Day 50--Manchester NH to Portsmouth NH--August 9th
Miles Ridden 52.5
Avg. Speed 14.5
Climbing 2500 Ft.
Total Miles Ridden 3629
Miles To Go -0-
The last day's ride was a mere fifty two miles. Just a warmup for us at this point. We left fairly early to make it to a school in Rye NH by 11:30 for the final leg to the ocean so everyone took their time and enjoyed the group's company for the last few hours.
We queued up at the school for a police escort for the last three miles to Wallis Sands Beach. It was at that point that I really started to think about the end of this journey. For seven weeks our time, effort and energy was almost totally consumed by the goal of reaching the Atlantic. Not something with a significant purpose or value to the rest of the world but rather a personal (maybe selfish) commitment to completing the 3600 miles. It's going to take a while to figure out what all of this meant to me but I knew I was extremely happy the trip was over, that I made it home in one piece and that I would be soon back home with my family but that I would also miss the friends I made and I would treasure the riding and a lot of other memories.
My daughter Kara came up from Cambridge and met me at the beach along with a couple of hundred other friends and family of the riders. We went through the ceremonial dipping our bike wheel in the Atlantic and dumping some water carried from the Pacific and it was just about over. Our luggage was being unloaded at a nearby hotel where many people were spending the night before flying home. After that was completed and final good-byes were said, Mark Koltz and his extended family invited Kara and me to a great lunch in Portsmouth. Kara then took me back to Cambridge where we spent the rest of the day doing a quick tour of Boston which I had never really seen before. By seven o'clock on Tuesday night I was back home and enjoying at least a few hours of our 31st wedding anniversary.
Avg. Speed 14.5
Climbing 2500 Ft.
Total Miles Ridden 3629
Miles To Go -0-
The last day's ride was a mere fifty two miles. Just a warmup for us at this point. We left fairly early to make it to a school in Rye NH by 11:30 for the final leg to the ocean so everyone took their time and enjoyed the group's company for the last few hours.
We queued up at the school for a police escort for the last three miles to Wallis Sands Beach. It was at that point that I really started to think about the end of this journey. For seven weeks our time, effort and energy was almost totally consumed by the goal of reaching the Atlantic. Not something with a significant purpose or value to the rest of the world but rather a personal (maybe selfish) commitment to completing the 3600 miles. It's going to take a while to figure out what all of this meant to me but I knew I was extremely happy the trip was over, that I made it home in one piece and that I would be soon back home with my family but that I would also miss the friends I made and I would treasure the riding and a lot of other memories.
My daughter Kara came up from Cambridge and met me at the beach along with a couple of hundred other friends and family of the riders. We went through the ceremonial dipping our bike wheel in the Atlantic and dumping some water carried from the Pacific and it was just about over. Our luggage was being unloaded at a nearby hotel where many people were spending the night before flying home. After that was completed and final good-byes were said, Mark Koltz and his extended family invited Kara and me to a great lunch in Portsmouth. Kara then took me back to Cambridge where we spent the rest of the day doing a quick tour of Boston which I had never really seen before. By seven o'clock on Tuesday night I was back home and enjoying at least a few hours of our 31st wedding anniversary.
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| Me, Mark Koltz, Mark Weisbarth, Jeff Douglas and Joe Schroeder |
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| The ABB staff, Debbie, Jeff, Barb, Jim, Karen and Mike. Their organization and personal commitment to the riders was extraordinary |
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| One more group photo with Alex in front. She worked hard to stay with us but by the end rode as well as any of us. It must be great to be 22. |
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| At the beach |
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| With my daughter, Kara |
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| Last activity of the tour, unloading and picking up our gear for the 51st time |
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| Eating a Mike's cannoli on Boston Harbor and thinking about the changes in diet that will have to come quickly |
Way to go, Dave...CONGRATULATIONS!!! It must be quite a feeling of accomplishment. I looked forward each morning to checking on your progress and reading a bit about your adventures -- your writing style truly captures your wit and cynicism (that's a compliment!). Perhaps you could continue your daily updates with, "Adventures of a retired bean counter"?
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