Welcome New Trip Leader- SARAH

Hey, Teen Trekkers, I'm Sarah! I come from the small town of Charlton in the central part of New York State and I am incredibly excited to get out into the world while leading a trek this summer! As I'm sure many of you can agree, biking is the perfect way to combine two of my greatest hobbies-- traveling and being outside. After living in Copenhagen for five months last fall and using a bike as my main mode of transportation, I truly fell in love with this way of seeing the world as you are able to experience everything, from the smell to the sounds, just as it is. I have explored both coasts of the U.S., much of Europe, and only a small part of what South America has to offer. I also just graduated from college with a degree to teach middle and high school English, and outside of the classroom setting I have been a swim coach and lifeguard for years! Aside from bike traveling and everything that comes along with it, some of my greatest hobbies include listening to music, cooking, reading, and spending time with great people. I look forward to meeting all of you and sharing our next great adventure!

Lake Ontario Trekkers Complete the Circle and Arrive in Buffalo a Day Early

Lake Ontario Trekkers land in Buffalo!   Buffalo is such an amazing place we couldn't wait to get there. So we biked 70 miles today to get there one night earlier than expected, we all just secretly wanted the wings. It was an easy ride along the Erie Canal, staying together and cheering each other on to the finish line. Only one flat tire and one gallon of ice cream until we made it into Buffalo and had wings for dinner. Tomorrow will be a day to explore the city.

D&R Canal Trekkers Get a History Lesson

Today we had a long thirty mile day along the D&R canal. We started in Yardly, PA, and rode alongside the cornfields till we arrived at George Washington's Crossing. We took a tour which included a short film and a history lesson on the crossings.
         We then crossed the Delaware River into New Jersey where we followed the D&R path for twenty two miles. In the afternoon we took a break from the path and swam in the Delaware for a quick cool off.
    For lunch we conveniently stopped by a small grocery store where we were able to get a few items to eat.  On the way we saw a young buck run across the path and many more large herons.  After we ate we had one last ten mile push toward Frenchtown but before we got to the town we took one more swim. We had fun skipping rocks and drifting with the current. When we got to French town we checked into the National Hotel and the went out for pizza. We got quite a lot of food and got very full. Once we were done eating we took a walk around the quaint town and then hit the hay.  -- Trekker Jamie

Across America Trekkers Found the Best Bike Shop Yet

July 28- We started our day by sleeping in juuust a bit longer than usual to avoid the torrential downpour that graced our campsite this morning. Once it stopped, we crawled out of our tents and made the best breakfast of the trip- bacon and eggs on English muffins. We set out shortly after, armed with cold water bottles that had been gifted to us by an old PE teacher, to crush some miles before lunch at a bike shop in Mankato. Branton led the way and we arrived in great time. Lydia headed toward the bike shop, where she was greeted with a caramel roll and free bike maintenance, while the crew grabbed lunch makings. We lounged at the bike shop for lunch; Katie took home some goofy socks and Branton revamped his tire, and both proclaimed it the best bike shop we had visited thus far. The head mechanic gave us a great bike map that we used to get out of town, so we set out biking along nice country roads. As the golden light of the day began to appear, we stopped in at a tiny gas station just about 10 miles out of camp to grab water. We met an awesome older gentleman who tipped us off onto the newly paved, not yet vehicle accessible, old highway that would take us into town. He also suggested we check out the town's fairgrounds for a great camp spot (with warm showers!) We headed off into the sunset and spent the last few miles of our day riding blissfully alone along the aforementioned highway, listening to John's music and watching the sky churn through hundreds of shades of purple. We headed straight to the grocery store to grab dinner and treated ourselves to birthday cake ice cream and fudge sauce. The fairgrounds were amazing, as promised, and we went to bed squeaky clean.

Lake Ontario Trekkers Enjoyed Lake on the Mountain

Today we had a short day of biking allowing us to take a long lunch break by Lake on the Mountain. The waters of the deep lake were much warmer than Lake Ontario. The group enjoyed some games including a couple rounds of Mafia, miniature tanks, and freebie. We then headed down the hill and crossed the ferry leaving Prince Edward County. Tonight we're camping in Adolphastown.

D&R Canal Trekkers Biking With A Good Groove

This morning we had breakfast at the Homewood Suites hotel that included waffles, oatmeal and fresh fruit. After our safety check, we hopped back on the path for a hot, sweaty ride toward Pennsylvania.

Even with the hot weather, we're beginning to bike with a good groove. Not even the few LARGE hills we encountered, could keep us from biking to the top. Still worth it for the ride down :) just ask Eian and teen Trekker Jamie who rode down twice just to ride back up!

We've noticed some changes on the trail from dirt paths to gravel to pavement. Today the path passed by a cute little town as well.

When we reached Yardley, PA, we shopped at a local store for lunch taking our time and enjoying the air conditioning.

Moving onto a nearby park, we ate lunch and jumped through the sprinkler. Reaching the Hampton Inn Hotel, we rested for a bit before jumping in the pool.

After deciding on Indian food at a nearby restaurant for dinner, we parked our bikes and walked to the restaurant. The food was delicious and Isaac used his charm to get an extra basket of naan...

Back at the hotel, we appreciated the countryside and lack of lights to see the stars. After reviewing the day, we decided to go to bed early in order to wake up earlier for our big 29 mile ride tomorrow.

New England Shore Trek Crosses the Rhode Island / Massachusetts Border

Today, we woke up relishing our last moments in the hotel beds of the Providence Marriott. Soon, after packing up our bikes and heading downstairs, the Trekkers set off in search of breakfast! A quick trip for bagels, peanut butter and yogurt led to us enjoying a nice meal on the grass. We then headed off to our 23 mile ride over the Rhode Island/Massachusetts border into Assonet! The ride was eventful, with refreshing rainstorms, an extended break at Cumberland Farms, and BRIDGES!!!!! For lunch, we had chill zones, chicken tenders and hot dogs, and a lot of iced coffee. We picked up sammiches and salads for dinner and continued our ride into the cool, crisp, mystical water pouring from the sky. After arriving at our campsite we took in the view of deep forests and ponds as we sent up tents and enjoyed our meals. After dinner we put on our pjs and set out to explore the campsite where we watched the sun go down and
shared funny stories and hopes for the trip to come. Yotam still isn't in his pjs. Quotes of the day: "I have a more European palette" "I'm like hey what's up hello" "hand signals" -- Trekkers Lauren, Hazel, Willem and Yotam

Lake Ontario Trekkers Have an Easy Day on the North Side of the Lake

We had a short riding day today, biking to Presqu'isle Provincial Park. This morning we passed the AIDS ride again. We stopped for lunch in a town square and then continued on to camp arriving around 3. This gave us plenty of time to enjoy swimming and relaxing by the lakeside. For desert Claire made fried dough! Yum yum!

Minnesota - The Land of 10,000 Lakes for the Across America Trekkers

July 26- We started our day with biscuits and a delicious egg, cheese, and meat casserole made by the lovely Mrs Gier. Today's goal: reaching Minnesota, the land of 10,000 lakes! Trip leader Lydia rode over to the only bike shop in town that was open on a Sunday to get some problems sorted out while the rest of the crew made their way out of the city. We met up about 15 miles down the road, where we stopped to do some grocery shopping and rerouting. We met a lot of lovely people as we ate our lunch in town, one of whom gave Tyler, Katie, and Branton hand carved Bambi trinkets! We left the town with encouraging words and boosted confidence and made our way through the beautiful countryside to the border. A short 20 miles later we arrived at the coveted Minnesota state line, where we stopped for a photo. We rode into the town just over the border, where Tyler and Katie managed to find a great little camp spot that was not on the maps where we had our 2nd lunch of the day. We left soon after to squeeze the last of our day's miles in before dark, and ended up enjoying a gorgeous sunset while riding through the postcard-worthy farmland of Minnesota. Upon arriving to our destination, we struck up a conversation with a kind Minnesotan who pointed us to Chandler city park, where he opened the door to the community center for us. No tents!! We made a meat, rice, onion and broccoli dish for dinner and fell asleep soundly, looking forward to another day of beautiful Minnesota biking.