Day Thirty-One: The Lovely People of Lake Lillian

Few towns are as lovely as Lake Lillian. You can tell that they were excited for our arrival, just take a look at the welcome sign:



Even the route to Lake Lillian was lovely. This was pretty much the entire route (paved, flat roads):


Plus, two friendly huskies decided to join us at a water stop:


And the night was just as great as the day (except for the mosquitoes):


Today was simply a great day to ride--beautiful weather, a welcoming town, and a route ideal for cycling. I can't help but feel spoiled. Thank you Lake Lillian for the magnificent dinner, live entertainment and hospitality!

Feeling the Hospitality from Our Hosts,
James

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Today was dedicated to the father-in-law of a donor, Jenifer Y., who battled cancer and won an additional 11 years of life before being diagnosed again. We ride so that 11 years of life become many, many more.

Day Thirty: Turning Time to Gold (Rest Day)

In truth, I didn't get to see as much of Minneapolis as I would have liked to, but I did get to meet a really cool community, check out an awesome local lake, and have a productive day helping to work on bikes.

Minneapolis, MN

First off our hosts were amazing--and already apart of the 4K family. Parents of a Team Portland rider, and their friends, were kind enough to host Team Seattle for two days, offering us tons of food, beds, showers, and (my personal favorite) PILLOWS! We were close to the local park and lake, which was nice to walk around and bike through. Team Seattle can't get enough of lakes on this trip. 


Most importantly, today was productive for the team. Everyone got something done, many things that we NEEDED to do, like clean the vans, clean the bikes, clean the coolers, can for donations, route plan, call hosts...the list goes on and on. But we did it, we were efficient, and--dare I say--we learned to turn time to gold in Minneapolis, MN.


Go DO Something,
James

Day Twenty-Nine: Making it to Minneapolis

Few routes on this trip are better than the trail routes. I love riding on trails. There are no cars to worry about, no stoplights and few stop signs.We can go quicker, smoother and farther.

Today's travel to Minneapolis was mostly trail:



Though there were some roads that we had to ride along (as long as it's not an interstate we're usually OK to be riding on it)



Riding through St. Paul to Minneapolis along the Mississippi River Trail, we stopped to climb some sand stone that built up under a bridge, and leave our mark:



Minneapolis lingers on  the horizon as we cross the river:



Roads like the one below are the best to ride on--smooth, open, and clear. Today was a great day for cycling, and I'm so excited to spend the day in Minneapolis tomorrow.



See You on the Road,
James

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Today was dedicated to Mary from That Place in Utica and her friend/business partner for their awesome company and hospitality. Today is also for Mary's niece, a young adult cancer survivor.

Day Twenty-Eight: Early Morning Climb

This morning I awoke with 12 other riders at 4 in the morning. We didn't have to get up this early today, but we were on a mission. The goal was to reach the top of a hill, a point overlooking the Mississippi. A local told us last night about the location, and that it was a sunrise that we shouldn't miss.

How could we say no to that?

We left later than we wanted to--4:45 am to be exact, and pedaled swiftly over bridges, across state lines (officially crossing into Minnesota) and down streets. After a wrong turn (we soon realized we had gone the wrong way) we found ourselves at the base of the climb.

Prior to this excursion I had never rode my felt before sunrise, nor had I climbed an ascent at such speed. The clock was quickly ticking as color began to appear in the sky and the hour of sunrise--5:20am, loomed over our heads. Pushing as fast as we could we reached the top with 6 minutes to spare. Our efforts were rewarded:

The rest of the day did not go as planned. We didn't get to meet up with the other half of the riders until lunch, and we were forced to stop and get breakfast, which was about 50 miles from the sunrise spot because, as we have found, the towns out Midwest are far and few between. One could argue that there's a reason for the way the day unfolded, though. In Utica, MN we came across the first open place that we had spotted for miles. It was a curious building, with giant stuffed animals tacked to the roof and a cat to greet us on the porch. As we pulled up the gravel driveway to the door, a wonderful, boisterous woman appeared in the doorway, warmly greeting us with open arms and an exclamatory "Welcome!"

The result of our early-morning excursion--a lunchtime nap!

Mary was one of the owners of That Place in Utica, a second hand shop where all clothing and shoes are only $00.25! The shop, which recently opened this year, is entirely non-profit, and donates all profits back to the community, choosing a new event or organization to sponsor every month. We loved That Place in Utica, we loved Mary, and (if I do say so myself) she also loved us. If you ever have a chance to go, do stop in at That Place in Utica.

After a long day, finally arriving in Rochester.

Who Knows What You'll Find,
James

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Today was dedicated to Earl Jones, my step-mother's father who I was never blessed to meet. He was an amazing man, retired 1st Sargent from the military after serving for 23 years through Vietnam. Earl was intelligent, having skipped two grades in his younger years, and everyone's favorite uncle. He suffered from colon cancer. I think my step-mom sums up his cooking best: "if I could, I would resurrect that man just to ask him for his mac-n-cheese recipe." Today's early rise, military-like push to the top of the hill was for him.

Day Twenty-Seven: Tunneling to La Crosse

One path, three tunnels, and a beautiful day. This was our ride to La Crosse, WI:

The light at the end of the tunnel. It looks manageable from outside but by the time you are in the tunnel's center it is pitch black and not safe to ride without a head lamp. I don't own a head lamp but I used my phone as a flashlight, holding it with one hand over the handle bar. It worked better than most headlamps!

The last picture above is the view of the Mississippi River from a host who opened his home to us for dinner. It was a wonderful evening filled with kayaks, hot tubs, and a pool. The Wisconsin-Minnesota-Mississippi River area has been kind to us.

Tomorrow we cross the river and head into Minnesota, heading westward.

Making Ground,
James

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Today was dedicated to my grandfather, Donald Schwabacher, who stuck through my grandmother's side through all of her life, including her cancer battle.

Day Twenty-Six: Savoring The Road to Elroy

The weather today was beautiful! I wish I was on the road for it--I was on water van duty.

I had never done water van duty before. It's difficult, you must be aware of each group and their whereabouts, track your mileage, secure water and ice, set up water stops, close down water stops, and chalk the path from host to host.

This morning wasn't so smooth. Groups got separated, the route had to be corrected, some riders required assistance, and we had to turn all the way around and go back to the host after establishing the first water stop because I forgot to return the keys to the church in Madison. WHOOPS!

But, no harm done, because all's well that ends well! After the morning hiccups the afternoon was smooth and before we knew it we had successfully and safely brought the team to Elroy, WI.

Here are some views from the route; check out the military technology that was a historical stop along the road:





After a rest day in Madison and van duty to Elroy, I'm ready to get back on my bike. My legs are well rested and ready to go.

Puttin' Pedal to the Medal,
James
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Today's efforts were dedicated to Deb, a cancer survivor and gas station manager who personally donated water bottles and ice for the riders. Thank you!

Day Twenty-Five: Meeting Madison

Today's rest day just proved that Madison is my kind of town!


We started the day off by canning for donations to help the 4K reach the $500,000 mark, which would make us the most successful cross-country fundraiser! Canning was not the most comfortable experience for me. It takes guts to walk up to random strangers, present your pitch, and collect money. Luckily for me I was with Liz, a mass communications major who just happens to be AMAZING at all things social/fundraising. She lead the way (with me learning as I went), and together we swept through the Madison area.

Madison at night!

After successfully fundraising, the team went out for a Wisconsin must have, custard and cheese curds. I wasn't a big fan of the cheese curds (no surprise to those of you who know I'm not fond of cheese, though I did try it), but the custard was delicious. I chose Blue Moon, a Fruit Loop flavored ice cream:

Wisconsin custard, Fruit Loop flavored!

Now's the time to admit that we had dessert before dinner tonight. We were sure to make up for it though:

Oh how I missed sushi. This was the perfect treat!

A HUGE thank you to the local sushi restaurant and our awesome waiter for a great, donation-filled evening. People like you make the 4K possible, allowing the majority of our funds raised to go directly back to cancer patients.

I enjoyed strolling through the busy, neon-lit streets of Wisconsin's capital. Madison is small but it's clean, the people are friendly, and the town is perfect for the younger crowd. I'm almost sad to leave--almost, there's still plenty more of the country to see!

We're Getting There, Quickly,
James