Back Home

It was a long ride back to California, but not bad. 14 hours to Chicago, and after a layover, 51 hours to Martinez, CA. It stopped raining as the train arrived a little early on Sunday, the 17th, in Martinez. The station didn't have the right tools to properly tighten the pedals back onto the bike, but they found a pair of pliers that held it together. Dad rode about 20 miles home in the afternoon and took a shower to prepare for the neighbors to come over to celebrate his return with champagne.



Chicago River



Grand Hall Union Station



Union Station in Denver



Bike rental in front of Union Station in Denver.



Dad's train climbing the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains.



Another train view.



View from train in Colorado.



Utah



Home again!



Done!

Dad has been getting back into the swing of things this week by catching up on the mail and visiting friends at his Toastmaster meeting on Wednesday evening. He is processing all that he has done in the last several months and is getting acclimated to being home. He has had several observations:
1) He appreciates his home (his comfortable bed, hot showers, and big TV.);

2) He is glad that he missed all the political dribble that has been going on; and

3) He forgot how poor the road condition are around his area and how much trash is on the roads.


I asked Bill about the lessons he learned and he listed them out for me:

1) Don't "should" on yourself. "It is what it is."

2) Stay hydrated (he drank a lot more water than he did before leaving for the trip).

3) If things are easy, be patient. They will change.

4) Have contingency plans (Plans B, C, D, etc.) Expect things to go wrong along the way (like restaurants being closed).

5) Ice cream is a super-fuel on a hot day.

6) If it is easy and comfortable, then it's not an accomplishment.

7) Be willing to accept advice from strangers.

8) It's okay to take a break during a difficult task.

When I asked Dad about his most memorable moment, he said there were many. Memories can be positive or negative. On the negative side, he remembers the dog attacks, the thunderstorms, SUVs driving too close, and strong winds. On the positive side, he remembers the people he met and saw along the way like his brother, Jack, and his sister-in-law, Joy, ice cream on a hot day, and the glorious way of ending the trip by riding into D.C. in the rain.

Dad is retired now, so the way he spends his time will be different than how he spent his time before he left. He has lots of house chores to do like gardening and fixing the computer. If my parents move back to Orange County next year, there are all sorts of things to do to make the move efficient. He has books and magazines to read and wants to get more involved in the community; he is just not sure how yet. Lastly, he wants to get in touch with some of the cyclist he met along the way.

If you want to catch up with my dad, I am sure he would be happy to hear from you. My mom is with me in Southern California until Tuesday, so I bet he has the time to chat.

You might hear from me again once my dad has more time to process everything, but that is all for now. Thanks for following my dad along his bike adventure with me. Live BIG!