Day 44, Tuesday August 12
THE FINAL DAY
Sandy Neck Beach, MA to Nauset Beach, MA—Atlantic Ocean
Daily Mileage: 27.68 miles
Final Mileage: 3,902.3 miles
Daily Time on Bike: 1:38 hours
Average Speed: 16.8 mph
Maximum Speed: 31.0 mph
Everyone woke up around 7:15AM, but it took forever to get everyone going. We all wandered outside onto the porch where David’s dad set up a beautiful display of two dozen donuts. We sat around eating donuts and drinking orange juice. About 8:00AM we were finally in our various cars headed for Cape Cod again. It was a three-car caravan to Sandy Neck Beach. Once we got there they wanted to charge us $8.00 per car to park. Needless to say, we didn't park (looking back $8.00 for the day seems quite reasonable, but at the time, wow, that was a lot of money). We turned back around and parked at the end of the street. We unloaded the bikes, stretched, took more pictures and applied sunscreen before Rob stashed his car and we started to ride, for the last time.
David and I started very quickly. Everyone else went up ahead and we didn't see them for quite some time. Traffic was still heavy even at the early hour, and on a Tuesday. About five miles down the way I needed to use the restroom, and without any road-side options, we stopped at a store selling Christmas items.
After ten miles or so we met up with David's parents. We didn't want to stop because now we were only twenty miles from the coast. We just kept pushing and screaming as we passed by all the gray-shingled houses. We were flying; even with a head wind we were maintaining a speed of 25 M.P.H.
With ten miles left we ran into David's parents again, and then shortly afterwards, Lauren's Jeep-full. It was from this point that the excitement was unbearable. We were back on the main road after a brief shortcut through the island and were now in a full-out sprint to the finish. No need to conserve energy now. With speeds reaching 30 M.P.H. on flats with a headwind, we moved ever closer to the beach. Then, there it was… We turned the corner and between the trees, down the road was a great big, blue body of water sitting just ahead of us—the Atlantic Ocean!
We raced down the hill screaming, going in the Exit of the parking lot, while avoiding all the cars waiting to enter the lot. We raced in to where the cars were waiting for us, to the applause of our friends and family. We had done it! We crossed the country on our bikes!
Soon the beach parking patrol came to tell us that bikes had to be parked at the gate. David’s dad explained what we had just completed, and then it seemed fine for us to be in the lot with our bikes. The two attendants asked us many of the same questions we heard all along the trip, but now we didn't really mind, it was sort of fitting it guess. They both were so amazed at the accomplishment they would have let us do just about anything. Our first objective now was to get down to the water. So everyone grabbed the supplies: bikes, cameras, Champagne and glasses.
As we walked onto the beach with our bikes, we suddenly had that extremely out-of-place feeling even more so than at any time or place on our entire trip. As soon as we found a spot far enough away from the lifeguards we dropped anchor for the party. We too a great deal of photos; it was a full-out photo shoot. When we couldn't think of any more poses, we made the big toast. Lauren took care of the glasses and Doug did the honors with the champagne. A random guy on the beach took a picture of the big event for us. Then it was into the ocean, for believe it or not, the first time in my entire life. What a fitting event. We bike clear across the continent from ocean to ocean and when we arrive I get to swim in the ocean for the first time. David, Doug, Rob and I all ran into the water followed by Lauren and David's parents. It was refreshing for David and I, but everyone else thought it was extremely cold (water temperature was a nice 61 degrees), but it wasn't long before we got out of the water and headed back to the car.
(Photos: David’s dad, Tim, Doug, Rob, Lauren & David; Tim & David in the Atlantic Ocean.)
Sandy Neck Beach, MA to Nauset Beach, MA—Atlantic Ocean
Daily Mileage: 27.68 miles
Final Mileage: 3,902.3 miles
Daily Time on Bike: 1:38 hours
Average Speed: 16.8 mph
Maximum Speed: 31.0 mph
Everyone woke up around 7:15AM, but it took forever to get everyone going. We all wandered outside onto the porch where David’s dad set up a beautiful display of two dozen donuts. We sat around eating donuts and drinking orange juice. About 8:00AM we were finally in our various cars headed for Cape Cod again. It was a three-car caravan to Sandy Neck Beach. Once we got there they wanted to charge us $8.00 per car to park. Needless to say, we didn't park (looking back $8.00 for the day seems quite reasonable, but at the time, wow, that was a lot of money). We turned back around and parked at the end of the street. We unloaded the bikes, stretched, took more pictures and applied sunscreen before Rob stashed his car and we started to ride, for the last time.
David and I started very quickly. Everyone else went up ahead and we didn't see them for quite some time. Traffic was still heavy even at the early hour, and on a Tuesday. About five miles down the way I needed to use the restroom, and without any road-side options, we stopped at a store selling Christmas items.
After ten miles or so we met up with David's parents. We didn't want to stop because now we were only twenty miles from the coast. We just kept pushing and screaming as we passed by all the gray-shingled houses. We were flying; even with a head wind we were maintaining a speed of 25 M.P.H.
With ten miles left we ran into David's parents again, and then shortly afterwards, Lauren's Jeep-full. It was from this point that the excitement was unbearable. We were back on the main road after a brief shortcut through the island and were now in a full-out sprint to the finish. No need to conserve energy now. With speeds reaching 30 M.P.H. on flats with a headwind, we moved ever closer to the beach. Then, there it was… We turned the corner and between the trees, down the road was a great big, blue body of water sitting just ahead of us—the Atlantic Ocean!
We raced down the hill screaming, going in the Exit of the parking lot, while avoiding all the cars waiting to enter the lot. We raced in to where the cars were waiting for us, to the applause of our friends and family. We had done it! We crossed the country on our bikes!
Soon the beach parking patrol came to tell us that bikes had to be parked at the gate. David’s dad explained what we had just completed, and then it seemed fine for us to be in the lot with our bikes. The two attendants asked us many of the same questions we heard all along the trip, but now we didn't really mind, it was sort of fitting it guess. They both were so amazed at the accomplishment they would have let us do just about anything. Our first objective now was to get down to the water. So everyone grabbed the supplies: bikes, cameras, Champagne and glasses.
As we walked onto the beach with our bikes, we suddenly had that extremely out-of-place feeling even more so than at any time or place on our entire trip. As soon as we found a spot far enough away from the lifeguards we dropped anchor for the party. We too a great deal of photos; it was a full-out photo shoot. When we couldn't think of any more poses, we made the big toast. Lauren took care of the glasses and Doug did the honors with the champagne. A random guy on the beach took a picture of the big event for us. Then it was into the ocean, for believe it or not, the first time in my entire life. What a fitting event. We bike clear across the continent from ocean to ocean and when we arrive I get to swim in the ocean for the first time. David, Doug, Rob and I all ran into the water followed by Lauren and David's parents. It was refreshing for David and I, but everyone else thought it was extremely cold (water temperature was a nice 61 degrees), but it wasn't long before we got out of the water and headed back to the car.
(Photos: David’s dad, Tim, Doug, Rob, Lauren & David; Tim & David in the Atlantic Ocean.)
