Day Fifty-two

Trying to interact with a civilian as part of my orientation to return to society.

Downtown Exeter, NH

It just finds me wherever I go.

Port and starboard signs.

Don, Joy, Freddy, and Larry ready to lead us to the beach.

Not just another day at the beach.

ARE WE LUCKY OR WHAT!

One final stop in Portsmouth. Tomorrow it's back to diet reality.

This land is your land.

This land was made for you and me.

I remember some places like we were there yesterday…Wendover, Salida, Dodge City, Springfield, Wooster, Liverpool. Other places are totally blurred…Sparks, Green River, Garden City, Crawfordsville, Marysville, Hamburg. I remember the really great rides and the really horrible ones (actually only a few).

We’ll probably remember this day because it really ended like a fairy tale under picture perfect skies.

For the first time since San Francisco we left the hotel as one group pedaling super easy knowing that we had plenty of time today. Everyone was in their ABB jersey and we were getting a lot of friendly toots from people who seemed to be aware that something special was happening. At one point Lauren came to the head of the peleton and pulled us up a long climb that would have really taxed her in early June.

A lot of us stopped in Exeter for coffee and pastry because we didn’t have to be at Rye Junior High School until 11:30 as the final rally point to ride to Wallis Sands Beach together. Amber Lynn, the woman who broke her elbow on Day One made good on her promise to return and ride to the beach with us. She tells people she did the “Coast AND Coast” tour but she hopes to do the entire thing next year.

A police escort met and brought us the final few miles with sirens and stopped traffic. The sun worshippers had no idea as we rumbled into the parking lot and then a loudspeaker announced who we were and what we were finishing. It was like the returning Olympic squad. People cheered, clapped, and joined us in the celebration. Riders who dipped back wheels in the Pacific now dipped the front in the Atlantic. The pint of Pacific water we had carefully carried 3,847 miles was poured into the Atlantic.

Our wives were there and I can’t even express how happy I was to hug and kiss my wife after almost two months. I knew my sister was going to be there but I was totally shocked to see my mother, Sandy (her husband), my sister-in-law Sherry, and nieces Mia and Caitlin (remember from Pueblo?). Robb’s brother Craig was also at the beach.

So many hellos and so many good-byes.

I never had an agenda and this whole trip just kind of happened and then unfolded as we went along so I can’t say that there were fulfilled goals or any great life lessons. It certainly was physically and mentally challenging at times but I also understand that this is something hundreds and maybe thousands of normal people do every year. We weren’t in any physical danger (no one was shooting at us) and once we got into the daily drill it was really straightforward. I-phone alarm, ½ hour to get ready, ½ hour for breakfast, ½ hour to get out of the room and load the gear, spend the morning and early afternoon trying not to get lost, crash into the new hotel, clean-up, route rap, dinner, blog, lights out. Repeat.

Two things about this little adventure. I was surprised at how tight this diverse group became as we got to know each other. Really not a bad actor among the riders or the staff. Also I have a new appreciation for our beautiful country and the people who live here. Someday I’d like to drive around the country in a small RV but there’s something to be said about seeing the country from “behind bars” because all the senses are engaged. We smelled the feed lots and the clean mountain air. We heard the roar on the interstate and the livestock on the back country road. We baked under the hot sun and got soaked a few days. And (as Cindy says) food always tastes better after a ride. We went fast enough to get done in a reasonable time but slow enough to notice lots of little things we would have missed behind a windshield.

The blog has been fun because sometimes we felt like you guys were enjoying the ride as much as we were. It also made us more aware of things because we wanted to be sure we let you know what was happening. Our little ABB bike community was very important in helping us get across the country and you faithful readers really leveraged that community for Robb and me so thanks for the help and thank for reading.

ARE WE LUCKY OR WHAT?!

Today’s ratings: (the higher the better or easier)

Scenery: 7

Road conditions: 9

Grunt factor: 9

Peace!