Day 57 Toledo, OH to Sandusky, OH Woooo Hoooo Cedar Point

So today we woke up at 5:15am and headed out to our breakfast at the fraternity house.  It was a great breakfast we had eggs and bacon and cooked to order eggs. After breakfast we got ready and headed out on our road to Sandusky, OH. I rode with Reggie and Alberto today and we did great even with the two flat tires we had.

We arrived to Sandusky to Battery Park Marina and had our lunch and friendship visit with Ability Works and we had a great lunch with like shredded chicken and sloppy joes. We had a great dance outside and after we headed back to Ability Works to setup and shower and prepare for the rest of the day.

We then headed out to Cedar Point where we had our dinner. It was sponsored by Steve Koley(SP?) He provided us with steak and potatoes and it was delicious. We also had these amazing cookies that were amazing. Dont remember how they were made but yea they were amazing

We then headed into the park for a few hours. I have worked there for 5 years when I was in college so I was happy to be back. We rode Gatekeeper, Meanstreak, Gemini, Magnum, and Raptor. We had a great time walking around and hanging out with everyone.

We left at like 845 and headed back to lodging and had a team meeting and now I am headed to bed

Sleep well

Peace, Love, and Steaks
White "DJ" Doug

Day 56 Ann Arbor, MI to Toledo, OH First flat tire:(

Today we woke up at 5:15 and got checked out of our dorm rooms at the UofM.  We came downstairs and put all of our stuff in the truck and hopped in the vans to be shuttled to where our bikes were at the Pi Kapp house.  We had breakfast at the Pi Kapp house and then we headed out for toledo.

Today I rode with Travis and Chris and we had a pretty decent ride except the roads were horrible. I am so glad today was our last day having to deal with Michigan's crappy roads.  They were so bad in fact that they popped my tire.  I hadnt had a flat for 3000 miles and they managed to finally pop one. I was not happy about that but whatever. So I changed my tire and then watched Travis' water bottle get run over by a van and a truck and was pretty much still intact.

So we were pressed for time so we got racked about 10 miles from our destination just so we could get there ontime.  We got to stageup and then basically took off right away for our arrival.  We had a UT campus police escort to the Student Union building. We arrived to lots of friends and family and some of the Sunshine clinents.  Many speeches were given and after speeches and welcomes we headed inside for lunch which was sponsored by Chic fil a and a local hot dog place.  We ate and some other people gave speeches as well as we all signed this Pi Kapp flag painting that would be hung in the chapter house at UT

After lunch we rode to lodging which was like a block away and we are staying in the International House on campus so we checked in and got our rooms, then showered and went outside to go to our friendship visit.  We split up into two groups one went to the Sunshine home for people with developmental disabilities and one went to do "Kids on the Block" for some children at another facility

We got a tour of the Sunshine facility and got to hang out with the clients for a little bit and then after that we hopped in the vans and then headed to our dinner at Outback Steakhouse.  It was a great dinner sponsored by the restaurant which is owned by a Pi Kapp. We had steak, chicken, and potatoes and it was delicious.

After that we headed back to the dorms to circle up and talk about the evening.  We split up into 4 groups and us being first we headed off to Stautzenberger College where we were given massages.  I had never gotten a professional massage before so this was a first. It was really nice to get my shoulders and lower back worked on as that is the only area that I ever really get pain in 

Lastly we went from the college over to one of the cyclists parents house. Saurabh Mehta lives near by so we hung out at his parents place for a few hours, had some deserts and played some knock out (basketball game) Today was a long day and after that we headed back to the dorms where I am writing this and now going to bed.

Have a great night

Peace, Love, and Massages:)

White "DJ" Doug

Day 55 Lansing, MI to Ann Arbor, MI First friendship visit in a while

Today we woke up at 6am and got all packed up from our hotel room and headed outside where we were treated by the ladies of Delta Phi Epsilon and Phi Mu for breakfast. We had yogurt, cereal and other goodies.  I ate and got ready for my ride today

Today we had a few ride alongs. We had Kyle one of our crew guys and we had Nick our project manager as well as one of his friends.  I rode with Kevin and Michael today and we had a great ride.  The ride was not that long only 66 miles and we only had rain for like 15 miles of that. So it was a pretty good ride.

We arrived at the Pi Kapp house for the University of Michigan.  We parked our bikes there and had lunch which was sponsored by the Pi Kapps of UofM.  We ate our pizza and then got shuttled to lodging which is the dorms here at UofM.  They are by far the most amazing dorms I have ever seen. They are very new (only like 5 years old) and they are very nice.  You have to use a keycard to get into them which is new for me and I dont like how you cant really leave your door unlocked and it always locks behind you but the internet here is super fast and I am excited.

So we headed out to our first friendship visit which was with PEAC of Ann Arbor and we rode some bicycles with people with disabilities.  It was kinda neat as a lot of the clients have learned to ride a bike over their years there and it was neat to see a lot of people on the bikes.  They are doing an event on Sept. 14th that I plan on going out to do as it seems like a lot of fun

After hanging out with PEAC we headed back to the dorms for a little and I did a few videos and then we headed out to our second friendship visit at the Eisenhower center where we had dinner and then did Mock Rock with the clients of the center. We did Single Ladies as well as Every time we Touch and while we still lost we did a great job.

After the center we headed back to the dorms and I went out for some more food and a drink or two and then headed home and now am ready for bed

Hope you have a great night

Peace, Love, and Toys
White "DJ" Doug

Day 54 Kalamazoo, MI to Lansing, MI Today was not a fun day lol

So today we woke up at 5:30am and went downstairs and had our breakfast which was the last crew chief breakfast for a while. We then got ready and hopped on our bikes for East Lansing.  The ride was really crappy. It was freezing out (Well not literally) and then it started to pour down rain.  I was riding with Kevin and we rode about 35 miles and then we racked. Kevin racked because he rides with a broken pelvis and he hit a big pothole and caused him a lot of pain. I racked because my hands were so cold that I couldnt close my fist so I had trouble braking and shifting. So we hopped in the vans and helped crew for a little bit.

One of the crew then came and picked us up from where we were at and took us to lodging which was the Courtyard Mariott in Lansing, MI.  We got a room and I showered and changed and then realized that I was about to have an even crappier day. I would get to go on an adventure for my clothes.  I noticed that my blue team shirts were not in my Thule and then I realized that I had forgotten my clothes in the dryer at WMU.  I talked to my PM and he said that I could pay for gas and take one of the vans back to get them later

So I just put on some other shirt for now and waited for the cyclists to arrive. There was a little bit of a mixup and some people made a wrong turn and ended up going the scenic route and put another 15 miles on this ride lol.  We got the last two pacelines in and then waited for the remaining pacelines to mozy on in.  We had two ride alongs today our crew chief Mark and our PR guy Dan rode along.  Mark had already done Gear Up Florida so he was a pretty good cyclist but Dan had not really ever ridden on a bike before but they both finished which was awesome

Once everyone was in we had our dinner which was sponsored by a few Pi Alphas and their families. We had some sloppy joes and chips and pop and all kinds of other good stuff.  We also got to read some letters that were written by JOH riders two years ago and then we wrote some of our own for next years riders.

After that we took a picture and then I set out on my journey of the day.  I hopped in a van and drove the 160 mile round trip back to WMU to go get my clothes. It was long and boring but it was a nice adventure and it was also a nice lesson for me to make sure I dont ever forget things like that again.  I was kind of rushing back to make it to dinner and I actually made it about 2 mins after everyone else pulled up for dinner so I thought I did pretty well.

We had dinner sponsored by the Beta Xi chapter of Pi Kappa Phi the Central Michigan chapter which Spencer and Jeremy went/go to.  We had hot dogs and hamburgers and what not. We chatted it up with them and then headed back to lodging.  I got all of my stuff organized and did a few videos.

There is some issue with uploading videos from my phone's internet it doesnt upload all the audio so I had to reupload a few Days 46-48 but they all work now

Ok time for bed

Peace, Love, and Laundrys
White "DJ" Doug

Day 53 South Bend, IN to Kalamazoo, MI another day another state:)

So today I am back on the bike and we woke up at 5:15 today and got all of our stuff out of lodging. The Highschool was really nice and I wish we could stay there every night lol.  We were served breakfast by Mr. and Mrs. Butterbaugh. They served us an egg/sausage caserole and yogurt and bananas. It was a great breakfast and just what we needed to start the day.

We headed out Jack, Jason, and I and we went on our 66 mile ride to MI.  It was a very easy ride today and it just seems that they are getting easier and easier as the days go on.  We had a little rain at one point in the ride but didnt encounter many other issues with roads today and made it to lunch really quickly.  Though about 1 mile away from lunch Jason got a flat tire and had to stop and change it so that slowed us a little. We had lunch on the go by a friend of Spencer.  They fed us really well with cheezy potatoes and sloppy joes and all kinds of sides.  We ate and then introduced ourselves and then we headed out to lodging.  The ride to lodging was only like 6 miles and so we made it to lodging which is the dormitories at Western Michigan University.

We checked into lodging and got our sheets and pillows and such and then I showered, changed and took a nap for a few hours till dinner.  Dinner was provided by the family of a Pi Alpha from 2006 and it was chicken, mac and cheese, and cheezy potatoes. It was a really good dinner and then after we did introductions and they wanted to see the dance so we did the dance for them. It was weird as it was played from someones phone on small speakers and we were on carpet so it was a lot quieter than normal.

After dinner most of the guys went to see Monsters U but I stayed in as I needed to do laundry and catch up on blogs and such. So here I am writing my blog and uploading videos. Though I am still about 4 days behind so videos for today might not be up for a few days but days 41-48 will be up today and linked in their respective posts

Have a good night

Peace, Love, and Broncos
White "DJ" Doug

Day 52 Chicago, IL to South Bend, IN I did the job of Logistics Coordinator today:)

So today was a really really early wake up. We woke up at 4:30am this morning and I am sure it was probably the earliest we had woken up in a long time. Today I was not cycling. The crew is allowed to ask the cyclists if they mind giving up a ride and more or less switching for the day. Spencer who is our Logistics Coordinator wanted to ride today and so I let him switch places with me.  So I woke up and brought all but my bike down as I wasnt riding it today and I then loaded up the truck with the Thules and once all the bikes were racked we all headed out towards Buckingham Fountain.

We stayed in Itasca the past few nights so we needed to drive to the city to head out. We arrived at the fountain and had our breakfast while we waited for John Schumacher to arrive as he was going to ride along with us today. We circled up and then the cyclists went off for a picture in front of Buckingham fountain.

I was in Truck 1 with Nick today and we headed off to scout ahead and make sure the route was right which it really wasnt from the get go. They had a re route right from the fountain.  After that Nick and I found a few construction zones that had detours and well the crew did a great job finding them and the cyclists did a great job navigating through them. 

We stopped at the Mcdonalds by the IL/IN state line grabbed a little food and then waited for the cyclists to get to the state line for pictures.  Once we had a few through we headed out ahead again. We got all the way through to lunch which was at the Indiana Dunes State park. We met with the sponsor Ian and then helped him setup lunch.  We then just hung out and waited for the cyclists to arrive. 

They all got there and had their lunch and some of them jumped in the lake for a quick swim. After a little while we all started cleaning up and the cyclists headed out on their way for the second half of their journey that day.  Nick and I finished cleaning up and then we headed out. I drove this time as Nick was so drained he probably would have fallen asleep during the drive. Not a good idea lol. So we drove the remaining part of the route which was fine except for one turn was not physically possible and part of the route was not labeled properly on the sheet. 

We arrived safely at the Saint Joseph school where we met the principal and were guided around and shown where the guys would shower, eat, and sleep. I helped get all the Thules inside and write the instructions on the board and then we hung out while we waited for the cyclists to arrive. Spencer did a great job and rode 95 miles today and considering he is crew and has only done a few small rides it was very impressive.

After they all arrived we were on a time crunch so we all hurried up and headed out to our dinner with the Knights of Columbus. It was a great spaghetti dinner and after that we did our introductions and then we headed out to get ice cream as Mrs. Schwartz was in town and she took us all out for ice cream.

After that I went home wrote 2 blogs and passed out.

Peace, Love, and Mints

White "DJ" Doug

Day 51 9th Day off. Got to hang out with my sister:)

So we woke up at 7ish and headed out to go to our friendship visit.  Today we were spending time with Envision of Chicago. They are a place that helps out people with mental disabilities.  We spent a few hours hanging out with them. We cut up some watermelons as well as got people on bicycles that had never been on a bike before.  It was pretty neat and was nice to hang out with some cool clients.

We hung out with them for a while. We danced and played with the parachute thing that we played with when we were kids.  After that we headed back to the city for more fun.

Today we were dropped off and most of us started out by going to a restaurant called UB Dogs and getting some food.  I had a chicago dog and a burger.  I invited my sister out and she hung out with us for a bit. We then headed off for at the time we thought was the Aquarium but Kyle, Benny and I didnt want to get bikes so we just hung out with my sister and got a really cool tour of the city.

After the tour we went and got smoothies at the cool walgreens and watched Kyle spend like 20 bucks to print out two emails and fax a piece of paper at a fedex.  Though it was worth it as he got the job that he had applied for.

We then headed back towards the vans and got ready for dinner. We headed down the block to Genos east for dinner. We had some pasta and pizza and hung out with Eric who is a Pi Alpha who did the first team ride in 1988. He was a really cool guy and we were excited that he had come to hang out with us and sponsor our dinner

We then hopped in the vans and headed back to the hotel to get ready for bed.  I was asked to switch and do crew the next day as one of the guys wanted to ride so I got prepared for my day of crewing the next day.  We also arrived back to the hotel to find a crave crate in the lobby:)

Well I need sleep

Peace, Love, and Castles
White "DJ" Doug

Day 50 Glenview, IL to Chicago, IL Woot arrival:)

So today we woke up at like 7am and we racked our bikes and rode about 12 miles closer to the city. We did this because the traffic and city riding would have been so bad and have taken so long that the crew would not have been able to keep up with the turns.

We unracked at a target and got ready for our arrival.  This target was neat as it's shopping cart's wheels locked up if they were taken outside the parking lot. I thought that was pretty neat. So after a little bit we headed out towards the Victor C. Newmann center where we had an arrival and hung out with the clients there for a few hours. My mother, grandmother, and sister came out to visit and welcome us when we arrived at the center. They hung out for a little bit and then took off to go get lunch. We were fed lunch which was awesome sandwiches and then after that we were taken to millennium park and we were dropped off to explore the city.

We walked around millennium park for a bit and then headed off towards the John Hancock building. On the way we stopped at the Garmin store the Nike store and the Apple store. We arrived to the Hancock center and went up to the signature lounge.  The Under 21ers werent allowed in so we took pictures for them and we had some non alcoholic beverages so we werent freeloading but it did save us about 8 bucks and we got a drink out of it.

After that we headed out towards our dinner at Club Lago and on the way we stopped at the hershey's store and as we passed by Holy Name Cathedral we decided to stop in and look around.  We then had dinner sponsored by a Pi Alpha and it was pasta and such and was really good.

After dinner we hopped in the vans and headed to our lodging which was Eaglewood Resort and Spa in Itasca. It was sponsored by an anonymous donor and it was a pretty nice place.

We got settled and I just relaxed and then headed to bed

Peace, Love, and Michigans
White "DJ" Doug

Day 49 Milwaukee, WI to Glenview, IL Wow its been a while since ive updated this

So sorry about not updating this for a while but here goes

Today we woke up at 5:30 and we got out of lodging and had our breakfast and such.  We racked our bikes as the city riding would have taken up too much time so we racked for like 20 miles to get out of the city.

The ride today was really easy and fun. I rode with Alex and Reggie today and we did a great job averaging like 19.4mph the whole way. It was a 72 mile ride and we arrived to the YMCA in Northbrook, IL

There was a little bit of construction and crappy roads but we pushed through and made it safely.  We arrived first and went in and dropped our stuff off and then had some pizza and gatorade lunch.  We then had some free time to relax and do whatever. I started working on things and getting caught up on videos and such.

We had our friendship visit that night with some of the clients of the Y. Most of them were kids and we did dancing and had a hotdog and hamburger dinner.  It was a fun night. I was going to go out and do something that night but decided to just stay in and work on videos which I got a few done.

I then went to bed as we had our ride into chicago the next day

Peace, Love, and Clubs
White "DJ" Doug

Day 48 8th day off

Today we woke up earlier than yesterday and headed out to the Independence First office where we were served breakfast and chatted up with Kathy and the other people that worked there.

After that we headed out to Gaenslen school where we metup with some kids there and did our Kids on the block for them. After that we went into separate rooms and did some coloring and just hung out with the kids for a bit.

After the school we headed to the holy trinity church where we had our lunch and then hung out with Jim and the clients of Milwaukee Center for Independence.  We played some games, Just Dance for wii, Kickball, we did some puzzles and some minute to win it games where we had to pick up and stack cans with pasta

After lunch we headed to the Olympic training facility and did some wheelchair ice hockey. It was pretty sweet. Riding a chair on a ice rink is challenging but fun. we played for a few hours and I dont know exactly what the final score was but we all had fun

After ice hockey we headed to the Nicolet High School where we did wheelchair basketball and adaptive baseball. We also had a pizza dinner.   I played Horse with some of the guys as I cant play basketball standing let alone in a wheelchair. I did enjoy hanging out with the people there and watching everyone.

We then packed up and headed back to lodging. It was a long day and we have to ride tomorrow.

Yay getting back on the bike

Peace, Love, and Beeps
White "DJ" Doug

Day 47 Seventh Day off

So today was crazy as we didnt have to be up till noon lol.  I woke up a couple times but we started getting ready about noon and were cooked lunch.  Lunch was done by the moms of america and it was pulled pork and brats as well as all kinds of other potlucky type stuff.

After lunch and the introductions and everything we went off to a bowling alley to hang out with the Spina Bifida clients and bowl with them. It was a lot of fun and I still barely got over 100 both games. The girl that we were bowling with (Gabby) was pretty good and showed Marpe some dance moves

We had some snacks there and then we left and headed off to a Yacht Club to hang out with the Davidsons (yes relatives of the Harley Davidson family)  and they provided us dinner. They had potatoes, chicken, and pulled pork. It was a lovely dinner I wasnt able to eat too much as we didnt ride today and I had a big lunch.

After dinner we headed back to lodging for some team activities and then headed to bed

Have a great night

Peace, Love, and Porks
White "DJ" Doug

Day 46 Rockford, IL to Milwaukee, WI woot no cycling for 2 days:)

So today we woke up at 5:30 and packed up our stuff from lodging and had our breakfast. Today was another long ride as we rode to Milwaukee which is about 95 miles away.

Today I rode with Alberto and Marpe.  It was a decent ride. The terrain was nice it was just really long. We arrived a little after 2pm at our lodging which is the Immanuel Lutheran church in Brookfield, WI.

So we arrived and showered and changed and then we were given an introduction to what was going to happen the next few days. After that we headed out to the Mayfield mall and hung out with some girls with disabilities and took them shopping.

I hung out with this girl named Shakira who was very quiet but really cool. We took her to claires and got her a pink tutu and then we went to sephora and gave Shakira a makeover which she really enjoyed.

We then had dinner at the food court and headed back to lodging for the evening.  I started working/thinking about the yearbook that I plan on making. I also went out to relax with a few of the guys at one of the local drinking establishments and had a drink or two.

Have a great night

Peace, Love, and tutus
White "DJ" Doug

Me on the news again:)

WREX.com – Rockford’s News Leader

If someone can rip this and send it to me that would be amazing but this is me on the news again.

Day 45 Dubuque, IA to Rockford, IL I made it home!!!! Well for a day

So today we woke up at 5:30 and got fed by the camp.  We had eggs and ham and it was a nice warm home cooked breakfast.

We had lot of miles to go today and well we had a really short time to get there.  We had 110 miles to go in about 6 hours which realistically wasnt going to happen but we gave it our best.  As you might remember my rear wheel was messed up but we have a guy on our team Reggie that has extra pieces for bikes as his first bike broke so he bought a new one so I just used his rear wheel for today to ride till I got to a bike shop.

So we headed out today Alex, Michael Brooks and I and we began our epic quest to get to Rockford (My home town)  We rode and rode and well we rode for about 72 miles (funny as I rode the same roughly the day before) and then we got racked for time. We pretty much knew we were going to get racked it was more so a when not if.

So we got racked and were driven to our friendship visit which was at the Indoor Sports Center in rockford where we hung out with some of the kids at their summer camp. It was a teen summer camp with kids with all sorts of disabilities.  We did a mummy race (Race to see who could wrap up one of us in toilet paper first). Then we did a baloon race and finally some of us and the counselors got pied in the face by the campers.  My mother came out to pick my bike and take it to the bike shop to get fixed and now I am all ready to ride tomorrow.

After that we showered and changed and hung out for a bit. Some of the guys played volleyball and we beat the counselors pretty bad.  We then packed up and headed out.

We drove to our dinner/lodging which was the UAW 1268 union hall.  So the Union told me back when I setup the sponsored dinner that we could have whatever we wanted for food so the food selection was put to a vote and Chinese was the winner 13-12 over Steak and Potatoes. The guys were super excited for Chinese and so that is what we had for dinner.

We then did our introductions and had a group photo taken and then I headed out to get some stuff done. I switched out some clothes and metup with some of my friends.  My parents came out and my brother and they ate with us and then after I got all situated my friends and I went out and hung out for a bit.

I then went and picked up our jerseys and shorts that my mother washed and headed back to lodging to write my blogs and head to bed

Good Night All

Peace, Love, and Chineses
White "DJ" Doug

Day 44 Davenport, IA to Dubuque, IA Sorry this is late I was without service last night

So today was a crazy day. I woke up at like 5:50 and got all packed up from my hotel room and headed outside. It took us a lot longer to get ready today but we finally got on the road.

Today was supposed to be 85 miles but things didnt go as planned.  We started off cycling me Saruabh and Mike Jones. It was a long hilly day and I made it about 72 miles before we noticed that my back wheel was messed up So I ended up getting racked for the day. I thought at the time damn I was only like 13 miles away but I was so wrong.  Due to construction and everything they had to reroute and they added about 12 miles to the trip so the 85 mile day turned into a 97 mile day in the 100 degree weather that people werent prepared for.  It was pretty crazy but we all got to Albreght Acres one way or another and got to relax in the AC and shower and change.

So after we were all showered and changed we headed out to Dyersville, IA and explored the field of dreams movie site. Some of the guys took pictures of them coming out of the corn like in the movie and while it wasnt the coolest thing I have seen this trip it was pretty neat as we say.

We then headed back to Albrecht Acres and had our dinner which was some kind of pasta and salad and it was good.  We then went to dance mode as we headed inside and the lights were off and the music was blasting and all the campers were dancing their hearts out. A lot of us put on some costumes (I wore a wizards robe) and then we got so hot we took them all off lol.  So we danced for about 90 mins or so and then took pictures and said good bye.  A lot of us went out afterward to hang out with the counselors.

Now its bed time have a good night

Peace, Love, and Dreams
White "DJ" Doug

Day 43 Iowa City, IA to Davenport, IA So close to IL:)

So today we woke up at 5:45 am and had our breakfast after we cleared out of the Rec Center gym. Today's ride was about 57 miles and it was a really decent ride.  I rode with Chris today and we were sweeps but we kept a nice 17mph pace the whole way. It was pretty flat and what not so all in all it was a good ride.

We arrived about 1120am at the Clarion Hotel in Davenport and checked into our rooms. This time we were only 2 to a room instead of 4 so we have our own beds tonight though its sad that I dont get to cuddle with Steve today lol.  

We showered and changed and then we headed out to dinner which was sponsored by a Pi Alpha at a place called Happy Joes. It was a pizza buffet which was amazing. I had so much food lol.  After the pizza we had free time which most of the guys including myself used to take a nap.  

At about 6pm we headed out to get gas and then off to the local pool/waterpark for a friendship visit with some people with disabilities. It was fun and I think that I have spent more time in a pool in the past 3 weeks then in the past 10 years lol. I went down the slide and spent most of the time relaxing and talking to people. We had hot dogs for dinner and then we said our goodbyes and headed out.

I am updating my blog and headed to bed lol

Peace, Love, and Joes

White "DJ" Doug

Day 42 Cedar Rapids, IA to Iowa City, IA College Town??

So today we woke up at 615am and got out of the Arc that we were staying at and headed outside for breakfast.

We headed out on our exciting 27 mile ride to Iowa City as I rode today with Travis and Blake.  It was a very short ride and we got to our destination a little after 9am so we were there really early.  We arrived for our stageup at a park in Iowa City.  We relaxed for a few hours and we left for our arrival at 11am. We had a police escort and all and we rode to the old capitol of Iowa and were welcomed by the Arc of Southeast Iowa.  It was a really nice welcome and we hung out with them for a little bit and then went off to lunch

We had lunch at one of the residence halls of the University of Iowa. It was a huge buffet and we all ate a lot of food which was awesome.  After we ate lunch we rode to lodging which is the Robert A. Lee Recreation Center. We showered and changed and a lot of us went swimming.

I took a nap after swimming till dinner which was nice.  Dinner was at like 5ish at the Arc of Southeast Iowa and it was a pizza dinner which was nice. We got to hang out with some of the clients of the Arc and then afterward we headed back to lodging and some of the older crowd went out for a drink or two and now it is time for bed

Have a good night

Peace, Love, and Walls
White "DJ" Doug

Day 42 Banana

Day 41 Marshalltown, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA Arc of East Central Iowa

So today we woke up at 6am and packed up from the hotel and got some nice hot breakfast provided by the hotel

We then headed out on our 86 mile ride for the day. I rode with Sanjeev today and we went on this nice long ride with rolling hills and everything.

We were going a little slow and with media coming to our arrival we got racked 6 miles from lodging so that everyone could make it for the media. It kinda sucked but only 6 miles so it wasnt too bad.

We arrived and headed over to the YMCA to shower and then we took naps on the floor of the Arc while we waited for dinner.

For dinner we were served pork and beans and potatoes and it was delicious.  We then hung out with the Arc clients and had a dance and then we packed up and got ready for bed

Today was a very simple day but tomorrow should be a lot more

Have a good night

Peace, Love, and Wobbles
White "DJ" Doug

Day 40 Des Mones, IA to Marshalltown, IA Waves of fun!!

So today we woke up at 5:45 and got packed up and what not.  We were fed breakfast by Dave Adickes and it was some good cereal and bagels and whole bananas this morning.

We racked our bikes as there was a bunch of construction or traffic on every route out of West Des Moines so we had to be racked for about 20 miles or so. We unracked at the Adventureland park in Des Moines. We then headed out from there and it was Colin and Alex that I rode with today.  Alex pulled us pretty hard and we got some pretty good speed.  We arrived in about 2.5 hours and had some sandwiches right outside the aquatic center of Marshalltown.  After the food we all headed into the water park for a few hours.

It was a lot of fun they had slides, diving boards and a lazy river. We were supposed to meet up with clients of ARC of Marshalltown but it was a sunday and so we only were able to get one to come out, his name was Oscar and he was a cool kid.  We left the pool about 2:30 or so and headed to our lodging which is a small hotel.  Its cool though as they have hot breakfast in the morning so I am excited for that.

We checked in and got settled and then I took a nap for about an hour before dinner and our friendship visit.  We left at about 5pm for the local bowling center in Marshalltown. We met up with the clients of ARC of Marshalltown and were given a proclamation by the Mayor of Marshalltown.  Proclaiming that today is Push America day in Marshalltown.

We helped serve and then eat dinner which was cheesy potatoes and  beans and pork slices.  It was a good dinner and then afterward we bowled and danced for a few hours.  I didnt do that great with the house ball and only got like a 113 but had a lot of fun bowling with Rosie and Tomi.

After we were done with bowling we said goodbye and headed out for a team washing the vans event. The vans are now sparkling clean and then we headed to Burger King for some late night snacks.

I am now getting caught up on videos yay

Have a good night

Peace, Love, and Gatorades
White "DJ" Doug

Day 40 Breakfast

Day 39 Griswold, IA to Des Moines, IA Long ride:)

So today we woke up at a nice 5am and got ready.  We had to have our bikes shuttled out due to the gravel road/driveway that leads to the retreat center.

So we got to the main road and headed out.  Today I rode with Marpe and Jeff. It was a long ride today at almost 95 miles. The first 30 miles or so the roads were really crappy. They had lots of bumps and were just horrible to ride a bike on.  We got to learn a lot about Marpe as he told us his life story till we realized that we were behind schedule (or so we thought) and took it up a notch.

After a little while longer we encountered some rain. It didnt last long but it did get us wet.  We made it late to rack point but we didnt get racked which was nice.  After about 77 miles we had a little snack on the side of the road provided by Saurabh's family which was pretty nice.

We arrived to our location at about 1:20pm ish and had our lunch and then showered and changed and what not.  Then I took an hour nap or so and then got ready for dinner.  Our dinner was provided by a Pi Alpha Dave Adickes which was pulled pork and funeral potatoes plus a lot of other things. We ate our dinner and then introduced ourselves to the sponsor and family that was there and then after our picture we headed out for gas and then back to lodging.

I got a few videos done and now I am headed to bed

Good Night all

Peace, Love, and Lemonades
White "DJ" Doug

Day 39 Breakfast

Day 38 Omaha, NE to Griswold, IA We are in Iowa now:)

So today was a 5:30 wakeup and we all got out of the church and got up and packed our stuff up and headed out for breakfast and such.

We rode out me, Steven and Beau and had a metric crapton of rolling hills and we were not really happy with them but we pushed through. About 15 miles in we crossed into Iowa and well the terrain really didnt change very much still a lot of rolling hills.  Also about another 10 miles later we had to be racked as there was some unforeseen road construction so we got carted about 8 miles ahead and then continued on our path through the rolling hills.

We arrived to our second rack point which we needed to be racked for the last 2 miles as it was literally a loose gravel road and there was no safe way to ride it.  We arrived at our lodging which is the Creighton University Retreat Center and setup our bedding and showered and such. Then we had our lunch which was provided by Mr. David William Adickes and it was really awesome deli sangwhiches:)

After that we all took like an hour nap and then headed out for a team event which was hanging out in an old rock quarry.  I thought it would be playing with rock or climbing rock or something but apparently it was an old rock quarry that was filled with water and we played in it for a while. They had rope swings and a pontoon and it was a lot of fun

After we were done at the quarry we went to the house of Dr. and Mrs. Adickes and they provided us with sloppy joes and hommade baked beans and it was awesome. Great dinner and then we headed back to lodging and had a small team event ouside and now we are headed to bed

Have a great night

Peace, Love, and Ropes
White "DJ" Doug

Day 38 Breakfast

Day 37 Lincoln, NE to Omaha, NE Sonic Shakes:)

Today we got to sleep in a little and had a 6:30am wake up. We had our breakfast and headed out from our lodging which was the St. Paul United Methodist Church.  I rode with Colin and Sanjeev today and we had a shorter trek to our destination.

We had some nice scary city riding to start out with as we left Lincoln and then we got into the country for a while which was flat for a bit but then we started to hit some hills and towards the end we got into some hilly city riding which made things really interesting. Sanjeev got two flat tires which slowed us down a little but we made it to the stageup for our arrival.

We met at a parking lot and a random sponsor stopped by and brought their kids and we played duck duck goose for a little bit while we waited for the police to get there for our escort to our arrival.  We then hopped in our double pacelines and rode to our arrival which was at Willis of NE and we met up with Nia and the Spina Bifida of Nebraska.  We said hello and then we showered and changed and had some lunch

We then performed "Kids on the Block" for the kids that were there and then had a carnival. It was a lot of fun they had games for the kids (and us) to play and gave out tickets and they could get prizes. After it was over we did our dance and then helped clean up and headed out to our lodging which was at the Westwood church in Omaha.  We setup our beds and got ready for our second friendship visit with the ARC of Omaha.  We arrived for dinner and dancing. They had a live band and so we ate and then danced with the clients and had a great time.

After the dance we all headed back to the church and I got all packed and prepared for the next day and then went out for some sonic with some of the people we met (cousins of the lady that setup todays lunch and carnival event)

Have a great night

Peace, Love, and Bands
White "DJ" Doug

Day 36 Grand Island, NE to Lincoln, NE Racked!!!

So today we woke up super super early like 4:45am early as we had a long day ahead of us and we wanted to make sure we were up early enough.  So we packed up everything from the hotel and came down for breakfast which was donated by the Grand Island Ladies.  We had some awesome bagels and OJ and bananas and such.

After breakfast we hopped on our bikes bright and early and headed off on our over 100 mile ride to Lincoln, NE.  I rode with Jeremy and Reggie today. We got about 60 miles and we were going as fast as we could but we had a really strict time restriction today so we got racked after 60 miles (though we would have been racked after 70 anyway as there was some crazy construction on the route and it was unsafe to ride though it) and were driven to about mile 89ish and then biked the remaining 13 miles

We arrived in Lincoln, NE at a restaurant called Raising Caine's at about 12:45 and had some awesome lunch.  They are kind of like in n out burger but with chicken fingers. They have amazing chicken fingers and have a really simple menu.   After lunch we rode down the block to lodging which is St Pauls United Methodist Church.  We showered and changed and then setup our sleeping bags and what not. Then we had some free time where I took a nap:) I love naps

At 5pm we headed out to our dinner which is with the Sertoma Club of Lincoln, NE we had some fried chicken and other potlucky stuff. It was a great dinner and then we introduced ourselves and learned more about the Sertoma Club.

We then left to the Catholic church in town for a dance with ARC of Lincoln. We danced for a few hours with lots of clients of ARC and had a great time.  After we left there we came back to lodging and I decided to go out to get some Red Mango but when I got to the area where Red Mango was I decided I wanted more Raising Caines and got that instead lol

Now I am updating videos and such

Be sure to check out the new tracking app that I have its on the upper left of the blog home page click on the "Track Me" link and you can follow us in real time

Peace, Love, and Fingers
White "DJ" Doug

Day 36 Breakfast

Day 35 5th Day off

So today we got to sleep in till 7:30am which was nice and we all met outside and then headed to Tommy's for breakfast. Our breakfast was sponsored and it was really good. Pancakes, sausage, eggs and much more.

After breakfast we headed to a nearby middle school where the guys performed "Kids on the Block" as we have done at Boys and Girls clubs and schools before. We do it to teach kids acceptance of people with disabilities and to show what abilities they have.

After we left the school we headed to a local park where we hung out with the ARC kids and had lunch in the park.  A lot of the guys played baseball and other games until it was time to head off to our afternoon activities.

I went with half the group to the ILC and Goodwill centers.  We first stopped at the ILC center in Grand Island where we learned about how this center provides work for people with disabilities making things and selling things and helping them get acclimated into a work environment. We got to hang out with some of the clients and even got paracord bracelets from the center. They look pretty sweet.

Next we went to a Goodwill warehouse and got a tour and kind of learned how everything that gets donated is sorted and priced and put on the shelves as well as everything that gets recycled as well.  It was pretty neat and one of the employees started a large game of bingo which we participated in.

After Goodwill we headed back to lodging where I took a nap as a lot of people did and then we headed out to dinner which was at the Catholic church in Grand Island and it was a nice potluck type dinner. There were hamburgers, hotdogs, and all kinds of other things. We got to hang out with a few of the ARC clients and then we watched another performance of "Kids on the Block"

Lastly for the day we were taken back to the park we went to earlier and were given a history lesson on the relationship that Push America and the Journey of Hope has with Grand Island. It goes back a long way and we really got to understand how much we have helped eachother out over the years.

We said our goodbyes and took pictures and headed back to lodging.

Have a great night

Peace, Love, and Parks
White "DJ" Doug

Day 35 Breakfast

Day 34 Minden, NE to Grand Island, NE the short ride

So we woke up at 6am and had our breakfast like usual.  Today we had a really short ride. It was only 50 miles and yea some people would be like "only 50??" yea it was pretty simple. We all made it in about 2.5 hours. I rode with Steven and David today.

The ride had really no hills at all and was either flat or down hill. My Strava even said no elevation gain lol

We arrived at the stageup for our arrival at the John Deer dealership in Grand Island and we hung out there for a little while till the police arrived for our escort into our arrival at the Holiday Inn in Grand Island.  We metup with the people of ARC of Grand Island and there was a lot of media out there to do interviews with the guys. It was a lot of fun

We then put our bikes away and had lunch with some of the people of ARC and the ladies of Grand Island that were sponsoring our time here. We had a mixture of KFC with Sonic slushies, and Dairy Queen ice cream it was a good lunch.

After lunch we had a few hours of free time in which I took a nice nap and then at 5pm we all metup to go to dinner.  We had dinner at the Elks Lodge in Grand Island and had some burgers and fries and such for dinner. After dinner we had a dance with the ARC clients and had a great time dancing.

After the dance we said our goodbyes and we went back to the hotel.  A few of the guys went out to celebrate one of the cyclists (Jeff Watson) 21'st birthday. I hung out for an hour or so then went to Sonic to hang out with some of the people that sponsored our visit here.

Now its time for bed

Peace, Love, and Horns
White "DJ" Doug

Day 34 Breakfast

Day 33 McCook, NE to Minden, NE I fall down go boom lol

So today we woke up at the usual 5:30 and had breakfast served to us by the ladies of the Memorial United Methodist Church in McCook.  It was really good Eggs/Potatoes/sausage/cheese casserole.

After that we went on an agonizing 97 mile ride from McCook to Minden. I rode with Austin and Steve today and after the initial like 30 miles I crossed wheels with Austin and took a tumble. I scraped up my arms and knee and my bike a little but got back up and rode the rest of the way.

It was a horrible ride as we rode through rolling hills for miles and miles and they just never seemed to end. We climbed 1559ft of rolling hills which is a lot of rolling hills.  So after we powered our way into town and 6.5 hours on the saddle later we rolled in and setup our lodging and such and then worked on the videos a little bit as we have fast internet here so I wanted to catch up on everything.

After that we went out to the local Pizza Hut which sponsored our dinner tonight and  was really nice with a salad bar, pizza, and breadsticks.  We filled up there and then went back to lodging to play some basketball. It was fun to watch everyone play since I am horrible at basketball.

Then I caught up on videos and headed to bed.

Peace, Love, and Gatorades
White "DJ" Doug

Day 33 Breakfast

Day 32 Wray, CO to McCook, NE I pulled for 100mi

So today we woke up again 5:30 and were served breakfast by troop 35 in Wray, CO.  It was Pancakes and Sausage and it was amazing.  We hung out with the Boyscouts and then headed out of Colorado to McCook, NE.

The ride started out really easy for the first 65 miles and then got really rolling hilly.  I pulled the whole day and even rode an extra 4 miles to say that I pulled for 100 miles which I won't ever do again but it was fun to say that I did it. Today I rode with Jack and Mike

During lunch a lot of the guys decided to go in this really gross green lake to cool off. After people said how disgusting it was I decided that it might be hazardous to my health and did not go in the lake

After we got in we went and showered and changed and then setup our stuff in the church basement that we are staying at and then at 5ish we had our dinner which was served to us by the people of the Memorial United Methodist Church.  We had lasagna and it was fantastic.

After dinner we introduced ourselves to the people that served us dinner and then we went out and took a picture with them.  It is so hot outside by the way.  Then we went out to Walmart and I got some new shampoo as mine exploded a couple days ago.

Now I am updating the blog and we are going to go see Despicable Me 2 for which I am so excited to go and see.  I bet it will be amazing.

Have a great night

Peace, Love, and Centuries

White "DJ" Doug

Day 31 Ft. Morgan, CO to Wray, CO 10,000 Cows

So today we woke up at like 5:40 and were fed breakfast by the Elk's Club which was really nice. We had eggs and sausage and fruit and all kinds of stuff (no bananas though) and after that we got ready and headed out.

Today was not as long as yesterday it was only 86 miles but it was long and boring. I rode with Do and Sanjeeve today.  We didnt have the bad smells that we had yesterday but there was just corn and wheat and all kinds of fields of stuff.

We didnt have any problems with flat tires today and we got into town a little before 1pm. So we rode pretty fast to get there.  We got into town and setup at our lodging after getting some lunch.  And most of us went across the street to the local pool/water park and spent an hour or so there.

After that I headed to my bed and took a nap.  For dinner we were fed a schmorgusboard(SP) of food that was all home cooked. It was provided by friends and family of the WRAC the Wray Rehabilitation & Activities Center.

We hung out with the boyscouts and girlscouts for a little and did our puppet show for them and then had a little team meeting

Some of us went out for our brother Jack's 21st birthday and had a drink with him and now I am updating my blog and heading to bed

Have a good night

Peace, Love, and Cows
White "DJ" Doug

Day 31 Banana

I know it's late but there was no bananas this morning :(

Day 30 Denver, CO to Ft. Morgan, CO back to the flatlands

So today we woke up at 5:30am and packed everything up to leave the hotel.  We had our breakfast downstairs and then headed out of Denver. It was a long ride today It was about 96 miles to Ft. Morgan and it was long and boring.

Today I rode with Jeremy and Luke and as boring as it was they made it great.  The getting out of the city was fun with lots of turns and then we got to the flat and rolling hills. After a while we got to this nice crappy grooved road that gave us a lot of vibration lol

After that we got to another really crappy road with lots of gravel on it and Luke popped his tire and had to be racked for like 7 miles so he could put a new one on.  He met up with us at lunch and then when we went to leave Jeremy picked up his bike and somehow both of his tires popped. It was a strange day for tires.

Luke and I finished up the day and it was a lot of work but a lot of fun.  We got to Ft. Morgan and then got shuttled to showers and then I got myself a nice hour nap.

For dinner we were treated by the Elk's Club to sloppy joes and beans. It was a great 4th of July Diner and I went and got a nice Milk shake afterward.

Now I am writing the blog and headed to bed.  I would go watch fireworks but I am tired and need sleep

Good Night All

Peace, Love, and Sonics
White "DJ" Doug

Day 29 Fourth day off of the trip

So today there wont be a video since it was a day off and not all that much happened.

So we woke up at 730am and got dressed and then headed out to the KRG office in Denver. KRG provided us an amazing breakfast and told us a little more about themselves.

After breakfast we had free time for the next 6 hours in which I spent my time working on videos, getting my bike tuned up and just relaxing.

At 4pm we headed over to Feril Lake for the annual Pedals for Pennies fundraiser that raises money for  special olympics athletes.  Some of our guys rode their bikes around the lake with some people with disabilities and some of us kept track of their laps.

After that we just hung out and played games till dinner. They fed us a nice burger and chicken dinner and then there were speaches by Chad and some of the other guys.

After that we had a dance. We danced with everyone (Bruce Rodgers even danced with us) and did our North Route dance as well.

Then we said good bye to the Rodgers Family and we will see them in DC.

Well today was a fun but relaxing day and I will talk to you all tomorrow. I have all the videos done and now just have to upload them

Have a good night

Peace, Love, and Pedals
White "DJ" Doug

Day 28 Empire, CO to Denver, CO Rockies lost!

So we woke up at 5am and packed up our stuff from the Lodge we were staying at.  We went outside and put all our Thules in the new pickup truck that we got since van 1 crapped out on us and we couldnt get another van right away.

We had our Breakfast and then hung out with Bruce, his family and the other ride alongs for a little bit before we headed out.

We left (Mike Jones, Luke, and I) and headed out towards Denver. We had a few small climbs in the middle until we got to Lookout Mountain. It was a really cool spot and I got some nice pictures and videos overlooking Denver.

We then slowly went down Lookout Mountain as it was very steep and had lots of switchbacks (and we were also the sweeps that day so we couldnt pass anyone lol)  So after Lookout Mountain we rode through town on the way to Sports Authority Field. We passed the Coors Brewery on the way and it was pretty cool.

We arrived at the stageup right next to SA Field.  We metup with the Trans America route and we all had Chipotle for lunch:)  After that we got to go see SA Field we got to walk out onto the field and it was really cool.

Then we hopped back on our bikes and rode along with the trans team towards the Capitol building in Denver.  We arrived and Push America's CEO Chad Coltrane gave a speech as well as Nick and Scott.

We had some ice cream and hung out with parents and friends that came to visit and after a little bit we hopped back on our bikes and rode to lodging.  We had rooms at the Mariott city center donated to us while we are here.

We had some free time in which I took a nap and hung out with some of the guys.

At like 5pm we headed out to Coors Field where we had dinner and watched the LA Dodgers beat the Colorado Rockies which was interesting. It was a fun game but it was cool to just relax and hang out with the guys.

A couple of the guys and I went out afterwards to grab a drink at one of the local establishments and then came back and headed to bed.

Have a good night

Peace, Love, and Rockies
White "DJ" Doug

Day 27 Third day off of the trip

So today we woke up late like 7:30am and had breakfast at the camp we are staying at (Rocky Mountain Village).

After breakfast we went and split off and did some activities with the campers.  I went to the zipline and spent a few hours helping the counselors get people with disabilities on and off the zipline. It was pretty neat.

After that we got all Zombified (makeup and what not) and then went around to scare the campers as this week the zombies were supposed to attack. So to ward off the zombies the campers were told they should dance.

After that we had lunch and then we went on to try another activity.  This time I went to the fishing pond and did more observing than actually fishing. There was not much fish catching but it was entertaining to watch. We did get rained out and had to go back inside where I relaxed for a bit.

After that we dressed up again and then went to dinner. After dinner we went and did an all camp activity which was to educate the campers about zombies. They had many stations like how to kill a zombie, how to trap a zombie, how to walk like a zombie.  So for a few hours I had campers try to lasso me which was kind of interesting.

After all that was said and done we retired to the lodge and headed to bed

Well have a great night

Peace, Love, and Zombies
White "DJ" Doug

Day 27 Breakfast

Day 26 Breckenridge, CO to Empire, CO Fence 1 Doug 0

So today we woke up at 5:30 but had a little better breakfast. We had bagels and english muffins yay:)

We headed out first today Mike Jones, Sanjeeve and I.  We started out with a lot of downhills until we got to Keystone Pass.  That was about 1000 feet of climbing which wasnt too bad and we had a small downhill after that.  Then we started heading up Loveland Pass.  This was a 2500ft climb over about 8 miles. At the top is the highest freeway pass in the US at 11,990ft.  It was incredible up there and the funniest thing was that they had 4G up there:)

So after the barrage of pictures that were taken up on the pass we went down. It was quite the decent and was a lot of fun. There were a lot of switchback turns so we couldnt get too fast. Not as fast as the Kirkwood decent on day 8 but it was still fun

After that decent we ended up on a bike path that was soo much fun to ride on.  But after a while we ended up on another bike path that had some unexpected construction which caused the bike path to narrow to about a foot and a half wide and I ended up crashing into a fence that was along side it but I got up and back on my bike and just had a few scrapes.  But it still pissed me off

After that we arrived at the Easter Seals Camp in Empire. We hung out for a few hours as our lodging wasnt ready yet. I took a shower and uploaded a few videos. I still have 3 to upload so maybe tomorrow they will all be done..... Hopefully

So after our lodging was opened we moved all of our stuff inside and then went and had dinner with the clients of the camp. It was a nice taco/mexican type dinner and was very good.

After that we went and watched the different cabins perform different skits and such and we performed our dance as well.

Lastly we all caravanned to McDonalds. It was almost 9 miles away. I dont think I have ever driven more than 3 miles to go to a McDonalds before.  We got smoothies since we were all craving shakes and smoothies (this was on us though lol)

Now I am writing my blog

Time for bed

Peace, Love, and Fences
White "DJ" Doug