Day 41: Waycross-St.Simon's Island 67 mi./Pacific-Atlantic 2,500 mi.

Victory! What an exuberant feeling when we were given a police escort from Brunswick across the causeway to St.Simon's Island. This last day of riding was going to be a celebration. We still did not get a tailwind but at least the ride was very flat but the air was very humid and I actually had some drops of sweat fall on my frame, most remarkable because the weather has been so mild most of the trip.
This has been a marvelous adventure. I appreciate all who have followed my blog and especially those who have contributed to Centre Volunteers In Medicine in support of my ride. I will be back in the office on Monday trying to meet the medical needs of the working poor of Centre Co. Personally this has been a physical challenge but also a great time of fellowship with others facing their own physical and spiritual challenges. Especially memorable are Larry biking with Parkinsons, Beau biking despite a fractured wrist and bronchitis and 84 y.o. Bob Kizer who just completed his 5th cross-country bicycle trip. He was surprised to be joined by his grandson Billie who biked with him today. I had met Billie 6 yrs.ago when he biked cross-country with his then, 78 y.o. grandfather. Little did I know I would encounter them 6 years later. Such is the inspiration of Wandering Wheels.

Day 40: Sylvester-Waycross 96 mi.(+5)

The last big challenge. We can't remember the last day we had a tailwind. Today was not going to be one. We can't complain about the weather. This being my 4th cross country bicycling trip, I've never had only one day of rain. And these southern, eastern days have had moderate temperatures and fairly low humidity. But compared to this day's riding 3 years ago my speed was almost 2 1/2 mph slower. We still had very shallow rolling terrain that, never-the-less, still required over 1,200' of climbing, but most of that was early and the terrain became flatter. But a headwind made itself known before noon and still posed an impediment. But I am gratefull it is near the end. It was 96 miles to our motel, so many decided to ride an additional distance to make the day's ride a 'century'(e.g. 100 mi.). This one was not a 'gift' as the one in Texas when I did 28.3 mph. But it was the 2nd to last day and the last big challenge so we are all optimistic about the last 'push' to the Atlantic Ocean tomorrow with almost certain sunny weather.

Day 39: Edison-Sylvester 60 mi.

Today was a delightful ride despite continued SE winds but the temp was barely 80F by the time I arrived in Sylvester at 12:15 pm. We started the ride going through some lovely rural country side with more sweet smelling huneysuckle except when passing a hog farm. There were cypress trees draped in Spanish moss reflected in a swamp. We had our last urban gauntlet of stoplights and five-lane traffic through malls and fast-food outlets in Albany but it wasn't so bad. The goal was to get to Calhoun's Produce market store where their strawberries are in peak season at mile 54 and sample their fresh home-made soft-serve strawberry ice cream and strawberry slushy. Sylvester has a beautiful library with lots of computers so it was a pleasure to blog with high speed and a full sized keyboard.
I haven't mentioned how Beau, our fractured wrist rider, or Larry, riding with and for Parkinson's, have been doing. The answer is simply fine. Each had found their pace and are looking forward to fininshing the trip soon. Larry continues as our resident minstrel, performing special Wandering Wheels lyrics to the tune of 'Georgia on my Mind' last evening at Edison United Methodist church during a time of sharing and after a filling fish-fry dinner. 2 days ago Janech, our mechanic (and wife and co-leader with hubby Bob Davenport) and Jill of all trades, removed Beau's cast using a Dremel rotary saw while I held a metal spatula underneath to protect her skin. Beau is biking the last few days with a short removable splint.
Tomorrow is a 93 mi. route but we are hoping for a lighter headwind. And then one last day after that.

Day 38: Abbeville-Edison, GA 37 mi.

This felt like a Sunday morning. We had a short ride into Georgia. Breakfast wasn't scheduled until after 9:00 am. We had Belgium waffles with plenty of syrup. The terrain was still deep rollers and though we rode 1/2 the distance we ascended 1/2 the elevation as yesterday. Fortunately, halfway, the 'rollers' became less and we were begining to see the end of continual climbing. Unfortunately, there was a headwind. But it was not discouraging and helped to cool us off. Tonight we are staying in a Methodist Church which has hosted Wheels for at least 12 yrs. One year they had scheduled a revival meeting that day and the local Baptist Church agreed to host Wheels. But the congregation was so upset that they appeared at the Baptist Church instead of the revival and begged Wheels to come back. Tonight we are having the church's traditional fish fry. All of the men of the church are firing up their propane deep friers and we will have a feast of all things deep fried includind deep fried bacon (!?)Again, the hospitallity of these small towns and churches continues to impress me. At the local convenience store the manager knew all about our trip. He lives next to the church and I invited him to join our feast, but he is a Hindu and a vegetarian but an enthusiastic celebrator of this small town's Wheel's event. Only 3 more days of biking and 220 mi. To go.

Day 37: Luverne-Abbeville 72 mi.

Though there were only 72 mi.of biking it would still be a challenging day. There were headwinds again, but today they asserted themselves sooner and more aggressively. The terrain was one of progressively bigger 'rollers' that seemed to have bigger climbs. Overall we ascended almost 3,000' for the day the 4th largest for the trip. I still managed to roll in by 12:30 pm.so had a leisurely afternoon. We are in a motel so had indoor showers and the other amenities that go with that. Only 4 more days of biking.

Day 36: Camden-Luverne 71 mi.

I didn't blog yesterday. It was esentually 'a day off' as we only biked 42 mi. This was the consequence of having split up a long day into 2. Even today was a bit shorter. But the humidity and temp is rising so we got an early start with breakfast at 6:30 and we were on the road at 7:30 am. A headwind picked up at 11:00 am but it served more to cool us than to be a discouraging factor. We continue to ride through verdently green country and a notable ingredient yesterday, but especially today, was the sweet smell of huneysuckle. At mi. 20 we went through the surprisingly delightful small community of Pine Apple. It had some lovely old homes that were in their historic district. So far we have lucked out with the weather. Though the humidity has increased and the bank thermometer declared it was 90F it has not yet been a drippingly sweaty ride. Only 5 more days of biking.

Day 34: Meridian-Linden, AL 63 mi.

Today was going to be a relatively easy ride. Temperatures are warming up as one would expect in the south in mid-spring, actually welcome, considering how cool it has felt. 3 years ago this leg was over 90 mi.and I added a few to make it 100 just for the fun of it. But the staff took pity on us and broke up the distance into shorter segments so today was only 63 mi. The weather was quite pleasant and as we hit the AL border at mi.20 the road conditions improved greatly. Many stopped at the Jefferson Country Store before noon for a break and we arrived in Linden shortly after noon but had to lounge around until we were allowed to enter the church after 2:00 pm. I am grateful it is finally warm but the humidity is still moderate. Only 7 more days of biking and tomorrow is also a short day.

Day 33: Pelahatchie-Meridian 70 mi.

The ride today was mostly pleasant except for the unrelenting road conditions. The weather was warmer and skies were perfectly clear. The route took us through green picturesque territory. But a note about US Rt.80. We have followed it since leaving the Dallas area. It was built 80 yrs.ago. Then 35 yrs ago I-20 was opened, paralleling the road. One gets the impression that they have done no maintenance on it since. At least, it is a low priority. There are cracks every 30' or less, some with gaps as wide as 6" so there is a constant bone-jarring thud over each crack and one has to weave to avoid the big gaps. Never-the-less I managed to get in by 1:00 pm. There was a single shower for the men and one for women but at least it was indoors. The Methodist Church originally was to house us but they had a last minute conflict and teamed with the Episcopal Church just a block away to house us but still fed us tonight as part of their weekly Wed.night program. We just about reached our 2,000 mi.point today and tomorrow cross into Alabama.

Day 32: Vicksburg-Pelahatchie 72 mi.

Today was to be a pretty good ride. It starts off chilly leaving in short sleeves and bare legs but with the bright sun and peddling I was soon warmed up. After 5 miles of rush hour urban traffic we were directed onto a quiet 2 lane rural road that was the frontage road for I-20. The traffic there was very light and we did pass some nice rural estates despite the roar of nearby I-20 traffic. That all ended at mi 37 when we were directed onto Rt.80 that was a 5 lane suburban/urban sprawl of malls, shops and fast food that continued for 15 miles but was not too bad. I reached our church home by 1:30 and was first in for an outdoor Wheel's shower. This is a small town. Dinner will be provided by our own kitchen staff with deserts provided by women of the church. Only 9 more days of biking.

Day 31: Mon., Monroe-Vicksburg, MS 89 mi.

Sunday ended up with sun, low humidity and brisk winds out of the west. This a.m.skies were clear and winds from the NNW. This was to be the flatest day of biking the whole trip. I did not stop until mi 63 where we had lunch in Talulah. We hung around until all had finished to head out the last 17 mi to the Mississippi River. We were not allowed on the I-20 bridge, but Wheels had petitioned to be allowed on the old bridge, closed in '73 when the new bridge opened. We all signed wavers of responsibility and then were escorted over the bridge above the Missippi just as a freight train rolled slowly on the same bridge. Only about 3 groups have this access per year though there is ongoing refurbishing to turn it into a permanent pedestrian bridge in the future. Several of us went to explore historic downtown Vicksburg but eventually wound up at Hawkin's U.M.C.where we bunked down in their gym, complete with indoor showers.

Day 29: Sat., Minden-Monroe 81 mi.

This is a delayed entry because I had trouble signing into my blog over the weekend. We lucked out today. There was a large front spreading rain across the area and there were even tornados further east in Alabama. We were expecting significant rain. It had rained heavily during the night until the early morning hours. But when we got up there was some sun peaking out. But as we headed out, packed for any eventuality, it clouded up. As we have had all week long, there were headwinds and continuing 'rollers' such that we climbed about 2,500'today. We encountered bridge construction only 8 miles from our destination and had to double back and be diverted onto I-20 for a few miles. Over all that added 6 mi to the day. At the motel we had our weekly bike cleaning and I found my rear tire was flat with a tiny wire imbedded, undoubtedly acquired during that brief diversion onto the interstate. But we had remained dry, but it started to sprinkle just as we started our bike cleaning. We were grateful as the rain began to come down harder and we were dry and at our destination.

Day 28: Marshall,TX-Minden,LA 77 mi

Today was to turn out better than feared. The forecast was for thundershowers several times during the day, and as I write, there are claps of thunder and it is raining steadily. But I encountered only light rain shortly after noon and only got damp. Starting out we were directed onto a bucolic rural road for 15 mi. A fox crossed the road and I encountered a flock of guinea fowl pecking by the side of the road. That route ended in Jonesville at T.C.Lindsey and Company, a 150 y.o.family owned establishment and the quintessential 19th century mercantile. It has been used as a set in 7 movies including 'A Long Hot Summer' with Don Johnson, Sybil Shephard and Jason Robards. Soon we were heading east on Rt.80 which wove back and forth across I-20 for most of the rest of the day. We hit the Louisiana border at mi 23.5 and encountered the edge of urban traffic and stop lights at mi 35 that lead us through the heart of Shreveport and crossing the Red River into Bossier and not leaving the urban sprawl until mi 52. I think that will be our last major urban gaunlet. Our home tonight is in the Lakeview Methodist Church, appropriately named for the most picturest setting above an adjacent lake. This is the 12th time they have hosted Wheels and ladies of the church cooked Louisiana red beans and rice along with multiple home-made deserts. Again, unparalleled hospitality served up with a Louisana accent and embellished with Mardi Gras beads. We were all stuffed but the remaining deserts are left out to asuage any late night hunger pangs. It still is raining and we hope that the front might pass through by morning but only daylight will tell.

Day 27: Mineola-Marshall 65 mi

Today's report will be brief as the ride was much as yesterday though we started out with a stiffer headwind but the road was not as rough and the route was shorter, yet with a rolling terrain that required 2,225' of climbing, it was still a tiring day. I would comment, that, with still recent memories of dry, brown desert that we passed over the first half of the trip, the landscape appears absolutely lush. Also, we now encounter towns at least every 10 mi with pop.amounts that are no longer trivial. When I saw a Dog Fish Head beer truck drive by I knew I was getting closer to home.(A bit of inside trivia for those who know me best.) We are bunked down on the floor of the East Texas Baptist University gymnasium in Marshall with indoor showers and will be eating in the student cafeteria for supper. Tomorrow we leave Texas and enter Louisiana.

Day 26: Mesquite-Mineola

This was one of the warmer days we have had in awhile and the most characteristic observation was the continuing greening of the landscape but an increasing headwind and the roughest road conditions of the trip took much of the joy out of it. At mi 57 we had lunch in Grand Saline where Morton still mines salt creating huge caverns deep within the earth. There is a visitor center in town, 'The Salt Palace' made of large stones of salt cemented in place to create a building with pictures of the large underground caverns that Morton carves out underground. At mi 70 in Minneola there was the colorful Kitchen Restaurant where many stopped to have hand-dipped Blue Bell icecream. Our accommodations are in Smith Chapel United Methodist Church. The church added showers in their new fellowship hall addition just for Wandering Wheels. There are serving dinner for us tonightand the children are performing music for us afterwards. Such is the generosity we encounter along the way.

Day 25: Weatherford-Fortworth-Arlington-Grande Prairie-Dallas-Mesquite 79 mi

Today's topography was to be forgetable. I say that, as I had done the identical route 3 years ago and did not seem to find any familiar landmarks to speak of with a few exceptions. It was a long haul through a suburban-urban stretch. After an initial few miles of commuter traffic we were diverted to a marginal road paralleling I-20 and that was nice, almost as if it was our own private road as the traffic was so light. But it was a bit of a roller compared to the highway, so though one thinks of the area as relatively flat we still climbed over 2,000 ft. today. At mile 20 we encountered the urban traffic of the outer edges of Fortworth and we skirted the edge of downtown around mile 35 and were thrust under the highway spaghetti and out along east Lancaster that took us past homeless shelters and through deteriorated neighborhoods but the traffic level was light. To the right were the rail lines with different trains going past. Eventually we came to Arlington passing near the Dallas Cowboy's soon to be compleated stadium with retractible dome. Nextdoor is the Texas Ranger's stadium. Eventually we entered Grand Prairie and did not encounter anything of note until the Dallas downtown loomed just across the Trinity River. Soon I was going past the "Grassy Knoll" where JFK's cenotaph is, a stark white open cube of a structure. The rest of the trip was through thinning urban streets until directed to the exploding sprawl of the Dallas suburbs of Town East Bullevard and Mesquite. My cousin Don, an Anglican priest of a growing reformed congregation in Rockwall met me at the end of the ride and I have already enjoyed a shower and am looking foreward to laundering my clothes once his wife Glenna advises us which colors are safe to go with what. After supper out, a good night's sleep in Uncle Rogers' old bed. Then back with wheels in the morning and on to Mineola.

Day23-24: Albany- Breckeridge-Weatherford 74 mi

Day 23 was fairly relaxing. It had poured during the night for which all the locals were rejoicing. I biked the 24 mi to Breckenridge in the morning to join 1st Methodist Church in their Easter Sunday worship, standing out a bit in my riding outfit. It was an inspiring service. We stayed the afternoon in a motel in Breckenridge with nothing to do but relax. We had pizza brought in to 'celebrate having passed the halfway point' sometime yesterday.
Day 24 was highlighted by the appearance of green. The first half of our trip has been characterized by hues of brown and beige with an occasional green cactus. Though we had seen some greening mesquite the previous 2 days, today the grass was even green with an increasing abundance of more trees, even oaks and maples and a lot of junipers and there were swaths of bluebonnets along the roadside. It was overcast all morning with chilly temps hovering around 50F and there was a NNW breeze but at least no headwind and it was a satisfying ride as I arrived in Weatherford after 74 miles at 1:00 pm. I'm looking foreward to a visit this evening from my cousin Doreen and Uncle Rogers (yup, that's where I got my name) both of whom live in Fort Worth.

Day 22: Roby-Albany 69 mi

Ugh! 2 days in a row with headwinds. The conditions were about the same as yesterday with chilly overcast skies and a steady headwind. At least I dressed more appropriately. It was a day of constant drudging peddling and my back ached because I spent most of my time down on my aerobars to get below the wind so ended spending almost an hour longer on the saddle and averaged an even slower speed. But I managed to pull into this small town of less than 2,000 and visit it's remarkable 'Old Jailhouse Museum' with a collection in modern climate controlled quarters of Renoirs, Goyas, Klees and a Picasso along with an Asian collection, actually in the old stone jailhouse, and preColimbian artfacts. There are other well maintained historical buildings and the 1883 era stone courthouse is striking.Many of us ate at The Fort Griffin Merchandise Restaurant/Beehive, a rustically decorated western building but one of the highest rated steakhouses featuring mesquite smoked grilling. Again, a surprisingly quality establishment in such a small town. Tomorrow we ride only 24 miles to Breckenridge to relax the rest of Easter Sunday.

Day 21: Gail-Roby 65 mi

Boy am I glad we got a 32 mi head start on today's ride, instead of having to ride 97 miles. The weather conditions were totally different and I am going to stop relying on AccuWeather. We awoke to a 42F temp. I was too optimistic in expecting a warmup after the sunrise, as it remained overcast until early afternoon. In contrast to the AccuWeather shiney sun predicting sunny and mild, it was overcast and chilly. We had breakfast at McDonalds then were driven back to Gail. Sarah Sharp, the good Samaritan who had let us store our bikes in her garage (erroniously referred to 'Susan' in my earlier blog) had baked several pecan pies last night to send along with us. What generosity! We preceeded out around 9:00 facing a head wind all day, as predicted. I had missjudged and had no leggings or socks (I bike in sandles) and my feet and fingers were numb in the mid-40F temps. We stopped for lunch in Snyder and I was able to get socks and leggings out of the truck. The afternoon's ride was warmer but tedious, but upon arriving at the Baptist church in Roby, the sun was bright and the temp almost 70F. Never-the-less, it was a much harder, longer and slower day just covering 65 miles compared to 103 and my average speed was less than half as as fast as yesterday.

Day 20: Hobbs-Lamesa-Gail

Exhilerating! The weather today was to offer us a special opportunity so we went with Plan B. We were scheduled for a 71 mi ride to Lamesa, TX but there were strong tailwinds of 35 mph and gusting even higher. We crossed the Texas border only 4 mi out and the breeze was already quite brisk as we took our usual pics in front of the state welcome sign. Heading east on a fairly good road surface I was able to make speeds of up to 35-40 mph even on the level, propelled by dust storms getting grit in our teeth and sand in our eyes, arriving in Lamesa, 71 mi away, in 2 hour 20 min. We had changed time zones crossing the border so it was already 11:30. We were told to get some lunch and meet at the church at 1:00 pm and Plan B was put into effect. There were predictions of some head winds tomorrow and the route to Roby was 96 mi. It was decided to bike 32 miles further west to Gail this afternoon taking advantage of the tailwinds today. In Gail a lady named Sarah Sharp would let us place our bikes in her garage as this situation had risen before. So we set off and were propelled at similar speeds arriving only 1 hour and 15 min later. The total distance was 103 mi and my average speed was 28.3 mph, a personal record (as it was for everybody else). Dominic had turned 50 yo today and rides a recumbant and exceeded 50 mph at one point and averaged 30.6 mph. After parking our bikes in Sarah's garage (she even had a stock of cold drinks for our refreshment) we were driven back the 32 mi to our church accommodations in Lamesa in the van and truck. Tomorrow we will be driven back to Gail to complete the 64 mi to Roby, all-be-it, likely against some headwind. Over all, an exhilerating experience despite being caked in dirt.

Days 17-18-19: Alamogordo-Mayhill(via Cloudcroft)-Artesia-Hobbs

Had some technical difficulties so could not blog the past couple of days so will try to catch up today
Day 17: Mon.This was going to be the greatest challenge so far for some. After a level start of 5 mi heading out of town, we turned right/east to begin a 16 mi climb that began in earnest at mi 6 when we had a fairly persistant 5-6% grade for the next 15 mi, ascending 4,400' till we reached Cloudcroft, ele.8,650. There is a small, quaint block of restaurants and jewelry, crafts and clothing boutiques. Our group gradually trickled in with various acounts of the challenge they had faced in the ascent. After lunch and some relaxation it was a 20 mi downhill, not so steep and with a slight headwind, to the Rio Penasco RV park where we camped for the night. The camp owner set up a T.V. in the heated laundry so many could watch the Tar Heels dominate Mich.St. in the finals.
Day 18:Tues.(Happy Birthday Heather) We awoke to freezing temps of 16F. A couple sought warmth in the restroom only to be shooed out by the cook, retreating to the now, unheated laundry where they put a couple of quarters in the dryer to get some heat. Myself, I was bundled up in my sleeping bag with several layers of clothing and managed O.K. By the time we headed out and the sun had risen over the hill, the temp had climbed to 36F. The initial 25 mi was a long shallow descent along the Penasco river through the surrounding hills with encounters with mule deer, turkeys and even a lone llama. After mile 25 we left the hills behind and encountered low-rolling prairie.which gradually flattened out but we had a fairly brisk southerly wind with minimal tailwind component so progress was not so rapid. There was a Wheels lunch in the small town of Hope at mi 52. It was flat the remainder of the 74 mi ride into Artesia. This is a gateway into large oilfields of west NM. For those who know my proclivity, the highlight was the Wellhead Restaurant and Brewpub whose brewmeister is a woman. Along the mainstreet are large bronze sculptures highlighting the town's oil and cattle-wrangling past.
Day 19:Wed. Today was to be favorable for most. It was an 81 mi easterly route through fairly flat terrain, though still managed to climb 1,400' for the day. But an increasingly favorable tailwind boosted us along. Leaving Artesia, we entered a large oil field. One must be able to see at least 100 wellhead pumps extending out in all directions as far as the eye can see. These pumps, for all appearances look like a bobbing horse's head going up and down. Some 21 mi out we passed a milestone. The Wheels staff painted a 1,000 mi Coast-Coast 2009 marker on the shoulder and we had our pictures taken there. Otherwise it was a desolate terrain and we had a roadside Wheel's lunch at mi 47 as there were no other options. 10 miles later I had my 6th flat of the trip. I felt I had broken the 'curse' as I had gone 1 1/2 wks without a flat. The culprit: the ubiquitous tiny piece of steel-belted radial's wire which I found inside the tire and pulled out with a pliers. The last 20 mi we were driven by a brisk tailwind on a new, smooth wide shoulder at 25-30 mph, providing a satisfying end to the ride. We are bunked out on the floors of several class rooms of Taylor Memorial Baptist Church in Hobbs. We shared the Wed. evening fellowship meal, provided by the church, with other church members and some participated in their Wed.night service, enjoying the choirs dress rehearsal for their Tenabrae program on Friday.

Day 15: Las Cruces-Alamogordo

We were to have another day of favorable winds. We weren't so sure to begin with as, at the morning map meeting there were tales of hazardous wind conditions at the top of St. Augustin's pass which we would soon pass and the morning weather report had wind warnings. After a gradual ascent till mi 14 there was a more vigorous, though only 3 mi climb to the summit at 5,719'. There were 50 mph gale force winds at the pass but as we descended, the protection of the mountain ameliorated their strength, but never-the-less, there were stiff tail winds and at time buffeting side winds. I braked most of the way such that my hands were numb. The road finally leveled out 9 mi down. Ironically, I picked up my speed on the level with the help of a strong tail wind, feeling more in control, often exceeding 25 mph on a smooth shoulder, the best road conditions of the trip. There was a Wheels lunch provided at the entrance to White Sands Natl.Monument. We were shuttled 8 mi into the park to climb onto the snow white dunes but the howling winds, driving stinging sand and obscuring the distant mountains prompted a quick retreat. The final 15 mi to Las Cruces was quick and first item of business was the weekly dirty job of bike cleaning and chain lubing. Only then could we check into our Motel 6 rooms and shower. We have Palm Sunday off, then on Monday face a 16 mi uphill to Cloudcroft, ele.8,450.

Day 14: Deming-Las Cruces 69 mi

Today was another easy day. We got a fairly early start despite the relatively short ride. An increasing tailwind propelled me the 61 mi in 3 hrs to Old La Mesilla, a lovely old Mexican village square established in 1850 with adjacent Basilica of San Albino. The old village has many arts, crafts and jewelry stores and the very quaint and old Eagle Restaurant just off the square where many lunched in the central open-air patio. We enjoyed this colorful place for a couple of hours before proceeding through urban traffic, past the University of N.M. ending at Sonoma Springs Presby.Ch.where we bunked down in the sanctuary. It is the new home of the same congregation I stayed with on my last trip but now located in a new expanding, gated upscale subdivision and, ecumenically located right next to a new synogogue. Tomorrow we will have to climb some to get past the Organ Mountains which provides such a dramatic dropback to this city.

Day 13: Lordsburg-Demmy

Today was to be a fairly easy, uneventful ride. It was almost a flat, due east 62 mi ride, 48 mi of which was on I-10. Again the hazard of riding on the innerstate are flats and despite my rough beginning I am greatful that today was my fourth day in a row without a flat. Others were not so fortunate. A good tailwind developed and I was able to breeze into town by noon.
The more interesting story is that Beau, our injured rider, had a good night's sleep, her fever was gone and she felt invigorated this morning so decided to ride and she had a good ride. Having been in her circumstance I know that it takes awhile to regain confidence in a modified style of riding. Continue to pray for her health and recovery. Also for Larry who continues to persevere despite his Parkinson's. He continues with a real sense of humor and has become a good friend.

Day 12: Safford-Lordsburg, NM

Back on the bike! I'll explain that later. Today was going to be the best ride of the trip. Skies were overcast so it didn't warm up very quickly but increasing westerly winds were predicted and for the most part gave us a boost. The first 20 miles were relatively flat but then we had some rolling terrain with some long gradual upgrades. But we were rewarded with a fast 7 mi downhill from mi 32 and had a Wheel's lunch in Duncan where there were no other options. Our mechanic, Janech had stayed up late yesterday, modifying our wounded biker's handlebar so she might be able to get back on the bike. Now that she has been able to contact her family I can be less obscure and identify her as Karen (Beau) Beauregard. She got back on her bike after lunch to nervously negotiate the remaining 37 mi to Lordsburg. The winds were picking up from the west with predictions of 25-35 mph westerly winds. As we were heading southeasterly we got a boost but also occasional buffeting side winds. The last 2 mi we turned south towards Lordsburg and the winds almost knocked you off the bike. At the church an outdoor 'Wheels' shower was set up. It was invigorating to say the least. The PVC pipe/plastic curtain enclosure kept falling apart in the 'gale force'winds.While I was showering Beau rode into the church as casual as can be. Unfortunately, she has acquired a cold from one of her fellow bikers and is now running a fever that is likely to derail her another day or two but we hope she may be able to resume the quest soon. This am we started out with a lecture on safe riding techniques. No one has escorted bikers across country as long as they have. You may have seen bicycles with tall whips with a bright flag to warn oncoming cars. That was Bob Davenport's concept. Unfortunately he shared the idea with someone else who made a fortune manufacturing them. In the 60's there were only leather bicycling helmets. He thought to go to Canada to buy hockey helmets to protect the teenage boys under his care at that time. Since bright neon yellow jerseys had become available, they are now required on all riders. He retrofitted auto mirrors for his earlier riders but now compact helmet or eyeglass mirrors are available to alert riders of oncoming trafic. After 42 yrs of leading bikers cross country Wheels experienced their first auto related fatality 2 years ago, a grim reminder of the importance of diligent riding practices.

Day 11: Globe-Safford 79 mi

Today was to be less challenging. The temp was 38F as we rode the short 1 1/2 mi to McDonalds for breakfast and my fingers were numb, but when heading out an hour later it had climbed 10F and would continue to climb the rest of the day and we would gradually shed layers as we went along. There was a nice several mile downhill leaving town but for most of the first 40 mi we would have a roller coaster terrain as we traversed low foot hills. It wasn't so bad as one could build up considerably speed going downhill and use the momentum to reach the next summit. But after 40 mi it had pretty much flattened out. Most of the day would take us through the San Carlos Apache Indian Reservation. I arrived at the First Baptist Church around 2:30 pm where an outdoor shower was already set up. We were just finishing a supper of lasagne when our fallen companion arrived looking not much worse for wear. A bright green forearm cast was in place. A look at the x-ray showed that only a inner corner of the end of the radius bone was broken and neatly in place and overall a stable fracture requiring a less imobilizing cast. A trip to the dentist repaired a chipped tooth. Little pain is reported so there are already plans to modify the handle bar to move the controls to.the good side. Your prayers are still appreciated so that a dream can still be accomplished. Having done the same before I know how important it feels.

Day 10: Apache Jct-Globe

Today was to be a challenging but satisfying day. Having our stay in Apache Jct placed us 15 mi closer to today's destination so we had only 22 mi out before the climbing began instead of 37 mi. We had an initial climb of 1,000' to Superior at mi 35 where we had an early lunch in a colorful restaurant with a lot of motorcyclists with their colorful garb. I headed out after 11:15 and the serious climbing began. It was a bit intimidating as there was no shoulder and fairly busy traffic. 1 1/2 mi out I rode over a tall arched bridge spanning Queen Creek gorge and then traversed a 1,000' tunnel before exiting into relatively safer visibility. The ascent continued to mi 45 at 3-5% and occasionally 7% grade until it leveled out then began a long 6% downhill made hazzardous by road construction and a blasting zone, At times, there was no shoulder with concrete barriers immediately to the right of the white line. It was a nerveracking descent but I continued without incident arriving in Globe at the Methodist Church before 2:00. I was sad to learn that one of our riders on that hazzardous descent had been clipped by a pop-up camper, hooking the rider's handlebar dragging the rider some distance until the front wheel came off, twisting the handlebar out of it's grip and the rider fell, fracturing the rider's left wrist and though it is in good alignment, it was only spinted and the rider will be driven tonight to Safford, our next destination to see an orthopedist in the am. Ironically, Pastor Burke of the Baptist Church where we are to stay tommorrow joined us for the 2 day ride from Apache Jct and called his wife. As I blog, the rider is having a late supper in our church tonight feeling thankful for a 'miracle' before driven to Safford 80 mi distant where she will sleep in a bed in the manse. This reminds us that such an indeavor as this has it's risks. I felt it was a miracle that I could get back on a bike, missing only one day in '99, but I did not have as hazzardous an accident, landing on a road. Our rider is a real hero. For those so inclined, we ask for your continued prayers for safety.

Day 9: day off in Apache Jct

Since I have the day off I thought I would share some of the legend of Bob Davenport, the founder of Wandering Wheels and affectionately called 'Coach'. Bob grew up in a very dysfunctional home but was athletically gifted and he received an athletic scholarship to play football at UCLA where he starred, being named All American on the team that won the national championship. It was there were he became 'born again', mentored by Bill Brite the founder of Campus Crusade for Christ. Bob became an inspirational speaker, testifying to how one can combine athletic toughness and follow one's faith, so, though recruited by the NFL, he felt he had to set an example so instead played in the Canadian league since they did not play on Sundays in the 50,s. He became football coach at Taylor University in Upland, IN where he still lives (when not on the road). In the 60's he felt called to work at a summer camp and saw the potential of working with youth. He was challenged to devise a way to occupy some teenage boys who tended to get mischevious during the summer so he conceived of a 1K mi bike ride along the Mississippi. One mother said, when dropping her son off,'Bring him home changed or bring him back dead'. Along the ride the kids had to chip in to help with chores and had to do their own laundry and were shocked to find their clothes had turned pink when they had dumped everything in at once. After that trip that kid's mom knew something had changed when he thanked her for doing his laundry. In 1966 Bob lead the first cross-country ride and Wandering Wheels was born. Initially begun as a mission to teenage boys it eventually included girls and the age range broadened. Earlier trips proceeded on faith as the truck driver would drive to the day's destination and knock on school and church doors asking if the could provide a roof over the heads of perhaps 45 or more kids. After some years these facilities began to look foreward to hosting these groups. Wheels always leaves the place cleaner, bringing along their own vacuum and replenishing toilet paper and paper towels. Some churches feed us, often joined by church members. Some even entertain us with a home-grown talent show and we are encouraged to join in. Spending 6 wks together engenders some good fellowship and new freindships and I can already tell we have a great group who are quick to help each other.

Day 8: Avondale-Apache Junction

Today was to be fairly relaxing though it took us through the vast urban sprawl of the Phoenix metroplex. This is a huge geographic conglomeraton that includes, besides Phoenix, Mesa, Tempe, Scotsdale, Sun City and Apache Jct where we are headed today and includes a pop of 7M altogether. Fortunately the city traffic was not too threatening. At mi 28 we encountered a vibrant street arts fair in the heart of Tempe. It seemed much bigger than the one in State College though only for the weekend. It was teeming with 100K people expected to attend. We hung around the festivities for some while before heading the additional 22 mi to the Topaz Motel, a rather modest facility that will be home for 2 nights. It's just nice to sleep in a bed for a change.

Day 7: Salome-Avondale

I'm cursed! I had mentioned that 3 evenings ago after the very difficult 70 mi ride, as we were puting the bikes away I noticed my rear wheel was soft. Changing the tube the next am I also replaced the tire because it had been damaged the first day. Then last night before lights out I found the same wheel was soft and found a pinpoint hole in which a tiny wire was still imbedded (from the steel-belted tires and treads cast off by big trucks; such debris is encountered all along the interstate and such punctures are a special hazzard of travel on the inerstate), I fixed the the flat and turned in. The followind morning I was informed that people sleeping near my bike heard a loud pop at 10:40 pm and this am found my rear tire was flat again. So I had to quickly replace the tube. We had had to get up at at 5:00 am because the chidren were arriving at 7:00. We headed out at 7:00. The temp was 45F but wind conditions were good and the terrain was flat and the skies were clear so it gradually warmed up and all made good time, especially the first 30 mi so overall it was a good day's ride for all. Most had arrived at the Salvation Army after an 87 mi ride by 2:30 pm. We're feeling more confident. We had an outdoor shower then headed out to a Mexican restaurant. So far my tire is holding it's pressure.

Day 5: Blythe-Salome, Arizona

Things are looking up. We had a 60 mi ride, entering Arizona immediately after crossing the Colorado on which we were camped last night. Skies are predictably clear in the desert but most importantly the wind direction plays a big part as I described 2 days earlier and they would be generally in our favor today as we picked up a good tailwind later in the am. We did have to travel 28 mi on I-10. In this sparsely populated area you occasionally have to travel on the interstate if you want to go anywhere.The most distictly new encounter was the appearance of many large saguaro cacti which grow predominantly in Arizona. We took a brief detour through Quartzite a town that appears to be sparsely populated today (mostly by RV's) but whose population swells to 1M in the peak of winter. Tonight we are bunked down on the floor of the gym of an Indian elementary school and must high-tail it out early in the morning before the kids arrive, At least we had hot showers in the building (it is a cool trek to the 'John' in the middle of the night at the KOA).
Tomorrow we should be in the west Phoenix area in Avondale, 85 miles from here. I'm hoping for a tail wind.

Day 4: Brawley-'Dry Camp', near Palo Verde

This was going to be a challenging day. I had to submit this a day late because I did not have cell access in this camp ground in the desert.It was a 70 mi route but 20 miles along we got strong continual head winds. Though initially flat it saps ones strength to have such persistent resistance, like biking uphill but no downhill. For awhile I was making as slow a speed as I can remember on the level. We crossed over the Algodones Dunes and watched dune buggies scrambling over huge dunes at the Imperial Dunes Vehicular Park. I limped into a lunch stop provided by Wheels, in the middle of nowhere. After an hour break I set off and was relieved that the wind had lessened slightly. There was a roller-coaster terrain that afforded a fast downhill, then momentum uphill which was better than a constant head wind. I rolled into camp at mi 70. The only bathing option was in the adjacent Colorado River. We invited 3 fellow bikers to join us for supper. They were biking cross country, 'self contained' meaning carrying 50 lb of gear with tent, sleeping bag, cooking stove and pots and pans. It made our venture seem so much easier. Never-the-less it was one of my most challenging days of biking. We had a beautiful sunset over the western mountains and a beautiful sunrise over the Colorado this morning. Today was a short ride. We are again camped on the Colortado but in a KOA on the border of Arizona so we cross our first state line in the am.

Day 3: Julian-Brawley

What a difference a day makes. Our home-grown Accuwheather missed the mark. But I won't complain that we did not wake up to snow this am. Never-the-less, it was a chilly 30F when we set out. But skies would be clear all day. We had to bundle up for the steep 7 mi.downhill from Julian but we were able to shed our extra layers as the temp had climbed 30•. We had ascended 4,300' yesterday and we were to descend as much today and in warmer temperatures. We skirted the Salton Sea in the Imperial Valley below sea level. This broad valley that spans lower Cal.is a major supplier of truck crops and hay all made possible with irrigation. Fields were lushly green as we biked past. We arrived after 76 mi. at the Methodist Church and it was warm enough for an outdoor shower. I hope I can include a pic to better illustrate this novel experience. I did laundry at the same time and hung it up to dry on a tree, which doesn't take much time in this arrid climate.

Day 2: Escondido-Julian

Whew. What a challenge. We started with blue skies with temp in the high 50's and as we progressed the temp continued to drop. The rain began at 9:00, slow at first, but by 10.00 it was coming down steadily. We sought shelter at a lunch stop in Santa Ylena but after venturing out at noon for the final climb to our destination, there were heavy rains and howling cross winds and by the time we turned into the Methodist Church it was freezing. The temp was 42 but winds were gusting and it was still raining. After drying out and some hot coffee we felt better but an 'outdoor' shower was out of the question. Stay tuned and I will describe an 'outdoor' shower in a future installment. Snow is still predicted but keeps being put off till later. But at least we are now warm and dry. These experiences make one appreciate modest blessings.

Day 1: Carlsbad to Escondido

This was to be a short beginning to be sure our bikes were functioning after reassembling after being shipped out to the west coast.However I had an inauspicious start when I had a 4" thick wire puncture my rear tire only 2 mi. out as we headed to the Pacific to dip our rear wheels in the water.The dreary overcast skies cleared up and we had beautiful sunny skies in Escondido. However the forecast is calling for snow and temps in the 40's tommorow.
20 years ago my son biked coast to coast with Wandering Wheels and returned with tales of a great adventure. We dreamed of doing it together but it took 10 years for him to find the time after finishing college, medical school and residency. In 1999 we headed out from Seattle with Wandering Wheels. At the end of the first day's ride I slipped on a gym floor and broke my left wrist ending up with a long arm cast. It appeared that my dream was shattered. But I had no pain and felt that if I could reach my handle bars I could get back on my bike.While riding the 'sag wagon'that second day the mechanic contrived a solution and rigged up a handle bar that stood up 15" from the stem with all the controls placed on the right side. On day 3 I was able to bike 80 mi.and completed the 3,200 mi. trip with a cast on my arm. I did not experience any pain. But to share such an experience over 7 weeks with your 30 y.o. son was a bonding.experience that we will never forget. That is the memory that has prompted me to do this 4 times.And I just learned this morning that 84 y.o. Bob Kiser has already biked cross country 4 times before and this will be his 5th. Now that is an inspiration.

Arrived in Carlsbad

This is my first entry since arriving in San Diego.We were met by the Wandering Wheels staff who transported us to the Pacific coast town 1 hour north of San Diego.There I learned there would be 15 of us challenging themselves to achieve this. I was particularly delighted to learn that 70 y.o. Edith Albright and 84 y.o. Bob Kiser, with whom I had biked cross country in 2003 were included. So it doesn't seem so daunting for a 62 y.o. Tomorrow we begin the trip by biking the short distance to the Pacific to have the traditional dipping of our rear wheels in the Pacific before heading East on our 2,500 mi. journey. I hope to show you a photo of our brave number. Iv'e already met several interesting members, most attempting this challenge for the first time, including Larry, a parkinson sufferor who is biking to raise money for Parkinson's research, I hope to relate other interesting profiles and also tell my personal story of what insired this challenge that has lead to my 4th cross country bicyle trip. But some of that later. It is quite a challenge learning to use this Blackberry (complements of VerizonWireless).

Getting Ready to Ride

Dr. McLane is busy preparing his bike and inventory necessary for his ride across the U.S. Please check back for his first blog coming soon!