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Day 41,            Miles Ridden Today: 0          Miles Ridden Overall: 1,776 Camping: $0 We stayed overnight at Gmom’s house in Pittsgrove, NJ. Thanks, Gmom and PopPop

-         to track online our current location, see instructions on the Ride the Nation Route plan page
-          also, follow us on Twitter, search “ridethenation”
-          check out our Monday blog on www.bmxmania.com for exclusive details you won’t find here. (Fyi, sometimes our Monday blog doesn’t appear until Wednesday … so check back often)

Sorry for the late posting of this Monday blog; should be back on track tonight.

We awoke at Gmom’s on Monday morning after a wonderfully restful night and had a nice breakfast of eggs and homemade bread. After breakfast, I threw a small load of clothes into the washing machine and then enjoyed catching up with Gmom about all that’s been happening while we’ve been out on our bikes. While we talked, Gmom’s cat, Oliver Underfoot, and Coco chased each other around, trying to establish their hierarchy in the house. Before long, it was time for us to pick up the Editor and drive her to her dad’s so that we could keep the Vdub and meet up with our longtime friend (and the Beast’s biggest fan), Ellie.

We met up with Ellie at Michael’s restaurant in Pennsville, NJ and it was so good to see her! As I wrote in earlier blogs, she was our very first contact in the world of BMX and she paved the way to help our little 4 year old Beast start her BMX career. Not having a helmet when we arrived at Mullica Hill BMX wasn’t an issue: Ellie found a loaner helmet and a roll of duct tape. When it was time to prep her bike for the track, it was Ellie who explained that the colorful bar end fringes and the iridescent chain guard had to be removed. Coming from Ellie made it all OK in the Beast’s mind. When the Beast fell on her first run and we tried to convince her to sit out a while, it was Ellie who listened to her when she said, “I RIDE!” and then Ellie showed us where to stand back and let the kid ride.

I naively believed that today’s lunch was going to be about catching up with what’s going on with our kids, our lives, etc. And to an extent, it was. But, Ellie came with a plan. She reminded me that she’s been reading my blogs every day since day one; that she’s known me longer than any of my BMX family of friends. And … she’s seen a change in my writing in the last few weeks. She told me how the focus had shifted; how I’d gotten more focused on the percs of hotel rooms and meals out. She was ready to put my head back in the right place.

Following lunch, we drove to our old home track in Mullica Hill, NJ. I hadn’t been there in years and it was admittedly sad the last time I rode by to see it over grown with weeds. We pulled in to the dirt road that ran alongside the track and I felt my spirits drop. So many memories came flooding back. I remember Josie DeMola keeping not only her own two boys but all the rest of the kids in line with her sharp edged, no nonsense approach to track management. Josie told me they needed a scorer and she expected me to take the work seriously; she told me that at least one scorer needs to keep recording the finishes no matter what happens at the finish line. She said, “remember, if they ride and there’s no score, then it’s not a race.” Since then, I’ve tongue in cheek declared that scorers are more important than riders for that very reason. Josie also declared me to be an announcer when their “regular” put his personal politics before the racing. I tried to say no and then learned you don’t tell Josie no.

Mullica Hill BMX always had a good turnout of riders and a close knit group of families who also raced at Egg Harbor Township BMX, Central Jersey and Flemington. Ellie, Mike and their two sons embraced the Beast’s newfound interest in BMX and encouraged her to try it all. For a time, the Beast had a major “crush” on Ellie’s oldest, Jesse.

As we walked around the flattened track, we recalled where the old registration trailer and snack bar was, and where the fence bordered the track. Ellie paused in front of a pile of blacktop rubble and we sadly realized it was the former paved berms. We could see the outline of the straights and the old finish line area. We looked for the stairs her son had built that ran along the hill the riders climbed to get back to the starting gate but they, too, were gone.

What once was a thriving, family gathering place where kids and bikes ruled … is now a field of weeds and memories. When it closed, many of the BMX families were sad but moved on to other tracks. But … we definitely lost some of the local families and never saw them again. For some, Mullica Hill BMX was an affordable and nearby option for their family and it’s closing left them out in the cold.

Mullica Hill BMX didn’t close because of bad management or for low turnout. The track leased ground from the 4-H organization and it closed suddenly when a board member or two let their imaginations run amuck. Without ever getting to know the sport or the families who devoted their “not so free” time to maintaining the track, they decided BMX was a dangerous sport. To relieve their guilt, they then sugar coated their decision by saying they needed the land for other uses. Within weeks, they plowed down the table tops, jumps and rollers. They tore down the berms that BMX people worked hard to raise the money for and pave. For the record, in the years following its removal, I never saw our old track area used for anything but growing weeds.

It closed because BMX has been a misunderstood sport and often misaligned as anything but a family sport. BMX does not get coverage on the sports pages of local newspapers even though it is an Olympic sport. Don’t our kids’ finishes deserve equal space next to our neighbors’ football, soccer, swimming, baseball and golf finishes?? Instead, we all just have snapshots of ourselves following the young riders around the track and helping them over the hills until they can do it themselves.

We need more positive images and more media recognition in order to keep the tracks we have and to build more tracks. We started this epic bike journey with the goal of bringing publicity and positive images of our sport to the tracks along our route. We’ve had some success but we NEED YOUR HELP! One article written while we are in town is not enough. I know that as BMX parents, we volunteer and work hard at our local tracks. I know there are days when we feel like we don’t have the energy to do one more thing. But, look at what Mullica Hill once was!

I also KNOW that BMX people are the toughest and strongest and most resourceful people I know. Find the people at your track who have the balls to contact the local newspaper time and time again until a sports writer comes out and covers your track’s events. If you have to write your own article and submit it, do it.

Learn from what the other tracks are doing, too. The most successful and longest standing tracks have a common thread: they have involved their track in their community. If there’s a local parade for Christmas, 4th of July, etc. … enter your track’s riders into it and distribute candy and flyers. Know the mayor’s name but don’t really know the mayor? Invite her or him again and again until they know you and your track on a first name basis. Mayors love photo ops … USE THAT! Do you have a kid at your track who placed well at the Grands? Invite the mayor to pose with them for a newspaper article upon their return and let the community know that Olympic potentials are being nurtured right here in their hometown. Contact your local hospital and find out who’s job it is to promote healthy lifestyles in the community and ask them how you and your riders can help them meet their goals. I know that Trilogy Park has benefitted time and again from it’s connection to their local Health and Wellness foundation.

Get Creative. Notice a regular parent who always shows up at the track but just never really found their way to a volunteer position? Maybe they’re more “behind the scenes” personality types; USE THAT! Talk to each other and pull on each other’s strengths. Celebrate your successes and boost each other back up when efforts fail. Remember, you’ve been fortunate to find your way to the best family sport in the world; it is your responsibility and it’s an honor to move BMX forward. Complain if it makes you feel better; but don’t be a fool and let it end there. Life has taught all of us that no one wants to hear someone rant over and over again without being part of the change.

So, as Memorial Day winds to an end, it’s important that we, too, keep our sport’s history in mind. We are one of the strongest family sports ever but we don’t have a strong family image. We are misunderstood and misrepresented by people who don’t care to really know or understand BMX. We risk losing our tracks and our support if we don’t keep them in the forefront of our communities. We never thought Mullica Hill BMX track would close.

… ‘lest we forget.”

Memorial Classic Day 2, Sunday

05/30/2011

Day 40,            Miles Ridden Today: 0          Miles Ridden Overall: 1,776 Camping: $0 We are staying overnight at Trilogy Park BMX track in Pottstown, PA, compliments of Trilogy Park, one of the finest BMX tracks in the country!

-         to track online our current location, see instructions on the Ride the Nation Route plan page
-          also, follow us on Twitter, search “ridethenation”
-          check out our Monday blog on www.bmxmania.com for exclusive details you won’t find here. (Fyi, sometimes our Monday blog doesn’t appear until Wednesday … so check back often)

Sorry for the late posting of this Sunday blog:

Sunday morning of the Memorial Classic National again brought over 1,000 BMX riders and over 200 motos. It also brought some very tired volunteers back to the track for another round in the hot spring sun. Not only did BMX moms and dads jump into the tasks at hand, but several of the Trilogy Park teenage BMX riders gathered to help sort the 50/50 tickets. They busted on each other and laughed out loud as they counted and tore strips in pre-counted amounts.

On Sunday, the top ranking teams from the previous day’s racing led the parade lap and it was an awesome sight. Brittany (of Mays Landing, NJ) led the crowd in the singing of the National Anthem and then the racing got under way.

The crowd was charmed by the Strider Bike racing and many snapped pictures of the toddlers on their pedal free beginner bikes. Little Gunny here loved his new racing outfit and was ready to follow in his big sister’s shoes on the track. He rode a good race and as he passed over the finish line, gave a high five to a BMX dad (GRADWELL!) and fell over. Nice move, Gradwell! Throw the kid off balance on his BALANCE BIKE! Gunny was not unnerved by his fall, he popped back up and rode off the track. A true BMXer in the making!

Before the Mains, NBL’s Race official Don Wagner presented to Track Director Glenn Knapper and his track partner and wife Cathy, a well deserved award for their appreciation of a track well maintained and a national event well planned and produced. Many of us Trilogy Park supporters rose to our feet and cheered. When Trilogy Park opened in 2004, it became a gem of a place to race and a good, solid place to hang out. Egos had to be checked at the door and track maintenance was taken to a whole new level. Volunteerism was encouraged and it’s always been a “no bull” kind of track culture. (For inside secrets about the best track in the country … according to more than just me … see my bmxmania.com blog this week.)

During Sunday’s race, John DiRenzo of Tri County Bicycles, who had taken our bikes in for servicing as pre-arranged by the Knappers, returned our road bikes to the track. I know they had their work cut out for them because we’ve ridden them pretty hard and have seldom had the energy to keep up on the basic maintenance. I’m hoping I can now utilize the smallest and largest rear gear, which I haven’t been able to use as we’ve climbed the Pennsylvania hills. Considering the ride ahead, they’ll be needed. Thanks to John and his team at Tri County Bicycles, located @ 256 E. High Street and online @ www.tricountybicycles.net.

Once the racing wrapped up, we settled our concessions bill, packed up our camping gear in the car … YES, I said CAR … said our good byes and headed towards New Jersey. As I mentioned in an earlier blog, we had delivered our VW to Jersey this past March so that our daughter, the Editor, could use it this summer while she’s home from college. We had pre-planned to spend the week ahead visiting with family and friends and then return to the bike route on Saturday, June 4th.

We headed to Uncle Jimmy’s Memorial Day picnic and got to meet all of Jimmy and Jane’s extended family. We usually exchange family updates over Christmas Eve dinner at Gmom’s and it was nice to put faces with the names. They were all welcoming and invited us to join them in their annual game of family vs. family volleyball. I haven’t played volleyball in 20 years and we had a blast! I wish I could say I was amongst the ones who “dove” for the ball but I wasn’t. However, Frankenbutt and I definitely broke a sweat AND our team WON!

Around sunset, we bid everyone goodbye and headed to Gmom’s house for the night. Many a times, we’ve camped with our 5th wheel in Gmom’s and Pop Pop’s yard … and we offered to stay in our tent … but Gmom suggested we try out the Murphy bed that Frankenbutt’s brother had made for Gmom. It was clever, well made and quite comfortable. I immediately told Frankenbutt I need him to make one for our home. We slept like logs with Coco in our bed and her nemesis, Oliver Underfoot (Gmom’s cat) scratching at the door. I decided these were at least 4 star accommodations that came with a hot breakfast in the morning! I highly recommend the Gmom Inn!

Check back shortly for our Monday (Memorial Day) blog … getting caught up!

a long, fabulous day!

05/29/2011

Day 39,            Miles Ridden Today: 0          Miles Ridden Overall: 1,776 Camping: $0 We are staying overnight at Trilogy Park BMX track in Pottstown, PA, compliments of Trilogy Park, one of the finest BMX tracks in the country!

-         to track online our current location, see instructions on the Ride the Nation Route plan page
-          also, follow us on Twitter, search “ridethenation”
-          check out our Monday blog on www.bmxmania.com for exclusive details you won’t find here. (Fyi, sometimes our Monday blog doesn’t appear until Wednesday … so check back often)

Early Saturday morning, I woke up in the tent to the sounds and smells of a BMX National event: bike wheels were rolling by, the gate was being tested, Concessions was brewing coffee and making breakfast sandwiches, volunteers were changing shirts and kids and parents were having pep talks and strategy sessions. I was in heaven! I crawled out of the tent and joined the madness!

I checked in at the volunteer tent and found an amazing array of food, most of it home made by Brittney Whisler … Thank you, Brit! Totally yummy! Surprisingly, Brittney’s husband, Chuck, was volunteering! For those unaware, Chuck woke up Friday morning (also his birthday) and drove himself to the hospital instead of work when he had excruciating pain. It turned out that he had an 8mm kidney stone that required surgery! After surgery, pain meds and a little rest on Friday, Chuck was here at the track to help pull the national event together. That’s another example of the devotion we as BMX parents have to our sport.

Before long, the announcer cued up the national anthem music and much to my surprise, it was the Canadian National Anthem. We had such a large group of riders from the Great North, the track officials decided to honor them with their homeland song and a track lap of Canadian riders following their flag. It was a terrific gesture and reinforced that we are an international organization. Following the Canadian track lap, the American National Anthem played while 3 BMXers from our military rode with the American flag around the track. Just before the finish line, the flag holder paused and waved the Stars ‘n Stripes in a wonderful Memorial Day gesture. As the anthem ended, the crowd roared to life, knowing that the end of the song meant the beginning of the races!

I took up my score pad along with the other volunteers at the finish line and feverishly scribbled number plates onto it as the riders passed in a blur. Volunteer runners took the sheets to the verifying table where more volunteers recorded and checked finishes. In the staging area, volunteers made sure riders got into their proper lanes and gates, and volunteers up on the hill took turns dropping the gate as gate counter volunteers recorded and displayed the number of riders in each moto to the scorers. Corner Marshalls volunteered throughout the day to oversee the racing throughout the track. The Concessions stand was manned by volunteers, the bike inspection was performed by volunteers, 50/50 tickets were sold by volunteers, the trash was emptied and toilet paper and paper towels replaced by volunteers. I’m sure there are many other volunteers I can’t recall at the moment that came together to make this event one of the smoothest running national events I’ve ever attended. It drew over 1,000 riders and their families from around the country and the world. There were over 200 races run each of the two National Race days. Amazing!

The parking lot also had vendors selling bike parts, bike gear and complete bikes. One vendor, Virginia Beach BMX Designs, made and sold jewelry, key chains and more from recycled bike parts and chains. Here’s a pic of my daughter, the Editor, who’s home from college for the summer, showing off the beautiful purple tone bike chain bracelet that she got at Maribeth’s booth. I loved the idea of not only recycling but the thought of creating BMX and bike specific jewelry that represents our sport when we are not on the track.

Next to Virginia Beach BMX Designs was a live radio broadcast that gave terrific color commentary on everything happening at the event. Frankenbutt, the Beast and I were interviewed about our big bike trip and we enjoyed sharing the funny and crazy details of our two wheeled undertaking. In addition, the broadcasters interviewed BMX riders, local regulars and some track personnel, too. It was a terrific opportunity for Trilogy Park to reach listeners and share all the great stuff happening in Memorial Park.

When the motos finished and while the track officials prepared the sheets for 1/4 ‘s and semi races, the announcer and a few track regulars helped entertain the crowd. Announcer Lou convinced all the kids to stand on one foot while he hurled bike shirts and other goodies into the air for them to catch. It was a fun way to pass the time while we waited for the paperwork to finish.

When all the mains had been run and the families dispersed to their campers, motor homes, hotel rooms, etc., Frankenbutt, the Beast, the Editor, her friend, Lee, and I prepared to go to dinner at Juan Carlos on High Street in downtown Pottstown. The Farside family agreed to puppy sit Coco so that we could go; Thanks, Rich, Lisa, Taylor and Charlotte!

As we entered Juan Carlos, the delicious smells of good Mexican food greeted us. We ordered chicken chimichangas, taquitas de puerca, nachos, fajitas and more. Everything was scrumptious and so well presented. As we dined, we enjoyed a relaxed atmosphere in the well decorated dining room. It happened to be Lee’s birthday so we sneaked a message to our waitress who brought a fabulous plate of Flan to the table along with 5 spoons. We devoured it after commemorating Lee’s 20th birthday. Afterward, the Beast posed with Ron (the restaurant manager), Bonnie Heath, (Mayor of Pottstown), her husband, Mason. On the spot, Ron offered a terrific opportunity for me to present to the Knappers: If any local riders and their families show their BMX membership card and dine at Juan Carlos, they’ll receive 15% off the total bill. Also, 10% of their total bill will be given back to the track! What a terrific win-win-win situation! Ron, thanks for a terrific meal and thanks for giving BMXers the opportunity to earn funds for Trilogy Park in a yummy way!

Sorry for the late posting of this blog; I promise I’ll catch up soon. It’s been a very busy few days, with little time for sleep or extracurricular activities.

Good Food, Good friends, good racing!

05/27/2011

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Day 38,            Miles Ridden Today: 0          Miles Ridden Overall: 1,776 Camping: $0 We are staying overnight at Trilogy Park BMX track in Pottstown, PA, compliments of Trilogy Park, one of the finest BMX tracks in the country!

-         to track online our current location, see instructions on the Ride the Nation Route plan page
-          also, follow us on Twitter, search “ridethenation”
-          check out our Monday blog on www.bmxmania.com for exclusive details you won’t find here. (Fyi, sometimes our Monday blog doesn’t appear until Wednesday … so check back often)

Today started with another great perc of our family bicycling adventure. Courtney from Pottstown Parks and Recreation presented us with dining gift certificates for the New VIP Diner, the Brick House and also Juan Carlos Mexican Restaurant. All 3 are located on High Street and are an easy walk or ride from the Trilogy Park track. What a terrific treat and a nice break for our meal budget! Thanks!!

We also found our pictures on the front page of the Mercury, Pottstown's local newspaper, along with a well written article about our epic journey. I was so glad to see that the photographer captured a shot with not only us in it but also 4 of the local BMX riders who joined us for the parade through town.

By the way, our bikes were taken away soon after the bike parade. Don't worry. We didn't break the speed limit or local laws. The Knappers, who run Trilogy Park, had pre-arranged to have our bikes serviced at a local bike shop named Tri-County Bicycles. Thanks to Trilogy Park and Tri-County!

This morning, the track was abuzz with volunteers helping to pull together all the necessary items to make the weekend run smoothly. The Concessions stand got fully stocked and geared up for all the meals they’ll serve to the hungry riders and their families. Teams started arriving and putting up their EZ-Ups and track chairs. Vendors set up their weekend stores and displayed all the items that make BMX dads drool. It felt so good to be in the midst of it.

At lunch time, Frankenbutt and I asked the Beast if she’d like to join us for lunch at the new VIP Diner for lunch (w/gift certificate) but she preferred to hang at the track with her friends. Frankenbutt and I enjoyed Greek Burgers and some quiet time together. It seems like it’s been so long since we’ve had a date! It was truly nice to sit together and talk and eat together.

Lunch out was so nice that we also decided to do dinner out via our other gift certificate for the Brick House on High Street in Pottstown. Again, the Beast opted to hang with friends at the track and puppy sit Coco. Cathy Knapper offered to let us use her car for our dinner out and Frankenbutt drove a car for the first time in a long time.

We arrived at the Brick House which appears to have been a bank at one time and was decorated in a totally fun atmosphere. We immediately felt at home as the terrific smells from the kitchen enticed us. I ordered a blue cheese encrusted flat iron steak and baked potato with sautéed vegetables plus breaded butterfly shrimp; Frankenbutt ordered a t-bone steak and the same sides; Both dinners were exceptional and the service was great, too. This is a place we would come back to again and again! Furthermore, the neighboring table had a terrific family with a couple of young boys who provided more than enough table side entertainment. I couldn’t resist snapping a pic of “William” (who’s almost 2) when he started licking the table. Dinner was sooooo good, I WAS TEMPTED to lick the table!

Nick, the manager, stopped by our table and told us he admired our adventure and also shared with us his own travelling adventure. At one time, he and two other bicyclists trained for a cross country ride but the other two cancelled at the last moment. Disappointed and eager to still see the country, he bought a motorcycle and toured the country on two wheels any way. Way to go, Nick! That’s on our Bucket List of adventures, too!

We returned to the track to find that longtime friend, Jack Bontorno, asked the Beast to go to Walmart and pick out something special that he had promised me when he saw me at the West Palm Beach race. His daughter, Tiffany, the Beast and he ran to the local Walmart and bought an Oreo ice cream cake. We borrowed a knife, plates and spoons from the Concession stand and enjoyed the sweet, cold treat! Thanks, Jack! Thanks most of all for remembering that Birthday Cake is my FAVORITE dessert!

Well, it’s time to get a good night’s sleep before tomorrow’s big national race!

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It's good to be home

05/26/2011

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Day 37,            Miles Ridden Today: 20        Miles Ridden Overall: 1,776 Camping: $0 We are staying overnight at Trilogy Park BMX track in Pottstown, PA, compliments of Trilogy Park, one of the finest BMX tracks in the country!

-         to track online our current location, see instructions on the Ride the Nation Route plan page
-          also, follow us on Twitter, search “ridethenation”
-          check out our Monday blog on www.bmxmania.com for exclusive details you won’t find here. (Fyi, sometimes our Monday blog doesn’t appear until Wednesday … so check back often)

It turns out that the hotel we stayed in did not truly have a “breakfast” as advertised but rather 3 boxes of cereal and coffee. So, we rode our bikes to the local McDonald’s in Morgantown and had breakfast sandwiches, refilled our water bottles and met a local rider, Elsie, of Morgantown. She has clocked 1000 miles on her bike so far this year! Way to go, Elsie!

We enjoyed hearing about her adventures on trail rides out west and around the country. She was curious about our ride, too, and the Beast gave her our business card so she could find us online. Before Elsie rode off, she told us she was heading to BB’s for discount organic chocolate bars. We finished our breakfast and as we were putting our helmets on to leave, Elsie returned with a dark chocolate organic candy bar that Frankenbutt loved! And get this: they were 4 for a dollar! I love a good bargain and wanted to buy more but Frankenbutt reminded me that we were riding in hot weather and would probably end up with very floppy, melted chocolate bars.

We rode out Route 23 in morning traffic and enjoyed some nice downhill runs and a few difficult climbs. After 8 or so miles, our GPS re-routed us onto Saint Peter Road. It sounded welcoming and possibly even heavenly … but names can be deceiving! Saint Peter Road led us into a total uphill climb that made all three of us dismount and push our bikes before we were even a quarter way up the hill. After all the strenuous pushing, we found ourselves making jokes about the Beast possibly needing the “football”. She vehemently denied it, we joked on, and she ended up laughing so hard, she let her bike fall to the ground.

We rode on towards Pottstown and were glad that we made it into town well ahead of our scheduled 3pm parade through town. At 11:30 am, we searched our GPS and located a Laundromat on Hanover Street and decided that it would be a good time to get our clothes clean and good smelling since we were about to spend time with lots of friends and family. We also grabbed a pizza and drinks while the washers and dryers worked their wonders. While in town, a local resident, Terri, stopped us and invited us to a party at her home this Saturday evening. She had read about us in the Mercury newspaper and was also checking out our blog. (Hope we can make it, Terri!)

With laundry done, we ventured down to Trilogy Park and met up with long time friends, Cathy and Glen Knapper and their two sons, Justin and Jeremy. It felt so good to be back in Pottstown and at the Beast’s favorite track. As we entered the park, the Beast said, “We’re home!” Ironically, our mileage for today when added to our over all mileage, equaled “1776”; not a bad number for being so close to Philadelphia, the City of Brotherly love and the cradle of freedom.
We enjoyed catching up with our Trilogy Park friends and then Justin escorted us through town to the Pottstown Memorial Hospital. Cathy Knapper had arranged with the Borough Council and the Parks and Recreation Department for a parade through town with the local BMX riders. The local Bike Share program loaned bikes to other members of the community who so they could join us on the ride, too. Before we started, local media had gathered and we were taped and interviewed by TV 69 of Allentown and also PCTV (Pottstown Community Television). The local newspaper, the Mercury, who has been very supportive of Trilogy Park, also interviewed us for a follow up article to the one they recently printed.

We rode down High Street with Police Bike escorts and it felt great to be in a parade of BMXers! They are terrific kids! I must note that the girl riders were at the front of the pack throughout the ride: GIRL POWER!

When we pulled into Trilogy Park, Cathy Knapper was ready to invigorate the sweaty riders. She had pre-arranged a donation by Rita’s Water Ice of Pottstown! Thank you, Thank you, Cathy and Rita’s! It was the perfect ending to an exhilarating ride!

As we spooned the sweet chilled treat into our mouths, we had a little parking lot entertainment. Evidently, Powers Bike shop is now a “topless” bike shop who travels with their own Pole Dancing equipment! Chad and the guys were quite entertaining and made tent set up an event!

As more and more vendors and BMX families arrived, Coco found a cool spot to relax. She enjoyed her trailer ride through town, a little water ice and a nice relaxing nap. Coco has truly been an ambassador on this bike ride and made friends with everyone she has met! She’s also been a comfort to the three of us when we end a long, strenuous day of riding.

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Hardest Hills, Yet, hands down!

05/25/2011

Day 36,            Miles Ridden Today: 51        Miles Ridden Overall: 1,756 Camping: $0 We are staying overnight at U.S. Inns and Suites in Morgantown, PA at $15, out of pocket expense. (Note: I had a $57 credit with hotels.com, added $15 to it and reserved this hotel room.)

-         to track online our current location, see instructions on the Ride the Nation Route plan page
-          also, follow us on Twitter, search “ridethenation”
-          check out our Monday blog on www.bmxmania.com for exclusive details you won’t find here. (Fyi, sometimes our Monday blog doesn’t appear until Wednesday … so check back often)

When you think of Maryland, do you ever think “the hills of Maryland?” Well, Northern Maryland was just a warning of what Pennsylvania was about to offer us. Yesterday, we came up against hills that made all of our prior training and riding look like child’s play. The Pennsylvania hills are EVIL! You get a nice long downhill run where you fly at 30-35 mph into a sudden uphill where you seldom have time to downshift before your speed drops off 20 mph within seconds.

As harsh as the hill climbs are, the scenery is as magnificent! There are rolling hills of farmland and pastures with cows, horses, chickens and sheep. Speaking of sheep, a stray sheep ran across a back road and came within a few feet of being hit by my front tire on a downhill run. I was so focused on the road ahead of me, I didn’t notice the sheep until I heard the Beast frantically yelling, “Sheep! Sheep!” It happened so quickly, the potential of the situation didn’t hit me until later in the day. I just said “phwew” and kept on riding.

At one point in the ride, our GPS directed us down a road that we discovered was closed. Frankenbutt rode ahead and around the bend to confirm that the road was not passable. The bridge was out and the new construction left it completely unrealistic to cross.

We stopped for lunch in the historic town of Strasburg. It was a bit more expensive than we typically spend but there were no franchise fast food restaurants available en route nor any grocery stores. On the bright side, the burgers were fabulous! And they had outdoor seating on the porch so the three of us could eat together while Coco snoozed under the table.

Along the road, we’ve seen some funny signs. Here’s one for the books! Driving Essentials, BEER??? Hmm.

During a particularly hot part of the day, we rounded the corner and stumbled upon PARADISE! Paradise, PA that is. We weren’t particularly impressed with the town and continued on.

We’ve realized that the hills of PA slow us down substantially. We realized that we now average 50 miles travel during 8-10 hours of biking. We are going to look at our route plan and see if we need to adjust the dates we have planned for our PA/MD/VA stops for the last few weeks of June. Time for some rest.

I know how I want to die …

05/24/2011

If you are reading this blog, it means I was too tired to write after riding. Hope you enjoy it and check back for a ride update on tomorrow’s blog. Thanks again for following our epic bicycle journey.

Day 35,            Miles Ridden Today: 55        Miles Ridden Overall: 1,705             Camping: $0 We are staying overnight at Peach Bottom Inn in Peach Bottom, PA at $68, out of pocket expense.

-         to track online our current location, see instructions on the Ride the Nation Route plan page
-          also, follow us on Twitter, search “ridethenation”
-          check out our Monday blog on www.bmxmania.com for exclusive details you won’t find here. (Fyi, sometimes our Monday blog doesn’t appear until Wednesday … so check back often)

I Know How I Want to Die ...
I wonder what age we are that we begin to think about our own mortality. I remember being blissfully unaware of mine until about junior high school, when I started reading newspapers and watching the news. I wondered if my family would ever be in harm’s way like the ones I saw in news reports about faraway places that were constantly in wars.

The idea of dying really came to the forefront of my consciousness in high school when one of my classmates, Eddie Schmidt, died in a motorcycle accident. He was a quiet boy with a beautiful smile and wavy hair who sat in front of me in my graphic arts class. On a Friday evening, he picked up his dirt bike from repair and while testing it out, the fateful accident occurred. Most of us learned about it during our standard Friday night trip to the mall and some from Monday morning’s announcement by our principal. It was a shock to our otherwise invincible attitudes of ourselves.

Within the next 3 years, our class also lost Patty Maher and Stuart Kavesh. Patty was a ball of fun with flowing blond hair and a giant smile. She helped some of the sports teams with their equipment and often rode her bike home following games. She was struck by a car one evening and suddenly gone. Stuart was a tall, self-confident and smart guy who happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Stuart didn’t survive a car accident that seriously injured 3 of his good friends. Before we graduated, we also lost a vice principal, who drowned trying to save a student on a school club trip to Puerto Rico.

Although I knew Eddie, Patty and Stuart, they were not part of the small circle of friends I spent most of my high school years with. When I heard of their deaths, I felt sorrow for their families and friends. As a parent now, I can’t imagine how their parents made it through such a tragedy.

About 3 years ago, I received word that my childhood friend, James, had died in a motorcycle accident. Although James and I had not stayed in touch after high school, I still cared about him and treasured our shared childhood experiences. I was in Hawaii at the time and struggled to find any words that would comfort his parents. I knew I wouldn’t make it through a phone call and decided to write them a letter to express my condolences.

While reading an online news article about James’ death, I learned more about his post high school life. He had moved from Jersey to Florida, which he always said he wanted to do. His grandmother often took him to Florida during breaks from school and he always returned with great stories about this warm, sunny place. He had become an emergency response paramedic and spent his days saving lives and helping the injured in accidents much like his own. Although Florida does not require cyclists to wear helmets, James was wearing one during his crash with an oncoming car and he had the right of way.

The news article said he left behind a wife and a daughter and that it was his long time coworkers who were the first on the scene. I found comfort in the fact that he was surrounded by his work friends at what must have been the scariest moments of his life. I cried for his family and hoped that he didn’t suffer long. I still cry every now and again when I think of him.

Shortly after high school, while visiting a friend in Glassboro, NJ, I had the overwhelming need to call my mom, an inner voice that would not be quieted. Remember that these were the days before cell phones were common and we all relied on answering machines and pagers to get messages to one another when we weren’t by our home phones. When my mom answered the phone, I knew by her voice that something was terribly wrong. She managed to utter, “Daddy’s dead”. Although I called my own father, Dad, I knew that she meant her father had died because in her southern way, she always called him “Daddy”. I left to be with my mom and try to comfort her.

The next morning, she and my older sisters drove to Kentucky in order to be there in time for his funeral.   My father, brother and I each stayed in Jersey; they for their job obligations, me, unwilling to see my beloved grandfather in a casket. My mother understood and to this day, I always remember my grandfather in his porch swing with a cold glass of lemonade my grandmother made just for him.

When they returned, my mother and I shared a long tearful conversation in which she told me about the funeral and how my grandmother leaned over the casket and kissed him goodbye. They had been together almost their entire lives, having married when she was about 15 and he 17. They had met at a church function but seldom saw one another because they went to different schools. They discovered that the paths they each took to school crossed one another but at a different time of the morning and late afternoon. They wrote letters to one another and placed them in a nook in the tree where their paths crossed and their romance blossomed from there.

My grandfather was 83 when he died. He died in a fashion as I hope to die myself one day. Considering we are all a genetic mix of our parents and their pasts, I have a 50/50 shot of either living long and dying suddenly or if my father’s side wins out dying by 65 after a long, painful illness or disease. Cross your fingers that I don’t just look like my mom’s side of the family.

When my mother told me how my grandfather died, I truly felt comforted. My grandparents have lived on the same farm since my mother was a young child. His cash crop was tobacco (although he never smoked nor chewed it) and he raised and sold cows, chickens and pigs. Practically everything they ate came from the crops he and my grandmother planted and cultivated, or from the eggs their chickens laid and sometimes from the animals they slaughtered themselves. They worked together in practically every aspect of their married life and were also each other’s best friend. They were seldom apart.

My grandfather was in his 70’s before the doctor discovered an issue with his heart. Although he lived a very healthy lifestyle, he had fluid that occasionally formed around his heart and he had medication to keep it in check. He never took much medicine before that but would say, “That’s for my ticker” whenever you came up on him as he was taking one of the pills.

Days before he passed away, he told my mom over a phone call how he felt he was getting a chest cold. My mom didn’t worry much about it since he sounded good and a chest cold in February was not an unlikely circumstance. On the following Saturday morning, after feeding the cows, my grandfather was walking up through the grape arbor when he called for my grandmother. My grandmother rushed out the back door and ran to him, catching him as he fell to the ground. As she held him she said she ought to go in and call for help. He asked her to stay with him. He said he knew he was dying and wanted her to just hold him in her arms.   She did.

With tears in their eyes, they exchanged their final goodbyes and then my grandmother called my Aunt Lily who sent an ambulance. They found my grandmother cradling his head in her lap on the cold ground outside. They took my grandfather away and she didn’t see him again until she kissed him goodbye one last time at his funeral, which also happened to be my mother’s birthday. Following the funeral, my grandmother pulled my mother aside and told her she hadn’t forgotten that it was her youngest child’s birthday. My grandmother, was truly a good mother, and a remarkable woman.

I’ve been so fortunate to have found a love that is like what she and my grandfather shared. When I do die, I can only hope that I’m lucky enough to share my final moments with my husband. I cannot imagine a finer way to leave this world.

Virginia to DC to Maryland

05/23/2011

Day 34,            Miles Ridden Today: 57        Miles Ridden Overall: 1,650             Camping: $0 We are staying overnight at Econo Lodge in Elkridge, MD compliments of our Sponsor Comfort Inns and Suites

-         to track online our current location, see instructions on the Ride the Nation Route plan page
-          also, follow us on Twitter, search “ridethenation”
-          check out our Monday blog on www.bmxmania.com for exclusive details you won’t find here. (Fyi, sometimes our Monday blog doesn’t appear until Wednesday … so check back often)

PHWEW! Today was tough! And Slow! Again, Route 1 had some super hills that left us drenched in sweat and exhausted after only a few hours this morning. Not to mention, seldom did we have a bike lane or shoulder to ride on. We decided to follow our GPS directions and only detoured once when a fellow rider pointed out the Custis bike trail which cyclists use to easily get from Virginia into DC.

We finally made it into Washington, DC after riding side by side through rush hour traffic in Alexandria. The Beast posed dramatically for a pic in front of the Welcome to Washington, DC sign. It felt like we were making progress but there was still a high number of miles to get to Pottstown, PA according to our GPS device.

We were surprised at just how hilly the Georgetown area was. As we were climbing Wisconsin Avenue … a truly “Manayunk Wall” type of experience (Philadelphia area’s toughest climb). It seemed like the hill would never end. I had pulled a groin muscle early in the climb, got off the bike and “walked it off”. Ironically, later in the day, the groin pull only bothered me when I walked. It was fine while I rode; I suppose that’s a good situation considering my daily work is on the bike.

When we paused for a breather on the Wisconsin Avenue climb, we met a charming lady named Sachiko, from Hawaii, who was here in Washington, DC to sort out a Social Security issue and take care of some medical issues with her hip. It turned out that she lived on the same island in Hawaii as we did, the Big Island and that she also lived on the Hilo side. She spoke a little Japanese, too, but the Beast couldn’t recall very much of the conversational Japanese she learned in a charter school while we lived there for a year.

At the top of Wisconsin Avenue, we saw the National Cathedral. It was HUGE and quite beautiful. We didn’t stay and tour it since we felt like we really hadn’t hit the mileage goals we had hoped to today. It’s a place we’d like to come back and see some time.

We entered Maryland and the hills were still pretty tough. For some reason, every downhill run ended with a red light at the bottom of the hill before another uphill. On one particularly hard one, we noticed that Frankenbutt was really struggling. When we hit the top of the hill, he hollered for us to pull over.

Sure enough, he had gotten a trailer wheel flat and still managed to drag the trailer up the hill. While he changed the tire, the Beast, Coco and I took a much needed rest. I also researched a hotel location and found that so many of the nearby hotels were at least $100 for the night. I searched a little further out and found a deal at an Econo Lodge.

As we neared the hotel, we saw a Taco Bell and decided to pick up dinner on the way. We were all pretty hungry and opted to buy 2 of their 12 pack taco deals. At the hotel, Frankenbutt ate a dozen himself! (HE’S FAT! Lol!) We ate, took showers and watched some “American Chopper” episodes on TV.

Now, It's time to sleep.

Still in Virginia but Pennsylvania Bound

05/22/2011

Day 33,            Miles Ridden Today: 51        Miles Ridden Overall: 1,593             Camping: $0 We are staying overnight at Quality Inn in Alexandria, VA compliments of our Sponsor Comfort Inns and Suites

-         to track online our current location, see instructions on the Ride the Nation Route plan page
-          also, follow us on Twitter, search “ridethenation”
-          check out our Monday blog on www.bmxmania.com for exclusive details you won’t find here. (Fyi, sometimes our Monday blog doesn’t appear until Wednesday … so check back often)

Our day began slowly with hand writing the bicycling directions we needed for the day since the hotel computer did not have a printer. We had run the directions on the GPS device but feared that following them would take us through the heart of Washington, DC, which is quite congested. After writing 3 pages of turn left, turn right, etc., we got started on our ride. We got immediately frustrated after we climbed 2 substantial hills and ended up only a few blocks away from where we started; it appeared the Google directions were trying too hard to keep us off 200’ of Route 1. We ended up opting for a stop at the local Wawa in Fredericksburg to regroup.

While discussing possible routes, a fellow named Odee Dillon inquired about our dog. Coco instantly liked him and let him rub her back. We talked about adventures and learned that Odee is hoping to do a mule drawn gypsy wagon ride across historic Route 66. Hmm … we’d never considered doing that but it was immediately appealing to both Frankenbutt and me. We talked for quite some time and found Odee to be quite intriguing with stories of his time out west. We, too, enjoyed the spirit of the west and are hoping to return there again some day.

We tossed the empty coffee cups and bid Odee farewell and headed off in the direction that our instructions gave. Within minutes, we realized that we must have made a wrong turn on one of the unlabeled roads. We pulled over again and took out the computer for a better look at the map online. We dragged the cursor around to try and avoid Washington, DC but found that it added so many more miles to our trip. Considering how long it takes to climb the hills in this area, we felt it best not to add miles as we head towards Pottstown PA. We ran the directions one more time on the GPS and it pointed us in the direction of Route 1.

We remounted the bikes and pedaled through some beautiful but steep country side on Route 1. On two occasions, we all had to get off and push our bikes up the hill. On the occasions when we didn’t have to dismount the bikes, we had to drop our gears to their lowest 1, 1 position and pedal at 3-4 miles an hour to keep moving ahead. Today was a real work out.

Around 2 in the afternoon, it started to rain. We passed our electronic devices to Franknenbutt and pedaled on to another Wawa, where we sat out the rain under the awning on the sidewalk, returning emails and text messages. Coco enjoyed all those who stopped by to pet her and we took the time to search where we could stay the night.

We ended up in Alexandria, VA at a very nice Quality Inn with a courtyard and Greek statues. We managed to get the bikes parked in the room and searched out a place to eat dinner. Although, there’s a Roy Rogers across the street, we all agreed we might like a break from burgers and fries. We headed toward a local pizza/Italian restaurant and found out they were take out/delivery only. Across the same plaza, there was a Chinese food restaurant and we headed there instead.

We were seated quickly and the people at the neighboring table asked if we were the cyclists they had seen riding up Route 1. We told them we were and they asked questions about our epic ride. They were such a nice family, full of wonder and so inspired by our story. I wish we had more time to spend together with them. Pictured here are Demitri, Laurie, Neva, Tazche, Hawanya and Larry from Lorton, VA. Hawanya said she has wants to do a bike ride with her husband to celebrate each of the years they’ve been together; maybe even ride to Williamsburg, VA. Hawanya, DO IT! It’s such a terrific adventure that will bring so many good experiences into your life. I hope we all see one another again!

We took pictures of each other’s families before they headed out and we settled in for dinner. We haven’t had Chinese food since our Christmas Day dinner together with our daughter, the Editor … it was a wonderful treat then and tonight, too. I just wish our older daughter could have joined us tonight, too. We miss her terribly and can’t wait to see her in a week, now that she’s home from college.

Tomorrow, we’ll continue on towards Pottstown, PA for the Memorial Classic BMX National Race. So many of the track directors and families from tracks we’ve visited so far, have said that they’re going to be in Pottstown this weekend. I can’t wait! It’ll be a fantastic REUNION!

Congrats to all the Florida riders who had their state championship this weekend! Congrats to Brooke on taking 3rd after less than a year on a BMX bike! Way to go Brooke!