Friday, December 31, 2010

Day 3

Left Key Largo @ Day Break jumped on Hwy 1(rode 2 miles before realizing I was going back south! Turned around and headed north heading out of the Keys on Card Sound Road through The Crocodile Lake National Wildlife Refuge into Florida City. Riding to Fl City was mile after mile of beautiful groves of Fl native tree.From Fl City into Miami was a logistical treat, but made it right @ dark. Spent the night with
W.S. Host Blake Davis. His Girlfriend cooked us Cuban Food & before bed they took me on a tour ( rode bikes ) around "South Beach" Rode a total of 90 miles today.

MIAMI @ NIGHT


- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone (cycling on AC's


atlantic coast route)

Location:Lincoln Rd,Miami Beach,United States

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Day 2

Covered exactly 77 miles today!
Started the wheels spinning @ 9 am after breaking camp in Big Pine Key.Retired from the road & the bike about an hour ago @11pm.(lots of breaks today,plus the famous 7 mile bridge just before Marathon slowed me down, big winds equals 7mph pace) It's now about 1 am. I find myself in the (plush & spacious lobby)of the Hampton Inn in Key Largo!! Not a hotel room or campground with availability. After chatting with the Desk clerk for an hour, she told me to go find a couch in a quite corner and get some sleep. So here I sit in my quite corner,snug as a bug!!
First light I leave the Keys and get on Old Card Sound Road and head towards Miami Beach.I met some neat people today and enjoyed the road! Stopped in the American Legion in Key Largo for dinner. While there eating, traffic on hwy 1 backed up and came to a halt for 2 hours. A drunk driver hit a guy on a bicycle and killed him. Wow, what I already believed was proven to me , I am most certainly being watched over. Today I Asked a family to take my picture, and the parents let the 2 sons do it, I had the perfect gift for them, Be the Blessing Bracelets!
Day 2 is blending with day 3
Time for a cat nap.......








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Location:Overseas Hwy,Upper Keys,United States

Tuesday, December 28, 2010

Day 1

What a Great,Great, did I mention Great! Day! Started at 3 am Load bike,gear. Family drove me 80 miles to catch the Key West Express to Key West. Arrived @ 1230 pm. Tour town then head north on Hwy 1
No pre arranged place to stay rode til dark. Went with the flow.Found some great people who let me stay at the Big Pine Key Fishing Resort ( free, donated the cost of lodging, after hearing our FWM bike trek story.)
Turns out the owner, Joan Gladwell is a 77 year old, long distance touring cyclist!
Oh, One other blessing(actually 3) Three donations today,my 9yr old son Maxwell, daughter Brittney and Scott's Dad, Bill Bragg.
It Is so AWESOME to be part of the blessing that makes a difference. I hope everyone will experience that feeling!
Come ride with me by helping the Free Wheelchair Mission.
You will be helping others , not to mention the priceless gift you are giving to yourself. Believe me you don't want up deny yourself that gift, It's a life changer!



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Monday, December 27, 2010

Plane to Bike Transition

No turning back now!
Be the blessing family photo shoot completes the send off!


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I think that plane leads to a bike!


Yes, It did! Sunrise Trial Ride Sarasota...




Hands down, We all support you!

Location:Naomi Ridge Ln,Sarasota,United States

Saturday, December 25, 2010

Christmas Day!

Preliminary Bike/gear inventory/assembly
Believe it or not there will soon be a place for everything and everything in it's place.Thanks for your help Maxwell! 3 days till I become mobile from Key West to help all those who need a lift off the ground with Free Wheelchair Missions help, WE NEED YOUR HELP, please make a difference)
Make a donation today, You will be riding with me,each & every mile.! Let's do it together.!!
Enough assembly for today, after all it is Christmas! Off with the family for a Gulf Beach Sunset walk!



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Location:Meadow Creek Cir,Sarasota,United States

Tuesday, December 14, 2010

Final Route Prep's and Itinerary

Hello, Yesterday, Mon Dec 13th ., I packed and FedEx"d my bike and some gear to Florida. I will be flying down on Fri Dec24th, family will fly ahead, we will have a Christmas Holiday in Sarasota From Dec 24 -Dec27.On Tuesday Dec 28 I will leave Ft Myers Beach on the Key West Ferry,arriving in Key West mid day. I will explore Key West and by evening ride into the Keys for my first overnight stay at a Warm Showers Host on Big Pine Key ( the only place on the planet where the '''key deer ''live ( Look it up !). Wed Dec 29th I will ride 97 miles to Florida City and stay at the http://www.evergladeshostel.com/ which is at the entrance to the Everglades National Park.It was highly recommended to me by a local cyclist in Miami that I take a side trip and spend a day riding in the park, I believe I will do that on Thurs Dec 30,( watch out for them Gators!) and then spend another night at the Hostel in Fl.City. Then on Fri morning Dec 31st.. I will ride 83 miles to stay with Scot Stoski (W.S.) and his family in Boca Raton, north of Ft Lauderdale. On New Years Day Jan 1st.... I will ride 135 miles to Melbourne ,Fl and over night with a W.S. Host .Jan 2nd -(101 miles) overnight in Ormond Beach (W.S.) Jan 3rd, (107 miles) Overnight in Fernandina Beach (Amelia Isle) North of Jacksonville, W.S.,Then follow the A.C. Route 360 miles to Summersville S.C. W.S. host on Jan 7th. this will mean four (90 mile days) thru Ga to Summersville . Only one W.S.Host on this portion in Vidalia, Ga. (He is 30 miles off route) so I will have 3 nights to ''discover lodging at the end of the day. Leaving Summersville S.C. on the morning of Jan 8th I am faced with a 220 mile run to the next W.S. Host in Wilmington,N.C. (so 2 or 3 days) To Wilmington (if 2 days, I would leave Wilmington on the morning of Jan 10) faced with 2 days 180 miles ) to W.S. Host in Roper N.C.) Overnight in Roper the night of Jan 11. Jan 12 ride 73 miles to W.S. in Franklin,Va. Jan 13 Ride 90 to Ashland ,Va. (North of Richmond, where I jump off of Adventure Cycling's Atlantic Coast Bicycle Route ) and on the morning of Jan 14 th Head to Steve Bailie's (W.S.) Home in Capon Bridge, W.V. 160 mile run, so arrive at Steve's in 2 days on the evening of 15th. From Capon Bridge head N-W and connect to the C&O Towpath Rail Trail @ Bill's in Little Orleans/ Paw Paw Tunnel area , Ride the C&O to Cumberland ,Md, and connect to the G.A.P. Rail Trail and ride North towards Pittsburg, getting off the Rail Trail North of West Newton Pa in Sutterville Pa onto Douglas Run Road/ Cross the Mon River in West Elizabeth, Pa past McMurry to McDonald, then enter the Panhandle Rail Trail to Home !! (Note****** roads will be substituted for rail trail if snow depths restrict travel on rail trails) also from last W.S.home stay to home is 360 miles , SO 4 days @ 90 miles. Putting me on my little Ohio County Gravel Road to my place on The night of Tuesday Jan 18th. (allowing me 6 days slack time , must be home by Mon Jan 24th )
The total mileage is 1901 . Total estimated days 22.

As you can see I have developed a bit of a plan, ( It is a plan which contains, both certainty and uncertainty, both long mileage days and moderate days, and about a weeks worth of ''extra'' days. (if needed ) I have been working on this itinerary for a month or better and today I am closing that chapter, and will carry with me this schedule, and adapt to ( as they say....Conditions on the Ground !!!! ) allowing myself the option of altering things as dictated, by The Road, The Weather, & How well my body and mind serve me each day. So. bike shipped, route planning done, and both Panniers and Ortlieb Bag packed and ready to go. 3 tasks ''put to rest''. Now tie up loose ends with the Free Wheelchair Mission, and things at home and wait to board plane just before Christmas.

Monday, December 13, 2010

Shipped bike today!

Maxwell went with me to Quick Service today,(School canceled today due to Snow & cold) So with his help and Dave Crow's. We managed to get the bike,tubas rack,Ortlieb bag, box full of lights,repair kit, misc bike accessories, and helmet jammed into our 52"x30"x8"trek bike box!
Max & I then took it to the FedEx depot in Wheeling and put it on a Truck bound for our garage in Sarasota.
See pix......IT ALL FIT ! & only cost $43.33

















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Sunday, December 5, 2010

Ride Preparation Continues ( Start Dates and Locations)

Fly to Sarasota Fl Friday Dec 24th
(spend Christmas Week with Family in Sarasota)
(Locate Fed Ex Box in Garage, reassemble Bike and Gear)
Ride to Ft Myers Beach Wed Dec 29th
( catch high speed Ferry to Key West Fl 8 am Dec 30th )
Start ride here 80 miles North of Havana Cuba ! Furthest point south in the Continental US !) Ride 35 Miles to Big Pine Key. Overnight here.
Dec 31 ride to Miami Beach, Spend New Years Eve on Miami Beach !
Jan 1st head north to Boca Raton, hope to be out of Fl in about 5 days, with stops in Melbourne, Ormond Beach,and Jacksonville. then continue on ACAC Route North Bound.

Thursday, November 18, 2010

Bike,Route and Lodging Preperations

Lots of ongoing daily work on ride preparations. Thanks to Kathy,Rob Reed & Dave Crow @ Quick Service Bike Shop for taking care of all Bike preps, New bottom Bracket,cable replacement, brake adjustments, new chain, new cassette, new tires etc, etc. Thanks again to them for donating their time and money to my FWM ride.
I have also ordered and received new lights, rear Blinks's and misc accessories for the bike. Dave also supplied me with a Trek Bike box to FedEx the bike to the Florida Keys.
The Route is as solid as I want it, knowing well from past trips, Things change once on the road !!
Total mileage is 1950 miles. I plan to cover 100 miles for 20 days, I have made arrangements for WS Home Stays most nights , there are a couple of 200 mile spreads between hosts , Those Nights will most likely be Bivy down nights ( camping). Host locations are Key West, Key Largo,Ft. Lauderdale,Melbourne,Ormond Beach,Fernandina Beach (N of Jacksonville ) Then on to Georgia( Hinesville),Then Summersville SC, Wilmington NC, Roper NC, Franklin VA,Ashland Va (North of Richmond).........From Richmond I leave Adventure Cycling's Atlantic Coast Route, head to Capon Bridge WV, Then Straight north to Little Orleans on the C&O Towpath , then ride the rail trail to Cumberland Md, then on the GAP up to south of Pittsbg area, Then Home Free !!!! sometime around Jan 21st

Friday, October 22, 2010

"Transforming lives through the gift of mobility"

Living in Wheeling, I have observed  The Free Wheelchair Mission take roots, gain visibility and help to share the gift of mobility. One day last week, the idea popped into my head of dropping an email to the FWM, and  offer my upcoming bicycle trip as a fundraising exercise. I thought, wow, peoples lives are changed by the simple gift of a wheelchair. I could understand that, I thought since my life is tremendously expanded by bicycle travel. I really had no idea how much physically disabled poor people in developing countries lives are transformed by a $52  wheelchair   .Please go to their website,
http://www.freewheelchairmission.org/ read and learn, and particularly view the pictures. As I told Ashley Herron the events manager for FWM, On their faces I see the way I feel ,when I am rolling along unencumbered and exposed to new people and places. That feeling of Independence, mobility, and freedom should be had by all of God's children.  Go to my donation page linked to this blog and make my 2000 mile bike ride count towards giving that mobility to someone who lives without any mobility! No person,anywhere on earth should be crawling in the dirt when YOU & I can put them in a wheelchair at such a small financial cost. I assure you, the reward will truly be all yours !!  CLICK,DONATE,& BE REWARDED!
http://fwm.kintera.org/faf/donorReg/donorPledge.asp?ievent=249777&supid=310661976

Sunday, October 10, 2010

Planning stages have begun for Atllantic Coast Route, Start Key West Fl around Jan 3rd---head north on AC Atlantic Coast Route . Several routes being considered. Making contact with some WS hosts on route.