New England Shore Trek Winds Down With a Day in Boston

We got up early for a ferry ride to Boston that rocked us all to sleep. In Boston, we walked to historic Quincy Market to watch a street performance, glad to be back in civilization but missing the quiet of the woods already. We went out for Chinese food and walked to Boston Commons for a performance of Romeo and Juliet. We got some late night snacks, watched a cartoon many of us had been referencing the whole trip, and went to sleep as a group for the final time:'(

Niagara Toronto Trekkers Bike North Through Beautiful Ontario

Trekkers woke up to a nice free breakfast at the hostel we were staying at in Niagara! Tonight would be our first night camping of the trip. About halfway through our days' miles we stopped of at the Welland Canal Museum and watched a large tanker go by through the canal system and short video about the history of the canal. After lunch and some games at the park next door, we biked to Balls Falls Conservation Area to camp. We were welcomed by the bellows of large bull frogs from the pond near the entrance. Later we learned from one of the park employees that there lives a frog the size of a cat in that pond, that the other employees had named Charles. We hungrily scarfed down some breakfast burritos for dinner, made Smores for dessert, and sat around the fire taking turns sharing funny and scary stories. The picture above was shot at sunset just before indulging on marshmallowy goodness. Happy Sunday! 

Cornfield A-plenty for Across America Trekkers

The Across America trekkers took a 70 mile route today, traveling from Clinton, IA to Shabbona, IL. They stopped for lunch at a swimming lake where they swam and raced go carts. They got in bed early and plan for an early morning. They will be in Chicago tomorrow!

Beautiful Chimney Bluffs a Highpoint for Lake Ontario Trekkers

Laundry Team

Our day began with Tyler's musical "wakey wakey", setting us up for a fantastic 20 mile trip ahead of us. After breakfast, we were greeted by a couple of huge hills and made our way to Walcott to do some much needed laundry. As our clothes slowly got de-toxified, the food crew went to buy lunch, dinner, and breakfast. We finished up our laundry and ate lunch at a nearby park. Then, we made our way to the Chimney Bluffs, where we found a beautiful view and a great beach. Finally, we biked a short distance to our campground where we unfortunately found that our site was already occupied by an actual infinite number of mosquitos. After a dinner of mac n cheese, we made a fire with the help of Larry from the other campsite. We finished our relaxing day with bug bites and s'mores, and we're ready for a great day tomorrow!
Written by Ashley

Niagara Toronto Trekkers Hike the Niagara Gorge

Yesterday the Toronto Niagara Trekkers had a busy day exploring Niagara Falls. In the morning, we enjoyed a continental breakfast provided by the hostel, then we biked South to the Rainbow Bridge, and crossed back into the USA. Then, we boarded the Maid of the Mist for some breath taking views of the American falls and the horseshoe falls in Canada! After our voyage, we biked north up the Niagara River and ate our lunch at Whirlpool State Park. For an afternoon activity, we hiked down into the gorge to Devil's Hole and watched motor boats struggle to go upstream against the river's heavy current. Finally, we returned to our hostel in Canada where we made pita pizzas and Oreo truffles. Before bed, we finished our day with a round of rose bud thorns. 

New England Trekkers Bike The Dune Trail at Sunset

This morning we were grateful for toasters and not having to pack up camp, giving us a much needed relaxin start to the day.  Fueled by bagels, we  headed off on a wonderful dune hike. We climbed, slid, jumped and rolled to the sea, eventually emerging with sand in every orifice. We ate sandwiches in town on a rocky overhang, before taking some more time to explore the main street. We packed up dinner and headed out on the Provinceland Bike Path, which we all agreed was the nicest path we'd ever ridden. We stopped at the end of the point, so as to set ourselves up for optimal sunset watching. After happily admiring the sun dropping into the ocean, we headed back on to the trail. We ended an awesome day with a nice long debrief, and shared a collective nostalgia about the trip soon coming to an end.

Plenty of Hills for the Lake Ontario Trekkers

The day started off beautifully at Southwick Beach State Park. The sun was out and shining upon our tents, which was really unusual since most of the time there was no sun or warmth when we woke up. After a very productive morning, we set off on our longest day of 54 miles. The road started off relatively flat and was very nice. It was calm enough for people to bike side to side and talk. It was peaceful. We took a long rest after 15 miles on the top of a tall hill to stop, regroup and eat. It had just been one and half hours and we felt that we were cranking out those miles, since we were already halfway to Oswego. Little did we know, we were completely wrong. The next hill was brutal, but we were very grateful as there was a man on the side of the road who told us that it was the last one for a long time. That man was crazy because it was just the beginning of a series of horrible, horrific, horrendous hills. Finally, we saw the sign for the city of Oswego, and we immediately got excited. We were about three miles away from food. We biked through the suburbs of Oswego till we hit the main city. That's when our points took us to our secret lunch place, PIZZA. We ordered five pies and by the end of it some of us were still hungry while others were put into a food coma. It was amazing. After the delicious pizza, we branched off. Cooking crew went to Best Yet to buy dinner and breakfast while everyone else went over to the Harborfest to explore the fair. I had to go over to the bike store, Murdock's to get a pedal fixed since it had previously been bent from a fall the day before. Afterwards we all regrouped at the bike store and continued biking through SUNY Oswego and beyond. The first few miles out of the city were pleasant and enjoyable. The flatness allowed for talking and a few new tricks. But then the worst thing happened, we saw the hill to end all hills, the largest hill in history, the hill of death, the steepest hill known to man. It was right before this hill that the points turned off to the left, blessing us all. In fact that same thing happened once again a few moments later, giving us an additional rush. We were so naive. Those hills were nothing in comparison to the millions we were about to face. There were endless hills, we thought it would never end. It was truly terrible. I personally thought about leaving the trip multiple times. Aside from a few stops to pee in bushes and refuel, we just kept trucking. Gears were falling off, seats were wobbling and tears were flowing. After the last hill we saw a laundry mat and thought the messiah had come down to bless us and our smelly clothes, only problem was that we had no time. It was already 6:30pm and we had not started food. Our only option was to bike in dirty clothes again and hold out till the next day. Thankfully after that we veered onto the campsite road and into the campsite. While waiting for Tyler to check us in, we all collapsed on a grassy hill where we laughed uncontrollably from the exhaustion and reminisced about the hard day we had just experienced. Then we biked to our campsites, set up camp and attempted to scrub the dirt and sweat we had collected from the day. For dinner, cooking crew had made delicious ramen with vegetables and chicken and we did rose/bud/thorn and immediately fell asleep because we were all drained from what I would call the hardest day of the all.
Written by Keya

82 mile Ride For Across America Trekkers

Today the Across America Trekkers traveled from Cedar Rapids, IA, all the way to Clinton, IA (82 miles!). With some extra cash they received from a fellow camper, they went out for dinner near their campsite and got right to bed, as they are hoping to do another 80 mile day tomorrow.

Niagara Toronto Trekkers Enjoying Niagara Falls

Today, the Niagara Toronto Trekkers assembled in Buffalo NY and crossed the Peace Bridge into Canada! After biking about 25 miles up the Niagara River, we checked into our hostel in Niagara falls. Hungry from the trip we made a delicious (but unintentionally spicy!) Ramen stir fry. Later, we cycled back to the falls where we played man hunt, ate two tubs of ice cream teen treks style, and watched the fireworks which are launched from inside the Niagara gorge. All in all, a great first day!

Lake Ontario Trekkers Conquer the East-Side of the Lake

At 7 a.m. sharp, the Teen Treks team awoke to a wild Tyler walking around their rooms as he informed them that breakfast would be available in the kitchen downstairs. Immediately afterward, Tyler scurried to the kitchen to ignite the stove and begin preparing creamy scrambled eggs for the gang. However, about 10 minutes after that, a terrible calamity occurred as one of the trekkers let loose a disastrous orange juice tsunami across the kitchen floor when he accidentally knocked over the pitcher while yanking a loaf of bread from the basket to make crisp toast. Unfortunately, many of the groggy trekkers sleepily walked into the remains of this catastrophe and had an alarming start to their day. But the unwavering spirits of the Teen Trek titans  could not be shaken. They excitedly ingested their scrumptious meal, which included fruit, toast, OJ (not the spilt OJ), and of course Chef Tyler's super spectacular fantabulous scrambled eggs. The cantankerous crew packed their supplies, loaded up their bikes, took a pulchritudinous picture in front of the lighthouse hostel, and was on its way to its next destination. They faced a brutal headwind at the start of their journey, but the strong-willed heroes were not to be deterred. They powered through the first fifteen miles of their ride as if the mountainous hills and trying headwind didn't exist and arrived at their first stop, IGA supermarket (otherwise known as heaven). This gorgeous dream of a store contained more flavors of soda, sweets, and Gatorade than one could count, so of course the troop stocked up on treats and acquired all of the necessities for a hearty lunch. It was a quite uneventful lunch besides the fact that Alexa revealed her mysterious, creepy, yet awe-inspiring cat whispering abilities and beckoned a stray cat toward her and her posse from over two hundred feet away. The group gobbled up their sandwiches and watermelon and continued to push onward toward their next pit stop. The points pedaled full-throttle along Route 3 until they came across an intriguing park accompanied by a Cold Stone Creamery. Unfortunately, in order to have access to the park owned by the adjacent campground, the points and their entourage would have to purchase ice cream from Cold Stone, and according to the leaders, that was not an option. And so the squadron continued journeying onward. A few miles later, the platoon came across a rather shady looking shop after conquering a monstrous hill on their bikes and proceeded to purchase two tubs of ice cream from Firehouse Beverages. They gathered on top of a mound of gravel  and ravenously devoured the ice cream as if it was their last meal on Earth. During this period of nourishment, two young children escorted the staff on a valiant excursion in search of blackberries in the clandestine blackberry patch. Strangely, and unfortunately, during this mission one of the escorts accidentally walloped the other escort in his rear end with a fly swatter. And so that concluded the group's experience at Firehouse Beverages. They took a quick pic with the owner and traversed the last seven miles of their trek before triumphantly cruising into Southwick Beach State Park, their final destination. After a brief campsite confusion, the group staked out, ate numerous grilled cheese sandwiches, and sipped warm tomato soup before sharing their roses, buds, and thorns of the day and drifting off into their slumbers. The Teen Trek titans readily await their longest journey yet. Until tomorrow...
Written by Ryan

Great Rail to Trails Bikepaths for Across America Trekkers

Today the Trekkers biked from Waterloo, IA to Cedar Rapids, IA. They got to enjoy a beautiful smooth bike path for almost the entire day! Due to some bike mechanics, they were not able to get in quite as many miles as they had hoped, but they plan to make up for it on the road to Chicago tomorrow.

New England Shore Trekkers Reached the End of the Cape

Provincetown at last!! We are officially finished with tour biking!! We all whooped and cheered as we passed the "now entering Provincetown" sign, pausing to congratulate one another. We had some ice cream and wandered around the town, looking into shops and galleries  while our clothes were getting cleaned. Back at the campsite we were all grateful to take a hot shower and change into some fresh clothes before hitting the town! We saw a musical impersonation show by a town favourite, giving us all a taste of the colourful nightlife here in Ptown. Looking forward to seeing more of the areas natural beauty tomorrow.

Lake Ontartio Trekkers Cross From Canada Back to NY

We woke up at camp, packed up, and got out quite early because we had a huge day ahead of us. We biked through Kingston, took the ferry to Wolf Island, and crossed the Canada US border via boat. We stayed at the lighthouse hostel in Cape Vincent, NY and watched a beautiful sunset, ate delicious chicken Parmesan - by far best meal of the trip - and made a campfire with s'mores in front of the lighthouse.

FIRST DAY: Niagara-Toronto Trek

Teens and parents met at beautiful Front Park overlooking the mouth of the Niagara River to begin the 150+ mile bike ride to Toronto, Ontario.  The trip includes 2 days in Niagara Falls where the Trekkers will see the mighty Niagara roar from multiple viewpoints and venues, including the Maid of the Mist and a hike at the Niagara Whirlpool.  As they head north they will bike alongside the huge lake freighters on the Welland Canal and overnight at picturesque Balls Falls and Bronte Provincial Park.  The Trekkers will spend 3 days in Toronto to visit Chinatown, great art museums, the beautiful waterfront and the Toronto Beaches. Finally a bus will bring them to Buffalo, NY for their last day of cycling around the Queen City.

Seafood Feast For Kings on the New England Shore Trek

We got up early, jumped in the pond, and set off speeding south to Chatham on a 16 mile wooded bikepath, grateful to have our gear stored at the campground. We kayaked into a blustery wind on the edge of the ocean and got a seafood feast for kings. A warm rain kicked in so we headed back on the path, stopping for veggies at a farmer's market. Another swim and dinner and we crawled back in our tents under a canopy of stars, tired and ready for bed, but sadly aware of how few remaining nights we'll get to do that.

Across America Trekkers Ride with RAGBRAI

Today the Teen Trekkers started their day with a breakfast in a park in Charles City, the day's first stop along the RAGBRAI route. They rode with RAGBRAI for about 20 miles, meeting kind and colorful characters along the way, before heading South to their campsite in Waterloo, Iowa.

A Day of Biking, Kayaking, and Eating for Lake Ontario Trekkers

We began our day on the Sandbanks campsite, and after a hearty breakfast of granola and yogurt, we set out for the day. The biking was flat and easy as we headed to the supermarket with ten miles already under our belts. The cooking crew decided on Mexican food while everyone else chilled out in the parking lot. We had five miles to go before making it to our lunch spot, and on the way we ran into a road completely made up of pot holes. Luckily, we made it out without any damages to our bikes. At the early hour of 11:30 we arrived at the Lake on the Mountain Resort and relaxed for our lunch. We then departed for the campsite and took a ferry across the river. Soon after the ferry we made it to the campsite right along Lake Ontario. Our neighbor at the campsite let us borrow his two kayaks to explore the nearby coast.

Across America Trekkers Bike Hit A Wet Patch

The Across America Trekkers had a wet start this morning, biking through very rainy conditions, but luckily the rain didn't last thought the whole day, as forecasted. They stopped for lunch in St Ansgar, where Alex's mom treated them to a pizza buffet (thanks, Catherine!) To end the day the Trekkers biked to Charles City, Iowa, where they caught up with RAGBRAI and saw some live music. Today the group also bid adieu to Alex, but he will be in our heads and our hearts as we move further east!

New England Trekkers Bike Mid Cape

We rose soon after the sun today, allowing for  maximal time in the beautiful weather. We'd finished most of our 33 mile day by noon, when we pulled  up to a public beach for lunch. There we were blessed by the cashier giving Spike (Zubin) three extra ice cream  sandwiches. From the beach we stopped by a thrift shop, which seem to be abundant here on the cape. Later at our campsite we swam in a warm pond for awhile and threw  a frisbee around. For dinner we enjoyed quesadillas, and fire made pumpkin pie. Around the fire we had a long, fascinating conversation about religion, intermittently interrupted by a curious skunk. The stars are out again, we're looking forward to spending another night here.

Across America Trekkers Pushing 75+ Mile Days

Today's cool air and flat roads treated the Across America Trekkers well! Traveling a strong 76 miles, they cycled from Fairmont, MN to Austin, MN, but not before catching a few afternoon z's and making an ice cream stop in Albert Lea.

New England Shore Trekkers On Cape Cod

Today we woke up at Forge Pond Campground, and biked 40 miles onto Cape Cod! Along the way we each wrote a rap verse about our biker/boy scout selves (the joke has persisted long since the boy scout campground). Once we reached our campsite at Shawm Crowell, we split into teams of two to eat entire rotisserie chickens. Around the campfire, we listened to Alison and Charlotte's new found ukelele skills and sang some songs. This was followed by us each performing our raps, which all turned out to be absurdly funny. The stars are out tonight so we're all sleeping  sans fly, and  looking forward to the beach tomorrow.

Eating, Eating, and Biking Around Lake Ontario

Where could we possibly start? At the beginning we woke up, ate bagels and yogurt for breakfast. We biked to the farmers stand where we ate blueberries, raspberries, and plums (and a few muffins). We finally convinced Ted to try blueberries (he had exactly seven) and he LIKED them even though he doesn't like fruit! We biked through Brighton to the supermarket and then down rural country roads to a small convenience store slash grocery slash dollar store ...really a jack of all trades store called "The Looney Bin" where we ate lunch outside on the neon pink picnic tables. We played mao, and then biked more. We biked through tons of vineyards and farmland to Bloomfield where we went to the Bloomfield Bike Shop, met some interesting people, got cool stickers that say "tv sucks . Ride your bike" and ate yummy homemade ice cream. They had a lot of unusual flavors and provided QUITE the unusual palate of flavors, e.g. white chocolate raspberry, jazz berry, orange chocolate, rhubarb ginger, etc. the wind finally died down for the end of the day along quiet back roads and we reached Sandbanks Provincial Park. We're camped here and getting eaten alive by mosquitos so everyone's hiding in their tents. SOME people intentionally tried to lure mosquitos into some tents, which caused a bit of a ridiculous commotion. All in all, solid day.
- Dan and Will

Across America Trekkers featured on KELOLAND TV News - Sioux Falls, SD

http://www.keloland.com/news/article/news/teen-trekkers-travel-across-the-country

Cooler Days Ahead for Sun-Soaked Across America Trekkers

The heat finally started to break for the Across America Trekkers today! After waking up for a warm breakfast, they traveled from Worthington, MN to Fairmont, MN. They got to ride on a nice shady bike path and they had a delicious and nutritious salad with chicken for dinner. They plan to catch up to the world's largest bike tour, RAGBRAI, some time in the next few days.

New England Trekkers Bike East Towards Cape Cod

Our good luck with the weather caught up with us today as we huddled in a single hotel room to watch a movie and wait out a down pour. By 2pm, checkout time, there was no let up, despite the forecast, so we rolled on into the bitter cold biting drizzle. A mixed day of beautiful New England, a return to the woods, and record speeds. We arrived just at dark and pitched our tents dry under an awning. We ordered a Chinese feast to the campground and ate contentedly. The rain sounds beautiful, but hopefully will be gone in the morning.

A Wet Day As Trekkers Ride North Shore Of Lake Ontario

Hello fans! Today we woke up in a horrible thunder storm and we got out of camp 20 minute late after taking some extra time to make sure our bikes had enough air in the tires. Then we biked from Coburg to Colborne where we got lunch and went to an alpaca farm. We met Amy and her alpaca named Contessa and cuddled with her dogs. We had an amazing dinner cooked by Ashley's cooking crew.   Blog post written by Avery, Paul & Ashley

New England Shore Trekkers Thoroughly Enjoying Providence

After a luxurious hotel breakfast, we walked over to the RISD art museum and spent a few hours in awe. Then we explored a used book store. We got ice cream and played capture the flag in massive, beautiful Roger Williams Park, switching bikes on the ride home to 'walk (bike) some miles in our friends' shoes (bikes). We all gained some empathy for the plights of each other, except for Bret (Felix), whose bike, we all concluded, is awesome. Then we shot pool at a pool restaurant and took our fancy hotel shuttle back for a final night's sleep in civilization.

Powered by Ice Cream Lake Ontario Trekkers Conquer Tough Terrain

Today we started in Bowmansville, ON. We woke up at 7:30, got everything ready and surprisingly got out 10 minutes early. Overall today was a very hilly day, it was torturous. In between the hills, we stopped in some people's yards to fill up our water bottles, bought groceries, feasted on ice cream, and FINALLY made it to our camp destination in Coburg, ON. For dinner, cooking crew made fried rice and chicken. it was delicious. Now we plan on getting ice cream and going for a swim.
- Keya and Paul

Across America Trekkers Reach Minnesota

The Across America Trekkers had a late start today due to a big round of necessary bike mechanics that held them up in the morning. Nonetheless, they still had a strong day, logging 65 miles and ending in Worthington, MN, their first time camping in Minnesota!

Lake Ontario Trekkers Eating Their Way Around the Lake

Today we woke up at the hostel in Toronto and had breakfast in the Cavern consisting of eggs, muffins, and bacon. We then got on the train to avoid the suburbs outside of Toronto.  We got off the train and got lunch from an Asian market, eating it at the edge of Lake Ontario on a a cool platform five minutes from a nuclear power plant.  We rode the Waterfront Trail right along Lake Ontario and had to stop because of a problem with Will's rack.  While Tyler fixed the problem we had a group massage session, with Kiera clearly giving the best massage. We arrived at our campground and had burritos and smores.
Blog post by Ted

Across America Trekkers Are TV News Celebraties

The Across America Trekkers put in another day of hard work and lots of miles today! They traveled 75 miles from Mitchell, SD to Sioux Falls, SD where Henry's parents met us for a dinner at the diner and a nice cool air conditioned sleep in a hotel (thank you so much to Henry's parents!!), but not before they were interviewed and videoed for the KELOLAND news channel about their adventures. Woo Hoo!

Easy Ride a to Posh Providence Hampton Inn for New England Trekkers

The sun was a perfect red orb rising through the haze over the Connecticut River as we swiftly packed our gear and glided down the final miles till Providence through country hills, strip malls, and, finally the city. We got directions from some nice urbanites who were inspired by our journey. The Hampton Inn, our fancy hotel in downtown Providence, does not realize how out of place and wild their newest clientele is. No complaints here! Had lunch, did laundry, showered for the first time in days, and took some much much needed naps. Woke up at 7pm for some fancy grilled cheese and a walk to the lighting ceremony of the Water Fire Festival, where boats lit basins of wood in the middle of the river. We gawked, walked, and talked around the burning river till late before collapsing into our cavernous sheets.

Lake Ontario Trekkers Slam on Toronto

zoom in to see group

New England Trekkers Sadly Leave Block Island

Today we woke up in our Boy Scout Camp to a group of real boy scouts, much to our delight, after impersonating them for the weekend - there was even a real Peter (what we've named Andre)! We were sad to leave Block Island, but after a pleasant ferry ride, we were ready to bike on, cruising at record speeds down the peaceful Connecticut river up north to Providence. We stopped in a swimming hole to jump in the river and eat lunch (and got an awesome taste of Rex's (Avi) parkour skills). We got dinner outside of a closing grocery store and biked in to the night down a gorgeous bike trail to the water, where we now peacefully lay, tentless on the beach. A very full and wonderful day. P.S. Chet (Alison) would like you all to know that today her count of how much road kill we've seen hit 36.... yay? 

Across America Trekkers Cover A Lot Of Ground in South Dakota

The Trekkers put on a heavy mileage day today, traveling over seventy miles from Chamberlain, SD to Mitchell, SD. In order to get in their miles, they had a quick lunch on the road, but they stayed with a WarmShowers.org host where they were cooked a hot meal!

Across America Trekkers Fighting the Heat & Winds in South Dakota

Today the Teen Trekkers biked from Vivian, SD to Chamberlain, SD. They had an ice cream break at mid day, and they cooled off at their campsite with a sunset dip in the Missouri River before finishing the day with a campfire-cooked meal.

California Trekkers Enjoy Day Off in Big Sur

As we awoke after sleeping in, we were ready to embark in our free day where we didn't have to bike. Aimee's beautiful flute filled our ears with joy. 

We started the morning off with a few games and then ventured to the gorge to swim and eat PB&J tortillas. We then bikes through the pretty Big Sur and had delicious burritos and Spongebob ice creams and went back to the campsite. We sang songs and told ghost stories by the campfire.

~Written by Trekker Reuben

New England Shore Trekkers Find Awesome Beaches & Lighthouses on Block Island

After some campfire songs last night we all were able to get a good night sleep (even the girls tent). We rode to a beach called Moehegan Bluffs today, and had a great time body surfing the waves, lying in the sand and walking along the beach. In town we had an in-depth political discussion over fish and chips. Everyone was free to shop around a bit while Craig and Chadwick ( Claire and Kobi) found a grill to cook dinner over. During that time Rex (Avi) and Peter (Andre) "parcoured" their way out of rocky peninsula. We had a nice bike ride down to the lighthouse, where we found a shack people had built from driftwood. We hung out and climbed around in it for a while and decided we would move there one day. Back at the Boy Scout Camp we roasted turkey breasts, veggies and pineapple over the fire. All in all an incredible day :)

Lake Ontario Trekkers Find A Lot To Do In Toronto

Today we woke up at the Toronto hostel and had delicious eggs courtesy of Tyler. We spent the day walking around the city and explored the Toronto City Hall, the Art Gallery of Ontario, Chinatown, and Kensington Market. We had fun playing with chalk on the sidewalk and found a cool hops scotch challenge on the street, and generally enjoyed walking without our things. We were even lucky enough to miss all the rain, as we were in the art museum at the time. We finished the day with a delicious dinner of veggies, rice, and chicken. We're all looking forward to our beach day tomorrow on the Toronto Islands!

California Trekkers Have Exhilarating Ride To Big Sur

After our first night sleeping in tents, we were up and ready to go earlier than usual. Our first stop was a bike shop in Monterey, which was on the way, thankfully. The steep hills made it necessary for us to have an early lunch. Realizing the closest grocery store was 27 miles away from the campground, we quickly shopped for dinner and breakfast and took off. We stopped a couple times for the great views, but we didn't have to stop much after that because the views were constantly around us. The strong winds buffeted us from all directions, making the climbs and descents both terrifying and exhilarating. We were all thrilled when we finally reached our campsite. We dined on tacos and, of course, more Oreos. Tomorrow we can sleep in and spend the day exploring Big Sur!

Across America Trekkers Break Through Another Time Zone

Today the Teen Trekkers crossed into their third time zone of the trip! Today was a mighty hot one, but they didn't let the temperature get them down. They stopped in Murdo, SD for a lunch break during the hottest part of the day, where they got ice cream before finishing the day with a 20 mile stretch to their destination town forsee the night, Vivian, SD.

Bananas Get New England Trekkers onto Block Island

Today  was agreeably our best day yet. Everyone rose to the challenge of our toughest day physically, biking 40 miles with no complaints. We stopped for sandwiches at a nice swimming hole, which was red from all of the minerals. We all had a good laugh about how our legs looked bloody. We made it down some fun hills to the ferry on time, despite Sam B's bike breaking down. At the Boy Scouts Campground on Block Island we roasted dinner over the fire, and saw a meteor shower. Also we all have cool Boy Scout names now. Looking forward to a relaxing day on the island tomorrow!

Lake Ontario Trekkers Bike Into Toronto

Today we biked from Bronte Provincial Park to downtown Toronto along the beautiful Waterfront Trail. It was a hot and humid day but the Teen Trekkers swam in Lake Ontario where we played Marco Polo amongst the intimidating swans. Closer to do downtown we stopped for ice cream. After checking into the hostel we went out for a pizza dinner and walked to Dundas Square. 

California Trekkers Bike and Smell the Fresh Stawberries

We woke early for our big day...50 miles! After a hearty breakfast of oatmeal and bagels, we took off. The first leg of our trip went well, though there were many more stoplights than we preferred. We bought lunch at "Grocery Outlet," a store that excited everyone with its unbelievably low prices. PB&Js were consumed on some unrealistic turf under a real palm tree. The second leg of our trip did not go as smoothly. As soon as we left our lunch site, we were confronted by a strong headwind that persisted throughout the afternoon. Fortunately, it blew delicious scents from the strawberry fields right in our faces. We biked through massive farms, seeing where all our fruits and veggies come from. Marina, CA was our final stop, where we pitched tents for the first time this trip and made pasta on the camp stove. Tomorrow is Big Sur, something we've all been looking forward to!

New England Trekkers Enjoy Hotel & Pool After Biking

This morning we woke up in Rocky Neck State Park. We took some long shadey water breaks as we biked under a beating hot sun. Everyone was very happy to jump in the pool when we rejoined civilization in Mystic, CT.  I've never seen four pizzas disappear so fast in my life... Looking forward to trekking out to Block Island tomorrow!

Wild Waterworks Park Cooled Off Lake Ontario Trekkers

This morning, the Teen Treks gang was awoken by a barbaric yawt from Dan the Man. Afterwards, we hastily packed up and skarfed down our granola and Greek yogurt breakfast. Shortly after, we high tailed it out of Balls Falls and climbed a treacherous hill to get our adrenaline pumping. We journeyed for about 10 miles until making our first pit stop at Food Basic$, during which we purchased our lunch necessities. We then adventured for approximately 52,800 feet until we arrived at Wild Waterworks water park at the edge of Lake Ontario. We slid, we swam, and some even sank, but we all made it out refreshed and unscathed by 14:30. We then traveled to yet another Food Basic$ and bought our consumables for tonight's dinner and tomorrow's breakfast. After striking a bargain with the cashier and immediately thereafter inhaling a tub  of tri-flavored ice cream in a ravenous manner, we departed from our final pit stop and approached the campgrounds we would be sleeping at from dusk 'til dawn. After reaching the climax of today's journey, the terrific trio of Dan, Will, and Ryan got to work on the ramen stir-fry to satisfy the hungry stomachs of the group. The stir-fry turned out to be a huge success and the crew gathered around the dinner table to finish the day with a round of rose, bud, and thorn (with a few shoutouts too). Now, we must drift off into our slumbers and recharge for the exciting day ahead of us tomorrow. Lake Ontario and Toronto await!
Written Ryan & Paul

Across America Trekkers in Wall, SD

The trekkers spent their morning in Keystone, seeing Mount Rushmore in the daylight and checking out the town where Rob picked up his glasses, shipped from home. They rode about 55 miles today, ending in Wall, SD, home of he famous Wall Drug Store.

NY-Montreal Trek Finishes in New York City

Montreal at last! Yesterday, we visited the Museum of Fine Arts, which was a great activity while it drizzled outside. Then we had our last big meal together at a nice restaurant down the street from the museum. Once the skies cleared, we hiked up Mount Royal to get a beautiful panoramic view of Montreal. After we finished our excursion, we made our way up to the bus terminal to pack up bikes and return to the Big Apple. The bus left at 11:30 at night, and got us to Port authority by 6:00 in the morning! We reassembled our bikes before the rush hour traffic got too bad, and bid farewell to some of the Trekkers. The remaining kids enjoyed the sun in Central Trekark before catching flights back home. 

Lake Ontario Trekkers Camp At Beautiful Balls Falls

At 6:59, we had a great time
We rolled out of bed and then we were fed
Tyler put on his flannel and we biked to the canal
There was a museum about lax and then we had snacks
Next we had lunch (we're quite a hungry bunch)
At the playground we played tag, but then we started to lag
We were behind on our journey, so we had to hurry                          
There was a massive hill that was really a pill          
But we made it to the falls, by the name of Balls
We set up our tents at camp, but it was a little damp
We made a dinner of chicken, everyone was finger lickin'
We played duck duck goose, but it ended in a truce
Now it's time for bed, with another great day ahead!

Beautiful Beaches on the New England Shore Trek

Today we woke up to a chorus of birds in Hammonasset State Park. We groggily adjusted to waking up with the sun from our urban sleep schedules as first light hit the marshland, similar to how it hit the bay as we swam at sunset the night before. We biked 12 miles to Old Saybrook and swam at a beautiful beach. We got our first flat and stopped by a bike shop where we were helped by a former "olympic racing mechanic" (pictured). Then we rode down some hilly stone wall lined backstreets to camp and cooked a ramen stir fry. We topped the night off with roasted marshmallows.

California Trek Haiku

Biking on fun hills

Despite many bike issues

Saw scenic views yay!

Tres Amigos time!

Lunch of burritos and chips

Feisty fuel for ride!

Bro, met a chill friend

At this waterfront hostel.

Even time for a swim!

Haiku written by Trekker Nicole

Across America Trekkers Sightsee at Mt. Rushmore

Today the Across America trekkers took a day to sightsee outside of Rapid City, SD. They rented a car and drove south to see Mount Rushmore, Crazy Horse, and Custer State park. They got to see a buffalo up close. Matt found an iPad on the side of the road. Kyle, fighting the strong headwinds going downhill was not able to break eight miles per hour. It was meatball sub day at subway. It was quite a hot day but it was a good one, and the group is looking forward to a slightly less windy day tomorrow.

Lake Ontario Trekkers Sightsee, Hike, and Bike Around Niagara Falls

The day started at 7:30, leading to a group breakfast at 8:00 that was full of peanut butter banana toast and Nutella. We then packed up our panniers with the little amount of gear we needed for the day and headed off to the American border. After narrowly escaping the clutches of a mean border patrol lady who didn't want us spending time in the shade, and threatened to detain Tyler, we biked to Whirlpool State Park for a hike. The hike consisted of beautiful views of the water and many rocks to climb. Once we made it to a group of flat rocks that overlooked the rapids, we stopped and relaxed. The walk up was slightly more strenuous, as we climbed up a massive amount of stairs, but it was all the better to help us prepare for all the biking we have in our futures.  After hiking for an hour we went to a supermarket on the New York side and stocked up with deli meats and cheeses.  We enjoyed our lunch and then went on the Maid of the Mist where everyone was drenched at the front of the boat.  We then proceeded back across the Rainbow bridge and had fun waving at cars as we waited on line to go back into Canada.  We ended the day celebrating Ryan's birthday at the Hard Rock Cafe where we enjoyed burgers and sundaes. Tomorrow we head to Jordan for our first night camping.
Written by Trekkers Sarah & Ted

NY-Montreal Trekkers Split Up To Do Their Own Thing

Today, four ambitious trekkers left the hostel at 8:00 in the morning for the highly anticipated century ride. We followed Le Route Vert out of Montreal, along the north side of the St. Lawrence River. After 50 miles, we took a ferry to the south side and got lunch at a  Tim Horton's in the town of Sorel. Then we did another 50 miles on the return trip to Montreal, breaking 100 miles as we crossed the bridge into the city! The pace was fast and easy since the terrain in French Canada is very flat.

The trekkers that stayed in the city had a fun time exploring. We biked to the Biosphere Museum and  observatory of environmental science. On a nature walk there we learned how to identify different species of maple tree. (Fun fact: The maple leaf on the Canadian dollar is not an actual Canadian-Native Maple, it is actually the invasive Norwegian Maple! This was a mistake made by the designers.) After learning about sustainable urban practices and species of plants and animals of Montreal, we splurged on beaver tails, fried sweet dough with dessert toppings, for the group. The rest of the afternoon was spent exploring the various street entertainers and festival activities of Montreal's summer events. 

Monday will be our last day in Montreal! Unfortunately, the forecast is for rain, so we will likely be exploring the city's many museums.