to push on and let Amy catch me.

So I headed off towards Hope, AZ and I was "hoping" (couldn't resist) that the restaurant shown on my map for Vicksburg would actually be open. And here is where I passed one of the most depressing areas we have passed through. Everyone I turned stores were closed or there were RV parks closed for the season, or there would be stores and properties for sale. I reminded me of that scene from the movie Cars where Sally tells Lighting about how the town used to be prosperous before the Interstate was built. It looked like this area used to thrive but now with no commerce there was no reason for people to live there or shop there.

And yet I pedaled on. No Vannikan Roadwalker in sight.

I finally reached Vicksburg, AZ and there was a restaurant open - the KOFA Diner - yayyyyy!!!!! I went in and offered to pay for ice water but the waitress waved that off, so I bought a huge 32 oz Mountain Dew instead. And then got a free refill. I finished it up, thanked her for her kindness and then remounted - only 11 miles to go!!!!
 
On the way I passed through Hope, AZ. Again, a very small town with not much in it to pique interest until I came upon the following sign;
 

 
And I had a very sad thought, all that money for a great sign and they mispelled it.

I kept counting down the miles and rationing my water and execting to see the van coming down the road but no van as I reached Haucuva, three miles outside of Salome. I was empty again so I went into a restaurant/bar and they refilled me for free again. A great place called Buckaroo's which had a great looking menu and a Western theme (go figure).

And 20 minutes later I was rolling into Salome "Where She Danced", AZ. After inquiring at the Post Office I found the motel and walked into what William described as "the coolest Motel ever!!!!" As soon as we have pictures loaded up I'll put some photos up of the place, the Westward Motel. After cleaning up (and feeling remarkably good) we went in search of groceries and pizza. We bought the fixings for meat and black bean loaf and dropped it off before going to (of all places) Buckaroo's - where we had some amazing pizza.

As we returned I got to meet Rande our host who told me that three members of one of the Race Across America teams came through here just a few days agoand stayed in this very hotel - I feel so honored to be following in their tire tracks!  Then the kids had the best surprise of all - parked on the street outside was a HUUUUUUGGGEEEEEEE John Deere harvesting machine! Again, as soon as we get the photo loaded I'll show you the biggest vehicle I have ever stood next to! The driver said he harvests from Southern Arizona all the way up to Canada and back and he was no headed up for North Dakota - and he was Austrlian, it was so cool!

(Please Honey????  Can I Get One?????)

And now we have had dinner and we are headed out to the desert to see if we can find any Saguaro's in bloom with hopes that we can see some night pollinators in action! It has been a great day, a bit scary with worrying about dehydration, but a fantastic day nonetheless!

Oh, and the reports for the day;

FFR - 1 squirrel, 2 UFO's (one of which was becoming part of the Circle of Life by way of two of the biggest crows I have ever seen!)
RRL - 1 Packing Blanket, 1 cooler top, LOTS OF GARBAGE EVERYWHERE.

And that's it for now,

Stay well and I'll update from the road!

Into(and Out of) the Crucible

Miles Ridden Today - 86.47  Average Miles Per Hour - 14.02

 

So as I'm typing this I'm sitting by the pool in Blythe, CA at the Amerca's Best Value Inn watching my children cavort (for the second time today) in the pool.  I haven't bee able to bring myself to join them simple becuase I'm so tired I'm afraid if I got in the water I would just sink to the bottom  - partially out of a need to rehydrate and partially out of the fact that I probably couldn't move my arms or legs enough to swim out of the mess I had gotten myself into.

We knew today was going to be a hard day in the saddle for a variety of resons.  As I said in yesterday's posts we can't assume that any of the legs of this journey are going to be easy, but today was definitely going to be rough for a variety of reasons.

Webster's defines "Crucible" as the following;

cru·ci·ble/ˈkro͞osəbəl/

Noun:

1) A ceramic or metal container in which metals or other substances may be melted or subjected to very high temperatures.

2) A place or occasion of severe test or trial: "the crucible of combat".

Except for the ceramic or metal container part, today was a real crucible in both senses of the word.

I woke up at 5:00 this morning preparing to try to get on the road by 5:30 in an attempt to beat the heat.  The forecast was for temperatures over 110 degrees by mid day so my hope was to try to et into Blythe (86 miles away) by noon or 12:30 at the latest.  Alas it was not to be!  The terrain and the heat were more of a melting place than I had anticipated and although I made it to the end, it was just barely.

The ride started well enough, there were a few rough patches of road (read my post from yesterday for a detailed account of why that was a potential problem), and by 6:45 I had covered about 16 miles - I was right on target!  It was the second hour that started the crucible heating up as I pedaled through the Imperial Sand Dunes Preserve and hit the first of the big ascents for th eday.  It wasn't anything like Sunday's climbs but the heat was already climbing and the road was baking.  Here is what the dunes look like;

 

And so you know that I didn't just download these pictures from some random website, here are the front of said dunes;

 

 

The plan was for Amy and the kids to follow me on my route and catch up to me, hopefully before the halfway point.  One good aspect was the fact that when I got to Glamis the store was open so I could refill with the most expensive bottle of water ever.  I guess when you're the only thing open for 20+ miles around you can charge what you want.  The lady was nice enough but they didn't have a bathroom there (which I found odd) and it was about then that I started needing to go.  So, instead of lounging about, I ate an energy bar and pedaled off into the desert.

The most unfortunate part of the day was that much of it was a heat hazed blur of pavement.  I really wish I could have enjoyed the scenery more but the day was spent climbing up and down "rollers" and in the heat it really didn't make for a very conducive setting for my bowels.  I passed the U.S. Navy Aerial Bombardment range (sadly, no jets flying overhead), the Chocolate Mountains (they really DO look like chocolate) and I finally came up to the Border Patrol checkpoint.  "Finally!", I thought, "a place to go to the bathroom".  I asked the nice officer about the possibility of using the facility (I mean, I was on a bicycle and not about to smuggle any fruit into or out of the state) and he replied, "the only facilities are in the lock downs".  Now I wasn't sure if that meant I could use one and get out or that the only way I could use one is if I was in lock down.  I've never seen the show but I was pretty sure I didn't want to be - besides they looked like big metal storage containers and in this heat it would probably have killed me just to take a bowel movement!

So I headed out once again (after draining half of the ice water in the bladder) to face more rollers and more heat (which was rising again at a steady rate).  Just when I was afraid I was going to run out of water, Amy and the kids (my calvary to the rescue) came driving up 32 miles from Blythe!  I drank half a gallon of water, refilled my water bottles and bladder, reapplied sun block and headed out in high hopes for finishing up in two hours.  Alas, it was not to be.  I hit more rollers, more heat and ran out of water right before Palo Verde.  Fortunately the kind lady in the store let me refill my water bottles with ice water for free.  I also finally found a bathroom - 50 miles later!  I only had 11 miles left to go!!!!

Which took me an hour.  I had hit the proverbial wall and it was all I could do to keep the pedals turning.  Before Palo Verde I started this little motivating game in which I would take a drink every time I hit a mile mark.  It did make me pedal faster and helped to regulate the water supply.  Eventually, with the heat blasting me in the face constantly like an open furnace I made it to the environs of Blythe.  As I got closer I could see fields of melons ripening on the vine to my left and irrigation canals stretching to my right - I had a fleeting fantasy of grabbing a melon, cracking it open and leaping into the canal to eat it.  I would probably be arrested on a variety of charges so I decided against it.

I finally limped into Blythe where I proceeded to shower, stuff my face and then joined the family out by the pool for the first frolic session.  Amy then went to the land of enchantment (otherwise known as KMart), and I went back in with the kids to take a nap (which never really happened). 

On the way into town James called a "Pit Stop" (the former Short Stop previously written about) at the bowling alley just outside of town.  Since it was closed untl 3:00 now was the time to go.  We played two games (I won both, despite the fact I could barely lift the ball I was so tired) and then headed off for dinner at the local Pizza Hut.

Fortunately, right next store was the famous Rebel's Bar-B-Que;

And after some negotiations we got everyone into the restaurant for an amazing meal (much better than the Pizza Hut that we WERE going to before we found RBBQ).  I had the most amazing brisket sandwich ever and everyone else had tacos (okay, not Sarah and mama) and salads (everyone).

Then back to the hotel where I am now ensconced watching the kids frolic.  But its been a long day and I have a 63 mile ride full of climbs ahead of me tomorrow - with more heat!!!!!

And now the reports;

FFR - 1 Squirrel, 1 Pigeon, 1 Sparrow, 1 Fox, 2 UFO's

RRL - 7 coolers, 5 separate cooler tops, a hard hat, a marketing notebook  for a company orientation session, a rubber over boot, a mattress (don't ask) and a bumper.

Well, that's all I can report today.  I will try to be more aware on the road tomorrow.  It will still be hot but its shorter so I should finish two hours earlier (with any luck).  And again, remember this is for the kids so spread the word to all you know - let's support them.  For in the long run, what I went through today is nothing compared to what they go on every day in trying to fight this damned disease!

Stay well and I'll update you from the road!

For another perspective on our journey check out Amy's blog at http://www.crosscountrymama.blogspot.com//
To help us get the kids to Sunrise go to https://www.wizevents.com/register/register_add.php?sessid=1809&id=1056
Check out our website at http://www.connorsarmy.org/

Total Pain in the Posterior!

Miles Ridden Today - 88.91  Average Miles Per Hour - 16.18

So I wrote yesterday about how grueling the day was and how totally unprepared I was after sitting in the van for six days and then walking about various San Diego attractions for a few others.  After yesterday's grueling climb fest I thought nothing could be worse and that I would be able to start acclimating myself to the longer rides.

And then today happend.  And what I have learned from today is that every ride is going to be challenging in its own way and that I should never think there are ever going to be any "easy" legs of this journey.  Today was supposed to be a few ups and downs follwed by a ten mile descent and then relatively flat roads for 50 miles.  Easy, right?  And then reality kicked me in the rear - quite literally!  Let me 'splain!

I started out at about 6:45ish in the morning (a little later than I should have to beat the heat) and was immediately confronted by a 12% incline to get out of the town of Pine Valley (hey, I guess anything named "valley" I should be prepared to climb out of) that went on for about a mile and a half -- GOOD MORNING, CALIFORNIA!  But after yesterday's climbing even that wasn't too bad.  I thought to myself that maybe today wouldn't be too bad, just put in low and keep pedalling.  It was at this point that I had bizarre images running around in my head, like this;



So  I repeated Dory's mantra and changed it to "just keep pedaling, just keep pedaling, just keep pedaling, pedaling, pedaling...."  and strangely enough it helped the time to pass.  It was a series of ups and downs and then I hit the first (and as it turned out only, I was surprised) Border Patrol check.  I actually had a nice conversation with the guys there, told them what they were doing and they told me that they get a lot of people doing charity rides that come through their post, many of them with press crews following.  I had to admit that we didn't have a press crew following, that I was just an average, every day guy, not the guy from the Amazing Race with the network clout behind him.  However, he was very interested in what I was doing and asked for my website address.  I wish I would have had brochures with me in my handlebar bag (I have since loaded them) but I gave him the address.  (By the way sir, if you're reading this, thank you so much for your interest and join us on facebook too, you can keep up with the rest of the journey). 

From there I made my way to Jacumba where I was supposed to meet Amy and the kids about 9:00.  Up to that point I was right on time!  I was actually making great time and I was thinking the ride wouldn't be too bad.  The only sucky part was that I lost one of my water bottles on a descent that actually had me fearing for my life.  The shoulder was so incredibly bad it was like riding on cobblestones and since it was a really steep descent I was trying to control the bike at 25+ mph.  I then (finally) had the brilliant idea of just taking the lane and keeping an eye on traffic.  Suddenly I was no longer afraid for my life and to celebrate I reached down for one of my water bottles - AND DISCOVERED IT MISSING!!!  Somehow on that crazy, careening descent it had bounced out of my water bottle cage.  It was at that point I decided I wasn't going back for it.  Luckily, my one Random Refuse find of the day was a discarded water bottle so I have two again - and boy was I going to need them.

Just outside of Jacumba I got to the closest point I would get to Mexico in this journey.  Actually so close that I could have thrown a baseball and hit the fence (I do have a good arm) - of course, that would probably have gotten me arrested, which would really put a damper on our journey!  Here is how close I was;

I rolled into Jacumba and found a town that was mostly deserted.  I pulled up to the little shop that sold pretty much everything in town (including a huge selection of alchoholic beverages behind the counter), grabbed some coffee and sat down at the little table outside to wait on the family.  This was at 9:00.  I had no cell phone service at all so I just settled myself in to wait.  While waiting I became engaged in a conversation with an older gentleman who, as it turned out, had just retired from running the IT program at a local Community College.  We chatted for about half an hour about politics, the revitilazation of Jacumba, how it was famous for its mineral springs that had been dried up by a previous owner but how the new owner had opened it back up, how the resort down the street was being refurbished and would bring more life to the town, about my journey, about Sunrise Day Camp, how I was waiting on my family - and it was then he told me that they might have confused the place off the interstate (two miles away) with Jacumba since everyone always does.  He also said that I might have better cell reception there.  I thank him and headed off, thinking that my family must have been waiting for me all this time.  For the record, this is where Jacumba is;

View Larger Map

On the way there I actually got a phone call from my doctor's office (yes, I know riding and talking on the cell phone at the same time - its probably illegal in 37 states, including CA) telling me that my echo cardiogram and other heart tests from my recent physical came out okay.  Good thing, considering what I had just done the day before!  I told the nurse and we had a good laugh at that - I guess I'm physically okay!  I continued on to the main gas stations off of I-8 and didn't see my family.  Oooof, I thought, they're back on Hwy 80!  So I bought some water and headed back to the route and I wasn't there two minutes before I looked over my shoulder and saw Vannikan Roadwalker with the familiar blue tarp on top coming up the rise behind me - yayyyyyyy!  So Amy and the kids jump out on their mission of mercy to ice me up and refill me and then they headed off the road to prepare the way.  On the way they pulled alongside and took some video for the documentary.  At that point I was about two miles away from my last climb of the day and I was totally stoked!

You see, this was the part I had been forward to for two days - a 10.5 mile descent in which I would go from 3,000 feet to 800 feet!  NO PEDALING FOR TEN MILES!!!!!  There were a few hairy moments when I wondered if I would be able to slow down but then I was hit by the crosswinds that did a crazy job on slowing me down.  I was disappointed in that the top speed I hit was only 41.5 miles an hour mainly due to the fact that the biggest decline was only 6%.  I also had time to enjoy the ride and look about and saw some of the most amazing rock formations!  It was completely and utterly otherworldy, almost like the landscape you would expect to see on Mars;

And note the kind way they let you know you're in for a mild descent!

I finally got down to the Yuha desert floor and thats when my posterior purgatory began.  Apparently the Adventure Cycling Association's maps decided to take me on every single rough road between the Calexico exit and Brawley.  Every place I tried on the sholder was a bone and teeth rattling nightmare.  I then realized that there was virtually no other traffic on the Evan Hewes highway so I took the full lane and found myself flying with no discomfort to speak of.  I was flying along at 24 miles an hour effortlessly.  But it was short lived.

Outside of Plaster City (I kid you not, it was basically a big plant), the road just went all to hell and I couldn't find a sweet spot of comfort.  It was then that my Perineum (WARNING, LINK CONTAINS EXPLICIT - though not pornographic - ILLUSTRATIONS) really began to suffer!  The constant jolting began to take such a toll that it made it difficult to stay in the saddle - and I had a good 35 miles to go.  I stopped for water in Saleena and that revitalized me for a while but then after a few miles my personal hell started up again.

Was it hot?  Yes, it was well over 100 degrees but the heat was bearable.  I drank lots of water and stopped a few times to purchase some.  It was just the constant jolting that made this leg so unbearable.  I actually got of the bike and walked for about 50 yards just to get some flow back into the area.  I finally limped into Brawley and praised God for the smooth roads that I suddenly found myself riding. 

And next I thanked my sister Alina for gifting me with my Garmin Edge 605 Bike Computer with GPS.  For I knew the name of where we were staying (the Best Western) but I had no idea where it was!!!!  So I went to the "Go To" feature and there were the directions - SAVED!!!!  I pulled into the parking lot and found Vannikan waiting and it was all I could do to physically climb off the bike - for the second day in a row I was knackered! 

But there is an upside!  My legs themselves felt great!  It was just the heat and my nether regions that were cuasing me to be so wiped.  Nevertheless, I had one major thought as I stood in the baking parking lot collecting myself (and my breath), "this is nothing compared to the suffering those kids go through"  and I know that to be true.  My only hope is that by going through this I will be able to help some of those kids take a break from their fight and spend an amazing summer at Sunrise.

I then showered off and joined the family in the pool for a brief reprieve from the heat.  We then went to dinner at Brownie's Diner (and yes the kids had a brownie a la mode for dessert) before heading off to the biggest Walmart I have ever seen.  It was situated on the outskirts of town rising up like a Mecca to Consumerism.  We bought shoes for William, food for us, and an important piece of apparatus for tomorrow's leg - a fluid bladder! 

You see tomorrow I am riding in 100+ degree heat (it was 107 at 6 pm) and there is NOWHERE to stop for fluid refills for 63 MILES!  So I am going to leave at 5:30 in the morning with the idea of getting most of my riding done before the heat hits.  I got a bladder instead of a full Camelback backpack because I need the ventilation on my back - so for $9.97 at Walmart I got a bladder to fill with ice (which will melt) to go in my handlebar bag.  With any luck I'll be able to hold off until Amy and the kids replenish me somewhere along the route. 

So yes, tomorrow is going to be uber hot but with any luck it won't be bumpy.  If it is, here is the song that will be running through my head;

And now my friends, it is time to get some sleep as I'll be waking in 8 hours to start my next assault on the desert!  Please send cool thoughts my way!

Oh, and lest I forget, here are the reports for today;

FFR (Flattened Fauna Report) - 4 Rabbits, 1 Fox, 1 Falcon/Hawk (not sure which), 2 squirrels, 1 UFO
RRL (Random Refust Log) - 1 Water Bottle (appropriated and then used when I lost my own), 1 Child's Boot

Stay well everyone and I'll update you from the road!

For another perspective on our journey check out Amy's blog at http://www.crosscountrymama.blogspot.com//
To help us get the kids to Sunrise go to https://www.wizevents.com/register/register_add.php?sessid=1809&id=1056
Check out our website at http://www.connorsarmy.org/

1 Down - 45 to Go!

Miles Ridden Today - 45.29  Average Miles Per Hour - 11.58

I'm going to be honest with all of you - this blog is going to be short.  Mainly because I am completely and totally knackered!  As a result this is ging to be less of my usual (I hope) entertaining banter and more straight to the point - just the facts ma'am!

First off, I'm happy to say that we (okay, I) have completed the first leg of our Ride Across America! 

This will probably be one of the most brutal legs of the entire ride (aside from tomorrow) for so many different reasons.

To begin, we got a late start today.  For the first time since we left Northport everyone actually slept late, later than we probably should have.  As a result, we didn't get our wheels dipped into the ocean until about 9:00.  I would post pictures of the dipping but I'm just too tired right now.  If you want to check some out, go to my facebook page and see some of the photos we took this morning.  We were also very surprised and pleased to see that Jim Connor was able to be there to see us off.  We were so touched that he took time out of his Sunday morning to come and meet us.  It was nice after so much cyber conversation to actually meet him in person.  So when the kids and I rolled out we had a sendoff party of two - and it was all still in the family, although many times removed!

The kids and I then rode the first four miles together along the bike path and we met Amy at the end.  After (finally) getting the kids' bikes loaded back on to the van, it was time to go for real!  By this time it was 9:45 - about 3 3/4 hours later than I will normally be rolling out.  Of course this meant that I would be facing one of my worse fears - riding in the middle of the day during the hottest hours.  But more on that in bit.

The beginning of the ride went fairly well and the elevation wasn't too bad - just gentle rises that would gain maybe a hundred feet before leveling off.  And then the hammer was dropped!  Outside of Alpine, CA the road started tilting up and it kep on going - for more than seven miles at a 6 % grade.  By the time I topped out it to hit the highway section I was at 2800 feet and still climbing.  I had also gone through four bottles of water and a bottle of gatorade.  And there was more to come!

I also ended up riding on the highway for 3.5 miles (it was all part of the Adventure Cycling Association's map) and wouldn't you know it - it was all uphill.  By the end of that section I was up to 3100 feet - and still climbing.  By this time it was about 1:00 in the afternoon and I'd been climbing since 11:30.  I had to actually get off the bike three times, not because it was too steep, but because my legs were cramping up so badly I couldn't pedal.  I found that by stretching and walking about 30 yards or so I could stretch them out enough to get back on and pedal some more.

I finally turned off the highway and I was so excited because I knew that I would be only 12.5 miles from where my family would be for the evening.  There happened to be a turn off/park and ride just off the highway and some cyclists were finishing up their rides and loading up so I rolled over to ask them about the terrain.  They told me that there was still a couple of hard climbs but then a 2.5 mile screaming descent into Pine Valley - ahhh, the last part music to my ears.

Unbeknownst to me, at EXACTLY the same time, Amy and the kids were driving by on their way to look for me and restock me with water since it was taking longer than we had originally thought.  They went all the way back to Alpine and then came back.  They finally found me about five miles outside of Pine Valley.  I had finished my last two water bottles and I'm pretty sure I was starting to dehydrate since I was beginning to exhibit some of the classical signs - mainly dry mouth, thirst, light headedness and headache.  And it was probably being exacerbated by the exposure to heat and sun.  All in all, a brutal time.

But they caught up with me and refilled me with water and I was able to finally make it into Pine Valley - only four hours after I left them in San Diego!  After some time getting clean and drinking more water I got everyone's bikes ready and we went for a bike ride to the park in Pine Valley.  Yes, I know what was I thinking?  But the kids really wanted to go for a ride (I guess I inspired them) and we went for a ride and then had ice cream.

After a few hours chilling at the room we finally went to dinner at the diner and here we are.  See, not much to report, just the facts.

Speaking of facts, we have the FFR (Flattened Fauna Report) and RRL (Random Refuse Log) numbers for the day;

FFR - 1 Possum, 1 Squirrel, 1 Pigeon, 1 Bobcat, 1 UFO (Unidentified Flattened Object)

RRL - 1 Shovel head, 6 Gloves of various makes

Well, that's it for now.  It's 9:30, I'm totally wiped, and I have some more mountains to climb in the morning!  But its all for the kids of Sunrise, so show your support for the kids!

Stay well and I'll be seeing you on the road!

For another perspective on our journey check out Amy's blog at http://www.crosscountrymama.blogspot.com//
To help us get the kids to Sunrise go to https://www.wizevents.com/register/register_add.php?sessid=1809&id=1056
Check out our website at http://www.connorsarmy.org/

T Minus 11.00.00

First of all, for those of you who have been keeping up with our continuing saga, you'll notice from the posted date and time that I have skipped a few days.  I've tried very hard to keep the daily blog going but for now I'm going to have to skip Wednesday, Thursday and Friday's blogs.  There has just been so much going on here in San Diego every day that by the time I get the chance to sit down and write I can only get a few lines down before I get too tired to write any more.  I've started a post for each day and I've only got about a paragraph written about each day that doesn't begin to touch upon what happened that day.  However, I will come back to each of those blogs and update them.  I'll post on facebook (click on the link at right if you haven't already like our facebook page or just click here) later on that I have updated those entries.  For now, here is a BRIEF rundown on what happened each day;

Wednesday - Got here in GREAT time and when we arrived at the Travelodge our room wasn't ready yet. Need parts for Sarah, James and my rides so we went looking for a bike store.  After some bad GPS directions we ended up at Performance Bike, otherwise known as Mecca.  We managed to walk out spending less than $150!  We then went to a burger/malt shop and had what James described as "the best vanilla I've ever tasted".  We checked into our room, swam in the pool and ate Thai food watching TV.

Thursday - We surprised the kids by taking them to Legoland.  It was a bit of subterfuge to pull it off.  We were supposed to meet my friend Shannon McNulty but she's competing this weekend in the World Series of Poker in Las Vegas and she needed to pack so she couldn't meet us.  It ended up being okay as we found a nice little town called Solana Beach where we took the kids to play in the Pacific, we took in a little music and bought dinner at a whole foods supermarket - which we took home at and ate in front of the TV.

Friday - Sarah turned 13!!!!!  To celebrate we took her to the San Diego Zoo and we all walked ourselves ragged.  Sarah discovered a new group that is now one of her favorites - mainly because she covets the singer's Steam Punk goggles - called Steam Powered Giraff.  Here is a sample of their music;



We then had sushi at a great little place in University Park and follwed it up with frozen yogurt at the Golden Spoon.

Which brings us to today.  The original plan was to have a "do nothing" day but that really meant we weren't going to travel in the car for long distances.  I got up and got Pearl ready for a recon rixce and we headed off to Ocean Beach to scope out the start point of this 3700 mile journey.  While there, I found out that there was some sort of festival happending in Ocean Beach so I thought it might be fun for us to scope out the start point as a family and maybe hang out at the festival for a while.  I knew we only had until 6:00 because at that point we were supposed to meet James"Jim" Connor  for dinner.

Jim is related to us through a common ancestor William Alexander Connor and he got in touch with me some time back through my sister Alina.  He saw that we were coming out here to San Diego and he lives out here so we've been e-mailing and facebooking for a few weeks.  We were so excited because we were finally going to meet this nice individual live and in person.  Alas, it was not to be, but more on that later.

So, I took off on my ride and riding along the first five miles was so incredibly pleasant.  It begins on a bike path that parallels the San Diego River Floodway before breaking off into the city.  Of course, I had a VERY frightening moment when I was almost the victim of a drive by squirreling as one of our furry friends darted right in front of me and I missed him by mere inches.  I had visions of this flashing before my eyes;

(he won't try that trick again!)

I had visions of my Ride Across America ending before it even began with either a broken bike or a broken me.  Of course, a broken bike would be okay as it would only mean another trip to Performance Bike - hey, maybe I can find that squirrel tomorrow!

Anyway, I continued on to try and make it to the halfway point of my journey tomorrow and I got awfully close.  I hit a few 6-8 percent rises that were a tad long but nothing major. Of course, that will all hit me tomorrow when I least expect it! 

I made it back to the hotel in less than two hours after logging 42 total miles (26 out and 16 back) ready to have a fun last day in San Diego with the family.  After cajoling and convincing William that it would be fun, we headed out to Ocean Beach Park to scope out the place where I'll be departing tomorrow.  Of course, the only problem wih that was it was a gorgeous day, it was a Saturday, and this is Southern California where 80% of the population goes to the beach.  So we sat in traffic for a while.  It was while in traffic we came up with a brillant idea - the kids are going to ride with me along the bike path for the first three miles.  Once the path ends and we start on city roads I'll load up their bikes, they'll head up to Lakeside and I'll ride up on my bike.

Okay, here is were I'm going to vent a bit.  You see we have gotten a lot of offers of help from various sources over the two years we've been talking about this ride to benefit Sunrise Day Camp.  Unfortunately, too often that help has either dried up or failed to materialize at all after the initial contact.  One such individual had offered to help me connect with local riders to perhaps ride with me the first part of the journey.  Despite numerous attempts at contacting them, I've heard nothing from that first offer.  We get offers from people who have offered to either sponsor or donate to Sunrise - nothing ever happens.  It has started to wear on Amy and I becuase we feel like we are alone in this endeavor, that although people think it is an amazing thing we're doing, they don't want to help.

However, trying to be more like Brian and looking on the bright side of life, we have gotten some amazing help from Gina Nemo with some press contacts and there have been many recent offers of help that HAVE come through. "Live It Up! With Donna Drake" has offered to come aboard as our official media sponsor and we have had some amazing offers of free nights from some of the hotels that we have contacted along our route.  We're hoping now that some media attention about our ride will help generate some funds for the campers of Sunrise and that's what this is all about.

Okay, off the soap box.  After we finally found a place to park (using Amy's patented parking karma) we headed to the beach and the festival.  It turns out that part of the festival was a chili cook off!  The kids weren't in the mood for chili (damn!) so we headed to a funky little cafe instead where we had an amazing light lunch and I had the best tomatoe basil soup I've ever had!

We headed back to the beach where the kids proceeded to run in and out of the waves until William backpedalled himself right into the water.  We had to curtail the highjinks for a bit but then the whole family eventually got into building a sand castle before heading back home.  We packed up a bit, got everyone showered and prepared to go to dinner and meet the other James Connor.

It was while trying to get to Ortegas that we realized the other part of the festival was this HUUUUUGGGGGEEEEEE street fair.  Amy's karma kicked in again and we ended up parking a block and a half from where we needed to go.  Unfortunately, Jim never got there so we have yet to meet him.  However, I had some amazing Mexican food - and THE best chimichanga I've ever eaten.  While eating the thought hit me that this was my last supper before starting on this epic ride and that led to me thinking about the Last Supper and despite my Catholic conversion, the only thing I could think of was this;



But, I know its just the start of a new adventure - one that I hope will make a difference in the lives of some very deserving young people.  If you're reading this for the first time, welcome.  If you ARE reading it for the first time, I would invite you to go here and give whatever you can, no amount is too small, to help us help the kids of Sunrise.

Well, its now 10:45 PST and that means its only T minus 9 hours 15 minutes.  Time to get some shut eye.  Tomorrow's post will be from Pine Valley, CA.

Stay well my friends, I'll see you on the raod!

A Long Day In The Saddle

So for those of you who know me, you know that I consider myself a transplanted Texan, even though I haven't lived there since 1992.  As such, I do understand certain colloquialisms of the Texan vernacular, many of which have to do with the equestrian arts, such as "Rode hard and put away wet!" (hint, its not a good thing!)  I also spent some time in my youth (during my first attempt at living in NYC - while I was studying at the National Shakespeare Conservatory) working at a riding stable in Englewood, NJ where I picked up other colorful equestrian phrases and skills.  But in all these riding experiences I came to understand what it means to have a long day in the saddle.

Now, in my cycling travels that will commence in just five days I am going to have plenty of these and I don't kid myself - they will be grueling.  But at least those days will only be grueling for me, not the rest of the family.  Today was a long day in the saddle for the entire family!  To once again give you a little perspective, here is the roue we found ourselves following today;



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It ended up being a distance of about 640 miles and took about 12 hours counting stops for food, gas, and an amazing scenic overview.  But it was a loooooooooonnnnnnnnggggggg  day! 

I wish I could report there were many exciting things we saw and did during this leg of our trip but I think the most exciting aspect of the entire journey was that we didn't break down!  The car performed beautifully except for a slight loss of power (okay, a noticable one) going up the big mountains.  It makes me a little nervouse for when we come back out of San Diego and head into the Rockies in July.  Fortunately, Amy and the kids will only be traveling for two or three hours a day then.  They also have a deal that they can stop at any exciting spots along the way and hang out and each one of them gets one a day.  All they have to do is call out "Short Stop!" when they see something they like or find interesting.

So, aside from a lot of trains pulling 70+ cars (we saw one pulling 106), there wasn't much that happened except for MY "short stop"!  We were passing through Gallup, NM and it was getting time for lunch so I suggested we stop and get gas and some food.  How could we resist such a prominent place in the "Route 66" song?  While there were many of the typical fast food places, we lucked out in that we chanced upon a little place called "Aurelia's Diner" which has this sign out front;

(It may not be Guiness, but it IS a six-pack I can sink my teeth into!)

Yes, an authentic diner on historic Route 66 - how could we NOT stop?  And once we stepped inside, we found ourselves transported to another time as we were greeted by the decor;

(That, my friends, is the finest naugahide you'll ever scrunch your derriere into!)

And I am not too proud to admit that I ordered the six pack of tacos.  It was cheap, it was good, it was filling.  And the pico de gallo was spicy and to die for.  I've said it before but I'll say it again, I LOVE MEXICAN FOOD!  I will be in heaven the next three weeks and I don't care who knows it!

But after indulging my Mexican tooth it was time to get the family back on the road and I couldn't resist cranking up a little John Mayer as we sang his cover of "Route 66" at the top of our lungs - okay, everyone except Amy that is who just grinned and bore the pain.  But here is the man himself performing his cover of that iconic song;

	John Mayer - Route 66 .mp3
	Found at bee mp3 search engine

And after gassing up it was time to be on the road again.  Not much to report for the res tof the trip excep that it was hot (which once again made me think - "what the hell was I thinking?") and we finally got to see segauro cactii (cactus? cactuses? cactusii?) with some flowers on them so we're hoping on the return trip we might actually get to see them in bloom.

And after a very, very, very, very long day we finally pulled into Gila Bend, AZ to stop for the night.  We ended up staying in a place a bit more expensive than any we've stayed in before (we LOVE the Super 8's), the Best Western Space Age Lodge!  It was more expensive but at that point our luck had finally run out and the William was having a melt down so we just said "the heck with it" and stopped for the night.  It has a space theme with pictures of the space shuttle on the walls and glitter embedded in the paint outside to make it sparkle.  Although it has a restaurant attached to it, we decided to go across the road to the Italian restaurant and get take out instead.  Here is the view from the outside;

Now its late and we have one final push to get into San Diego tomorrow - only 350 miles to go!  Its hard to believe that this portion of our journey is almost over.  We'll be there soon and in five days we'll be heading back again.

Stay well my friends and I'll write more from the road tomorrow!