Charlotte (Day Off)
We began our day off in Charlotte with a late 9:30 wake up. But, by now, we have realized that these later wake-ups serve no additional benefit because we stay up much later the night before and it is only for one day so our body doesn’t get used to it. We headed to the mall first, but being a Sunday, the mall was still not fully open. A quick change of plans took us to Panda Express and Chipotle for a brunch around 10:30. We returned to the mall later and had an opportunity to purchase “gag gifts” for our secret team member. Next, we departed for a friendship visit at a local lake where we had the opportunity to go on boat rides and had fruit sundaes (they made a change to fruit from ice cream this year, unfortunately). To cap off the day, we had dinner at an Alumni’s house in a Charlotte Suburb. Our fraternity CEO, Mark Timmes was there and we had a chance to talk to him for a while. But, the highlight of the night was getting to watch most of Transformers there and relax for an hour or two.
Charlotte to High Point
Today we had a ride along from Chad Coltrain, Push America’s CEO. The ride was a little on the longer side (>80 miles) but remained manageable the whole time. We arrived at the Arc of High Point and spent about half an hour with the people they service. One kid, Bradley, loved my bike and playing with the brakes. We then departed to lodging at the local YMCA where we had plenty to keep us entertained once again. After, we had dinner with the Arc once again at a facility that teaches kids about health matters and their body. We had an absolutely fantastic time there and the best part was the Gross Encounters show that was intended for a much younger audience, which made it that much funnier. This was a great day and we hope the coming days are just as good!
High Point to Danville, VA
The ride from High Point to Danville was originally billed in the grids as a short 50 miles, but we learned that morning that the route would in fact be 68 miles long. But, due to time constraints and an earlier than attainable rack point, the team was racked at mile 45 to make it to the friendship visit on time. We had a fantastic lunch in Danville and then headed to lodging at the Best Western. Later, we returned for a dinner and dance that went from 4:30 to 6, which was absolutely perfect. This early bird dinner allowed a few of us to get out to the movie theater and see Pineapple Express, a fun break from the monotony of our average days. We returned to the hotel around 9:30PM, watched some of the Olympics and went to bed.
Danville to Lynchburg
For this 65 mile ride, I let a crew member do a ride-along on my bike. So, I had a break day. At our first stop (mile 10), the crew member Erich came to a very slow speed and forgot to clip out sending him falling towards the van and barely missing another rider’s bike. It was very funny until I realized the next day that this fall caused my gears to shift only to 6 of my back 8 gears. Luckily, the problem was remedied by a quick trip to the bike shop and some simple adjustments. For dinner in Lynchburg, we had a dinner and dance at the local Arc which was a great time.
Lynchburg to Charlottesville
Everything about this ride that could go wrong went wrong. We got off to a late start because of a bad route choice. This left us about 3 miles away from our starting point for over half an hour. Then we got a frantic call from our Project Manager: he had forgotten that we had a sponsored breakfast that morning. We arrived to that breakfast 5 miles away over 2 hours late. This was embarrassing to say the least. From there, we headed towards US 20, only to realize upon our arrival there (3 miles away from our second breakfast) that bikes are illegal on that road. Next Choice: US 20 Business Route; Too bad it had construction that made it a two lane highway with virtually no shoulder. We stopped a few miles up that road due to safety. After a long time of trying to find alternate routes, we ended up racking the team at mile 10, which was a good decision because of an unusually early arrival. We arrived at the Arc in Charlottesville around 11:30 am, which is where we would be staying that night as well. Over the past few days, I have been in touch with Reg Hubley, a close friend of my grandfather’s, and we managed to meet up shortly after my arrival. Although we only had about 45 minutes, he gave me a tour of the pedestrian mall and we talked about the trip, business, and my grandfather. It was a great break, as this is the first family or friends that I have seen in over two months. After saying goodbye to Mr. Hubley, I was off to a wheelchair basketball game. I think I may have finally gotten a knack for this game: I scored 4 points in my 30 minutes of play time. But, regardless, we got completely obliterated in both games we played against the home team. Next was dinner and our last friendship visit at the Arc of Piedmont. This was a fantastic finish and drew a very large crowd (it was scheduled at the same time as their annual meeting). Manassas is tomorrow and despite the 90 mile ride to get there on the horizon, we can’t wait.
Charlottesville to Manassas
The ride to Manassas is widely considered the last “real ride” of the trip, being a robust 85 miles. Surprisingly, the day went by fast (under 5 hours on the road) and was relatively simple with slow rolling hills the entire time. We stayed at the Antioch Church that night, our last lodging of the trip. The moment of arrival there was almost surreal, knowing that we were doing everything for the last time. That night, we were “initiated” as Pi Alphas (people who have completed an event) and got to hang out with everyone one last time as a group. We signed jerseys, maps, t-shirts and anything else there was to be signed that night, seeking to capture the team in one last way possible. That night, we had dinner at Hooters which might have been good, but the food took close to an hour and a half to come out and our stipend of $7 was hardly enough. We were ready to get to DC. Everyone stayed up until after midnight, trying to enjoy the last real team moments of the journey and hardly worrying about the 5:15 wakeup the next morning.
Manassas to Washington, DC (FINAL DAY!)
We began the day as we did any other day of this trip, with a circle up and breakfast. But, this day was different: no one looked tired, no one looked sore, no one had that distant stare of “why am I here?” We were ready. That morning we rode a fast 45 miles, despite some of the largest hills we have seen in a while. We reached stage up at George Washington University last of the 3 teams, thanks to the most indirect, inefficient route our Project Manager has found so far. But, we arrived on time. We spent close to an hour there, seeing friends from the other teams, taking pictures, and getting ready for the best time of the trip and our lives. We then saddled up and were off in a paceline of 90, led by police and a crew van. These 2 miles were undoubtedly the best of the trip. The capital came into view and then we heard the roar of the crowds there which was inspiring. The meaning of the trip, the reason for all of the pain, and the things we have been missing instantly came into focus. The emotions were overpowering and I was rendered in a state of disbelief. Had I really made it here? How did I make it during those rough days? Well, upon arrival, all of those days instantly became worth it. I feel like I have accomplished something that is so big that I still can’t entirely grasp it. I hope that in the coming days, weeks, years, I will gather more of the value of this experience and see how it shapes and directs my life. I have finally finished the Journey and it was and remains the best experience of my life.
Side-note: Thank you to all of my sponsors: You made this dream possible, you helped me to keep going, and you have made an investment in the people who need it most.
Sincerely,
Alex Mitchell
Monday, August 18, 2008
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
8/12 - Preparing for the End
Carrollton to Atlanta
Carrollton to Atlanta was a shorter ride that had about 15 turns. It seemed that we stayed on no single secondary highway for over 3 miles. Clearly, this was pretty inefficient and contributed to many delays to set up the route and many route changes. Because of this, we had to rack at mile 40 to get into the city for our arrival at time. We arrived a little while later at the Emory Autism Center where we were greeted by our largest and most enthusiastic crowd thus far. We spent a few hours at the EAC, getting to interact with 3 different classes (differentiated by age) and meet plenty of kids. After departing the EAC, we had dinner with a large group of Pi Alphas and Alumni at Lori Ebert’s house. Lori is the Pi Kappa Phi national risk management director and was rated the number one college speaker last year. We swam and had the best steak dinner of the trip at her suburban Atlanta home. We then returned to the Pi Kapp house at Georgia Tech, our lodging for the next two nights.
Atlanta Day Off
Our day off in Atlanta wasn’t as resting as it could have been for me. I had to wake up about 2 hours before wake up time to visit the Emory Sports Medicine Doctor about 20 miles away. My knee has been bothering me for a while now and I just wanted to get it checked out to get some prescription pain medicine and of course to make sure that I was doing no permanent damage. Well after about 2 and half hours at the clinic, I was diagnosed with Quadracept Tendonitis and given a prescription for Naprosyn, a prescription-strength version of Advil, which also acts as an anti-inflammatory. After this visit, the day improved. We had a friendship visit at Mad Mad Whirld where we played laser tag and Whirly ball with the kids from the Autism center we had seen before. After this we had some free time where we visited the World of Coke in downtown Atlanta. Here they detail coke’s history and have a tasting room with over 50 carbonated coke products. Following this break time, we headed to a friendship dinner at a bowling alley. Here I met Melanie and Marc who both were in wheelchairs but absolutely loved bowling. I am not ashamed as well to say that they beat me both games that we played! This was a fantastic visit and probably one of my favorites so far.
Atlanta to Athens
Today was a very unorthodox day in structure: just about everything was different than normal. We began by racking 40 miles to the Twin Lakes Camp to arrive there by 10am, our scheduled friendship visit time. We got a tour of the expansive camp and got to meet loads of campers (it was Sickle Cell Anemia –week.) Every week they cater to a different disability and bring in specialists to support those campers. We had a very unsubstantial lunch at camp and were off for the final 35 miles of the ride in the peak heat time of the day: 2 pm. These combined factors made this short ride horrific. After this, we arrived at Georgia and visited the Pi Kapps house for dinner. After this, we headed to the Best Western and prepared for the second to last over 80 mile day (yes we keep the countdowns going!).
Athens to Clemson, SC
Today was one of our three last days over 80 miles and we can’t be happier. But, unfortunately this ride was not easy and had temperatures climb well into the 100’s with a large amount of humidity. After the hot ride, we arrived at the Clemson Outdoor Lab, an oddly named camp that caters to individuals with disabilities. There, we dropped off our stuff in camp cabins that were actually fantastic lodging (8 to a building – 1 big room, each with its own attached bathrooms and showers). We then got a tour of the facilities, unfortunately with no campers there, which were a little older than those found at Twin Lakes, but still nice. We then watched a slideshow compiled from the summers camp programs which was fantastic for the first 15 minutes and then a little bit repetitive and exhausting for the next 45. After the eventful night, we were off to bed at about 9:30, plenty tired for sleep.
Clemson to Spartanburg, SC
The ride to Spartanburg began early in preparation for the early 11:00 am scheduled arrival; but, we still had to wait for the sun to come up of course. The highlight of the next two days will surely be Bruce Rogers who arrived today after flying in from Colorado. Bruce was the first rider on the Journey of Hope: he solo rode across the US in 40-odd days in 1987 and then went on to start his own company that became the major sponsor of the trip in the 1990’s, KRG Capital. KRG currently sponsors our cars, our gas, and any other incidental expenses of the trip. Without them, the trip would be very different. So clearly, meeting and riding along with Bruce is a fantastic experience that only the Journey of Hope could afford us. The ride was rolling hills for 60 miles, but we were racked at mile 40 in order to arrive for the lunchtime friendship visit on time. After lunch, we headed to lodging at Wofford College, where homemade Strawberry Ice-cream was waiting. We stayed in the dorms that night, which each had a main room, two private bed rooms and a large bathroom with a shower and two sinks. Definitely the best dorms so far. That night, we had another Miracle League baseball game which was a lot of fun. My buddy was Torrey, a blind 12 year old who absolutely loved radio. He has satellite radio, HD radio, and even listens to internet radio. Despite living in South Carolina, he knew more radio stations from the CT area than I did, including WEBE 108… After the game, we had some terrific barbecue for dinner and I ate across from him. He is incredibly modest: when talking to the Miracle League board member, it took him about 5 directed questions to finally admit he was the first one to ride across the US and begin what is now the Journey of Hope. In normal conversation, it came up that I was from Southeastern CT, by New York City in Wilton. Guess where Bruce is heading later this week to check out an advertising company to potentially acquire? Wilton of course. Even though KRG capital is located in Denver, Colorado I may now consider applying for an internship there next summer because of my meeting with Bruce. Today was a good day.
Spartanburg to Charlotte
Today we had another ride along with Bruce Rogers in which I actually had a chance to ride with him for the last 20 miles. He is a great guy and definitely made the close of the ride a lot easier, even if we sped up a little bit to keep up with him. We arrived at the Pi Kappa Phi and Push America headquarters in Charlotte and had the building to relax in for a while. We had lunch there, went on a tour and got to explore old founding documents from each of our chapters which were very interesting. After we left the HQ, we went to our hotel (the Omni) in uptown Charlotte and showered to get ready for our friendship visit. At this crowded visit, we had a dance and a Mr. Journey of Hope Contest (like a Miss America Contest). After the dance and visit we headed back to the hotel and took advantage of the night off. We ended up celebrating Chelsea’s Birthday and having a few interesting elevator rides; even catching some of the Olympics.
Wednesday, August 6, 2008
8/6 ----- 9 Days!
DC is looming and I can't be happier. The trip has been everything I expected and so much more. I have become great friends with many of the people on this trip and I can't wait to visit each others chapters in the years following this journey. But for now, I'm ready to get out of this exhausting routine and for once not have my entire day so planned out.
On that note, here are a few more journal entries...
Livingston to Tuscaloosa
The ride today was short and felt very good. We arrived at the Arc of Tuscaloosa where we had a great lunch/dance party. From there we departed to the Pi Kapps house at the University of Alabama which was absolutely enormous. It is a very longstanding chapter that is already up to initiation numbers in the 1500’s. Currently, they have about 130 actives and in the house almost all of the rooms are singles. The guys were southern fratty for sure: All of them were wearing polos, short khaki shorts, and loafers. We then departed for lodging, a freshman dorm. Later we headed to dinner at the University Club, which by far was the highest-class meal we have had so far (Tilapia, Sautéed Steak and Mushrooms, and an interesting type of Pineapple Cake were the highlights). To celebrate my birthday, I and a few teammates headed to one of their step-brothers who lived in the city and hung-out. The night ended late, but it was a good break from the same-old, same-old routine.
Tuscaloosa to Birmingham, AL
Today I decided to take it rather easy. Spencer Smith and I swept at a relaxed pace for the 45 mile ride. We managed to get the group red-flagged 2 times (one was our fault and one wasn’t). The arrival was at the Exceptional Foundation whose specific mission is to provide its clients with a place to have fun, something that is often lacking in their lives. After heading to lodging at the University of Alabama in Birmingham for a break we headed to a Softball game. Every batter hit a home run and we managed to get everyone involved in the game. Alabama has been great to us so far, but we can’t wait to get to Georgia and start making some northern progress.
Birmingham to Jacksons Gap
The trip from Birmingham to Jacksons Gap is a designated “team rack” day. It is the only off day of the trip that we actually make progress (remember it has been since Dallas that we had a day off). We arrived at Camp Ascca around noon. This camp services a different disability every week throughout the year from Diabetes to Hemophilia to mental disorders. Their facility takes up 240 acres and has frontage on a lake, an extensive ropes course, a fully functional farm and stables, and numerous other activities. Unfortunately, there were no campers there on the weekend so we just got a tour of the empty facility. That night, we watched Armageddon which had been a long time coming. The past month or so, quotes from the movie had been rampant in the pace lines and efforts to acquire the movie had been unsuccessful. After the movie, it was sleep time getting ready for the longest ride left on the trip.
Jacksons Gap to Carrollton
The ride from Jacksons Gap to Carrollton was one of the longest remaining days on the trip if not the longest. It was hilly, hot and lengthy. We arrived after the ride at the Pi Kapps house (West Georgia) and they had about 35 people waiting there for us which was fantastic. This has been the greatest turnout at a chapter that we have experienced so far. Dinner was at the Arc of Carrollton where we only met a few persons with disabilities but still had a great time and enjoyed the Italian meal for a change (it’s been since Nevada!). Finally crossing into Georgia was the highlight of the day and we can’t wait to make it to Atlanta tomorrow!
On that note, here are a few more journal entries...
Livingston to Tuscaloosa
The ride today was short and felt very good. We arrived at the Arc of Tuscaloosa where we had a great lunch/dance party. From there we departed to the Pi Kapps house at the University of Alabama which was absolutely enormous. It is a very longstanding chapter that is already up to initiation numbers in the 1500’s. Currently, they have about 130 actives and in the house almost all of the rooms are singles. The guys were southern fratty for sure: All of them were wearing polos, short khaki shorts, and loafers. We then departed for lodging, a freshman dorm. Later we headed to dinner at the University Club, which by far was the highest-class meal we have had so far (Tilapia, Sautéed Steak and Mushrooms, and an interesting type of Pineapple Cake were the highlights). To celebrate my birthday, I and a few teammates headed to one of their step-brothers who lived in the city and hung-out. The night ended late, but it was a good break from the same-old, same-old routine.
Tuscaloosa to Birmingham, AL
Today I decided to take it rather easy. Spencer Smith and I swept at a relaxed pace for the 45 mile ride. We managed to get the group red-flagged 2 times (one was our fault and one wasn’t). The arrival was at the Exceptional Foundation whose specific mission is to provide its clients with a place to have fun, something that is often lacking in their lives. After heading to lodging at the University of Alabama in Birmingham for a break we headed to a Softball game. Every batter hit a home run and we managed to get everyone involved in the game. Alabama has been great to us so far, but we can’t wait to get to Georgia and start making some northern progress.
Birmingham to Jacksons Gap
The trip from Birmingham to Jacksons Gap is a designated “team rack” day. It is the only off day of the trip that we actually make progress (remember it has been since Dallas that we had a day off). We arrived at Camp Ascca around noon. This camp services a different disability every week throughout the year from Diabetes to Hemophilia to mental disorders. Their facility takes up 240 acres and has frontage on a lake, an extensive ropes course, a fully functional farm and stables, and numerous other activities. Unfortunately, there were no campers there on the weekend so we just got a tour of the empty facility. That night, we watched Armageddon which had been a long time coming. The past month or so, quotes from the movie had been rampant in the pace lines and efforts to acquire the movie had been unsuccessful. After the movie, it was sleep time getting ready for the longest ride left on the trip.
Jacksons Gap to Carrollton
The ride from Jacksons Gap to Carrollton was one of the longest remaining days on the trip if not the longest. It was hilly, hot and lengthy. We arrived after the ride at the Pi Kapps house (West Georgia) and they had about 35 people waiting there for us which was fantastic. This has been the greatest turnout at a chapter that we have experienced so far. Dinner was at the Arc of Carrollton where we only met a few persons with disabilities but still had a great time and enjoyed the Italian meal for a change (it’s been since Nevada!). Finally crossing into Georgia was the highlight of the day and we can’t wait to make it to Atlanta tomorrow!
Saturday, August 2, 2008
8/2 - Getting Close!
Shreveport to Monroe
The ride from Shreveport to Monroe began with an unorthodox breakfast at McDonalds. But, the change of pace was refreshing and the meal actually provided a great amount of calories for the start of the day. The actual riding was lengthy, humid, and slightly hilly but was made more interesting by the myriad of ride-alongs from local bike clubs and Pi Kapp Alums. In Monroe, we arrived at the local recreation center where we would be sleeping on the basketball courts that night. We had dinner with an organization called Arco and finished the night with about 2 hours of volleyball. It was a rather uneventful day, but still a good one.
Monroe to Vicksburg, MS
Today was a great day of riding; according to our Crew Chief who rode in 2007, this is the only “flat day” of the trip. The biggest hill we climbed was a short incline to get over a highway. We had lunch on the Mississippi side of the Mississippi river with some parents of former riders. They had homemade ice cream for us in a variety of flavors which was one of the absolutely best things we’ve had so far. After lunch, we compensated for the lack of hills before lunch by climbing out of the river basin and heading across hilly Vicksburg to our lodging at the YMCA. The YMCA quickly turned out to be one of the best places we have lodged so far because of all the space, a pool, and no supervision. The “all-call” on the intercom got a lot of usage that night. We had a sponsored southern dinner – Catfish, biscuits, and hush puppies. This was a great day and we are definitely excited to be passing through states now in no longer than 4 days for the rest of the trip.
Vicksburg to Jackson, MS
Vicksburg to Jackson was one of our shorter rides (about 40 miles) but had a considerable amount of hills. The entire day went in the pattern: ½ mile uphill then about ½ mile downhill (repeat). The road surface was pretty bad so we couldn’t keep up enough on the down hills to put a dent into the uphill portion. In Jackson, the state capital, we had an amazing arrival that consisted of 4 motorcycle cops, 3 police cars + our 5 vans. It made for an awesome experience that drew plenty of people out of the buildings along the route to watch. Upon arrival at the capitol building, we were greeted by the mayor of Jackson (who is also currently under indictment, but that’s another story…) who delivered a fantastic speech for us. We had a lot of press coverage at the event, both TV and newspaper. After the arrival, we headed to LIFE (living independence for everyone) and had lunch and spent time with some of the individuals we had seen at the arrival. This facility catered primarily to those with physical disabilities (blindness, inability to walk, etc.) and we learned a lot in our time there. We then traveled to lodging at a religious college/school in the area. This facility was in one of the poorer sections of town and was surrounded by an 8 foot fence complete with barbed wire and a full-time guard. We were notified that we would be locked into the compound at 9 PM. Good thing we had plenty of movies and internet access to pass the night faster.
Jackson to Meridian
Jackson to Meridian was one of our remaining longer days. We rode until about 2 PM when we arrived at the community college there. We then showered up and departed for a sponsored sonic drink which I made the biggest meal I could find there (Extra long Chili Cheese Coney with large fries and a large coke. This was very filling, but I still believe I could have eaten much much more. We headed back to lodging and had some free time to nap or use the internet before leaving for dinner. That night we had dinner with the Civitans in the cafeteria which was a very short walk away from our dorms (a definite plus). The highlight of the dinner was a local police officer who came and told us some captivating stories about the week’s 3 bank robberies. He also pulled out his taser and offered to let people feel what it is like to get tased (no one obliged…). After dinner, most of the team watched Saw and headed off to bed.
Meridian to Livingston, AL
We began today’s ride with a breakfast at McDonalds, which contrary to common thought, is a fantastic breakfast before biking. After this meal, I didn’t need additional food for about 35 miles (compared to the normal 15). We pace lined out of the city with a police escort and had a very short day of riding to Livingston. We had an arrival at the front of the University of West Alabama where we met a few Pi Kapps from the local chapter. We had a sponsored meal at the cafeteria for lunch and at a local restaurant for dinner. This restaurant has provided food for us every year since the Journey of Hope began, and they did everything right! That night was the night we had heard about for a while: the trailer trash party thrown at the actual doublewide trailer that our fraternity has at UWA. I decided against going and I was glad I made that decision when most of the under-21 crowd returned within 30 minutes of leaving. There will be plenty of opportunities to celebrate once we arrive, no need to ruin all the progress made with one bad decision.
Small Sample of Pictures from the Trip:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2015306&l=39b9e&id=1088280919
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2015604&l=2bdef&id=1088280919
The ride from Shreveport to Monroe began with an unorthodox breakfast at McDonalds. But, the change of pace was refreshing and the meal actually provided a great amount of calories for the start of the day. The actual riding was lengthy, humid, and slightly hilly but was made more interesting by the myriad of ride-alongs from local bike clubs and Pi Kapp Alums. In Monroe, we arrived at the local recreation center where we would be sleeping on the basketball courts that night. We had dinner with an organization called Arco and finished the night with about 2 hours of volleyball. It was a rather uneventful day, but still a good one.
Monroe to Vicksburg, MS
Today was a great day of riding; according to our Crew Chief who rode in 2007, this is the only “flat day” of the trip. The biggest hill we climbed was a short incline to get over a highway. We had lunch on the Mississippi side of the Mississippi river with some parents of former riders. They had homemade ice cream for us in a variety of flavors which was one of the absolutely best things we’ve had so far. After lunch, we compensated for the lack of hills before lunch by climbing out of the river basin and heading across hilly Vicksburg to our lodging at the YMCA. The YMCA quickly turned out to be one of the best places we have lodged so far because of all the space, a pool, and no supervision. The “all-call” on the intercom got a lot of usage that night. We had a sponsored southern dinner – Catfish, biscuits, and hush puppies. This was a great day and we are definitely excited to be passing through states now in no longer than 4 days for the rest of the trip.
Vicksburg to Jackson, MS
Vicksburg to Jackson was one of our shorter rides (about 40 miles) but had a considerable amount of hills. The entire day went in the pattern: ½ mile uphill then about ½ mile downhill (repeat). The road surface was pretty bad so we couldn’t keep up enough on the down hills to put a dent into the uphill portion. In Jackson, the state capital, we had an amazing arrival that consisted of 4 motorcycle cops, 3 police cars + our 5 vans. It made for an awesome experience that drew plenty of people out of the buildings along the route to watch. Upon arrival at the capitol building, we were greeted by the mayor of Jackson (who is also currently under indictment, but that’s another story…) who delivered a fantastic speech for us. We had a lot of press coverage at the event, both TV and newspaper. After the arrival, we headed to LIFE (living independence for everyone) and had lunch and spent time with some of the individuals we had seen at the arrival. This facility catered primarily to those with physical disabilities (blindness, inability to walk, etc.) and we learned a lot in our time there. We then traveled to lodging at a religious college/school in the area. This facility was in one of the poorer sections of town and was surrounded by an 8 foot fence complete with barbed wire and a full-time guard. We were notified that we would be locked into the compound at 9 PM. Good thing we had plenty of movies and internet access to pass the night faster.
Jackson to Meridian
Jackson to Meridian was one of our remaining longer days. We rode until about 2 PM when we arrived at the community college there. We then showered up and departed for a sponsored sonic drink which I made the biggest meal I could find there (Extra long Chili Cheese Coney with large fries and a large coke. This was very filling, but I still believe I could have eaten much much more. We headed back to lodging and had some free time to nap or use the internet before leaving for dinner. That night we had dinner with the Civitans in the cafeteria which was a very short walk away from our dorms (a definite plus). The highlight of the dinner was a local police officer who came and told us some captivating stories about the week’s 3 bank robberies. He also pulled out his taser and offered to let people feel what it is like to get tased (no one obliged…). After dinner, most of the team watched Saw and headed off to bed.
Meridian to Livingston, AL
We began today’s ride with a breakfast at McDonalds, which contrary to common thought, is a fantastic breakfast before biking. After this meal, I didn’t need additional food for about 35 miles (compared to the normal 15). We pace lined out of the city with a police escort and had a very short day of riding to Livingston. We had an arrival at the front of the University of West Alabama where we met a few Pi Kapps from the local chapter. We had a sponsored meal at the cafeteria for lunch and at a local restaurant for dinner. This restaurant has provided food for us every year since the Journey of Hope began, and they did everything right! That night was the night we had heard about for a while: the trailer trash party thrown at the actual doublewide trailer that our fraternity has at UWA. I decided against going and I was glad I made that decision when most of the under-21 crowd returned within 30 minutes of leaving. There will be plenty of opportunities to celebrate once we arrive, no need to ruin all the progress made with one bad decision.
Small Sample of Pictures from the Trip:
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2015306&l=39b9e&id=1088280919
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=2015604&l=2bdef&id=1088280919
Monday, July 28, 2008
7/28 - Update in Jackson, MS
Fort Worth to Dallas
Our ride from Fort Worth to Dallas is one of the shortest on the itinerary (under 50 miles) but was still a long one. After a sponsored breakfast at lodging, we rode about 25 miles to Arlington City Hall for an arrival and another breakfast. We stayed there for over an hour before departing for our final destination of Dallas (actually just outside of dallas). At Dallas, we arrived at the Bachman Center where met residents, put on a KOB and had a sponsored meal. After dinner, we had a team meeting in which Andy, one of the crew members, informed us that he would be going home because of an alcohol violation after he had received an earlier warning. Zach, one of his best friends and another crew member, decided to head home as well as an act of loyalty. This event left all team members stunned and at a loss for words. Their departure was so quick and without prior notice. After they left, we heard that Adam had been sent home from the North route, another alcohol violation. These hit the team like a ton of bricks and made it hard to enjoy the night at all. As we fell asleep that night at the Bachman Center, we were noticeably two less.
Dallas (Day off)
For our day off at Dallas, we woke up at 8am and had a sponsored breakfast at lodging. We began the day by traveling to a local church for an outdoor water “fair” for children with disabilities. Most of these children were under 5 and all had a fantastic time playing in the small pools and on the water slides. This was a lot of fun and a great way to jump start the day. After eating lunch there, we left for Hurricane Harbor, the water park of Six Flags. While there, we spent time with friends riding rides, played volleyball, enjoyed a break from riding, and stayed cool for once. After a fun day, we left for dinner at Pumpernickel’s Brew House which was fantastic. Then we went to play whirlyball which is a combination of lacrosse and bumper cars: yes it is amazing. The night didn’t end until 10 pm but it was worth the tiredness the next day. Dallas was a great break!
Dallas to Terrell
Dallas to Terrell may well have been the easiest day of riding so far. We rode 55 miles before 11am and arrived at the Super 8 motel before our rooms were ready. After some waiting time, we took showers and headed to the traditional lunch at the Terrell Truck Stop with the Lions. While there, we listened to a presentation from a speaker from the 4-H club who talked for about 15 minutes, mentioning 4-H no less than 80 times, and I still don’t know what 4-H stands for or relatively anything about their club. But, he did assure us that their club was far superior to any other club and without them he wouldn’t be speaking to us today (well, obviously, you are their speaker). We then left for the local park and performed a KOB for a camp that served elementary-school age children. After this fantastic visit, we departed for the state hospital where we had a friendship visit and dinner. One interesting thing about the hospital was that we weren’t allowed to take pictures and had to sign a confidentiality agreement because some of the kids came from child protective services. Despite this restriction, we still had a great time there and met a lot of great kids, both with and without disabilities.
Terrell to Longview
Today was a rough day, perhaps the worst so far for me. It was a 100 mile, rolling hill day on an awful tiring road surface. We had lunch at 70 miles, which was rejuvenating, for about 10 more miles: do the math. Over the last 20-25 miles, I felt as if I was getting the first symptoms of heat sickness, despite the fact I was drinking bottle after bottle of water. Now, I think I just wasn’t keeping up with my body’s need for water before and it built up on me over the ride. We arrived around 2 in the afternoon at the Fairfield Inn in Longview and got our rooms for the night. After the usual showering and washing of clothes, a few of us left for Chick-Fil-a where I met a worker who was absolutely ecstatic to learn about what we were doing. I gave her the pitch and she even wrote down our website and my name to look up that night. On my way out, I saw her telling a coworker about what we were doing and who it benefited: that’s spreading awareness in action. We had a great barbecue dinner later that night with the Ambucs Club where POWER (People on Wheels Exercising Responsibility) president, Judy, gave what may be the best speech of the journey. She truly was inspiring and we were glad to meet her. Also there was our ride along for the next day, Mike, who rode a hand cycle and had biceps bigger than both of my legs put together. We headed back after dinner for a relaxed night at the hotel and prepared to finally leave Texas.
Longview to Shreveport, LA
The ride from Longview to Shreveport was an all around fiasco. We began the day by leaving the fantastic breakfast at the Fairfield Inn (luckily I had a bacon-egg-cheese there) for a restaurant that we were being sponsored at for breakfast. The sponsor was a Pi Alpha from 2007 and the location he chose was the Cotton Patch Café, where he worked. Too bad the café was 4 miles in the wrong direction from the hotel, adding 8 needless miles to our route. Also, it’s too bad that he forgot to check if the restaurant was open. So we arrived for breakfast to a closed restaurant 4 miles out of the way and his only solution was donuts and Sunny D. He was quite smug about it, but the team was nothing short of pissed. Especially when we learned that he had driven to the Wal-Mart directly across from the hotel to buy these goods and then not called Ezra, our Project Manager, or waited in the parking lot at the hotel for breakfast instead. We would have been much better off had Tim Allen, the sponsor, not ever signed up for this sponsorship. The day improved from there, we double pace lined slowly out of the city with Mike, the hand cyclist, in tow. When we finally broke into pace lines, I chose to hang back with Mike and a few other riders: Jon Ciani, Spenser Smith, and Chris Curphey. We rode at an excruciatingly slow pace but it was so worth it to see Mike push himself to the limit on the hilly ride. At times, we had to hop off the bike and give him that little bit of encouragement in the form of a push to make it up the steepest ones. We were racked at mile 25 of the ride because we had a poorly planned arrival at 12 that we couldn’t possibly make it to otherwise. We arrived shortly after noon at the Children’s Hospital in Shreveport which quickly became one of my favorite friendship visits so far. There I met Juan David and Javier, played basketball with them and even used some of my Spanish to interact with the parents (many of whom were foreign – the care was completely free of cost). That night we had dinner at a BBQ restaurant with a Pi Alpha from the Beta Omicron chapter and went to bed early; preparing for the next day’s long ride.
Our ride from Fort Worth to Dallas is one of the shortest on the itinerary (under 50 miles) but was still a long one. After a sponsored breakfast at lodging, we rode about 25 miles to Arlington City Hall for an arrival and another breakfast. We stayed there for over an hour before departing for our final destination of Dallas (actually just outside of dallas). At Dallas, we arrived at the Bachman Center where met residents, put on a KOB and had a sponsored meal. After dinner, we had a team meeting in which Andy, one of the crew members, informed us that he would be going home because of an alcohol violation after he had received an earlier warning. Zach, one of his best friends and another crew member, decided to head home as well as an act of loyalty. This event left all team members stunned and at a loss for words. Their departure was so quick and without prior notice. After they left, we heard that Adam had been sent home from the North route, another alcohol violation. These hit the team like a ton of bricks and made it hard to enjoy the night at all. As we fell asleep that night at the Bachman Center, we were noticeably two less.
Dallas (Day off)
For our day off at Dallas, we woke up at 8am and had a sponsored breakfast at lodging. We began the day by traveling to a local church for an outdoor water “fair” for children with disabilities. Most of these children were under 5 and all had a fantastic time playing in the small pools and on the water slides. This was a lot of fun and a great way to jump start the day. After eating lunch there, we left for Hurricane Harbor, the water park of Six Flags. While there, we spent time with friends riding rides, played volleyball, enjoyed a break from riding, and stayed cool for once. After a fun day, we left for dinner at Pumpernickel’s Brew House which was fantastic. Then we went to play whirlyball which is a combination of lacrosse and bumper cars: yes it is amazing. The night didn’t end until 10 pm but it was worth the tiredness the next day. Dallas was a great break!
Dallas to Terrell
Dallas to Terrell may well have been the easiest day of riding so far. We rode 55 miles before 11am and arrived at the Super 8 motel before our rooms were ready. After some waiting time, we took showers and headed to the traditional lunch at the Terrell Truck Stop with the Lions. While there, we listened to a presentation from a speaker from the 4-H club who talked for about 15 minutes, mentioning 4-H no less than 80 times, and I still don’t know what 4-H stands for or relatively anything about their club. But, he did assure us that their club was far superior to any other club and without them he wouldn’t be speaking to us today (well, obviously, you are their speaker). We then left for the local park and performed a KOB for a camp that served elementary-school age children. After this fantastic visit, we departed for the state hospital where we had a friendship visit and dinner. One interesting thing about the hospital was that we weren’t allowed to take pictures and had to sign a confidentiality agreement because some of the kids came from child protective services. Despite this restriction, we still had a great time there and met a lot of great kids, both with and without disabilities.
Terrell to Longview
Today was a rough day, perhaps the worst so far for me. It was a 100 mile, rolling hill day on an awful tiring road surface. We had lunch at 70 miles, which was rejuvenating, for about 10 more miles: do the math. Over the last 20-25 miles, I felt as if I was getting the first symptoms of heat sickness, despite the fact I was drinking bottle after bottle of water. Now, I think I just wasn’t keeping up with my body’s need for water before and it built up on me over the ride. We arrived around 2 in the afternoon at the Fairfield Inn in Longview and got our rooms for the night. After the usual showering and washing of clothes, a few of us left for Chick-Fil-a where I met a worker who was absolutely ecstatic to learn about what we were doing. I gave her the pitch and she even wrote down our website and my name to look up that night. On my way out, I saw her telling a coworker about what we were doing and who it benefited: that’s spreading awareness in action. We had a great barbecue dinner later that night with the Ambucs Club where POWER (People on Wheels Exercising Responsibility) president, Judy, gave what may be the best speech of the journey. She truly was inspiring and we were glad to meet her. Also there was our ride along for the next day, Mike, who rode a hand cycle and had biceps bigger than both of my legs put together. We headed back after dinner for a relaxed night at the hotel and prepared to finally leave Texas.
Longview to Shreveport, LA
The ride from Longview to Shreveport was an all around fiasco. We began the day by leaving the fantastic breakfast at the Fairfield Inn (luckily I had a bacon-egg-cheese there) for a restaurant that we were being sponsored at for breakfast. The sponsor was a Pi Alpha from 2007 and the location he chose was the Cotton Patch Café, where he worked. Too bad the café was 4 miles in the wrong direction from the hotel, adding 8 needless miles to our route. Also, it’s too bad that he forgot to check if the restaurant was open. So we arrived for breakfast to a closed restaurant 4 miles out of the way and his only solution was donuts and Sunny D. He was quite smug about it, but the team was nothing short of pissed. Especially when we learned that he had driven to the Wal-Mart directly across from the hotel to buy these goods and then not called Ezra, our Project Manager, or waited in the parking lot at the hotel for breakfast instead. We would have been much better off had Tim Allen, the sponsor, not ever signed up for this sponsorship. The day improved from there, we double pace lined slowly out of the city with Mike, the hand cyclist, in tow. When we finally broke into pace lines, I chose to hang back with Mike and a few other riders: Jon Ciani, Spenser Smith, and Chris Curphey. We rode at an excruciatingly slow pace but it was so worth it to see Mike push himself to the limit on the hilly ride. At times, we had to hop off the bike and give him that little bit of encouragement in the form of a push to make it up the steepest ones. We were racked at mile 25 of the ride because we had a poorly planned arrival at 12 that we couldn’t possibly make it to otherwise. We arrived shortly after noon at the Children’s Hospital in Shreveport which quickly became one of my favorite friendship visits so far. There I met Juan David and Javier, played basketball with them and even used some of my Spanish to interact with the parents (many of whom were foreign – the care was completely free of cost). That night we had dinner at a BBQ restaurant with a Pi Alpha from the Beta Omicron chapter and went to bed early; preparing for the next day’s long ride.
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
7/23 - Update in Terrell, TX
Muleshoe to Lubbock
Texas is going to be exhausting. In addition to the deteriorating road conditions, the winds have begun to pick up in intensity. There is nothing more frustrating than a head wind that forces hard pedaling going downhill. The hours begin to lengthen and legs instantly become pained. On this 70 mile ride, one of the crew members, Zach, rode along with us on Matt Gant’s bike. He did a fantastic job as this was his first significant ride and even for the general team, not an easy one. After arrival, we had a friendship visit with the Adaptive Sports in Lubbock. Following a fantastic beef brisket, we headed to their softball field to challenge the team. In the first inning of the game, one of the friends cranked a 3 run home run to deep right center. We played until sunset and then left for lodging at Lubbock Christian University where we finally had internet access once again. Tomorrow begins the “Texas Triple Crown” on which we bike 300 miles in 3 days. With winds like today, these next three days should be pretty intense.
Lubbock to Snyder
This day came out of nowhere. I believe that it may have been the perfect storm of factors: a poor road, strong winds, and mistakes in hydration and eating. At about mile 80 (the rack point), I felt like I was going to pass out, despite downing a whole water bottle soon before. The humidity and temperature combination made it absolutely awful to ride. Somehow, we made it to arrival and after drinking a few Gatorades and eating some food, I felt a little better. We went to lodging at the church and got ready for dinner with the chamber of commerce. We met the mayor of Snyder who was very accommodating for us and even insisted that we stay in contact after the trip with her.
Snyder to Abilene
Snyder to Abilene was a day that I decided to let my knee rest. This was a very difficult decision as I really wanted to ride but the previous day had been very taxing on it and I decided to avert future problems. We had our first double arrival (2 locations where we would bike to and meet friends). Both were fantastic and rewarding. At the second, we had a dance party with the friends and then performed a KOB for the children at a local camp nearby. Upon their arrival, I was mobbed in a sea of them, all with questions, but it was great. After a long day, we left for dinner at the local steakhouse, a nice break from the typical spaghetti meals we get from sponsors. The steak also provided much needed sustenance for the coming 110 mile ride, the finale of the Triple Crown. We then returned to Abilene Christian University to sleep in dorms again for the night.
Abilene to Stevenville
The ride from Abilene to Stevenville began with a ride along from the local bike club (although since I was riding with the back group, we didn’t see much of them). At mile 60 of the 110 mile day, we had a great on the road lunch with some Pi Alphas (have ridden JOH before) and some Pi Kapps from the UT-Arlington chapter. At this point my knee was feeling a little sore, but Advil quickly remedied that problem. The last 20 miles were made easier with a tail wind (nothing better than climbing hills at 25 mph!) and we cruised into town around 3:00. We had some time to rest at lodging and then had a friendship dinner there. Following dinner, we went as a team to see the new batman “The Dark Knight” which was simply one of the best movies I have ever seen. As said by other members of the team, it was the first two and a half hours where we felt that we weren’t on the Journey of Hope. It was a true mental and physical release from pain. After the movie, we were all excited for the upcoming days which would be much easier than the last few in which we had ridden a large amount of mileage.
Stevenville to Fort Worth
Today was a relatively easy ride, too bad my spoke decided to break at mile 30 (roughly the half-way point of the day). We had an arrival at Chipotle where we got whatever we wanted from the menu and met with Pi Alphas and our sponsors. The food was fantastic and at the end our team was presented with a Chipotle Racing Jersey (they have a team in the Tour de France this year!). Lodging was at the Fort Worth YMCA, located in the heart of the city. Unfortunately, we had to wait for everyone to clear the gym before we could move in our bedding and bags. In other news, we heard the unfortunate news that the Project Manager of the north route had been sent home due to an incident involving alcohol at lodging. This event occurred at his alma mater, Iowa State in Ames, Iowa. Having ridden in his van for the first 10 days of the trip, I find his departure especially powerful. He was genuine to the Push America cause and planned to work for nationals in the next year. But now, all of that is probably gone. The Iowa kids on the south route took this news the hardest and I don’t blame them. Anyone who knew Dave respected him and only wished the best in the future upon him. He will definitely be in our memories as we complete the ride and I truly hope that he can find a job that meets with his passion of service. We end this day on a low note, but the team will recover and be stronger than ever.
Texas is going to be exhausting. In addition to the deteriorating road conditions, the winds have begun to pick up in intensity. There is nothing more frustrating than a head wind that forces hard pedaling going downhill. The hours begin to lengthen and legs instantly become pained. On this 70 mile ride, one of the crew members, Zach, rode along with us on Matt Gant’s bike. He did a fantastic job as this was his first significant ride and even for the general team, not an easy one. After arrival, we had a friendship visit with the Adaptive Sports in Lubbock. Following a fantastic beef brisket, we headed to their softball field to challenge the team. In the first inning of the game, one of the friends cranked a 3 run home run to deep right center. We played until sunset and then left for lodging at Lubbock Christian University where we finally had internet access once again. Tomorrow begins the “Texas Triple Crown” on which we bike 300 miles in 3 days. With winds like today, these next three days should be pretty intense.
Lubbock to Snyder
This day came out of nowhere. I believe that it may have been the perfect storm of factors: a poor road, strong winds, and mistakes in hydration and eating. At about mile 80 (the rack point), I felt like I was going to pass out, despite downing a whole water bottle soon before. The humidity and temperature combination made it absolutely awful to ride. Somehow, we made it to arrival and after drinking a few Gatorades and eating some food, I felt a little better. We went to lodging at the church and got ready for dinner with the chamber of commerce. We met the mayor of Snyder who was very accommodating for us and even insisted that we stay in contact after the trip with her.
Snyder to Abilene
Snyder to Abilene was a day that I decided to let my knee rest. This was a very difficult decision as I really wanted to ride but the previous day had been very taxing on it and I decided to avert future problems. We had our first double arrival (2 locations where we would bike to and meet friends). Both were fantastic and rewarding. At the second, we had a dance party with the friends and then performed a KOB for the children at a local camp nearby. Upon their arrival, I was mobbed in a sea of them, all with questions, but it was great. After a long day, we left for dinner at the local steakhouse, a nice break from the typical spaghetti meals we get from sponsors. The steak also provided much needed sustenance for the coming 110 mile ride, the finale of the Triple Crown. We then returned to Abilene Christian University to sleep in dorms again for the night.
Abilene to Stevenville
The ride from Abilene to Stevenville began with a ride along from the local bike club (although since I was riding with the back group, we didn’t see much of them). At mile 60 of the 110 mile day, we had a great on the road lunch with some Pi Alphas (have ridden JOH before) and some Pi Kapps from the UT-Arlington chapter. At this point my knee was feeling a little sore, but Advil quickly remedied that problem. The last 20 miles were made easier with a tail wind (nothing better than climbing hills at 25 mph!) and we cruised into town around 3:00. We had some time to rest at lodging and then had a friendship dinner there. Following dinner, we went as a team to see the new batman “The Dark Knight” which was simply one of the best movies I have ever seen. As said by other members of the team, it was the first two and a half hours where we felt that we weren’t on the Journey of Hope. It was a true mental and physical release from pain. After the movie, we were all excited for the upcoming days which would be much easier than the last few in which we had ridden a large amount of mileage.
Stevenville to Fort Worth
Today was a relatively easy ride, too bad my spoke decided to break at mile 30 (roughly the half-way point of the day). We had an arrival at Chipotle where we got whatever we wanted from the menu and met with Pi Alphas and our sponsors. The food was fantastic and at the end our team was presented with a Chipotle Racing Jersey (they have a team in the Tour de France this year!). Lodging was at the Fort Worth YMCA, located in the heart of the city. Unfortunately, we had to wait for everyone to clear the gym before we could move in our bedding and bags. In other news, we heard the unfortunate news that the Project Manager of the north route had been sent home due to an incident involving alcohol at lodging. This event occurred at his alma mater, Iowa State in Ames, Iowa. Having ridden in his van for the first 10 days of the trip, I find his departure especially powerful. He was genuine to the Push America cause and planned to work for nationals in the next year. But now, all of that is probably gone. The Iowa kids on the south route took this news the hardest and I don’t blame them. Anyone who knew Dave respected him and only wished the best in the future upon him. He will definitely be in our memories as we complete the ride and I truly hope that he can find a job that meets with his passion of service. We end this day on a low note, but the team will recover and be stronger than ever.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Update 7/18 - Abilene, Texas
Socorro to Carrizozo, NM
Although Socorro was fun, we were excited to move further towards Texas, which has become the unofficial half-way point of the trip. The beginning of the ride was hilly and tiring, but manageable. However, around mile 55, one of the crew members (nicknamed ‘farva’) told us that we were going to get “racked” at one of the next two crew stops because we were behind on time. Upon arriving at the second crew stop, we realized that he made this up and we would continue about 25 more miles on the hilly terrain. With a sore knee hanging in the balance, this miscommunication was awful for morale. Especially considering we had been flying to that crew stop, even pedaling going down a steep incline to arrive on time. It wasn’t just the distance and hills that were a problem on this day, it was the constant incorrect information that made riding hard. We finally made it to the stage up for arrival after an exhausting ride. Our lead for the pace line was a firetruck, who began by driving around 22 miles per hour causing us to come close to passing out after the long ride. We arrived at the New Horizons facility for lunch. New Horizons provides long-term care for people with disabilities: many of the members had been there over 20 years and were older than 60. We then traveled to the local Episcopal church for dinner, which was amazing, probably the best so far. The highlight of dinner was introductions where a married couple introduced themselves as ‘skunk daddy’ and ‘skunk momma’ because they rescue “abandoned” skunks. Well, this was too good of an opportunity to pass up. We asked them to bring some of their skunks to show us (they have 16 living in their house) and they obliged. I plan to upload some pictures quite soon. They even sleep with a few of their skunks at night. There are some parts of this trip that are hard to remember a few days later and there are those that I will never forget my whole life: this was the later.
Carrizozo to Roswell, NM
The trip from Carrizozo to Roswell was one of those days that could vary greatly in difficulty based upon the wind. Luckily, it was in our favor. The mileage went by remarkably quickly and we even ended up waiting about an hour at ‘stage-up’ before we assembled the double pace line for arrival. We would have waited longer, but a large storm loomed on the horizon. We arrived at the local Arc and met a few members and enjoyed some fresh fruit and drinks. Then the storm began. We were trapped under a little structure in the middle of their park waiting for the rain to cease. It did not. It came time to leave and we ran through the rain and already formed small rivers to the vans. Most of the team had taken their bikes off of the cars to avoid getting them wet. So, they had to stand in the torrential downpour to re-rack them. Fortunately I had left my bike, the Iron-Horse, on and spared myself from most of the rain. After getting in the car, we were informed that instead of staying in the high-school we would be lodging at the local Ramada for two days. This was fantastic news: we would have internet, our own bathrooms, TV, and more room. After showering, we departed for dinner with the local Arc. This was a fantastic Mexican meal that was followed by a two hour game of volleyball on the front lawn. After leaving around dusk, we had the rest of the night to explore Roswell. The under 21 crowd walked down to the local Sonic where we hung out for a while before calling it a night.
Roswell (Day off)
We began our day off in Roswell with a continental breakfast at the hotel. Since they are used to probably a total of 30 guests maximum at any one time, 30 hungry fraternity members absolutely destroyed the buffet. After leaving, there was no more cereal, no bread or bagels, no drinks, and no waffle mix. We then departed for a local farm and stables that caters to recuperative horse riding therapy for those in wheelchairs. There, we watched a few of the individuals we had seen the day before demonstrate their riding skills. Their abilities were especially impressive because both of the individuals we watched have no feeling below their waist, making it incredibly difficult to balance (they even rode with no hands!). For lunch, we returned to the same house we had had dinner at and again played some volleyball. Next, we went to the UFO museum, which unfortunately was a disappointment. The highlight was the tour guide who was a believer himself and quite the character. After the museum, we completed some errands and left for dinner with the Arc. We ate in a park and even played Frisbee with some of the friends there who were quite good. After hanging out for a while, we went back to the hotel to rest up for the day ahead.
Roswell to Portales
As I look back a few days on the ride from Roswell to Portales, I definitely think it was one of the best. Although it was a 95 mile ride, I felt no discomfort after the ride; a first for rides over 80 miles! Maybe I am finally getting in my top shape. The roads were nice, the scenery was variable, and the wildlife was interesting. Yes, I did say wildlife. Along the way, we saw numerous tarantulas (it’s their migration season, go figure!) and galloping semi-wild horses. The horses were fantastic to see: A group of about 15 came out of a field galloping to match our pace line’s speed and rode with us (on the other side of the fence) for a good 3 miles. This was an awesome experience (I even managed to get a video while riding of it). We arrived in Portales at the courthouse, where we met some friends and some local children who had come out to watch the KOB puppet show. Upon conclusion, we rode to lodging at Eastern New Mexico University where we all had our own dorm rooms for the night. We had a sponsored dinner at Pizza Hut and got the rest of the night to do whatever: most slept. Everyone is excited to cross into Texas because when we finally leave the mass of a state, there will only be 20 days left of the trip!
Portales to Muleshoe
Portales to Muleshoe was a short ride, but certainly not an easy one. We only rode 50 miles, but were faced with a headwind for the entire ride. About half way to our destination, we made the annual stop at Joe’s Boot Shop, one of the largest Cowboy Hat, Boot, and belt dealers. I ended up buying a belt and belt buckle because of the high costs of the hats. However, I will most likely end up buying one before we leave Texas. Upon leaving the Boot Shop, we picked up a ride along who has been riding with JOH teams for the past ten years to Muleshoe. After an exhausting ride, we arrived for lunch with the Jenny Slippers of Muleshoe (the female equivalent of the Chamber of Commerce). Next, we had some free time which as usual most of the team members used to nap. I took advantage of ping pong table and played for about 2 hours that afternoon. Dinner was again with the Jenny Slippers. On the first day of the trip we had heard we would be having an all you can eat steak dinner in Muleshoe, and boy did it live up to its billing. After three or so 8 ounce steaks, plenty of baked potatoes, and beans I was as full as I have been on this trip. We finished the day watching Dodgeball and laughing at Creed music videos.
Although Socorro was fun, we were excited to move further towards Texas, which has become the unofficial half-way point of the trip. The beginning of the ride was hilly and tiring, but manageable. However, around mile 55, one of the crew members (nicknamed ‘farva’) told us that we were going to get “racked” at one of the next two crew stops because we were behind on time. Upon arriving at the second crew stop, we realized that he made this up and we would continue about 25 more miles on the hilly terrain. With a sore knee hanging in the balance, this miscommunication was awful for morale. Especially considering we had been flying to that crew stop, even pedaling going down a steep incline to arrive on time. It wasn’t just the distance and hills that were a problem on this day, it was the constant incorrect information that made riding hard. We finally made it to the stage up for arrival after an exhausting ride. Our lead for the pace line was a firetruck, who began by driving around 22 miles per hour causing us to come close to passing out after the long ride. We arrived at the New Horizons facility for lunch. New Horizons provides long-term care for people with disabilities: many of the members had been there over 20 years and were older than 60. We then traveled to the local Episcopal church for dinner, which was amazing, probably the best so far. The highlight of dinner was introductions where a married couple introduced themselves as ‘skunk daddy’ and ‘skunk momma’ because they rescue “abandoned” skunks. Well, this was too good of an opportunity to pass up. We asked them to bring some of their skunks to show us (they have 16 living in their house) and they obliged. I plan to upload some pictures quite soon. They even sleep with a few of their skunks at night. There are some parts of this trip that are hard to remember a few days later and there are those that I will never forget my whole life: this was the later.
Carrizozo to Roswell, NM
The trip from Carrizozo to Roswell was one of those days that could vary greatly in difficulty based upon the wind. Luckily, it was in our favor. The mileage went by remarkably quickly and we even ended up waiting about an hour at ‘stage-up’ before we assembled the double pace line for arrival. We would have waited longer, but a large storm loomed on the horizon. We arrived at the local Arc and met a few members and enjoyed some fresh fruit and drinks. Then the storm began. We were trapped under a little structure in the middle of their park waiting for the rain to cease. It did not. It came time to leave and we ran through the rain and already formed small rivers to the vans. Most of the team had taken their bikes off of the cars to avoid getting them wet. So, they had to stand in the torrential downpour to re-rack them. Fortunately I had left my bike, the Iron-Horse, on and spared myself from most of the rain. After getting in the car, we were informed that instead of staying in the high-school we would be lodging at the local Ramada for two days. This was fantastic news: we would have internet, our own bathrooms, TV, and more room. After showering, we departed for dinner with the local Arc. This was a fantastic Mexican meal that was followed by a two hour game of volleyball on the front lawn. After leaving around dusk, we had the rest of the night to explore Roswell. The under 21 crowd walked down to the local Sonic where we hung out for a while before calling it a night.
Roswell (Day off)
We began our day off in Roswell with a continental breakfast at the hotel. Since they are used to probably a total of 30 guests maximum at any one time, 30 hungry fraternity members absolutely destroyed the buffet. After leaving, there was no more cereal, no bread or bagels, no drinks, and no waffle mix. We then departed for a local farm and stables that caters to recuperative horse riding therapy for those in wheelchairs. There, we watched a few of the individuals we had seen the day before demonstrate their riding skills. Their abilities were especially impressive because both of the individuals we watched have no feeling below their waist, making it incredibly difficult to balance (they even rode with no hands!). For lunch, we returned to the same house we had had dinner at and again played some volleyball. Next, we went to the UFO museum, which unfortunately was a disappointment. The highlight was the tour guide who was a believer himself and quite the character. After the museum, we completed some errands and left for dinner with the Arc. We ate in a park and even played Frisbee with some of the friends there who were quite good. After hanging out for a while, we went back to the hotel to rest up for the day ahead.
Roswell to Portales
As I look back a few days on the ride from Roswell to Portales, I definitely think it was one of the best. Although it was a 95 mile ride, I felt no discomfort after the ride; a first for rides over 80 miles! Maybe I am finally getting in my top shape. The roads were nice, the scenery was variable, and the wildlife was interesting. Yes, I did say wildlife. Along the way, we saw numerous tarantulas (it’s their migration season, go figure!) and galloping semi-wild horses. The horses were fantastic to see: A group of about 15 came out of a field galloping to match our pace line’s speed and rode with us (on the other side of the fence) for a good 3 miles. This was an awesome experience (I even managed to get a video while riding of it). We arrived in Portales at the courthouse, where we met some friends and some local children who had come out to watch the KOB puppet show. Upon conclusion, we rode to lodging at Eastern New Mexico University where we all had our own dorm rooms for the night. We had a sponsored dinner at Pizza Hut and got the rest of the night to do whatever: most slept. Everyone is excited to cross into Texas because when we finally leave the mass of a state, there will only be 20 days left of the trip!
Portales to Muleshoe
Portales to Muleshoe was a short ride, but certainly not an easy one. We only rode 50 miles, but were faced with a headwind for the entire ride. About half way to our destination, we made the annual stop at Joe’s Boot Shop, one of the largest Cowboy Hat, Boot, and belt dealers. I ended up buying a belt and belt buckle because of the high costs of the hats. However, I will most likely end up buying one before we leave Texas. Upon leaving the Boot Shop, we picked up a ride along who has been riding with JOH teams for the past ten years to Muleshoe. After an exhausting ride, we arrived for lunch with the Jenny Slippers of Muleshoe (the female equivalent of the Chamber of Commerce). Next, we had some free time which as usual most of the team members used to nap. I took advantage of ping pong table and played for about 2 hours that afternoon. Dinner was again with the Jenny Slippers. On the first day of the trip we had heard we would be having an all you can eat steak dinner in Muleshoe, and boy did it live up to its billing. After three or so 8 ounce steaks, plenty of baked potatoes, and beans I was as full as I have been on this trip. We finished the day watching Dodgeball and laughing at Creed music videos.
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