...read the sign that greeted us this morning. A lot has happened since we laat posted. We had some tough days, some long days, a delicious home-cooked meal, and many answers to prayers.
After our first three arduous days of heat and hills in Eastern Kansas the landscape began to iron out and the clouds came rolling in. After our stay outside Overbrook we rode 80 miles to Herington where we camped at an RV park. There we encountered a family of skunks, which thankfully did not grace us with their perfume and after a bat swooped between Scott and I in the morning we decided it was time to head out. That day proved to be more than we had bargained for. We were headed for the town of Frederick, which as it turns out is not more than a grain elevator and train tracks. We thought we might stop east of Frederick at Geneseo so we dropped into the local cafe. The waitress let us know that the town was actually pretty run down and, with little opportunity for the locals, they was a prevelance of drug dealing, drug use, and other crime. Scott felt like this was clear direction not to stay there. So, even though it was the hottest part of a 90+ degree day, we headed on to Claflin, 25 miles down the road. We prayed and called the Sheriff to see what the cmaping options were in CLaflin. He said there was a great little park right by the swimming pool! When we rolled into the city park and swimming pool our odometer read exactly 100.00 miles. We were thankful to dive into the refreshing pool. Since we went extra long we had a shorter ride the next day to Bazine, at about 70 miles. There we stayed at Dan and Elaine's Bicycle Oasis, which is a cyclist only Bed and Breakfast. Thank you to Dan and Elaine for your hospitality!! We had a fabulous stay and an excellent pasta and chicken dinner!
Yesterday we headed out at 5:45 onto a flat landscape just before the sun rose and got to see the large orange moon set below the horizon. It was a relatively easy 112 mile day due to the terrain and clouds. Last night we stayed in Tribune KS, which is about 15 miles from the Colorado boarder. This morning we crossed the boarder with great excitement. The first miles of Eastern Colorado are much like Western Kansas, flat corn fields and yellow flowers dotting the roadside. But as we came over the rise after our rest stop in Sheridan Lake there was sage brush as far as the eye could see. The wave of sage scent flooded us with memories of our desert home. Now the plains are just beggining to give way to a sonata of hills and rises that will culminate in the grand finale of the Rocky Mountains. So after a very hard couple of days in eastern Kansas that nearly broke us, the past four days have been very encouraging and the joy of bike touring is restored. Hopefully this continues as the roads get steep again!!
Jenny and I have been finding fun ways to make the somewhat monotonous flat miles go by quicker. Jenny really enjoys squirting me with her water bottle and hearing me yelp when the cool water gives me the shivers. We also play a lot of '20 Questions' and we talk about memories from earlier on in the trip and plans for the future.
We were talking the other day (near the end of a 112-mile ride) and I said that it is wierd to feel on one hand as though I am in the best shape of my life and on the other hand to feel like my body is completely ravaged. We are really learning the importance of proper 'fueling' and how important it is to recover well by resting and taking in lots of carbs within the first hour after we stop riding. Scott continues to create new, wierder 'wraps' for snack breaks and meals...he can seemingly fit anything into a tortilla...one of his favorites is peanut butter, granola, prunes, and a little of our energy gel. It's also good to substitute a whole banana for the prunes : ) Don't knock it til you try it!
We will probably stay in Haswell, CO tonight and try to get into Pueblo tomorrow or the next day. We will try to post some pictures in Pueblo.
Monday, July 30, 2007
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
Awesome KC visit...now into the Plains
Good afternoon from Overbrook, Kansas!
It is a balmy 95 degrees or so and Jenny and I are enjoying various air conditioned places here in this small Kansas town. We had a nice lunch of salad, apples, dried fruit, pretzels, granola, and Oreos (A big thanks to Aunt Sandy for helping us stock up with good food!). It was nice of them to let two stinky, tired people have lunch at their station. Now we are hanging out in the library downtown to avoid riding in the middle of the day.
We have been expecting hot weather and we certainly got a taste of it today. We were a little suprised that the hills we encountered in Missouri have continued in Kansas. We'll see if it flattens out in the next day or two. Tonight we plan to camp outside of town at a state park (Osage Lake).
We had a bike conundrum which thankfully didn't come up until just outside of Kansas City. I was planning on taking our bike in to get it cleaned up, tighten the timing chain, and get a new chain in the back, but as we were coming into KC the chain kept slipping off the middle chain ring. Jenny noticed that there was a section on the chain ring that was pretty dramatically bent and the chain was not hitting flush on 4-5 cog teeth. We struggled up some big hills in our big chain ring because I didn't want to shift into that gear and potentially make things worse. It looked pretty bad so I was nervous as we took it into the bike shop on our day off in KC.
Sandy took us to Bike America in Lee's Summit, MO and it turned out to be a great shop. Kevin looked at our situation and seemed to be confident that he could make things right. We left the bike with him and headed out for a day of seeing the sights in Cow Town, a.k.a. Kansas City. He called us in about an hour and said he had fixed it up...we were very impressed with his speed and when we went to pick it up, you could barely tell the skip had been there. He put it in a vise to straighten it out and also had to grind down one of the cog teeth where the metal was not cooperating. The new chain looks nice on the bike and he cleaned up our rear cassette. All day today the bike has worked really well. We are grateful for the skill that bike mechanics posess and we thank Kevin at Bike America for getting us safely on the road again. They also made an in-kind donation to 5,000 for Thirst by not charging us for labor. Go see them if you're ever in Lee's Summit. Incredibly, that's really been the only major bike issue on the whole trip. We have a wierd creak that shows up every once in a while when were going up a big climb, but I don't think that's major. Other than that, Firefly has held up extremely well!
We got to see some neat sights in KC and we're grateful that Sandy and Grandma were able to show us around. We had some KC BBQ downtown at the open air market, visited the restored Union Station, and stopped by the American Jazz Museum. It was a great day and it was capped off with another awesome experience. My cousin, Julie, and her husband, Wayne, invited us out for dinner and a ride on their new boat. Their two kids (Hailey and Ethan), Julie, Wayne, Sandy, Jenny, and I piled into the car, grabbed Subway sandwiches, and headed out to Smithville Lake. It was a beautiful night and there were not many boats out. After dinner and a few dives off the boat, we busted out the water skis. It has probably been 8 or 9 years since I last waterskied so I was a little nervous that I would embarass and/or hurt myself. But I got up on the first try and had a great time. I took some hard spills because I got a little too confident and tried to jump the wake : ) Julie and Wayne each got to ski and as the sun was setting Jenny decided to give it a try. She did awesome and got up on her third try for a short run. It was getting dark so we cruised back to the boat launch, but I have a feeling that Jenny will be up and carving the next time we get to go water skiing. Thanks to Julie, Wayne, Sandy, and the kids for a very memorable evening : ) We really hope we get to see our siblings, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, cousins' kids, etc. more often. Among many other things, this trip has shown us how important family is and how great it is to make memories with the people we love.
OK, I've stalled long enough we should probably get to our campsite. I will try to post an updated fundraising total soon. As for mileage, we are right at 3,500 miles!! If any of you know any people in western Kansas/eastern Colorado let us know. Thanks for all your prayers and support.
Love,
Scott and Jenny
It is a balmy 95 degrees or so and Jenny and I are enjoying various air conditioned places here in this small Kansas town. We had a nice lunch of salad, apples, dried fruit, pretzels, granola, and Oreos (A big thanks to Aunt Sandy for helping us stock up with good food!). It was nice of them to let two stinky, tired people have lunch at their station. Now we are hanging out in the library downtown to avoid riding in the middle of the day.
We have been expecting hot weather and we certainly got a taste of it today. We were a little suprised that the hills we encountered in Missouri have continued in Kansas. We'll see if it flattens out in the next day or two. Tonight we plan to camp outside of town at a state park (Osage Lake).
We had a bike conundrum which thankfully didn't come up until just outside of Kansas City. I was planning on taking our bike in to get it cleaned up, tighten the timing chain, and get a new chain in the back, but as we were coming into KC the chain kept slipping off the middle chain ring. Jenny noticed that there was a section on the chain ring that was pretty dramatically bent and the chain was not hitting flush on 4-5 cog teeth. We struggled up some big hills in our big chain ring because I didn't want to shift into that gear and potentially make things worse. It looked pretty bad so I was nervous as we took it into the bike shop on our day off in KC.
Sandy took us to Bike America in Lee's Summit, MO and it turned out to be a great shop. Kevin looked at our situation and seemed to be confident that he could make things right. We left the bike with him and headed out for a day of seeing the sights in Cow Town, a.k.a. Kansas City. He called us in about an hour and said he had fixed it up...we were very impressed with his speed and when we went to pick it up, you could barely tell the skip had been there. He put it in a vise to straighten it out and also had to grind down one of the cog teeth where the metal was not cooperating. The new chain looks nice on the bike and he cleaned up our rear cassette. All day today the bike has worked really well. We are grateful for the skill that bike mechanics posess and we thank Kevin at Bike America for getting us safely on the road again. They also made an in-kind donation to 5,000 for Thirst by not charging us for labor. Go see them if you're ever in Lee's Summit. Incredibly, that's really been the only major bike issue on the whole trip. We have a wierd creak that shows up every once in a while when were going up a big climb, but I don't think that's major. Other than that, Firefly has held up extremely well!
We got to see some neat sights in KC and we're grateful that Sandy and Grandma were able to show us around. We had some KC BBQ downtown at the open air market, visited the restored Union Station, and stopped by the American Jazz Museum. It was a great day and it was capped off with another awesome experience. My cousin, Julie, and her husband, Wayne, invited us out for dinner and a ride on their new boat. Their two kids (Hailey and Ethan), Julie, Wayne, Sandy, Jenny, and I piled into the car, grabbed Subway sandwiches, and headed out to Smithville Lake. It was a beautiful night and there were not many boats out. After dinner and a few dives off the boat, we busted out the water skis. It has probably been 8 or 9 years since I last waterskied so I was a little nervous that I would embarass and/or hurt myself. But I got up on the first try and had a great time. I took some hard spills because I got a little too confident and tried to jump the wake : ) Julie and Wayne each got to ski and as the sun was setting Jenny decided to give it a try. She did awesome and got up on her third try for a short run. It was getting dark so we cruised back to the boat launch, but I have a feeling that Jenny will be up and carving the next time we get to go water skiing. Thanks to Julie, Wayne, Sandy, and the kids for a very memorable evening : ) We really hope we get to see our siblings, parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins, cousins' kids, etc. more often. Among many other things, this trip has shown us how important family is and how great it is to make memories with the people we love.
OK, I've stalled long enough we should probably get to our campsite. I will try to post an updated fundraising total soon. As for mileage, we are right at 3,500 miles!! If any of you know any people in western Kansas/eastern Colorado let us know. Thanks for all your prayers and support.
Love,
Scott and Jenny
Monday, July 23, 2007
Across Illinois and Missouri
HILLS! Who knew Missouri had all these hills?
Since we left Mendota Thursday morning, we've been able to make up time for our day off due to weather and we really feel like we have our legs under us again. We've had great weather and even a little bit of a tailwind (heading west!) for the past couple days.
On Thursday we went 94 miles to Galesburg, IL. As we were rolling up to our campground we spotted a produce stand and picked up a fresh honeydew melon, some peaches, a tomato, and a green pepper. It was a great treat after a nice day of riding.
On our way out of Galesburg in the morning we got caught by a local cyclist who rode with us for about 15 miles. He gave us a good alternate route and we were really grateful for the local advice. We had a tailwind the whole day. We passed through Nauvoo, IL which is a really important historic site for the Mormons. It was a really unique experience to go through this town and see so many Utah license plates and big families. We didn't spend much time there because we wanted to get down the river further. It was very nice to ride along the big, wide Mississippi. Wespotted tons of herons, turtles, and saw some fish jump. We camped at the city park in Hamilton, IL. There was a pool at the park and we spent some time cooling off after a 92 mile day. It was fun to pull some flips and twists off the diving boards. I still get really excited when I can show off for Jenny. She humored me by requesting special dives and clapping when I attempted them.
That night we had a run in with a pesky racoon. I woke up in the middle of the night after a crash near the picnic table. After shining the flashlight over there, the racoon scampered off. I got out to check out the scene and realized that he/she had completely unbuckled our food bag, unrolled the duffel, and was muching away on the peanuts and cookies that we had just bought that night! I could barely sleep the rest of the night and every little noise caused me to jump.
We did not expect to get to our planned destination the next day because of our rain delay, but we got some great weather and I used that special incentive that magically makes Jenny's legs 10 times stronger....After I said that we could probably get a hotel room if we made it the 120 miles to Moberly, MO she seeemed to have a fire in her eyes that didn't let up until she hit the soft mattress at the Moberly Inn : ) We had a tail wind in the morning and beautiful rolling hills. Well, they were beautiful for the first 20 minutes or so and then they started to become tortourous. The hills did not let up the entire day and I was really amazed that we had the stamina to keep going. We had lunch at a Chinese buffet in Monroe City, MO and suffered through Chinese food burps the last 40 miles into Moberly (Sorry, maybe that is too much information : ). All in all it was a great, memorable day. We were sweaty and tired as we walked into the hotel, but we both had huge smiles on our faces!
Yesterday we rode from Moberly, MO to the Baltimore Bend Winery outside of Waverly, MO. I called Richard, the winemaker, and asked if we could pitch a tent outside their tasting room. He said that would be fine and we pushed through 15 hot miles in the afternoon to get there by 5:00 PM after a 85 mile day total. After a short tasting we bought a bottle to bring with us to Kansas City to celebrate with my aunt and uncle, grandma, and cousins. We had a very nice night with some of the best star views I've ever seen. The morning greeted us with a beautiful sunrise and we were off.
We rode 65 miles into Lee's Summit, MO today and arrived at my Grandma's house at 1:00 PM. It was actually a pretty tough ride with more hills (imagine that!). Thanks to Greg for the expert directions on bringing us into town, but I think he wanted to give us an extra little workout before our rest day by bringing us over some big rollers. Grandma treated us to a nice Mexican lunch and we had frozen custard for desert. We had a great KC BBQ dinner tonight at my aunt and uncle's house and we got to see all three of my cousins that I hadn't seen in over 5 years. It was great to catch up, see their children, and hear what's going on in their lives. I am so happy that we were deliberate about making family an important aspect of this trip. It has definitley reaffirmed my desire to stay in touch across space and time with those close to us.
It's been about 450 miles in 5 days...we've got a rest day tomorrow and hope to explore KC with Sandy and Grandma. Then it's westerward through Kansas to begin the steady climb to the Rockies. Colorado here we come!
Lots of Love,
Scott and Jenny
Since we left Mendota Thursday morning, we've been able to make up time for our day off due to weather and we really feel like we have our legs under us again. We've had great weather and even a little bit of a tailwind (heading west!) for the past couple days.
On Thursday we went 94 miles to Galesburg, IL. As we were rolling up to our campground we spotted a produce stand and picked up a fresh honeydew melon, some peaches, a tomato, and a green pepper. It was a great treat after a nice day of riding.
On our way out of Galesburg in the morning we got caught by a local cyclist who rode with us for about 15 miles. He gave us a good alternate route and we were really grateful for the local advice. We had a tailwind the whole day. We passed through Nauvoo, IL which is a really important historic site for the Mormons. It was a really unique experience to go through this town and see so many Utah license plates and big families. We didn't spend much time there because we wanted to get down the river further. It was very nice to ride along the big, wide Mississippi. Wespotted tons of herons, turtles, and saw some fish jump. We camped at the city park in Hamilton, IL. There was a pool at the park and we spent some time cooling off after a 92 mile day. It was fun to pull some flips and twists off the diving boards. I still get really excited when I can show off for Jenny. She humored me by requesting special dives and clapping when I attempted them.
That night we had a run in with a pesky racoon. I woke up in the middle of the night after a crash near the picnic table. After shining the flashlight over there, the racoon scampered off. I got out to check out the scene and realized that he/she had completely unbuckled our food bag, unrolled the duffel, and was muching away on the peanuts and cookies that we had just bought that night! I could barely sleep the rest of the night and every little noise caused me to jump.
We did not expect to get to our planned destination the next day because of our rain delay, but we got some great weather and I used that special incentive that magically makes Jenny's legs 10 times stronger....After I said that we could probably get a hotel room if we made it the 120 miles to Moberly, MO she seeemed to have a fire in her eyes that didn't let up until she hit the soft mattress at the Moberly Inn : ) We had a tail wind in the morning and beautiful rolling hills. Well, they were beautiful for the first 20 minutes or so and then they started to become tortourous. The hills did not let up the entire day and I was really amazed that we had the stamina to keep going. We had lunch at a Chinese buffet in Monroe City, MO and suffered through Chinese food burps the last 40 miles into Moberly (Sorry, maybe that is too much information : ). All in all it was a great, memorable day. We were sweaty and tired as we walked into the hotel, but we both had huge smiles on our faces!
Yesterday we rode from Moberly, MO to the Baltimore Bend Winery outside of Waverly, MO. I called Richard, the winemaker, and asked if we could pitch a tent outside their tasting room. He said that would be fine and we pushed through 15 hot miles in the afternoon to get there by 5:00 PM after a 85 mile day total. After a short tasting we bought a bottle to bring with us to Kansas City to celebrate with my aunt and uncle, grandma, and cousins. We had a very nice night with some of the best star views I've ever seen. The morning greeted us with a beautiful sunrise and we were off.
We rode 65 miles into Lee's Summit, MO today and arrived at my Grandma's house at 1:00 PM. It was actually a pretty tough ride with more hills (imagine that!). Thanks to Greg for the expert directions on bringing us into town, but I think he wanted to give us an extra little workout before our rest day by bringing us over some big rollers. Grandma treated us to a nice Mexican lunch and we had frozen custard for desert. We had a great KC BBQ dinner tonight at my aunt and uncle's house and we got to see all three of my cousins that I hadn't seen in over 5 years. It was great to catch up, see their children, and hear what's going on in their lives. I am so happy that we were deliberate about making family an important aspect of this trip. It has definitley reaffirmed my desire to stay in touch across space and time with those close to us.
It's been about 450 miles in 5 days...we've got a rest day tomorrow and hope to explore KC with Sandy and Grandma. Then it's westerward through Kansas to begin the steady climb to the Rockies. Colorado here we come!
Lots of Love,
Scott and Jenny
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Rock n' Roll Weather
Well, we've only been back on the road a day and a half and the adventures have already begun again!
We woke to grey skies and forescasts of rain on Tuesday morning at my Dad's house. He offered to give us a lift beyond the congested, narrow roads of suburban Chicago. We took him up on the offer and ended up being very glad we did. We drove to DeKalb, IL in rain and traffic on roads with little/no shoulders. A big thanks to Dad and Kris for their hospitality and for accomodating our unique bike touring needs. We love you and miss you already. We are very grateful for their support given to Thirst Relief International.
My Dad dropped us off at Northern Illinois University and we said goodbye in the rain. Five minutes later, the clouds broke and we were on our way. It felt so good to be back on the bike again. It will take a little bit to get the legs back and get over the saddle soreness, but we had a nice 47-mile ride to Mendota, IL. We decided to take it easy on our first day back on the road so we looked for a place to stay in Mendota...this is where the adevntures really began.
We saw forecasts for heavy storms that night so we wanted to get set up quickly. We stopped at the police station and they said we could camp 'out by the lake'. It is not always allowed, but they said we looked like trustworthy folks...they took our names and birthdays just in case : ) We got out to the park and set up our tent while keeping an eye on the dark clouds on the horizon. We could see rain off in the distance. We read for a while and then had dinner. During this time, the direction of the storm completely shifted and went around us to the south. We actually enjoyed some sunshine and a nice sunset before retiring for the evening. I fell asleep as Jenny read to me totally at peace. But this changed around 1:30 when we were both shaken awake by thunder and the most frequent lightning I've ever seen. The flashes were so rapid that I could make out Jenny's surprised face. Then the rain started.
Drizzling at first and then the thuder and lightning seemed to move closer and the rain intensified. At first it was kind of neat, but it didn't let up. The thunder was so loud and followed the lightning so quickly. Being in a tent, we felt so vulnerable and it seemed as though lightning was striking all around us. We laid awake for a while and made a couple quick dashes out to use the bathroom. We had purposely camped near the edge of the park to avoid being noticed and we were a ways from any shelter. The storm would let up for a little bit and then it would start dumping again. I didn't know what to do. The rain was beginning to soak through the tent and our sleeping bags were getting damp.
Jenny suggested that we call information and get the number for the police. We called during a lull in the storm and asked if it had passed. The operator said that it was just the beginning and a series of fronts were following this first one! After hearing our situation she said that we could stay at the police station for the night. She called an officer and they came to pick us up. We hurried to get everything in the patrol car, except the bike and the tent. We felt sorry leaving our trusty steed behind in the rain, but it wouldn't have fit.
We got to the station just as another wave of the storm hit. We got settled and even though we were inside, the thunder was loud enough to startle us. We slept on the floor of the City Council chambers...getting to bed at 3:00 AM after an hour and a half of intense storms.
We got up this morning and checked in with the receptionist about the forecast, When she brought in the print out and it said '70 - 80 mph winds' we decided not to ride today. They offered to let us stay for another night and even brought in a TV and some movies! We walked down to the library and it's kind of clear right now, but there are clouds coming in from the west. The storms are supposed to go through the night and early morning and then let up. It looks like we're in for good weather after this 'rock and roll weather'.
It was a wild experience and we are grateful to be safe and have shelter for tonight. We are amazed at how generous the Mendota Police have been. We will be watching the weather closely as we cross the Plains.
Talk to you soon,
Scott and Jenny
We woke to grey skies and forescasts of rain on Tuesday morning at my Dad's house. He offered to give us a lift beyond the congested, narrow roads of suburban Chicago. We took him up on the offer and ended up being very glad we did. We drove to DeKalb, IL in rain and traffic on roads with little/no shoulders. A big thanks to Dad and Kris for their hospitality and for accomodating our unique bike touring needs. We love you and miss you already. We are very grateful for their support given to Thirst Relief International.
My Dad dropped us off at Northern Illinois University and we said goodbye in the rain. Five minutes later, the clouds broke and we were on our way. It felt so good to be back on the bike again. It will take a little bit to get the legs back and get over the saddle soreness, but we had a nice 47-mile ride to Mendota, IL. We decided to take it easy on our first day back on the road so we looked for a place to stay in Mendota...this is where the adevntures really began.
We saw forecasts for heavy storms that night so we wanted to get set up quickly. We stopped at the police station and they said we could camp 'out by the lake'. It is not always allowed, but they said we looked like trustworthy folks...they took our names and birthdays just in case : ) We got out to the park and set up our tent while keeping an eye on the dark clouds on the horizon. We could see rain off in the distance. We read for a while and then had dinner. During this time, the direction of the storm completely shifted and went around us to the south. We actually enjoyed some sunshine and a nice sunset before retiring for the evening. I fell asleep as Jenny read to me totally at peace. But this changed around 1:30 when we were both shaken awake by thunder and the most frequent lightning I've ever seen. The flashes were so rapid that I could make out Jenny's surprised face. Then the rain started.
Drizzling at first and then the thuder and lightning seemed to move closer and the rain intensified. At first it was kind of neat, but it didn't let up. The thunder was so loud and followed the lightning so quickly. Being in a tent, we felt so vulnerable and it seemed as though lightning was striking all around us. We laid awake for a while and made a couple quick dashes out to use the bathroom. We had purposely camped near the edge of the park to avoid being noticed and we were a ways from any shelter. The storm would let up for a little bit and then it would start dumping again. I didn't know what to do. The rain was beginning to soak through the tent and our sleeping bags were getting damp.
Jenny suggested that we call information and get the number for the police. We called during a lull in the storm and asked if it had passed. The operator said that it was just the beginning and a series of fronts were following this first one! After hearing our situation she said that we could stay at the police station for the night. She called an officer and they came to pick us up. We hurried to get everything in the patrol car, except the bike and the tent. We felt sorry leaving our trusty steed behind in the rain, but it wouldn't have fit.
We got to the station just as another wave of the storm hit. We got settled and even though we were inside, the thunder was loud enough to startle us. We slept on the floor of the City Council chambers...getting to bed at 3:00 AM after an hour and a half of intense storms.
We got up this morning and checked in with the receptionist about the forecast, When she brought in the print out and it said '70 - 80 mph winds' we decided not to ride today. They offered to let us stay for another night and even brought in a TV and some movies! We walked down to the library and it's kind of clear right now, but there are clouds coming in from the west. The storms are supposed to go through the night and early morning and then let up. It looks like we're in for good weather after this 'rock and roll weather'.
It was a wild experience and we are grateful to be safe and have shelter for tonight. We are amazed at how generous the Mendota Police have been. We will be watching the weather closely as we cross the Plains.
Talk to you soon,
Scott and Jenny
Monday, July 16, 2007
Day 36 to Day 50
Two weeks off to relax, rejuvenate, and spend with family and friends...
Jenny on the evening of our two-year anniversary in Ludington, Michigan
Jenny dancing at the family reunion in Frankenmuth
Baseball in Wausau
Sign in Frankenmuth, MI at Bronner's, "The World's Largest Christmas Store"
Flower in Grand Rapids
Brother, Sister, and Me in Wisconsin
Yes, this is a cake with our picture on it...We enjoyed this lovely desert at the Behling/Bahling family reunion in Frankenmuth, Michigan.
Jenny and I made a point to get out for some short-ish morning rides to stay fit, but our activity level dropped significantly. But we've been able to share the message of the importance of clean water with many people. Fundraising has continued and we are now well beyond the $5,000 mark. Thanks to generous donations and to many people who have told friends and family we have now raised over $7,000 for water supply projects!!!! Do you think we can hit $10,000???
Jenny dancing at the family reunion in Frankenmuth
Baseball in Wausau
Sign in Frankenmuth, MI at Bronner's, "The World's Largest Christmas Store"
Flower in Grand Rapids
Brother, Sister, and Me in Wisconsin
Yes, this is a cake with our picture on it...We enjoyed this lovely desert at the Behling/Bahling family reunion in Frankenmuth, Michigan.H e l l o ,
Just a short update because not a lot has been happening on the bike since I last wrote...
We've had a two week break (has it been two weeks already?) in Michigan and Wisconsin. I am writing from my father's house in Libertyville, Illinois and we will be heading west on our bike tomorrow morning.
Our life in the past two weeks has been completely different than our five weeks of bike touring that brought us to the Midwest. After arriving in Grand Rapids, we had 6 days of hanging out with family, partying, driving, and not a lot of bike riding. We celebrated our 2-year anniversary in Ludington, Michigan at the Candlelight Inn and then headed back to Wisconsin on the ferry. My brother picked us up and we spent 5 days at a condo on a lake in Arkdale, Wisconsin. I got to play some tennis and golf, which was a nice switch from pedaling. We got to my dad's house last night and have spent the time resting and sorting through gear in anticipation of our departure for Phase Two of 5,000 for Thirst!!!
Jenny and I made a point to get out for some short-ish morning rides to stay fit, but our activity level dropped significantly. But we've been able to share the message of the importance of clean water with many people. Fundraising has continued and we are now well beyond the $5,000 mark. Thanks to generous donations and to many people who have told friends and family we have now raised over $7,000 for water supply projects!!!! Do you think we can hit $10,000???
I just finished printing out some information cards that we will use as we pedal back West. Hopefully these cards with our website and info about Thirst Relief International will help raise awareness and bring in more funds.
It's been wonderful to relax, but we are both ready to go again. We look forward to a day off in Kansas City, Missouri to see my Grandma Cook, Aunt Sandy and Uncle Greg, and the cousins. We'll also have a day off as we pass through Montrose, Colorado. This is where we are moving after the trip and we hope to find a temporary place to live as well as have dinner with my future co-workers. From there it is a big push to get to Logan, Utah by August 15th. Thank you all for your prayers and support...please keep it up. Talk to you soon.
Lots of Love,
Scott and Jenny
Monday, July 09, 2007
Quick Note
Good Morning,
Here are two links to news spots from Grand Rapids. The Channel 17 piece was really good, but I can't find the video anymore. I'll post it if we find it. There's also a radio spot on the local NPR station that we can't find. Hope to get it up soon...
http://fox17.trb.com/news/070307-wxmi-bike,0,27050.story
http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=77496
We are about to walk out the door to get up to Ludington, Michigan. Jenny and I are celebrating our 2-year anniversary today and I have set us up with a nice place to stay tonight. We will enjoy some alone time and then catch the ferry to Manitowoc, WI tomorrow at 8:00 AM. We plan to meet my brother, who flew in from Belfast, Northern Ireland, and drive to a cabin in central Wisconsin. We'll spend the next five days with my side of the family and then hit the road next Tuesday, July 17th.
We've had an awesome time here in Michigan and it is sad to say goodbye. I met a lot of great people from Jenny's side of the family. A big THANKS to Don, Jan, and Heather Stypula for their hospitality! THANKS to Denny andf Lori for hosting a great BBQ and get together yesterday! THANKS to Dan and Maggie for hosting the Behling-Bahling reunion in Frankenmuth. We got to see the world's largest Christmas store in Frankenmuth and stayed at a neat place with an indoor water park. It was great to see Bill and Laura (Jenny's brother and sister-in-law) and play with the kids.
We are extremely grateful for Bob and Kathy's help in making this trip a reality. They've helped us out so much and they are truly an example to us of what loving family is.
We spread the word about the global water crisis at all the events we've attended in Michigan. Thank you to all the family and friends that have listened and donated. Your support is invaluable and we hope to stay in touch as we head back West. I will be sending in some checks to Thirst Relief and I'm sure we've surpassed the $6,000 mark!! Hope to keep things going and continue positively impacting people's lives. Praise God for His mercy, greatness, and provision!
Lots of love,
Scott and Jenny
Here are two links to news spots from Grand Rapids. The Channel 17 piece was really good, but I can't find the video anymore. I'll post it if we find it. There's also a radio spot on the local NPR station that we can't find. Hope to get it up soon...
http://fox17.trb.com/news/070307-wxmi-bike,0,27050.story
http://www.wzzm13.com/news/news_article.aspx?storyid=77496
We are about to walk out the door to get up to Ludington, Michigan. Jenny and I are celebrating our 2-year anniversary today and I have set us up with a nice place to stay tonight. We will enjoy some alone time and then catch the ferry to Manitowoc, WI tomorrow at 8:00 AM. We plan to meet my brother, who flew in from Belfast, Northern Ireland, and drive to a cabin in central Wisconsin. We'll spend the next five days with my side of the family and then hit the road next Tuesday, July 17th.
We've had an awesome time here in Michigan and it is sad to say goodbye. I met a lot of great people from Jenny's side of the family. A big THANKS to Don, Jan, and Heather Stypula for their hospitality! THANKS to Denny andf Lori for hosting a great BBQ and get together yesterday! THANKS to Dan and Maggie for hosting the Behling-Bahling reunion in Frankenmuth. We got to see the world's largest Christmas store in Frankenmuth and stayed at a neat place with an indoor water park. It was great to see Bill and Laura (Jenny's brother and sister-in-law) and play with the kids.
We are extremely grateful for Bob and Kathy's help in making this trip a reality. They've helped us out so much and they are truly an example to us of what loving family is.
We spread the word about the global water crisis at all the events we've attended in Michigan. Thank you to all the family and friends that have listened and donated. Your support is invaluable and we hope to stay in touch as we head back West. I will be sending in some checks to Thirst Relief and I'm sure we've surpassed the $6,000 mark!! Hope to keep things going and continue positively impacting people's lives. Praise God for His mercy, greatness, and provision!
Lots of love,
Scott and Jenny
Tuesday, July 03, 2007
Welcome to Michigan!...It's all WEST from here!
Greetings from Wyoming, MI!! We're just outside Grand Rapids at my Aunt Jan and Uncle Don's house. Their daughter Heather is here, too. In the next 24 hours my cousin Becka and her husband Jordan, my parents and my brother and his family will all arrive. We are so excited!
Today we just rolled 2800 miles! Wahoo!
After leaving Wausau on Saturday morning, we rode to Apple Creek campground outside of Wrightstown, WI. It was 112 miles. Long day, but lovely weather and not too hilly. We spent the first 50 miles on the MountainBay biking and hiking trail which goes from Rib Mountain near Wausau to Green Bay. It is a packed rock trail, so although it wasn't paved it was a very enjoyable ride. Thanks to the Sanford crew for that recommendation!After we got off the trail we met a local recumbent cyclist who let Scott give it a try. I don't think he's a convert quite yet... sorry dad ;)
Sunday morning we rode to Manitowoc to catch the S.S. Badger carferry across Lake Michigan. On the way there we had to take a detour because they were doing a little road work...too bad our tandem doesn't come with a flotation device.
We were very excited to go on the ferry. We loaded our bike and enjoyed the 4.5 hour ride across the lake. After arriving in Ludington, MI we got some dinner and then rode to the house of Jerry Svendor who is my (let me see if I can get this right) great-grandmother's sister's grandson, or my second cousin once removed. Jerry gave us a lovely tour of his home and forested property and an unforgettable experience in his hand-built sauna. Thank you Jerry and congratulations on retirement and your cross-country motorcycle adventure!Yesterday we rode from Ludington to White Cloud where we stayed in their very nice city park. At the cafe where we stopped for lunch we met a family (from Deerfield, IL about 10 minutes from where Scott's dad lives) who was interested in what we are doing and gave a donation to Thirst Relief. We continue to be amazed at the generosity and interest people show to us and the cause. We got lots of rest in White Cloud so we would be ready to spend time partying and reconnecting with family here.
When we were about 10 miles out we stopped for a break and a news car pulled up behind us. Our uncle Don had contacted to local TV stations and a local radio station to publicize our adventure and the cause. They followed us the rest of the way in and got some footage of us riding. Then we spent the early afternoon interviewing. ABC-WZZM 13 TV, WXMI-TV Fox-17, WGVU- NPR. Hopefully we'll have some links up soon. The interviewing is almost as tiring as riding...I hope we represented the cause well and people are inspired to contribute. The news pieces should all be on this evening.We are very excited to be here and have time to relax and spend with family. We have a break for the next six days to see various family members around Michigan. This break will be very much appreciated, but I expect we will be ready to go after some good rest.
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