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!

Where is the "Rock?"

Today's catchy title comes from the fact that we are in Plymouth. I finished my first cross country bicycle tour in Plymouth, Massachusetts. This is Plymouth, Wisconsin. No rock here, but we did receive a warm welcome from the church folk here, along with a great dinner! Before that, we cycled a relatively "short" 60 miles...the only problem is that it rained pretty much all day. Also, the wind was in our face and got stronger as the day wore on. I also had a flat tire- the first in quite a while for me. Then, the pastor here asked a few of us to help him set up a HUGE tent for a wedding coming up this weekend. We were glad to do it, except that it rained even harder! I don't think I could have been any more wet! Somehow we managed to get the tent up with all of the water on it...quite a project. Tomorrow it is on to Milwaukee!

Two consecutive "centuries!"

Today, Wednesday, July 21, we went over 100 miles for the second day in a row. Today's ride from Wausau to Green Bay was a bit easier than yesterday's. No flat tires. No thunder storms. No getting kicked off of the highway. We rode on mostly "back roads" of Wisconsin, and the traffic was sparse. The biggest difference was the tailwinds. At times we were able to go over 20 miles an hour on flat stretches of road. We got finished with the ride a lot sooner than yesterday. I failed to mention in yesterday's blog that some people did not get in until nearly 8 PM! Today, most of us were to Green Bay by 4:30 PM.

Actually, we are in the small town of Oneida, on the Oneida Indian Reservation! Our host family, the Falks, made a wonderful meal for us, and then we went to their church to get showers. We are now well-fed and clean, a combination that doesn't happen very often on this tour...at least not during the day when we are grinding out the miles. One of the special things about tonight's schedule is that one of the Falk children has just returned from Thailand, working in the very Community Center that we are raising money for! It will be great to hear more about it and possibly see some pictures! I don't mention enough about our cause on these blogs. The more we talk about it as we travel along, the more my heart goes out to these mostly women and children who are in poverty and have very little to really live for. We are certainly raising awareness for all types of Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking, but specifically for this one village in Thailand.

So, it was a mostly good day. One big "bummer" was the fact that one of our leaders had his bike frame brake today...that will be a major fix. Tomorrow we start heading south for a few days, as bicycles that cross large bodies of water, such as Lake Michigan, have not been invented yet. It will seem strange going south rather than east. By Monday we will get to Chicago, bend around the southern tip of the lake, and start going east once again. Thanks for thinking of us, and reading these word descriptions. Zach periodically posts photos on his Facebook page, and you can get there through my Facebook, as well.

Tim and Zach

Y2K

Tuesday, July 20, 2010

Tuesday marked exactly one month since this tour began. Also, it ended up being our longest day in terms of time and miles ridden. Without getting into great detail, we had some interesting events. One of the guys who had not yet had a flat tire got one today. We were kicked off state route 29. (This was OK with me, as it was very busy, and we rode lesser-used roads.) The down side of this was we had more hills and more turns. At one point, we had a thunder and lightning storm. A group of four of us sought shelter on a porch. There was a nice rainbow afterwards! A TV station contacted us and did some filming. We never saw what aired, as we were out too late and did not have access to TV anyway. The last part of the 114-mile journey was the steepest uphill we have had all tour! Nothing in the Rockies or Cascades compared to it! At the top was the Highlands Community Church of Wausau, Wisconsin. The Y2K in the title? That is because we went over 2,000 miles for the tour today, as well!

Wisconsin!

Monday, July 19, 2010

I am actually writing this on Wednesday as we have had some busy days and not much opportunity to write. On Monday we crossed the border into the state of Wisconsin! After an "average" day of 80 miles we arrived in Eau Claire. At a church there, we had a "banquet" followed by a presentation. Then, we were taken to host homes. I was excited about the possibility of sleeping in a bed, and even posted something on Facebook about that. Five of us guys were taken to a host apartment. There were two beds, a sofa, an air mattress, and a small love seat. We decided to flip coins for "first dibs" on the sleeping arrangements. I lost every time. I was left with the love seat. It was far too small to stretch out on, so I took the floor again. At this point, I have still slept in only two beds since June 16th! Not to complain...I actually seem to rest well on the floor.

The Mighty Mississippi!

This morning I got up a little earlier than most of the others. Knowing it was an easier day for cycling, I decided to run. Seeing as how we were only about a mile from the Mall Of America, I headed for that, and then actually ran inside the mall! It was long before the stores were open, and only a few people were there. Not known for my shopping abilities, this suited me just fine! I also had the opportunity to do one of those things that has been on my "bucket list" for a long time...run UP a DOWN escalator! After a shower and breakfast, we loaded up the van and headed back to North Central University in downtown Minneapolis. This was to be an easier ride...along the bike trails in Minneapolis, and then across the mighty Mississippi River into St. Paul. Saw the governor's mansion, the cathedral, and then we re-enacted the "Rocky" scene on the steps of the Minnesota state capitol building! Our videographer was here, and he is continuing to put together some footage for an upcoming documentary on Venture Expeditions. After 12.4 miles, we stopped at the trailhead where tomorrow's ride will begin, and loaded the bicycles back into the trailer. Tonight is the Just & Hope benefit concert, and between tonight and tomorrow the team will be presenting in about six church services. Then, tomorrow afternoon, anyone interested from the Twin Cities bicycling community will be able to join us on the ride along the bicycle path to Stillwater, Minnesota. On Monday we shall get back to the bigger milage days and head into Wisconsin. As I write this, Zach (who IS a shopper) is at the Mall of America with a friend from Cedarville. He purchased a green bicycle tire today at a bicycle shop, so he should be ready for the second half of the Tour!

Halfway Home!

Yesterday (July 15th) was to be a long day for us, so we had a 4:30 AM wake-up call. We had a nice breakfast in a little diner (Freida's) in Willmar, Minnesota, and then got on the road. The storm had passed, and therefore the winds had shifted to a much more "friendly" westerly breeze. As a result, we made some amazing time! We knew that it would be some 96-97 miles to Minneapolis. Our first break came at the 30-mile mark, and we had lunch at 61 miles (11:30 AM), and those were the only re-fueling stops that we made. The only other stop was in Darwin, where we saw the world's largest ball of twine made by one person. This was quite the highlight of the tour! (Sarcasm intended). At North Central University in downtown Minneapolis, we had a chance to shower and, and I got a self-guided tour of the University. North Central is one of our key sponsors, and a few of the riders have attended or are attending there.
In the evening, we had a very unusual experience...this just happens to be the weekend for the International Biking Film Festival in Minneapolis. We gathered first in Gold Medal Park with hundreds of other cyclists. Then, we took a very slow 6-mile ride through downtown Minneapolis en route to the Art Museum. We were really clogging up traffic all along the way (the Twins were home playing the Chicago White Sox), but it was a lot of fun. We probably saw more people in that one ride than we had seen for days in Montana. Our group wore the Just & Hope jerseys, which led to some conversations about our group and the cause. On Saturday evening, we are doing a benefit concert at a local coffee shop, and invited anyone interested.
Today (July 16) was a rest day for our group. We have been staying at the home of a Venture Expeditions board member's house. It is large, comfortable, and is on one of the thousands of lakes here in Minnesota. We have also been fed like royalty every few hours. Reading, napping, and playing on the lake have been the most strenous parts of our day. We even watched the day's action in the Tour de France! A few of the team members did a radio interview. A few others are back at the film festival as I write this promoting our cause and the concert tomorrow night.
So, how are we feeling at the half-way point? Pretty good, I would say. The legs and lungs are strong. Zach is recovering from his recent crash, though he is still lacking some fine motor control in his left hand. My wounds from the crash in the first week are almost entirely healed. (I almost lost control of the bike at one point yesterday.) The team is doing very well. Our personalities, while very different from one another, seem to blend well together. When a group of 14 people spends this much time together, we get to know each other VERY well!
Today marks one month to the day since I last saw my wife and daughter. That, as you may expect, is a "record." We call or text fairly often. They are enjoying the work at Camp-Of-The-Woods.
The next couple of days include rather short bike rides, and numerous opportunities to share about the cause.
Thanks again to our supporters and readers!

Windesota!

Yesterday (Tuesday, July 13) was another windy day. We got up at the usual 5:30 time at Calvary Assembly church in Milbank, South Dakota. Our morning routine was a bit different today...after packing our belongings, having our team meeting, spotlight, and devotional, we cycled just a couple of miles to Hardees...the pastor was treating us to breakfast there! By 8 AM, we were back on the road...still US route 12 heading east. It was soon apparent that we would have headwinds again. This would be the third day in a row fighting winds.

After just 11 miles, we crossed the border into Minnesota. For several members of the team, this was a cause for celebration...many call this state home or have gone to school here. I cycled with a lead pack of about 8 in the early miles. As the day went on, this "pack" shrunk down. For those of you not into cycling, it is always easier to cycle in packs, particularly on windy days, so that those in the front can block the wind. Those riders behind then "draft" the leaders. While this makes the riding more efficient, it also increases the possibility of crashes, and we have had a number of those in recent days.

We had lunch in Benson, Minnesota...the usual sandwiches by the side of the road, with fruit, chips, granola bars, etc. I am sure that I have mentioned the enormous amount of eating that we do on this trip...perhaps 7,000 calories per day! The "native" Minnesotans may not like this comment, but most of us found the Minnesota landscape to be rather dull. Plenty of cornfields and not much else! It was a tough day mentally and physically. One rider broke a spoke shortly after the Hardees breakfast, and had to ride in the van for the day, as there were no bicycle shops to be had. A couple of others also did not make it through the entire day of cycling...one was sick and the other had a cycling-related injury. One of the points that we make as we present the ride and the cause at churches is that we are "ordinary people," not professional cyclists.

So, we fought the winds and the boredom hour after hour for 85 miles until the lead group got into Willmar, Minnesota around 4 PM. The last group got in around 6:30. Our destination today was the Evangelical Free church in Willmar. This is Todd's home church (one of our team members). There to greet us were his parents, grandparents, and wife! Also, several of the church staff came, as well. Following a much-needed shower and an awesome meal, we did a Just & Hope presentation for the church folk there. Todd and his wife sang a couple of songs that were related to the modern slavery theme, we showed the video, and answered questions from the congregation. Zach was part of the "panel" to answer questions and he did a great job tonight with detailed, interesting, and sound answers. Then, after 9 PM, we got taken to two different homes so that we could sleep in real beds! (For me, this would be only the second time sleeping in a bed since June 16th!) Several of us are here at Todd's parents house, on a lake in Spicer, Minnesota. Today (Wednesday) will be a much-needed rest day. We expect to just rest and hang out by the lake, and possibly go to a concert tonight. This will be our first full rest day in ten days. The bicycles are locked in the church garage back in Willmar, and we don't even expect to see them today! We are now just about half-way through our tour. Tomorrow we shall have another 90-100 mile day into Minneapolis. There, the Venture Expeditions staff will have a "half-way" recognition for us. We should also get more rest and preparation for the second half of the tour. While we have seen lots of open spaces, small towns, and rural America for the past 3 1/2 weeks, the second half will be more urban in nature, as we go to some of the larger cities along the way between here and New York. As of today, my bicycle odometer is registering 1,697 miles. Thanks for your support and prayers. Zach's left hand is a concern, as he is having some difficulty with his grip. We do not know if it is a result of all the vibrations that are absorbed by our hands each day, or perhaps he bruised a nerve in the crash he had a few days ago. We hope this week will give him a chance to recover some.

Why?

One hundred miles today. Into the wind. Not much scenery in South Dakota. Tired. Hungry. Sore knees. Headwinds. Trucks passing. No shoulder sometimes. Hands going numb. Sore neck. Two crashes on our team today (minor scrapes and bruises.) Sun beating. Bugs. Headwinds. Keep pushing the pedals. Hour after hour. WHY? Children. Women. Slavery. Trafficking. Lost innocence. No way out? Hope... Justice... We are doing our part.

The grasshopper "attack"

Today was a LONG day for us, even though it only had 23 hours. First, we were invited to breakfast at the AG church in McLaughlin by Josephine, a very energeting and interesting Native American from town. Several of her beautiful kids and nephews came early to the church to help her prepare it, as well. Then, it was on to the road for a 100+ mile day. We lost an hour crossing in to the Central Time zone as we crossed the Missouri River. Shortly before that, we went through an area where the road was absolutely covered with grasshoppers! They didn't really "attack" us, but it almost seemed that way. Made stops in Mobridge for some buffalo jerky, and a few other towns for cold water and even an ice cream stop. The sun continued to bear down on us. While we are cycling, it does not seem so bad, as there is always a breeze. When we stopped, however, the mid-90 degree heat was very apparent. Some members of the team had some flat tires and were feeling the heat, and consequently did not get here into Ipswich, South Dakota, until the rest of us had begun dinner at a Baptist Church. The crowd was small, so we did an informal presentation, and had a lot of laughs, as well. Today marked the sixth consecutive day of cycling at least 78 miles, so we are very much looking forward to an easier day tomorrow. After church, we shall cycle only about 26 miles to Aberdeen. All in all, the tour continues to go well. The team members from the Minneapolis area are starting to get very excited as we shall enter their home area this coming week, and have our "half-way celebration." We continue to appreciate your prayers, emails, text messages, and comments.
Tim

Crash and burn!?

July 9, 2010
These creative titiles are designed to draw you in. Today we cycled out of North Dakota into South Dakota! One of the first towns we got to there was Lemmon. Two days prior, I (Tim) had given some information to a motorist about our tour, and he then explained that we ought to stop in his town (Lemmon) for a visit and some publicity. Since we had a big day ahead, we could not stay long, but a reporter from the Dakota Herlad was there and interviewed Josiah and took some team pictures for their issue coming out next week. (It is a weekly paper.) While there, we enjoyed visiting the Grand River museum and seeing the fancy art work made from scrap metal...very cool.
Shortly after leaving Lemmon, Zach had a crash...he just lost concentration for a few seconds and went down. Pretty nasty scrapes on his left elbow and knee, as well as a few other places. When he got to the lunch stop he was pretty bloody, but he is fine and did not miss any of the cycling. The "burn" part refers to the burning heat that we have been experiencing, along with some sunburn. We miss the clouds and rain that we had at the beginning of the tour!
Most of our day was spent on the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. At the end of the day, we stayed in the high school gym in McLaughlin, South Dakota. We DID get to use the swimming pool before a nice dinner by some of the team members in the kitchen of the school. Altogether, it was a 93.5-mile day.

Out of Montana!

July 8, 2010
The folks at the AG church in Baker put on perhaps the best breakfast we have had so far! From Baker, Montana, we finally reached another state- North Dakota. We had cycled over 750 miles in the state of Montana. Saw some badlands and some "modern almost-ghost towns." Had a lunch visit with a pastor in Bowman, ND. Then, we took advantage of great cycling conditions to do the last 40 miles in under two hours, to get to Hettinger, North Dakota. It was an 85.7-mile day. I even went for a little jog around town before we had a church dinner and presentation.

Still in Montana!

July 7, 2010
Today our ride took us from Miles City to Baker, Montana. Does it seem like we have been in Montana for a long time? The answer is "Yes!". Now, the North Dakota border is only 12 miles away! Today's 80-mile ride was actually fairly easy. There were some rolling hills, and we gained 600 feet in elevation, but that wonderful westerly breeze was still at our backs! Also, the traffic was minimal. It was actually about 67 miles to the first town (Plevna)! At one roadside stop today, a camper with a South Dakota plate pulled over as we were eating (we eat a LOT). I walked over, wearing my World Vision jersey, and the man asked if we were riding for World Vision. "Not exactly," I explained, but went on to tell him about Venture Expeditions and our cause. Turns out he is a pastor in Lemmon, South Dakota, and we will pass through that town on Friday morning...one of those "chance" encounters that we have had.
Now we are at the Assembly of God church in Baker. Tonight we shall have a bar-b-q, followed by a presentation for the Just & Hope campaign. It will probably be informal, but every group or person we can talk to is one more that will be informed! While we have this amazing freedom to bicycle across some incredible landscapes, millions do not have any freedoms at all. Thanks to all who are praying for us. We have been safe and we have been having a blast doing this "crazy thing." God bless!
Tim

When the pavement ends...

July 6, 2010
What should we do when the pavement ends and we still have 25 miles of gravel into the town (Miles City) we are going to? That decision faced us on Tuesday as we were having, until that time, a relatively easy ride to that point. After some discussion, we loaded the bikes up into the trailer and went BACK about 8 miles to the last turn-off, unloaded the bicycles, and took a different road. For part of that distance, we needed to get on an Interstate Highway (legal in Montana). We did have a few flat tires to repair on I-94. Zach had one of those, and another member of the team had a couple. It turned into a longer day than we expected. Fortunately, the temperature and humidity were down significantly from what y'all are experiencing back east. It was all worthwhile when we got to the Bible Church in Miles City, and had lots of Gatorade and Pizza Hut pizza waiting for us! An 85-mile day!

On the trail of Lewis and Clark

July 5, 2010.

We left Billings this morning and continued to head east along the Yellowstone River. As it was officially a holiday, and we were heading OUT of Billings, AND there are not very many people east of Billings, AND we were traveling a road that paralleled the interstate, we had a good day in terms of traffic...not much. We are certainly out of the mountains by now, but there was still one significant landmark that we were looking forward to...Pompeys Pillar along the Yellowstone River. It was about 30 miles into today's journey. It was at Pompeys Pillar on July 25, 1806 that William Clark (of Lewis and Clark) carved his name into the rock. His signature is still visible today! I was again able to tell the National Park staff member a bit about the purpose of our trip and give her a Venture card.

Back on the road, we had mostly tailwinds again, and we made good progress. Also, I (Tim) had no flat tires today, but Zach did have two. Around the 55-mile mark we got onto a very interesting road with a sandstone ledge containing some awesome erosional features to our left and agricultural fields to our right. Went the last 26 miles with Zach and Ben. We got to Hysham around 3 PM, and we are staying in the school. The K-12 school now has about 100 students...10 in this year's graduating class. The town appears to be fading away, with lots of empty storefronts along main street. I went for an easier jog in the late afternoon. No presentation tonight, but we had a spaghetti dinner prepared in the home ec room.

Today's totoal distance was 78 miles, and we officially went over 1,000 miles for the tour! Tomorrow we go on to Miles City, Montana, and finally get to another state (North Dakota) on Wednesday.

Independence Day!

It was a nice day off from riding for us! We still got up early and cleared out of the church so that they could set up for the service. We had breakfast in the parking lot of an Albertson's here in Billings. I invited three homeless men to join us. They appreciated some food. One was in Federal prison for some 20 years, he claimed.

Then we went back to the Harvest Church for the 9 AM service.

In the afternoon we took a drive in the van down (or up) US route 212 past Red Lodge to the "Beartooth Highway." It was awesome...we eventually got close to 11,000 feet above sea level and saw plenty of snow! Had a conversation with a woman there and she gave a $20 donation to the Just & Hope Campaign.

Back in Billings we went to a 4th of July festival sponsored by the church. There was food, music, and face-painting!

Tomorrow we should go over 1,000 miles for the trip. Just a couple more days in eastern Montana before we finally get to the Dakotas. I put a new tire on my back wheel...hopefully that will lead to fewer flat tires!

Tim

Some days are like that, even in Australia

July 3, 2010

Today started off as a good day of cycling...a strong tail-wind got us through the first 23 miles in one hour. Plus, there was very little traffic. Then, some rain came along. Then, at the 34-mile mark, in the rain, I had my first flat tire of the day. Yes, first. Without going into great details, I had three flats today. Consequently, I was near the back of the group arriving in Billings. Much of the group had been there over an hour. As I was ready with my alibi for being so late, I learned that Zach actually had FOUR flat tires! (But he still beat me in.) Two others had one each. So, on a day when the team had 9 flat tires, 7 of them belonged to the Murphys. I really do not want to sound like I'm complaining. It was, in fact, a good day of riding. We even caught an early 4th of July parade in the very small town of Lavina...that was a fun experience! The winds were with us most of the day, and the 97.4-mile ride seemed almost effortless. When I think of the people we are doing this for who have NO freedom, and we had the freedom to ride 97 miles across central Montana today, I am humbled and grateful. Also, as Independence Day approaches, I am even more grateful for the freedom and abundance and beauty that God has blessed us with. As we arrived here in Billings, one of the largest cities in Montana, we saw a heard of some 20 pronghorn antelope, right here within the city! Not sure if we will blog tomorrow- happy 4th of July to all!

Tim

Hail in Harlowton!

I suppose that was a catchy titile for the blog. Truth is, from the safety of the public library in Harlowton, Montana, a hail storm just came through about 15 minutes ago...these hailstones were BIG..marble-sized! Glad our ride for the day was done. Actually, Zach got caught in some rain and hail today as he was in the last group to finish. My group had some very stiff north winds. Since we were cycling east, we had to sort of lean over at about a 70-degree angle from the road so that the wind would not blow us over! Before, that, we actually had a good day of cycling, with some tail-winds and very low amounts of traffic. We have another church dinner tonight at the Assembly of God church here, with a presentation to follow.
Yesterday's ride into White Sulphur Springs was a bit more difficult than expected. We had an eleven-mile climb through the Big Belt mountains between Helena and White Sulphur Springs. We also were racing against a thunder and lightning storm yesterday afternoon to get into town. After the ride yesterday, we actually got to enjoy the sulphur springs- geothermally heated water, before another hail storm forced us inside. We then did a presentaion in a Lutheran-Presbyterian Church. After that, most of the team was given a private "tour" of the museum in WSS...very interesting histroy in this part of the country!
I reckon the key is to get the riding done as early in the day as possible. Tomorrow we have a 90-plus mile ride into Billings. They had a tornado there a couple of weeks ago...we have been told that is a very rare thing!
Altogether, we have now cycled over 850 miles. The group has been very supportive of each other, and we manage to have a lot of fun, as well. Thanks for reading...we have a "system" down now...I write most of the words, and Zach posts pictures on Facebook.
Thanks to all who are thinking and praying for us!
Tim