Home at last! After 18 hours and three plane changes I made it back to Sacramento and home. Sleeping in the Denver Airport made me miss Stark Towers and my sleeping bag. I did offer to help with baggage while I was there since I am an experienced baggage handler. I hope the Proud 17 Riders adjust back into Real Life and regain their polite society habits and leave the neighbors corn alone!

Sunday and Monday what an end to the Big Ride. Had a 6pm flight from DC back to Sacramento on Sunday evening. With the time change I was SUPPOSED TO BE in Sacramento at 10:45pm. Thunder storm in DC delayed all flights and by the time we got to Denver at 11pm all flights were done for the night. They rescheduled me for a 6:30 am flight with a stop in LA. Spent the last 5 hours sleeping on a bench at gate 47. DC to Denver to LA to Sacramento in 18 hours that's why they call it THE BIG RIDE!

Friday August 3rd was a fairly easy 60 mile ride from Gettysburg (my favorite stop on the ride) to Poolesville, Maryland. Some rolling hills but mostly green open space and some nice farms. We are all looking ahead to tomorrow when we ride in Washington DC. The Lung Association treated us to a nice dinner in a resturant tonight as our last night celebration dinner. Can't wait until tomorrow.

Saturday August 4th Yahoo--Yippee- and WOW !!! I MADE IT !!! After an easy 40 miles we rode in to Washington DC along a bike trail that runs along the Potomac River. Very crowded with lots of joggers and other bikers but we safely made it into DC. It brought us out right by the Capitol Mall with the Washington Monument and Lincoln Memorial and we rode past the White House. They had a ceremony for us in Freedom Plaza which is on Pennsylvania Ave. It is truly a great way to finish this amazing adventure. This has truly been a life time dream come true. I strongly encourage everyone to chase their dream and make it happen because the rewards are awsome!!

Thursday August 2nd spent the day exploring Gettysgurg and the Civil War Museum. All I can say is WOW. It was worth the ride just to see this area. Saw a house built in 1776 and it is still being used. It is very common to see buildings built in the 1820's. I will definately come back to this area and visit again.

Wednesday August1st this is the one we have been getting ready for. A 100 mile ride to Gettysburg with over 7000feet of climbing. This is the hardest day on the ride.The weather was good anlittle humid but with cloud cover to help keep it cool. The group I ride with stayed together for moral support and we kept going. In the first 40 miles we climbed about 4800 feet. Going up one hill that was very steep one of our group snapped his bike chain. It took Gene our bike mechanic about 45 minutes to get to us and fix it. Lunch was bar b q hamburger and chicken cooked by a past rider. Thanks Tony. We finally made it to Gettysburg just minutes before the afternoon thunder storm hit. Mission accomplished!!! I rode across this GREAT BIG BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY on a 9 year old hybrid bicycle and I feel great. We have a day off tomorrow to explore Gettysburg and then two short days into DC. YIPPEE!!!

Tuesday July 30th we rode 81 miles from Confluence to Bedford PA. Now the hills are getting steeper and more challenging. We have heard that Pennsylvania was going to be the hardest part of the ride and it is starting to.look that way. The hills are very steep compared to other mountains we have climbed. It is a good thing that I have been getting stronger each week. We camped right on a very nice river and we are nervous about tomorrows ride.

Monday July 29th we rode from Washington PA to Confluence PA a distance of 88 miles. Another beautiful Pennsylvania day with steep hills old farm houses fast downhills and beautiful scenery. Pennsylvania has a great system of bike routes and trails. There is a trail called Rails to Trails because they removed old train tracks and turned it into a 300 mile route that goes all the way to DC. We rode about 55 miles of this trail over two days. I actually like riding the roads better because you see more sights and towns.

Saturday July 27th did not start out so well. We were riding from Burton to New Waterford Ohio. It started raining almost as soon as we left camp. About an hour into the ride we crossed some railroad tracks and three riders went down. Luckily no one was hurt and we all rode on being a little more careful..We reached camp an almost immediately a series of thunder storms hit and we all huddled under the wooden shelter above the picnic tables for the next three hours. Once we left Sandusky we started staying in rustic remote camp sites with limited phone and no internet.Only those willing to ride several miles into the nearest town could keep their blots up to date.

Sunday July 28th we rode from New Waterford to Washington Pennslyvania. For the first time in a week we went a whole day without rain. It also gave me a chance to go to a Verizon store to get my phone fixed. It had been two days since I could make a call. Long story made short is Smartphone dead they are sending a new one to Sacramento and they gave me a simple phone to use until I get home. Sonow

 I have to borrow some ones computer to post here. Pennslyvania is the most beautiful state we have been to. Everything is green and lush.There are beautiful valleys and some steep up hill rides and some even better downhills. Also things and places are old here.Going through a small town and seeing a church built in 1813 is very cool. You definately get a sense of history here.

Friday July 26th after a nice day off in Sandusky we headed for Burton Ohio only 92 miles away. We had a beautiful. 50 mile ride along the shore of Lake Erie stopping just outside of Cleveland for a lunch catered by the mom of one of our riders.She made a piazza to die for.After lunch we rode right into a massive thunder storm that soaked us to the bone.Riding through Cleveland we rode past the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the stadium where the Cleveland Browns play. By the time we got to Burton the sun was out so we could try to dry out our clothes. In this humidity nothing ever really dries out.