At it again...

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We ARE IN NEW YORK!?

And of course: DAY 40!!!

(New Brunswick, NJ to New York, NY)

How long ought it take to ride 25 miles?  Probably close to two hours.  So if we left our host's house around 9:30am, got a slow breakfast from the store and then booked it to New York, then we would have made it there no later than, say, 12:30pm, right?

Well, that's what we hoped for anyway.  But as Mick Jagger says, "You can't always get what you want," and Les and I found, crossing a mere bridge from Jersey into New York was one of our more substantial hang-ups of the whole trip!

AHHH!!!  The excitement was built--the adrenaline flowing like the mississippi river, minds racing like unknown passerbyers gawking from their cars thinking, "why in the WORLD would you ever want to do that!?"  And there we were, stuck at a Shell station, only minutes from the Big Apple. 

It felt literally like "this" close!

And then, FINALLY, it happened.  Somebody offered us a ride across the bridge!  After waiting, asking truck after truck, and riding around to explore other options to try to cross, our hero, Mr. Hardy (a firefighter who was present at ground zero just after 9-11-01) had us throw our bikes in the back and off we went!

Almost there!  Les cannot believe it!

Riding up Staten Island...there's the Atlantic!

We took the ferry across into Manhattan, but while waiting we were corralled here...

It was a very hazy day, but THIS IS MANHATTAN!!! (aka--New York!)

One of our favorite things was finding cafes. So just after getting in we found this place and "chilled" for a couple hours.  This was also where Les bought a HEAVY-DUTY New York-proof bike lock.  It was massive!

We had to get to upper-Manhattan (103rd block) to get to our hostel for the night and it only took us 20 blocks, or so, to figure out how New Yorkers ride their bikes.  None of them stop at stop lights.  Basically, if there aren't cars or pedestrians, you keep riding!  It was QUITE an adventure!

The city that never sleeps...ever!

After spending a couple days getting to know the city and seeing a few of the various sites, we decided to hop a subway and head out toward Brooklyn (about as far east as we went during this whole trip!) to stay with Rich and Nicki, a couple we found on warmshowers.org.

A picture in front of their awesome Brooklyn abode.

As seems to be the custom of EVERYBODY we met, Rich and Nicki treated us like family.  We were met with warm handshakes, smiles, and conversation, and before we knew it we were inside talking about literature, maps, cycling, and school over some incredibly tasty pasta (thanks Nicki!).

Soon we'd dozed off and then morning came.  Rich and Nicki had to head out to work, but not before treating us to some REALLY good coffee!  Rich had a funny story about the guy who they get their coffee from, but suffice it to say, this coffee was goooood!  Rich then led us almost all the way back to the Brooklyn bridge (a two-story bridge that has a bike lane on top and a car lane on the bottom!) where we'd be able to get back to Manhattan.

Here Rich is giving Aaron directions on how to get to the bridge.

Brooklyn bridge baby!!! It was so fun to see all of the cyclists!

Upon arriving in Manhattan we met up with our buddy Paul (see 4 or 5 posts back...) who'd be hanging out with us for the next three days, which was cool. 

One of the highlights of the trip was eating New York style pizza!  This place is *allegedly* the first pizza place in America.  They cook in old, stone, coal ovens (which is illegal now, but because this place is like a national monument, and because their pizza is amazing, the food people look the other way).

What would a trip to little Italy be without some Italian dessert and Espresso?

Haha, i just had to include this picture.  Just read what it says.  I CANNOT BELIEVE there are posters like this, and none of us could tell if it was serious or not.  Like, does anybody actually call that hotline number down toward the bottom?

So much fun was had in the Big Apple.  So much that Les and I nearly forgot to do our Atlantic tire dip!  By the fourth day we finally found our way back to Coney Island in Brooklyn and made it official...WE MADE IT TO NEW YORK!

Les dips with precision.

Aaron dips too.

One of the things Les and I couldn't stop saying upon arriving in Mahattan was, "I still can't believe we rode our bikes across the country!"

I think this next section is applicable and justified in adding.  It is a mini "reflections" section.  Read on, please!

Not to sound cliche or cheesy in anyway, but after being home and getting to talk to many friends, family and loved ones, we get the statement, "man, I would never be able to do that!  That is incredible!"  But really, as we can attest, we were in absolutely no shape to ride our bikes across the US 5 months before we left.  When we would meet people on the trip who would say this to us we began just saying, "oh you can, you'd be surprised what you can accomplish." 

It doesn't have to be a bike ride, a swim-a-thon, a forrest gump run, etc.  Really, it could be something like seeking out a new job, or investing more into the youth, or being more involved in church, or recycling more.  It doesn't need to be a ridiculous (and delirious!) bike ride across the country!  The truth is this: we all have dreams.  By this I mean that we all have things in life that we wish we could do/we want to see happen, but we don't do them because road-blocks (big and small) stand in our way.  We get invigorated to get out there and change the world but then are smacked in the face with reality.  For me (aaron) it was being able to come up with enough money to even think about taking this bike ride.  For both Les and I it was battling, day in and day out, the constant torment that reality brings on the open road.  

But are you really going to let something so small keep you from doing what you know you want to do?

Don't trick yourself into thinking you can't do something because you are "too busy," "too tired," or "too young or old."  Ghandi says, "Be the change you want to see in this world."  Even if its something small like recycling more or being more involved in your children's lives, you must know that you CAN do it.  

Be the change.  Do something out-of-the-box.  Take a bike ride.  Sew a quilt.  Write a book.  Whatever it is, don't be fooled into thinking that you cannot do what you've always dreamed of doing. 

One More Dawn, One More Day

Day 39  -  Wilmington, DE to New Brunswick, NJ  -  96 Miles

Well, ladies and gentlemen, grandma's and friends of grandma's, today was our FINAL full day of riding...which we all know means that tomorrow is our LAST DAY!

The excitement has already built and is brimming and flowing out of me and les.  We really cannot believe we have ridden our bikes this far!  Wow.  

Anyway, we have a days worth of stories/events to tell, so on we go!

We woke at a reasonable 7:15ish and came into the kitchen of our host, Tom, to find him fixing up a tasty breakfast.  Eggs, turkey-sausage, toast, and oatmeal with cooked cinnamon apples.  Topped off with an excellent cup of coffee and Les and I were left thinking about how this breakfast was easily one of the best we've had so far!  

Tom and his fiancee, Diane--Wilmington, DE

We pushed off and headed north toward Philly (Philadelphia).  All was well for the first 20 miles, and our muscles eventually woke up with the constant up and down, pulling and pushing.

Les is furious.  But why? The sign in the background reads: "Share the road with motorcycles."  Uhhh hello!  What about Bicycles?

The city of Brotherly love.

And then it happened...again!

It was an inch-long screw...beautiful...but I guess we've been due for another puncture cuz it's been a while!

Philly was only a few more miles and before we knew it we were cruising through south philly with its interesting track homes, and into downtown with its museums, statues, and of course, ROCKY STEPS!

Southern Philly housing

Les on the Famous Rocky Steps

Be sure to turn up your volume!

We just had to get a cheesesteak, because no trip through Philly would be complete without one.  We endulged in honor of our buddy Tyler Madsen (a cheesesteak fanatic!) and felt quite content afterward.  From Philly our ride was anything but over--we still had a daunting 65 miles to go!  But today's milage was the last thing on our minds, we had more important things to think about, like, obviously, GETTING TO NEW YORK tomorrow!

Cheese steaks!

This one's for you Tyler Hans W. Madsen

We pushed and pushed and pushed, and finally, after what seemed like ages, we rolled into New Brunswick, N.J. tired, hungry, and all the more closer to our goal.

New Brunswick...then New York!

Dinner was Pizza again, obviously!

Oooh that pain!

Civilian Cyclists and the Airman

Day 38  - Odenton, MD to Wilmington, DE  -  82 Miles

"Paul?  When will we ever see you again?"

"Guys, I'm going to be with you in New York."

"Oh.  Right."

Leaving Paul was much easier when we realized a reunion would soon take place during our week of celebration and success at the Big Apple.

Riding 82 miles, however, was never more difficult.  The inspiration was flowing - after all, we only had 2 and 1/2 days of riding - but our muscles seemed to believe that no more riding was going to be required of them this summer.  Sorry glutes, we're not in New York just yet.

Haha.  Seriously, I want to be in this club!

Looks like a nice, innocent, ride-able bridge...

Wrong!

Riding through Baltimore to Wilmington, Delaware was strangely familiar.  The roads started to resemble those back in California.  The onslaught of advertising returned in full force, the 'my way or the highway' drivers are just as generous with the roads, and the weather settled at a sweat-greedy 95 degrees.

But we pushed on, and before we knew it we were done.  We had a contact, Tom Gears, a local high-school shop teacher and bicycle enthusiast, just like ourselves!  He lived in Wilmington, and from the moment that we pulled up in front of his place we received incredible hospitality, conversation, sleep arrangements, food, etc.!  Tom and his finance Diane were quite the hosts and, seriously, thank you both!

Les in Delaware...Aaron still in Maryland

Tom and Diane informed us from the beginning that their friends would be stopping by to go swimming (their's is the coveted pool out of the circle of friends), so we got to meet them, which was really fun, and we got to talk cycling, education, and life around some great apple pie and ice cream (seriously, Don, good call on the peanut butter ice cream!).  

Tom was very excited to show us his incredible model train set.  He LOVES trains!  His is one of a hundred different homes in Wilmington with model trains that people can bring their kids to come and see.  Of course, Tom's was probably far more awesome than anyone else's...

"It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood..."

Tom even had a full-sized locomotive in his backyard!

(ok fine, not really...)

ooooh...pooooool!

Don't ask how Aaron and Les both fit on this comfy couch.

After a decent day's ride we were quite ready for bed.  Aaron snaked the couch in the basement (seen here) and Les enjoyed the upstairs one.

Just two more days!

Restin' with the best...day two!

Here's to Leisure.

Day 37:  Rest Day #2  -  Annapolis, MD

Today, Paul drove us to Annapolis, Maryland after church, where we did absolutely nothing.

I don't know about you, but I am voting for the Green party.

1696! This is the oldest school in the universe.

Then, we went back to Paul's, experienced an incredibly powerful thunderstorm, out of nowhere, watched the end of Ghost Busters and ate cookies.

Seriously, we did nothing today.  It was awesome.