Week Nine: St. Catharines Ontario to Jersey City New Jersey

Monday August 25: 124 km. 70 F sunny. St. Cathrines Ontario to Byron New York

Today we crossed back into the United States via Niagara Falls New York. After leaving St. Catharines, we traveled along the Welland Canal and then along the gorge along which the Niagara River flows. We gathered just before the Rainbow Bridge and then crossed en mass into the US. In all my years of crossing the border I have never had a smoother crossing. US Customs had all our passport particulars ahead of time and just waved us thru. Hats off to the tour organizers for all the preparations making for such a seamless crossing. After leaving Niagara Falls we cycled thru rural western New York to Byron NY, a relatively easy ride. The weather was cool and sunny with a moderate crosswind, making for another spectacular day of cycling.

Cycling to the Rainbow Bridge together for the crossing into the US.

View of Niagara Falls from the Rainbow Bridge.
Tuesday August 26: 127 km. 72 F sunny. Byron New York to Romulus New York.

I am running out of adjectives to descibe the weather we are having day after day while we ride. Today was cool, sunny and with a moderate sidewind, another near perfect day for biking. We cycled from camp down to the Finger Lakes region of New York thru Geneva NY along Seneca Lake to Sampson Lake State Park. The last 20 km. or so was along the shore or the lake and looking at all the cottages and boats, I am afraid I may have broken the tenth commandment a time or two. It was probably the prettiest route we have cycled on all summer.

Lunch stop provided by the East Palmyra CRC.

Seneca Lake in Geneva NY

At this house south of Geneva NY, I was expecting to see the Addams family.

Sampson State Park where we camped used to be a US Air Force training camp.

Wednesday August 27: 125 km. 80 F sunny. Romulus New York to Binghampton New York

We continued traveling thru the Finger Lakes region of New York from Seneca Lake to Cayuga Lake and Ithaca New York. For the first time since we left Denver, hills of some size entered our cycling day. We are now into the Appalachian Mountains, which will continue all the way into New Jersey. After riding thru picturesque Ithaca NY, home of Cornell University, we immediately had a one thousand foot climb to initiate us into mountainous terrain once again. The weather was once again terrific for cycling, extending our seemingly endless string of gorgeous days. Everyone is in a good mood, but most of us from Ontario, including myself, are eager to wind the tour down after spending part or all of the weekend at home with family.

Fifteen man paceline traveling thru rural New York State.

Roadside memorial as a somber reminder of the dangers on the road.

Thursday August 28: 94 km. 70 F cloudy. Binghamton New York to Dalton Pennsylvania

Today was a nice easy ride south into Pennsylvania along the Chenango and Susquehanna Rivers. We traveled into the heart of the Appalachin Mountains between all the lush green mountains, but we were riding on level ground in the river valleys until the last ten kilometers. The weather was cool and cloudy and I had a jacket on most of the day, the first time that has happened on the tour. We actually had about one hour of rain in the evening, the first time since Wisconsin three weeks ago. We cycled along the old highway dotted with old closed businesses and dying towns, since the interstate highway has taken all the travelers and commerce elsewhere. The last ten kilometers into Lacawanna State Park was full of 10 to 11 percent grades, typical of this part of Pennsylvania.

Valley CRC in Binghamton NY where we were hosted for supper last night.

One more state in the books.

Railroad bridge built in 1915 in Nicholson PA. It is currently owned by Canadian Pacific.

Friday August 29: 135 km. 69 F cloudy. Dalton Pennsyvania to Sussex New Jersey

Today was actually our highest climbing day of the tour, not in elevation, but in total feet climbed for the day, 6,900 ft. It was one of the toughest days, as the route was full of ten percent grades thru the Pocono Mountains and on to Sussex NJ. The weather was cool and cloudy all day, making it a lot better for a strenous day, than if it had been sunny and warmer. We only have one day left and then it will be suddenly be over. For most of us it has been a terrific nine weeks, but it is good to be winding down.

Jake Prins, 81 years young, cycling from Grand Rapids MI to Jersey City NJ. He has not missed one mile. What an accomplishment!

Who thinks of these names?

Crossing the Delaware River.Fourteen states and one province down, zero to go!

Saturday August 30: 103 km. 80 F partly sunny. Sussex New Jersey to Jersey City New Jersey.

The final Day! After nine weeks, we have actually ridden our bicycles across the country! It rained quite heavily thru the night in Sussex NJ where we were camped at Sussex Christian School. It was threatening to rain the first few hours of the day and then by 10 AM the sun broke thru and the weather was nice for the rest of the day. This means that there were only five or six hours hours of rain the whole nine weeks! All the cyclists gathered in Kearney NJ about 15 km shy of Liberty State Park, where the tour ended. We cycled en mass with a police escort from three different police forces, who closed all the roads we cycled on. They blocked all cross roads and entrance ramps with moving roadblocks as we rode to our final destination. It was a very moving experience for most of us to have all this attention paid to us as we traveled along normally very busy urban streets, which we had all to ourselves. As we reached the waterfront our train of cyclists clad in yellow and blue passed Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty on our way to the tire dipping ceremony at Liberty State Park and the waters of the Atlantic Ocean. It was with mixed feelings that we dipped our front wheels in the Atlantic Ocean nine weeks after our rear wheels left the waters of the Pacific Ocean.

The final ceremony was held after a catered BBQ dinner at the Cedar Hill CRC in Wycoff NJ. Over 700 people were at the dinner and the final service which was very emotional for all us cyclists, especially the 125 who rode all 6,300 km. from Seattle. Early Sunday morning after we said all our goodbyes, each of us headed of to home and our regular lives again.

Getting ready to roll one last time in Sussex NJ

Traveling with a police escort from Kearney NJ to Jersey City NJ

Ellis Island, where millions of immigrants first landed in America.

Statue of Liberty

Atlantic Ocean at last!

I would like to thank all my supporters for all they have done to make my adventure of a lifetime possible. I was just doing what I love to do and all of you enabled this tour to happen. The Sea to Sea 2008 Bike Tour was everything I thought it would be and so much more! I can only hope that all the two million plus dollars raised will make a difference in many peoples lives both here and abroad. I can't thank each one of you personally so I must say again:

THANKS TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!

Week Eight: Grand Rapids Michigan to St. Catherines Ontario

Monday August 18: 111 km. 86 F sunny. Grand Rapids Michigan to Lainsburg Michigan

Today was one of those days where everything came together for a perfect day of cycling. It was one of those "sun in your face and wind in your back" kind of days. After a send off ceremony at Calvin College, we were off at 8 AM. All day long it was sunny with a 20 kph tailwind. The day went very fast and was an easy break in for the 60 new cyclists that started in Grand Rapids. The terrain was relatively flat thru this area of western Michigan along the Grand River, making for very enjoyable riding. We traveled along almost deserted county roads for the most part, allowing us to see the countryside in a way one can't while traveling along major highways.

Send off from Calvin College in Grand Rapids MI.

Restored covered bridge in Ada MI, originally built in 1847. Hey, who is that guy on the bike, and where is his helmet?

Tuesday August 19: 157 km. 76 F mostly sunny. Lainsburg Michigan to Richmond Michigan.

The day started cold and cloudy, but by mid morning the sun was shining. Along with the cool temperatures came a 25 kph. wind out of the northeast, a headwind for us all day. This will be the longest day of the tour for the new cyclists who started in Grand Rapids. It was a healthy dose of reality for them after the easy day yesterday. Most of them fared well and finished the ride by late afternoon.

Old train station in Durand MI, now a railroad museum.

This is what happens when you forget to unclip your shoes from the pedals. Lou Haverman and Jo Tipple trying to untangle themselves from their bicycles after falling.

Wednesday August 20: 89 km 22 C sunny. Richmond Michigan to Chatham Ontario

The tour entered Canada today by way of the ferry from Michigan to Sombra Ontario across the St. Clair River. And what a reception awaited us! We had heard that there would be a few people to meet us, but no one was expecting the crowd that was waving flags, holding signs and generally welcoming us very vocally! There must have been at least 150 people there. And most important of all, Tim Horton's coffee! All kinds of goodies including cupcakes adorned with Canadian flags, fresh fruit, timbits, etc. waited as we arrived. One couple, from our church in Brantford were there to greet Stephanie Webb and I. Harry and Marion Dyk have a trailer at a park nearby and stopped in to say hello. A pleasant surprise, indeed. After this, a 50 km ride thru the countryside to Chatham ON, where an equally rousing reception awaited us.

Our first sight of Canada this morning across the St Clair River in over seven weeks.

Waiting to board ferry to Canada.

Aboard ferry on St Clair River Our mobile kitchen on the ferry.

The crowd of well wishers in Sombra ON, as we get off the ferry from Michigan.

A Canadian cultural icon!

Thursday August 21: 127 km. 24 C sunny. Chatham Ontario to London Ontario

Another great cycling day, warm, sunny, with a good breeze in our face. No tailwind yet again. I wonder what would have happened if we had cycled east to west? All those easterly winds would become the prevailing west winds we have heard so much about, but have failed to see. It was a great though, a nice ride through more soybean and cornfields about the same view as we have had from about Nebraska three weeks ago. A time trial was held halfway thru the ride today with Rueben Vyn of Portland OR coming first and John Vanderveen of Edmonton AB placing second. When we got to London, about 12 of our cyclist went to the velodrome here in London, one of only a very few in North America, so it was a rare oppurtuity for cyclists who are not from Ontario to experience riding on an indoor track. Tomorrow is the day I've been waiting for. I'll be passing within one block of my house in Brantford ON and I'll be seeing Elaine for the first time in eight weeks. I had no idea that it would be so difficult to be apart for this long. I'm sure it will not be easy to carry on to New Jersey on Monday, but I'm committed to see my little adventure thru to the end.

Bicycles taking a break while their riders are having lunch at Mt Bridges CRC.

Six man paceline on Hwy# 2 in Delaware ON. The fourth person in line is Lawrence Bakelaar, the grandson of James Kooistra. (For those who remember the early days of Brantford Christian School)

Friday August 22: 127 km. 27 C sunny. London Ontatio to Hamilton Ontario

Home, sweet home. What more can I say? Today was the day I was looking forward to for a long, long time. I got an early start as soon as it was light enough to bike safely and was in Brantford by 10:30 AM. I met my daughter Karen by her house just west of Brantford where she was waiting for me with a Tim Horton's coffee. It was so nice to see her and my son-in-law Jeff, especially as she informed me a couple of weeks ago that I'm going to be a grandfather for the first time. My brother-in-law Pete also stopped by for a few minutes. As I cycled past our house, my son Adam was just walking up the diveway, so I chatted with him for a few minutes. Then it was the off to a Sea to Sea refreshment stop a few blocks down the road where I met many friends who stopped by. Then, most important of all, I was off to the the last stop of the day on Jerseyville Road, where my dear wife, Elaine was waiting for me. It was so good to see and hold her again after eight weeks apart! This trip has been an adventure of a lifetime for me and the only negative of the trip has been the realization of how much I missed Elaine. It was good to be back together again, hear her voice and feel her touch.

My daughter Karen presented me with an always appreciated Tim Hortons coffee as a homecoming present.

Welcome sign at Len and Wilma Brak's on Jerseyville Road

Back in Brantford with Elaine after eight weeks apart.

Saturday August 23: 74 km. 30 C mostly sunny. Hamilton Ontario to St. Catharines Ontario

Today was a short pleasant ride, jokingly referred to as the "Tour de Food" on account of all the stops today at various CRC churches along the route. A hearty welcome was found at these stops as well as an abundance of food and drink. It was very much appeciated by the cyclists. The recognition is nice. We travelled for awhile along the brow of the Niagara Escarpment which is the geological formation over which Niagara Fall drops. The view of Hamilton, Lake Ontario and all the way over to the Toronto skyline was spectacular.

Overlooking Hamilton Harbour from the top of the Niagara Escarpment.

Visiting with the seniors at Shalom Manor in Grimsby Ontario

Sunday August 24: A celebration service was held at Queenston Heights Park, across the Niagara River from Lewiston NY. This park is the scene of one of the major battles of the war of 1812. The whole tour there has been some friendly banter between the Americans and the Canadians on the tour. It is not without irony that here on this exact spot where we are now having this celebration, less than two hundred years ago, we were killing each other. It rained most of the afternoon in advance of a 4 PM start. Promptly at 4 o'clock the rain quit and the sun came out. It was a nice service and a supper afterwards served by the local CRC congregations. It was a time to connect with family and friends and long ago acquaintances for many of the cyclists who are from Ontario.

Some of the crowd who were pretty wet from the rain prior to the start of the service.

Cyclists lined up in front of the stage.

Week Seven: Madison Wisconsin to Grand Rapids Michigan

Monday August 11: 139 km. 79 F partly cloudy. Madison Wisconsin to Woodstock Illinois

Today was an absolutely spectacular day for cycling. Mid 70's, a few clouds and a light breeze. The route was almost all on rural county roads, thru rolling hills and almost no traffic. Everyone was in a great mood and the CRC in Delavan WI had a great lunch for us along the way. Most of us took our time to enjoy the countryside and stop in all the small towns along the way. We all ended the day in a great frame of mind.

A page from the past along the way.

Tuesday August 12: 133 km. 77 F mostly cloudy. Woodstock Illinois to Palos Heights Illinois

Today's ride was with mixed feelings, as it was my 30th wedding anniversary, spend alone out here doing what I love, but without Elaine. I'm looking forward to being home next Friday and being able to spend the weekend together. We rode into the northwest suburbs of Chicago on the Fox River Trail, a 60 km bike path. From then on it was on city streets with all the traffic to Trinity College in Palos Heights Il., where we spent the night. Thank goodness we don't have to ride in amongst all that heavy traffic all the time!

Cycling into Chicago on the Fox River Trail

Overwhelming a coffee shop along the way.

Riverboat casino in Elgin IL.


This windmill in a forest preserve outside of Batavia IL was shipped from the Netherlands around 1900 and used for grinding grain. It has recently been restored to working order and on Saturdays the sails are installed, and you can actually buy some of the flour it produces.

Wednesday August 13: 88 km. 80 F partly cloudy. Palos Heights Illinois to Chesterton Indiana

Today was a nice leisurely ride thru the southern outskirts of Chicago to northwestern Indiana. Much of our ride was thru forest preserves, green spaces that abound in the Chicagoland area. We had two different CRC churches serve us up refreshments and lunch, one in Chicago Heights IL. and the other in Highland IN. We began the day with a send off service at Trinity College where we spent the night. We ended the day at Indiana Dunes State Park. Part of our ride was on the 16 km. long Prairie Dunes Trail, a trail I have ridden many times in the past few years.

Breakfast at the Ritz. Well....... not quite!

Send off at Trinity College in Palos Heights IL

Sign along the route at Bethel CRC in Chicago Heights IL

Camping at Indiana Dunes State Park.

Thursday August 14: 126 km. 79 F mostly sunny. Chesterton Indiana to South Haven Michigan.

The day started out overcast and very humid, but by 10 AM the sun came out and it was a beautiful day in the upper 70's for remainder of the day. We travelled into Michigan along the shore of Lake Michigan thru vacation country all day. It was a great day for cycling thru some very nice little towns and resort areas. We are spending the night in South Haven, a beautiful harbour town, lots of boats and vacationers.

One more state closer to the end.

The harbour at South Haven MI.

Friday August 15: 88 km. 73 F sunny. South Haven Michigan to Grand Haven Michigan

Another in a series of spectacular days for cycling. Mid 70's, sunny and moderate winds. We biked along the shore of Lake Michigan thru picturesque resort towns and forested terrain. It was a leisurely ride all day as we had only about 80 km to do. In the morning we stopped in Saugatuck MI at an outdoor cafe for quite some time, watching the tourists and boats go by. There was a very interesting stop at Graafschap CRC, just outside of Holland MI. This is an absolutely beautiful church building and is the site of the very first CRC, a log building that was built in 1847, ten years before the founding of the Christian Reformed denomination. A restored replica now stands on the grounds of this church. In the basement of the current church is a museum dedicated to the history of the CRC church. I would strongly recommend any CRC members who find themselves in the Holland MI area to check this museum out. They have done a beautiful job at chronicling the entire history of the Christian Reformed denomination. This evening we are camped at the CRC conference grounds, a retreat and campground on the shores of Lake Michigan in Grand Haven MI.

Graafschap MI Christian Reformed Church

An exact replica of the first Christian Christian Reformed Church built in 1847, in Graafschaap MI.

Museum dedicated to the history of the Christian Reformed Church at the current Graafschap CRC

Saturday August 16: 77 km. 80 F sunny. Grand Haven Michigan to Grand Rapids Michigan

Another short ride, this time into Calvin College in Grand Rapids MI where we will be spending the weekend. We gathered a mile or short of the campus and rode in together en mass. The morning was chilly, about 50 F at 7 AM, and for the first time on the tour, I wore a jacket while cycling. It quickly warmed up to the mid 70's making for another pleasant ride. There were numerous stops along the way at CRC churches, where we ate altogether too much food, which was served up at every stop.

Christian Reformed Conferenc Grounds at Grand Haven MI where we started out this morning.

Mass ride in to Calvin College in Grand Rapids MI.

Sunday August 17: Grand Rapids Michigan

The weekend was spent at Calvin College camped out on one of their spacious lawns. A celebration service was held Sunday afternoon at a local baseball field. A very moving event with about 5,000 people in attendance. The weather was perfect for the event, sunny and in the low 80's. Tomorrow we start with 50 additional cyclists joining for the remainder of the ride to New Jersey. That will give us almost 200 riders for the last two weeks.

Sea to Sea cyclists entering stadium.

Lined up on the infield.

Part of the crowd in attendance.