The bike trip started! But we are tired. Will update much more tomorrow - sleep is needed. FYI: The comment section has been fixed so anymore can leave a comment - not just those with a blog.
Until then...
Barry, Flat Stanley, Share Bear
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Monday, March 30, 2009
March 30, 2009
After 3 days of driving, we reached San Diego at 2pm on Sunday, March 29. On the way onto town we descended over 4000 feet on some of the same routes that we will be riding (back up) tomorrow. Oh well, some body's gotta do it.
After checking in at a very nice Best Western near downtown, and unloading our bikes, we got into our bike clothes and immediately rode to Dog Beach at Ocean Beach Park - the place the ride officially begins - and dipped our rear tires into the Pacific Ocean as mentioned in the last blog. They call it Dog Beach because there are many many people there with their dogs.
Late yesterday afternoon, Wade and Jacquleine, from Columbus, GA, arrived at the hotel where they will be joining the ride for the first 2 weeks. Glad to have them on board.
Today, Larry, Bobby, Wader, Jacqueline, Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear rode up a steep hill behind the motel which led us right into Balboa Park. What a gorgeous place!!! Flowers everywhere and a multitude of colors, interesting old buildings, and museums. After touring the park, we went off to find the house where Larry's mother (Dot Pierson who currently lives in Tuscaloosa, Alabama) lived during WWII. It was a beautiful historic old house built in 1887 pictures will be posted later). Then we rode down and along the very pretty downtown San Diego waterfront for several miles. Finally, after following a bike path past the airport, we ended up back at Dog Beach where Wade and Jaqueline dipped their bike tires into the ocean. I must say that San Diego is possibly one of the prettiest cities I have ever been to in the United States. I will have a bunch of pictures to post later in the week.
Now, we await the arrival of the rest of the riders and our great adventure will begin for real in the morning!!!!! We will have to get a good night sleep tonight.
Here's the answer to three more questions from some of the students at ACA.
1.) How old were you when you got your first bike and what color was it? My first bike was red and I was 6 years old
2.) Will you be riding in a group or does everyone take off and just met
up at a certain place every day? Sometimes in a group of 4 to 6 but the most of the time in pairs
3.) Did your mama and daddy really say it was ok for you to ride your bike
that far? Well my Mama said it was o.k. but be real careful and always wear your helmet
Please remember us in your prayers tonight. Tomorrow will be the day - DAY 1 - the excitement is here. Can not wait to begin.
Until later...
Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear
After checking in at a very nice Best Western near downtown, and unloading our bikes, we got into our bike clothes and immediately rode to Dog Beach at Ocean Beach Park - the place the ride officially begins - and dipped our rear tires into the Pacific Ocean as mentioned in the last blog. They call it Dog Beach because there are many many people there with their dogs.
Late yesterday afternoon, Wade and Jacquleine, from Columbus, GA, arrived at the hotel where they will be joining the ride for the first 2 weeks. Glad to have them on board.
Today, Larry, Bobby, Wader, Jacqueline, Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear rode up a steep hill behind the motel which led us right into Balboa Park. What a gorgeous place!!! Flowers everywhere and a multitude of colors, interesting old buildings, and museums. After touring the park, we went off to find the house where Larry's mother (Dot Pierson who currently lives in Tuscaloosa, Alabama) lived during WWII. It was a beautiful historic old house built in 1887 pictures will be posted later). Then we rode down and along the very pretty downtown San Diego waterfront for several miles. Finally, after following a bike path past the airport, we ended up back at Dog Beach where Wade and Jaqueline dipped their bike tires into the ocean. I must say that San Diego is possibly one of the prettiest cities I have ever been to in the United States. I will have a bunch of pictures to post later in the week.
Now, we await the arrival of the rest of the riders and our great adventure will begin for real in the morning!!!!! We will have to get a good night sleep tonight.
Here's the answer to three more questions from some of the students at ACA.
1.) How old were you when you got your first bike and what color was it? My first bike was red and I was 6 years old
2.) Will you be riding in a group or does everyone take off and just met
up at a certain place every day? Sometimes in a group of 4 to 6 but the most of the time in pairs
3.) Did your mama and daddy really say it was ok for you to ride your bike
that far? Well my Mama said it was o.k. but be real careful and always wear your helmet
Please remember us in your prayers tonight. Tomorrow will be the day - DAY 1 - the excitement is here. Can not wait to begin.
Until later...
Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Just Dipped our back wheels in the Water!
Answers to a few more questions from some of the 2nd graders at ACA.
1. Are bikes hard to ride? No you just need to be real careful
2. How long is the Pacific Ocean and how long will you be in it? The ocean is very large and it spans many miles of the west coast including Cal., where we just dipped our back wheels in the water. For just a few minutes - yeah we made it to California.
3. How steep is the hills in California and do you think you can make it up them? Very steep, hope so!
4. Can you name the states you will see? Cal, Az, Nm, Tx, La, Ms, Al, Fl
5. What animals will you see? snakes, opossum, deer, buffalo, many birds, raccoons, and more
6. How far is it from the Carolina's to Alabama (I think this is for the man from the Carolina's that's with you)? about 350 miles
7. Do you have a Bible verse that is helping you on your trip? Isaiah 40:31
8. Do you have a favorite Bible verse? Isaiah 40:31
9. Are you older than Flat Stanley and how old are you actually? Yes / 53
1. Are bikes hard to ride? No you just need to be real careful
2. How long is the Pacific Ocean and how long will you be in it? The ocean is very large and it spans many miles of the west coast including Cal., where we just dipped our back wheels in the water. For just a few minutes - yeah we made it to California.
3. How steep is the hills in California and do you think you can make it up them? Very steep, hope so!
4. Can you name the states you will see? Cal, Az, Nm, Tx, La, Ms, Al, Fl
5. What animals will you see? snakes, opossum, deer, buffalo, many birds, raccoons, and more
6. How far is it from the Carolina's to Alabama (I think this is for the man from the Carolina's that's with you)? about 350 miles
7. Do you have a Bible verse that is helping you on your trip? Isaiah 40:31
8. Do you have a favorite Bible verse? Isaiah 40:31
9. Are you older than Flat Stanley and how old are you actually? Yes / 53
Q&A
We had two questions...
1. Is this a race?
No - this is a bike tour - no race but it is also a fund raiser for Eagles Wings that I am doing it for but no race.
2. Have we seen any damage from the bad weather?
Drove through heavy rain but no damage that we could see from tornado's or anything at this point.
If there is anything you would like to know just ask and we'll be glad to answer for you.
Until later...
1. Is this a race?
No - this is a bike tour - no race but it is also a fund raiser for Eagles Wings that I am doing it for but no race.
2. Have we seen any damage from the bad weather?
Drove through heavy rain but no damage that we could see from tornado's or anything at this point.
If there is anything you would like to know just ask and we'll be glad to answer for you.
Until later...
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Saturday, March 28, 2009
The road is a fun place to be! Share Bear enjoyed his day! We made it to the west side of Fort Worth yesterday so we made it further than we thought. Last night we ate at a Mexican restaurant. Talk with you tomorrow!
Friday, March 27, 2009
Headed to California
This is what it's all about...Eagle's Wings.
Barry hugging his wife Kim before he headed out.
And as they were leaving town... the big send off... you will see the other pictures below.
Barry and Larry giving an interview to the local news along with several people with Eagles Wings that was there to "cheer" them on as the van left Tuscaloosa.
Barry is in the center. Ron his brother is in the back center.
Barry's family went to see him leave - this is his sister, Jan Yaw.
Barry's mother Lois Lawrence.
Barry and Larry giving an interview to the local news along with several people with Eagles Wings that was there to "cheer" them on as the van left Tuscaloosa.
Barry is in the center. Ron his brother is in the back center.
Barry's family went to see him leave - this is his sister, Jan Yaw.
Barry's mother Lois Lawrence.
Barry with three other men who will be biking on the trip with him.
Special shoes Barry will wear while he bikes.
Barry and his bike!
And last but not least - Brylan and Kyler Jayne got to make sure Flat Stanley and Share Bear were packed and ready to head out this morning... ALL IS WELL!
Bobby Rone one of the riders going on the trip said .... "Boy am I ready! I am about as excited as a young kid on Christmas eve!!! I have been packed for almost a week now. Also, I refuse to look at the weather forecasts. The weather will be what it will be, and I don't want to know. Besides, those guys are never right - unless they forecast bad weather and you want to do a bike ride. So, I ain't lookin'."
Well pray the weather is ok ... and for safe travels. Plans are to make it to Shreveport, LA tonight and on into Texas tomorrow ... much be in California by the 30th ... wheels start turning on the 31st! That's all for today.
until then...
Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear
Thursday, March 26, 2009
The Tuscaloosa News Article - March 27, 2009
This is a copy of the Tuscaloosa News article that will appear in the paper on 3/27/09. Getting ready to head out!
THE TUSCALOOSA NEWS ARTICLE
Barry Lawrence, left, and Larry Pierson will bike from California to Florida starting next week.
When most people decide to take a cross-country trip they get on a plane.
Barry Lawrence, left, and Larry Pierson will bike from California to Florida starting next week. The two men are raising money for charities.
The more adventurous try a multi-day car trip. But Larry Pierson and Barry Lawrence, both from Tuscaloosa, will make the 3,028-mile journey from San Diego to St. Augustine, Fla. by a more arduous method.
Pierson and Lawrence will join nine other riders, ages 53 to 65, from around the Southeast on a 45-day bicycle trip that will take them to 42 different cities in eight states.
As a symbolic gesture, they will dip their bike’s back tires in the Pacific Ocean and their front tires in the Atlantic Ocean.
“I’ve been biking seriously for about 25 years and I’ve always dreamed of bicycling across the country,” Pierson said. “That’s been one of my lifelong goals.”
The group plans to average about 76 miles each day. Their shortest day will take them 41 miles, while the longest ride will be 130 miles through the west Texas desert. There will also be a support van that will travel ahead of them to each finishing point.
“We would not choose to do 130 miles, but logistically there’s no where to stay.”
Although they have a long trip ahead of them, the riders plan to take their time as they make their way across the nation.
“I’m not viewing this as something I’m trying to do fast,” Pierson said. “This is a tour. I’m doing it to see things.”
Pierson will see a lot of new things on the ride. Although he has been to San Diego previously, he hadn’t seen the country between the California coast and Louisiana.
Lawrence has also been preparing for the trip by riding slower and decreasing his riding speed from about 16 to 14 miles per hour.
“[I want to] take my time, don’t push it and just enjoy the journey,” Lawrence said. “The first ride’s very tough.”
The first day’s ride will take them from close to sea level to 3,700 feet up to Pine Valley, Calif.
Although this is by far the longest ride either Pierson or Lawrence has ever taken, they have been preparing for it well in advance. Both riders clocked in over 10,000 miles on their bikes in 2008 and Pierson rode 100 miles Tuesday and Saturday.
Pierson’s longest ride to date was a two-week, 1,200-mile trip from Ohio to Mobile, known as the Underground Railroad Route. After this experience, he said he learned that physical conditioning is secondary to the lack of comfort that comes from constantly sitting on a narrow bicycle seat.
Lawrence’s longest ride has been eight days, but he has been working to mentally prepare himself for the rigors of 40 straight days on a bike. From November 5 to December 17 2008, he rode every day, regardless of weather. He cycled half the distance that the group will do on each corresponding day of the trip. He also cycles at the University of Alabama recreation center when the weather prevented him from riding outside.
“You try to make this fun, you try to make it a hobby, but it’s a challenge sometimes,” he said. “I told somebody the other day, ‘If I’m not in shape by the time I get to Texas I’m getting a plane ticket and going home.’”
Lawrence recently retired after 28 years with DCH Regional Medical Center, and calculated that the riders will burn 173,000 calories, or the equivalent of 50 pounds, on their trip. To recoup and rehydrate, the riders will take several bottles of water and energy bars. They also plan to stop at cafes in small towns throughout their route to keep their energy up.
“Stopping at little cafes in towns, that part of touring,” Pierson said. “That’s where you meet the people.”
For the past six years, Pierson has participated in Camp Smile a Mile’s Ride of Love, which runs from Tuscaloosa to the camp on Lake Martin. The camp serves children who have cancer, their families and young cancer survivors. He is using this ride as an opportunity to help the camp again. Pierson sent out letters and emails to friends, raising $2,600 for the camp.
“It’s great when you can take what you really love doing and pair it with a great cause,” he said.
Lawrence is using the trip to raise money for Eagles’ Wings, which provides car service to developmentally disabled adults. The charity has put penny drops at local schools and has received individual donations. The support van that will travel with the riders was donated to Eagles’ Wings by Mike Dunn and Danny Butler.
Although both Pierson and Lawrence are looking forward to the trip, they said it would be hard for them to leave their lives for 45 days.
Pierson, who lives alone, has had to take care of all his bills several months in advance, while Lawrence has had to square aware everything with his family before leaving.
“I have a son graduating from high school on the 15th of May and my wife told me if I don’t make it back, to just keep on riding into the Atlantic,” Lawrence joked.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
March 25 - two days before leaving Tuscaloosa
Today is a busy but rainy day. Everything has to be ready to hit the road Friday morning! Flat Stanley, Share Bear, and Barry are almost ready. This is going to be a wonderful adventure so please follow along the journey through this blog if you would like. Attached is an overview of the Route and the Itinerary for the trip.
It will be about a 4 day drive out to California. We will climb on the bikes on March 31. We will be riding the Adventure Cycling Southern Tier Bicycle Route from San Diego,CA. to St Augustine,FL. The ride will start on the beach in San Diego on Tuesday, March 31. We plan to end on the beach at St. Augustine on Saturday, May 9. We will ride approximately 3028 miles in 40 days, an average of 76 miles per day.
The climbing starts the very first day as we will climb from the Pacific Ocean at sea level to over 4000 feet into the coastal mountain range. Then we will descend into the Imperial Valley of California through Brawley and Blythe. As we enter Arizona, we will be in low desert all the way to Phoenix. Beyond Phoenix, we will start a gradual climb into the high desert of southeastern Arizona and into the mountains of southern New Mexico and the vast Gila National Forest. The highest point on the ride will be the 8200-foot Emory Pass between Silver City, NM and Kingston, NM on April 10. After the long week of climbs, we will descend into the Rio Grande Valley though El Paso, though the hills of the lower Texas panhandle, and down the Rio Grande to Del Rio, TX, arriving there on April 17. After Del Rio, we will head through the famous and breathtaking Texas Hill Country, passing through the Texas German settlements between San Antonio and Austin. This section will be the most challenging riding on the whole trip. It feastures mile after mile of never-ending, short, steep hills. After passing out of the hill country, south of Austin, we will enter the east Texas pine woods and the Thicket Wilderness area. Finally, after 15 days in Texas, we will cross the Sabine River into Louisiana on April 26. Riding through southern Lousiana, we will cross the Mississippi River on a ferry to St Francisville. Then we will ride across the "toe of the boot" of Louisiana between Baton Rouge and New Orleans before heading south and crossing Mobile Bay on the ferry from Dauphin Island. On May 3, we will dip our bikes, and other bodily parts, into the Gulf of Mexico on the beach at Gulf Shores, AL. The final leg of the trip has us riding through the Florida panhandle through Tallahassee and Gainesville, arriving at the beach in St Augustine on May 9. Just wanted to give an overview as to what to expect over the next weeks ahead.
Again, please pray for safe travels for us all as we head to California and for Barry's Charity - Eagles Wings of Tuscaloosa. Updates will come as soon as the bike ride begins.
until then...
Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear
It will be about a 4 day drive out to California. We will climb on the bikes on March 31. We will be riding the Adventure Cycling Southern Tier Bicycle Route from San Diego,CA. to St Augustine,FL. The ride will start on the beach in San Diego on Tuesday, March 31. We plan to end on the beach at St. Augustine on Saturday, May 9. We will ride approximately 3028 miles in 40 days, an average of 76 miles per day.
The climbing starts the very first day as we will climb from the Pacific Ocean at sea level to over 4000 feet into the coastal mountain range. Then we will descend into the Imperial Valley of California through Brawley and Blythe. As we enter Arizona, we will be in low desert all the way to Phoenix. Beyond Phoenix, we will start a gradual climb into the high desert of southeastern Arizona and into the mountains of southern New Mexico and the vast Gila National Forest. The highest point on the ride will be the 8200-foot Emory Pass between Silver City, NM and Kingston, NM on April 10. After the long week of climbs, we will descend into the Rio Grande Valley though El Paso, though the hills of the lower Texas panhandle, and down the Rio Grande to Del Rio, TX, arriving there on April 17. After Del Rio, we will head through the famous and breathtaking Texas Hill Country, passing through the Texas German settlements between San Antonio and Austin. This section will be the most challenging riding on the whole trip. It feastures mile after mile of never-ending, short, steep hills. After passing out of the hill country, south of Austin, we will enter the east Texas pine woods and the Thicket Wilderness area. Finally, after 15 days in Texas, we will cross the Sabine River into Louisiana on April 26. Riding through southern Lousiana, we will cross the Mississippi River on a ferry to St Francisville. Then we will ride across the "toe of the boot" of Louisiana between Baton Rouge and New Orleans before heading south and crossing Mobile Bay on the ferry from Dauphin Island. On May 3, we will dip our bikes, and other bodily parts, into the Gulf of Mexico on the beach at Gulf Shores, AL. The final leg of the trip has us riding through the Florida panhandle through Tallahassee and Gainesville, arriving at the beach in St Augustine on May 9. Just wanted to give an overview as to what to expect over the next weeks ahead.
Again, please pray for safe travels for us all as we head to California and for Barry's Charity - Eagles Wings of Tuscaloosa. Updates will come as soon as the bike ride begins.
until then...
Barry, Flat Stanley, and Share Bear
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