Day Twenty-Four: Why, Oh Why, is Wisconsin NOT Flat?

Someone once told me that the mid-west was flat. I thought I could consider Wisconsin the mid-west. Except Wisconsin isn't flat.

Okay, so I'm exaggerating. Wisconsin has rolling hills (nothing as daunting as the Appalachians), and I guess some would consider that "flat." But today hit 100 degrees, aka IT WAS HOT. Plus, the route was out on the road, treeless and naked in the sun, aka NO SHADE. Throw in the relentless winds (at 20 mph) and those rolling hills become a bigger deal than they should be. No one could blame the team when they were heat exhausted, sun burnt, and tired.


Not that any of the elements stopped the team. Sure, it was challenging (personally my second hardest day ever), but we made it. We always do.

Even though it was hot, the scenery was still beautifully green, coated in a blue sky and sprinkled with clouds:



And then we rode into this:







The miraculous Madison, Wisconsin, a beautiful state Capitol and charming city that is bike-friendly, college-friendly, and 4K-friendly. I love it here. I cannot wait for our day off around town tomorrow to check out what this city nestled between two lakes has to offer!

Cycle Through,
James

------
Today, my second hardest day on the 4K to date, is dedicated to my brother, Robert, who I pray comes to realize (as I have) that we are truly capable of anything and everything. Stop at nothing--every single day.

Day Twenty-Three: Milling Through Milwaukee

This morning I bid farewell to the Chicago skyline,



and traded it for the gorgeous, untouched portions of Lake Michigan's coast. This was the view along nearly the entire route today:



Better yet, this was our lunch stop, where we took a refreshing swim in the cold lake waters to cool us from the day's heat:



Before we knew it, the century from Chicago to Milwaukee was over, and we had arrived:



Arriving in Milwaukee, we stopped off at a local park down by the lake shore, where we took another cold dip. For some reason, this dip seemed much, much colder than the first. It was the second coldest body of water that I had ever been in (first being the waters off of Maine's coast).

The city itself was small and reminded me more of a college town. Walking through it's more populated areas reminded me of home.

And there was the thought--home. We have come such a long way, but still have so much more to go. Thank God, because I'm not nearly done touring the country yet!

Movin' on to Madison,
James

-------------------
Today was dedicated to a store owner the team met on the way into Chicago who is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer (we unfortunately forgot to get her name!). Stay strong, we wish you the best!

Day Twenty-Two: Chilling in Chicago

It was wonderful waking up in a major city in a bed placed in a room that I had all to myself.--it has been awhile!

I started today in the Caribou Coffee shop located next to the dorms where I helped recruit voters for the 100carsforgood campaign. After about two hours I ventured off on foot back to
Downtown Chicago. My first goal was achieved:

The Chicago Classic individual deep dish from Lou Malnati's on State St., Chicago. It was delicious!

I headed to Lou Malnati's for a Classic Chicago deep dish; it was well worth the trip! The pizza was delicious, filled with delicious cheeses, perfect homemade tomato sauce and precisely cooked sausages. As a New Yorker, it felt awkward to eat pizza with a fork and knife (but the old rule prevails: when in Rome, do as the Romans do). 

It was a beautiful day so I continued heading north on Michigan Ave, hitting up the typical tourist locations, like the bean, officially known as Cloud Gate:

Located in Millennium Park, the public sculpture warps light to create stunning reflections of the surrounding city. There are also some other really cool sights and views from the Chicago Loop area:

I also had the opportunity to stop into the Art Institute of Chicago's lobby and gift shop. I will certainly have to check out the exhibitions during a return trip to Chicago (yep, I will be going back, I have to go back--it's like trying to spend merely one weekend in Manhattan). It reminded me of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, although the lions outside instantly brought me back to the New York Public Library on 42nd St.

The day didn't end there. For dinner we decided to splurge a little and check out an Asian restaurant called Joy Yee Noodles which was located within a block from our dorm rooms. It was the perfect way to fulfill my desire for Korean food (Chapchae noodles anyone?). I tried a Red Bean bubble tea; it was delicious:



I would have loved to stayed in this city longer, but tomorrow we have to move on to Milwaukee, Wisconsin (aka time for a NEW state!). I enjoyed every minute spent in Chicago, and I can't wait to come back one day.

Movin' on Westward,
James

Day Twenty-One: Traveling to Chi Town

The lights, the noise, the pedestrians, the skyline--I could live in Chicago! It's cleaner than NYC and a little less congested; I love it!

Then again, everything seems amazing after riding through Gary, Indiana. I have never been through a town that was teetering on the brink of abandonment. It was disheartening to see people struggling to live around broken streets, dilapidated homes, and abandoned buildings. I experienced a true paradigm shift cycling along 12 W. Some people really do have so much and others so little. But, I had never thought of this on a community level. You figure that within each community there are those that have more than others; in Gary, I'm not sure anyone has anything. It's a sad truth and a testament to some of the struggles that we face as a species. (Gary is also an example of the complex relations between economics, politics, race and so many other variables that I'm not even going to bring up here.)

With that said, back to Chicago:

The ride into Chicago--what a motivating sight when you still have more miles to go!

Entering the city through South Chicago.

For tonight and tomorrow we're staying at the University of Illinois at Chicago in suite style dorms. THIS IS LIKE A FIVE STAR HOTEL FOR US (I cannot stress this enough). We have our own rooms, private bathrooms, air-conditioning, private showers, laundry, internet, and--the best yet--PILLOWS! I have not slept on a proper pillow since May! Seriously, it's the little things that matter on this trip.

Tonight I walked around Chicago in the pouring rain. It was against my better judgement, since I would usually be the kind of person to dodge raindrops and open umbrellas. I don't regret it one bit--it was the best way to see Chicago.

Beautiful Chicago skyline one rainy night.

I'm excited to explore more of the city tomorrow. I have a few goals, one of which is to finally eat a deep dish pizza from Chicago!

Sweet Dreams from the Windy City,
James

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Today's ride, which was long and filled with headwinds and heat but not as difficult as expected, was dedicated to my little sisters, Avalon and Meridian. I hope that by the time they are my age cancer won't be nearly as serious of a diagnosis as it is today.

Day Twenty: Touching Borders, from Michigan to Indiana

And just like that, we're in a new state. I truly enjoyed Michigan, but I was happy to say goodbye to their poor roads--they did a number to my bike. I can only imagine what those roads can do to the front end of a car.

When state-crossing, there is no greater moment than stopping at the border sign (which, unfortunately, not all routes have). Today we got to stop at the Welcome to Indiana sign:

Indiana; now we're really starting to move westward.

Now I can officially say that I've been as far west as Indiana!

The wind today was little bit of a pain, but worst was the traffic. The drivers in Indiana are relentless to pass cyclists (sometimes a little too close for comfort) and are aggressive in doing so. Regardless, all riders followed the safety guidelines and everything went smoothly. We reached our destination of South Bend, Indiana swiftly and even got to tour a little bit of Notre Dame's campus.

Friends of a team member were kind enough to help us obtain showers, laundry, and dinner, so we all had a great night--especially important because we have a notoriously rough 88 miles into Chicago tomorrow. I'm confident we can handle tomorrow as a team, after all, we made it through our unexpected century through the Appalachians (see Day Four). 

Here's to Hoping Tomorrow is Always Greater than your Yesterday,

James

----------------------------------

Today was dedicated to the food vendors from South Haven, MI who suffered great heartache and hardship but were positive and generous despite all odds. May things look up for the both of you!

Day Nineteen: Noteworthy South Haven

I would go back to South Haven, Michigan. It was a gorgeous little town that reminded me of summer/tourist locations along the New Jersey shore.

South Haven is a shore town, it lies on Lake Michigan, and comes complete with a stunning sunset:

The South Haven Sun setting over Lake Michigan. The locals told us that it was a must-see (and they were right)!

After having a great ride today we were happy to discover the luxurious shower and amenities as the South Haven Wellness Center, who generously welcomed us. It was the perfect start to a great night that included a delicious, home cooked dinner from our hosts at the First Congregational Church of South Haven (the Lasagna was a great treat!), Harbor Fest (music, food and beaches), and a sad but touching encounter with sibling food vendors.

The food vendor owners that we spoke to after the sunset at Harbor Fest informed us that their mother passed away from cancer, followed all too soon by the passing of their father. The brothers were very generous and made sure we were fed well with onion rings, funnel cakes, and lemonades before they closed for the night. We were touched by their story, as they were impacted by our journey. I can only hope that our meeting was a positive, healing blessing for everyone. Such generosity never ceases to amaze me. Perhaps the world isn't as greedy as some would have us believe.

To top it all off, while sitting in the grass down at the lake I had the rare opportunity of spotting a green shooting star. Well, to be honest I wasn't sure what it was at the time. I wasn't confident that shooting stars could be green or that I could eliminate the possibility of delirium (caused by riding a bike all day). But, as it turns out, shooting stars with copper in them can have a green tail. Maybe I'm not crazy after all?

No matter what it was (I'm going to stick to my shooting star theory) it was another experience to tack on to an already amazing day.

Keep Your Eyes Westward,
James

-------------------------
Today was dedicated to my father, because he would have loved South Haven and its sunset.

Day Eighteen: Everyday's an Adventure

Everyday on the 4K is sure to be interesting. But today was something extra-special.

The weather was beautiful and spirits were high. On I-96 my group was able to stop at the raceway and have the once in a lifetime opportunity of riding our road bikes on a dirt track (no, our bikes are not made for such a  track but when else are you going to get to do such a thing?).

A big THANK YOU to the owners for letting us ride around the track!

And then we hit a milestone--our 1,000 mile mark! It baffles me that only a few weeks ago we were just starting out and yet we have quickly rode over mile 1,000.

As you can see, I was pumped to have reached the 1,000 mile mark!

Thank you everyone--donors, supporters, readers and cheerleaders for helping to carry me to this point. Without your perpetual spirits as my great motivation I would not have made it this far. These 1,000 miles also belong to YOU!

To make things even better, we also stopped at a small Lake Side Shop. The owner Paul was a great host and offered us free wet burritos, which reminded me of a cross between an enchillada and a burrito, smothered in delicious cheese and a gravy/enchillada sauce mixture (we were fortunate enough to have snagged the recipe; we're taking wet burritos all the way to Seattle!). There happened to be a lake right by the store ("Lake Side Shop"), so we cooled off with a swim before gearing up to conquer the rest of the day.

And conquer the rest of the day we did, all the way to Grand Rapids, MI. It was a great day, complete with good foods, better memories, and even better people. I can't wait to see what the rest of the trip brings.

Don't Forget to Have Some Fun,
James

------------------------------------------------
Today was dedicated to my great-grandfather, Ciro Apicella.