I have finally made it home. It was a very long drive today but a pleasant one. I am safe and relatively sound and very happy to be with my family... Peace.

One Last Run, Baby!

I awoke this morning to a torrential downpour slamming against the window and roof (I'm on the 3rd of 3 floors), the same reason I wheeled into this Comfort Inn last night around 2130hrs with the time gain. I made a clean 800 miles yesterday from Dahlgren, VA to Greenville, AL. Initially I was going to stop outside of Montgomery but after topping off with fuel I found I wasn't tired and figured on taking as big of a chunk as I could out of the distance between me and my wife and children. About 30 miles north of Greenville it began raining hard enough to pond on the road and render visibility to about 50 feet so I decided it best and safest to get a hotel for a shower, some sleep and a good breakfast.

When I pulled into the Comfort Inn at exit 130 in Greenville I pulled in behind a pickup displaying a 101st Airborne patch in the back window. Upon entry I met Gary Starr of Five Starr Steel proudly wearing his 101st Screaming Eagle ball cap. We talked for a while and exchanged some stories enjoying having met each other. It turns out that Gary was on his return to Texas from his Unit's Reunion in Hampton, VA. He departed and I then met Dottie, who was attending the evening desk. Dottie was super nice and had just gotten me checked in when Gary returned and offered to pay for my room for the night. Thank you very much Gary! I appreciate your kindness and generosity.

It did not take me long to get settled in and off to sleep in the super comfortable bed. I'm serious. Of all the hotels I've stayed in over the last few weeks the beds at Comfort Inn are the best, hands down. I awoke several times during the night anxious to be getting back under way. The Weather Channel radar is showing nothing but green along the entirety of my remaining route. I was hoping to make the last 400 miles in short order but I guess that is not to be. So I will take my time and continue to absorb all that has happened over the last few weeks.

Thanks again to all of our Wounded Warriors who courageously placed themselves in harm's way to protect the Freedoms we enjoy in our great Country. I will always remember.

Also, good luck to my good friend, Latseen Benson, who is attending the U.S. Paralympic Team event this week. Enjoy yourself and know that I am very proud of you, Brother! I'll be routing for you!

Ride On!

Time To Boogie Back To Texas

Up this morning with plenty of rest and I believe it is time to head for the barn. I had a good day yesterday hanging out with Scott. We went over to Fredericksburg and had some awesome bbq at Allman's then after a tour of the town we stopped in at Capital Ale House for some Brooklyn Brown Ale and hamburgers. It was an early evening as I wanted to get rested up for the drive home. Via the Interstate Highway system it is roughly 1200 miles from door to door. I'm hoping to make 600 miles per day and with the freeway it should be possible.

Again I would like to thank everybody who helped out along the way. In particular I want to thank Woody Groton and the folks at Wounded Warrior Project. This being my first go at such a mission the Wounded Warrior Project was integral in carrying out the plan and I appreciate them helping me out with advice, lodging and logistics. I want to thank Toby Nunn and Soldiers' Angels who provided the TerraTrike and hp netbook thus allowing me to actually make the ride and also to keep in touch with my family and all of you. Thanks to Anthony Mulheron for the B.O.B. Trailer, which allowed me to ride totally self contained. Thanks go to the New Jersey State Police for the escort and the Fire Department New York City for taking such great care of me while I was in New York. Thanks also to all of you who provided gear, discounts on merchandise, assistance, meals, lodging and encouragement to successfully complete the mission.

Lastly, but certainly not in the least, I want to thank all of our Military Service Personnel without whom none of this would be possible. Thanks to their voluntary service to our Country we are able to travel freely without fear of taking small arms fire or being blown up by an IED. Every Freedom we enjoy is directly credited to those valiant Men and Women who choose to place themselves in harm's way. I will always remember this and will keep Them in the forefront of my heart and thoughts.

Ride On!

The Long Drive Home

I just can't say enough what a great journey it was all together. I saw some beautiful countryside and met some really great people. It is my honest wish that our mission was more successful than just a 1,642-mile bicycle ride from Houston, Texas to New York, New York. I hope that our efforts raised awareness of the fact that we, as a Nation, are at war right now; that we, as a nation, have Service Men and Women in harm's way right now protecting the Freedoms which many take for granted everyday. I hope that we raised awareness to the fact that we have over 31,000 War Wounded who need, and rightfully deserve, our continued support to make the transition from the battlefield back to civilian life. Their lives are forever changed but their quality of life need not suffer as a result of their sacrifice.

Yesterday was a strange day all the way around. I got packed up in short order as has been the norm for the last month. It is amazing how little we need to actually survive... our marketing engineers are doing a fantastic job, eh? At 1230hrs Cpt. Flaugherty gave me a ride from Ft. Hamilton over to Manhattan and, after a little difficulty at the UHaul office, I managed to get a truck secured. Cpt. Flaugherty & I wished each other well and he returned to his duties as a New York Firefighter, the best Fire Department in the World if you ask me.

I then pulled up Google Maps on my PDA, took a deep breath, pulled out into New York traffic and promptly got totally lost! Google Maps is great if you have a navigator! It was way too difficult to try and read the little screen, watch street signs, watch traffic and safely operate a vehicle without running over the multitude of pedestrians, cyclists and scooters. I felt like a real goombah trying to figure out where the heck I was. With all the tall buildings there is no horizon from which to get a bearing and I felt like rat in a little maze, which returned my thoughts to Douglass Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and I did a fairly good job of not panicking... :0) Somehow I ended up going through a tunnel and ended up in New Jersey. Trying to return the kind and friendly gentleman (bit of sarcasm there) in the little booth simply stated, "you can't go through here... you gotta use the Lincoln." When I tried to ask directions he promptly told me to shut up and pull over to the right. Then he radioed some other kind and friendly soul and simply said, "UHaul." Then a little gate opened and I pulled around to the right finding myself behind a shopping center with absolutely no idea where the hell I was. So, I pulled up Google Maps again and after a little guess work I headed south along the Jersey shoreline back to the Varazzano Bridge... luckily the Jersey side has few tall buildings and the Varazzano was gleaming on the horizon. Adding only about 5 miles to my trip back to Ft. Hamilton to recover my TerraTrike, B.O.B. and gear, I made it back at about 1400hrs.

I loaded my gear and wished the staff at the Hamilton Inn all the best. They treated us really great during our stay and are super friendly and professional. Then I rolled over to the c-store to top off with fuel and get some Mt. Dew and sunflower seeds for the ride to Dahlgren. I managed to find my way back over the Varazzano and, after getting robbed of $22 by another kind and friendly gentleman in a little booth, found my way to HWY 1 South and began my long ride home at about 1530hrs. I made Dahlgren at around 2100hrs and enjoyed an evening telling Scott about my adventures in New York City.

Today I'm going to hang out here and visit with Scott as we don't get to see each other too often these days. Tomorrow I will top off the tank and make way for Houston via our Interstate Freeway System. I'm sure the ride won't be quite as nice as cruising along the old State Highway system through small towns and picturesque countryside but, this rider wants to get on home to his family.

After 30 days on the road I am excited to return home to my loving Wife and children. I thank all of the Troops and their families for the sacrifice they make in chunks of 13 to 15 month durations. It was difficult enough on my family to navigate this single month and I understand how truly difficult it is on Military families to be apart for so long. Again, thank you all for your sacrifices... you know who you are.

Ride On!

9-11 and the End of My Mission, or, Just the Beginning

The last couple of days have carried with them a whole range of emotions. My thoughts wandered from seeing the events of the morning of 11September2001 unfold on the television, to the 343 FDNY Firefighters who paid the ultimate price doing their job, to the brave men and women of our U.S. Military Forces who voluntarily put themselves in harm's way to stop the cowardly and terroristic threats on our Country, to the 4,000+ deaths and 31,000+ wounded in Operation Enduring Freedom, to the some 2,800 deaths in the attack on the World Trade Center, Pentagon and the Shanksville, PA crash site, to the families of all of those who died. I thought of the American outcry on 9-11 and in the weeks following... and I thought of the short memories of Americans as people drove and strolled passed Fire Houses and Ground Zero hardly paying attention except to whatever was driving them for that day... even one New York paper had the exceptional lack of a moral compass as to put the opening of the NFL season on the front page and the 9-11 information and stories beginning on like page 20... Very sad in my eyes, but, that's America, right? I also witnessed a great number of New Yorkers and Americans from around the Country come to Ground Zero to pay their respects and to ponder the events of that fateful day.

I have been in the very capable hands of the FDNY Pipe and Drum Band all weekend. I have met some of the greatest guys I have ever met... true Heroes on the Home front. These guys volunteer for Band detail along with their jobs as Firefighters. And not only did they show me around and teach me some FDNY history and show me the sites, but they took me in and took care of me like one of their own... without hesitation. I am truly honored to have spent the events leading up to as well as those of 9-11 in their company and care.

Today I am fortunate enough to spend one last evening in NYC as I have been invited to the USS Intrepid for the last Band ceremony of the weekend. Tomorrow I will be loading up the U-Haul, thanks to U-Haul and the Wounded Warrior Project, and driving back to Texas with a few days to myself to think about my newly acquired friends, the War on Terror and where I fit in to all of this as an American. I would like to continue this ride annually in the years to come for the ultimate benefit of our Troops. With the continued support of great Americans like those who helped me complete this mission, I'm sure we can make a go of it. ESSAYONS!

Ride On!

Celebrate Our Freedom, Remember Those Who Provide(d) It

Here are a couple of very good clips that I want to share with y'all. The first is a compilation of pics to the song "I'm Proud To Be An American" by Lee Greenwood as a dedication to our Troops. It is a very moving song and coupled with the pics it is a very powerful motivator. I hope that it will bring to the forefront of your thoughts the fine men and women who serve our Country with Courage and Tenacity... our American Service Members.

The second is a return to Patton. It is a modern rendition based upon his famous speech upon entering into battle in WWII. Patton was a great leader and motivator of men. He is also very polarizing... you either love him or you hate him. I hope you enjoy this clip and find in it the motivation and fire to stand tall and back our brave and selfless Troopers who are voluntarily putting themselves in harm's way at this very moment to protect the Freedoms that we all enjoy in this Great Country.

And now that you are motivated, take the time to help Wounded Warrior Project support those Troops injured in battle return home to a great welcome and a good life. Please click HERE to donate to Wounded Warrior Project.

Enjoy the Ride!

I Made It

First off I want to thank all of you who helped get me started by providing equipment and encouragement. I'd also like to thank all the folks who supported me along the way providing lodging, money, food, encouragement and other support. Lastly, but certainly not in the least, I want to thank the New Jersey State Police and the New York Fire Department for getting me safely across those final few miles. Without any one of you at any key moment this entire mission may have not been completed successfully. Thank you all for all of the support!

Yesterday went by so fast and so much happened that it is difficult to put it all straight in my head this morning. I left out of Bensalem, PA and headed for New Brunswick, NJ for a short 43 mile ride and the last day before reaching New York, my final destination. I stopped down the block from the hotel to get some gatorade and ice and spent 40 minutes talking with folks about the mission and the area. After getting rolling again I found that I was entirely within urban environment now and to my pleasure I found that I was still following PA Bike Route E. Folks waved and cheered as I pedaled past and it made me feel pretty good about what I had accomplished.

About and hour up the road I stopped in Fairless Hills at a 7-11 for a snack and a Mt Dew. There the owner provided me with a multitude of snacks, a sandwich and water for my efforts. Thank you very much for the support. I also met Craig, a local vendor with a colorful and long history in the area. His dad was a UDT SEAL and he had a number of really awesome stories of his growing up in the area. Craig provided me with an entire box full of snack bags of nuts, 4 bags of beef jerky and a really cool grill lighter that is a miniature M-16! Thank you very much for the support and kind words of encouragement. I wish you the best Craig! I then met an Army Veteran from Iraq who's brother is now serving in Afghanistan. He is attending the local community college under the GI Bill and plans on going on to a university when he finishes.

While at the rest stop I checked my messages and found an urgent message from Woody Groton at Wounded Warrior Project to call Lynda Thomson with the NY Fire Department, which I did. I found out quickly that Lynda is a ball of fire and very, very good at her job. She coordinated with the NJ State Police to have me ferried across NJ to Staten Island, NY because of the insane traffic and concern for my safety and well being. After having pedaled 1,642 miles I was not going to baulk at having a little help from some friends in completing the mission... and what friends to have! In coordinating with Lynda and Sgt Michie of the NJSP we decided that I would meet the State Troopers at the Calhoun Street Bridge on the PA-NJ State Line so I jumped on the TerraTrike for one last run about 14 miles up the road.

At the bridge I was met by Trooper DeJesus and his partner, whose name escapes me and I sincerely apologize (please leave a comment below with your name so I can thank you properly). We loaded the TerraTrike, B.O.B., gear and me into the van and off we went down the NJ Turnpike with lights rolling! What a ride! I found out that Trooper Dejesus had been Army National Guard and ETS'd only because he had been accepted into the NJ State Police Academy, another very important job in the State of New Jersey and the United States. He was very good at his job and I found out later that he and his partner had volunteered to stay after their shift in order to escort me safely across the city. Thanks a bunch, guys! I appreciate the help and support. Keep up the great work and I hope y'all nail the dude in the old truck with all the dope!

The State Troopers handed me off to Lt Rodriguez and Fireman Capecci at the base of the bridge at Staten Island and again I found myself in the capable hands of brave and courageous men. We crossed the bridge and Capecci pointed towards Manhattan and I could see Battery Park and the big hole where the World Trade Center Towers used to stand. We talked of 9-11 and of my mission. They dropped me at the hotel on Ft. Hamilton safe and sound. Thank you very much guys! I feel honored to have met you both. Keep up the great work and be safe out there.

I got checked in and enjoyed a very nice, very long hot shower. Later Lynda and Capecci returned and we went to dinner at a little place down the road in Brooklyn and had blue cheese hamburgers and pecan pie. Lynda hooked me up with Cpt Flaugherty who I will be hanging out with over the next couple of days along with Lynda whom I will accompany to a dinner this evening. It was an awesome day all the way around!

This weekend I will be accompanying NYFD to many events and ceremonies honoring those who gave all on 11 September 2001. It is truly an honor to be in such great company. I will be quite busy I'm sure so keep up with me on Twitter and I will update here as I can. Please keep in your heart and thoughts our Troops who are placing themselves in harm's way for our sake at this very moment. Also, please remember the brave and courageous Firemen who gave everything on 9-11. ESSAYONS!