Today's Ride
I did it!!!!
The Stats
17 miles
459 ft. climbing
Miles Completed: 3,449
Miles to Go: 0!
States Visited: 15 of 15
Total Climbed: 113,067 ft.
The Sendoff and the Ride
After our farewell performance (see below), we all left the hotel as a group, with "lady" Jean in the lead, as it was her home turf. 
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| Paula's last hurrah... |
Even Simon (the fastest rider of the group by far) stayed behind. We had a mere 17 miles to reach Revere Beach, and were to regroup with about 3 miles to go. I can't remember much about the ride, except for the fact that I passed the first synagogue along the 3400 mile route with about 9 miles to go.
The route also directed us to make several turns onto one-way streets the wrong way (apparently this was an issue someone noted last year - any belief that "GPS won't create a route against one-way traffic" has now been disproven as a fallacy on more than one occasion!). And just as we were all touting the fact that there were no injuries on the whole tour, Lisa actually had a fall which resulted in a broken collarbone - fortunately nothing that prevented her from finishing the ride but certainly thankful it didn't happen earlier in the tour.
Oh, and the highlight commentary of the tour came from a woman on her porch asking where we were riding today. We told her, but when we told her where we had ridden FROM, she exclaimed "That's F-in awesome!" and quickly covered her mouth in apology for her choice of words. I personally thought they expressed everyone's sentiment perfectly!
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| Dunkin' Donuts regroup |
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| The woman on the porch was just to the right |
The Wheel Dip
Once we arrived at Revere Beach, where fortunately it was not raining, despite earlier mist and threatening forecasts, we were greeted by family (human and furry alike!), and honestly a bit overwhelmed with emotion and figuring out what we were supposed to do. I was privileged to be greeted by Ben, Alana, and Bondi, and even Ben's work colleague Dewey and his furry friend Spock who live nearby. We posed for pictures with said family and friends, charity signs, and bikes, and eventually headed to the shore for the ceremonial wheel dip. 
There's no instruction manual about how to dip your front wheel without risking damage to disc brakes, or how to best capture the moment or the emotion in photos. I'm not sure you can really do either (which is one of the many reasons the bike is going to the shop on Monday!)
We gathered for what felt like an impromptu group photo by the shore, anticipating a more formal one on the steps that never materialized (long story which I'll skip for positivity's sake), chowed on some tasty treats provided by Lisa and Lee's daughter, and then said goodbyes. And like that it was all over. It will take some time to process the journey and literally re-enter society and the broader world around us, which I purposefully shut out for the last 7 weeks. More to follow on that as I do so.
The Soundtrack of the Day
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| The view of our "fans" from the stage and our groupie Todd! |
Today was the farewell performance of the Route Rap Rappers. To mark the occasion, we got to perform from the truck as our "stage"!
Many will breathe a sigh of relief knowing there are no more songs for us to ruin. But for what it's worth, every day was better for starting it with a song -- even if it was very off key! With love and appreciation to my fellow rappers, and those who tolerated listening to us. The laughs and camaraderie of those route raps were a highlight of the trip!
Definitely not our worst or most offensive, and thanks for the audience participation! https://www.facebook.com/1628294711/videos/2494191617395737/
"Born In The U.S.A."
We rode 'cross the U.S.A
Started way back in Manhattan Beach
We were strangers then, each to each
Rode through Cali when we left the coast,
We were strangers then, each to each
Rode through Cali when we left the coast,
On the interstates the flats were worst!
We rode 'cross the U.S.A
We rode 'cross the U.S.A
We rode 'cross the U.S.A
We rode 'cross the U.S.A
Arizona climbed through canyons red
We rode 'cross the U.S.A
We rode 'cross the U.S.A
Arizona climbed through canyons red
In New Mexico the cold we dread-ed
Held our noses in the Texas pan-handle
Oklahoma's not exactly can-dles.
Then in Kansas Dor-o-thy we saw,
Rode through that state for a week or more,
In Missouri there were such steep hills,
Not the rollers that they said were thrills.
We rode 'cross the U.S.A
We rode 'cross the U.S.A
We rode 'cross the U.S.A
We rode 'cross the U.S.A
We rode 'cross the U.S.A
We rode 'cross the U.S.A
In the I-states we crossed many rivers,
Ohio rains gave us all the shivers,
Erie Lake's where we got to rest,
Rides in NY and VT were best,
Now we've crossed the whole darn USA
And our wheel dip it will be today,
We should all be so very proud,
So let's sing together, shout out loud...
We rode, 'cross the USA,
We rode, 'cross the USA...
The Emotions
As you can imagine, I was awash with emotions and still trying to process the whole experience. Many have told me they are proud of me for what I accomplished. I admittedly felt proud of myself and accomplished for having completed what I set out to do. I don't yet know how much, if at all, I will miss the routine and the rides. I don't think I will miss the hotels or the food. I will miss the camaraderie and companionship of all the riders and no doubt will be drafting lyrics in my head on my next ride, whenever that will be. And I will never regret having embarked on -- and completing! -- this incredible journey. So thanks to all who made it possible.
After final goodbyes (definitely not my forte!), we packed up the car and headed home. It was time.
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| Final state line crossing -- funny how I never noticed this compilation of signs, no matter how many times I've biked that road! |
Thank you for your blog. I've followed EFI from the comfort of my den every morning. Jim XC09, ES11, XC17
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