So it is crazy, but I actually have internet two days in a row. Today we rode about 40 miles to Parker, AZ. A small town in the middle of a couple indian reservations and right on the Colorado River. The ride was not that bad although it got to 99 degrees at about 10:30 and it only got hotter after that. But we did have a sponsored lunch waiting on us by the local fire deptartment which was great! They had hotdogs and hamburgers waiting for us and then we got time to swim in the river. We bathed ourselves in the river as well and afterwards a couple of the firemen took us out on their speed boat which was awesome. I also got to slide down the slide pool in the station. It was pretty exhilerating. We are staying at a senior citizen building here and Parker and I read an interesting article that was hanging out. Apparently the county we are in right now, La Paz, has the highest percent of elderly in the United States. The median age here is 50, while the national average is 36. 32% of people here are over 60! But I am still extremely impressed by the hospitality here and with the rest of AZ. This is a great state! But dinner is waiting on me so I gotta go for now.
By the way I got to talk to Eric last night and it was great! As most of you know I do not have a cell phone so I am completely out of touch with the rest of the world.
-Joey H.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
It's A Great Day To Be Alive
Hey everyone! I am in Casper, Wyoming right now, and it is the second largest city in Wyoming. That means bike shops and internet! Yay! We've had an amazing last few days traveling the country and seeing sights that I never thought I would ever witness. We are now traveling through Wyoming, and the first couple of days were really nice because we cycled thhrough Yellowstone National Park and saw all sorts of animals from bison and antelope, to deer and moose. We also had the chance to see "Old Faithful" which was actually pretty cool. Its amazing when you take a second to actually look at nature, and see what great things are out there.
After Yellowstone, we rode through the Grand Tetons! This was a truly breath taking mountain range. Really. They were huge, snow covered, gorgeous mountains, and they were right next to us! I just had to stop myself a couple times, look at them, and thank god for the opportunity to be able to be doing this great journey this summer. Sometimes it slips my mind what all of us are actually out here doing, and when I stop and think about it, it makes me so thankful that i have such a blessed life. I am so proud to be a Pi Kapp.
Yesterday was an interesting ride. We started off knowing it was going to be over a hundred miles of about nothing. We found out that after the first couple days in Wyoming, there really isn't anything left except little bushes and dry grass. It makes for a fun ride. We did, however, ride past "Hells Half Acre," which is apparently where they filmed alot of Starship Troopers. Lunch was supposed to be at mile 70 on the ride, and we were all very happy about that. We had been making very good time, and with a tailwind helping us, we were doing about 25 mph on the flats. At about mile 65, however, we had a little wreck in our paceline. The second guy in our paceline rubbed tires with the first guy, and the second guy wound up crashing. The third guy dodged it and I hit his bike head on and flipped over my bike. We got off the rode safely, called our crew cheif, and everyone was ok. we just ended up with some bloody elbows and hips and such, and a couple bruises in different places. Also, we had to take our bikes to the bike shop, because the wreck messed them up pretty bad. Thankfully they will be fixed and we can get back on the bike soon. The most imporrtant part though, is that we are both safe and nothing worse happened.
Anyway, I'm going to go hang out with some of the guys, but here are some of the pictures from the last few days:
I just had to take a picture of Beatrice and I passing the 1000 mark.
Passing the Continental Divide for the first of three times.
One of the huge bison that we saw in Yellowstone National Park.
This was just a random owl on the side of a building, but it reminded me of my great girls from Chi Omega.
Jackson Hole had a ton of these arches all around town, and they are made completely of Antlers!
These last two pictures are of my paceline and I riding ito the Grand Tetons.
They were so beautiful, I hope you can tell just from looking at the pictures, but honestly, you had to be there.
After Yellowstone, we rode through the Grand Tetons! This was a truly breath taking mountain range. Really. They were huge, snow covered, gorgeous mountains, and they were right next to us! I just had to stop myself a couple times, look at them, and thank god for the opportunity to be able to be doing this great journey this summer. Sometimes it slips my mind what all of us are actually out here doing, and when I stop and think about it, it makes me so thankful that i have such a blessed life. I am so proud to be a Pi Kapp.
Yesterday was an interesting ride. We started off knowing it was going to be over a hundred miles of about nothing. We found out that after the first couple days in Wyoming, there really isn't anything left except little bushes and dry grass. It makes for a fun ride. We did, however, ride past "Hells Half Acre," which is apparently where they filmed alot of Starship Troopers. Lunch was supposed to be at mile 70 on the ride, and we were all very happy about that. We had been making very good time, and with a tailwind helping us, we were doing about 25 mph on the flats. At about mile 65, however, we had a little wreck in our paceline. The second guy in our paceline rubbed tires with the first guy, and the second guy wound up crashing. The third guy dodged it and I hit his bike head on and flipped over my bike. We got off the rode safely, called our crew cheif, and everyone was ok. we just ended up with some bloody elbows and hips and such, and a couple bruises in different places. Also, we had to take our bikes to the bike shop, because the wreck messed them up pretty bad. Thankfully they will be fixed and we can get back on the bike soon. The most imporrtant part though, is that we are both safe and nothing worse happened.
Anyway, I'm going to go hang out with some of the guys, but here are some of the pictures from the last few days:
I just had to take a picture of Beatrice and I passing the 1000 mark.
Passing the Continental Divide for the first of three times.
One of the huge bison that we saw in Yellowstone National Park.
This was just a random owl on the side of a building, but it reminded me of my great girls from Chi Omega.
Jackson Hole had a ton of these arches all around town, and they are made completely of Antlers!
These last two pictures are of my paceline and I riding ito the Grand Tetons.
They were so beautiful, I hope you can tell just from looking at the pictures, but honestly, you had to be there.
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Monday, June 29, 2009
Lake Havasu, AZ
So I am here at Lake Havasu and the team is being treated like kings!!! This place is amazing and the town loves us. We rode in to an amazing group of people waiting for us including our main sponsor here, Brigid. I was also interviewed for the local paper and I got on the front page! http://www.havasunews.com/ Here is the site so go check it out! We dropped a few hundred feet on the arrival so as we were going down the mountain we had an amazing view of the entire valley with the lake. Brigid has been absolutely amazing making sure we are treated so well. And we definitely have not gone hungry!!! I have eaten so much the past day and a half that tomorrow's ride will not be fun! Brigid started the Self-Advocacy Group called Bobcats here in Lake Havasu. After we put all our stuff away we loaded up in the vans and we had a sponsored day on the lake in a two level yacht! I rode a jet ski for the first time which was awesome and the rest of the time we played in the water, jumping off the yacht and relaxing in the 115 degree heat. We also had, what seemed like, an endless supply of food as well. After hanging out with the yacht club we went back to our lodging where we saw a huge banner in the middle of town saying "Welcome Journey of Hope" We showered up before our huge dinner, dance, and friendship visit which took place at our lodging (The Aquatic Center). The dinner and dance was so much fun. So many people from the community came out and we filled the entire gym full of people and organizations. There was so much food and we all just stuffed ourselves. Afterwards there was a local band that played for us and at the end of the night we chanted so much they played about 30 extra minutes for us. The dance was so much fun. Having dances and friendship visits like these really makes all of us realize that people with disabilities are just like us and all about having fun!
On our day off today we had an early wake up because we had a sponsored breakfast by The Knights of Columbus with pretty much all you can eat pancakes, sausage, and eggs! We had another friendship visit right after that at New Horizon which is a community for people with disabilities. This was great going here becuase we were able to see a lot of the participants from the dance. For dinner we went to one of the Councilman's house which was at the top of a hill with an beautiful view of the entire lake. We had a huge dinner and pool party here. I love this place. The only thing I am really having to get used to is the fact that it is above 105 degrees pretty much every day. But thankfully it is dry heat...once we get in the south where there is a ton of humidity is when things are going to get bad! Also I know things are getting crazy because now when I wake up, I am thankful knowing we ONLY have 75 or 80 miles that day! haha. But I love this so far. Journey of Hope is definitely a life changing experience and I am absolutely blessed beyond measure to have this opportunity to cycle across the United States with an amazing group of men and do it to help others.
On our day off today we had an early wake up because we had a sponsored breakfast by The Knights of Columbus with pretty much all you can eat pancakes, sausage, and eggs! We had another friendship visit right after that at New Horizon which is a community for people with disabilities. This was great going here becuase we were able to see a lot of the participants from the dance. For dinner we went to one of the Councilman's house which was at the top of a hill with an beautiful view of the entire lake. We had a huge dinner and pool party here. I love this place. The only thing I am really having to get used to is the fact that it is above 105 degrees pretty much every day. But thankfully it is dry heat...once we get in the south where there is a ton of humidity is when things are going to get bad! Also I know things are getting crazy because now when I wake up, I am thankful knowing we ONLY have 75 or 80 miles that day! haha. But I love this so far. Journey of Hope is definitely a life changing experience and I am absolutely blessed beyond measure to have this opportunity to cycle across the United States with an amazing group of men and do it to help others.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Made it to the 3rd State - AZ
Well everyone I have finally made it out of Nevada and into Arizona!!! We had some really long hot days and ended up in towns that I am pretty sure are not even on a map. In Fallon, NV we had a great friendship visit with Fallon Industries, another organization that works with people with disabilities. We had a pirate themed party and dinner! There was a ton of amazing food, music, dancing, and singing. I sat at a table with an older couple, Norma and John, and their son, Dennis, who had a disability. They were the nicest people. We sat and chatted about everything, actually it was mostly me asking about Nevada and stuff about their family. It was great getting to know them and they loved what we were doing. They kept telling me that Journey of Hope was such an amazing thing and they told me they were going to pray for me the rest of the summer. The rest of the small towns we stayed in, we just had advocacy dinners sponsored by Lion’s and Elks Clubs in those towns.
All the other towns we went to had a population of about 10 and were in the middle of the desert! There was not very much. In Tonopah, NV there were a lot of closed silver and gold mines that a lot people struck it rich. But I really did think that I am from a small place in West Virginia. Now that I have experience very very small town USA, I am happy to be from where I am.
In my pace line we have also had a couple big wrecks. That has not been too much fun. Luckily, I have not been involved and some how escaped the bikes and bodies. Seeing the wrecks though, I have realized how easy it is to go down and how I need to ride as safe as possible. The main problem though was the wind. A big cross wind blew the cyclist in front of me down and somehow and swerved to miss him and the guy behind me hit me in the back and flew off his bike. His handle bars got stuck in my back spokes. Fortunately no one was seriously hurt. Just a couple bloody knees and arms.
Finally after riding all the way down through Nevada we made it to Las Vegas. I have never been here so this was quite an experience. We were here about a day and a half and really busy so we didn’t get too much free time. Vegas was definitely the best arrival so far! We rode up to the Las Vegas Leisure Service Center greeted by a summer camp full of kids holding Push America signs, the mayor of Las Vegas, and a city councilmen! The mayor and councilmen dedicated June 25, 2009 Push America Day in the city of Las Vegas!!! There were news stations there and a ton of people. It was amazing. I love it when stuff like this happens because it reminds people of the good still in the world. But at the center we played wheelchair basketball against a real wheelchair basketball team. We lost terribly though. That night we had a sponsored dinner at Harrah’s Casino which is right on the strip! This was by far the best buffet I have ever eaten! I stuffed myself, especially knowing that we had the day off from cycling the next day. That night I walked around the strip with a few guys seeing all the sites. And Vegas is pretty much how it is on TV. All lights, glamour, and tacky decorations. I don’t gamble, but it is a neat place to visit so I think I will come back. The Fountain Show outside of the Bellagio and Caesar’s Palace were my favorite places I went to. The next day we had a 8 am wake up and from then on out we were busy until about 8 that evening. Our visit was with Adaptive Recreation. A city ran organization for people with disabilities. We went to Preserve Springs, a nature preserve and museum in the middle of Vegas, with them and we were all assigned a buddy. My buddy for the day was Danielle. She was a lot of fun, although I don’t think she was too interested in the museum. We found a sandbox and she really enjoyed that! I met her parents later that night at the dinner at the Adaptive Rec. Center. They were great people. On a quick side note and fun fact-I did not meet any natives from Vegas. Everyone had moved here.
Today, we rode in the scorching sun to Bullhead Arizona. We dropped about 2500 feet in elevation in about 15 miles, but the temperature rose about 15 degrees. When we arrived at lodging it was about 118 degrees. We have a sponsored advocacy dinner tonight, which I can’t wait because I am starving. Tomorrow we have a 4:30 am wake up to beat the heat! As soon as I find internet connection fast enough to put more pics up I will and there are a few videos that I want to get up as well. So be looking out for them.
By the way, J.J. did great today biking and Max is the best Crew Chief.
-Joey H.
All the other towns we went to had a population of about 10 and were in the middle of the desert! There was not very much. In Tonopah, NV there were a lot of closed silver and gold mines that a lot people struck it rich. But I really did think that I am from a small place in West Virginia. Now that I have experience very very small town USA, I am happy to be from where I am.
In my pace line we have also had a couple big wrecks. That has not been too much fun. Luckily, I have not been involved and some how escaped the bikes and bodies. Seeing the wrecks though, I have realized how easy it is to go down and how I need to ride as safe as possible. The main problem though was the wind. A big cross wind blew the cyclist in front of me down and somehow and swerved to miss him and the guy behind me hit me in the back and flew off his bike. His handle bars got stuck in my back spokes. Fortunately no one was seriously hurt. Just a couple bloody knees and arms.
Finally after riding all the way down through Nevada we made it to Las Vegas. I have never been here so this was quite an experience. We were here about a day and a half and really busy so we didn’t get too much free time. Vegas was definitely the best arrival so far! We rode up to the Las Vegas Leisure Service Center greeted by a summer camp full of kids holding Push America signs, the mayor of Las Vegas, and a city councilmen! The mayor and councilmen dedicated June 25, 2009 Push America Day in the city of Las Vegas!!! There were news stations there and a ton of people. It was amazing. I love it when stuff like this happens because it reminds people of the good still in the world. But at the center we played wheelchair basketball against a real wheelchair basketball team. We lost terribly though. That night we had a sponsored dinner at Harrah’s Casino which is right on the strip! This was by far the best buffet I have ever eaten! I stuffed myself, especially knowing that we had the day off from cycling the next day. That night I walked around the strip with a few guys seeing all the sites. And Vegas is pretty much how it is on TV. All lights, glamour, and tacky decorations. I don’t gamble, but it is a neat place to visit so I think I will come back. The Fountain Show outside of the Bellagio and Caesar’s Palace were my favorite places I went to. The next day we had a 8 am wake up and from then on out we were busy until about 8 that evening. Our visit was with Adaptive Recreation. A city ran organization for people with disabilities. We went to Preserve Springs, a nature preserve and museum in the middle of Vegas, with them and we were all assigned a buddy. My buddy for the day was Danielle. She was a lot of fun, although I don’t think she was too interested in the museum. We found a sandbox and she really enjoyed that! I met her parents later that night at the dinner at the Adaptive Rec. Center. They were great people. On a quick side note and fun fact-I did not meet any natives from Vegas. Everyone had moved here.
Today, we rode in the scorching sun to Bullhead Arizona. We dropped about 2500 feet in elevation in about 15 miles, but the temperature rose about 15 degrees. When we arrived at lodging it was about 118 degrees. We have a sponsored advocacy dinner tonight, which I can’t wait because I am starving. Tomorrow we have a 4:30 am wake up to beat the heat! As soon as I find internet connection fast enough to put more pics up I will and there are a few videos that I want to get up as well. So be looking out for them.
By the way, J.J. did great today biking and Max is the best Crew Chief.
-Joey H.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Game on!
This is the annual Push vs. Wildcats basketball game at the Janet Pomeroy Center in San Francisco. Push has yet to win the game in the many years of playing.
Monday, June 22, 2009
We just arrived into beautiful Bozeman, Montana, and it was one heck of a ride. We haven't seen one day of riding that wasn't gorgeous mountains, lakes, and amazing weather. Today started off kind of gloomy, being cold and rainy, but after swapping out my bum tire for a teammates and riding for a half an hour, the rain stopped and the ride picked up. Don't get me wrong, it was still freazing for a good hour or two, but it was a nice ride anyway.
When we got into town it was a mad dash to the bike shop because about half the team had problems with their bikes, including me. They were really nice though, and they did awesome work on Beatrice. She runs like new.
After the bike shop, we had a really cool friendship visit at a theraputic rehabilitation center that does hand cycling. We were able to speak with a man who was in an accident a number of years ago, and began hand cycling a few years after that. He even let us all try them out, and believe me, it is alot harder on the arms than it looks.
Ben's just cranking away on the hand bike.
A view of the beautiful snow capped mountains in Montana. They just keep going on forever.
Me and the pace line crew battling the elements.
The apple crew at the top of a mountain today.
When we got into town it was a mad dash to the bike shop because about half the team had problems with their bikes, including me. They were really nice though, and they did awesome work on Beatrice. She runs like new.
After the bike shop, we had a really cool friendship visit at a theraputic rehabilitation center that does hand cycling. We were able to speak with a man who was in an accident a number of years ago, and began hand cycling a few years after that. He even let us all try them out, and believe me, it is alot harder on the arms than it looks.
Ben's just cranking away on the hand bike.
A view of the beautiful snow capped mountains in Montana. They just keep going on forever.
Me and the pace line crew battling the elements.
The apple crew at the top of a mountain today.
Friday, June 19, 2009
An entire weeks worth of pictures
These are some of the pictures from the past week. I tried to keep it short and only put up the really good ones, but I'll let you be the judge of that.
These are the beautiful snow covered mountains on the way up Stevens Pass.
It was a tough ride.
This was a really awesome waterfall that my pace line passed on the way up the mountain, so we just had to stop.
One of the 3 moose that we saw on a trail going from Washington into Idaho.
Paceline pic at the 1st of many state lines. Montana-idaho
Some of the beautiful Washington mountains that we needed to climb that day. Gorgeous, but killer on the pistons (my legs).
The average sight after a day of riding. We usually pile all of the bikes in one spot at lodging.
Me, Colin, and Robby hanging out at "The Bridge" pizza place on our day of in Missoula, Montana.
Colin and myself at the top of Lolo's Pass. We helped each other get up that beast of a mountain pass.
A close up just in case you couldn't see me reppin the great Chi Omega girls accross the country. Go Chi O's!
These are the beautiful snow covered mountains on the way up Stevens Pass.
It was a tough ride.
This was a really awesome waterfall that my pace line passed on the way up the mountain, so we just had to stop.
One of the 3 moose that we saw on a trail going from Washington into Idaho.
Paceline pic at the 1st of many state lines. Montana-idaho
Some of the beautiful Washington mountains that we needed to climb that day. Gorgeous, but killer on the pistons (my legs).
The average sight after a day of riding. We usually pile all of the bikes in one spot at lodging.
Me, Colin, and Robby hanging out at "The Bridge" pizza place on our day of in Missoula, Montana.
Colin and myself at the top of Lolo's Pass. We helped each other get up that beast of a mountain pass.
A close up just in case you couldn't see me reppin the great Chi Omega girls accross the country. Go Chi O's!
A Real Day Off!
Hey everyone! Sorry for the gap in blogs, but the last 5 days or so we have not had any internet access, and 2 nights ago we didn't even have cell phone service. But anyway, we are in Missoula, Montana and its gorgeous. There are mountains everywhere, and everything we need is within walking distance of the school we are staying at. We have today off completely, so we all slept in until about 9:30, and got our day started doing laundry in this laundromat which conveniently has internet access :). This break is just what all of us needed after a rough first week of riding, especially with all of the major mountains that our team finished.
The Journey has been so amazing so far that words cannot even begin to describe the way I feel. The view from the bike while we are riding is so breath taking that I almost can't focus on the road anymore, but it truly is amazing. I will put some pictures up as soon as I am able, just to help you understand a little more.
So far we have covered 2 states and we are in our 3rd. We have finished the beautiful, diverse state of Washington, rode gracefully through Idaho, and now we're all enjoying the beautiful scenery of Montana. Through all of this, our team has shown a great deal of integrity and friendship. Although we have only known each other for about 2 weeks, it feels as though we have all grown up together. The bonds are already amazing, and they can only get stronger through the next 60 days.
I really want to thank everyone who has supported me with this Journey. Without the help of all of you, I would not be in this position, and I would not be growing as much as a person as I am right now.
Thanks again, and I will get those pics up as soon as possible.
-Eric
P.S. DVO - Good luck with your Tour de SIC. You have helped more than you realize.
The Journey has been so amazing so far that words cannot even begin to describe the way I feel. The view from the bike while we are riding is so breath taking that I almost can't focus on the road anymore, but it truly is amazing. I will put some pictures up as soon as I am able, just to help you understand a little more.
So far we have covered 2 states and we are in our 3rd. We have finished the beautiful, diverse state of Washington, rode gracefully through Idaho, and now we're all enjoying the beautiful scenery of Montana. Through all of this, our team has shown a great deal of integrity and friendship. Although we have only known each other for about 2 weeks, it feels as though we have all grown up together. The bonds are already amazing, and they can only get stronger through the next 60 days.
I really want to thank everyone who has supported me with this Journey. Without the help of all of you, I would not be in this position, and I would not be growing as much as a person as I am right now.
Thanks again, and I will get those pics up as soon as possible.
-Eric
P.S. DVO - Good luck with your Tour de SIC. You have helped more than you realize.
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State 2! Carson City, Nevada
Sorry everyone for not writing the last few days. We have been staying in gyms with no internet access. But We are here in Carson City, Nevada and we have a no biking day today. So I am here at a coffee shop. Since my last time writing I have done a lot of biking. From Napa we went to Sacramento where we had an arrival on the capitol (unfortunately we did not get to meet the Governator). Our friendship visit was at the Southside Art Center where the participants have their own band named Southside Ensemble. They performed various songs for us and they were awesome!!!
Then from Sacramento we traveled to Jackson. We had a great sponsored lunch/friendship with ARC another organization that helps people with disabilities that has been a long time supporter of Journey of Hope. I met a very nice young lady and her name was Kelly. I love just sitting and getting to know people that I meet. It just proves that people with disabilities are no different than anyone else. We also had a sponsored dinner by another long time supporter, Jackson Lion's Club.
From Jackson we had one of our hardest days of the summer. We biked up the Sierra mountains. We biked about 7,000 feet hitting an elevation of about 8,400 feet at one point and rode about 85 miles! The mountains were extremely difficult, but I had a great paceline and we really helped each other the whole ride. At one point when I looked over and saw snow on the peaks where we were riding, I thought to myself "I must be crazy!" Although it was the toughest things I have ever done mentally and physically, it is a challenge that I will never forget and one of the most amazing things I have done. The views that we seen were amazing. Some of the most beautiful landscape and scenary that I have ever seen. God did an amazing job, that is all I have to say. Since our day was so tough and it took us pretty much all day to bike, we didn't have a friendship visit today and the Jackson Lion's Club drove up to where we were staying to cook us dinner!
For our arrival in Carson City we had our sponsored lunch with the boys and girls club. During these visits we really try to spread awareness and help younger kids understand people with disabilities. It is great doing this because the younger we can instill awareness in their minds the better it is for them. I hung out with one little boy named Donavan for most of the time. He is a great kid. He seemed pretty mature for a 9 year old and he was asking so many questions about the trip and what we were doing. It is such a great feeling when we get to share our story with people and they hear about what we are doing. I actually just got to share what I was doing a few minutes ago with the lady working here at the coffee shop.
The rest of our biking day off we have a friendship visit after lunch then I definitely need to do some laundry!
Then from Sacramento we traveled to Jackson. We had a great sponsored lunch/friendship with ARC another organization that helps people with disabilities that has been a long time supporter of Journey of Hope. I met a very nice young lady and her name was Kelly. I love just sitting and getting to know people that I meet. It just proves that people with disabilities are no different than anyone else. We also had a sponsored dinner by another long time supporter, Jackson Lion's Club.
From Jackson we had one of our hardest days of the summer. We biked up the Sierra mountains. We biked about 7,000 feet hitting an elevation of about 8,400 feet at one point and rode about 85 miles! The mountains were extremely difficult, but I had a great paceline and we really helped each other the whole ride. At one point when I looked over and saw snow on the peaks where we were riding, I thought to myself "I must be crazy!" Although it was the toughest things I have ever done mentally and physically, it is a challenge that I will never forget and one of the most amazing things I have done. The views that we seen were amazing. Some of the most beautiful landscape and scenary that I have ever seen. God did an amazing job, that is all I have to say. Since our day was so tough and it took us pretty much all day to bike, we didn't have a friendship visit today and the Jackson Lion's Club drove up to where we were staying to cook us dinner!
For our arrival in Carson City we had our sponsored lunch with the boys and girls club. During these visits we really try to spread awareness and help younger kids understand people with disabilities. It is great doing this because the younger we can instill awareness in their minds the better it is for them. I hung out with one little boy named Donavan for most of the time. He is a great kid. He seemed pretty mature for a 9 year old and he was asking so many questions about the trip and what we were doing. It is such a great feeling when we get to share our story with people and they hear about what we are doing. I actually just got to share what I was doing a few minutes ago with the lady working here at the coffee shop.
The rest of our biking day off we have a friendship visit after lunch then I definitely need to do some laundry!
Monday, June 15, 2009
1st Day.
So today I just had my first day of riding out of San Francisco to Napa California. It was an amazing ride. We had a 5:30 am wake up and we started biking from University of San Francisco to the Golden Gate Bridge at about 6:15. We had our kick off at the Golden Gate which was amazing. There were family and friends there from a lot of the riders. We had a good breakfast and a couple speeches from gentlemen who work at the Push America office in Charlotte. Then we started our biking across the bridge. This was one of the most amazing things I have ever done. We continued biking around the bay and on to Napa. It was an extremely tough ride. We rode about 75 miles with a lot of hills. I rode a lot better than I thought I would. We rode through some really beautiful areas. My paceline group was great and we finished strong and rode really well as a team.
Once we arrived in Napa we had just enough time for a shower then headed to Patty Saunders' house for our friendship visit. Patty organized a baseball league for the adults with disabilities a number of years ago and they were wrapping up their season today by having a huge pot luck dinner and handing out trophys. For me, it is amazing how this community of people really thrive off of one another and see the support they show each other. All of the people were cheering each other on as they received their trophys and they were hugging and having a good ol' time. I definitely feel that community is an amazing thing to be apart of whether it is your town, school, or community of friends. Seeing this community today has encouraged me to continue showing greater support and love to the communities that I am apart of.
Tomorrow we have a 6 am wake up and we are heading to Sacramento!
-Joey H.
Once we arrived in Napa we had just enough time for a shower then headed to Patty Saunders' house for our friendship visit. Patty organized a baseball league for the adults with disabilities a number of years ago and they were wrapping up their season today by having a huge pot luck dinner and handing out trophys. For me, it is amazing how this community of people really thrive off of one another and see the support they show each other. All of the people were cheering each other on as they received their trophys and they were hugging and having a good ol' time. I definitely feel that community is an amazing thing to be apart of whether it is your town, school, or community of friends. Seeing this community today has encouraged me to continue showing greater support and love to the communities that I am apart of.
Tomorrow we have a 6 am wake up and we are heading to Sacramento!
-Joey H.
Sunday, June 14, 2009
Practice Practice Practice
Today we had a six o'clock wake up to do our practice ride. It was a bit chilly this morning, but it definitely warmed up as the day and ride went on. We rode about 18 miles around San Francisco Bay. There were some of the most beautiful scenes and views I have ever seen. It was an amazing ride and it went really well. My paceline group of four rode really well together and we got through the ride without any problems. I really enjoyed today's ride, but it just made me even more excited and anxious for tomorrow and my first real day of riding! We have 5:30 am wake up and we start riding to the Golden Gate Bridge at 6. We have our big kick off here and ride across the bridge! I can't wait. Tomorrow is going to be a long ride to Napa, CA, but I am definitely ready! I'll update you all as soon as I am able so keep checking in!
Joey H.
Joey H.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
San Francisco!
Hey everyone,
I am finally here in beautiful San Francisco. Although it took a while to get here because of flight delays! I was awake for about 21 hours straight by the time I got into San Fran the first day and got to bed. But I have been here now for 3 days and it feels like two weeks. We have been extremely busy, but it has been great. The other guys I've met so far are great and it is going to be an amazing summer spending it with them. There are guys from all over the country on my route.
Yesterday we went on our first friendship visit to the Janet Pomeroy Center which is a facility where people with disabilities come to participate in different programs. We were told that about 2,000 participants come to the center each week. We also were able to see a playground that Push had built for the center in 1991 and with the money Push recently donated to the center they invested in a new stove top for the participants to cook! We had our annual Push vs. Wildcat basketball game which was so much fun. We stayed there all day and had dinner with them and really got to know a few of the participants as well as participate ourselves in some stage performances. I had a blast. I met a lady and her name was Susan. She was one of the most outgoing, interesting, encouraging ladies I have ever met. She got up infront of all of us and sang songs to us. I loved sitting with her at dinner and talking to her.
The rest of the time I've been here we have been going over rules and procedures. We have also been doing some skill assessments on our bikes. It has been fun. This evening we had the night free so me and a few guys walk around downtown and went to China town for dinner. WE caught a glimpse of an Indian movie being filmed. Then we went to a San Francisco Giants baseball game. It was a lot of fun and the crowd was pretty interesting.
Tomorrow I have six o'clock wake up for our practice ride. I hope all goes well! Then on Sunday we begin our first day of riding. I can't wait.
Joey H.
I am finally here in beautiful San Francisco. Although it took a while to get here because of flight delays! I was awake for about 21 hours straight by the time I got into San Fran the first day and got to bed. But I have been here now for 3 days and it feels like two weeks. We have been extremely busy, but it has been great. The other guys I've met so far are great and it is going to be an amazing summer spending it with them. There are guys from all over the country on my route.
Yesterday we went on our first friendship visit to the Janet Pomeroy Center which is a facility where people with disabilities come to participate in different programs. We were told that about 2,000 participants come to the center each week. We also were able to see a playground that Push had built for the center in 1991 and with the money Push recently donated to the center they invested in a new stove top for the participants to cook! We had our annual Push vs. Wildcat basketball game which was so much fun. We stayed there all day and had dinner with them and really got to know a few of the participants as well as participate ourselves in some stage performances. I had a blast. I met a lady and her name was Susan. She was one of the most outgoing, interesting, encouraging ladies I have ever met. She got up infront of all of us and sang songs to us. I loved sitting with her at dinner and talking to her.
The rest of the time I've been here we have been going over rules and procedures. We have also been doing some skill assessments on our bikes. It has been fun. This evening we had the night free so me and a few guys walk around downtown and went to China town for dinner. WE caught a glimpse of an Indian movie being filmed. Then we went to a San Francisco Giants baseball game. It was a lot of fun and the crowd was pretty interesting.
Tomorrow I have six o'clock wake up for our practice ride. I hope all goes well! Then on Sunday we begin our first day of riding. I can't wait.
Joey H.
Thursday, June 11, 2009
Greetings From Wenatchee!
Hey everyone, and greetings from the beautiful city of Wenatchee, WA! After leaving our lodging from the town of Skykomish, WA(Population about 200), we are now about 140 miles into our cycling, and everything is going wonderfully. The rides are amazing, and the sights that we are able to see while riding are even better! You would not imagaine the scenery out here, and how beautiful the mountains, rivers, and green blankets of trees are.
It's a good thing that there is so much beautiful scenery though, because if there wasn't, we might actually focus on how much pain our legs are in. We have definately had some rough hills, and tough climes. The good news today ,however, was that after we had our big 20 mile clime up Stevens Pass to a 4000 mile elevation, we basically had a relaxing decent for 30 miles. After a couple close calls, and losing one water bottle over the side of a mountain while cycling, we finally made it to our destination, and the Wenatchee Community Center was nice enough to let us set up camp inside of there building. Showers were great, and we're all ready for our Friendship visit later tonight!
I'm going to try to get some rest now, before we have to leave. Thanks for checking my blog again. I'll keep them coming. I almost have more to talk about than I am actually able to blog.
-Eric
It's a good thing that there is so much beautiful scenery though, because if there wasn't, we might actually focus on how much pain our legs are in. We have definately had some rough hills, and tough climes. The good news today ,however, was that after we had our big 20 mile clime up Stevens Pass to a 4000 mile elevation, we basically had a relaxing decent for 30 miles. After a couple close calls, and losing one water bottle over the side of a mountain while cycling, we finally made it to our destination, and the Wenatchee Community Center was nice enough to let us set up camp inside of there building. Showers were great, and we're all ready for our Friendship visit later tonight!
I'm going to try to get some rest now, before we have to leave. Thanks for checking my blog again. I'll keep them coming. I almost have more to talk about than I am actually able to blog.
-Eric
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
It's hard following directions...
Hey everyone,
Today's practice ride went really well. The weather was beautiful and couldn't have been better. My group and I did, however, manage to get lost on the ride, and we wound up going 5 miles in the wrong direction. We had a good laugh about it though, and it was a learning experience.
After the ride, our cycling coach showed us a velodrome in the same park from which we departed. It was a time trial track designed for cyclists to work up their speed and skills, and we were actually able to ride on it in super fast pace lines. It was an exhilarating experience to say the least.
Tonight, we are being treated to an amazing sponsored dinner at Bucca De Beppo, and we're all really excited about it. This is our big Kick-Off Dinner where all parents and friends are encouraged to attend, and it should be very fun, but also very emotional.
Can't wait for tommorrow!
-Eric
Today's practice ride went really well. The weather was beautiful and couldn't have been better. My group and I did, however, manage to get lost on the ride, and we wound up going 5 miles in the wrong direction. We had a good laugh about it though, and it was a learning experience.
After the ride, our cycling coach showed us a velodrome in the same park from which we departed. It was a time trial track designed for cyclists to work up their speed and skills, and we were actually able to ride on it in super fast pace lines. It was an exhilarating experience to say the least.
Tonight, we are being treated to an amazing sponsored dinner at Bucca De Beppo, and we're all really excited about it. This is our big Kick-Off Dinner where all parents and friends are encouraged to attend, and it should be very fun, but also very emotional.
Can't wait for tommorrow!
-Eric
Monday, June 8, 2009
First Days In Seattle
Hey everyone, and greetings from Seattle. I have been here for 3 days now, and it has been amazing! I met so many people already, and I can tell this journey will be amazing. We are staying at a nice hotel that is right down the road from the Space Needle, and believe me, its an awesome sight to see. Were also really close to pretty much everything else in the city, including a gigantic REI which we walked to as a team.
Since we have been here in Seattle we have not stopped. Every day we have a full schedule full of meetings, training, friendship visits, team pictures, and sponsored meals, all after we wake up at 6 am. Needless to say, I have not been having any trouble sleeping at night...
Today we had our skill assessments on the bike, which we did right under the Space Needle. There were obstacle courses, pace line training, balance excercises, and a couple spills from some team members, but we all had alot of fun and it felt really good to finally get back on the bike. We are all waiting for tomorrow with a ton of excitement, because we will be doing a 30 mile practice ride with our bike coach. This will be the first time all of us have ridden for about a week, and we are very anxious to start riding. I'm sure it will be a great ride, and we will be able to see some great scenery through beautiful Seattle, WA.
Anyway, I'm really excited for tomorrow's ride, as well as the rest of the week. I can't wait to start making some progress on this journey. I'll let you know how everything goes. Check back sonn!
-Eric
By the way, I named my bike Beatrice.
Since we have been here in Seattle we have not stopped. Every day we have a full schedule full of meetings, training, friendship visits, team pictures, and sponsored meals, all after we wake up at 6 am. Needless to say, I have not been having any trouble sleeping at night...
Today we had our skill assessments on the bike, which we did right under the Space Needle. There were obstacle courses, pace line training, balance excercises, and a couple spills from some team members, but we all had alot of fun and it felt really good to finally get back on the bike. We are all waiting for tomorrow with a ton of excitement, because we will be doing a 30 mile practice ride with our bike coach. This will be the first time all of us have ridden for about a week, and we are very anxious to start riding. I'm sure it will be a great ride, and we will be able to see some great scenery through beautiful Seattle, WA.
Anyway, I'm really excited for tomorrow's ride, as well as the rest of the week. I can't wait to start making some progress on this journey. I'll let you know how everything goes. Check back sonn!
-Eric
By the way, I named my bike Beatrice.
Tuesday, June 2, 2009
One week...
Well last week was a very wet riding week. It rained everyday last week, but it was nice to ride a little differently. So far this week has been amazing weather. I have gotten in some really good rides since Sunday, so I'm thankful for that. At this point I am just counting down the days. As every day passes I find myself getting more and more excited. I am not really sure what to expect, but I have prepared myself mentally to be prepared for anything. I have been watching this short slideshow of Journey of Hope that Push America sent me over and over again. At the end of the video there is a quote by Henry Drummond saying, "As you look back on your life, the moments that stand out are the moments when you have done things for others." This is one of my favorite quotes and I looked up where it came from. He wrote this short book called The Greatest Thing in the World. I recommend reading it. He has some pretty amazing things to say. But anyway...I guess I'll be going for now. Adios.
Joey H.
Joey H.
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