New York City and the Atlantic Ocean!

It has now been over a week since we completed the cross-country ride in New York City on Friday, August 6, 2010. We started that day in Morristown, New Jersey, having come in to that town (and state) the previous day. The heat and humidity were finally down a bit, for which we were very thankful. The first 15 miles or so were nice, as there was a wide shoulder to the road at that point. Soon, however, the traffic increased as the shoulder decreased. Why was everybody in such a hurry? At times, I feared that this cross-country ride would end tragically somewhere near Patterson, New Jersey. God was gracious to us, and the entire team made it as far as the George Washington Bridge. This is where the real fun began. We crossed over to Manhattan, and quite honestly, the traffic was much more reasonable in The Big Apple. We cycled through Harlem, Central Park, down Broadway, and along the trail by the Hudson River (past Ground Zero) to Battery Park, where we could see the Statue of Liberty in the distance. That activities of the last sentence actually consumed several hours. We were in a celebratory mood, and the weather was really perfect!

Then, we crossed the Brooklyn Bridge and navigated through Brooklyn around rush-hour, telling as many as we could that we had started the ride in Seattle. (Most people didn't seem to believe us, or had not heard of Seattle, but we did not care what they thought!) About an hour before sunset, WE MADE IT! It must have been quite a sight for innocent "normal" people who were enjoying their evening at the beach to see these crazy bicyclists all dressed the same way to run and jump into the Atlantic Ocean! Words are not sufficient to communicate the feelings that we experienced at that moment. On Saturday we enjoyed the city by foot. On Sunday we had our last church visit on Long Island. Sandy and Hilary met us there...it was an awesome reunion after seven and a half weeks apart from each other.

We thank God for the incredible experiences that we had over the seven-week tour across the USA. My bicycle odometer recorded 3,306 miles over 14 states. We were in a total of 38 churches altogether. We did not do official presentations in all of those churches. Sometimes we had a meal, or just met our hosts and shared informally about the cause. Then, there were hundreds, or more probably thousands, of other people that we met along the way. Almost all experiences with others were positive. Sure, there were some rude motorists and people who did not want to hear, but generally the vast majority of our people-contacts were positive. Physically, almost all of the team experienced at least minor crashes, but we had only one emergency room visit! There all lots of sore knees, backs, wrists, and sore bottoms! We also have some pretty interesting tan lines.

Thanks again to all for reading and praying. Next time you fly to the West Coast, please don't complain about leg cramps or a "long flight." For one, the trip could be a lot longer if you travel by another means. Secondly, and more importantly, unless you are gagged, blindfolded, and thrown into the luggage compartment, I would assume that you are traveling for pleasure or perhaps for business. There are too many people who travel across borders against their will, and who are bought and sold as property. Freedom is not an option for them. It was for them that we cycled. It was not always easy...there was pain and discomfort...but it was worth it.

The Big Apple on the Horizon!

The last few days on the tour have been, quite honestly, some of the most difficult on the entire tour. When we crossed the Cascade Mountains and the Rockies out West, we had (1) cool temperatures, and (2) low humidities. The combinations of the three H's for the last few days has been downright oppressive: Heat, Humidity, and Hills. There have been so many climbs in the Appalachian Mountains of Pennsylvania. Going up steep grades when the temperatures have been in the low 90's with humidity to match is not fun! Now, going back down the other side has been fun, at times. I am one of the slower people on the downhills, but even I have gotten up to speeds in the 42-43 mph range! This morning, Karl and I actually CAUGHT UP to a couple of trucks on the way down and had to brake! We are all being a bit more careful, too, after the crash a few days ago. Our team mate is going to be fine...no broken bones, but she has not been riding for the last couple of days. Another team mate nearly had heat stroke yesterday, but she is very determined and has not missed a beat. We crossed into New Jersey today and we are staying at a really old church in Morristown. Tomorrow is the day we have been looking forward to for seven weeks...the ride into New York City! We are all a bit physically drained, but I believe the adrenaline alone will get us there. Also, we hope that the temperature and humidity will be down a little bit by tomorrow morning. For those who have been following and praying, we thank you. Don't stop yet..those New York drivers can be crazy and aggressive. God's blessings to you.

3,000 miles!

Today's ride was from Brookville to Lock Haven, Pennsylvania. We started a bit earlier than usual. As we cycled through Brookville, the sign on the bank read "7:48 AM; 80 degrees." The humidity was closer to 100%. I sweated through two pairs of biking gloves today. And, everything else was soaked in perspiration, as well. We had some decent hills in the first fifty miles. On one downhill I clocked out at 41.7 miles per hour! Also came across a group of Pro Life people who were WALKING across America! (They do it in shifts, like a relay.) Near Philipsburg, we turned onto a state road through the forest. It was scenic, but hilly, of course. At the 62-mile mark of today's ride, my bicycle odometer went over 3,000 miles. The last six miles on the forest road were downhill...it was beautiful and fun, BUT a little dangerous with some loose gravel on the turns. (More on that later) Our group of four riders (including Zach) really worked hard to get in the full 108 miles by 4:45 PM. By tnen, it was 91 degrees! It would be over an hour before we saw some of the others. Then, we heard the news. One of our riders crashed on those gravel downhills and was taken to the hospital. The last word we got was that she was bandaged up and will be fine...they are on their way back from the hospital as I write. So, the rest of us have been sitting in our stinky smelly cycling gear for hours because our clean clothes are in the van. Once again, we have had gracious hosts here in Lock Haven. A great meal and offers of showers and BEDS! This will be my fifth time to sleep in a bed since June 16th.

The 108 miles marks our second longest day of the tour. We now have just three more days of riding. Mixed emotions about the tour ending. It will be nice to sleep in and NOT spend 8 to 10 hours on a bicycle every day, but we will miss the team mates, and talking to people along the way; seeing their astonished reactions when we tell them where we started and where we are going. Also, formally presenting the issue of Human Trafficking will be missed. On the other hand, I miss my wife and daughter LIKE CRAZY. Can't wait to see them in New York this Sunday. Seven and a half weeks away from each other has been way too much! (At the same time, I am thankful for a wife who allowed me and Zach to go on such a crazy adventure!)

Thanks for taking the time to read my ramblings.

Random thoughts of a cyclist.

Entered Pennsylvania today. Lots of hills. And Amish buggies! Lots of long UP hills. The DOWN hill goes much faster. Thirsty. More hills. Hot. Sun beating down. Peddle, peddle, peddle. Up more hills. Need water. Tired. One week left. Will miss the fellowship of our 12 team mates. More hills. Thirsty. Legs still pumping. Low gears up the hills. Where can I get more water. More hills? Grove City College for a break. Lunch by a river. Better not drink THAT water! Some people do not have clean water. Peddle, peddle, peddle. More hills. Why are we doing this? Why? I could be home relaxing. It is summer vacation. 92 miles of hills. Almost seven weeks now. Almost 3,000 miles total. Thirsty. Peddle, peddle, peddle.

Great welcome at the church in Brookville. Great food and drink! Newspaper reporter. Questions about human trafficking. That's right! THAT is why we are doing this! People are suffering. Worse than me....I chose these hills! I found some water...we even have a support vehicle. Who supports the modern slaves? Who cares for them? Will they be freed? I will sleep on the floor again tonight. But, I am indoors. I am safe. I am loved. Who loves the oppressed? I am indeed blessed. Forgive me for complaining. Hills while bicycling is "nothing." Give me more hills. Give me more thirst. Let the sun beat down. May I get a glimpse of what it is like to really suffer, and may I have true compassion. As You do!

Ohio

We cycled across most of Ohio in just a couple of days, including a 107-mile leg yesterday into Youngstown. Got lost a few times, and that added to the miles and the hours on the bike (from 8 AM to 7 PM). Hosted by the MetroChurch here, and have enjoyed our last day off. Tomorrow we begin the final week of crossing Pennsylvania and New Jersey before arriving in the Big Apple. Far too many stories to share in just a few minutes here before church starts. Thanks to all for the encouragement. We are still generally healthy, and continue to meet some wonderful people along the way. We have seen enough corn fields for a lifetime, but we're not complaining...glad we are so blessed as a nation. Blessings to all.

Illinois-Indiana-Michigan

I see that it has been several days since my last post. Since then, we have left Wisconsin and cycled through parts of Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan. Chicago was a nice stop. We stayed at Ben's house, one of the members of our team. His parents had some Chicago deep-dish pizza for us, and we got to see Glen and Bridget. Zach's college room mate also payed us a visit. On the way out of Chicago the next day, we cycled past Wrigley Field, and stopped for pictures by the waterfront and "The Bean." Gary, Indiana was interesting...enough said. Our first night in Michigan was in Stevensville, by Lake Michigan. Most of the team enjoyed some time in the lake that evening. (I did not have my bathing suit.) Our girls even got to stay in a very nice Bed & Breakfast! Yesterday's ride (about 96 miles) from Stevensville to Battle Creek was VERY hot and humid. We were drenched in our own perspiration the entire day. Had a good meeting at the church there. Today's ride was much more tolerable. Even though we cycled 103 miles, it was a bit cooler and the humidity was low. We also had some nice, even shady roads to cycle on. We are now in southern Michigan, just outside of Toledo, Ohio. The church here tonight had a community dinner, so we got to informally share about our ride and about the cause. Tomorrow we enter Ohio and continue to go east. Our total milage is up to about 2,642 miles. Close to 100 miles again tomorrow. We are "turning the corner for home" now, with mixed emotions. What are we going to do when we don't have to get up early and put on our cycling gear and bicycle all day? Oh yes...real life!

Rest in Milwaukee

Today was a rest day at the Salter home in Muskego, just outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Becky Salter is one of the members of our team. Two other team members have parents here, as well. Zach has been visiting with a college friend. Our 63-mile ride here yesterday was delayed until after noon because of the unsettled weather, but we managed to cycle without the torrential rain that we experienced on Thursday. Parts of southeastern Wisconsin have received up to 8 inches of rain in recent days. There is flooding in several places, and a feeling of dense humidity in the air. So, today was a day to get caught up on some details. For me, I needed to get to a Verizon Wireless store to get a new phone. My old one had kicked the bucket. Cell phones are especially useful while we are biking because text messages concerning the route are often sent to the different cyclists. It has also been a good way to stay in touch with family members. Anyway, the fellow I purchased the phone from had just had a double lung transplant and was proud to show us pictures of his "old" lungs as a result of cystic fibrosis.

It is amazing to think that five of our seven weeks of cycling are now complete. We have been to a total of seven states, but still have seven states to go! (Eastern states are smaller than in the West.) Tomorrow is a relatively easy day of riding, but a busy day with church presentations. On Monday we go to Chicago. Tuesday we swing around the lake through Indiana and go up into Michigan for a couple of days. Then, it's on to Ohio, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and finally, New York!