Day 66: That’s all, folks!

Days 66
Destination: The Atlantic Ocean (Rehoboth Beach, Delaware)
Sunday’s mileage: 50. Total: 3,672 (or so — that’s the total on the T-shirts, so …)

Done.

I’ll write more in the next day or two — once I’ve absorbed this whole thing. I want to dig through the blog, look back on this journey, share some of the highs and lows for those of you who haven’t had the chance to read each and every post. But I want to at least acknowledge one thing: It’s all over! I did this thing.

As I was sitting here, contemplating how to put this into words, this is what I’ve come up with.

I’m an incredibly lucky guy. I had an idea. I talked it over with Melody. We decided to tackle it together. And in the space of just a little over two months, we did it. I didn’t get injured. I didn’t get hit by a truck. My wife still likes me. And I got to arrive at my destination after this most excellent adventure to cheers from strangers at the Delaware shore.

On top of that, our daughter Jenna got up early this morning in New York, traveled by train to Wilmington, rented a car and drove another two hours so she could be here for the finale. That was lovely and it felt so good.

My cousin, Sally, who has been a source of constant encouragement and an incredibly uplifting presence, joined me for the final day of riding. It was nice to have her on the road with me. As we rolled into Rehoboth, she started to sing the theme to “Rocky.” Ba-bah-batabum-bata-bum-bump-bum …

Sally (left) and I were especially excited about the watermelon. Well, Sally appears excited, I appear in deep thought on the healing properties of cold watermelon.

And, as always, Melody was there at the finish, cameras in hand, willing assistants at the ready, volunteer cheering squad hanging out. Everyone at the main beach seemed to know I was coming. It was crazy. If you’re planning a grand entrance, you want Melody doing the advance work. As I posed for pictures on the beach, first one young lady delivered a baggie full of cold and refreshing watermelon pieces — yum! Then a young boy stopped by to deliver some chilled apples. I dipped the front tire in the ocean. I posed on a mini red carpet that Melody had procured (of course!). Then we made our way to the boardwalk and helped ourselves to some Kohr Brothers ice cream. Pie will have to wait.

Sharing this ride on the blog has been a privilege. Thank you for being a part of the journey. I’ll keep writing in this space in the days to come. And in the weeks and months that follow, I’ll try to come up with a new way to remain “on the move.”

Not only did Jenna deliver T-shirts, she designed them, too. “Will (Bike) for (Pie).” It was great to have a little family time at the finish line.

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