Across America is Across America!

"The Across America Trekkers triumphantly arrived in New York City on Tuesday under sunny skies. The journey took 28 maps, 16 jars of peanut butter, 7 buckets of oatmeal, 26 flat tires, 4 bottles of sunscreen, 4 cans of bug spray, 6 bottles of hot sauce, 17 bike shop visits, and 14 ice cream stops to ride the 3,487 miles in 54 days through 12 US states and 1 Canadian province. Wow.

In the New York, our first stop was Central Park for a picnic lunch. Then we headed to our hotel, riding through Times Square and along the Hudson River bike path. After some much appreciated showers, the group headed to Chinatown for dinner, followed by sundaes. After a great night's sleep, we took a morning subway ride to the Carnegie Deli, where we enjoyed a big breakfast and marveled at the even bigger pastrami sandwiches brought out to neighboring tables. Afterwords, we explored the city on foot, checking out shops along the way, plus FIT's photography and fashion exhibits, and a Greenwich Village coffee shop. Back at the hotel, the Trekkers were joyfully reunited with their families, and after a tasty dinner and many photos and hugs, the Camels of the Dawn parted ways, each taking home matching bike shorts tans and great memories." -Taylor, Trek Leader

Across America Almost Home

"The Across America group is almost home - we're only fifty miles from NYC. We have a reservation at a swanky four-star hotel to celebrate, and plans for either sushi or New York-style pizza (both are delicious). The past couple of days have been wet (thanks to the on-and-off rain), but enjoyable nonetheless. We biked along the edge of the Catskills, saw some live music, and stumbled onto a town's 200th birthday party, complete with square-dancing. As exhausting as it's been, every one of us is sad to see this trip come to an end. NYC, here we come!"

Across America Reunion Trek Seeks Bigger & Bigger Mountains

Here at Teen Treks, the action is constant. For the across America reunion tour, a short 95 mile day into Lake Placid just didn't cut it in terms of physical activity. In order to kill those regretful ice cream calories the group set out to conquer Algonquin Mountain. After record breaking four and a half hours the group made it up and back down the four mile, three thousand vertical foot trail to the summit. After a delegant homemade lasagna and a fantastic night's sleep in hostel beds it was once again time to ride those bikes! 'Twas a quick 40 mile ride downhill with a nice tailwind to the ferry across Lake Champlain headed for Burlington, VT. After a two hour beach excursion in waiting for the ferry the group set sail for Burlington. The group spent the rest of the day and half of the next exploring the sprawling city and making use of nearby coffee shops in order to feed their addictions, after which it was high time to head off for what had long been awaited...the Ben & Jerry's factory where a quick tour was taken before the battle between Teen Treks and the Ultimate Vermonster. After 20 painful minutes and several casualties the monster was defeated in a valiant effort. With spirits high and energy through the roof the group set off to finish the rest of their journey over tall mountains and against strong winds. With the confidence gained from the Battle of the Vermonster this happy family can and will conquer all that lies in their path!

Niagara-Toronto Trek Reaches Goal

The Niagara Toronto Trek followed the shores of Lake Erie along the Waterfront Bike Trail from Burlington through to Toronto. In Burlington the group found an awesome waterpark and took a break from cycling to try out the large waterslides and pools. They reached Bronte Provincial Park and made dinner and smoores over the campfire before sunset. Their last day cycling was Thursday and they found a neat pier outside Toronto to swim and enjoy the wonderful lakeshore. For the next 2 days they're exploring Toronto and staying in the downtown youth hostel before busing it back to Buffalo on Sunday.

Across America Comes Home!

"Greetings from Buffalo, New York, the birthplace of Teen Treks!

The Across America trekkers had a rainy ride into Niagara yesterday morning, where we met Cliff (the man behind Teen Treks!) for some misty sightseeing of the falls. We then rolled on into Buffalo, with Cliff as our "point". (That's leader/navigator in TT language.)

We had a wonderful time hanging at Teen Treks Headquarters, doing some bike maintenance, gabbing, and trying to dry off. The night was spent at a radical hostel in the downtown area, and the Teen Treks family all came over for a very tasty meal followed by some incredible chocolate cake made by Carol. (That's right, AA Reunioners. We got cake. You be jealous.) The Teen Treks family--Ben, Cliff, Carol, and all the leaders and campers--truly is a special one, and we all had a wonderful time enjoying each other’s company!

Speaking of friendly people, we have met a great many on this epic pilgrimage to NYC. We've been blessed with great kindness and generosity from complete strangers (though they are certainly not strangers now!), and we'd like to take a moment to thank them. It's the people we've met that have made this trip over-the-top fantastic. Thank you, thank you, thank you!

Peace and good vibes to all" -Jenna, Teen Trekker

Here is a link to a YouTube video of Jenna & Rebecca, Enjoy!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FibG-04GIRg

Across America Reunion Visits Grandma!

"After our rainy day in New Paltz we took a little ride on up to the Ashokan reservoir before heading on to Woodstock where went swimming in the stream that runs through town. And then we cycled over the river and through the woods to Bryan's grandmother's house for a nice home cooked Italian meal, or should I say feast! Good times. Today we got up early so we could go see Howe's Caverns, a beautiful underground cavern near Albany. Tomorrow we enter adirondack park which will hopefully remind us of the days that we ride through Clearwater National Forest last year." - Adam, Trekker

NYC-Montreal Trek is Winding Down in Montreal

"We've made our destination - Montreal, and having a great time. Yesterday we checked out the History of Architecture Museum, Old Montreal, the waterfront, and went shopping, all despite some rain showers. Today we're climbing Mont Royal for a nice view of the city and then heading to a labyrinth to get lost for a few hours. We will cook dinner at the hostel this evening before heading to the bus station for our long ride home to the Big Apple. We'll see you parents real soon." - Laura, Trip Leader

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Niagara - Toronto Trek is Having a Blast!

"The first day, we learned each others names. Jonny, Russell, Tyler, Ilana, and Kramer. Tyler remembers them by Jonny on the Spot, Rustling leaves, Kraven, and Ilana Llama. On the First Day we went up to the top of the observation tower at the Buffalo City Hall, walked around a house that Frank Lloyd Wright built, rode our bikes around Delaware Park and then saw a Shakespeare play while eating food from an ice- cream place called Anderson's. On the second night, we had glowing sword fights on Clifton Hill in Niagara Falls, ON. On Clifton Hill, there was a golden man that was selling beads and there was also a fun house that we went inside of. On the third day we were amazed by the Maid of the Mist at Niagara Falls. We had an adventure going towards the Niagara River. We rock climbed many rocks. The third night, we stormed Fort George and Fort Mississauga and then hung out by Lake Ontario. Then we stopped at the golf club and got banana splits. We are having a blast riding to Toronto!" - Jonny on the spot, Teen Trekker

***Correction on the first blog entry***

We posted that the group choose to go to the battleships at the Navel Park rather than the Frank Llyod Wright house, in fact they were actually able to do both!

Across America Reunion Trek is in the Hudson Valley!

"After passing through the freshwater ponds of western Connecticut, the vast farmland of Dutchess county, and the bustling town of Poughkeepsie, NY, it can be wonderful to sit down to a cup of lavender tea or hazelnut-flavored hot chocolate, sit back in one of the hippest cages around, and relax. This is where you can find the Across America Reunion Trek, traveling at a comfortable pace. Tomorrow, we will hit the catskills and travel north to the Albany area. We hope that this year's Across America Trek is jealous." -Adam, Trekker

Niagara - Toronto Trek Starts in Buffalo, NY!

The group met up in the city of Buffalo, NY with great excitement for the adventure ahead of them. They took a small loop around the city and found a few bike problems that are expected at the start of any bike trip. After stopping by the legendary local bike shop, Rick's Cycle the second oldest bike shop in the country, they were on their way to explore the city. Deciding to see the Battleships at Navel park rather then the Frank Lloyd Wright houses the group is beginning to understand that biking with Teen Treks is an adventure that they control... and they are loving it! Tonight they're off for Shakespeare in the Park.

Across America Reunion Trek Begins!

"Excitement rippled throughout New Haven, CT as eager Teen Trekkers made their way to the start of this years marvelous trip. An eclectic assortment of New Haven's finest food awaited our young heroes as they leap into the arms of their comrades. Summer had properly begun. As the evening grew late tales were told of our winters, jazz spilled from the piano as Gavriel and Tyler pounded away and food was constantly consumed. Journals from last year's trip were brought out and stories retold for the umpteenth time. At far too late an hour we retired and awoke to homemade pancakes, replicas from those which were consumed one year ago to the day in Minneapolis. We assembled bikes marveling at their clean and patched up nature, recovered from last year's epic journey. The rhythmic breathing of pumps filled the air while freewheels clicked as chains were oiled, a sound that would hopefully follow us as we rode more down than up. We anxiously set off, wondering how we would ever surpass last years trip, but we knew deep down somehow it'd happen. "Ride safe" was the last we heard as we set off into the great unknown." -Adam, Teen Trekker

Maine Coast Trek Welcomes a New Day!

"On July 3rd we all woke up at 3am, left the camp site at 3:30, and reached the summit of Cadillac Mountain just after 5am to see the sunrise from the point in the US from which it's first visible. To quote Gabe, 'It was the most gorgeous sight I've ever seen!' We ate breakfast and lunch at the top. The descent was equally grueling. After the climb we decompressed by seeing 'Captain America' which, while cheezy, wasn't bad. The movie theater was awesome! It was called 'Reel Pizza' and had super comfortable couches and the option of eating pizza while we watched" - Gillian, Trip Leader

New York - Montreal Trek Enjoys Vermont

"Yesterday we were in Burlington, Vt. where we stopped at Ben & Jerry's (The original Ben & Jerry's was about 30 miles out of the way so we decided to just stop at a regular one, but hey it was still in Vermont). Six of the teens got a Vermonter which took about 6.3 seconds to finish the twenty scoops of ice cream. We took a great ferry ride across Lake Champlain where we met up with another Trip Leader heading to Buffalo, NY for the Niagara- Toronto Trek. We created a game while biking that involves squeaky toys, Cows and Horses! It's hard to explain. Also, we had a birthday on the trip so we stopped for Rice Crispy treats to celebrate. The biking has been awesome. Vermont is home to some great bike paths. We've had a few flat tires but nothing we can't handle. Overall the group has picked up the pace and is really starting to love biking" - Laura, Trek Leader

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Pacific Northwest Trek is "The Amazing Thing"

"Today was one of the most fun days of the trip. We slept on the beach on an island near Port Townsend. There were little fish and hermit crabs scuttling around in the water. It was nice sleeping on the sand and listening to the waves.

Around noon we found a place to rent kayaks. I apologize for their being no pictures. If I had taken my camera out I am sure I would have dropped it in the lake. One group had a splashing battle and another group poked around some docks to look at starfish. We saw seals too poking their heads out of the water to look at us.

Later in the day Kirsten and I hashed out a surprise for our teens. We kept it a secret, referring to it as "The Amazing Thing". We had all sorts of fun with this. We would yell to the teens, "We are nearing the Amazing Thing" or "The Amazing thing does not like to be kept waiting!" The amazing thing turned out to be a hot tub, swimming pool, and a chance to take showers and do laundry. It was worth the wait.

Our trip is almost over. We decided to tell each other our favorite parts of the trip. For most it was the view on Mt. Constitution and Hurricane Ridge, for others it was the food, and also the cities. We will be flying home soon with satisfaction that our summer was filled to the brim with great experiences thanks to our bike tour!" - Jacob, Trip Leader

Across America Trek Takes Time to Enjoy WI

"The Across America Trekkers enjoyed spending the past weekend in Madison, Wisconsin, where we took full advantage of the hostel's kitchen, making enchilada casserole, a frittata, pancakes, and smoothies. We spent Sunday afternoon exploring the town on foot, then met up with my mom for dinner at a Nepalese restaurant, followed by scoops of Madison-made ice cream.
We took our time getting to Milwaukee over the next two days, riding on the Glacial Drumlin Trail, checking out coffee shops along the way, and sharing our dinner with a bike-touring ukelele player. In Milwaukee, we visited the Riverwalk and ate at an Ethiopian restaurant before heading to our hotel room for a dip in the hot tub and a movie. Then this morning we rose early to board the Lake Express ferry to Michigan, the ninth state along our route. After napping through the ride, we're ready to hit the road once again." - Taylor, Trip Leader

"Hi! I'm Taylor's mom. On Sunday my friend and I drove up from Illinois to meet up with the Across America Trek group in Madison, WI. Took them to dinner and some ice cream, which seems to have become an addiction for this bunch! They're doing great!!! Looking tanned and fit and strong, and having a blast." -Kim, Taylor's Mom

***Trip Tracker***

It seems that for some reason the Trip Tracker for this trip isn't updating properly. We're going to be creating a new map that will launch in the next few days. Sorry for the Tech Problem!

Also, One of the teens on this trip is raising money for the Make-A-Wish foundation. Here is a link to her personal website where you can learn about and support her great cause, http://www.wishrider.com

Pacific Northwest Trek Has an Amazing Day in Olympia

"Yesterday we arrived in Olympia National Park. This was probably the hardest uphill climb of the whole trip. The campsite was five miles up and it was another 13 miles or so to the top. The road past the campsite wasn't all that steep and went by pretty fast. We passed through a layer of cloud to get to the top. We worried there would be nothing to see because of the mist but we heard from others that it was clear at the top. The mist was so dense we were all soaked even though it was not raining. It was as dark as twilight in the clouds and it was odd how tunnels materialized out of the mist just 20 feet in front of us. At the top there was a stellar view. It was as good as the view from Mt Constitution on Orcas Island. We watched the mist flow through the mountains as if they were liquid. We stayed up there for many hours because we knew it was cloudy at the campsite. We watched deer and their babies walk around the visitor center. Finally we descended back to camp. We flew 3500 ft down in elevation on our bicycles. It was cold and exhilarating. At night we huddled around the campfire at ate s'mores. Tomorrow we go to Sequim State Park." - Jacob, Trip Leader

The Across America Trek Thru Minnesota and Wisconsin

The Across America Trek has found some time for activities, even during their 60-85 miles/day itinerary. They stopped at the Wilder Museum in Walnut Grove, MN, biked/walked some awesome 1/2 mile tunnels (it's dark inside) along the Elroy Sparta Trail in Wisconsin, and visited the Dr. Evermor Sculptures in Baraboo, WI. The group took their first day off in weeks yesterday in Madison, WI and are enjoying the cushy beds at the local youth hostel. Life is good!

Pacific Northwest Trek is Having a Great Time!

"We spent all of today exploring the city of Victoria, BC. The buildings share elements of victorian and modern architecture. There is a stone building which looks like a miniture british parliment and touristy shops all on the same block. We went to the BC natural history museum. We all wondered what the difference was between natural history and regular history. There were exhibits on indians native to the island. The teens saw an imax movie about elephants and monkeys raised by humans. The rest of the day was spent looking at shops and watching street performers." - Jacob, Trip Leader

New York - Montreal Trek Starts Crusing

A few days into the trip, those leg muscles are starting to grow and the group is kicking it into high gear. Heading for Albany, the teens are really looking forward to staying in a hotel for the next two nights. The group spirits are at an all time high!

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Pacific Northwest Trek is in Vancouver!

"Yesterday we arrived in beautiful Vancouver BC! This is our first hostel since Seattle so everyone was eager to do laundry and go to a restaurant. It was rather strange not seeing raccoons at dinner like usual! But the truth is we missed the wildlife and hope to see more wildlife in Olympia National Forest later in the trip.We entered the south end of the city and decided to take the Skytrain to get the best view. We walked around today because there was so much to do right next to the hostel. We went to a park for lunch and decided to see Harry Potter. Tomorrow we will go to the city of Victoria on Vancouver Island!" - Jacob, Trek Leader.

Maine Coast Trek Puts Miles Behind Them With Ease!

"We rode really well from our last campsite which was just out side Portland. Our ride into to Portland was done pretty quickly, so we were able to check into the hotel around 2pm. We cooked dinner by the water but unfortunately we did get a little rained on but we found some shelter so that was good. The next day we checked out a lighthouse that was an old military fort. We got to climb around all of the field structures and hang out a little. After lunch we took short ride on a bike path to the beach. After that we came back to the hotel and watched some movies we got up early this morning and are riding really great towards the LL Bean Headquarters." Mark, Trip Leader.

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New York Montreal Trek Bikes the Hudson Valley

The 12 Trekkers of the NYM-J25 headed through Croton on Hudson, Peekskill, and Cold Spring, and are approaching Poughkeepsie. The days have been long and fairly hot, interspersed with rain showers. Last night the group gladly rewarded themselves with a pizza dinner in Cold Spring and then camped on the shore of the Hudson just north of town. Today the group will visit the Walkway over the Hudson in Poughkeepsie and FDR's home in Hyde Park.

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Maine Coast Trek Escapes The Heat!

"We were worried about the heat again, but we got all of the rain in the morning so we got a little break. It was a nice ride, we had the ocean next to us the whole way. We stopped at Hampton beach and did some swimming, some playing around, throwing balls around, and reading books." -Mark, Trip Leader

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Across America Trek Is Halfway!!!

"Greetings, web-surfers, touring enthusiasts, intrigued friends, and anxious parental units! (Yes Mom and Dad, that means you..)

We're officially over halfway across the country, and over halfway through our trip! Today, (day 31), we hit the 2,000 mile mark. A celebratory carton of chocolate ice cream was promptly ravaged. Just yesterday we crossed into our seventh state of the trip--Minnesota.

The heat wave we faced last week has finally passed, and it is now possible to ride without the inherent fear of spontaneously combusting. As soon as the temperature dropped, though, the winds picked up. The one day they were blowing in our favor we were able to whiz through our first century of the trip! Since that glorious day, we've unfortunately found ourselves battling some gnarly headwinds as we venture East. If only I'd brought some sails to rig to my bike.... Luckily, we're all in super-rad shape by now, (seriously...I have muscles growing on my muscles!) so we've been able to put up a valiant fight against the gusts.

Highlights of this past week have included watching breathtakingly beautiful sunrises whilst riding at dawn, buying ten bags of Chex Mix at one time (it was one of those 10 for $10 deals... we just couldn't resist!), and sleeping in past 7:00 A.M. for the first time so far this trip. We also cycled through Little House on the Prairie territory and watched part of a pow-wow....so cool!

We've been having a BLAST out here as we trek across the U. S. of A., and we hope y'all are having at least half as much fun as we are!

Peace, and good vibes to all!"- Jenna Hill, Teen Trekker

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Pacific Northwest Trek Makes It To The Top!

"We stayed in Moran State Park today. We decided to hike up Mt. Constitution. A sign said three and a half miles to the top and we felt like we walked that far vertically! Once at the top we were stunned by the beauty of the view. We could see Mt. Ranier and Mt. Baker plus some jagged mountains on Vancouver Island. Many of the teens said it was the most amazing view they had ever seen. You could spend a lifetime exploring the San Juans. Orcas is only the tip of the iceberg. Ironically Mt. Constitution used to be at the tip of an iceberg because the whole area was carved out of glaciers many years ago." -Jacob, Trip Leader

European Phantom Trek Hits England

"Partying London, peeping the big ben (which is actually just the bell of the tower) from the skyline as we swerve on the left side of the road. Enjoying all the ethnic meals, and excited to go to the Tate modern tomorrow. The hostel is brick, wooden and beautiful. Just a few blocks away we walked in the Beatles footsteps, walking with swag." - Tyler, Trip Leader

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New England Coast Trek Takes a Look Back

"I am having an awesome time with Teen Treks. Biking along the coast has been a blast because as we're biking we can look for cool places to swim along the way. I loved going to Block Island, RI it was small, but busy. We had a great little camping spot up in the woods. I thought Providence was really fun because we were in a fancy hotel in the middle of the city, right next to a mall, which was like, the biggest building had ever seen! On the cape we stopped at this really cool store and I saw this old Mexican skeleton from the day of the dead festival, when I asked the lady at the front of the store how much it was... I expected it to be about sixty bucks... but it was only twelve dollars! I'm having a fantastic time" -Henry Danielson, Teen Trekker

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Maine Coast Sets Out In Boston, MA

On an amazingly hot and humid day, the group met up in Boston, MA. Lucky for the group, there wasn't much biking planned for this first day. They spent the afternoon exploring downtown Boston, and really enjoyed Boston Commons. Tonight they will stay in a hotel and wake up early ready to ride!

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European Phantom Trek is Back in England!

"On Tuesday night we left the Netherlands by way of ferry from Hoek van Holland. The overnight ferry had comfortable (but compact) cabins, giving us a good nights rest for our first day back in England. It was back to riding on the left side of the road for our two days ride to Cambridge, where we currently find ourselves. Although Cambridge does not have nearly as many bikes as Amsterdam or The Hague there are many bicycles in Cambridge. Today we are going to explore Cambridge University and go punting on the River Cam. And tonight we plan to enjoy Sheaksphere performances in the university." - EP Teen Trekkers

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European Phantom Trek Bikes The Netherlands

The European Phantom bikers left Amsterdam for Harlaam to tour a working, reconstructed windmill. The group then biked south on a damp day on the windy dune bike paths to Den Haag where they spent the night in a youth hostel to avoid the torrential rains. A fun stop in that city was the MC Escher Museum before biking on to Hoek van Holland to catch their overnight ferry across the Channel to Harwich, England for the final leg of their adventure.

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Pacific Northwest Trek Starts Out on Foot

"The Pacific Northwest group arrived in Seattle yesterday and has been enjoying the city by foot while waiting for bikes to arrive. Today we visited the Fish Market, the EMP museum, the SciFi museum, and took a look at the space needle! The Fish Market had tons of fresh fish and vibrantly colored flowers. In the museums, we learned a lot about the history of the Seattle music scene (Nirvana and Jimi Hendrix) and also saw an exhibit about the making of Avatar. In the Avatar exhibit we were even able to use virtual reality to see how we would look as a Na'vi. We almost have all the bicycles and we are excited to start biking tomorrow to our first campsite in South Whidbey Island State Park!" -Kirsten, Trek Leader

New England Coast Trek Leaves Providence, RI

"Providence was very fun. We stayed at a hotel and after diner walked around and kind of got lost but it was hilarious. We saw the last Harry Potter movie at the mall, which was huge. We went shopping, it was awesome. Today we biked and 30 miles from Providence to Massachusetts and we're staying at this old campground. There is a vending machine that is from the 70's, probably not but it only cost 40 cents! My legs are starting to get used to the biking. It was really hard in the beginning. At the campground there is a nice guy who gave us firewood and everything. We've been meeting a lot of nice people lately. Not at all like in my town so I found it surprising. Well that about sums it up. Since I'm writing this on the 10th day, see you in 6 days peoples." -Giovanni Asperti, Teen Trekker

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Across America Trek is in South Dakota!

"Here we are in south Dakota! Riding out the heat wave with afternoon
naps and sunrise pedeling. For this we have re-named our crew the
"camels of dawn."

Highlights of the past week:
Left big sky country (Montana)
Cut through the black hills to see Devils Tower
Crossed into our 6th state - South Dakota
Walked around Spearfish during their annual art fair...got some free lemonaid
Caught some zzzs in front of a bike shop before they opened
Saw the final installment of the Harry Potter series
Met a guy whose biked in nearly 50 countries
Roadthrough the Badlands National ParkAnd now we are eating lunch outside on an 1880s replica town

Tomorrow well be crossing the Misouri and treading on through Minnesota!

So long for now!" - Max, Trip Leader

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Lake Ontario Trek peddles past Oswego, NY

The group is peddling its way trough central New York and loving it. With the heat and humidity reaching near record levels, the group is starting the day a little earlier than normal to avoid that mid-day sun. They also have been stopping often at the many parks that dot the path, including several stops at the beach. The teens are about 70 miles from finishing their loop around the lake. Keep it up!

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New England Coast Trek Gets a Taste of Providence.

"Yesterday we had a lovely day in Newport and got to see the Breaker mansion, which I learned was built by the Vanderbilt's as a summer home. It was really cool looking back into the gilded age and hearing stories via audio tour of both the lavishly wealthy and the servents of the mansion.

Today we made it to Providence and found some great food and the Waterfire festival. We found a Chinese culture festival and right next to it were two food trucks. The teens either ate Korean or gyros and they were delicious. After that we ate ice cream and cannoli . Because it was a neat local thing I think everyone had a good time. It was also right next to the Waterfire festival which was great. The girls are already excited about all the shopping that awaits them tomorrow. Joe, Henry and Gabe are really into the festival right now and Alex is just happy to have eaten fried dough. Giovanni is down for anything. I didn't know a trip could go this well before tonight. Everyone here is having a blast and I am excited for the trip to continue and for the adventure that awaits us." - Colin, Trip Leader

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Maine Coast Trek Finishes Strong!

The first Maine Coast Trek finished the adventure with great success! Congratulations on behalf of the Teen Treks staff. Your journey of just over 350 miles is one we're sure you will never forget.

Here is the group atop Dorr Mountain... a fitting final photo.

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European Phantom Gets Poetic in Amsterdam

"Amsterdam is great, the people are nice with good English accents too. Everyone bikes and the sights are breathtaking. We're having a great time and enjoying europe to the max.

AMSTERDAM (an acrostic)
Always fun
Many canals
Stoners
Tulips
Everyone bikes
Red Light District
Dam Square

Anne Frank House

Multatuli"

- The Whole EP Group

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Lake Ontario Trek Crosses back into the USA!

The group said good bye to the great country of Canada and a big hello to the United States when they crossed back into the states earlier today. Last night they stayed in Cape Vincent - Tibbetts Point Lighthouse Hostel. The great hostel and the triumph of the boarder crossing has the group spirit at an all time high!

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New York - Montreal Trek in Northern New York and Vermont

"Once we left Albany, we rode to Schuylerville. It was an easy ride except for the heat, but luckily we found a rope swing on the Hudson where we cooled off. That night we slept in a Yacht basin, where we cooked pancakes as "Brinner", and enjoyed a gallon of Arnold Palmer.The next day, we rode into Lake George. We were very early, so we stopped to play mini golf, where we sat and relaxed under misters. Then, we swam in Lake George to cool off again before biking to our campsite where we cooked burritos, swam, and went to sleep.

We woke up early the next morning, excited to take the Discovery Cruise across Lake George and eat a big breakfast buffet on the boat. We relaxed on the deck of the boat and played card games, before getting off and riding. Along our ride, we saw tons of cows. Then, we had to take a ferry into Vermont because a bridge was still being built. We ate S'mores and told ghost stories before retiring to our tents.

We were awoken by crows the next morning, one of which crashed into our tent. We saw more cows and farmland along

our ride, and a lot of maple syrup. The ride that day was the hardest yet, with tons of hills and a lot of heat. We were relieved when we arrived in Burlington, where we visited the original Ben & Jerry's and, of course, ate some delicious ice cream. Unfortunately, when we rode back to our campsite it was pouring rain, but we trooped through it, setting up our tents and wal

king into Burlington for a great dinner out. Today we started out on a ferry back to New York. It was an hour long, with a snack bar that sold yummy maple syrup candies. The ride after the ferry was easy except for a few brutal hills, but we arrived in Plattsburgh and ate lunch and took a nap near the boardwalk. Now we are going to our campsite and resting up for tomorrow, when we cross the border into Quebec." - Khaya Cohen, Teen Trekker, with contributions from all of the trekkers on the trip!

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New England Coast Trek Stops in Mystic, CT

"Got to Mystic today aftera long day of bikng filled with yummy treats. We got free Slurpees from 7-11, mystic pizza and ice cream by the quart. Here's what some of our Trekkers had to say:

"This is my first time biking like this. The people on the trip are friendly and nice, it is adventure I had never thought of doing but I am glad I havehad the chance to go. This is a trip I will never forget!" - Gabby Smith, Teen Trekker

"This bike trip is a continuous adventure. It connects you with frinds, and gives you chances to become a stronger person. I am having fun and I hope that will continue." - Maya Blumenberg-Taylor, Teen Trekker "

We can't wait to get to Block Island, we hear the beaches are great! " - Lauren, Trip Leader

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European Phantom is in Belgium!

"After a tedious day of traveling by trains with our bikes we arrived in beautiful, medieval Ghent. After dropping our bikes at the hostel, we walked around in the rain in search of a good snack. And what better to have in Belgium but, waffles! We then climbed to the top of the belfory, the historic watch tower in the center of the city. All in all, despite the rain, a nice first day in Belgium." - Tyler, Trek Leader

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Lake Ontario Trek is about halfway around the Lake!

The group is having an amazing time skipping from one small beach town to another. Now in Sandbanks Provincial Park, the teens are about halfway around the Lake Ontario! Way to go! The teens have completed around 250 miles and they have another 250 to go. Good Luck! Here is the teens taking a time out for a well earned lunch.

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