We Did It!

 

Well, the day has finally arrived and our adventure across America has come to an end.  We made it to the Atlantic Ocean on the 4th of August at 1200 on a beautiful New Hampshire day.  3,629 miles and Kelli and I are proud to say we biked Every Fantastic Inch!  For the last couple of miles we had a police escort and a group of cheering friends and family.  The beach was busy with vacationers and locals enjoying the beautiful day.  They were all very surprised when 55 cyclist came cheering to the beach with their bikes and cameras, dipping their front wheels in the Atlantic and even going for a swim.  It was a great day and I still can’t believe our adventure is over.  I still feel the desire to get on my bike and ride, but all great things must come to and end. 

 

 

I can’t express how much Kelli and I appreciate the support everyone has given us.  We couldn’t have done this without the support of all of you and your encouraging words.  Some of you have asked what was the best part of our adventure and I can say without hesitation that it was meeting the amazing men and women that biked across America with us.  There were so many amazing stories of triumph and tragedy that I feel truly blessed to have met every single one of the staff and riders on this trip.  The most beautiful part of the trip for me came when we climbed the Grand Tetons of Western Wyoming.  For Kelli, riding through the Black Hills of South Dakota.  There were so many special moments on our trip that I can’t pick out just one moment that made the greatest impact.  All I can say is that this trip has changed Kelli and me for the rest of our lives. 

 

 

Semper Fidelis.

One Day Left!

 

Today we arrived in Manchester, New Hampshire and are just one day away from reaching our goal of riding across America.  We were a little worried about the weather this morning but it ended up being a gorgeous day with onle one spot of rain for the lead riders. 

 

 

We spent most of the day talking about how close we were to the end of our adventure and all the moments we have had.  We remember the fact that just 49 days before we were riding out of Astoria Oregon with logging trucks cruising only inches from our bike.  Then we remembered riding up to and pass Mount Hood and the Grand Tetons of Wyoming.  The high desert, grasslands, and farm lands of the Mid West just melted into each other with clear skies and fair weather.  The Great Lakes were amazing and of course the Niagara Falls were a great treat and welcome into the northeast.  This trip has truly been a once in a lifetime experience and even though Kelli and I drained our finances to do this trip it was worth every penny for the memories and friendships we have gained through each pedal stroke. 

 

 

Our last night with the America By Bicycle crew was a four hour program of group skits and songs and the staff and group members saying there goodbyes and memories of the last 49 days on the bike.  It was an emotional evening with heart felt memories and hilarious skits and songs provided by a group of riders.  I feel truly blessed that I have been able to have this experience and to share it with Kelli.  I was lucky to make it out of my two combat deployments to Iraq without a scratch even though IEDs found themselves in both in front of me and behind me.  Obviously close friends and many other service members were not as lucky as I and I vow to live my life to the fullest to earn the freedom and security they paid so dearly to protect. 

Thank you so much for your support and for sharing this once in a life time experience with Kelli and me.  We have one more day left before reaching the Atlantic Ocean and the realization of our goal of riding across America on our bicycles. 

Semper Fidelis.

Our Inspiration

We’ve added a page titled ‘Our Inspiration’ that you can click to the right to give you more information as to why we chose to raise money for the Semper Fi Fund. As many of you know, our friend Andy Robinson was injured in an IED attack in Iraq two years ago and he continues to be a source of inspiration for us. Andy recently sent us a comment saying he wants to do the cross country ride with us in the future – Andy, if you’re reading this we’re up for the challenge (even if we have to do it in stages )!!

Semper Fidelis 

Itinerary With Dates

Hey everybody! I’ve updated the itinerary so you can actually see the dates of where we’re going to be when. Click on the link to the ritle titled ‘Itinerary With Dates’ to see the day, date, location, and daily mileage of our trip. You know, we’re putting this up here because we expect to see as many people as possible on the road!! We will need the extra motivation of seeing our friends and families faces to get through this. See you on the road!!

Subscribe!

You can now get email updates sent to you automatically by clicking on the link to the right titled ‘Subscribe to Kelli and Nathan Bike Across America!! by Email’.