Thanksgiving
Day 80 - 9/2/06
Started: Washington, DC
Stopped: Grasonville, MD
Today's Miles: 79.75
Total Miles: 4508.71
Today's Total Ascent: 3138
Today's Total Descent: 3381
Day 81 - 9/3/06
Started: Grasonville, MD
Stopped: Cape Henlopen State Park, DE - THE END!
Today's Miles: 83.70
Total Miles: 4592.41
Today's Total Ascent: 1092
Today's Total Descent: 1065
Last Weekend I grilled the Thanksgiving Turkey on the Weber grill. There's nothing like it: the smokey flavor and the meat that melts in your mouth. Wyatt was in Chicago for the day, and we ate with a small group of students from the dorm. I think it was Derek's first Thanksgiving, and I admit to being surprised by Jimmy's contribution to the meal, some sort of hot dog-sloppy joe concoction. Smriti makes cranberry sauce with a citrus bite, and Harold's mashed potatoes are wonderful. I started the morning with David, here from New York to see his family, and we ran the 8k Turkey Trot through Lincoln Park. The weather couldn't have been better. It was about 60 degrees with clear skies. I'm glad David encouraged me to do it. I didn't do much exercising for the several weeks after my return. When I did finally begin running I quickly determined that biking and running use different muscles. I spent several days very sore. Thursday we ran at a modest pace and crossed the finish line gobbling like turkeys.
I don't know what happened to the fall. Life hit me quickly and hard when I returned to Chicago. Somehow three months have past since I finished my summer tour. I still owe letters to many people: those who provided equipment and food for the trip, sponsors who sent money to the School for Ethics and Global Leadership, and strangers who became friends along the way. I will try to get to all of you. Let me thank you publicly, and in time I promise I'll send something to each of you individually. Among the sponsors, let me particularly name Jay Margedant, the President of Flint River Ranch, who provided all of Coltrane's food for the summer, and Henry Shires, President of Tarptent, who provided my shelter for the summer. Both of them were wonderfully generous and encouraging. Additionally, their products and services are really fantastic. I tried to talk them up along the way, and I want to give them a final shout out. Regarding SEGL, the project is apparently moving forward with long, bold strides. The project sounds more exciting every time I talk to Noah, and I really believe it will quickly become a model of place-based, experiential, ethically focused education. This is going to be a truly remarkable program, and I feel really honored to watch it happen and contribute even modestly. Those who helped along the way are too many to mention, and regrettably they haven't even all made it into the travel journal. These people were the single most exciting part of the adventure. Thank you for showing me love and support, for inviting me into your homes and communities, for feeding me and giving me water, even for waving and sharing a smile.
When I last wrote about the trip I was in Washington, staying with Christie, a college friend. I had a couple days to let my muscles rest, to sleep late, and to connect with several great friends. I also carefully watched the weather. I landed in DC on Wednesday. Thursday was clear most of the day, but Friday the echoes of Hurricane Ernesto hit Washington and the Chesapeake Bay pretty hard. My friend David Stephan (the same guy who ran the Turkey Trot) was coming in from New York City. He and David Hunter, now also a friend, one of David Stephan's groomsmen, who lives in DC were planning to join me for the last couple days of riding. We were concerned that the weather would make it unsafe to hit the roads or that flooding might require significant detours from the ADT. Fortunately, most of the heavy wind and rain hit on Friday evening. By the morning, the rain had slowed to a comfortable drizzle.
The storm actually worked to our advantage. These last days took an inordinate amount of planning. Most mornings I had begun riding not knowing where exactly I would lay my head that night. But my flexibility lessened when I gained travel partners, and it can be hard to find a place to sleep near the Chesapeake Bay over a holiday weekend. The storm, fortunately, scared many tourists away. On Thursday I couldn't find a room anywhere near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. By Friday afternoon, finding a room was a breeze.
We needed to get a vehicle to the coast with us. For the last two days I rode the full distance, but the Davids alternated riding with me and driving David Hunter's truck. I left Coltrane and most of my stuff in DC with Christie, so the bike was light, fast, and a thrill to ride after 11 weeks carrying 150 pounds on my back. I loved having company, and the Davids were great.David Hunter, actually, pushed me pretty hard. He was riding a fancy, light road bike, and he is a competitive inline skater. He's in good shape and rode fast. I had become quite good at a slow, steady pace, but 20+ miles/hour still took a bit of work.
I honestly don't know how to capture these last two days. They were wonderful and unlike any of the others. Riding quickly and often keeping conversation I didn't attend quite so much to my surroundings, but the ride was beautiful, the roads lightly trafficked, and the final push felt good. The end of the trip sort of surprised me. In most ways the last day of riding was unremarkable, distinguished from much of the trip by the pace, the company, and the lightness of my ride, but still not so different from my now familiar routine. The difference was simply that at the end of this day I ran out of land. The three of us rode together to the end of the state park and stood for some time overlooking the waves. We talked and took a few pictures before finally venturing down to the beach. It was great to have my friends there, but there was no party, and that felt appropriate. The end marked a significant accomplishment, but it was mine. I didn't mostly want to celebrate, just to listen to the waves and internalize it. I did dive in, then carried the bike in with me and invited David Hunter to snap a few pictures. It was really satisfying.
That night we ventured down to Dewey Beach, a little south of Rehoboth. We stayed in a total dump of a hotel and spent the evening listening to a local cover band across the street. The next day we drove back to DC, where I picked up Coltrane and all my stuff. David Stephan and I then traveled to New York, where I would spend the evening with my sister, brother-in-law, and mom (who was visiting them for the holiday weekend). Tuesday morning I hit the road for Chicago.
I miss the road. My bike is being repainted to cover up the bruises she sustained this summer. She should be back next week, and I'm excited to take her out again. I am still paying for this summer, but every expense was worth it. Already I am thinking about what might be my next adventure.
Started: Washington, DC
Stopped: Grasonville, MD
Today's Miles: 79.75
Total Miles: 4508.71
Today's Total Ascent: 3138
Today's Total Descent: 3381
Day 81 - 9/3/06
Started: Grasonville, MD
Stopped: Cape Henlopen State Park, DE - THE END!
Today's Miles: 83.70
Total Miles: 4592.41
Today's Total Ascent: 1092
Today's Total Descent: 1065
Last Weekend I grilled the Thanksgiving Turkey on the Weber grill. There's nothing like it: the smokey flavor and the meat that melts in your mouth. Wyatt was in Chicago for the day, and we ate with a small group of students from the dorm. I think it was Derek's first Thanksgiving, and I admit to being surprised by Jimmy's contribution to the meal, some sort of hot dog-sloppy joe concoction. Smriti makes cranberry sauce with a citrus bite, and Harold's mashed potatoes are wonderful. I started the morning with David, here from New York to see his family, and we ran the 8k Turkey Trot through Lincoln Park. The weather couldn't have been better. It was about 60 degrees with clear skies. I'm glad David encouraged me to do it. I didn't do much exercising for the several weeks after my return. When I did finally begin running I quickly determined that biking and running use different muscles. I spent several days very sore. Thursday we ran at a modest pace and crossed the finish line gobbling like turkeys.
I don't know what happened to the fall. Life hit me quickly and hard when I returned to Chicago. Somehow three months have past since I finished my summer tour. I still owe letters to many people: those who provided equipment and food for the trip, sponsors who sent money to the School for Ethics and Global Leadership, and strangers who became friends along the way. I will try to get to all of you. Let me thank you publicly, and in time I promise I'll send something to each of you individually. Among the sponsors, let me particularly name Jay Margedant, the President of Flint River Ranch, who provided all of Coltrane's food for the summer, and Henry Shires, President of Tarptent, who provided my shelter for the summer. Both of them were wonderfully generous and encouraging. Additionally, their products and services are really fantastic. I tried to talk them up along the way, and I want to give them a final shout out. Regarding SEGL, the project is apparently moving forward with long, bold strides. The project sounds more exciting every time I talk to Noah, and I really believe it will quickly become a model of place-based, experiential, ethically focused education. This is going to be a truly remarkable program, and I feel really honored to watch it happen and contribute even modestly. Those who helped along the way are too many to mention, and regrettably they haven't even all made it into the travel journal. These people were the single most exciting part of the adventure. Thank you for showing me love and support, for inviting me into your homes and communities, for feeding me and giving me water, even for waving and sharing a smile.
When I last wrote about the trip I was in Washington, staying with Christie, a college friend. I had a couple days to let my muscles rest, to sleep late, and to connect with several great friends. I also carefully watched the weather. I landed in DC on Wednesday. Thursday was clear most of the day, but Friday the echoes of Hurricane Ernesto hit Washington and the Chesapeake Bay pretty hard. My friend David Stephan (the same guy who ran the Turkey Trot) was coming in from New York City. He and David Hunter, now also a friend, one of David Stephan's groomsmen, who lives in DC were planning to join me for the last couple days of riding. We were concerned that the weather would make it unsafe to hit the roads or that flooding might require significant detours from the ADT. Fortunately, most of the heavy wind and rain hit on Friday evening. By the morning, the rain had slowed to a comfortable drizzle.
The storm actually worked to our advantage. These last days took an inordinate amount of planning. Most mornings I had begun riding not knowing where exactly I would lay my head that night. But my flexibility lessened when I gained travel partners, and it can be hard to find a place to sleep near the Chesapeake Bay over a holiday weekend. The storm, fortunately, scared many tourists away. On Thursday I couldn't find a room anywhere near the Chesapeake Bay Bridge. By Friday afternoon, finding a room was a breeze.
We needed to get a vehicle to the coast with us. For the last two days I rode the full distance, but the Davids alternated riding with me and driving David Hunter's truck. I left Coltrane and most of my stuff in DC with Christie, so the bike was light, fast, and a thrill to ride after 11 weeks carrying 150 pounds on my back. I loved having company, and the Davids were great.David Hunter, actually, pushed me pretty hard. He was riding a fancy, light road bike, and he is a competitive inline skater. He's in good shape and rode fast. I had become quite good at a slow, steady pace, but 20+ miles/hour still took a bit of work.
I honestly don't know how to capture these last two days. They were wonderful and unlike any of the others. Riding quickly and often keeping conversation I didn't attend quite so much to my surroundings, but the ride was beautiful, the roads lightly trafficked, and the final push felt good. The end of the trip sort of surprised me. In most ways the last day of riding was unremarkable, distinguished from much of the trip by the pace, the company, and the lightness of my ride, but still not so different from my now familiar routine. The difference was simply that at the end of this day I ran out of land. The three of us rode together to the end of the state park and stood for some time overlooking the waves. We talked and took a few pictures before finally venturing down to the beach. It was great to have my friends there, but there was no party, and that felt appropriate. The end marked a significant accomplishment, but it was mine. I didn't mostly want to celebrate, just to listen to the waves and internalize it. I did dive in, then carried the bike in with me and invited David Hunter to snap a few pictures. It was really satisfying.
That night we ventured down to Dewey Beach, a little south of Rehoboth. We stayed in a total dump of a hotel and spent the evening listening to a local cover band across the street. The next day we drove back to DC, where I picked up Coltrane and all my stuff. David Stephan and I then traveled to New York, where I would spend the evening with my sister, brother-in-law, and mom (who was visiting them for the holiday weekend). Tuesday morning I hit the road for Chicago.
I miss the road. My bike is being repainted to cover up the bruises she sustained this summer. She should be back next week, and I'm excited to take her out again. I am still paying for this summer, but every expense was worth it. Already I am thinking about what might be my next adventure.
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