I love climbing, yessss I do!

Blacksburg, VA – So, is there a school in Blacksburg or something? I kid. Let’s just say the three Virginia Tech guys have really been building this place up for some time now. The ride has had some build up of its own as one of the most intense of the summer – a century plus with lots of climbing in Appalachian territory. The hype did not disappoint! My legs really started feeling it midway through the ride, coincidentally right around the Virginia state sign (which happened to be positioned on a pretty fast downhill). Realizing we had whizzed by the sign about a mile back, about half of my pace line wanted to cycle back to take a photo. Needless to say, I was not one of them. Similar to my old sport of wrestling, so much of the kind of cycling we do is mental and I was not in the best of states at that point in the day with 50 miles of hills in front of me. I wish I could have a recording of my internal monologue… it was all over the place! Despite some regrettable immaturity on my part, we thankfully ended up cycling back to our final state sign. As the day continued, we all became increasingly determined to avoid the day’s “rack point” for pulling bikes off the road. We wanted to finish what we started and found motivation from within and even through some good old fashioned singing (“I love climbing, yes I do! I love climbing how ‘bout you?”).

After what I would arguably rank as the second hardest ride of the summer, we arrived at Virginia Tech and had little time to spare before we were involved in a presentation at a festival in town. At the presentation, I bumped into Paul Schifano, a chapter brother at Elon who transferred to VT senior year to finish out his engineering degree. It was great to see a familiar face – it hadn’t dawned on me that he might be in town. We were treated to a tour of Tech’s beautiful campus by our teammate Matt Schmidt, which included a stop at the memorial for the April 16, 2007 shooting. That day’s ride was dedicated to the victims of 4/16, so it was fitting and powerful to see.

After some serious gluttony at an enormous campus dining hall, we went on the town to “Top of the Stairs,” a bar that Schmidt used to work at. Everyone sampled the bar’s supposed specialty, “The Rail,” and I took it upon myself to make some new friends. I bumped into a wedding party and actually had a very solid conversation with a female animal cop who gave me advice about the next five years of my life. It was way more legit than it sounds!

Roanoke, VA – The morning of the Roanoke ride, a strange thing happened. We slept in! Wheels didn’t start rolling until the unheard-of hour of 10:30. This was attributed to the short ride ahead (40 miles) and the check-in time with our hotel. The day was also somewhat of a ride along fest, with new appearances by crewmembers Terry and Moff (the latter of which did not adjust to the cycling world quite so well) and fellow Eloner Paul Schifano, who is most likely going to be a TransAmerica 2010 member. The three Elon boys had a nice, primarily downhill day on the bike, which was a welcome change of pace from the Blacksburg ride. We also played the backyard game “S-P-U-D” at one crew stop, which was as awesome as you’d expect.

Once in Roanoke, we were greeted by a very attractive **** Four Star **** hotel (see below)! I reported directly to my bed and woke up to head to a Friendship Visit for children with down syndrome at a facility that hosts moon bounce parties. We may or may not have had more fun than the kids at some points. My personal favorite was an obstacle course that I can somewhat proudly claim to remain undefeated on. I also enjoyed inconspicuously sneaking seconds and thirds of pizza at dinner with my partner-in-crime Trevor Brink. The following day we had off. It included a shopping trip to buy gifts for an end-of-trip “Secret Santa” exchange among the team. While the gifts we bought each other were basically jokes (more on those later), it really started dawning on me how seriously things were winding down.

Life is old there, older than the trees: West Virginia

Huntington, WV – When I first started this ride, West Virginia seemed like it would be the point in the trip when the end would start feeling real. As it turns out, not so far from the truth. However, for the first part of the day’s ride my focus was less on how far we’d come and more on the crazy amount of rain! It was coming down heavy and I was shivering with the best of them. Riding in the rain can actually be kind of fun… it adds a whole “epic” feeling to the day. Adding to the fun was the addition of some new games into the pace line rotation. For the first game, we each took turns sharing a fact we thought nobody in the pace line would know about us. Since we’ve been together 24/7 for over two months, this was harder than it sounds. I most certainly whipped out my two go-to random facts: a) that I was once offered the role of the male lead in a short film about puberty and b) that I was “slimed” by a traveling Nickelodeon show as a kid. The second game involved changing lyrics of well-known songs to relate to some of the more funny moments of the JOH. This was right up my alley, as my partner in lyrical creativity Kelly Nealon could likely attest.

Songs played a pretty central role in this ride, as the John Denver West Virginia ode “Country Roads” was bellowed out many times after crossing into the state. After arriving at a very nice hotel in Huntington, WV (sadly not NY, where my mom’s side of the family lived for many years), we had a friendship visit that evening. I primarily chatted with a married couple about the disability organization they represented, while trying not to fixate on a very up-close-and-personal camera man from a local news station.

Charleston, WV – Another city with an alter ego I’m more familiar with (the Mecca of Charleston, SC of course)! This ride was pretty casual, until a straight up beastly hill emerged just prior to arriving at our lunch friendship visit. It tends to happen, I guess. The FV took place at a children’s therapy center that offers services to families that typically cannot afford the necessary treatments for their son or daughter. There were plenty of cute kids around, including Aiden, who loved knocking down the water bottle towers I kept putting in front of him. Most of the kids had supportive families present (both siblings and parents), and it was really cool to observe these strong interactions and bonds. Strangely enough, what I’ll probably remember most from that visit is a hyper energized game of Hot Potato I somehow got involved in. After arriving at our community center lodging, I eagerly took a nap once I completed a critical thorough clean on my bike. I woke up for our activity for the night, a minor league baseball game sponsored by a local Pi Alpha, in a groggy funk. Luckily, the event surpassed my expectations and included an all-you-can-eat ballpark buffet, a peculiar Michael Jackson tribute and our group singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” on the jumbo screen.

Beckley, WV – This was one of the most perfect rides of the trip – somewhat challenging, with consistently beautiful scenery to take in (see picture). It probably goes without saying, but taking a moment to pause at a stream in the mountains is about as peaceful as it gets. I finally understood why the state’s motto is “Wild and Wonderful” and what exactly Mr. Denver was talking about in his famous song.

From nature to… NASCAR! Well, not exactly. That night we headed off to a local racetrack to check out the spectacle. At the risk of sounding condescending (which I don’t mean to!), it was exactly what you would expect. I was amped to get a chance to walk around the “pit” area and check out all the cars up close. Some of the most shabby-looking vehicles actually ended up tearing it up in the races. All things considered, spectator sports don’t get much more American (or “Am-urrr-ican” as we sometimes say) than this and it was a fitting capstone to our time in West Virginia!

Rallying, Rain and Retaliation: Kentucky

Lexington, KY - Upon waking up for our ride to Lexington, I felt unusually tired. Because of this, I teamed up with some other cyclists that felt similarly to form “Team Slow” for the day. In actuality, we stayed more or less on pace with everyone… but the intent was there. When I envisioned Lexington in my head, I guess I expected to find a city with an “old South” vibe along the lines of Charleston. While this did not turn out to be the case, Lexington definitely had its nice areas – including outskirts primarily dominated by sprawling horse farms. We stayed at a church annex in town (with bunk beds!) and had a friendship visit that night with CAKY, Community Alternatives Kentucky. While I had a number of solid conversations that night (including one with a quirky and fun woman named Toni, and another with a man with a particular penchant for singing “Hound dog” by Elvis), there were some clients that were nonverbal or unreceptive. These situations can always be challenging, but I’ve found that when I put in time I can often establish a connection – even if it’s simply through a smile or nod.

For our second day in Lexington, we had a first for the team… a rally! We joined members of the Lexington disabled community at a downtown park to take part in their “Stay Out Late” demonstration. The issue at hand centered on restricted access to public transportation and facilities past 8:00 pm and reflected a growing desire for social fulfillment. I enjoyed speaking with the people involved in the rally, as well as working diligently as a “honking coordinator” to incite responses from traffic. This was definitely the least angry rally imaginable, and I think the team will always remember the abundant use of the word “Yaaaay” by the organizer, Bruce. Bruce runs a facility for people with disabilities and demonstrated artistic ability called “Latitudes” and we visited there for lunch. One of the women there, Beverly Baker (pic below), is actually a renowned artist who has had shows in both New York and Paris. It was cool to be in the presence of such an unassuming talent and her story is inspiring to say the least!

After running into some Eloners at a sponsored dinner that evening (including Coleman, one of our new members this spring), I was able to spend more quality Phoenix time with my friend Charissa. She is an AZD who was born and raised in Lexington and I was excited to be able to visit her house and hang out with her husband, Mark, and baby daughter, Kennedy. They are currently living with Charissa’s family, so their home feels like an episode of “Full House.” Kennedy will most definitely grow up with a lot of love and laughter around.

Morehead, KY - The next morning not only brought ominous clouds, but also an attack on my beloved bike, Phoebe. In what I suspect was an act of retaliation following a certain tire deflation on my part, I found both my tires deflated and my handlebars messed with. I was admittedly quite cranky, but did what had to be done to remedy the situation. As it turned out, my work was in vein since the weather got so bad we were unable to ride due to persistent thunder and lightning. This was a first for our route and, after a morning of vegging out and watching movies with teammates, it was weird riding in a van to our next city. Morehead was not a super eventful stop, except maybe for Drayton Perkins… long story, but it did include victorious games of “Sorry” with a partner at a friendship visit and trivia at Buffalo Wild Wings in which Team Rondo (named for our trusty Kia) proved fairly unstoppable. Ah, the joy of such minor accomplishments. On to West Virginia!

Ohio on bike = No ticket, hilarity

Oxford, OH - Had a pleasant day on the bike heading into Ohio, which holds the distinction of the only state on our route (sans VA and DC) that I have previously visited. To be honest, my only real associations with the state are Cedar Point and a certain regrettable speeding ticket while driving Jim Rampton’s giant plum mobile back from Michigan. Oh well, time for new ones. After a day on the bike that included a ride along from crewmember JT (an avid smoker who surpassed everyone’s expectations on the bike) and a questionable Amp energy drink shotgun challenge, we arrived in the cool college town of Oxford, home to Miami of Ohio. We received a warm reception at the local chapter house (which was coincidentally in its last night of Pi Kapp operation), and settled into our home for the night - an on campus wooden lodge. While unloading my bike accessories, I noticed a few of us had been approached by a group of tourists. It turns out they were from China, a country I have had the great fortune to visit, and wanted to take pictures with us! The strange thing was, they had no idea we were cross country cyclists and, well, actually the whole thing was pretty strange. That night we checked out the movie “Funny People” (which was pretty “eh”) and were even a bit late for curfew. As my teammate Isaac Polanco would say, “Scandalous!”

Cincinnati, OH – Hands down one of the most hilarious cycling experiences of the trip. This may or may not be correlated to it being the shortest ride of the summer… who knows. What I do know is that the ride along of Trevor “Tink” Brink, a crewmember who has quickly become one of my favorite people, made the day. I was in Tink’s pace line for the day and he took the ride on like a champ. There were a few struggles with hills in there (including what could be a straight up priceless prolonged final ascent into lunch), but that’s to be expected. Flattering picture of Tink post-ride below!

That afternoon we were visited by a pick-up wheelchair football team. The team was composed of some cool guys (including a slam poet who performed some of his colorful work for us) and they were happy to get us involved. I’ve previously played wheelchair basketball, and I actually found football a lot easier. It was a blast to maneuver around and play and I was glad to get to witness this kind of action, since we unfortunately had a visit with a “murderball” type team cancelled earlier in the summer. Maybe that was a good thing, who knows! That night we all went to check out a Reds vs. Rockies game that failed to hold my attention. I did, however, make sure to waste money on an overpriced soft pretzel/soda combo because, after all, that’s what a ball game is all about.

I get knocked down, but I get up again: Indiana

Terre Haute – It was onto another state for the TransAm team, yet sadly once again no state sign to be found based on our route. Our three stops in Indiana all involved accommodations in and around state university campuses. The first was Indiana State and we were fortunate enough to have lodging at the beautiful (and historically restored) home of one of the school’s deans. After fortunately snagging a bed and partaking in one of our routine Walmart runs, I was on to a friendship visit at the interestingly-named organization Happiness Bag. It turns out there could not have been a more fitting name, as the joy and enthusiasm of the clients there was contagious. Another top notch dance party ensued. We were all bummed when it was time to go, but the truly awesome neon shirt parting gifts we received made us feel a bit better.

I forgot to mention earlier about the injury of my teammate (and big bro in the secret Pi Epsilon society… long story) David Stinnette, which took place following an unfortunate fall in Colorado. He ended up significantly damaging his shoulder and, despite attempts to stick it out as a crewmember for several days, he had to make the tough choice of returning home to Indiana to take some time to heal. While away from the team, he has been sending us text messages featuring encouraging words and biblical passages to keep us pedaling. He is a standup guy and we were all very excited when he rejoined the team for the stretch in his home state!

Bloomington- I was having a solid day on the bike on the way to the home of Indiana University, until only a few miles outside of our friendship visit arrival. I was leading my pace line at the time, cruising downhill on a relatively busy road. We were approaching a right turn lane and so, in order to continue heading straight, it was my job to navigate us from the shoulder back into the middle lane on the road. The problem was that there was a “lip” of about two inches that existed between the shoulder and the road. In a regrettable split second decision, I decided to attempt to cross the lip. My back tire got caught and immediately set my bike off balance. While I was told I nearly regained control, I ultimately wiped out in the lane. Luckily, no one in my pace line collided into me and they were able to signal to traffic. I hopped up almost instantly after my fall and ran to the shoulder. My adrenaline was off the charts and all I seemed able to do was apologize and continuously ask my teammates if I had done anything wrong. I calmed down by taking a seat and waiting for the nearest crew van to come check on us. I was fortunate, not only to have an incredible support system with me, but to have simply walked away scraped up in what was clearly a best-case-scenario outcome.

After choosing to finish the brief remainder of the ride, I was feeling a bit shaken up at our friendship visit. While I wanted to be “into it,” it was hard to fake. I was glad to have my friend Terry to take “mom walks” around the facility and help me clear my head. When lodging time came around, we headed to the Indiana U PKP chapter house. This house is straight up beastly and holds the distinction of being the largest in the country. In an interesting coincidence, next door was an equally huge Alpha Xi Delta house – the sorority I was the sweetheart for my senior year at Elon. I obviously had to snap a pic to show the ladies. For dinner we were treated to a sit-down steak meal hosted by Phil Summers, prominent alumni on the national level. An excellent close to a (literally) shaky day for yours truly.

Indianapolis – Time to head to “Nap Town” (although I could have sworn that distinction belongs to Annapolis, MD… hmmm)! I would describe the beginning of our ride as rainforest-esque, which I understand sounds strange. Anyhow, we were basically engulfed by beautiful trees and I was all about it. This soon changed however and we were thrust onto what was arguably the worst road we have seen all summer. Congratulations Indy! I was kind of a mess when this situation came around because the incessant debris and, yes, crazy road “lips” constantly reminded me of the prior day’s big fall. After toning down the freak out, I was happy to see the conditions clear up. This ride kicked off the tradition of crew “ride alongs,” in which crew members took on the role of a cyclist for the day. My pace line enjoyed the privilege of messing with our crew chief Drayton as he rode along with us, but as a cyclist on last year’s South route he more than held his own (stories on some of the more humorous ride alongs to come).

Once in the city we arrived at lodging at IUPUI (pronounced, seriously, “oo-ee-poo-ee”), which is basically a fusion of Indiana and Perdue. Our two-day stint in town brought some excellent sponsored meals, including one at the home of legendary pool boy David Stinnette. We all learned a game there called Kupps (??), which hails from Germany and basically involves knocking over wooden blocks. I enjoyed it, but was assured by an older gentleman there that the game really ought to be played with beer. Touche. We did end up going out on the town that night, but to be honest I’m pretttty sure what I’m saw of the Indy nightlife is not for me.

Our friendship visit on our off day was structured nicely, and we were able to interact with local clients in a variety of different specialty rooms – including a music room and an “art Olympics” room. Two of my favorite interactions from that day included playing bean bag toss with a really friendly blind man named Adam and listening to one of the clients play me some of Barry Manilow’s greatest hits on a record player. It just goes to show that you can never exactly know what to expect on any given JOH day!

Meet Me in St. Louis

The ride into St. Louis, MO was a bit more complicated than a typical city arrival. In fact, we had not one but two different police escorts leading us into the city. I won’t lie – it’s a pretty cool feeling blowing through red lights in a unified double pace line when riding into a metropolitan area. Once in the city, we were treated to lunch by my teammate Whitey’s mom (he is a St. Louis native) at a local golf course. We were introduced to the St. Louis specialty of toasted ravioli (yess) and later in the city had the chance to sample another local specialty, Gooey Butter cake. As a picky eater in the realm of desserts, I was thrilled to finally find a cake to be passionate about. Riding into lodging at the nicest hotel of the summer, we caught our first glimpse of the St. Louis Gateway Arch. It’s supposed to represent the “Gateway to the West,” but in our case I guess East is more applicable.

The next day, we had a friendship visit with two local organizations. In addition to some of the games that have been reoccurring at these types of events (Connect Four, Jenga, bowling), we were also given the option of playing badminton. Badminton and the Hoppey name are quite synonymous, so I was excited to hit back and forth with some of the clients there. I spent our free afternoon walking through the city park (one of the coolest and most interactive of its kind I’ve ever witnessed… see goofiness below) and checking out the arch up close. Sadly, time did not allow for us to head to the top, but we got just close enough to marvel at its structure and take some obligatory artsy pictures. St. Louis is a heck of a city and definitely made up for all of the hills that brought us there!

Leaving St. Louis was a bit chaotic. There was concern for riding through a “bad part of town,” but I wasn’t too fazed (former Detroiter here!). After getting out of the city, we crossed the Mississippi River on a bridge. This same bridge also marked the transition into Illinois and sent us on our way via Route 66. It was so cool to get the double whammy in terms of iconic American sites. After completing our second longest ride of the summer into Effingham, IL (116 miles… nbd), we were invited into the home of a professional couple involved in local disability awareness. We found out these two got married after ten days of knowing each other, which was a fun fact in itself. We also found out some troubling news about Illinois and its statewide stance on disabilities. The state ranks 51^st in terms of funding in this area, a fact I did not expect to hear. Hopefully inspirational people like the ones we met will be able to make the necessary strides to right this wrong.