One weeks worth of blog... Wow is that a lot of work! Sorry I didn't get anything put up earlier this week but wifi was surprisingly scarce and sleep was beckoning...
Saturday, August 3 – Holland to Grand Rapids
Everyone was looking forward to a shorter ride, nice weather, and the
weekend and today was really what we needed!
Early on we stopped for chocolate milk provided by a volunteer, cookies
at a church, and homemade baked goods at a park! Today our average was much slower than it had
been in days past! We were joined by
many family and friends of riders and took over any roads we went on. Especially when we grouped up and had a
parade finish from Calvin CRC for the last 3 miles into Calvin College! For the last few hours we have been taking
self led (or alumni led) tours around Calvin’s campus and, catching up on our
blogging, and relaxing in the dorm. It’s
really funny seeing how everyone reacts to having access to free laundry… Some people get really excited about
laundry. To me it just makes no
sense! Should be a pretty spectacular
dinner at the Commons Dining Hall tonight and then we just keep getting fed for
the rest of the weekend by the local churches!
Friday, August 2 – Benton Harbor to Holland
Not a perfect start to the day due to unknown breakfast start time,
chilly temperatures, and the looming (inevitable) chance of rain for the next
few hours. Not to mention a flat tire
before starting the ride for Joel… But
our spirits were kept high by two stops at churches on the route, a tailwind,
and a relatively short ride! The day
only got better when we were met by Mark around the 53rd mile! After chatting for a while we finished the
ride to Hope College and making a detour to pass by Sherry’s childhood home. From there we checked ourselves in and
prepared for supper in the dining hall.
I have to admit; I really like the idea of eating in a dining hall this
fall!
Thursday, August 1 – Illiana to Benton Harbor
Long day today, but hey! What do
you expect if the route is 90 miles!?
But, today was also a great day due to awesome weather and some of the
route on Lakeshore Drive right along Lake Michigan! I personally was having a splendid time
comparing the cottages we rode past on the lake (and contemplating which ones
my own would look like if I had one).
Also, today we rode our only 3-state ride beginning in Illinois, ending
in Michigan, and going through Indiana somewhere in between… I think our largest problem is eating. We are continually being fed by two or three
groups a day and it seems like that will continue for at least the rest of the
week. They aren’t leaving any room for
my “freshman 15” this fall! Eric and
Joel found an awesome room to sleep in that is home to an alleged $1,000,000
worth of stained glass windows! What a
great view in the morning when we woke up!
Wednesday, July 31 – Shabonna State Park to Illiana
Today began confusingly when we realized that the route directions we
had been given were off by 5 miles. So
we quickly did the math and lo and behold!
We had an extra 5 miles to do today!
So to pass the time Joel and Bonita (his riding partner for the day)
spent part of the ride comparing the conditions of certain body parts (those
that were hurting or sore) and offering to trade in various combinations… Sadly, none of these were followed through. After the ride we were served an amazing
dinner by the locals (led by parents of a rider) followed by an ice cream
social! Eric and Joel discovered
sleeping in a gym is best done when hidden from everyone else on stage behind a
curtain… until we were some of the last to wake up for the pancake
breakfast. But there was so much food
that we had no worries.
Also, Sherry had her first fall of the tour today! Earlier in the day a fellow bicyclist had hit the same pothole and bent his handlebar, shattered his mirror, suffered a minor concussion (maybe), and gone to the hospital for stitches... Fortunately Sherry came out of it with only a few bumps and bruises and only her bell on her bike broke! Still it was quite a traumatic experience and she did not take her eyes off of the road in front of her for the last 8 miles of the ride today.
Tuesday, July 30 – Fulton to Shabonna State Park
Rainy, cold, windy, and overall very slow start to the day. Not to mention this continued the entire ride
and even after we finished. Then to cap
it all off I had to serve supper! But
that also meant I was able to take seconds at the same time as firsts…! Wow, it is really hard to remember this far
back… The state park we stayed at was
quite nice and very much full when one considers we set up about 80 tents, two
semis, and multiple other vehicles in it!
We really do take over any small town we stay at. About 60 miles in a Shell gas station
provided us not only with restrooms but also free hot chocolate and
coffee! What a deal! At supper I discovered that when you are a
server you can hand out portions in such a way as to maximize your own at the
end… I took firsts and seconds at the
same time!
Monday, July 29 – Coralville to Fulton
Beginning the day Eric, Larry, and Joel led a group out the wrong
entrance of the parking lot… But we
figured that one out quick enough and re-began the day’s route! Only for Joel and another rider take another
accidental detour (about 10 k/6 miles) which made today another century
ride… But the rest of the day went well! Mom surprised us all by visiting her first
garage sale of the summer, so was her streak broken by buying an “orange
magnetic necklace”… Supper was provided
by the locals including pies and ice cream for dessert! Also, we crossed into Illinois. Wow we are making tons of progress!
And Mark is visiting so I figured we would give him a chance to write
part of our blog… So here is what Mark
has to say about riding with SeatoSea for the second time!
After 19 hours of driving up from Austin,TX, I finally made it into the
great state of Michigan and was able to settle down for a night in Grand
Rapids. A quite remarkable thing happened on the drive though as I drove north
near Benton Harbor. Previously, that day I had looked up where Sea to Sea would
be crossing over the highway and knew that at some point their biking route for
the day would cross over I-196. As a result, I began to scan all the over and
underpasses of the highway to try and pick out where the Sea to Sea Riders were
going. Around Benton Harbor I noticed a bike rider crossing over the highway
with a signature fluorescent green biking vest on. I figured that this must be
Sea to Sea. As I approached the overpass at 75mph I looked back up to see if I
could catch a glimpse of any more of the riders. Some may think it a rare
coincidence, others may find more to it, but as I saw the next rider just
crossing over the overpass, I exclaimed “I think that’s mom!” She was wearing a
pink biking shirt which I knew was one of her biking jersey colors. I quickly
got off the highway at the next exit and backtracked on side roads to try and
intercept the Sea to Sea riders and find out if for real it was my mom. I
pulled off into a driveway and watched a group of riders pass. Then the pink
rider I had seen earlier appeared and once up close I recognized her and called
out “Mom!” She was totally surprised and I was too. It’s amazing that we even
crossed paths considering the 11 hour drive I had just done that day, the
different speeds we were travelling at, and the fact that the riders crossed
only at that overpass. What a joy and blessing.
Friday, I biked from Grand Rapids to the lakeshore and met my family in
Graafschap, MI. It was a little rainy in the morning, but by the afternoon
things had begun drying out and the sun had appeared in the clouds. Compared to
Texas, the temperature was great! And, I think those Sea to Sea riders who survived
the Southwest desert of the US would agree also. Michigan has some fine summer
weather. The only problem with my ride that day was the fact that the wind was
blowing to the northeast. I was heading southwest, the exact wrong direction to
ride. Oh well though, I think that the Sea to Sea riders deserved the tailwind
more than I did. We had a wonderful stop in Graafschap at the Graafschap
Christian Reformed Church. The church provided us with Hudsonville ice cream!
So so good, especially the peanut butter and chocolate flavor they served us! A
few of us even had 3 bowls. Don’t let our mom know… Thanks to Graafschap CRC,
the Sea to Sea riders and I greatly appreciated your hospitality and warm
welcome.
The rest of the ride to Holland, MI went smoothly, especially since we
had that tailwind going on. We biked near Kollen Park and then into town
towards Hope College. The Sea to Sea riders were going to be staying in the
dorms at Hope that night (and me too if I could somehow manage to find a bed).
Dinner was at the dining hall at Hope and we had some great French fries,
chocolate milk, and ice cream bars. They will probably have to re-stock on the
ice-cream bars because many of us went up for seconds. I will have to say
though, that as a Calvin College alumnus, Calvin has the better dining halls I
think. If you’ve gone to Hope and think otherwise, well then I guess I hope we
can just agree to disagree. The rest of the evening was pretty laid back with
the peleton meeting and hanging out with other Sea to Sea riders. It’s been
great to meet the 2013 Sea to Sea riders and see many old friends from the 2008
tour that I was a part of. What a wonderful blessing and opportunity these
tours are for the church to come together to celebrate and serve! I can only
hope that there will be another in the future.
That’s going to be it from me (Mark) though. The “prodigal son” has
been found from Texas and has ridden with the tour for his Sea to Sea fix. A
shout out goes to those at Sunrise CRC in Austin, TX. Today we rode from
Holland into Grand Rapids, MI which was a beautiful ride. However, I’ll let
Joel tell you about that.
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