Boston!!!

Friday June 26th, Burlington, MA to Boston, MA, 17 miles

It is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end- Ernest Hemingway

I guess today is as close as I'll ever get to feeling like the riders on the final day of the Tour de France when they (more or less) ceremoniously ride thru the streets of Paris.  We were sent off at 7:00 am this morning, two by two, from the hotel, cheered on by our families and friends to complete the short 17 mile ride to Revere Beach in Boston.  Approximately 3 miles from the Beach we reassembled to end our Tour together in formation, in front of our families and friends who had hustled in cars to be in position to greet us.  What a magical feeling, 3400 miles completed, sea to shining sea!  What a country!

After a number of hugs we all carried our bikes across the sand to the Atlantic Ocean to get the payoff photo ops!  We then reassembled for a few group photos on the boardwalk.

After returning to the hotel, cleaning my bike and getting it ready for shipping back to Maryland, the family rode back into town.  We had a nice lunch together before taking the Fenway Park tour.  I had seen a couple of Red Sox games before at the Park but it was fun and interesting to learn more about the historic baseball stadium.

This evening we had a celebratory dinner at the hotel.  With the guests and staff we had around one hundred attendees.   Again the stories were very inspirational and it was wonderful to have my family with me to share in my experience.

A link to the my just completed fifty day 2015 Cross Country Tour Itinerary follows:

https://riders.crossroadscycling.com/wp-content/Library/02_2015_Itinerary.pdf

My riding buddy Jim from western Mass. and me at the start of the last day.

The very final pedal strokes to end the 3,400 mile journey

Drew and Ben after the ride with their really skinny Dad

Done!

With Maggie, an amazingly tenacious woman from Great Britain

With Peter, a most congenial and fun guy to be around

At Revere Beach:  Back row: Ted from FL, Lori from FL, Will from Great Britain, Maggie from Great Britain, Steve from IL, Mike from TX, Craig from CT, Ron from TX, Richard from CA.  Front row:  Joanne from CA, Mark from IL, Cynthia from AZ, Matt from MD, Jim from MA, Peter from CA,  Damian from New Zealand, Don from WI, Bob from AZ, and Liam from Scotland.  Missing:  Mary Jo from OH (a sectional rider) and Jim from VA.

Kari  during the Fenway Park tour (above the "Green Monster"),  she was too busy taking the photos to properly get into any at the Beach.

Final Exam (Part 2), New Hampshire and Central Mass.

Thursday June 25, Brattleboro VT to Burlington, MA, 93 miles

This morning, the next to last day of our Tour, we left Brattleboro and quickly crossed the river and entered New Hampshire, our 14th state (the only state we will complete in a day without spending the night).   Another big climbing day (about 5500 feet) with most of it front loaded in New Hampshire.   Again some steep hills, with grades in some places of 12-13%, leading up to ski resorts.  At about 40 miles we crossed the Massachusetts state line (near the town of Ashby) , our 15th and final state.  The  ride stayed rural and scenic for a few miles before reaching the outer Boston suburbs.  We then rode thru quite a few nice neighborhoods as we somehow skirted the major highways into Burlington MA.

Late this afternoon I was met at the hotel by Kari, Ben and Drew, who flew into Manchester NH, rented a car, and drove down to Burlington to share in the grand finale  tomorrow.  I had not seen Ben and Drew in 50 days! What a treat!.  My family joined me at the "Rider's Dinner, a buffet at the Hilton Garden Inn where we are staying.  Every rider had the opportunity to speak to the group about what the cross country ride has meant to them.  There were some very inspirational stories-just ask Kari!  I'm very proud and appreciative of the group of fellow riders I was fortunate enough to shared this experience with.

New Hampshire State Line- trying not to contact the poison ivy.

Above: fellow riders at the photo op

Previous page: a covered bridge, still operable, about ten miles inside NH's western border 

Above: with riders Jim and Ted

A lily pond in NH

Massachusetts State Line, 15th and final state

Goofing around in front of the Crossroads Map, with what is left of my  "guns".

Final Exam (Part 1), Vermont

Wednesday June 24th, Albany NY to Brattleboro VT, 80 miles

The Cross Country Tour is ending with a bang.  I somehow had almost forgot how tiring and demanding certain days could be.  Fortunately today's leg, with about 6,000 feet of climbing, graciously reminded me.  Even with very good weather conditions the ride was a significant challenge.

Leaving  metro Albany we headed east and quickly crossed the Hudson River.  At the 32 mile mark we entered Vermont, which among others things is known for skiing, which typical involves steep mountains.  And so let the climbing begin.  It started for real after the handsome old town of Bennington and pretty much continued to our final destination of Brattleboro.  Road grades were around 8-9 percent for significant distances.  We also had a couple of really fast descents.  One of the staff (Rick) told me in a prior year he had exceeded 50 miles per hour.  I didn't have near the nerve, or the proper traffic conditions, to come anywhere close to that.

My riding buddy Jim and I stopped at a McDonalds in B'boro before the hotel to reload with sundaes and smoothies.  So good.

Entering Vermont

Outside Bennington VT before a mountain ascent

Mountain lake near Wilmington, VT

The Muggy Mohawk Valley

Tuesday June 23rd, Herkimer NY to Albany NY, 78 miles

Today we followed the Mohawk River East on Highway 5 thru small communities.  The weather was very humid with some rain in the morning turning to overcast with occasional pockets of sun. Most of the towns were frankly old and unattractive (post industrial) and appeared to have seen better days.  The highway and river generally paralleled the railroad tracks and Interstate 90.  Towards the end of the ride we rode thru Schenectady before finishing in the Albany suburb of Latham.  We have now pretty much completed  New York State west to east.

The riders are  all starting to get excited about Boston, the culmination of our adventure, where most will be joined by family and/or friends.  We have two hard riding days left thru New England (Wednesday and Thursday) followed by a somewhat ceremonial  17 mile procession into Boston's Revere Beach.   Kari, Ben and Drew are flying in on Thursday where I should see them in the afternoon at the hotel in Burlington, MA.  I am looking forward to seeing my family.

Horses outside a craft store near Amsterdam NY

A plant on the Mohawk River near Fonda NY.  It appears to be a former power plant that has been re-purposed as a concrete products manufacturer.

Crisscrossing Interstate 90

Monday June 22nd, Syracuse NY to Herkimer NY, 70 miles

We left the Cuse this morning heading East to the small town of Herkimer.  Our route seemed to serpentine multiple times back and forth over Interstate 90.  The weather was quite pleasant- sunny with light winds.   I had a silly fall this morning while steadying my bike as I inflated a tire resulting in a couple of bruises well treated with Tylenol.  Speaking of tires, I had to replace my back one after the ride due to a divot in the tread which was probably a little risky to continue riding with given the steep descents we have coming up in New England.   Herkimer, named for an American Revolutionary War General is roughly halfway between Syracuse and Albany, our destination tomorrow.   It has about 7000 residents.

World's smallest chapel in Oneida NY (green  algae is covering the water, evidently you take a boat out to the "chapel").

Another portion of the Erie Canal, this one near Utica NY

3,000 miles down!

Sunday June 21st, Canandagua NY to Syracuse NY, 68 miles

Neighbor and friend Craig Stout joined me this morning for the first leg.  At the SAG stop (38 miles in the ride) he flipped around and headed back to his car at the hotel in Canadagua, where he will then drive back to Maryland.  It was fun to have Craig along and give him a taste of what the Tour is like.  At the first SAG we celebrated reaching the 3,000 mile milestone.  Wow, only 400 miles to go!  Los Angeles now seems like such a long time ago.

The ride had some nice hills, and small towns.  Towards the end we got a good look at a stretch of the Erie Canal.  I did not realize that it has been non-operational since 1917.  I had some nagging mechanical issues with my bike today.  Fortunately, after my ride was completed, our crack staff mechanic  Rick, from Texas, was able to replace a cable (complicated because it is internal ) and hopefully keep me going to Boston,  Than you Rick!.

Above:  3,000 milestone near Seneca Falls NY

Erie Canal, outside Syracuse

Above:  Staff mechanic and all around nice guy Rick, who's expertise has kept me on the road

Finger Lakes

Saturday June 20th, Hamburg NY to Canandaigua NY, 94 miles

Today the distance and climbing (about 4500 feet) combined for a challenging day.  Fortunately the weather (sunny and warm, but not hot, temperatures) provided a gorgeous backdrop for our efforts. We traveled thru a number of small western New York towns (Clinton, Alden and Avon among them) towards our ultimate destination of Cananadaigua.  The highways provided a number of rollers, some long and relatively steep.   As we traveled south of Rochester we entered the Finger Lakes Region (eleven narrow north-south lakes).  We ended very close to Lake Canadaigua.  Several "alumni" from prior years' rides have been meeting us at some of the SAG stops, an indication of the profound effect that completing the Tour has had on many of its participants.

My neighbor and cycling friend, Craig Stout, joined me at the hotel late this afternoon.  He plans to ride with us for part of tomorrow.  Craig has a daughter, Katie, presently living in nearby Rochester, and was able to combine a visit with her with the ride.  We all had a buffet dinner at a Wegman's (upscale grocery store chain) across the street from the hotel .

Above:  Lake Canadaigua

Above:  With neighbor and cycling friend, Craig Stout, in the hotel before dinner

I'm in a (Western) New York State of Mind

Friday June 19th, Erie PA to Hamburg NY, 79 miles

This morning we left a dreary Erie (chilly, windy and misty) and proceeded east/northeast along Lake Erie into New York (about the 20 mile mark of the ride), our 12th state.  Even with overcast skies the ride still proved to be scenic.   We saw a number of wineries on both sides of the PA/NY line,and occasionally beautiful vistas of the Lake.

We are staying tonight in Hamburg, a town of about 60,000, about 10-15 miles south of Buffalo.

Above:  Vineyard overlooking Lake Erie on the PA side of the state line (overcast skies blend somewhat with the Lake).

Above:  Our 12th State

 Lighthouse in Barcelona NY

Above:  Looking for the perfect lawn ornament? You may want to visit this store in Sunset NY.

Off Day in Erie, PA

Thursday June 18th, Erie PA , Rest Day

Today was a much needed rest day in Erie after nearly 400 miles of riding in the past four days.  This is my first visit to Erie and I didn't realize it was a city with a population of over 100,000 with a metro area of 200,000.  It is also a bit of a summer vacation destination with Lake Erie and its amenities, however, the winters are evidently very difficult.   I saw many well maintained older neighborhoods on the way in.

Sheraton Bayfront, Erie PA

Lake Erie

Wednesday June 17th, Niles OH to Erie PA, 89 miles

Today was a welcome relief with cool temperatures and relatively flat terrain.  The scenic ride from Niles to Erie was primarily due north up the extreme eastern Ohio border before crossing into Pennsylvania about 60 miles into the ride.  One of our highlights was stopping at a Root beer stand on the Ohio side of the border where I loaded up with Nathan's hot dogs and root beer.

We will be spending our rest day tomorrow at a beautiful Sheraton in Erie, which has views of the Bay and Lake Erie.

Above:  In NE Ohio south of Conneaut

Above:  Ohio Amish community

Above:  Pennsylvania state line (the lowest budget State welcome sign we have encountered on the trip, obviously the money saved is going into repaving)

Above:  Lake Erie waterfront

A Day In The Life

Tuesday June 16th Wooster OH to Niles OH, 93 miles

Woke up, fell out of bed, dragged a comb across my head.  Found my way downstairs and drank a cup, and looking up I noticed I was late......(Lennon & McCartney, A Day In The Life).

I've received some questions regarding what constitutes a typical day on Tour so I thought I'd try and give a bit of  flavor as to my "routine".

I wake at 5:20 am to get ready to start riding at 7 am.  During that period I have breakfast in the hotel, get dressed, apply sunscreen and chamois cream, repack my bags, prepared my Camelbak (hydration pack) and bottles with Gatorade and water, take my bike (which is with me in the room) and luggage out to the front of the hotel, inflate my tires, and get my game face on.

Generally we ride at our own individual paces, however riders of a similar pace will often ride together.  During the course of a typical day we  have two organized SAG stops to eat snacks, fruits, other goodies and restock on liquids.  On a 90 mile ride day those stops might be around the 30 mile and 60 mile marks.  The Tour has two vans that are utilized for the stops which more or less operate as a roving tailgate.  The riders are also free to stop at stores along the way as they see fit.  Some days riders may stop and have a "real lunch" though the SAG stops often have sandwiches and enough calories to sustain us.

On a normal day I  reach the hotel by around 2-3 pm (although I've been as late as 5:30 pm).  After checking in I usually have a two or three hours to do whatever personal things may need doing- finding recovery drinks, bike maintenance, shopping, laundry, email, blog, phone calls, etc.  There is always something to do!

At 5:45 pm we have a  mandatory "route rap " meeting in the hotel where we go over the cue sheet for the next day's ride.  Immediately following we then go to dinner- usually a restaurant within walking distance of the hotel.  Given the size of our dining party (nearly 20 usually ) it can take quite a while for everyone to get fed.  Usually I am back to the hotel by 7:30-7:45 pm where I  lay out things for the coming day and  hopefully have some down time.  I go to sleep around 9:00-9:30 pm (no issues getting to sleep!) and wake up and do it all again the next day.

Regarding today's ride it was very humid which culminated in an hour long thunderstorm that soaked me.  My legs definitely felt the efforts of the previous two long days.  There was also a good deal of climbing.  All in all a slog of a day for me.  Looking forward to the upcoming off day in Erie.

Another delicious hotel breakfast.

Rider's bags ready to be loaded in the Crossroads van in the morning before the start of the ride

Robin and Janel, two of the Crossroads staff that, among other things, drive the vans and prepare the SAG food

Before the first SAG stop

Tracy, owner and operator of Crossroads Cycling Adventures, at the first SAG stop

Crossroads staff member Jan, at the second SAG stop

Hotel room awaiting me at the end of a day

My new playful friend I met today at the second SAG stop.

In Ohio

O-"HILL"-O

Monday June 15th, Marysville OH to Wooster OH, 98 miles

So much for Ohio being a flat Midwestern state, at least approaching Wooster in the North Central portion.  We encountered some of the steepest hills of the Tour (12-13% grades at some places).  With nearly 5,000 feet of climbing over a distance of 98 miles it was a challenging day.  We were helped again by a modest tailwind for most of the ride.  Although it was very humid we benefited from a thin cloud layer that kept temps from being really oppressive.  Still a day to stay carefully hydrated.  The countryside was pretty farmland and smaller towns- we have avoided the more industrial sections of the state so far.

We had probably our best meal of the Tour at an Italian restaurant in Wooster tonight.

Above:  In the vicinity of Chesterville OH

Above:  One of a series of steep hills approaching Wooster from the west

A Buckeye Century

Sunday June 14th, Richmond IN to Marysville OH, 104 miles

Today was the first of four days of long distance rides before a day off in Erie PA.  Fortunately the winds were favorable and the temperatures, although quite warm, were not excessive.  As such we made pretty good time.  We quickly passed from Richmond IN into Ohio, our 10th state.  We are crossing Ohio roughly from southwest to northeast over the next few days.  The small towns are now less far apart than before and a bit larger with more services (i.e. places to get a drink or something to eat).  This is making us less dependent on the SAG stops to remain adequately hydrated.  My riding partners and I found a small local walk-up (no seating) joint on the way in with great smoothies.

We are staying at a Hampton Inn in Marysville tonight.  Marysville has a population of 22,000 and looks to be about 25 miles northwest of Columbus.




Above:  Entering State #10

Above:  It was tempting but I didn't take a swing

Above:  Small town of St. Paris, OH