Sept. 1
Cape Charles, Va
Bryan:
Today we where slapped in the face with a new sensation. Cold and rainy straight to the bone. We had a six miles ride to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel entrance.  We were not allowed to pass. They had to call a couple of vehicles to haul us across the 23 miles of unwilling roads. What a site the sea was choppy and the winds where calling. The tunnels where a experience. My heart jumped in my throat as we went deeper into the abyss.  As soon as we were on the Eastern shores of Virginia the rain was hitting harder and the wind blowing stronger. 12 miles of unfriendly wet weather soaking my clothes and spirit. We found our way to the small town of Cape Charles and felt cold and lost for a couple of hours. No place to stay again and all the eateries were in a different price range than us. So we looked like a 3 sad puppies with no home to rest. Chuck to the rescue. An older gentlaman walked up to us I believe after hearing me getting shut down by the 2 B&B’s in town and said are you looking for a place to stay tonight. We replied with our story and he replied with “ I will be over in my office let me see what I can do.” What he could do was to call Bob at the Ritten motor inn and get us a room. Bob was waiting on the front porch as we pulled into the beautiful place.

Kathleen:
I was relieved to see an overcast morning, but as we started out the rain got more steady, which made our visibility difficult. We found refuge from the busy traffic on a sidewalk for a few miles but we were forced back into the road with cars spraying us as they passed. At the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel, we waited in a small room for our $24 ride across, a service we were happy to receive because there was no shoulder for the 20 mile span of bridge and tunnels. The Bridge-Tunnel was built in 1964 and took 4 years and 450 million dollars to build. As we drove across, I saw several huge cargo ships anchored in the water, lined up like a giant caravan waiting to be loaded and unloaded at the port. We got dropped off at the visitors center and left from there on US13, a busy road that had a shoulder for us to ride on. The rain kept up, the cold got colder, and the wind was from the northeast into our path. Despite the conditions, I found my pace and zoned out while goose bumps covered my appendages. We passed corn fields and rows of crepe myrtles in bloom with fuchsia flowers, the only color on this gray day. We turned of the main road to ride 3 more miles to Cape Charles and immediately found the coffee shop. After drinking something warm to fool our bodies, we got lunch at a pizza place where we met Chuck. He is a real estate agent and offered help to find us lodging, after one phone call he got us a place. It required a 3 mile ride to the Ritten House Motor Lodge, a classic motel tucked in a pine forest with a gravel road that one could miss easily. Bob built the place himself in 1952 and has ran it himself since. We had a nice talk with him in the front office where he showed us his collection of amber glass displayed on shelves with a warm backlight. I met Terry and Reba, a retired couple that both were coaches, she was basketball and he was football and baseball. They have been coming to the Ritten House for a consecutive 20 years. Bryan and I were so hungry that we rode in the rain across the street to our only option, McDonalds. Yuk! I ate ice cream and fries for dinner.

Hector:
I got up early, at the Motel 6, to have three cups of coffee.  Soon after I found myself pedaling toward the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel.  The ride to the bridge was only 5 miles. Yesterday, the friendly people at Performance Bicycles had warned us that we would not be allowed to ride across the bridge.  We knew that we would have to stop at the bridge and inquire about our crossing possibilities.  They sent two automobiles to carry us across.   Billy was one of the drivers who informed us about many of the bridges attributes.  He also told us that the city had a service that would send someone to drive your car across if you were to scared.  Twenty minutes later we were dropped at the other side of the bridge.  We went to the visitors center to use the restrooms and ask some basic questions about Virginia.   We asked her how far Cape Charles was and she replied ten minutes by car.  Shortly after we realized that today was going to be a short day.  We would be in Cape Charles in an hour.  What we weren’t counting on was the wind being produced by the incoming cold front.   Before we reached the five mile mark the rain got hard enough to make us stop.  About ten minutes later we were back on our bicycles pedaling like maniacs.  Unfortunately our frantic pedaling did not keep the rain gods from opening up the skies.  The rain came fast and hard.  I could not see anything further than a couple inches from my face.  By the time we made it to Cape Charles we were soaked and chilled to the bone.  We found a quaint coffee shop and sat outside looking for places to stay.  We finished our hot drinks and walked down to local pizza shop to eat dinner.  Chuck, a local realtor, came in for some food and asked if we needed anything.  He made one phone call and we were off to the Motel.  Bob was sitting there waiting for us to arrive .  He was very welcoming and told us to please leave the bicycles outside.  We removed our stuff from the bicycles and went into our room.  The room was spacious and furnished with a classic 50’s motive.  Finally we had somewhere to dry off.

Sept. 2
Chincoteague Island, Va.
Kathleen:
I was glad to see Bob and Jerry this morning so that I could say goodbye, I took a photo of them on the porch where Bob says he spends most of his time. The weather was clear but cool with lots of wind.  Yesterday we rode 26.7 miles, today was a 66 mile day which would prove to be one of the hardest. One of the things I love about taking smaller roads is that you pass by places that offer a nice surprise. For instance, Machipongo Trading Co. coffee shop. Right on route 13 was this small colorful building with the inviting “Smoothies and Locally Roasted Coffee” sign that acted like a magnet for us. I was welcomed by the C.E.O. of the business, Zoe, the three legged Golden Retriever. We sat and ate egg, spinach, mushroom and cheese bagels with our coffee and talked to Zoes’ two employees. They also had local art and crafts for sale and healthy snacks. Unwillingly, we headed out into the wind and cold, but with a new kick in our step due to some caffeine and good conversation. Along the way we noticed most of the driveways were paved in a fine white gravel made of crushed oyster shells. We passed by more corn, tomato and soybean fields as the wind relentlessly blew at us as if it wanted to compete in a wrestling match. Because of the weather, we were forced to take breaks more often. On the smaller roads, we had to dodge caterpillars of all colors as they wiggled across the street to a better tomato plant. I felt like they were traveling faster than us at this point. And as if the going wasn’t hard enough, the road presented us with another challenge- hills. Beautiful winding country roads with tall trees on each side and rolling hills, a nice ride, if your in a car. When we turned East to cross a few bridges, the bay had whitecaps and the seagulls couldn’t even fly. The gusts took every ounce of energy we had left, as we had to battle our bikes from being blown over. Regardless of the conditions, the scenery was breathtaking with golden marshes broken up by winding blue ribbons of water. Barbara met us at the door of the Channel Bass Inn B&B and took us under her wing like a caring mother. We unpacked and walked to a Vietnamese restaurant that made up for all of the crap I’ve been eating the past few days. Bryan and I noticed our faces have windburn before we lay down to sleep in the king size bed.

Bryan:
What a ride. Or should I say push. We were hit by the wild wind immediately - 66.78 miles of pure head wind. It was like having Bruce Lee kick you in the face for the total mileage. Then to top it off we hit one curve with no wind and as we got through it to the clearing it knocked us twice as hard as before. The last 8 miles were so tuff is was breaking me down. We spent 11 hours riding when any other day we could have done it in 6. We went from 12 mph to about 6 mph but a really forced 6 at that. As we crossed the bridge into Chincoteague I was relieved and drop dead tired. We went only a few blocks to our oasis. Ate and when to sleep as you can only do after a neck breaking day.

Hector:
I started the morning with my usual 24 ounces of coffee.  It did not take us long to realize that the cold front with still coming.  We were hit with a wall of wind that would continue throughout our ride. The ride on 13 was beautiful and we came across a healthier lunch option at the Machipongo coffee shop.  We were able to experience organic egg, spinach, and cheese bagel sandwiches that were delicious.  The proprietor informed us about a less congested route and gave us a road map of Virginia that came in handy.  We went that way hoping that the wind would be milder.  Unfortunately the more rural route was just as windy and was adding miles to our ride.  So we decided to go back to route 13  and keep pedaling.  We had to take breaks more often.  It turned our usual 7 hour ride into 11 hours of exhausting hell. The last 5 miles of ride was ridiculously intense.  First the ride by the NASA installation was more uphill and windy.  Next came a series of bridges and long straight-aways that was surrounded by water on both sides.  The wind was trying to both knock us off the roads and shove us into traffic.  We barely made it to Chincoteague Island.  Luckily the owners of the Channel Bass Inn bed and breakfast turned out to be very hospitable.  They helped us carry our things up to our room and gave us some advice on food to eat.  We ate delicious Vietnamese food and went back to the room to catch up with some of our blog.  Its amazing how much better I sleep after 11 hours of riding.

Sept. 3
Ocean City, Md.
Kathleen:
I love Barbara. She presented us with one of the best breakfasts I’ve ever had, served with her English charm that added a unique touch. We had warm fruit medley over oatmeal, nut bread, and juice for the first course, then a Mexican egg soufflé and roasted potatoes. She also served tea from England, Earl Grey. We all got a hug goodbye from her and David, (her sweet husband) and left satiated and  happy. The temperature was still chilly, a reminder that we have left the south. After a few miles we noticed our nemesis, wind, was back for a fight. For about 45 of the 55.6 miles today, we headed into the gusts. A word of warning: Do not go near trucks hauling chicken fertilizer. Two trucks crop dusted us today with this most foul (fowl) odor emanating from their huge beds. There were also several chicken houses along the way to add to the effect. I made sure I kept my mouth closed after watching several white feathers riding the wind by me. After taking a break at a gas station, we had to cross a busy four lane highway. When I made a last minute decision to abort the crossing, I took a fall and skinned my knee, somehow on both sides. Maryland offered nice wide shoulders to ride on, and before we hit Ocean City we found a health food store where I drank my wonder power drink, Kombucha. Once at a stop, I got chilly fast, so it was nice to start pedaling again. The beach front was lined with small carnivals, shops, and 50’s style motels with names like “the Flamingo” and “the Thunderbird”. Neon signs displayed vacancy or specials and flashed like a mini Vegas. Our hotel is a Hilton right on the beach, I get to listen to my Ocean all night through the screen door and smell the fresh sea air.

Bryan:
Barbara and David started our day like no other. The breakfast that we stayed to enjoy was truly enjoyable. The day could only get worse from there.  Round 2: The wind pushed us for about 8 miles, before friend turned to foe. For the next 45 miles it beat us back. We pedaled and pedaled but we still got in late for a second day. We are in Ocean City MD. That’s right, state 6. This has been awesome. We are taking the good with the bad. Its all great in the end. We are on a adventure of a life time. Good times. The area reminds me of the movie Eddie & the Cruisers but with a lot of teen agers hopped up on mountain dew.

Hector:
I got up, dressed, and walked downstairs to have my first cup of coffee.  I took it back to my room so that I could enjoy it while packing up the rest of my things.  We were up and ready for breakfast by 9 a.m. The breakfast prepared by Barbara, at the Channel Bass Inn, was the best that we had consumed in the past 25 days.  After breakfast we packed up our bicycles, said our goodbyes, and where off to start our day,  The first 8 miles was easier because we were going with the wind and the terrain was mostly downhill. Unfortunately, after the 8 miles, we still had to turn right into the wind which was constant for the next 40 miles.  These country roads and winds seemed to last forever. The winds finally gave us a tiny break when we started to travel east on route 50.  We had to ride on a congested drawbridge to get over to Ocean City.  This city is a cross with Miami Beach and Disney World.  Similar to most of the shore towns in the Maryland/New Jersey area.  The donated room was on the sixth floor of the Hilton facing the ocean.  It’s a beautiful view of the ocean, pool, and waterslide attached to the hotel.  We had dinner at Mothers Cantina an Americanized Mexican restaurant/bar.  The food was better than we had expected.  I am relaxing in the room drinking beer and listening to the roar of the ocean.

Sept. 6
Ocean City, NJ
Kathleen:
It seems like everyone has a soft spot, like the lady at our B&B that seemed ready to be rid of us this morning.  We were directed up the street to a coffee shop for breakfast when I heard a screech from behind where she was rocking on her porch. I asked what the sound was and she introduced us to her two parrots that were in a cage behind the screen window, which stimulated a light hearted, much needed, conversation. Now that we broke the ice, she offered to fill our water bottles before sending us off. We rode down the street to “Wild Donut and Coffee Shop,” where I ate an amazing egg bagel and met Bob the cook. He gave us a sample of a pureed vegetable dip for the bagels and a homemade strawberry filled donut. I really love the New Jersey accent, I feel like I’m talking to someone in the mafia, but nicer and less threatening. After filling ourselves, we rolled on out and had a really nice ride, the weather was sometimes sunny, warmer and (YAY!) less WIND.
We passed through Avalon, this area is an architects playground, the houses have multi levels, balconies and crazy shapes with a multitude of pastel colors. The yards are small and well manicured, with bright green grass or the more common white gravel that is easier to keep here. We stopped in Stone Harbor to visit Michelle, Arlene, and Dick and stock up on some water at their retro 50’s home. Because it was the beginning of labor day weekend, we were having trouble securing a place to stay in Atlantic City, so we went to an internet café called “Coffee. Comedy” to start calling around. The café charged us $1.00 a minute for WI-FI, (not so funny). I felt like they were about to charge us rent after being there forever so we escaped before it was too late. We stopped and visited my cousins I haven’t seen in 20 years before calling Hectors friends John and Lauren. We told them we had no where to stay so they said we could come over, about 7 miles back south. It was about 6 p.m. and the sun was setting when we pulled in to their apartment. They have a beautiful Australian Shepard that was happy to have us. Laurens mom came over and brought pillows and blankets, then went and got us pizza. This place was like a Bed, Dinner & Breakfast. I wanted to take a picture of Lita the dog, but she runs when she sees a camera because she thinks its lightning. Now I am about to enjoy breakfast with my new friends, thank you John and Lauren for saving us.

Bryan:
What a crazy world. Yesterday I lost my wallet on the Ferry ride I thought, but apparently, I lost it as I was riding on Route 9. I got a call as we where wanting at a coffee shop from my credit card company. Mr Hensley have you lost or wallet? Why yes I have I said. They told me someone turned it in to the local police. What luck. I got to the police station and to my surprise everything was as I lost it. I could not believe that Charley the good Samaritan even left the 10 spot in there. Round 3 The Bicyclers’ take it. The ride was killer, the wind died down so we were at our old pace. Ocean Dr, what a cool ride. We passed our toll bridge and did not need to pay the troll. Killer. The NJ coast line is nice and quaint. A lot of small towns connecting the bigger cities. We had a few issues finding a place to stay since it is Labor Day weekend. So we headed south which was odd cause I’ve been moving north for most of our journey. Hector called a friend (John and Lauren )who had moved to the area a few months earlier and they hooked us up. Things seem to work out  for the best on this trip so far, we got to meet so more cool people and watch some comedies on the TV and sleep with a puppy. Good evening.

Hector:
In the morning we left the B and B on a hunt for breakfast at the wild donut coffee shop.  I got to eat one of the tastiest egg and cheese bagel sandwiches.  I had left my helmet in Arlenes truck the night before.  Michelle and Arlene had realized it and decided to wait till I called.  Yeah..  They came and met us for breakfast at the coffee shop.  Bryan got a call from his bank saying that someone had turned his lost wallet into the local police department.  Arlene offered to drive him and off they went.  We waited for them at the coffee shop.  We finally got going at about 11:30 AM and really began to enjoy the ride again.  The wind had finally stopped blowing and the sun had started shining along this beautiful Jersey Shore.  Because of the labor day weekend our event coordinator was having trouble getting us a room in Atlantic City.  We stopped at a coffee shop to try and figure out somewhere to stay and drink more coffee. We were getting nowhere and had decided to ride to Atlantic City, but pay for our room.  An Uncle of Kathleens had called and said that his wife was town.  Unfortunately their house was to full for all three of us.  I called some friends of mine, named Johnny Twotimes and Lauren,  that had recently relocated near Ocean City, New Jersey.  He said that he would call me back and see what they could do.  A couple minutes later he called back and said that it would be okay.  We now had a place to go.  I got directions and we were off.  The bridge crossing over to his area was so narrow that they asked for bicycles to be walked.  They yelled for us when we were going past their apartment.  We had a warm reception and unloaded our things into their apartment.  Laurens mom really hooked us up by bring over extra pillows, and pizza.  Big hugs and thank you for that.  We showered, washed laundry, ate delicious pizza, and relaxed on the couch watching funny television.  We got tired about 11 and decided to lay down and  sleep.

Sept. 7
Tom Rivers, NJ
Hector:
We got woken up by Johnny and Lauren before she went to work.  Johnny made us a delicious breakfast of eggs, bacon, coffee and toast.  We got dressed in our silly clothes and loaded our bicycles.  Johnny and Lita, his sweet Australian Shepard, walked us down and said goodbye.  We rode off and were excited about the lack of wind.  The ride was a long beautiful and comfortable route.  Once again we became worried, half way through the day, about our stay and stopped to check out the computer.  Chennel had to pay for a room for us because of the language barrier between her and the manager.  We walked around a beautiful historic downtown and noticed almost everything was closed.  We ate like high school kids at the 7-11.   Doritos and chocolate donuts.  We sat in the room, blogged, and fell to sleep.  Bryan and Kathleen had trouble sleeping because of the youngsters partying in the next room.  I am lucky that I sleep heavy.

Kathleen:
Our sweet hosts woke us up with eggs and toast (and a lick on the face from Lita). The sun was shining and the air had little humidity with a cool breeze that proved to be perfect riding conditions. We spent the day rolling through small townships along the coast on route 9, with a pizza restaurant and ice cream shop on every corner. The roads would go through neighborhoods giving us a glimpse of local life on a Saturday, with several yard sales and shops displaying their products on open porches. Everyone had their toys out, from bicycles to motorcycles and convertibles to classics. We passed a huge country club that was valet parking cars and I could smell cologne in the air, a sign that someone went a little overboard. Hector and I stopped for homemade ice cream while Bryan checked the internet for places to stay in Toms River. Today felt like we were just taking a bike ride on a nice day, not traveling 66 miles. We still had our challenges though, and it wouldn’t be an adventure if there were no challenges. For 2 miles, we navigated through busy traffic and construction on a bridge that did not allow pedestrians or bicycles, but we had no alternate route so we crossed it. My bike was starting to sound like something Pee-Wee Herman would ride, the salt and weather was causing it to squeak and squeal, so when we passed by a bike shop I went in and the nice lady there lubed my chain. Her husband, the owner, was proud to show us his collection of antique bicycles. He had a 1942  schwinn with white wall tires and two road bikes from the 30‘s. That made a difference, I gained speed and we clipped along at a good pace. The sun was setting when we pulled into the little town of Toms River, we crossed an old stone bridge over a canal that looked like something in the Netherlands.

Bryan:
67 miles today. The wind was still down so we were making more miles between stops. Its really cool staying and riding through all these towns and cities. I’ve never heard of half of them and they all have so much personality. The ride up route 9 has become one of my favorites days in the saddle. We stayed at a Red Roof Inn in the heart of downtown. Nothing was open so we ate like high school kids in a 7-11. Its was gross but it worked.

Sept. 8
New York City!!!
Bryan:
The wind was back. Pushing, pulling and fighting our way north once again. We only rode 45 miles total for the day. We took the Sea Streak ferry into the city. What a great way to see this amazing place. The Ferry trip took about a hour. We talked to a couple of really nice New Yorkers who helped us find our way around the city. New York is a true Bicycle friendly place as far as lanes go but the pavement was not as kind. Pot holes galore. I love living in the city. It was fun riding about the city, finding the subway to Wendy’s Apt. What a reception we had. Anna was waiting outside the Apt as we rode up snapping pictures. Wendy came with Nola walking up and we headed in doors. They made Cake, and a Vegetable medley with rice. What a killer night. I’m sad that the trip is over but it will feel good to go home, see my pup, Bill and my family and friends who have really done so much for us and supported us on this trip. I love all of you. Thanks for being there for us.

Kathleen:
We had a rough nights sleep due to a party in the room next door, both Bryan and I got up to let them know we were getting up early, then the manager came up. Every time someone said something to them, they would quiet down for a few minutes, but the more drunk they got, they would forget and start screaming and running down the hallway. The manager kicked them out the second time, around 4 a.m.
The weather did not stay so welcoming as yesterday, the wind, cold and gray was back. Our route carried us right along the beach of New Jersey, past wealthy townships with gated mansions and exotic cars that made a Mercedes look common. The boardwalk was crowded with beach goers and people were swimming in the rough, cold ocean like they were disillusioned into thinking they were in a Caribbean paradise. We changed our plans to take the ferry to New York City a day early so that we could visit some friends with our day off. The ferry was docked in Highlands, NJ, a small historic town that must get its name from the sudden hills we started to cross which gave a panoramic view of the ocean and New York in the distance. The ferry was a double hulled boat with Z drives (a term for “go fast”). The 50 minute ride was eventful, with cold wind and waves causing the boat to test our sea legs. As Bryan and I stood on the top deck with the wind batting us and the sea spraying upon our faces, I realized as I looked upon our destination looming in the distance that our journey was over. I felt proud and excited and a little sad as the reality of it all sank in. We passed the statue of liberty, a symbol that stood for a change of life for my ancestors that came from Poland and Ireland. I hope that our adventure has made a change in others lives, like its made one in our own. And here I was, after riding my bicycle through 8 states and meeting so many people that made a difference in our trip with their support, after seeing small towns, fishing villages, cities and farmland with their culture and way of life that is so amazing and forgotten in our own country. Our ninth state welcomed us with bike lanes and we enjoyed riding through the streets to the subway. It was a challenge carrying fully loaded bikes up and down the stairs to the train, but we survived and got to Wendys house. She made us delicious food and we stayed up visiting friends. I fell asleep feeling accomplished and hoping we will get to do this again someday.

Hector:
We got up early and got prepared for the ride.  Before we knew we were pedaling along our route and hungry.   We stopped at the Dunkin Donuts but they did not have wifi.  The employees informed us that the Atlantic Bread company up the street had wifi.  They were similar to Panera Breads so I stopped and enjoyed a delicious egg and cheese bagel sandwich.  We wrote down the extensive route information and prepared to ride.  Unfortunately the wind today was back to taunt us.  Most of the trip is along the beach and the air is so windy that we are physically exhausted.  Luckily the wind subsided about half way through which left us with a nicer ending to the trip.  The sun is out and the wind has slowed leaving me with the ability to dart past entire groups of bikers.  We are hungry and decide to stop for pizza four miles south of Atlantic Highlands.  That pizza turned out to be one of the best slices of pizza I have ever had.  We got to the ferry an hour early and got to relax on a bench starring at the water.  We could slightly make out the NY city skyline through the clouds.  It was beautiful.   The water was agitated by the wind making the ferry ride a bit rough.  I sat upstairs, drank a beer, and saddened a bit by the realization of the ending of the trip.  We rode through New York taking in its never ending vastness.  When we reached the subway we realized than we would have to carry these bicycles down a lot of stairs.  What we did not realize was the speed that we would have to go to keep up with the high pace New York walker.  We got to Brooklyn and explained to the local police officer what we had just accomplished.  They were genuinely excited for us.  We got to Wendys and received a big welcome home party with cake, signs, presents, beers, and lots of conversation.  We found \out that Kristiana and Kat were a couple of blocks away so we met up with them.

Sept. 10
Kathleen:
It seemed that inertia caught up with us once we stopped moving, it made waking up difficult. We stayed the night at Wendy’s house but she went to work so it was us three again. We fell into our routine of drinking a protein shake for breakfast and getting ready to ride to the reception in central park where we were meeting some people from H.D.S.A. for our final hoorah. The ride was invigorating, weaving through traffic and feeling very over stimulated as we passed over the Queensboro bridge, providing us with a view of the city that seemed to go on forever. Once we got to the park, we took some time to enjoy the scenery and take in the fresh air. Central Park seems to take you back to the days of the depression, it was easy to imagine women with big hats and umbrellas sitting in the wooden rowboats as the gentlemen in a suit and bow tie rowed them around the pond. There was someone adding to this image by playing soft music on a saxophone by the fountain. We met up with Chennel, Katharine, and a few other H.D.S.A. employees, along with a professional photographer that immediately noticed my natural talent for being a ham. They offered to give us a tour of the Huntington’s wing of the hospital, but all three of us decided that might be a little too much to handle right now. It was enough to hear Hector explain to a couple earlier in the park about how he wont be able to drive in five years and bed ridden in ten. We were presented a certificate of appreciation each along with messenger bags, hats, key chains and necklaces. They stretched a blue ribbon across the path, which we “broke through” with our bikes. Unfortunately, we had a bus to catch to Philadelphia, so after this brief celebration, we rode past Time Square and past rush hour traffic to 34th and 8th. There was a frantic crowd of cops and people rushing around a movie set, screaming and taking photos like they witnessed U.F.O.s landing at the Today Show. The Bolt Bus took us out of the city via the Lincoln Tunnel, as the city faded away, I felt sad leaving it. New York seemed intimidating at first, but when you get to really experience it and its people, there’s a lot to love. Once we got to Philly, we rode to our hotel. I had so much fun riding in two big cities within hours, comparing every difference and detail. New York had much wider lanes and was easier to navigate on a bike, Philly had more narrow streets, some being cobblestone which provided a jarring, but beautiful, ride. We met some friends and ate at a Malaysian restaurant, then went to Georges work where we shared a German rum cake. Bryan and I went to our hotel, Hector went to his place, the first time we’ve been separated in a month. What a ride its been.

Bryan:
We started with a relaxing ride into Queens and we headed over a beautiful piece of metal that spanned the river into the city. It felt good to end in New York City. What a expansive place with everything you could need. So maybe we could find a cure here in this city with the HDSA fronting the cause. We met with Chennell and others who are on the case. We took photos, received gifts but most of all we finished our ride. We had a time restraint so after a quick celebration, we were at it again. This time images from Quick Silver were feeding my pedaling frenzy. In and out of traffic but still following the rules of the road of course. We rode from 106th and 5th to 34th and 8th in about 23 minutes. We beat every other means of traffic as we sped through the city. We made the bus with time to spare so Hector and I got a hot pretzel before we headed out of the town. The bus ride to Philly was nice. The bus did not smell a bit. As we got into Philly we head to our hotel George had got for us a few days earlier. What a sweetie. He took us out to his job and we took in the town with a night ride. Its was great. Its not a sad time because its been so good. I spent the rest of the night laying in bed dreaming of what’s next for HD research and us. Its been a killer ride now we just need to keep it close to our hearts and use it everyday.

Hector:
We woke up this morning at Wendys and ate breakfast.  We packed our bags because we were leaving town after the reception.  Bryan looked online for directions to Central Park and we were off.  We pedaled through Brooklyn looking for the Queensboro Bridge, which was our route over the river to Manhattan. The bridge was incredibly long and gave us a view of the expansive city.  When going down the bridge we had to use our brakes to keep us from flying into joggers, walkers, workers, and other bicyclists.  The ride through the city was fast yet safe.  We had a lane to ourselves the whole time which allowed for plenty of response time.  We had come into the city a little early to meet up with some friends but they never made it. The ride through the park was beautiful.  A woman asked us about our ride and we explained everything.  She cried, gave me a reassuring hug, and explained the more recent heartache plaguing her life.  She was sweet and has had to deal with lots of cancer in her family.  We realized the time and went to meet Chennell and others at the park.  We took lots of pictures and decided that we needed to go if we wanted to catch our bus.  Once again we cruised through the streets and was there in no time.  We loaded our things under the bus and got in our seats.  Two hours later we were in Philadelphia on our bicycles riding to the Comfort Inn to meet up with George.  George was there and we all got big hugs.  We were all hungry so we went to have fantastic Malaysian food at Panang.  George gave them a nice tour of the city.  We went back  to Johnny Brenda’s, George’s job,  to meet up with Michelle and Arlene for drinks.  George showed them around and we sat downstairs exchanging stories of our ride.  I had not seen George in a month so we stayed up late enjoying each others company. As always, Thank you for all the support. Together we can start Slowing The Way for Huntington’s Disease!

Hector Victoria, Kathleen Vlodek-Hensley and Bryan Hensley
Slowing The Way 1,300 Miles 30 Days 3 Friends 1 Cause

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www.HDSA.org