Days 20 - 22: NYC to Niagara Falls

July 15, 2014

Two days ago, my wife Eiko drove up to Niagara Falls from NYC to stay with Sho and Saya while I drove to Whippany, NJ to give a speech at a conference.  After weeks of cycling, it felt strange to be in a car, separated from the passing terrain and animals in my protected capsule. I appreciate the efficient travel, but I missed the sense of connection that comes from seeing the world from a bike saddle.

On my drive, I stopped by the EconoLodge in Syracuse to pick up Eiko's bicycle, which we stored a week ago.  Eiko had cycled with us from NYC to Syracuse from June 24 to July 5, then took a train back home to return to work.  The train didn't allow bicycles, so we stored hers to pick up later.  Here's a picture of Chirag, the manager at the motel who kindly let us keep Eiko's bicycle there.  

I gave a keynote at the Public Relations & Communications Summit at Bayer's headquarters in Whippany, NJ.  

My speech was entitled, "Being Adventurous!" and I encouraged the audience to challenge their limits, using anecdotes from the cycling trips I've taken around the world with my kids.  I also told them about my plans to guide Dan Berlin, who lost his vision to cone rod dystrophy, on a 46-mile run across the Grand Canyon.  I'm inspired by people like Dan, who don't give up in the face of adversity.  Here are pics with Karen Carolonza and Bryon Main, the awesome people who organized the conference:

 

After the conference, I returned to Niagara Falls, where we said goodbye to Eiko.  

Sho, Saya and I resume cycling tomorrow (Wed, July 16).  Here are some farewell photos from the Falls:

Day 19: NYC to Niagara Falls

July 12, 2014

We're half way done!!  Sho, Saya and I reached Niagara Falls today after cycling about 450 miles from New York City.  

Sho and Saya (with flower)

Saya decided to take a nap as we took what was supposed to be an iconic photo from this ride...

Earlier today, we met Bob Kirby, who stopped to chat while on a double century (200-mile) ride.  He expected to finish around 10 p.m.  That's a tough feat, and Bob told me that he weighed something like 300 pounds a year or two ago.  Respect.

Bob Kirby and I

I have to interrupt this trip for two days to give a speech at a conference in Whippany, New Jersey.  Eiko drove up to Niagara Falls and will spend two days with Sho and Saya while I'm at the conference.  Sho and Saya were happy to see their mommy!

Eiko will return to NYC on Tuesday, and Sho, Saya and I will resume cycling on Wednesday, July 16.  We expect to reach NYC by the end of the month.

Days 16 - 18: NYC to Niagara Falls

July 9 - 11, 2014

Before talking about our ride, I'd like to say goodbye to John Seigenthaler, who died yesterday at age 86.  I had the honor of appearing on his show, "A Word on Words" in a 30-minute interview about my book Rising Son.  Always encouraging people to improve themselves, he finished every show with "Keep reading!"  Growing up in Mr. Seigenthaler's hometown of Nashville, Tennessee, I heard all about his fascinating life and accomplishments.  As a young reporter sent to cover an imminent suicide attempt, he saved the man from jumping off the bridge, which was subsequently named after Seigenthaler.  He was a confidant of the Kennedy family in the 1960's, worked for Robert Kennedy when he was Attorney General in JFK's administration, and was at the forefront of supporting the Civil Rights movement.  The Tennesseean Newspaper, which Seigenthaler ran for many years, wrote an extensive piece about his remarkable life.  It ends, fittingly, with Seigenthaler's favorite quote from Bobby Kennedy: "Few will have the greatness to bend history, but each of us can work to change small events, and those acts can write the history of our generation."

I mentioned in my last post that I would give the kids a day off from cycling to play at the Seabreeze Amusement Park in Rochester, NY.  We had a lot of fun.  Near the end of the day, the sky blackened, and it began to rain.  I asked the kids if we should go home, but Saya, who has cycled through her fair share of storms, said, "A little rain isn't going to stop us from having fun!"

While in Rochester, we stopped by yellow haus bicycles to say hello to Alex Wirth.  Alex commented on our blog two weeks ago and invited us to stop by when we rode through town.  He's a good guy.  If you visit Rochester, make sure to check out his shop.

People sometimes worry that cycling so many miles might be too much to ask of a 13-year-old and 7-year-old.  But every time we take a break from riding, Sho and Saya grab the soccer ball for an impromptu game.  Clearly, these kids aren't getting enough exercise...

Cycling along the Erie Canal offers many opportunities to see local animals.  Here's Saya with a family of ducks passing by:

More soccer fun next to our tent, which we set up by the Erie Canal in Holley, NY:

Saya catching our dinner:

While camping, we met a group of cyclists on a ride organized by the Adventure Cycling Association (ACA).  This hardy crew is following the Northern Tier route across the United States and expect to reach the Pacific Ocean on September 15.  

I chatted for a while with Zoe, the tour leader.  She was a lot of fun, and I was sorry to say goodbye.  

Since we live in NYC, my kids rarely get to play with fire.  By that all changes when we camp out.  They compete to see who can collect the best firewood, and they've learned how to arrange the wood to allow oxygen to flow.  I've also taught them the most important part: how to keep from starting a forest fire when you leave the camping area.  The trick is to pour water over the ash, even if you think the fire has completely burned out.

Sho and Saya know how to press each other's buttons and regularly bicker, as all siblings do.  But they also share a lot of love.  I hope these bike trips help to create a loving bond that will last for the rest of their lives. 

Day 15: NYC to Niagara Falls

July 8, 2014

Today's highlight was our visit to Lollypop Farm, which is run by the Humane Society of Greater Rochester.  It's an open-admissions shelter that accepts "all animals that come through our doors."  Nearly 100 staff care for about 11,000 homeless animals each year.

We saw cats, dogs, rabbits, guinea pigs, mice, Vietnamese pot-bellied pigs, llamas, goats, horses and more.  Sho and Saya were in heaven!

As we cycled into Rochester in the mid-afternoon, a major thunderstorm moved in.  We were pounded by heavy rain, which is nothing new and usually won't keep us from riding, but when I saw lightening, we immediately took shelter.  We got a room in a Holiday Inn Express, where we dried off and watched Germany dominate Brazil in the World Cup semi-finals.  While the storm raged outside, we saw a different kind of storm on the soccer field.  7 - 1??  My goodness...

I decided to give Sho and Saya a break from cycling tomorrow and will take them to Seabreeze amusement park in Rochester.  Saya said, "After all the bike riding we've done, we sooo deserve this."  You do, kid.

Days 13 - 14 NYC to Niagara Falls

July 6 - 7, 2014

My favorite part of these bike trips with my kids is meeting cool people, and we met a bunch over the past two days.  Here we are with Sam Deb, who owns the Solvay Super Saver with his dad.  It's on the corner of Milton Avenue and West End Drive in Solvay, NY, just west of Syracuse.  We bought a tasty lunch there, and Sam treated us to free Gatorade out of respect for our long trip.  Cool dude running a good store -- go there.  

We also met Steve Myrto, who lives near the Erie Canal Trail.  He and his son hung out with us for a while, telling us about the surrounding area and showing off the remains of an impressive snapping turtle Steve found by the canal.  He covered the turtle with rocks until it was dried out and ready to take home.  Steve gave Saya two of its claws as souvenirs.

And here is Cord Schoemann from Bremen, Germany, who is cycling solo from NYC to Chicago.  From there, he plans to drive out west with a friend and cycle in Wyoming and beyond.  It's an excellent way to explore the U.S.

Since the TV news segment aired two nights ago, many strangers have approached us, usually saying something like, "Hey, you're that family we saw on TV!"  Several told me how much they wanted to spend more time with their kids, but struggle to balance this desire with the need to make money.  There's no easy solution to this age-old problem.  Although one farmer told me, "It's simple.  Just have 'em work with you on the farm."  I expected a few naysayers to question my judgment, but to my relief, everyone we spoke with praised our trip and the roadkill project we're working on.

Speaking of which, we've documented dozens of dead animals so far.  Saya felt sorry for a rabbit we came across this morning that had been killed by a car.  She laid flowers around the animal and gave it an impromptu eulogy.  

I know some people may find it strange that we are documenting roadkill, but I think it's a worthwhile project.  People really can reduce the number of animals killed, not to mention a lot of car accidents, with some simple re-designs of roads.  Also, I think it's valuable for my kids to pay attention to and care about the animals that die as we humans rush around.  For me, this project has served as a reminder to slow down and appreciate the beauty that lies all around.

And we've been enjoying a lot of beauty along the Erie Canal, often stopping to appreciate the birds that sing to us as we ride.

We also play "I spy" to pass the time.  Here's an "I spy" game for you: in this picture, can you spot the soccer ball that Sho just kicked?  Hint: it's headed straight for you, and its shadow is even visible.  

"I spy" game #2: try to find the Great Blue Heron in this photo.  Hint: it's near the water and far away.  This was as much of a close-up as I could get with an iPhone...

We slept last night in our tent in the Montezuma National Wildlife Refuge.  When I mentioned our plans to a local, he said, "The mosquitos down there are the size of a small dog."  That was an exaggeration, but there were many, they were persistent, and they sure did get our attention.

We took refuge in our tent.

We got rained on this morning, but took it in stride.

And, after days of persistent requests, Saya finally got her wish: a stylin' fishing rod.  Life is good.

Day 12: NYC to Niagara Falls

July 5, 2014

Our NYC to Niagara Falls cycling adventure and roadkill project were just featured in a television news story on CNY Central, the local NBC and CBS affiliate in Syracuse, NY.  Check it out here:

http://www.cnycentral.com/news/story.aspx?id=1066525#.U7isvSiVcrw

Here are some action shots from our interview with CNY Central reporter Alex Resila.  I was impressed by how quickly he was able to write an article about our trip and put together the television segment.  He interviewed us in the mid-afternoon, and his work was ready to go live just a few hours later.

The day started off on a sad note, as we said goodbye to my wife Eiko, who took an Amtrak train back to NYC to return to work.  She was an excellent travel companion over the past twelve days, and I'll miss her company.  I was impressed by how well she managed cycling many hours a day -- she just got stronger as the trip went on.  She also handled with grace the various forms of discomfort that come with a ride of this magnitude, including far too many mosquito bites.  Instead of wearing bug spray, I just stand next to Eiko, and the mosquitos all prefer her.  I'm not complaining, but it's almost insulting.  Do I smell that bad?  Here are photos of Sho and Saya saying goodbye: 

Sho, Saya and I decided to take our first rest day of the trip in order to explore Syracuse, starting with the Erie Canal Museum.  As we've cycled along the Erie Canal over the past week, I've gained a greater appreciation for the major impact this engineering feat had on the United States.  The museum included an interesting film describing the history of the canal and exhibits that explain, among other things, how a lift lock works.  If you don't know, it's essentially a water elevator that allows boats to move through a canal with varying water levels.  Very cool.

The best part of our cycling trips is meeting cool people.  Saya made friends with Melissa, who works at the museum and was very kind to kids and adults alike!

We also watched two separate World Cup soccer games (congratulations Argentina and Netherlands!) at "J. Ryan's Pub" and "Small Plates."  I recommend both establishments as excellent places to hang out for anyone visiting Syracuse. 

** Fabulous Gifts **

If you'd like to support our ride and receive some exciting rewards, please go to:  http://familyadventureguy.mydagsite.com/

Day 11: NYC to Niagara Falls

July 4, 2014

We cycled today about 40 miles from Rome to Syracuse, NY.  It was cloudy and cool, but unlike yesterday, rain never came.  As we pedaled out of Rome, we passed the beautiful Mohawk River:

Saya was in a good mood...

... especially when we stopped to look at her favorite animal:

Sometimes we cycled on roads with a broad shoulder.  Other times, we rode on the Erie Canal Trail:

Saya practiced being melodramatic:

And we met members of the Erieville Bicycle Club (http://erievillebicycleclub.com/) out for a ride to celebrate Independence Day.  They were very cool, rode with us for a while and, after hearing about our ride, made us honorary members of their club!