Charity Resumes at Home

Monday, we rode 78 miles from Liverpool in suburban Syracuse to Little Falls, NY.  It was cool all day, with morning cloud burning off at mid-day, with smooth pavement and light tailwinds.  I rode most of the way to the first SAG stop with Janie Bender, Mary Ann Daly, Darryl English and Linda Kasper, then rode solo to the second SAG stop set up by Catholic Charities in Marcy, just before Utica.  It was great to see Betsy, Ben and Terry from CC and to introduce them to my biking friends.  Ben's brownies were a particular hit.  After route rap and dinner in the Little Falls motel, many of us walked to the 40 foot high lift lock in the NYS Barge Canal to watch a recreational boat being lowered on its downstream journey.  Then we found ice cream at a shop in a restored mill building next to the Mohawk River.  Another great day on and off the bike.

Tuesday, was another great biking day - cool, overcast giving way to sun, smooth roads and a tailwind - for our 69 mile ride to my hometown of Latham in suburban Albany.  We were joined in Little Falls by Roger Markovics of CC in Albany who rode with us.  For a guy on a mountain bike who has not been averaging 80 miles a day for the last six weeks, he stayed pretty close to us.  Good going Roger!  CC again set up a second SAG stop for us, this time in Scotia.  Over three dozen people were there to greet us and to supply us with snacks and drinks.  It was a real lift to our spirits.  From there, I led a group of about twenty riders on an alternative 15-mile route to Latham, linking two sections of the bike path along the Mohawk River by going through the historic Stockade section of Schenectady, and rejoining the CrossRoads route about three miles from the motel.  At the point of "rejoinder," I met some family and friends, then pedalled the last three miles to the motel to meet wife Maureen, son Tom and still more friends.  We loaded my bike and luggage into our mini-van for the four mile ride from the motel to my home where I'll spend the night.

Tomorrow, we ride out of NYS into Vermont.  Just three more states, three more days, and 181 more miles to the wheel dip in Boston.  I can hardly believe it.

Comments

[Kay]

Welcome to Vermont! We hope that our roads, weather, scenery, and tailwinds are favorable. Detour to Burlington for homemade strawberry pie? Wish that we could ride this leg with you and put faces to the names.
Kay and Arnie

[Fred Eames]

Don,

Wow, way to go, way to go, man. You have really done it. I'm filled with admiration and envy. So sorry I couldn't rendezvous with you somehow as you passed through today.

[Andres]

Don,
"FRM C2C" New Plate for the vehicle? You continue to be my inspiration and motivate me to aspire to great things, keep it up!

See you when you get home?

I'll get the steaks ready.

Respectfully,
Los Jimenez

[Ray & Margaret Wilcox.]

Wonderful, wonderful achievement, you so inspire anyone who may be following your progress on this epic ride, and indeed the many bystanders who must have learned of your ride when you passed them on the highway, good luck to you all and enjoy these final few day`s. Please give our love and regards to George G. and the rest of the gang. ( George fly`s home on Sunday, can`t wait to meet up with him.)
Stay safe.
Ray & Margaret Wilcox. England.

[Barbara]

Don, I'm sure many of your supporters in the Albany area are sending "good vibrations" and best wishes as you ride through the northeast. Can't wait to see the photos, with captions, of course.