Day 23 (9/28/11)

Well, today was the final day, as I had planned. Although I did not have a specific reason to keep to the original plan, there is something in me that takes pride in executing a plan precisely as I had drawn it up. I guess that is why I used to enjoy flying so much. I would work up a flight plan and then take great pride in going out and flying it exactly as planned and arriving at my destination on time. In another life, I think I would have made a good airline pilot. :-)
Last night when I arrived at our marina in Rock Hall, MD, I made the decision to sleep in the Library as mentioned in yesterday's blog. It was dark so I could not take a picture of the alternative. Here is a picture of the boat covered up. You can imagine how hot and humid sleeping in that would have been compared to the air conditioned library at the marina. Sometimes my mother would be proud that she did not raise a fool, at other times I have kept her humble. Thanks Mom... I know you were smiling down on this trip! Today as I was packing up I received a text message from Mac Kirkpatrick who is a fellow Mac Pac member. He said he wanted to meet me and join me for the final part of the ride. Mac and I have traveled together before and he has that sense of adventure that it takes to put on all the rain gear and make the decision to ride on a day like today. He and his son Clark just returned this summer from a father/son trip to Alaska on motorcycles.
Clark is now in his first year at VMI and wants to become a marine officer. I wish him well and hope he remains safe. These are tough times to be a marine and fortunately there are people out there that do that job willingly. So after meeting Mac at a pre-arranged meeting point, we transited my final state, Delaware. I had made arrangements to meet Heidi Pickens' classes at 2:00 at the A.M. Kulp Elementary School in the North Penn District. Mac and I had a quick lunch at a local place and arrived on time. The classes were all assembled on the steps outside the shool when we arrived. The kids were very excited to see us and finally meet in person the guy they had been following on the computer. Heidi had a list of questions they had written up and I took a bunch of others off the cuff. These kids asked really good questions and it was clear that they got not only the geography of the ride, but the reason behind it. I tried to instill in them that each of us has to look for ways to help those less fortunate than us. It does not have to be something as complex as a ride like this, it might simply be helping an elderly neighbor rake their leaves, or shovel a sidewalk. Little things done locally can have a big impact to those that need our help. I hope they came away with some ideas on things they can do to help others. I would be remiss if I did not thank the corporate sponsors and individuals that helped by donating to the Compassion Corner. The website is still open for those that just did not get around to it yet. I understand things get hectic and sometimes good intentions get overlooked. Special thanks to my corporate sponsors: TD Bank, Balford Farms, Hermy's BMW Triumph Motorcycles, Metal Finishing Systems Inc, The Rubber Chicken Racing Garage, and Power Seal Inc. These folks stepped up and really helped to make this effort a success. I hope you will support them and visit their websites that are linked to my site for this ride.

People have asked what will I remember most about this trip. Although I was blessed with magnificent scenery, challenged by long days in the saddle, days of heavy rain and reduced visibility, the searing heat of Death Valley, the chalenges of lonely twisty mountain roads and heavy traffic in places, it will be the PEOPLE I met along the way that will remain with me far longer. It will be Frank Vouk and his family that welcomed me to their home in the dark when my Garmin fed me a wrong location for a campground. It will be Mike the Delta Airlines Pilot that had been severely injured saving many people aboard his commuter plane that crashed in 1995, that suggested we hold hands and pray for the people killed and injured yards away from us at the Reno Air Races. I will be Nicky from Nicky's Bar-B-Q in Kentucky that would not let me pay for my dinner at his resturant. It will be Mike Ormont and his wife that took me in on a rainy night in New Hampshire. It will be Joe Badecki's inlaws that welcomed me to their home for the second time in New York state. It will be Linda Cole's Sister Carolyn and her husband Tom that provided me with a great home cooked meal and a comfortable bed to sleep in at Pensacola. It will be the hours Tom and I spent talking about his flying experiences as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam and his SCUBA diving experiences. Yes, it will be about the people that opened up their hearts and homes to me. It will be the folks out in Warren PA that donated to a cause that is totally outside their area. The Canadian family in Buffalo on their way to a family vacation that donated to the cause. There are too many to mention, and I could go on for hours, but it is the people of this great nation that truly care about those less fortunate than themselves. I will take those memories to my grave long after the details of the trip are forgotten. I hope this trip will inspire others to find a need albiet small or large and work to help the less fortunate in any way they can. To the students at Kulp school. Thanks for being there and caring about this trip. You guys are the best and I hope to read some day about something you have done to help others. One final thanks to the folks in the BranchCreek Community Church and the CC48 Team. Mike Allebach for his digital and computer expertise, Chuck Faber our executive pastor for his support,Rick Martin our finnancial pastor for making sure every penny gets to where it helps those in need, Nikki Holcroft and the team that run the Compassion Corner for their endless hours of work to make sure the money is used wisely and to the benefit of the greatest number of people possible. David Flaherty for his writing and PR expertise, Allyson Amsterdam for her inspiration and spiritual nurturing, my wife Adele for supporting me on endeavors such as this, and last but not least my son David for his endless work building the website, making all the seemingly constant changes and updates and for responding to frantic calls from me. It truly was a team effort. I would also like to thank God for watching over me and for touching people's hearts to support a cause like this at a time when finances for many are being stretched to the limits. Thanks everyone for following along. I will probably do one final blog entry once I find out what the final total will be. May God bless you and be with you as he has been with me!