The Grand Finale!

Sincere apologies to those of you who have been faithfully following our blog for the past 3-ish months. In the excitement and anticipation of the final week of the tour, we neglected to find a computer with internet capabilities… which has left you all wondering, “did they finish?”, “did they get swallowed up in the hills of Pennsylvania?”, “did they decide it wasn’t worth the trouble, pack up, and go home 175 miles short of their destination?”…. Well the good news is that we did in fact make it. The other good news is that we FINALLY have pictures. There is so very much to tell so we’ll go through this past week day by day-

Monday, 8-18: Jonathan and Jenny celebrate their first wedding anniversary while in Jonathan’s home town of Dillsburg, PA. He had a great time showing her the finer points of the greater Harrisburg area, which (of course) included a trip to Chocolate World in Hershey, PA. They had planned to celebrate their anniversary on their bikes, so this was a wonderful surprise. The other big excitement is that our long-lost driver, Autumn, returned to us after her hiatus of wedding attending and friends visiting. We were happy to finally be a whole team again as we got ready for the final stretch.

Tuesday, 8-19: This was the day of the reception at the American Lung Association office in Camp Hill, PA. It was another no-bike day technically, although we did bike about a quarter of a mile in Camp Hill, PA in order to make a grand entrance. Unused to receiving so much attention, we were all smiling sheepishly as we pulled in to the sight of a small crowd cheering and holding up a welcome banner amidst reporters and TV cameras. After some quick greetings, Jonathan spoke to media (and later appeared on the evening news of two different stations!), and then we all headed inside. Our good friend at the ALA, Chris Gow put together a fantastic event with great food, the chance to tell some of our favorite stories, and recognize a few of the many people who have made our efforts so successful thus far. We then went to visit our friends at Holmes Cycling (also in Camp Hill) to get a bit of a bike tune-up and say thanks again for all their help. Holmes is the company who helped us choose and order our bikes and equipment. They have been and continue to be so helpful and friendly.

Wednesday, 8-20: By Wednesday we were all itching to put in some miles, so we left Dillsburg and drove the 20 minutes down to Heidlersburg where we’d left off several days before. Thankfully, the steep and winding terrain of the Appalachian Mountains had subsided and we were able to weave our way through the cornfields with ease. We passed through the cities of York and Lancaster, and crossed over one of the widest parts of the Susquehanna River. Our “lunch” break was at a mall in Lancaster where we stopped at an Eastern Mountain Sports store to stock up on bike tubes and a few other necessities. Beyond Lancaster (on route 896) we found ourselves in the heart of Amish country. The afternoon and evening were sunny and cool as we rode past sprawling farms and horse drawn buggies and wagons. Beautiful and surreal. When the sun started to set, we stopped in the little town of Christiana, PA (70 miles from Heidlersburg) where we convinced the local police to let us camp in their park. Dinner was at Pasquale’s Pizza where Mr. Pasquale himself served as our dinnertime entertainment. He had a thick Italian accent and pleanty to talk about. Before we left, we had all been gifted with Pasquale’s Pizza pens and 2008 NFL calendars.

Thursday, 8-21: On the 21st we crossed the border into Delaware, our 12th and final state! The wealth in Delaware was apparent almost immediately in the sprawling housing developments, filled with enormous houses. In Newark, we rode through the lovely campus of the University of Delaware and then onto Route 9, which wound us through rural DE… although the housing developments remained. The whole day we were all straining our necks to the left, searching for blue on the horizon. Alas, the blue we saw, at least during the 82 miles we did on the 21st, was the Delaware River- bordered on the other side by New Jersey. Our last night of camping was in Killins Pond State Park, near Frederica. We cooked our favorite camp site meal and Autumn made a valiant attempt at S’more Cake…. Tasty… but not really cake at all. We then crawled into our tents and Carrie read from her journal what we’d been up to on this night one and two months ago. A fitting grand finale.

Friday, 8-22: From Frederica, we rode 30 miles down wild and crazy Route 1 into the heart of Rehoboth Beach, DE. We met Autumn in one of the many Tanger Outlet parking lots and feasted on Subway, courtesy of Carrie’s grandmother. By then, Jenny’s mom and step dad had arrived from Maine so we visited them for a few hours and took showers in their hotel room. For the nights of the 22nd and 23rd we had arranged to stay with the grandmother of one of Jonathan’s co-workers, Meghan. Again we were amazed by the generosity and hospitality of strangers as we arrived in Ocean View and met the lovely and talented Mimi. Mimi is a beautiful person, inside and out… and her house overlooking the bay is stunning. We could not have asked for a more wonderful place to spend our last few nights together and Mimi tried her hardest to fatten us up with Grotto’s pizza and two amazing breakfasts.

Saturday, 8-23: We all awoke on Saturday like kids on Christmas morning… wildly anticipating the events of the day ahead of us. After a delicious breakfast we put on our home-tiedyed ALA- Steps for Stanley T-shirts and headed for Lewes. A few short miles on our bikes and we found ourselves pulling into Zewaandel Park where a huge group of friends, family, ALA representatives, media and local anti-smoking groups. There was a lovely ceremony to welcome and congratulate us. Guests of honor included Mayor Ford of Lewes, as well as the CEO and the vice president of the American Lung Association, and our princess of PR, Bridget. After a few minutes of meeting and greeting, we were wisked away by police escort, to Cape Henlopen State Park (about a 2 mile bike ride) where we took off our shoes and wove through the crowds on the beach. It was a blur of excitement and activity as we dipped our front tires, and then ourselves in the salty water of the Atlantic Ocean. Many beach goers came up and asked who the crazy people with their bikes in the ocean were. After a sparkling cider toast and many many pictures, we made our way off the beach. We couldn’t have asked for a better ending.

Here are a few pictures we scraped together. There are many more that we’ll be able to post when we get home and sort out our cameras. Check again please!

Pittsburgh

Thank you all for your concern over Jonathan's health. The day after I posted the last post, his fever broke and we were able to head out to lake Michigan for one final day of cycling. We camped right on the lake which was absolutely beautiful. The water was warm and the waves were huge... it was absolutely perfect after a day on our bikes. The next day we were in the van, on our way back down to Ohio. 160-ish miles later, we arrived in Cranberry Township, Pennsylvania where we are now staying with Jonathan's brother and sister in law. Cranberry Twp is right outside Pittsburgh where we are scheduled to have a media appearance or two to get the word out. Speaking of that, while in Chicago we were featured in the Northbrook Star newspaper... check it out! While here in Pittsburgh, we are also hoping to check out some of the city's bike paths for fun. We will then be moving on to central PA.
I was on the phone with my mother yesterday and she said "see you next weekend in Delaware." I was shocked to realize that in less than two weeks this whole journey will be complete. It's hard to fathom how such a long trip can end so quickly and I think we are all craving to see the Atlantic Ocean and simultaneously dreading it. This is our final push, both in terms of cycling and fundraising, make every step count!

Still in MICHIGAN

Greetings from Spring Lake, Michigan. Since the last time we updated we have done quite a bit of visiting and not all that much cycling... but that's about to change. While Jonathan and I (Jen) were participating in wedding weekend festivities with our friends Jon and Erica, Carrie had a chance to take a ferry over to Green Bay, WI to spend time with her friends Kelsy and Noah. She was back in western Michigan in time to attend the wedding (which was, by the way, spectacular). We then spent a night with my grandma in Holland and were surprised to find my mom had come to visit and wish us well. As is our custom, we ate everything in sight and then moved on --with grateful stomachs. Sunday night we found ourselves on the fringes of a nasty lightning storm, and once again God provided in the form of our friends Kyle and Bethany who generously offered a safe place to sleep. Unfortunately Jonathan has come down with a nasty fever and has not been able to get out of bed for the past few days. Luckily he has a bed to stay in at my other grandma's house here in Spring Lake. We had planned to camp on the beach next to Lake Michigan these past few nights and enjoy the well groomed bike paths of the greater-Holland area to make up some miles we will be traveling through in Ohio... but we all agree that if somebody had to get sick, this was definitely the time and place to do it. Meanwhile, Carrie and I have been putting down some miles between Spring Lake and Lake Michigan (about 50 miles per day) to keep our legs loose and prepare ourselves for the Appalachian mountains waiting for us in Pennsylvania... ouch.
In other sad news, we have left our beloved driver Autumn at her home in Grand Blanc, MI. She has some business to attend to, as well as a wedding. We will miss her.... really really realllllllly miss her until she re-joins us in central PA. Sigh.
As far as schedule goes, we will be in Pittsburgh for media on the 11th and 12th, central PA (Dillsburg/ Camp Hill area) for an American Lung Association event on the 19th, and then on to the Cape Henlopen/ Lewes, Delaware area for the BIG par-tay on the 23rd. All are welcome, please email stepsforstanley@gmail.com if you'd like more information. We're getting so close we can hardly believe it... who knew such a long trip could fly by so quickly.
We are really sorry about the lack of pictures. Thus far we have been posting them through Autumn's computer... and we no longer have Autumn or her computer. There will be a large posting when we reunite, and we will try to figure out some other way in the meantime.
Thank you again for all of your support, prayers and well wishes. Please continue to make every step count!

UPDATE UPDATE UPDATE!!!!

When last we left our heroes they were in Maquoketa Iowa. Ok, heroes may be a bit much but it does allow for a neat intro. We woke in Maquoketa to yet another hot and humid morning. We greatly enjoyed the air conditioning the night before and hoped that the weather reports were true that the humidity was supposed to drop in the not so distant future. We started working our way east and as we got closer to the Mississippi River we began to notice some of the flood damage that the area received. Everybody we talked to in the area told us that there is a lot more damage further south but that we would be ok to cross over into Savanna IL. Because of the flooding the normal flow of barges up and down the river had been halted for a little while. At points along our route we would see twenty to thirty barges lined up along the banks of the river waiting to be moved to points south. Our first night in Illinois was in the town of Oregon. Oregon is 82 miles east of Maquoketa. We stayed at the White Pines State Park and experienced a bit of rain during the night. Thankfully our tent covers did their job in keeping us nice and dry. From Oregon we headed 54 miles east to the town of Saint Charles. St. Charles is located just west of Chicago. From there we used our van Jane to get us to Northbrook where we spent the next two nights with the Zorn family. Carrie knew the Zorns because she went to graduate school with Papa and Mama Zorn's daughter Shanon. We had a wonderful stay and enjoyed the fact we had a roof over our heads when it rained the evening we arrived and most of the next day. Our second day in the Chicago area we had a photographer from the Northbrook times come in the morning and photograph all of us for an article about what we are doing. Early in the afternoon we went to have an interview at the Chicago Philippine Channel 48 tv station. We were all interviewed by Veronica Leighton. We were told that they have a viewing audience of 8 million people. Not to shabby for a tv station if you ask me.
When the time came for us to head out of Chicago we were advised to do our best to stay out of the city when we were on our bikes. Taking the advise we headed south to the town of Emington, which is located due south of St. Charles, and continued our trek east. We crossed in to Indiana on Sunday the 20th and spent the night in the town of Morocco. The next morning we met with Sandra a reporter for the Lowell Tribune and had a wonderful interview complete with pictures and breakfast. I must take the time to note that Sandra was not only kind enough to come down to see and interview us but she also bought us all breakfast. Thank you Sandra!! After the interview the weather was really poor and we didn't get going until late in the evening. We found ourselves in the town of Lagro IN that night and stayed at the Salamonie River State Park. We had some neighbors who were less than quiet but as time when on sleep got the best of them.
Tuesday the 22nd we crossed over the Ohio border and spent our first night in the town Payne. The pastor of one of the local churches graciously allowed us to stay on their property and even kept the church open for us so that we could use the bathroom and get out of the rain if we needed to. While it didn't rain that night we were visited by at least 8 fright trains. But, by this time all of us are for the most part able to fall right back to sleep when a train passes by. On Wednesday the 23rd we headed 74 miles to the town of Bowling Green. The weather was wonderful, it was nice to have a cool breeze and lots of shade. From Bowling Green we headed to Autumns house near Flushing MI. The group of us will be spending the next few days in MI. Jenny and I (Jonathan) are in a wedding on the 2nd of August. We are ahead of schedule but are not complaining that we can have a little bit of rest. We all are going to make sure we keep on our bikes each day so that when we get back into the swing of things we are not back to square one with conditioning.
There will be pictures posted very soon. Thank you all so much for your support. Keep spreading the word. We may have some more media opportunities in Pittsburgh. We will keep you posted.

You really ought to give Iowa a try... in December

Hello from Maquoketa, Iowa!
This is our third night in the lovely state of Iowa where tiger lillies grow abundantly on the roadside, red wing blackbirds scream persistently at harmless cyclists, hills appear out of nowhere, and the smell of manure follows you wherever you go. Iowa is hotter than.... many hot places. Although the endless corn fields are beautiful, we've found it hard to see though the sweat dripping into our eyes. The humidity and high temperatures have kept us stuck to the tops of our sleeping bags at night and puffy eyed when we crawl out of our tents in the morning. The sunsets and sunrises are stunning though, and we can't seem to get pictures that do them justice. Sunday night we stayed in New Albin, right on the Minnesota- Iowa border. From there it was 82 miles to Elkport--- a town that reports a population of 88, but we couldn't figure out were they hid the other 85 of them. Today was the first time we attempted the early morning ride, getting up at 5:30 to escape some of the afternoon heat. The Pizza Factory in Farley, IA as well as not one but TWO public libraries hosted our smelly selves from 10 until about 3. Oh for the love of air conditioning! After a total of 92 miles, we are ever so thankful to be enjoying the air conditioning at the Super 8 Motel and looking forward to a wonderful night's sleep.

Tomorrow (July 17th) is the annual Steps For Stanley luncheon at the Outback Steakhouse in Harrisburg, PA. We wish we could be there to thank all the attendees in person but are excited that it has gotten bigger and better each year and tomorrow should be no different. Thank you all so much for your support, thoughts, and prayers!

Land-o-Lakes...

Greetings from St. Paul, Minnesota! We hope this blog finds everyone well, let us start by continuing to thank you all for following our progress and for your support on our journey, we would not be able to do what we are doing without you all! Since last we wrote we reluctantly left our dear friends in Fargo, ND and have crossed yet another state line into Minnesota. The weather has been a bit of a challenge this past week. We encountered some of our first thunderstorms of the season believe it or not on Tuesday in Eagle Lake, MN. Fortunately we were able to visit with Dani's Grandma and were spoiled once again with more food than any one human could  consume, warm beds, and plenty of fun filled water sports. For those who do not know Eagle Lake apparently is one of only two lakes in the world which have fresh water coral in them, the other being somewhere in Australia. The water needless to say was crystal clear and has a visibility of its sandy floors of up to 23 feet. Positively gorgeous. So needless to say it was not difficult for our arms to be twisted and for us to spend the day near the lake. This week we crossed the 2000 mile marker and are well on our way towards reaching the Atlantic on our scheduled date of August 23rd. Friday and Saturday brought some pretty nasty thunderstorms through the area but again we were blessed and were able to stay with Carrie's family in Oakdale, MN and fiddled around the mall of America on Saturday. The remainder of our time in Minnesota looks promising with cooler temperatures, and less humidity and rain. Our next scheduled day off will be in Chicago, (Northbrook style) IL at the Zorn household on July 18th. We have about 550 or so miles to cover in the next 7 days but we are all eager to get back on the biking schedule... weather permitting. Thanks to all who sent packages this last round, we should be picking them up in the very near future at the post office in Wabasha. We promise to post at least one more drop for those who are interested. Please continue to spread the word to all of your family and friends, we are all out here having a great time but we are doing it for the cause and for those who are unable to do so! Until next time....

Quick Mail Drop Update

We should be at the location of our next mail drop in Wabasha, Minnesota by Thursday or Friday. The address is a few posts down. Thanks again for all your care and support!

Fargo for the Fourth!

Happy Fourth of July!... yesterday. We have taken not one but two days to rest here in lovely Fargo, North Dakota in celebration of Independence day.  We're staying with Jen's friends Dani and Greg who have been incredibly generous and so much fun to spend time with.  We arrived here on the evening of the third to a dinner of home made chicken tacos and showers and comfy places to sleep all around. On the fourth we spent a lazy morning eating doughnuts and drinking coffee, then went to a movie and celebrated our nation's independence with Italian food and a fire works to follow.  Today was errand running, mid-day ice cream eating, lazing around the house, and feasting at The Pizza Ranch.  We also all (yes, all 6 of us) went for a run!  Although Jen hasn't even seen Dani in 6 years, we all feel like old friends.  It has truly been such a great time. But we'll be back on the road tomorrow, on our way to the Atlantic. 

Since our last update we have been speeding through North Dakota at a pace that is surprising, even to us.  Last week we did our second and third century (100 mile) days back to back.  The terrain is much flatter and easier to travel, especially when you have a van full of food waiting for you halfway through the day.  Since Parshall where Autumn last updated, we've stayed in the (very) small towns of Towner, Warwick, and Hope.  While in Towner, we met the father-son team of Peter and Jim who are cycling from Seattle to Minnesota, then Jim will continue on to New Hampshire.  They joined us for spaghetti and then cooked us some amazing oatmeal the next morning.  Whenever we do something we feel especially proud of (such as riding 100 miles in a day), really wonderful people like Peter and Jim come along and humble us with their tales of ABSOLUTELY no rest days since Seattle and 100+ days more often than not.  They have our utmost respect and well wishes.  There were so many mosquitos in Warwick that we opted to spend the evening eating pizza in the bar/ restaurant/ liquor store where we met some friendly locals, one of whom handed us fifty dollars for the Steps for Stanley fund as he walked out.  ...So great to encounter such generosity and enthusiasm for the cause in unexpected ways.  Hope was a friendly little town where we were allowed to use the bathrooms and showers at the local pool after it had closed for the night.  They were freeeeeeezing cold, but it was still a treat.

North Dakota was stunningly beautiful (and VERY windy) in the west, flat and uneventful in the middle, and has ended with the biggest city we have seen thus far in our travels.  It has salt marshes (who knew!?!?) as well as the geographical center of North America (that would be Rugby).  Looking back, we crossed the entire state in five days, yikes! Tomorrow we will cross the Red River into Moorhead, Minnesota.  

Thanks for the continued interest and support!

Pass the calamine lotion....

Just a quick update from your favorite van driver (Autumn) to let you know that we have crossed into North Dakota. On Saturday night we stayed in Williston and spent some time at TCBY and the Super WalMart to get away from the mosquitoes. Yesterday the crew did another 88.5 miles to Parshall where were again hounded by blood sucking monsters. I think Jonathan's kill count is maxing out around 30/day. Today should be another big mile day with a pit stop in Minot to run some errands.
I also wanted to let you in on the next package drop, as a few of you have asked. We won't be there for another 2-3 weeks, so no rush. Packages can be addressed to:

General Delivery
c/o Autumn Bills
Wabasha, MN 55981

No street address is necessary. Please be sure to put down a return address.

Thanks again for all your prayers and support. Thinking of caring friends and family back home has been an encouragement to each of us and we are praying for you to be blessed in return. Thank You!

Last of the Mohicans and Dinosaurs

So 5 days since the last super-brief blog... I think we are getting better at this as Montana is much more Internet accessible. We write you now from Glendive, MT. Unfortunately, nature has forced us to take a rest day a little earlier than we had hoped for due to some pretty nasty thunderstorms and hail. To be honest I do not think any of us mind too much since the sunshine has been relentless and thus there has been some isolated cases of sunburn. And well, the last precipitation we saw was 2 states ago so I am sure the locals are eager to get some rain. Today is going to be spent learning about dinosaurs at the local museum and whatever other shenanigans we can come up with!
When we last wrote we were in Great Falls, MT enjoying the luxuries of the local Best Western, indoor pool, coffee bar, wireless Internet.... and the much beloved Dairy Queen. We also gorged ourselves at the local Chinese Food Buffet... nothing too extreme maybe 3 plates a piece at the tune of 8 bucks a person. We are getting pretty good at being thrifty. We spent Sunday morning enjoying every second of the hotel room and shower before heading off to the local diner for some grub. We then headed over a few blocks to the local Baptist church for worship. They made sure to send us home with 2 amazing chocolate cakes which were devoured later that evening. We biked from Great Falls to Geyser, MT, a total of 47.2 miles. We spent some time with the locals of this small town in the Cabin Creek Cafe and were able to camp for free on the yard of the Community Hall. The night brought some surprises... I (Carrie) am not sure why we all saw the train tracks next to the campsite but failed to realize that a train might actually be coming on those tracks. So at about 2 am when we were all comfy in our tents and sleeping bags, we were jolted awake by the loud sound of an oncoming train... I am pretty sure we all thought we had pitched our tents on the tracks because of the volume of the train's whistle. For those who have not experienced this delight, it is sort of like awaking to a horror movie only to realize you are in a tent safely located many yards away from danger. And when the 2nd and 3rd train roll through hours later you will be much more prepared for what is to come.
We got an early start the next morning biking about 60 miles from Geyser to Lewistown, MT. Lewistown for those who are unfamiliar with MT is the geographic center of the state. We had an early arrival into town and thus were able to indulge ourselves with some laundry, a grocery store run and a quick email check. Thanks to the local Kiwanis club we were able to camp for free once again. The most exciting portion of this day would be the completion of a 1/2 gallon of chocolate ice cream by 4 very hungry travelers. I think we can all agree, we wished there had been more dessert.
Our next day we biked our first (and perhaps last, maybe not) century day! Total miles 101.7 from Lewistown to Sand Springs, MT. The beginning of the the day was glorious with about a 20 mile descent with the wind at our backs. Before we knew it we were breaking for lunch 40 miles in and were feeling great! We continued to bike and unfortunately the sun was relentless, the wind changed direction and our last 20 miles kicked our behinds as we had a collection of up and down hills very close in proximity. We were blessed with a free place to camp behind the local and only general store in a 50 mile vicinity. Very shabby chic.
Yesterday we biked from Sand Springs to 19 miles shy of Brockway, MT. Total of 68 miles. We were greeted by Autumn at the local rest stop and when we opened the van doors we saw a pile of packages...Christmas in June!!!! Thank you so much to all who sent care packages, the Trader Joe's goodies, candy and Nutella are very much appreciated. Perhaps more than anything though we all loved receiving the letters and well wishes which made our faces smile and perhaps gave us a small twinge of being homesick. We really can not thank you all enough! Brady and Peyton... thank you for the artwork it now adorns the walls of Jane! We spent last night again hanging out with the locals at the B.S. club (the Brockway Supper Club). Thanks to Gus and Bev the owners who not only let us camp for free, but fed us and whipped us up one wicked margarita, and also opened their home to us so we could shower! Montana is certainly full of hospitality for sure!
The terrain so far in Montana is beautiful but a bit monotonous. I (Carrie) feel like we are constantly in the movie Last of the Mohicans and thus the music from the film has become my theme music. It's hard to see the terrain and think that not so long ago there were travelers making their way out here to make a life of there own. I think the cyclists can agree that some of the roadways make us feel like we are in a covered wagon as we try to cover the vast, bumpy terrain. We are off to enjoy a movie this afternoon... not sure which one... pretty sure only one movie will be playing at the local cinema but we will have to see! You have to love the small town atmosphere, it makes decision making a whole lot easier!
Thanks again to all of the supporters... we could not do this without you! Much love and we will keep you updated on our progress!

1,000 Miles!!!

Just a quick note to announce that we have officially reached Great Falls, Montana and therefore cycled over 1,000 miles from Florence! YAY!!!

Thank you for all of your support! Keep spreading the word about the cause... as outstanding a trip as this has become, that's not why we're out here. Make every step count!

Hello Idaho... Goodbye Idaho.... Hello Montana!

Sincere apologies for the lack of postings since Richland. Idaho had some lovely scenery but absolutely no internet access. One coffee shop owner actually laughed at Autumn when she asked if there was a place in town with wireless internet.
In any case, on June 12th we crossed the Oregon - Idaho border at the Brownlee Dam, cycling 68 miles to Cambridge, ID. We were permitted to camp in the town park under the pavilion, but not before exploring lovely little Cambridge... and attending our first RODEO! Unfortuantely you wont find any pictures in the slideshow as we all forgot our cameras, but picture this: each and every one of the 360 Cabridgeinians in attendance, each with a cowboy hat, boots, and/ or belt buckle the size of Idaho itself. Needless to say, we were pretty much beside ourselves.
From Cambridge we pedaled 82 miles (or farthest distance yet!) to Riggins, a relatively small town which is currently mobbed by salmon fishermen and whitewater rafting enthusiasts. There was not an empty square of grass to be had so we backtracked to the lovely Pine Hurst Resort and Cabins, located south of Riggins. There we met Mrs. Beverly Ford who offered us a great deal on a cute little cabin where we were able to cook in a real kitchen and eat at a real table... simply luxurious.
The following day was a "short" 28 miles into White Bird with viscous head winds--- we've taken to telling people we biked against a one-way tornado. Our camp site was on the Salmon River amongst sprawling, desert mountains and boisterous, early- rising fishermen who were not all that eager to share their space.
Our next stop was Lowell, 68 miles down the Lewis and Clark Trail, where the sign reported a population of 24, crossed out and replaced with 23. The roadway we will be following at least into North Dakota roughly follows Lewis and Clark's famous westward trek. There are periodic markers with information about what they did or saw at specific points, giving us new scope for how arduous their journey must have been. Also between White Bird and Lowell is the Nez Perce Indian Reservation. We stopped several times to read roadside signs and monuments about the Battle of White Bird. White Bird Mountain offered some amazing switchbacks that took us the better part of the morning to travel. They zig-zagged through lush mountain pastures with horses herding themselves right across the road.
The entire length of road between Powell and Lowell, (65 miles north east) runs along the powerful Lochsa River. We were passed by quite a few white water kyakers and rafters traveling in the opposite direction. Powell is not really a town at all, more of a ranger's station and lodge, the Lochsa Lodge to be exact. We spoiled ourselves with a feast of hamburgers and blackberry cobbler ala mode.
Yesterday (6/17) we did the 53 miles from Powell into Missoula where we have been hosted by Jen's family friend Keithi. Keithi has generously put up with three stinky cyclists and one slightly less stinky driver (at least until we got our showers) for not one but two nights... and she grilled us STEAK! Today was a rest day during which we visited WalMart, Target, the movie theatre, and the insides of our eyelids. It has been absolutely glorious to rest our muscles, feel clean, and human for the day. Thanks Keithi!!!!
Next stop: Lincoln, MT.

For those interested in sending us material encouragement, we have ok'ed a "drop point" to which mail can be sent and held for us. We will most likely be passing by this post office around June 24th... so take that into account in timing when you send. The address is:

General Delivery
Please Hold for East-Bound Cyclist: Autumn Bills
2nd and Main Streets
Brockway, MT 59214

There must be a return address so they can return anything that gets there after we do. We will have another drop point further out in North Dakota soon for those who might need more advanced warning.

Richland, OR

So after our perfect rest day on Sunday, we traveled on to Sumpter, OR (about 60 miles) and ended up camping on the shores of Phillips Lake, several miles east. We roasted marshmallows and went to bed, only to awake to the sound of snow falling on our tents. This wasn't just a fluke, but a serious snow storm with big, round flakes that stuck to the ground, bushes, and our tents. Carrie ran to the van and brought the rest of us poptarts in bed... and then Jonathan got out to take some pictures. We waited out the worst of the snow, then packed up and donned every article of clothing we could before getting on our bikes for a 25-ish mile ride to Baker City. There we stopped for some amazing pizza and a quick trip to a Bi-Mart before getting back on our bikes and traveling another 35-40 miles to Richland. This second leg was equally cold... but the snow turned to rain due to a decrease in elevation. Autumn came and rescued us about 5 miles short of our destination and found us a fee place to stay under a pavilion at the town park (we like Autumn and have decided to let her stay with us indefinitely). Tired and soaked through, we made a quick dinner of canned beef stew and then fell asleep soon thereafter. Today is much warmer and more sunny, but we are looking at a fairly high and steep climb out of this little valley and the wind is still wild. After consulting the internet and several locals, we've decided tomorrow looks like a better day for our ascent and will stay on tonight in our little public pavilion from which we heard coyotes howling in the hills last night. We continue to be thrilled and amazed by pretty much everything we encounter from day to day. Wet? yes. Cold? absolutely. Blessed? Beyond anything we could have hoped for! God is so good!

Below are pictures from our rest day through today... enjoy!

... And on the 8th Day They Rested

When last we left you we were exiting Eugene OR on our way to Blue River. We very quickly realized that navigating cities is not as easy as say, navigating from one town to another. Our trusty map had a very clear line denoting where to go from street to street in Eugene. Nice and simple, follow the bike path. It turned out to be not so nice and simple, the bike path turned out to be any street in the town, you simply improvise and head east. Once out of Eugene we had a wonderful ride following the McKenzie River 58.6 miles to our destination of Blue River. Our FANTASTIC driver/group mother/grand negotiator found us a free campsite to stay that night and access to natural hot springs the next morning via a wonderful girl named Maria. We were told that the hot springs were "clothing optional" after a group vote, clothing was worn. This evening was our first encounter with the heavens opening, a.k.a rain, after setting up camp. No worries, no one floated away. And Jane, our trusty Chevy Express Van 1500 series, served as a great temporary shelter.

Day 4, HAPPY BIRTHDAY JEN!! What present do we have for you? Well, how about natural hot springs?? How about a hotel room to stay in complete with a hot tub and free continental breakfast?? And how about a nice dinner out in the lovely town of Sisters OR??
The bike ride for day 4: Let's just say that we cycled 58 miles, reached our destination, and will never discuss it again. Note to the people who make the maps that cyclist follow from Blue River OR to Sisters OR.............CHANGE THE ROUTE....PLEASE!!!!

Day 5: 46.6 miles from Sisters to Prineville OR. This was an absolutely wonderful ride. The weather this day gave us some of the first glimpses of blue skies. After the "fun" ride on day four, the flat terrain was a welcome surprise. An accidental departure from the map lead us through Terrebone which provided excellent views of beautiful Smith Rock, known worldwide as an excellent place to rock climb. Upon arriving in Prineville we were blessed by pastor Larry McGarry of Assembly of God Church, who allowed us to pitch our tents on church grounds free of charge.

Day 6: 48 Miles from Prineville to Mitchell OR. This day's trip brought us through the painted hills of Oregon; through canyons, up and down small mountains. Mitchell is a thriving metropolis with a population of 153. It was a booming mining town at one point, but has unfortunately faced some natural (and unnatural) disasters that left only two businesses (a restaurant and a grocery store) to occupy the main street. Picture a wild west ghost town... think Guss Chiggins for you Will Farrell fans out there. We were able to camp for free at the town park where there were flush toilets (gasp!) and we had the pleasure of meeting a fellow cross-country cyclist by the name of Tom Jerry... (best wishes Tom!)

Day 7: 69 miles from Mitchell to John Day OR. The first 6 miles out of Mitchell were straight uphill and then the last 63 or so were beautifully downhill. A gradual descent that offered stunning views of the John Day Fossil Beds and surrounding canyons, rivers, and mountains. These gave way to green fields and huge ranches with cows... cattle actually. It was our longest mileage yet and we were triumphant, if a little sore when it was all said and done. Autumn, our valiant chariot driver was waiting for us in John Day and we loaded up the van and back tracked a few miles to Mount Vernon where we are camping at a Clyde Holliday State Park. Yet another random blessing that camping in Oregon State Parks is free on the first Saturday in June!

Day 8: REST DAY!!!
This morning we awoke at the usual 7am and cleaned up (ahhhhh showers!!!) for church. We had passed the Living Word Christian Center on our bikes and decided to worship there today. The beautiful sanctuary was only outshone by the hearts of the congregation who shared with us their kindness, prayers, well wishes, and coffee. It was there that we met the lovely and talented Sherry who has opened her home to us for internet use, doing of laundry, and a lavish steak dinner. Her house is perched up in the mountains of Canyon City outside of John Day, and the view here is indescribable. ...to the 4+ moms out there who are currently worrying, never fear, we are being taken care of!

So that's all for now. Apologies for the mass update. As internet becomes more readily available, postings will hopefully be less sporadic. Thank you for your comments on the blog, thoughts, and prayers!

In the beginning, there was rain.

Our endeavor has begun!! We spent Saturday night camping out with Carrie's brother Stephen and his girlfriend Cedar at Honeyman State Park in Florence, OR. Sunday morning we drove about 5 miles north and dipped our tires in the Pacific Ocean. As anticipated our first day did not come without its hiccups. It would have been nice to say that we biked in glorious conditions, sunny skies and mid 70s. Unfortunately, we were not so lucky. Max temp was about low 50s with a steady, dampening rain. About 16 miles in Carrie hit a pothole and her tire began to rub against her rear brake... a problem easily solved if she had realized it right away. Instead, she continued to bike for about an hour with a tremendous about of effort going about 7 mph when she could have been cruising along at 14 mph if the problem had been fixed. That first minor hiccup was met with frustration but also with a lot of relief knowing that it was a mechanical glitch versus physical inadequacy. While Carrie was struggling, having many conversations out loud with herself, Jonathan took a digger over some railroad tracks... no worries, there were no injuries, in all honesty it actually heightened the senses. We ended our first day with a steady climb up to Triangle Lake where Autumn was awaiting our arrival at a wonderful campsite, pavilion included. We were fortunate enough to be the only ones occupying the site and were able to sleep with a roof over our heads and have access to not only running water but also electricity. All in all day 1 was 46 miles from Florence to Triangle Lake, OR.
We awoke to glorious sunshine on day 2 with temps in the 70s. We biked 36 miles on beautiful country roads, up a 1022 ft climb, and around breath-taking lakes, arriving safely in Eugene, OR yesterday afternoon. Family members of Jenny, opened their home and more importantly their showers to us. We were able to spend some quality time with Jenny's family to help celebrate the defending of a thesis as well as a 21st birthday. Such a blessing to have a roof over our heads, a soft place to sleep and wonderful conversation.
It is going to make it hard to get back on a bike today, as in typical Oregon fashion the rain and gray skies have found us again. Today entails a 50 mile ride with Blue River being our destination. Autumn is a god-send. She has already advocated for the group by negotiating with a hardware store owner and getting him to sell us a top of the line hatchet at half price. We all are so proud to have such an awesome individual to motivate the cyclists, all the while being the best den mother and driver we could have ever asked for. Thank you again to everyone for your encouraging thoughts and prayers, they are helping us all.

We're in OREGON!!!

Jonathan and I (Jen) left Boston at 5am on the 28th and, after a short stop in Dillsburg, PA, stayed the night near Pittsburgh with family. We were then back on the road the next morning. At 10 am on the 29th, we met Autumn in Toledo, OH and programed Eugene, OR into the TomTom. The saving grace of our 40-ish hour van ride was the coveted sleeping space in the back of the van. Because the van has only two seats, it was necessary and ohhh so convenient. The three of us rotated and each got intervals of about four hours of sleep at a time. It was long, but not nearly as grueling as expected and we actually all still like each other. The scenery (as you will see in the pictures) was absolutely amazing. While in Nebraska we drove through an area that had just experienced a small collection of tornadoes that had taken down major sections of power lines across the interstate. Two hours later, amidst lightning and downpours, we found ourselves on a two-track dirt road in the middle of a corn field... wondering why we thought a self-made detour at midnight was a good plan. But the sun came up and we spent the day driving through breathtaking scenery in Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, and of course Oregon. Three time zones later we are here in Eugene, staying with the wonderfully hospitable Marcus family. They have generously offered their house as a stop over both now and in two days (June 2nd) when we come back through on our bikes. Carrie flew into Portland (which those of us from Maine refer to as "the lesser Portland") yesterday and will meet up with us sometime this afternoon. Eugene is about 60 miles from the coast, specifically from Florence where we will camp tonight (at Honeyman State Park) and start off from in the morning, after the ceremonious dipping of the rear bike wheels in the Pacific. We are trilled to be here and anticipating so many great adventures to come.

Fundraising Event at Eastern Mountain Sports

On Saturday, May 10th we were at Eastern Mountain Sports in Harvard Square, pedaling all day to get the word out. We met many really wonderful people, heard lots of cycling stories, and had the opportunity to hand out a bunch of literature about the ALA and the bike trip. Several EMS employees took half an hour of their break times and set up their bikes next to ours and show support. It was a fun day and we are really encouraged that a full day on the bike (at least on flat ground in a climate controlled area) is definitely do-able, without pain even! Thank you to everybody who stopped by. We are so grateful for your generosity and support!

We are now only 16 days away from getting in a van for the long trek out to Oregon and 20 days away turning around and cycling east again. We are getting very excited to get this long-anticipated journey underway.

T minus 42 Days!!!

We are SO excited to announce that the tally on the American Lung Association website has passed the $5,000 mark which means we now have over 100 miles of our 4,000 mile trip sponsored. People have asked, so we'd like to clarify that any money donated to that site goes directly to the American Lung Association via Steps For Stanley. We are funding the trip on our own, an expensive undertaking to say the least... but we are interested in raising funds for the ALA, not taking them away. That said, if you would like to contribute directly to our trip, we will be needing gas for the van and food. We're in the process of seeking sponsorship from companies such as Wal Mart, Target, Costco, Giant, and Sam's Club, as well as various gas companies. Thank you very much to each of you who have already given for all of the support, encouragement, and generosity. Keep spreading the word, make every step count!

Autumn Bills is Driving (me crazy)

The number one question I have received in response to the news that I will be driving the van for a cross country bike trip is, “You mean, you are just going to drive behind them going 10 miles per hour across the whole country?” I usually laugh and try to explain my role as best I can. It is hard to know exactly what my days will look like or how I may be called upon to serve as part of this team. It is pretty clear for the bikers: wake up, bike, eat, bike, eat again, sleep, repeat… My role is a little more ambiguous.
Jenny and Jonathan began recruiting me to drive the van some time last fall. It took a few months for it to sink in, but as soon as I realized I could be cruising around the country, reading, hiking and getting a pretty sweet tan, all while supporting efforts to end lung disease, the choice became obvious.
I hope to spend these next few months contributing meaningfully to SFS and growing as an individual. The ALA touches my life as I live with asthma daily and as lung disease affects my family. My goal is that as we support the ALA’s efforts to raise awareness and funding for lung disease research, I too will be growing in physical, emotional and spiritual health through my time spent on the tour. I also hope to be a blessing to the bikers... ehhh cyclists, as they make this courageous plan a reality.
So, I have officially signed on to be the van driver. I couldn’t be more pleased to accompany such amazing friends, making an incredible journey and supporting a critical cause, even if does mean 10 mile per hour, all day, every day.

Map of the "offiicial" route!

Let us know if it looks like we're coming through your area. We'd love to see you! ... and maybe even camp in your back yard.

Exciting news! We may have found a brave soul willing to drive the van while we bike. If this unnamed individual decides it's a go, it will be a HUGE answer to prayer. Stay tuned.

In other news, the tally of money raised for the American Lung Association continues to go up and I cannot express how exciting this is! To watch the donations come in or to make one yourself, please visit the ALA donation website.

Pictures of Stanley

Jonathan's Profile

To say that I am excited to venture across the county on a bike this summer would be an understatement. I am ecstatic about it! I’m blessed to have my beautiful wife Jenny and my good friend Carrie along to share in this adventure. Their dedication to the SFS cause is an example of what we, as simple individuals, can do to further our understanding of lung disease through research, and bring hope and healing to those who suffer.

I want to personally thank all of you that have shown your support for Steps For Stanley. Without all of you taking your step, SFS would go nowhere. Every step counts.

I also want to give a personal thanks to my mom Phyllis. You have been an inspiration to me for the brief time I have spent on this earth. I love you. We both know that dad is happy to see this continue.

Jenny's Profile

I am so honored to be a part of this tour. When I tell people what we are about to undertake, the response is always “wow, that is something you will never forget!” It’s true, I will see incredible sites and test my body’s limits again and again. But the unforgettable nature of this trip goes beyond that. I am riding in support of my wonderful husband, Jonathan, and in honor his father Stanley... who will watch our progress from a much more comfortable seat. As a future occupational therapist, I am riding with the desire that the countless others who still suffer from the debilitating effects of lung-related diseases may find new hope and a future. I also ride as a way to share my prayers, love, and time with anybody we encounter and especially those who battle COPD. I'm in the process of organizing opportunities for our team to go into cardio-pulmonary units of hospitals along our route for this reason. The people we meet will inspire us to go further, and hopefully our efforts will have the same effect on them. We have been extremely blessed in our physical ability to make this happen and it is our privilege to do so for those who cannot.

Carrie's Profile

I will have to admit that when Jonathan Emlet asked me to take on this cross-country endeavor I was a little intimidated by the task. So many other of life's trivial worries entered my mind and I found myself quickly discouraged and convinced that this was simply an undertaking that I could not accept. However, the magnitude of this challenge began to monopolize my thoughts and slowly, I found myself asking why not instead of focusing on all of the reasons that I could
not accept. After much prayer, I am glad to say that my curiosity got the better of me and I gleefully accepted. The intrigue of a challenge has propelled me forward in so many of life's journeys thus far. I have been challenged intellectually, through the many years of my
education, spiritually as I find myself reaffirming my beliefs daily,and now I have initiated the grueling training terrain for physicial prowess.

It seem only fitting that the next chapter or "step" of my journey be representative of a man named Stanley and so many like him who are physicially unable to take on such a daunting endeavor. As both a physician assistant and an individual, I have witnessed many members of my own family, as well as several friends and patients suffer from the vast effects of lung disease. I have assisted many to survive lung disease and sadly I have also seen so many succumb to the disease process. SFS, for me offers much hope for the future of lung disease awareness and research. It's continuous growth will allow many of those who have touched my life to hope for a better future free from disease. It is for those struggling with lung disease, and the hope that SFS offers that I take on this challenge. It may be a bit unusual and extreme, but it has been my experience that the most intimidating journeys usually result in being the most rewarding.

Hooray, we have a blog! At this point we are probably less than three months from beginning, although we don't have a specific start date yet. As of today, exactly 26.2 of the 4,000 miles are officially sponsored!!! ... fitting, as it feels like we've got a marathon ahead of us. It's finally beginning to feel real though. Nervous, eager, apprehensive, excited, hopeful .... anticipating a huge adventure! Please come back and visit this Blog often for news about the tour and progress on our trip, and if you haven't yet, please visit the American Lung Association Steps for Stanley website to donate to the cause and join the "team."
Every Step Counts!
-jen