the coast of Washington to the coast of New Hampshire. This trip was planned in advance to raise awareness about outdoor recreational opportunities for disabled athletes and bring awareness to the challenges of architectural accessibility. Also another purpose, which was often the case was to raise money for different programs which helped people. This trip was organized by two non-profit organizations in New Hampshire, one of which was Northeast Passage, based in Durham, N.H. One of their missions, their purpose as an organization, to create opportunities for folks with a disability, to participate in sports and recreation. A chance to be active and participating members of society.
During that cross country journey, we averaged about 60-85 miles per day. (One day was over 140 miles). That includes rest days, where we would stay at one location and not cycle that day. We needed those rest days every 7 to 10 days. This was a supported trip, which meant that our gear was carried by a vehicle and our food and water was taken care of for us. We camped, we stayed at some schools, friends of friends homes, some motels, and some youth hostels along the way.
Two years after that cross country trip, I received in the mail an invitation to be a part of a cycling adventure which really was an opportunity of my lifetime. This organization World T.E.A.M. Sports, was planning a cycling trip “Around The World”. They had been planning this trip for a couple of years and had many people involved in the planning the route, the stops, the events along the way; people we would meet. They did a documentary about the around the world ride called “World Ride: The Possible Dream”. It aired on CBS, on Thanksgiving Day between football games, the year we did it.
Were there any sights/things that you remembered that were noteworthy? (Sights, scenery, etc.)
Boy that is a great question especially, since, one of my other interests in life, when I traveled and life in general, is to take photographs. I have almost always taken a camera with me on these trips. So I have many slides and photos of these trips which helps me remember some of the interesting sights and scenery we encountered and also the people we encountered along the way. They were an important part of every adventure, the people we would meet along the road and those we cycled with in our groups. I find it interesting to learn about life for folks who live in different parts of the world. That is part of the magic for me. So back to your question . . . . . I have seen many parts of the world, and have enjoyed the scenery of places like China, Mongolia, Siberia in Russia, at the same time I have seen a lot of the beautiful scenery and places right here in the United States.
One memorable evening, we were in the Gobi Desert, near the border between Mongolia and the northwest area of China. It was a clear beautiful evening, moon high in the sky, no light, other than our campfire, camels nearby wondering around searching for low grass to munch on, loose herd of horses wandering nearby, their owners sitting with us around the fire. This was our last night in Mongolia, and we had made many friends. We were about to enter China the next morning, we were also about to complete our 400 miles across the Gobi Desert; a very challenging time of cycling through heat, along very dry, dusty, sandy roads, and places with little or no roads. Our guides often just pointed in a direction and off we would go, not clear if we were on a particular road. This is how we had traveled for a couple of weeks through the desert. I had met some of the most kind hearted, willing to share all that they had to help us out, if we needed it. Just some of the most generous folks I had ever met. Now, the next morning we would be leaving Mongolia. It was bittersweet, also it was a place I wanted to stay, or at least come back and visit again.
As you can imagine Matthew, I have experienced many amazing adventures along my travels. During the Around the World Ride, I took over 5,000 slides and photos during that trip. For a number of years after that trip, I did dozen of slide shows and presentations to various groups, schools and organizations. It gave me a chance to share with others these adventures and offer others the chance to believe that no matter the obstacles we may face in life, their are opportunities to get out there and be involved in life. I often met many folks facing much greater challenges than I was and I felt grateful for my opportunities.