Friday, June 26, 2009

Burlington to Revere Beach, Massachusetts

19 miles, 1.:35 riding time, 447 feet of climb, 904 Calories

It's still hard to accept, but today was our final ride together. We are here, Boston, finally, after seven weeks of riding. It was a short 19 miles from the hotel to Revere Beach. We paused at mile 14 to regroup and ride to the shore together. The mood was festive, riders waved to everyone on the street, and got a big cheer from some school kids. There was a lot of joking, singing, and shouting.

When we rounded the turn to the beach, a cheer went up from family and friends who had gathered to witness our triumphant arrival. My youngest son and his wife had driven down from Connecticut as representatives of my clan.

Although the tide was out, riders carried their faithful bikes across the sand to dip the front wheel in the Atlantic Ocean. We posed for our group picture and the bikes were loaded onto the trucks to be transported back to the hotel. This afternoon, we will pack up the bikes for shipment home. The banquet is tonight.

14 comments:

  1. So, will you be turning around tomorrow and riding home?

    Seriously, congratulations to you and your fellow riders - what a fantastic journey you've had. Thanks for taking us along on the ride...

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  2. Congratulations on a inspiring ride across the states!! I've so enjoyed your blog and the other riders blogs also. What an accomplishment! See you tomorrow!

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  3. What Pam and Margaret said goes for me, too. Looking forward to hearing it over and over at SCC.

    g

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  4. Congratulations! and Thank you!!

    Nancy

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  5. Congratulations!
    And thanks for the daily Blog.
    See you soon, I hope.
    Charlie S.

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  6. I am so glad it went so well. My hats off to you. Bill (diver)

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  7. Congratulations, Jim! On behalf of the Palos Verdes Bike Club,I salute you and say that we are very proud. Thanks for sharing your adventure through your well-written blog. It was the highlight of my day to read your journal - loved the song lyrics, quotes, factoids and the beautiful photos. I also enjoyed pcregan's adventures as well (very clever). Hope to see you at Johnny Reb's on Sunday.

    Geri

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  8. Congratulations big brother. I, like everyone who has followed your journey, will miss reading your daily blogs. Can't tell you how proud I am of you.

    Look forward to seeing you in SCC and hearing more about the trip.

    Love ya,
    Jana

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  9. Jim,
    Congratulations! What an outstanding accomplishment. I've enjoyed reading your blog posts. The postings have been so informative. Thank you for allowing me to share your journey and see this beautiful country through your lens.
    Assuming you're flying back, I hope you get a window seat on the plane. Cruising at 35,000 feet, 8 miles a minute, your fellow passengers, all cramped together, may wonder why you are beaming as you glance out the window and reflect on the journey. If they only knew.
    Great Job!

    Chris

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  10. I've been snoozing awhile. When does your cross country trip begin?
    Bob

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  11. Jim Congrats on finishing this adventure! Now you need to conquer Europe! :) Susan P.

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  12. Jim,

    Congratulations! odd to see riders taking bikes for a dip in the ocean cold; meaningful now after so many days of white lines, wind, rain and the vast of what is USA!

    Jaime

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