Welcome Trip Leader Ben!

Hello Current and Future Cyclists and Adventurers,

My name is Ben and I am a born and raised Western New Yorker. The buds and leaves are starting to show up here in Buffalo, and as they do I am only growing more and more excited to leave Buffalo and make some new buds during my first season as a Teen Treks Trip Leader.......Yeah! Just for fun, as a stand-in for a description of my hobbies and interests, I’ve decided that I am going to describe the right speaker from the stereo system in my bedroom. The speaker itself stands nearly 4 feet tall and can often be found playing anything between James Taylor and Juice WRLD at moderate to nearly extreme volumes. It is also adorned with various stickers that I identify with in one way or another, two of which are from Geneseo, NY. The first shows a map of the village and is labeled “SUNY ‘Geneseo Geography’ Department” and the second has the logo from the local farmers’ market. Other significant place based pieces of sticky plastic include one that I bought at a bookstore in Boulder, Colorado and another that says “ I love Our Public Lands” which is acting as a proxy for all of my favorite City, State, and National Parks that even I don’t have enough speaker space to represent individually. To quickly mention the others, I also have a “Modern Lovers” sticker from a Jonathan Richman show, a “NY Renews” sticker from my favorite NYS-based coalition of environmental justice focused non-profits, the “Burton” logo that fell off of my ski gloves, and finally a somewhat preemptive “Teen Treks – Be Adventurous” sticker that I picked up recently at a bike touring workshop. Additionally, and in conclusion, atop the speaker sits a book of essays and maps of New Orleans that I purchased in preparation for what turned out to be my favorite road trip to date. In the past, I have worked with teen interns on a mobile farmers market and really enjoyed it because we were entering new communities and learning about the world that we live in first hand. I am really looking forward to continuing that trend by getting dirty and sweaty on the road this summer with some new friends.

European Phantom's Weekend in Cambridge and London

Kings College, Cambridge

A weekend recap from Taylor (Leader):

The European Phantom trekkers are in London! After three great cycling days through England, the group has arrived at its final destination.

After getting off our ferry from the Netherlands to England on Wednesday, we biked the 30 miles from Harwich to Sudbury before lunch, arriving earlier than planned. We passed a bowling alley on the way into town and the group enthusiastically decided to stop and bowl a few games. (Jordan and Sean were the winners. Their prize was a jacket potato.) That night at our campsite we had a tasty soup-and-salad dinner and then played a few rounds of cards before bed. The next morning we woke up to our first rain of the trip, which fortunately stopped by the time we'd finished breakfast. The day turned hot and sunny as we rode to Cambridge. We arrived late afternoon, settled in to our hotel, then cooked burgers in a nearby park. 

Friday was dedicated to exploring Cambridge. After an all-you-can-eat breakfast at the hotel, we went downtown to walk the winding, narrow streets and see the beautiful old stone buildings of the 31 colleges that make up Cambridge University. We stopped into the gorgeous King's College Chapel, built in the 15th Century. Next to the chapel itself was an exhibit on its construction, showing the mathematics behind its vaulted ceilings and the process of making stained glass windows. Pretty incredible. From there, we had a picnic lunch, and headed to the river to check out the local past-time: punting. (Punting is a style of boating in which a person stands at the back of a low 12-passenger boat and pushes the boat down a shallow canal with a long stick.) After laughing at the other tourists struggling to move their punting boats, we opted for a guided punting tour of the city. Unfortunately, just as we were leaving the docks, our guide dropped his punting stick and hit leader Kate on the head. We had to stop the tour to get Kate checked out, but fortunately she was OK (though it sure looked like it hurt). After our punting misadventure, we went to a play of Cymbeline at the Downing College Gardens, part of the annual outdoor summer Shakespeare Festival. The show was really entertaining and well-done.

In front of Trinity College

Punting guides and novices along the River Cam

This morning we biked about 20 miles toward London, before stopping for lunch and catching a train the rest of the way into the city. When we arrived, a friendly cyclist helped us find our hostel in the drizzle, riding through traffic on bike/bus lanes shared with iconic red double-decker buses. Tonight we took advantage of the hostel's kitchen and cooked ourselves a hearty pesto pasta. And now we're getting ready to hit the streets tomorrow, as we conclude our trip with two days of London site-seeing.

A Final New York-Montreal Post by David and Kristen

Old Montreal

The New York-Montreal Trek might be over, but Kristen and David came up with some great Trek stats to remind all of you of the hard work and tenacity that took place over your Trek:

Distances
454 miles
44 hours

Where we stayed
1 night on an overnight bus
2 nights in a hotel
10 nights camping

Mechanical issues (we fixed all but one issue ourselves...)
12 flat tires
3 broken spokes
1 broken rack
1 derailer 
2 worn brake cables 
4 pairs of break pads adjusted

16 days of bike travel by the numbers...
1- Canadians on the trip (Isaac, whose French really helped us in Napierville)
2- Strangers who let us swim in their pool
3- states/provinces visited (New York / Vermont / Quebec)
4- holes-in-one in putt-putt (Jake had the most, with two)
5- people who got flats (all but Kiran and Isaac)
6- bikes disassembled and reassembled (before and after our overnight bus ride)
7- people on the trip
8- max # of people who biked with us (Kristen's b/f Mike joined us -- sans paniers -- for a day of biking)
9- pins Kristen collected from places we visited (from NYC, Hyde Park, Lake George, Mohican Ferry, Vermont, Lake Champlain Ferry, the Adirondack, Quebec province, and Montreal)
10- average speed in miles/hour during the trip
11- miles ridden in a school bus (to Burlington, Vermont, so that we wouldn't miss the Lake Monsters minor league game)
12- times Yoni showered (he gets the trip's "freshest" award)
13- highest average speed (m/h) of anyone during a day's ride (That would be Kiran).
14- days Dave swam during the trip (mostly on the Hudson River)
15- days Michael got credits for his Senior Health and Wellness class (for which he is required to do 50 hours of exercise during the summer)
16- species of road kill spotted / words we actually knew from the Taylor Swift song stuck in our heads all trip / days we climbed on a bike and cycled!

Kristen and David has an unbelievable time cycling through New York, Vermont and Quebec with all of you cool cats, and they hope to ride with you boys again next summer!

Have an amazing rest of summer! Hoping that two wheels and a road guide you to your next adventure!

Thank you New York-Montreal Trekkers!

x Kristen, Dave and the Teen Treks office crew

European Phantom Photos from Versailles and Paris

We've got a delightful update from Taylor and Kate about the Trekkers' time in France:

 

"The European Phantom crew had an unforgettable three days in Paris. We spent Saturday morning at the palace of Versailles seeing how the French royalty used to live (among lots of gold items and giant paintings of themselves.) Then we rode to our hostel in the city. We were lucky to discover a concert in the plaza nearby, so we grabbed a quick dinner and checked it out.

On Sunday we spent the afternoon on a walking tour, during which our tour guide told us tons of stories about Paris' history and monuments. (Did you know that on statues, the position of the horse's legs tells how they died? The front legs in the air means that the rider died in battle, four legs down means that they died of natural causes, and one front leg and one back leg up means that they died of unnatural causes, like assassination. Cool, right?) 

Putting legs to good use on the walking tour...

For our final day in Paris, we first went to The Louvre, where we spent a couple hours admiring the amazing and plentiful masterpieces by some of the most influential artists in the history of art! After visiting the beautiful Mona Lisa, we let ourselves get lost in the art (literally) as we wandered down the halls within the humongous confinements of the museum. After seeing more pieces from eras such as the Renaissance, Ancient Greece and Egypt, and the Medieval ages, we left the Louvre and rode our bikes to the Eiffel Tower!

 

Sunday evening was the highlight of all our time in Paris, because we went to see the fireworks at the Eiffel Tour in honor of Bastille Day. It was really amazing to see the tower silhouetted by the fireworks behind it, then lit up with flashing lights. Though we had seen it lit up by an incredible  firework display the night before, seeing it up close gave it a whole new beauty. After many failed attempts to get a decent group photo (sans bunny ears, goofy faces), we headed back to the hostel to get ready for dinner.

Fireworks from Bastille Day

For our final dinner, we decided to splurge a bit in Montmatre, a lively and showy district where Moulin Rouge originated from. We went to a traditional French restaurant where many of us had our first taste of escargot. We had a delicious mix of foods which included foie gras, scallops , a hearty and flavorful beef stew, and"beautiful steak" (as described truthfully in the menu). After dinner we concluded our exciting day with an assortment of scrumptious pastries in downtown Montmatre.

As of now we are back on the road (or rather the rails) to Ghent, Belgium!

Au revoir, France! Till next time :)  "

-Kate and Taylor

European Phantom Leaves Portsmouth and Arrives in France

The Europan Phantom Trekkers are saying goodbye to England for a while, and spent last night on a ferry to France!

Here's what one of the Leaders, Taylor has to say:
"After six days in England, the European Phantom crew is on its way to France. Our last few days in England have been great. As we headed out of Salisbury on Sunday, we stopped to tour its 14th century cathedral. So beautiful! (And built without any electrical machines! Amazing!)

Salisbury Cathedral

Later that afternoon we rode along winding wooded back roads toward South Hampton until we arrived at a nice campground. The next day, after a good night's sleep and a delicious curry cooked on our camp stove, we rode along the coast toward Portsmouth, stopping for a picnic lunch on the beach and an afternoon swim. We arrived in our destination just in time to check out the the old ships in the city's historic dockyard, then had a tasty dinner out at a pub before riding over to the ferry terminal. England has been a blast, and we're all very excited for the next leg of our trip in France."

The HMS Victory at Portsmouth's Naval Park

Portsmouth

Portsmouth

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The group floated the night away and arrived in Le Havre, France, located in the Haute-Normandy region of the country.

Le Havre

 Off to mainland Europe! Au revoir!

European Phantom Starts in England!

This morning the European Phantom Leaders, Kate and Taylor, met the Trekkers at London's Heathrow Airport.  Pick-up was  success, and after building bikes and munching on some lunch, the group started the short ride to Windsor Castle, one of the Royal Family's homes.  Afterwards, the group ate dinner at a pub and got their grub on! 

Trekker shot!

Airport bike assembly

Taylor (Leader) and the Trekkers have a bite at the airport

Day 1's destination-Windor Castle!

Tonight the group will be staying in a hotel in the town of Slough, and will move to the town of Basingstoke tomorrow. 

That's all for now! Cheers from England!

European Phantom Leader, Taylor!

Yes, for all you lucky Trekkers who have ridden with Taylor before, get ready because she is back! Here's what Taylor has been up to:

Hoping those fruits are real...

"Hi guys! I’m Taylor. I led the Across America trip in 2011, and I had an amazing time, so I’m really excited to do another trek this year. I love to travel, especially on my bicycle! I’ve bike-toured in the US, Canada, Spain, Chile, and Central America, and each trip is better than the last. Traveling by bike great because every day is an adventure, and no two days are alike. There are always incredible and unexpected sights and experiences along the road.

I’m from Chicago, but I’ve been living in Chile since early 2012. I came here to volunteer as an English teacher in public schools, and I fell in love with the country and decided to stay. I studied sociology in college, and I recently started studying again, taking online classes in Spanish/English translation. Aside from biking, I like reading, cooking, jogging, swimming, camping, and all things crafty. I’ve always loved to sew, and I have my own little online business selling cycling caps that I make from recycled fabric. And I can’t wait to meet you guys! This summer is going to be great!"

Taylor is getting back on the road!

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 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

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

Follow the Trip:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?authuser=0&vps=2&hl=en&ie=UTF8&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=206781293978240337088.0004a664be5340c56cbca

Across America Trek Rides Over the Continental Divide

"Montana has been very good to the Across America Trekkers so far. After some rest and Chinese food in Misoula, we returned to the road. Two solid riding days brought us to Butte, where we waited out a storm over french fries at a local diner. The next morning we rode over the Continental Divide, and then enjoyed coasting downhill for most of the rest of the day. We stopped off in Three Forks for lunch, where we visited the town's historical museum, which exhibited a 65 pound taxidermied beaver, a barbed wire collection, and a 19th century tools and clothes. After another night of camping, we rode into Bozeman on Saturday morning. While the leaders took care of some bike repairs, the trekkers explored the town's downtown. When we heard that Main Street would be closed to traffic that evening for the Tour de Bozeman bike races, we decided to stick around and watch. Afterwards we made root beer floats and took a dip in our motel's hot tub. We got out early the next morning, and according to our odometers, reached the 1,000 mile point of our trip. Two more full biking days has brought us out of the mountains and into Billings, where we're preparing for the next leg of our journey." - Taylor, Trip Leader

Follow the Trip:

http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?authuser=0&ie=UTF8&hl=en&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=206781293978240337088.0004a66235ae4e48d4ce7

Across America pulls into Missoula, MT

"Across America is rolling into Missoula, Montana today, after spending our Fourth of July climbing up Lolo Pass in Idaho. It was 5200 feet up at the top! We followed the Clearwater River to the Lochsa River as we climbed, and the scenery was beautiful. Blue skies, tall pines, and clear rivers. We rode 70 miles that day, and 85 the day before, so we're looking forward to a restful afternoon in Missoula." -Taylor, Trip Leader

Follow the Trip: http://maps.google.com/maps/ms?authuser=0&ie=UTF8&hl=en&oe=UTF8&msa=0&msid=206781293978240337088.0004a66235ae4e48d4ce7

Teen Trekkers meet Taylor!

My name is Taylor and I live in Chicago. This spring I’ll graduate from Roosevelt University majoring in Sociology. I’ve always loved to travel, and my studies have given me a greater appreciation for new places and people. I’m learning Spanish too, which I got to use last summer when I biked through Mexico and Central America. I’ve also ridden around Nova Scotia, and have visited 48 states throughout my life. (I still need to go to South Dakota and Alaska.) Biking is my favorite way to travel because of all the incredible and unexpected sights and experiences along the way.

At home in Chicago, I get around by bike, even in the winter. (Well, once in a while I take the bus too--Chicago gets cold!) I also enjoy cooking, crafting, yoga, jogging, and listening to music. In the summer, I go swimming and camping every chance I get. I love to sew, and have my own little business selling handmade hats. I’ve had lots of other interesting jobs too--I’ve been a lifeguard, a camp counselor, a circus tutor, and an organic farmer. I love adventure, and try to laugh through challenging times. I’m really excited for a summer of biking, camping, friends, and fun...and hopefully plenty of ice cream!