Epilogue. Thanks friends, family and especially Arlene for your financial support, generosity and encouragement in my ride for the CAC Kids. We'll keep collecting for the CAC kids through 1 June 2012 and sometime in the next week or two, Arlene and I will do a show and tell of Steve and Clyde cross the country with ABB. In the meantime, I'll be rereading this blog, along with the blogs of Mike, Greg, and Tom and see what I 1) missed 2) mischaracterized 3) made up. The 2012 Fast Ride South will be one of the chapters in my life that I'll relive many times. This experience reminds me of one of my favorite quotes: (Anonymous) The older I get, the more I remember details of things that never happened. And my ride friend, Dr. Mark, gets credit for the last quote that will stay with me forever: An adventure is a challenge I'm not sure I can complete. Thanks to one and all for a wonderful, lifetime adventure. Stay healthy, Steve

Day 27 Vidalia to Savannah, GA. 105 miles. 3.2 feet of climbing (okay, maybe a couple hundred!). I'll do my best not to make this a "tome", but as I write this with one day's retrospect, MANY things bubble/pop/slosh in my head. Let me walk the dog backwards just a bit. First, I am humbled by the accomplishment of the task (27 days, 2900 miles) and the lifetime friendships collected along the way. Some many wonderful people pushing themselves while providing encouragement and help to the whole team from start to finish. As I pedaled along lightly for the first miles I looked straight ahead, staying focused on the task at hand, but my thoughts and prayers went straight up with gratitude for this fantastic opportunity, along with blessings aimed at DA and Mary Ellen (DA in Afghanistan), Adam and Sara, and of course my phenomenal wife, Arlene. The enormity of this event has helped me realize once again about what is really important in my life. But I digress . . . again. Friday started early with a 5:30 alarm for breakfast at 6:00 am and load at 6:45. I think every bag and bike was camped out at the van at 6:30 (except mine), as the riders were chomping at the bit to get rolling. So by loading at 6:45 am, I was already 10-15 minutes behind the group. In my haste, I failed a major checklist item--I didn't "sign in" after remembering for 26 days! Oh well, I tossed my bags on the van and rolled out of the parking lot expecting a quiet 100+ miles. I wore my over boots and carried my rain jacket since the skies looked ominous. I caught the big group in about 15 minutes and all 12 of us rolled along at a comfortable pace. I followed Reverend Scott and Animator, Tom. As the pace accelerated slightly, I decided to drop the second 5 of us back a bit, to keep us from bunching up and increasing the safety of all of us. With just 90 miles remaining, it only made sense to build in a little added safety. We all rolled into the rest stop, that was actually moved closer for us by about 3 miles. When we all arrived, Mike, our leader, was doing a recon of the local area to provide a reroute, based on some road construction. While we finished up the last of the RC colas and Moon Pies, Mike painted some turn cues on the ground with spray paint that essentially was a box pattern around the construction. About 5 miles after we left the rest stop, the rain started coming down briskly so we pulled over on the side of the road and donned our rain gear. With a flat as a pancake road, and a nice shoulder much of the way, we all bantered and told our last stories to one another. It looked like we'd just roll our way to the beach after pushing and struggling much of the previous 2850 miles. The irony over the coming miles was palpable! First, however, I smiled as we passed an inconspicuous, smallish sign that said, "Welcome to Savannah". We were near, we were here, we were close to the end of this sojourn. After a couple folks gave us head fakes as they split off for nature breaks and ATM breaks, I ended up following our mechanic, Jim, who was riding all the way from Vidalia to Savannah. Five of us followed Jim down a few wrong turns as we thought we were closing on the beach. No problem, since Jim has been on this trip a few times before and he has a Garmin GPS. In fact, four of the five folks I was riding with had those nifty Garmins. When we all missed Mapmaker Lane, Jim just waived us forward and said that "Johnny Mercer Drive" would get us there, thank you very much. And two bonus miles later, Jim was exactly right! Just as we reconnected with Highway 80, the main drag to our destination, Tybee Island Beach, Jim leaned over and said, ". . . the next 6.5 miles is REALLY dangerous." I looked him in the eye and decided to motor down the long, busy Highway 80 solo. This 2-lane road is the, repeat THE artery to Tybee beach, island, pier, main street, etc. Everybody in Georgia is using this road on Friday afternoon to get to the beach. Picture this from left to right: there is 1) your lane 2) the white line 3) rumble strip 4) slim piece of asphalt that is sometimes covered with grass. Our only real choice was to ride near the white line in the lane. In my humble opinion, this was the most dangerous 6 miles of the 2900, an unexpected event. Nevertheless, the road eventually opened up as we rolled into the the town of Tybee and I was never happier to spot the landmark "Chevron Station on the left and Post Office Parking lot on the right." I breathed a huge sigh of relief. A few minutes later, Arlene called and said she was following 3-4 ABB riders. I relayed this infor to Barb who was tracking the progress of one and all, since Mike was struggling to account for us over the last hour. Slowly but surely we all found the rendezvous point, had a snack or two and a drink and eventually formed up for some photos. At the appointed time, we rolled on down the road for the final 2 miles to the beach, following Mike and Karen's directions. Friends and family met us at the wooden bridge walkup next to the Tybee pier: Tom's mother, Steve's sister and friend, Ron's wife, and of course, Arlene. Many of the locals walked toward us and curiously asked about our efforts and kindly praised our accomplishments. The warm sun and breeze and the soft sand made the walk to the water surreal. We smiled and smiled and smiled, hugging one another, raising our bikes over our heads, and posing for photos with the front wheel dipping in the water, symbolizing the end of ride from Pacific to Atlantic. Kari took the bottle of Pacific water that I collected in California and poured it into the Atlantic, another ride tradition. There was a bubble of "satisfaction" surrounding every one of us and I'll relish this moment for many years to come. With the ceremony complete, we hauled our bikes back to the sidewalk, washed the sand off, and proceeded back to the rendezvous point a couple miles down the main drag in Tybee. I followed Mark and had Greg behind me. About a mile down the road, I watched Mark, about 10 yards in front of me, make an abrupt swerve to the left, and then I saw the red truck door swinging in front of me! Yes, only 1 mile from the end, the hazards persisted. Fortunately, I too swerved left and missed that last chance at injury by about 6 inches. From the beginning I've been saying that even 1 second of inattention can get one hurt over 2900 miles, and here was just another example to validate my theory. At the Post Office parking lot, I grabbed my bags off the back of the trailer and put them and "Clyde" into the back of Arlene's car. Terry rode with us as we followed the van one last time to the hotel in downtown Savannah. Greg graciously volunteered to let me shower and Arlene clean up in his room at the hotel. That shower felt absolutely wonderful and it was so nice to put on a clean shirt and dress shorts once again. Simple pleasures indeed. We then headed downstairs and camped out next to the bar and let the bartender, Jennifer, spoil us with drinks (alcoholic and non-alcoholic) and peta chips for the next couple hours. Slowly but surely, most of our team ended up relaxing in the over-sized stuffed leather chairs, sharing our remembera

nces of what had transpired over the previous 2 days. Martin, Jonielle, Terry, Peter, Mark, Greg, Scott and Tom all regaled us with their observations of biking across America. Scott introduced his two partners and their wives from Vero Beach, FL. Scott and his two buddies will proceed to Vero Beach (400 miles) on Saturday, followed by the wives in the support vehicle. This will complete Scott's "Bike for Hunger" trek, culminating in him raising in excess of $50,000. Tom won the award for "most weight lost" as he held his jeans with both hands until he found the perfect $2 belt at a nearby Goodwill store. I recommend that belt eventually make its way into the ABB Hall of Fame! As 7 pm approached, we squared the bar bill wit Jennifer and walked the block south to the Moon River Brewing Company for dinner. With friends and family all around, we enjoyed some great conversation at dinner, getting to know Tom's Mom, Joanne (83 yr old golfer/tennis player), and Ron's lovely wife, Melanie, mother of 3, assisting her daughter with editing her dissertation on National Energy Policy and National Security. But I digress yet again . . . Great conversation, dinner and fellowship with one and all. And although Tom somehow "waived" our table's dessert rights, I staged a coup and reclaimed said rights: chocolate cake and cheese cake for all my friends! We left the restaurant about 9:00 pm and headed back to the hotel for the presentation of our ride completion certificates and words from the staff and each rider. Mike, Barbara, Karen and Jim all offered kind, caring remarks, each echoing their pleasure at helping us achieve a "dream", a "bucket list item" or "goal." Amen my friends, amen. As Mike presented the certificates, he offered each rider the chance to share their thoughts. I've never heard more heartfelt, honest, succinct and inspired words from a group. Just as each rider demonstrated professionalism and consideration on the road with me and each other, I watched with amazement how each did same, same in their remarks. These are unique individuals with huge personal differences, but unbelievably similar drives and motivations. Mike tied the final bow around the event and then we exchanged personal hugs and thanks around the room. The finality of the evening hit me right between the eyes! It was over, really over. And about 30 seconds later, I headed back up to Greg's room to pick up our bags and Arlene and I headed to the car for the next event . . . Kelli's wedding in Huntsville, AL! We drove about 8 hours with a stop or two, arrived at Huntsville way beyond tired and slept like rocks. The ride was really over. Stay healthy, Steve

Day 26. Perry to Vidalia, GA. 102 miles. I can almost "smell the barn." As I pedaled through the Georgia countryside, I kept thinking how few miles we have left and how much I wanted to enjoy each mile remaining. I said goodbye to Perry, GA, rolling behind most of the group for about 5 miles. As we picked up speed, I ended up riding with Martin, Terry, Jonielle, and Peter through the first SAG stop. We were moving along nicely in a pace line until Mike asked us to spread it out as he was nervous with our 24 mph pace along a road that he felt was busy. Okay, I can live with that, so I just wandered ahead myself and celebrated the rest of the morning solo. About 25 miles outside of Perry, I spotted an Air Tran DC-8 parked near a hangar on the opposite side of the road. I slowed to take a photo, and a few hundred yards away, I saw a running TH-55 helicopter, a 2-person, "TV News helicopter" that I trained in at Ft.Rucker, AL in 1979. It made me smile to see a portion of "my roots" humming along out in the middle of the Georgia countryside. At the first rest stop, we had a truly southern treat: RC Cola and a Moon Pie! I had a delicious chocolate mint Moon Pie that was woooonderfffffuuuuul! I pushed on down the road and again saw my share of dogs, horses and cows. I kept all of the above at arms length except when I was ambushed after leaving the lunch stop. A team of "covert dogs" caught me full of lunch food and snacks, thinking about riding the last 30 miles and not being as alert as I probably should have. Before I knew what hit me, 5 highly trained attack mutts used a wheeling movement to try and nail me from 3 sides at the same time. Fortunately, my adrenalin kicked in and my 28 mph acceleration foiled these would be ninja dogs. From then on, I day dreamed and celebrated the chance to roll, ride and feel healthy. This ride has really put me on a fitness level that I've not had the chance to sample in many years. And while I know this will likely be fleeting, it really feels good to have the ability to push, tire and recover, and then repeat this process over and over. I don't have any desire to race or compete, but I love the opportunity to improve my fitness level, challenging my body and testing my mind. If I have learned anything out of this adventure, it is that healthy bodies can accomplish difficult things without necessarily causing injury or damage. And on a more humbling note, I had to smile as I stood in line at the McDonald's near our hotel. I stopped to get a shake to take with me while I waited at the hotel for the baggage to arrive. As I waited my turn, I heard a young 5 year old tell his teenage sister, ". . . that guy looks weird." After 2800 miles, a bizarre set of tan lines and sweat pouring down my sides, while wearing my spandex outfit, I'd have to agree with him. For rap tonight, we surprised "little" Steve and enjoyed a ready-made birthday party that his girlfriend had sent to him via a local baker. Steve is a great guy and his girlfriend sent a really touching message to him via an email that was read to all of us. We then reviewed the bidding for tomorrow's arrival at Savannah. We should have a fun, comfortable 102 mile ride, although the possibility of showers is out there. In fact, following a terrific dinner with the "dirty dozen" at Ruby Tuesday's, I jogged back to the hotel in the driving rain. I can't wait for tomorrow's ride and tying a bow around this phenomenal adventure. Stay healthy, Steve

Day 25. Columbus to Perry, GA. 97 miles. With the finish line to this adventure rapidly approaching, we welcomed an "easy" day of less than 100 miles over moderately rolling terrain. The weather Gods were again with us, with slightly overcast skies, temps starting around 65 degrees and light winds out of the west. The first 11 miles was absolutely beautiful along a bike path that wound along the Chattahoochee River. The bike path included a number of bridges, serpentined under a couple buildings and was probably the cleanest 11 miles of bike path I'd ever seen. This treasure should be added to your "must visit" list. This wake up ride was a fantastic way to start the day and ended with us riding another 10 miles through Ft. Benning, GA, the home of the Ranger School and the training ground for almost all of our paratroopers. The post looked immaculate and our tour through the housing area would make you proud that we are treating our soldiers with dignity and respect. I left a few "Hooya's" on the post as a salute to the men and women who selflessly serve our great country. When we exited Ft. Benning, we rolled down Highway 26 for 52 miles! Great rolling road, lightly traveled and plenty of shoulder room. And that tail wind made it even better! Sometimes having little/no navigation takes all the pressure off and allows you to just put your head down and ride. I looked up several times today and thanked God for all the blessings that the extended King family and friends enjoy. I think the process of riding long distances day after day, and physically pushing myself more than I've done in many years, has provided me yet another dose of humility. My gratitude for this opportunity is only exceeded by the total mileage of the whole event. But I digress . . . At the first rest stop, I recharged in the nearby grocery store with a Nestle's Chocolate Milk and walked back to my bike to get rolling again. However, Barb told me that my room mate, Greg Lehr, had passed forward (via CB radio) that he'd like me to wait for him so that we could ride together. I gladly waited a few extra minutes until Greg arrived and refreshed himself with some bananas, apples and fig newtons. We rolled out of the stop about the time the next wave of riders rolled in. Over the next 35 miles, we shared the lead, pulling 3-5 miles each and then swapping. There were few hills and the road ambled east and south, traversing the Georgia countryside. We saw miles of corn, wheat and happy cows in two counties. I must add that the drivers from the beginning of our ride through today have been exceedingly courteous and supportive. Our group has really worked to be respectful of the road rules and laws, and also considerate of the myriad cars we've encountered. The result is genuinely profound: by GIVING respect, we are absolutely RECEIVING consideration and respect that I've not routinely encountered previously. Greg and I pushed each other a few times, but we also kept some energy in reserve, knowing that two more days of 100 miles plus still existed. We had our usual lunch, and then felt quite confident knowing we had only 20 miles remaining to the Comfort Inn in Perry. With Greg's bike "clicking" and my bike slightly "creaking", we pulled each other over the next hour rolled into the hotel about 1:45pm. After we unloaded the bags and cleaned up, we headed to the hot tub and pool to relax for a few moments, catching up on the Wall Street Journal. It's a tough life, but somebody has to do it . . . at least for two more days! Greg and I refueled next door at Cracker Barrel, enjoying Chicken Pot Pie and Potato Soup. Tonight we have our T-Shirt swap and the ABB store will allow us to buy some team shirts, socks, etc. Any requests out there? Arlene and I have adjusted our plans so that now we'll attend the ride banquet on Friday night and then drive westward to attend a Saturday afternoon wedding in Huntsville, AL for Arlene's best buddy, Kelli. We'll be heading toward Fairview Heights, IL on Sunday morning. Take care one and all, and of course . . . stay healthy. Steve

Day 24. Prattville, AL to Columbus, GA. 113 miles. Since our journey was less arduous in length and climbing feet, we had an 8 am departure. After organizing all my toys and tools and finishing breakfast, I set my bike against a wall outside my room and enjoyed some great quiet time, cleaning up my "horse" for yet another century plus ride. As I was oiling my chain, the mayor of Prattville drove up in a shiny new BMW and introduced himself. Mr. Gillespie and I chatted for a few moments before I pointed him to our ride leader, Mike Munk. As we all gathered to load our gear, the mayor formally welcomed us all to the area and then presented a miniature "key to the city" to Jonielle, who had been lobbying for this honor since finding out that the mayor would be at our load out. The mayor presented her a miniature, quarter-sized "key to the city," announcing that since Americans now want smaller, more efficient government, he was leading the way with smaller keys to the city. Heh, heh, heh. On this 65 degree and clear morning, we glided down the road to a first left turn that led to a flatter route than we'd seen in many days. Although there were several miles of bone rattling, shake-your-fillings rough roads, much of the journey wound through quiet and serene Alabama, and eventually Georgia. I can report that I an "UGA Look Alike" (UGA is the mascot for the University of Georgia) scared the bejeezus out of me somewhere near the Alabama/Georgia border. UGA may just be an unhappy, former Georgia football supporter, exiled to eastern Alabama, sick of hearing "Roll Tide"! I rode the first 40 miles with Steve and a new rider that joined us, Scott Campbell. Scott did this entire ride about 2 years ago, and hails from Charlotte. From about mile 40 to the lunch stop at mile 74, Steve and I rode by ourselves and really had fun along the gently rolling country roads. We pushed each other without burning all our energy with about 40 miles remaining. The temps climbed to about the low 80's and the humidity was about as high as we'd seen thus far. We enjoyed a pleasant lunch on the porch of an old building, dining on our usual fare and recharging for the ride to the Econolodge in Columbus. Steve and I rode about 10 miles together before he waived me on and slowed his pace. I too slowed a bit to ensure my navigation was a little more accurate for this part of the ride. I already have all the "bonus" miles I need! The ride through Columbus was beautiful, with church spires jutting into the summer sky and a rekindled spirit in the downtown area. I rolled into our humble abode for the night, realizing that yet another daily adventure was over and the grander adventure was also near completion. The day ended with a ribs and fries dinner at the Cannon Restaurant in downtown Columbus. Tomorrow we head to Perry, GA with another late 8 am departure since the ride is a paltry 97 miles. I plan to enjoy every darn one of them. Thanks for all your encouraging words my friends, and thanks again for supporting the wonderful CAC kids. Stay healthy, Steve

Day 23. Tuscaloosa to Prattville, AL. 117 miles. With no rain and a slight tailwind, today's ride was fun from beginning to end. All of us carried rain gear to be on the safe side, but we never needed it. It took about 5 miles to wind our way out of Tuscaloosa with temps in the low 60s and overcast sky. I knew there was 6000 feet of climbing so I didn't expect to have much company today. Most of our folks went out easy and saved their legs for the climbs later. Since I love the hills, I climbed away from the pack on the first big hill and never saw any of my team mates the rest of the day. I did ride with Karen Bauer, one of the ride leaders, for about 10 miles after the first rest stop. We talked a bit and pedaled easy enough for me to get my legs and breath back at the same time. I really enjoyed the first 30 miles: rolling, lush green hills and lots of horses, cows and dogs. Today, one of the recent winners of the "Weiner Dog Nationals" (look for this reference on You Tube), "attacked" me and almost came under the middle of my bike. None of the really big, bad, and aggressive dogs even paid attention to me. The little Dachshund didn't even care that I was 6'3", 200+ lbs of man on a big bike. Fortunately, he came to his senses about the time I pulled away. The terrain today was plush, verdant and accommodating for a vast array of cows, horses and even goats. While the living conditions for most of the humans was humble, the animals were living large. From 32 miles to 82 miles, I ambled along, double checked my cue sheet and somehow, I missed the lunch SAG stop. I'm still not sure where the van was sitting and yet I'm pretty darn sure I rode every highway on the planned route. Instead, I stopped about 10 miles past the "alleged" SAG stop, in a town called North Kingston. The lady in the store behind the desk had her "Sunday-go-to-Church" hat on while wearing a T-Shirt. And it was a nice T-Shirt. As I did a shelf check in this 600 square foot store, she and I discussed our ride, where we were coming from and where we were going. She kindly filled my water bottles and I bought a "lunch on the road": honey bun (yum), 1 banana, a fig newton two pack, an orange soda (my standard at the lunch SAG) and a cold bottle of milk. After checking out, I sat on the front porch in a chair that had been there since 1937 and remembered how much fun I am having on this adventure. Yes, I actually do have peasant tastes and I could not have been happier or more comfortable for that 15 minutes. After my short rest, I pointed "Clyde" (yes, I named my bike after the famous Clydesdale horses)toward Prattville. An easy 27 miles came fast and I rolled into the Hampton Inn about 1:30 pm, ready for a McDonald's milk shake and strawberry lemonade. The nice roads and great weather made this a really fun, enjoyable ride. For dinner, I decided to go next door to the Bass Pro Shop, a hunter, fisherman and sportsman's paradise. And when I saw our Finnish rider, Kari, come out of his room, I invited him to join us. I thought this would be one of many "quintessential American" experiences for Kari. We walked into this bigger than life retail store and he was mesmerized. We took LOTS of photos next to the Nitro Bass Boats, wandered through the field of camouflage items. We then went upstairs to see the rifles, pistols and compound bows, all perched below an aviary and zoo of turkey, deer and hog targets. Kari asked me, "how close do you have to be to shoot a turkey with a bow?" We hunted down a Bass Pro expert and he gave us all the info we wanted including a demo on a turkey call that Kari used for a video for his 18,000 blog followers in Finland. It was classic! After the "full Monty" tour, we adjourned to the instore restaurant and had a great meal of fried catfish. Kari absolutely loved the entire event. Tomorrow we head to Columbus, GA! Stay healthy and have some fun today! Steve

Day 22. Aberdeen, MS to Tuscaloosa, AL. 110 miles. The ride into Aberdeen had definitely been a challenge for our team. The 138 miles and the hills, along with rain the last 30 percent of the ride had definitely exacted a toll from all of us. This morning, with rain falling steadily as we gathered for breakfast, you could tell that there was some nervousness in the air again. Today's ride and the ride tomorrow both have were long rides and hilly rides, and most of us don't have the "snap, crackle and pop" we started with a few days ago. Of course none of these guys would admit any of the above, but trust me, I knew what they were feeling because I too am a tad "leg weary." Nevertheless, at 7:15 am we launched the team down the road. Unfortunately, about 8 of the 12 of us were pedaling in the wrong direction until my New Jersey friend "little Steve" hollered, ". . . we're going in the wrong direction!" With the rain coming down hard, we turned the herd and started down the road . . . the right way. The stories of the day were definitely the rain and directions. I was dressed appropriately and felt comfortable and ready for the ride. The rain really makes me focus still more on the road, vigilant for potholes and cracks filled with water and other debris that can bite those narrow tires. Another complicating factor as a result of the rain is how available and how readable is the navigation sheet at any one time. Normally, I just fold it and wrap it around my handlebars and clasp it together with a heavy duty paper clip. When it is raining, I put it inside a sealed plastic bag, and then I stuff it inside my rain jacket. Picture this: I'm going down the road at 20 mph, I can barely see in front of me because it is raining so hard, and I need to make sure I know the name and location of the next turn. I look at the cue sheet and see that I'm supposed to turn left on Lackey Road at 4.1 miles on my odometer. Since I'm paying extra attention to keeping my bike upright and away from the rain filled road hazards, I am struggling a bit to remember when and where the next turn really is, and by the way, those road signs are sometimes: a) hard to see b) not there at all c) not where I may be looking d) there, but at a distance that doesn't exactly match the cue sheet. So stretch this process out over 110 miles and 5 hours of heavy exertion and you'll understand how I managed to "earn" 8 "bonus" miles today. Yes, I was completely, 100 percent responsible for riding 8 extra miles because of one or more of the above. While an extra 30 minutes of riding is not normally a big deal, it is becoming a "bigger" deal as I get a little closer to Savannah and am getting a tad more tired. I'm not whining, but I wanted you to get a sense of the challenges that are out there on the road. There was a bright side to the rain for me. I think the rain kept the dogs on the porches today, or maybe they were just observing Mother's Day. Hard to tell. Our first rest stop was moved up to about 25 miles because the abandoned gas station had a nice overhang where we could stop. I only stayed about 5 minutes because my dress and body temperature were sized to "keep moving." And since the first stop was at 25, that meant that the lunch stop was now at 72 miles, about 2-3 hours away. It continued to rain the entire way and I just kept good control of my bike and told myself that after lunch, I'd only have about 2 hours of riding remaining. Lunch was pitched on the outside porch of an old flower shop. About the time I got all my usual lunchtime fare, the skies again opened up and I relaxed in the folding chair, enjoyed my meal and watched it rain as though I were sitting at home on the back screened in porch with Arlene. It was very relaxing! By the time I finished, this shower had let up significantly, and I headed down the road toward Tuscaloosa. Over the next 30 minutes, the rapidly changing sky opened to sun and some blue spaces and raised the temperature about 10-15 degrees. I'd gone from "just about right" to "way too hot" and sweating profusely. I doffed my rain jacket at the top of a hill and stashed my "do-rag"(sweat headband I wear under my helmet), and I immediately felt so much cooler and comfortable. The hills kept coming and my navigation skills faded a couple times. I always tell others that God gave me strong legs and lungs because he knew I'd be going the long way on a regular basis. Today was no exception. I'm proud to report my mistakes, but I am also keenly aware of an axiom one of my friends often offered: Nobody ever learned anything the second time the mule kicked them. Tomorrow I'll have another chance to prove I am smart enough to slow down and get the navigation right the first time. The last 10 miles of the ride were through downtown Tuscaloosa to include the beautiful Alabama University campus. It wasn't until that I concluded my campus tour that it dawned on me why there was hardly anyone on the campus: it was Sunday at about 2 pm. My spirits were lifted when I eventually found the Comfort Inn and after helping Barb unload the luggage van, I treated myself to 20 minutes in the hot tub. Ahhh! At rap I discovered that I was not the only poor navigator out there today and that others had a few issues with the cue sheets too. That's life! For dinner about 8 of us headed across the street to O'Charley's and at first decided that the 1 hour Mother's Day wait wouldn't work for us. However, with another rain storm approaching and few other options, we headed back inside O'Charley's and asked to dine at the bar. The worked swimmingly and got us literally to the front of the food line. We had a chance to share a few laughs and enjoy lots of good food in preparation for tomorrow's assault on Mike and Barbara's hometown, Prattville, AL, 117 miles and 6000 feet of climbing. Hope you all had a great Mother's Day. I had terrific conversations with my lovely wife, Arlene, and my Mom today, and feel blessed to have both in my life. Thanks for listening. Stay healthy, Steve

Day 21. Senatobia to Aberdeen, MS. 138 miles. Today's ride had lots of twists, turns, ups and downs, and variety as we wound through the Mississippi countryside. There were so many turns on the navigation sheet that at times I thought I was on the Amazing Race! We had a wonderful breakfast at the Huddle House this morning at 0600 and we had a waitress that was directing the staff like an experienced air traffic controller vectoring airplanes in saturated LA airspace. She had us all fed and watered in record time and all my buddies immediately loaded the van and hit the trail . . . without me! Somehow, I was the last bubba (or bubbette) to leave the hotel and venture further into the country. I swapped a little conversation as I caught up with the team and paid attention to the plethora of dogs protecting the safety of every humble abode along the way. I just wish the owners of these canines would explain the difference between "offense and defense" to the dogs! I outran Cujo, Old Yeller, Big Red, Marmaduke, Lassie, the Bud Light dog/dogs, and Rintintin. Did I mention there were lots of dogs getting their exercise at my expense? The good news is, after 138 miles, the score was: Steve 1, Dogs 0. After yesterdays 122 miles, I was feeling a little leg heavy on some of the climbs. I just tried to use my gears efficiently and spin, spin, spin until my legs were warm and a little more responsive. There really weren't any long, 5-10 mile climbs, but there were lots of .5-1.5 mile climbs, one right after another. We were all prepared for the forecast rain, but I chose to keep my rain gear tucked inside my jersey pockets. The rain gear is designed to keep you warm, but not really dry. I figured if I put that stuff on with all those early climbs and it didn't rain, that I'd overheat and burn my energy sooner than desired. I hit the first rest stop still full from my huge breakfast so I only stayed there about 5 minutes and picked up a few items to eat over the next 43 miles. The more I rode, the better I felt and the prettier and more interesting the views. The lush Mississippi pastures were nirvana for the cows and horses. Contrastingly, rural Mississippi is one of the most humble/poor areas in America. Aged mobile homes and rundown, unmaintained houses were everywhere, and of course the ubiquitous array of abandoned cars and "biodegradable" appliances were strewn across about every other yard. Please know I am not berating or denigrating these people, I am merely reporting my observations. If you think the economy is tough in your area, you need to see what poverty in America looks like. Despite the minimal accommodations, I saw young kids playing outside on dirt driveways, trying to put that ball in the basket as I did for many years. Another thing that struck me today was the wonderful courtesy that all the drivers showed me for 138 miles. I've ridden in many places over the last 20 years and I'd have to say, these folks treated me the best as a cyclist. I was about 1 mile from the lunch stop when the lunch van passed me and said they were moving the location to a covered area since rain was on the way. I had my usual, easily digestible lunch meal and packed up a few treats for the ride and was back on my bike in about 15 minutes. About 20 minutes after I left the lunch SAG stop, it started to rain and 20 minutes later, I put on my booties (overshoes that keep you feet "warmer" and keep all the road junk off your shoes) and my rain jacket. I was already wet, but the rain jacket allows me to build up body heat quickly. Over the next 20 miles the rain intensified, but it was a warm rain with outside temps about 70. I passed up the last rest stop because the van was still supporting riders that had not made it to the lunch stop. I figured I'd just stop at a grocery store and drink rainwater until something turned up. About 2 miles past the stop, I noticed Mike Munk trailing me in the other support van. He went out of his way to make sure I had full water bottles and some quick energy treats (fig newtons) to keep me going. With plenty of water and fuel in my tank, I was happy to enjoy the flat, long straight road into Aberdeen. The rain continued to increase in intensity until it was pouring as I spotted the hotel. I slopped to the hotel front desk and it took me about 2 minutes to answer the attendant's question of where I had ridden from! Eventually, I told here Senatobia, and by then she had processed my reservation and gave me a key. I couldn't wait to clean up, dry off and warm up. Riding in the driving rain requires even more focus and attention to avoid potholes and cracks in the road that are disguised by the rainwater. When all the riders had arrived, Jim, our mechanic, volunteered to take anyone interested to a local hamburger/barbecue place. Since the pulled pork was all gone, I enjoyed a terrific chicken fried steak meal. And to top things off, we finished filling our tanks with the Sonic milkshakes. All in all, a great day of adventure and exercise. Stay healthy as we head to Tuscaloosa, Al tomorrow. Steve PS Here is some video taken by one of my fellow riders, Terry Garrity. See if you can spot the Clydesdale in the video. http://contour.com/stories/wed-april-25-cottonwood-az-1

Day 20. Brinkley, AR to Senatobia, MS. 113 miles. Today's ride was a smooth and easy 113 mile journey across acres and acres of Arkansas and Mississippi farmland. Early morning temps were again in the high 50s and winds stayed east and southeast all day. Our normal routine was altered a little this morning as we first loaded the van, and then pedaled to breakfast at Gene's Barbecue, .8 miles away. Our kind, grandmotherly waitress got every order exactly right and the cook pumped out lots of eggs, sausage, bacon and pancakes in short order. Great way to start a very long day! We hit the trail about 7:30 am and all 12 of us pedaled lightly again behind Martin and Jonielle. No one seemed in a hurry as we were rolling at about 14-15 mph into a 10 mph headwind. Our ride leader, Mike Munk, really doesn't like all of us riding closely together because he's always concerned that if one rider goes down for any reason, they can easily take out plenty of others. Nevertheless, we all glided down the land of plenty highways, bounded by fields filled with rice, soybeans, and corn. Along the way, Scott and I had a conversation about why we (the world) can't feed all our people. My bottom line is: we definitely can eliminate hunger, but distribution issues and corruption remain the real issues. The huge breadbasket we viewed for 5 hours today was overwhelming in its capability to produce food for the world. The last miles into the first rest stop I rode with Terry, Martin and Greg. About 20 miles after the first rest stop, we crossed the mighty Mississippi River near West Helena. Although I live only 16 miles from the Mississippi, I continue to marvel at its strength, power and grace. The expansion bridge is about a mile long and climbs upwards in an arc to about 200 ft. Since it is only 1 lane in each direction, I didn't spend too much time looking around, but I did get a glimpse of the river's grandeur 2 or 3 times. I later laughed when our Finnish rider, Kari, looked at me on the other side and said while pointing back at the bridge, ". . . too high!" After we crossed the bridge, Mike formed us up and took some Welcome to Mississippi photos. The next 20 miles, about 10 of us rode together on a revolving pace line. Imagine five riders riding parallel to 5 other riders. The line on the left accelerates past the line on the left and, in turn, moves one rider at a time to the front of the line on the right. Simultaneously, the line on the right is slowing and feeding one rider at a time onto the line on the left, only at the back of the line. What ends up happening is that the left line is constantly accelerating and the right line is continually decelerating. The benefit is that you have multiple riders breaking the wind at a time, making it easier for all 10 to move down the highway into a headwind. We rolled into the lunch stop together feeling rested and ready for our lunchtime sandwich and drinks. After finishing up Mom's delicious brownies, I rolled out of the rest stop following Ron and Kari. Ron gave me a scare as his front wheel bumped my rear wheel, and when I turned around, I caught him headed for a wheat field. He was really lucky he did not go down and got back on the road quite quickly. I stayed with these great guys for about 20 miles, until the pack of 6 started appearing in my distant rear view sunglass mirror (I can see behind me almost a mile back on flat terrain!). Since Kari and Ron were riding together and dropping back, I decided I'd accelerate and give my buddies behind me something to chase. This helps me push a little harder and I know I gave them a target to hunt down. Long story short, I had my mojo today and I pulled away and finished the last 20 miles about 20 minutes in front of them. The road into Senatobia was winding and undulating, far different from the ultra flat, straight road we'd seen for the previous 4 hours. By the end of my ride, I'd also caught Mike and Karen who had left 20+ minutes in front of me at the lunch stop. Since they knew where the hotel was located, I followed them to our lodging. Good thing too, since the hotel had changed names! Six of us ate lots of pizza and salad at Pizza Hut and reminisced about our ride thus far. Tomorrow is the last loooooooong day, 133 miles to Aberdeen, MS. Can't wait to get rolling! Stay healthy, Steve

Day 19. Conway to Brinkley, AR. 102 miles. After visiting friends and family over the last three locations, I pedaled off to Brinkley, AR to view to vast acreages of rice and soy beans. The road and the land around it was flat as a pancake and the only thing keeping the headwind down to a dull roar was the occasional spread of trees specifically planted to act as a wind brake. Mike prepped us this morning with a safety reminder that any overconfidence we may have gained could be dangerous. In other words, now is not a good time to be complacent or lose focus on the challenges of this ride. I think our team was really listening as all 12 of us "soft pedaled" for about 20 miles, following Martin and Jonielle. From the 20 mile point to the rest stop, we all picked up the pace and took turns pulling and navigating through the lush, heavily wooded countryside. The whole team was raving about the brownies that Mom brought with her yesterday (see photo below, Mom!). After leaving the rest stop, Peter and I worked together and rode the next 35 miles together, discussing why I attended the Air Force Academy, and what Peter's plans are for the coming years. Great ride through the country and wonderful conversation at 20 mph, how can you beat that! We pulled into the abandoned gas station for lunch and had a relaxing meal of sandwiches, grapes, oranges, more Mom's homemade brownies, raisins and my favorite, pickles. There was plenty of shade to go along with the food and a pleasant 78 degree, clear sky hovering in the background. Fully satiated, I followed about 4 or 5 folks out of the rest stop and I kept heading east as they organized their pace line. The road we traveled, Highway 70 east, was not really that busy going east, but there was a constant stream of 18 wheelers coming right at us. When those things pass by in the opposite direction, the blast of air will slow your speed about 2-3 mph. I estimate I passed 500-600 trucks in the 30 mile journey to Brinkley. One of the highlights along the way was my eyewitness sighting of "Craig's of DeValls Bluff." Craig's is known as a fabulous catfish/barbecue hole in the wall and I've finally seen it even though I was in a hurry to get to the hotel and get OFF my bicycle seat. Most of the terrain on this ride was non-descript, looking like the mile you just passed and the next mile you'll see. I did see an occasional horse and a dog or two, but nothing that created a longer term memory. The only other memory I have of this "head down ride" was of the "bumps" that were protruding from the asphalt as I approached the White River Bridge, the Cache River Bridge and about 10 other bridges. I could see the bumps in advance and I always trip to jump my front wheel over the bump so only my rear wheel absorbs the major impact. However, these protrusions were so large that even this approach didn't always work. For the whole ride, I figured my buddies behind me would work together to try and catch me so I kept pushing myself most of the ride. I kept my head down and pushed through a steady headwind to arrive at Brinkley about 2:37pm. I checked in, cleaned up and relaxed with a few laps in the indoor pool, followed by a short review of the state-wide newspaper, the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette. Around 4 pm, one of our riders, Tom, celebrated his 50th birthday with us by sharing a couple platters of chicken with us that a good friend had sent to him. We followed the party with our daily rap, planning for tomorrow's ride and reviewing the longer term plans for our arrival at Savannah. I've had so much fun riding through Arkansas, enjoying its natural beauty and recognizing how kind and caring its people really are. In the morning we are bound for Mississippi and I will smile knowing that my team mates have seen some of Arkansas's unique place in America. Stay healthy, Steve

Day 18. Ft. Smith to Conway, AR. 125 miles. With a day off in Ft. Smith and a restful night's sleep, the team was ready for a beautiful ride to Conway, AR. The morning temps were in the mid-50s and the sky was crystal clear. We launched from the Aspen Hotel at 7:00 am and after about 3 turns, we headed down Highway 22 for about 100 miles. The roads were surprisingly smooth and the shoulder was wide and clean most of the way. I rode with Terry, Martin and Steve for about 120 of the 125 miles, sharing the lead as we glided with a steady tailwind and only undulating roads, instead of the long climbs and descents we'd seen in previous days. I was smiling most of the ride as I saw the "Go Hogs Go" and "Go Razorbacks" everywhere I looked. I have great memories of being an Arkansan and cheering the Hogs for years, and now I was in the middle of Razorback land again. We had our first "real" encounter with a dog today, as that hound made a bee line for the middle of our four-ship of cyclists. Unfortunately, Mr. Hound was too slow for the lead 2-ship and Martin and I slowed and turned away from him before he could react. Score after one inning: Cyclists 1, Mr. Hound 0. A little later, I had my first encounter with a bird. I noticed that Terry, Steve and Martin had ridden past a bird sitting on the highway enjoying the remnants of a road kill. I figured that Mr. Bird would respond in kind as I whizzed by. However, Mr. Bird decided to takeoff and fly directly into my shin bone instead of continuing his super-sized meal. I'm not sure of Mr. Bird's condition, but my shin experienced no leaks, drips or runs. This was definitely the easiest 100 plus mile ride thus far. The temps, road conditions and even the drivers all made this a pleasant, comfortable ride. The last 20, 30 or 40 miles after the last rest stop are normally the toughest part of the ride. Today, however, the last 20 miles were rolling and rollicking as we each shared about a one mile "pull". We rolled into the Holiday Inn Express about 2:15 pm after averaging 21.3 mph, and immediately headed to Burger King for a refreshing milk shake. When the luggage arrived, I cleaned up and then met my Mom and Step-Dad in the lobby. It was really great to have them share in this great adventure. We drove to a nearby Italian restaurant, Russo's, where we had a superb meal and some fantastic conversation. Our waitress was very interested in our bike trip and promised to see us off tomorrow morning. We returned to the hotel for a round of photos taken graciously by the hotel staff (see below!) Tomorrow looks like a great day to head east to Brinkley, AR, as we march toward the great Mississippi River. Stay healthy, Steve

Day 17. Day Off, Ft. Smith, AR. Arlene drove 6.5 hours, repeat 6.5 hours to see me in Ft. Smith. Yes, America, you are absolutely correct that I don't deserve this kind of love and attention, but I AM grateful for every bit of it! We slept late, and enjoyed a quiet breakfast in the Aspen Hotel lobby with a delightful rain falling outside. After breakfast, we headed to Scott's bike shop to get an update on my bike. Scott looked at my frame inside and out and declared it more than "fit for duty" for another 1000+ miles. While we were in the shop, about half our riders came by to pick up odds and ends to help them over the coming days to Savannah. We returned to the hotel and met my sister, Carole, and my two nephews, William and Christopher, who had driven to Ft. Smith from North Little Rock. While our first choice for lunch was not available, we were more than happy to have a delicious meal at Red Lobster. While William and Christopher dined on the finest chicken fingers and fries in Arkansas, the rest of us had various fresh fish and a little calamari to keep things interesting. Carole helped us catch up with all the King brothers and sisters, as well as a few updates on nieces and nephews. When it was all over, we waddled out of Red Lobster to the hotel and took some family photos before saying goodbye to Carole, William and Christopher. Our afternoon was really pretty busy with three activities: 1) Massages for the two of us at 3:15; 2) Wine and cheese hosted by our rider, Scott, in the hotel lobby and 3) Dinner at TGI Friday's with the local Rotary Club. This is the second massage on the trip and they are worth their weight in gold. I have zero aches or pains as of today and I think the massages were integral to my overall health. And since Arlene had been working 12+ hour shifts for the last week at irregular hours, and then driven 6.5 hours to see me, she too needed the benefits of a deep tissue massage. We are true believers! The wine and cheese was wine out of a box and frozen beer (Fosters and Dos Equis) mixed together after it had been frozen in Scott's room refrigerator. Humble yes, but we all had fun talking about the ride and the challenges ahead. The last event of the night was a chance to meet still more Ft. Smith citizenry. Scott, and his fellow riders, were invited to attend the local Rotary meeting after having received their support for his "Ride for Hunger" effort. We met some great Americans who were very interested in our ride and we shared some great conversation. At the end of the evening, I prepared my trusty steed for Wednesday's ride and another great adventure. Thanks for your kind words and encouragement. Stay healthy, Steve

Day 16. McAlester, OK to Ft. Smith, AR. 105 miles. After the 145 miles into McAlester, the thought of riding "just" 105 miles to Ft. Smith seemed like an "easy" ride. One of our riders thought the leave/load time was 8:15 instead of 8:00 am, so Greg and I waited for them to hurriedly load and get ready to ride. The first rest stop was 33 miles down the road, so we knew we could pedal together as a team and catch the group, despite their head start. This really helped all of us wake up and recover from the long ride yesterday. We didn't want to push too hard, but kept up our cadence to get some momentum. And of course, we also tried to look around and see a few things in this neighborhood. One of my favorite "sights" was a silver dumpster that had a door painted on it, and had one of those silver, revolving ventilator fans fixed to the roof. The sign painted on it says, "FEMA Approved Accommodation." In the land of the tornado, it appears FEMA is not well loved by one and all. By the time we arrived at the first rest stop, our 3 person group had caught one and all and all in the world was well. Much of the day, we rode in an 8 person pace line to buck the 10 mph headwind. Since the terrain was reasonably flat, we kept the speed at about 20 mph and arrived at the lunch stop with only 33 miles left for the day. We all spread out at the gas station, setting up our folding chairs in the shade and enjoyed our favorite turkey or ham sandwiches, pickles, apples, chips, ect. I chugged a couple of milks from the gas station store to keep my energy up and my tank full. After a healthy rest, Kari and I wandered through the town to get on the main drag, Highway 112 to Ft. Smith. We rode together for about 10 miles and then he told me to "go on, no more unmarked roads." The joke here is that yesterday, Kari took a wrong turn on a road that didn't have a sign. And like Blanche Dubois, Kari has ". . . always relied on the kindness of strangers." Two different sets of locals helped guide him to the road that led to McAlester. After he realized there were no more "unmarked roads" today, he decided he didn't need me to navigate. The last 10 miles were hot and humid, but we did dodge the rain. As always, I was relieved to get off that bike seat right after I rolled into the Aspen Inn. Since Barb and I arrived at the hotel about the same time, she and I unloaded the luggage and then I showered up. After my buddies arrived, I caught a ride to Scott's Bike Shop with Jim, our mechanic. I have been talking to the owner, Scott, for about a week in order to have him inspect my bike to ensure the integrity of my frame. I had a "creak" in the frame for some time, and it wasn't until about 3 days ago that the sound disappeared. While I was confident that my frame was okay, I got a professional opinion from Scott. He looked over my frame with a fine tooth comb and proclaimed it safe and sturdy to transport my 200+ pounds for another 1000+ miles. Jim and I then returned to the hotel where I waited for Arlene's arrival. At our Rap Meeting, Mike briefed us on the plan for arrival in Savannah and explained what we could expect. Hard to believe we are already looking ahead to 18 May and the end of this fabulous adventure. Since I had a little spare time, I pulled on my swimsuit for the first time and did a few laps in the warm water of the hotel pool. It felt great just to stretch out and relax for a few minutes. Arlene arrived about 7:15 pm and we headed over to Chili's to catch up and relax over some nachos, fajitas and baby back ribs. Arlene is really exhausted after working about 90 hours last week and supporting a DOD exercise. We all feel blessed to have made it to Ft. Smith and have a day to recover before the last 10 day push to the Atlantic. Hope you are having as much fun reading as I am writing and riding. Stay healthy, Steve

Day 15. Chickasha to McAlester, OK. 145 miles. What a day this was! At breakfast, I couldn't help but notice the nervous chatter and laughter around the table. Most of us had never pedaled this far, and yesterday's 120 miles were just a few hours away. We loaded up the van at 0645 and were rolling as a group at 0650. We "soft pedaled" (small effort, just kind of rolling along) for about 15 miles until the first hills of the day appeared. While none of today's hills were long, big climbs, there were literally 50+ climbs of 300-500 feet. With a slight headwind and all these hills, I relied on my aero bars, a forward extension on my handlebars that allows me to kind of tuck on my bike and minimize the impact of the wind by being as aerodynamic as a 200 lb, 6'3" guy can be. I essentially rode alone for the next 130 miles, seeing Kari, our Finnish participant, as I left one of the rest stops and my room mate, Greg, as I was leaving the last rest stop. I essentially rode at my own pace, kept my rate of pedaling the same throughout and just relaxed for the duration. The weather was really comfortable and cool with a good overcast until about 1030, and then the light rain started and the humidity began to climb. At it's worst, the temp was about 85 degrees and the humidity was also about 85%. I took a few photos along the way, catching a funny sign at a store near the rest stop, and a helicopter mounted on stick. I saw lots of beautiful horses, and hundreds of horse farms. I laughed heartily twice as we passed nearby prisons that warned "The hitch hiker your pick up may be an escapee." What I figured out on this ride was, ". . . just get to the next rest stop." My brain isn't wired to put my arms around 145 miles, so instead, I make a deals with myself: get to the next rest stop; stand on the pedals until you get to that next sign; eat your banana at mile 120; give yourself a power jell with 10 miles to go. By now, my body is operating at a high physical level and I have few/no aches or pains. The challenge for these rides is now to keep my mind in the right place because my body is more than willing and able. The last 35 miles today were a mental challenge because the wind was in our face and the hills seemed to be endless. The road was very smooth and the traffic was light, so there were some chances to get some "airspeed." The end really never seems "real" until the mileage remaining is less than normal speed I can maintain. This means that with about 18 miles to go, I was averaging about 18 miles per hour, so that meant I only had to pedal about another hour to call it a day. As I approached McAlester, I was taken by the welcome sign and a sculpture of a bull bucking a cowboy, make that a prison cowboy! McAlestar is the home of the US Prison Rodeo Competition! We are staying in a Holiday Inn Express and compared to most of our recent hotels, this feels like the Ritz Carlton! We are living large and comfortably tonight! As an added surprise, my brother-in-law, Weydan Flax and his wife, Angela, surprised me with a visit. My room mate, Greg, and I cleaned up and we all went to Krebs, OK and visited widely renowned, Pete's Restaurant, for a fantastic Italian dinner. The food was absolutely wonderful, fresh, and plentiful. Each visiting party is seated in a separate room at an oak table that encourages conversation and handles room for plenty of delicious Italian dishes. Add this place to your "have to visit list." It has the Steve King 5 Star Rating! Tomorrow we pedal 105 miles to Ft. Smith, AR. Arlene is driving down from IL and my sister, Carole is coming up from Little Rock with my nephew, William. Looking forward to crossing into the state where I was raised from age 5-18. Stay healthy, Steve

Day 14, Elk City to Chickasha, OK. 120 miles. This ride was supposed to be the precursor to the tough ride to McAlester, OK tomorrow. As usual, I started last and rolled along really, really easy for about 20 miles, even stopping for a patented photo--4 of us knee deep in a wheat field on a pace line. After Mike's photo, I decided to push for about half an hour by myself to the rest stop. With quartering tailwinds and feeling really easy, I eventually joined up with Terry for most of the rest of the day. As the day evolved, we ended up with the quadruple challenge: distance, hills, heat and headwinds. However, we also enjoyed some of the best roads we've experienced yet. We wandered through the OK countryside, seeing lots of cows, a few horses, and 3 dead armadillos. And for the record, I think I caused the biggest unintended cow stampede as I approached the third rest stop, spooking about 150 cows! Yes, I know I should clean/air out my shoes and gloves! It was so pleasant to slide along the road and just avoid the rumble strips versus constantly looking for tire debris and other tire puncturing material. We had a huge team accomplishment today, completing the "half way there" somewhere in the Oklahoma countryside. One of the beautiful sights we saw today was Cobb Lake, viewed from our bikes while crossing the dam at the end of the lake. We really haven't seen a standing body of water since we left the Pacific two weeks ago, and on a hot day, that water really looked inviting! A short time later, Terry and I stopped in Nowhere, OK for a photo op and then to the last rest stop where we had a huge Limeade at a roadside dairy bar next to the stage. And again, for the record, this was the all-time primitive roadside dairy bar. The last 35 miles from the SAG were brutal. Plenty of hills, 97 degree temps, and more headwind than anything else. The last 10 miles into Chickasha were particularly tough because all of the above existed and the road was so straight, you could literally see those 10 miles in advance. A patience test indeed. We all arrived humbled and tired yet again, and hungry! After our rap detailing tomorrow's plan, we marched over to a nearby Italian restaurant and tried to carbo load for the 144 miles tomorrow. The team consumed a lot of calories, but they are definitely ready for some rest and then . . . the test. We'll all be ready, I promise. Lastly, those CAC kids are cheering for your kindness and generosity. As of today, we're in the $5300 area and many of you have said you still want to help. Thanks for your encouraging words and support for these great kids. Stay healthy, Steve

Day 13, Pampa, TX to Elk City, OK. 104 miles. After a pleasant rest in Pampa, we headed east for Oklahoma and Elk City "by the bay" (okay, maybe not). Since we all know that tomorrow and Sunday are long, hard days (119 and 144 miles, respectively), we were interested in saving some energy today. Not exactly how it turned out! The first 33 miles to the SAG station were really easy, with all of us taking photos along the way and enjoying some of the best pavement Texas has to offer. We stopped in Wheeler, TX to honor CMSGT (Retired) Curt Ryan's high school alma mater. As I crossed Sweetwater Creek and Adobe Creek and smelled the sweet smells from the stockyards, I imagined young Curt roaming the Texas countryside. Thanks for your support and service Chief Ryan!The shoulder on the road was about 8 feet wide and smooth as glass! The rest stop had an interesting marker (see photos below) that made an interesting point. The next 35 miles to the rest stop got interesting. We all stopped and took more photos at the Texas/Oklahoma line and then headed to the lunch SAG stop. This 5 mile journey was probably the most hazardous of all our miles so far. There was the road, the white line, a rumble strip and about 6 inches of "shoulder." And the road had one semi after another plowing next to us at 70 mph. About half of our group decided to forgo this short hop to the lunch station and they were definitely the smart ones. While we filled up with sandwiches and fruit for lunch, Mike, our ride leader, found an alternate route for us over the next 20 miles. The good news is that this route was a nice country road with little traffic. The bad news is that the route reminded me of biking across Missouri with a plethora of rolling hills and strong crosswinds in the face of the mid-day sun. And this alternate route also added another 7 miles on top of the planned 97. No whining zone enforced here! I'd just add that by the time I found the hotel in Elk City, it was 90+ and seemed hotter. Along the way I did take photos of the Route 66 Museum and some looooong straight roads in Oklahoma. For dinner, we all traipsed over to Western Sizzlin and grazed at their ample buffet. Post dinner activities included a little bike tuneup and cards. If you looked at the cacesl.org website and click on "cycle for CAC kids", you'll see that we've broken the $5000 barrier and we're shooting for more. Thanks to one and all for your generosity and kindness. I promise to keep pedaling and I'd ask you to continue to spread the word about the ride so we can help still more CAC kids. Tomorrow we cross the 1/2 point and I'm excited. So many great people on this ride and fun left to be had. Stay healthy, Steve

Day 12 Dalhart to Pampa, TX. 109 miles (+5 "bonus" miles!) After yesterday's sub 100 mile day, most of the team was feeling rested and ready for another relatively "short" day of 109 miles. I didn't sleep worth a darn last night as I pondered the issues of 1) world hunger and 2) how to create a perpetual motion machine. I think I slept about 2 hours as I tossed and turned and listened to 5, count'em 5 major trains and their obligatory horns sounding 2 miles before and after the crossing that existed right behind our hotel. Nevertheless, I was feeling good about riding as we started off in low 50 degree temps with light winds out of the northwest. I left the parking lot last but quickly built up some steam until I spotted my favorites on the side of the road: horses! A beautiful mare was tending to her new colt and let us look from afar but trotted off with young colt immediately by her side. I have a great photo to share, but can't seem to master the technology tonight. I then rolled along really having "light legs", moving at 20-23 despite a moderate crosswind. I rode with "Dr. Mark", an internist from Minnesota for about 25 miles. He and I talked about why he became and internist, Obamacare, Hospice, and his preparation for a 24 hour bike ride when he returns home. We were easily the first ones to the SAG stop and enjoyed every pedal in beautiful Texas. I left the SAG stop with Martin, Peter and Jonielle as we rode comfortably for about 10 miles before Martin and Peter dropped off. I was surprised when I looked back in my mirror since I think I was riding "in a zone" for a while, feeling cool and relaxed while moving smoothly. Over the next 30 miles, Jonielle and I counted telephone poles, estimated distances to those grain silos waaaay out there (14 miles!), and sliced through a crosswind like we were racing for gold. She is a great athlete who struggled with asthma like symptoms early in our rides through the desert. Now she is riding very strong and pushes all of the guys to ride faster. Despite our quick pace, at mile 81 neither of us could see "the bowling alley" landmark so we continued straight ahead down Cedar Street in the town of Borger. We rode about 2 miles looking for this place and finally asked a local where the bowling alley was. We rode another mile and saw no signs of life at the Borger Bowling Alley. When I called our ride leader and asked about their location, they told me it was no longer a Bowling Alley, but was now a CVS Pharmacy! Yes, we had seen this about 30 minutes earlier, but had not seen the parked van. We were quite happy to find our gang and enjoy those sandwiches and snacks that fuel us for the last 20 miles! Martin, Jonielle and I were the last ones to leave the lunch station after some rapid bike repairs. Shortly after departing the rest stop, a giant bumble bee and my lower, inner front lip tried to occupy the same space for what seemed to be a VERY long time. I never saw him/her, but I can tell you him/her was VERY furry and him/her only got a "light" sting off before departing my area. It took us a while to pick up speed as the terrain rolled and turned and oil country stood straight and tall. We were hauling at 29 mph for most of the last 10 miles with a flat course and direct tailwind into Pampa, a town of 17,100. As always, we celebrated another leg down, emptied the baggage van, showered and headed for some nourishment at the Dixie Cafe. And after a post dinner visit to Braums for ice cream, we readied our ponies for the next ride. Thanks for your wonderful support for the CAC! We are $67 and change away from our goal and you get my biggest long distance cheers! You are making a huge difference for the CAC kids. Stay healthy, Steve

Day 11—Tucumcari NM to Dalhart, TX, 97 miles. This was one of our shortest rides and a “rest” day, given that we’d only be spending about 4-5 hours on the bike instead of 6 hours plus. We had a chance to “sleep in” with a baggage load time of 8:30 am (normally about 0700). The winds were again prevailing out of the west and the road pointed east most of the way. Although the pavement in NM was pretty rough, it smoothed out considerably after we crossed the Texas border. We were sailing along about 26-29 mph for the first couple hours, enjoying the push from Mother Nature and drafting in a group of about 9. Our ride leader, Mike Munk, counseled me at the early rest stop (25 miles) that he “didn’t really like to see that” because with that many riders drafting along a quasi-busy road with a limited shoulder, the potential for injury increases. I couldn’t argue with that, so we departed the rest stop in smaller groups and had some great conversation along the way. As the heat increased to above 90, I got the chance to pull more and more and enjoyed every minute of it. Very little climbing today, and the same should hold true for the road to Pampa tomorrow. I think our average speed today was almost 25 mph, so that should give you an idea of how fast we were moving as a group. Today we were moving so quickly that a couple of the guys who already knew one another were chiding each other to “slow it down” as we closed in on Dalhart. Around here you can literally and figuratively “smell the barn” (Note: Huge stockyards just west of Dalhart will hurry you to move upwind soonest!) You can certainly see the strength and fitness of all these folks improve despite the fact that they are riding lots and lots of miles every day. My fitness level continues improve despite the small setback I had last Saturday night. Hard to believe that we will be in Savannah in just over 2 weeks! This is definitely a grand adventure and I hope you are enjoying the ride as much as I. Stay healthy, Steve

Day 10. Las Vegas to Tucumcari, NM, 109 miles. Today's ride was absolutely beautiful! If you count the turn we made leaving our hotel in Las Vegas, we made a total of 3 turns all day to get into our hotel in Tucumcari! We entered Route 104 a mile from the hotel in Las Vegas and followed it all the way to our accommodation at the Best Western. Add New Mexico Route 104 to your bucket list of roads you MUST travel. The route was a steady decent from about 6500 feet to around 4000, but also had a couple of climbs that lasted 2-3 miles. Yet again, those westerly winds were a godsend, gusting to 20-30 mph by the end of our ride. Since the road snaked both west and south, we experienced cross the strongest crosswinds yet, but I think our riders did a nice job dealing with this new experience. I'm still recovering from the food poisoning, but I'm definitely making progress. I've stuck to a bland diet and mostly clear liquids, but for about 2/3s of today's ride, my stomach still was feeling queasy. As Arlene explained, the standard protocol for this recovery does not include riding consecutive 100+ mile days on a bike. Thanks for the encouragement and prayers out there! Today I rode with Peter, Martin and Jonielle. Since I was feeling about a "quart low," I hung on to these troopers as we climbed out of Las Vegas for several miles. After pedaling about 20 miles, we had reached the edge of the mesa and turned more easterly to get the benefit of a tailwind and some classic downhill riding that wound around the edges of land mass we just departed. And in the distance were huge mountains and painted desert that reminded me of all those westerns I used to watch on Saturday afternoon a looooong time ago. One of today's highlights was our arrival at the 1000 mile point (see photo below). We also saw two HUGE (dead) snakes, and taught most of the riders of the perils of "goatheads." Goatheads are about as big as a pea but a hard kernal surrounded by stickers. These things are every bit as dangerous to your tires as the steel wires on the side of an interstate. At our lunch stop today, one of the riders laid his bike down next to mine and his front tire had about 10 goatheads attached to his front tire. When he tried to pull them off, his tire went flat. From the lunch

break on in, I felt stronger and more normal, pulling my team most of the time as the road continued to bend toward Tucumcari. We arrived at the hotel around 2:15 pm, 2-4 hours earlier than yesterday. This extra rest is huge as we begin the second week on the bike. Tomorrow we have our first "sub" 100 mile day (97 miles) as we leave NM and head toward Dalhart, Texas (back to Central Dalight Time!). Thanks for following yet again and supporting the CAC kids. Check out our progress at cacesl.org (thanks and thanks again!). Stay healthy, Steve