New York-Montreal Trekkers Reach Albany

We woke up at our campsite at the icebox and enjoyed a large breakfast of oatmeal and granola to get fueled for the day. We then set off on our 20 mile bike ride, which was on the Route 9J which was composed of wonderful rolling hills the whole way. We stopped at roadside farm stand along the way and enjoyed plums, peaches, tomatoes and zucchini bread. After that we finished our ride to the city, checked into the Holiday Inn Express Hotel, took some much needed showers, and headed out to explore the city. Since it was Sunday, it was very empty. We grabbed a larger meal at a local deli and then got Ben and Jerrys ice cream before heading back to the hotel and relaxing for the rest of the night. We finished the night by playing some cards in one of the hotel rooms, and then went to bed to get ready for yet another adventure filled day in the city of Albany.

Across America Trekkers Heads East from Chicago

August 6- We started our morning bright and early with fresh chocolate banana pancakes. Chris and Keri, our amazing hosts, helped us get moving by blasting music. These two both work for Clif Bar, so they happened to have a surplus of snacks and gear laying about that they unloaded onto us. We stuffed our panniers full of treats and put on our new socks and bike hats. We are now officially unofficially sponsored by Clif! We got out by 9am and met up with Brad, a bike engineer for the Chicago DOT who led us out of the city. He gave us a great route to follow all the way to Michigan, which we followed for the rest of the day! We sped through Indiana along a series of bike paths and made a delicious salad for lunch. We rode along the lake through the Indiana Dunes State Park and arrived at our camp spot. We gorged on pizza and turned in, tired from a long day. 

Rest Day in Chicago for the Across America Trekkers

Aug 5.

Rest day in Chicago!!! We woke up slowly at our host's house. Keri coooked up some delicious squash and sausages while we planned out our day. We decided that, even though we were supposed to be resting, that the best way to see the city was by bike. We shot out of the house around lunch time and headed towards Pequod's pizza, a fabulous deep dish pizza restaurant on the way downtown. Afterwards we rode towards millennium park along the lakefront trail, where we saw Cloud Gate aka The Bean and the Fountains! We spent the rest of the day hanging out downtown. Around dinnertime the group split into three: Katie got picked up by her brother (who lives in Chicago!) To enjoy some family time, Lydia rode off to have dinner with her cousins, and Tyler, Branton, and John headed to a Mexican restaurant for tacos and cake. We all met back at the house later that night, hung out for a little bit, and went to bed early.

New York-Montreal Trekkers Are Enjoying the Hudson River

We started our day in Margret Norrie State Park with a quick breakfast and a downhill ride out of the park. We spent the morning enjoying an amazing 41 mile ride through the rolling hills of upstate New York. Taking breaks for some amazing ice cream, snacks, and a few quick games of cards. We arrived early at the National Estuary Preserve with plenty of time to play Frisbee, cook dinner, test the muddy waters of the Hudson, and hang out together off of our bikes. At the end of the day we were rewarded with a quiet, beautiful camp site on the edge of the Hudson.

Across America Trekkers Overcome Breakdowns and Make it to Michigan

8/7 We began our day bright and early leaving camp by 6:30. We crossed the border to Michigan and did a group photo with the sign - then we crossed the road to the Welcome to Illinois sign to snag a shot since we'd been cheated a welcome sign on the way in. We ate breakfast in the small coastal town of New Buffalo where we discovered our first flat of the day, sadly as we were just about to hit the road. We made it halfway to Niles, our lunch spot, before we encountered our second flat of the day. Pushing onward we got to Niles and had a speedy lunch of deli sandwiches, strawberries and oranges. On our way out of Niles we had to walk our bikes across some train tracks and Tyler's rack snapped off his bike. John and Tyler went back into town to seek help from a bike shop while the rest of the group went ahead to Kalamazoo. Katie, Lydia and Branton made incredible time to Kalamazoo while John and Tyler reluctantly bought train tickets to catch up. For the trio, some accidental detours brought the day to an impressive 95 miles. The whole group reconvened in Kalamazoo by 9:00 for a warm welcome by the Nelson family. We ate chicken wings and delicious donuts from the Sweetwater Mill. Before bed we hopped into the hot tub to relax our muscles and then climbed into our tents.

New York-Montreal Trekkers Spend the Day Biking the Poughkeepsie Area

There's nothing better than waking up to the sound of a blasting air conditioner rather than the sound of irritating ground owls and obnoxious crickets. The Ramada Inn had great rooms, and comfy beds. We left the Ramada at about 9:15, and were on our diddly-do-da-way. Unlike previous days, the roads were as smooth as freshly bought Stop and Shop Nutella. Which we gorged ourselves on during lunch. Peanut butter, Nutella, corn tortillas: lunch fit for a king, or if you're Julia the Queen. We made new friends on the Walk Across the Hudson. Next on our list was the the FDR house. It was a delightfully educational trip that ended up being a long and scenic nap. Though it was quite enjoyable. Especially for the girls, who channeled their inner homosapien and climbed a massive tree. We arrived at our campsite at around 6 and had tacos for dinner, and ended the day with the finest German innovation in pizza dough technology. Dough on sticks over a fire, "lecker".

New York-Montreal Trekkers Conquer a Tough Riding Day With Ease

We woke up today at 7 and were packed and ready to go and had breakfast eaten by 830!
We biked halfway on our route by about noon when we stopped at a market to get some fresh fruits and snacks, as we couldn't find a grocery store on our route. Shortly after we stopped at an antique store to check it out and take a bit of a rest. After conquering a 5 mile uphill battle, we enjoyed a mostly downhill cruise into the town of Fishkill. We were a bit early to the hotel, so we went into Walmart to grab a portable grill. Once we checked into our hotel we went to see the movie AntMan, and afterwards we went to a local diner and had a delicious dinner. After returning to the hotel we all watched the ending of Back to the Future before winding down and preparing for another big day of cycling!

Across America Trekkers Very Happy in Chicago

August 4- Today we began our 9th state by riding along a paved bike trail into the beautiful suburbs surrounding Chicago. We stopped in Highland Park to take a dip in Lake Michigan at Millard Park, where we met our host, Chris! Chris and his friend, who are ex professional cyclists, led us into the city on a locally known bike route that took us past mansions and to the lake shore bike trail. We saw the Chicago skyline and rode with thousands of cyclists during the rush hour commute. Chris and his girlfriend showed us the newly opened commuter bike path, the 606, which rises above the city streets much like NYC's high line. We arrived at their house and spent some time relaxing before we headed out for the best fried chicken in town (drool worthy!!) We headed back home and cut up some honey pie, a special treat from the pie shop next door. We listened to some tunes and shared stories before heading to bed, excited to get a good nights sleep in for our first rest day since Washington!

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.

New York-Montreal Trekkers Bike up the Hudson River Bikeway

After taking the train in NYC and arriving at Dobbs Ferry, we went over some biking basics and got on the road. We enjoyed some ice cream and ate lunch in a park very close to Dobbs Ferry, as we hadn't gotten into full stride yet. We were slowed down by a few flat tires, but the morale stayed high as we slowly chugged along to Croton Point. When we arrived at the campgrounds at Croton Point we found a wonderful swimming area which we enjoyed and cooled off in. The water was fantastic! After swimming we headed to our campsite, set up our tents, and began to cook our sesame chicken stir fry dinner as the sun went down, and got ready for our next big day of cycling!

New York-Montreal Trek Starts a 400+ Mile Adventure

Over the next 16 days the New York-Montreal Trekkers will bike 400+ miles up the beautiful Hudson Valley, through western Vermont, and into Quebec, ending with 3 days in historic Montreal. Starting out early this morning at Bryant Park the group walked to Grand Central Station for a brief train ride out of the city to Dobbs Ferry. This morning the group is getting to know one another and talking about bike safety and rules of the road before they ride their first 18 miles to Croton Point Park campground on the Hudson River.

Across America Trekkers Make it to Illinois

August 3- We cooked a big old breakfast today in Mary Kay's kitchen in preparation for our big ride. Goal of the day: making it to Illinois! We
sped through the day in Wisconsin and made it quite far by lunch. We are really on a roll- these 70+ mile days are no big deal for us anymore! Branton remarked at dinner, "have we really gone 77 miles?
Feels like 50, tops!" After an early dinner we rode the last 8 miles of our day into Illinois (hoooorayyyyyyyy!!!) and towards the welcome
light of our first motel since Montana. Tonight we rest easy knowing that we'll be spending the next day and a half in Chicago!

Lake Ontario Trekkers are Almost Around the Lake

Another day dodging the rain clouds on the Lake Ontario Trek. After hiding under a huge tent conveniently placed right when it started pouring yesterday, we continued our avoidance of rain by making it to Brockport before the late afternoon thunderstorms.

On our way here we stopped in Rochester for lunch out at Dogtown where the group tried various specialty hot dogs while I enjoyed a Rochester veggie garbage plate. Then we explored the abandoned tunnel in downtown which used to be the city's subway tunnel. We headed out of Rochester along the Erie Canal Trailway. Tonight we'll be staying at the Canal  Park in Holley.

2000+ Miles for the Across Trekkers

August 2- Today we found ourselves more than 2,000 miles into the trip and in the heart of Madison, Wisconsin!! We rode the bike path from uncle Jim's
house right to the University of Wisconsin where we treated ourselves to the famous ice cream on campus. Uncle Jim played tour guide to us as we
rode through Madison. We stopped in at the capitol building (gorgeous!!) and got a history lesson on the city as we rode through a handful of neighborhoods along the capitol city bike trail. We parted ways later in the afternoon and started the ride, all via bike trail, to Oconomowoc. The bike trails of Wisconsin are not to be skipped!! We arrived at our destination just as a lightning storm took over the sky-  Katie and Tyler tried and succeeded in capturing the awesomeness with their cameras.  Imagine: a sky full of lightning with no rain and no thunder to accompany it! John's aunt Mary Kay graciously hosted us tonight and we  had the pleasure of feasting with her lovely family. We happily played with theircats and shared the highs and lows of the day. A lot of laughs and a full belly make for a great night's rest.

Across America Trekkers Enjoy Wisconsin Hospitality

August 1- We had a relaxed start to the morning in Fennimore, complete with our favorite breakfast: oatmeal! We rode out of town on a nice but short
lived tail wind. We rode along the Military Ridge Bike Trail for the entire rest of the day, enjoying the beautiful Wisconsin scenery far removed from the
sight and sound of traffic. We arrived in Mt Horeb sweaty and covered in dirt, where we were greeted by John's uncle Jim who showed us around town
on his bicycle. We stopped in at his boutique craft store, where we entertained ourselves by smelling a plethora of scented candles and finding
gifts! Uncle Jim led the way to his house shortly after so we could enjoy a true Wisconsin dinner of bratwurst and potato salad, topped off with
strawberry rhubarb pie. We popped in a movie and relaxed the rest of the night-such a treat!

Rolling Hills Challenge for the Lake Ontario Trekkers

Another tough day for the Lake Ontario Trekkers with rolling hills one right after another. Right outside of Oswego we stopped at Ontario Orchards to grab healthy snacks and some fresh apple cider donuts. On our journey to the campground we found a stray kitten. And yes, we tried to have a new addition to the trek though it did not like tight spaces. So we just played with it and feed it for some time before we had to keep on trekking.

New England Shore Trekkers Enjoy Provincetown

This morning, Yotam woke up early, soon followed by Andrea, and they cooked pancakes! Everybody ate up, and Yotam hopped a taxi to the airport after goodbyes. We all then went back to sleep! After waking again and hopping on the bikes we went to the beach! After the beach we walked around Provincetown and visited many interesting and new shops after a lunch of dumplings, frozen yogurt and ice cream! After more shopping, we came back to camp and made henna tattoos and relaxed over saltwater taffy, which was delicious!!! After a short-ish rain, we went back on our bikes and got a very nice dinner of great variety and good music, too! We enjoyed our dinner then got dessert next door, then pet dogs and walked to the end of the pier to look at the moon and enjoy our last moments in Provincetown. Fun fact: squids are attracted to moonlight! By Trekkers Andrea, Adam, and Willem

Lobster Rolls on the Beach for the New England Shore Trekkers

Today we woke up in our cozy campsite and enjoyed a breakfast of bagel chunks and expensive peanut butter. After packing up our gear, we hit the road with our sights set on Provincetown, making sure to enjoy ourselves on yotams last day. A beautiful bike trail led us to the classic Cape Cod Gull Pond, where we had lunch and swam in the beautiful clear water. We were then halfway to our new campsite, but had one more stop to make: the Atlantic Spice Company.

After hot hills on a main road, we rewarded ourselves by admiring bulk spices and buying candy galore once we arrived. We then packed up again and headed out on our last home stretch, which should have been short, but was a little longer than expected due to a dropping mishap. We soon all reunited at the campsite though, and got pumped (even more so than we were before) for our awaiting dinner of lobster rolls! A short ride through the busy, colorful streets of P-town, various lobster rolls, and searching for crabs along the shore after our moonlit dinner on the beach made for a beautifully perfect night to end off our trip as a full team. Of course we couldn't go back to the campsite without enjoying our fix of candy shopping (typical) and ice cream. Soon after we headed back to the campsite where we took showers, reminisced over pictures, and explored the area, making the amazing day we had even better.

Quotes of the day:
"I didn't make up those lyrics though"
"Yotaaaaaaaam"
"Yotam isn't leaving"

(Yotam will be very very missed and he was the perfect puzzle piece to our group of misfits. We miss you!!)
-- Written by Trekker Lauren

Lake Ontario Trekkers Have a Relaxing Day

 We woke up early at the hostel to see our counselor Stephanie hard at work making us pancakes and bacon for breakfast. We left at 9:00 and made it about 3 miles before stopping for lunch. That sounds bad, but we did stop to do laundry. Trust me when I say it was badly needed. We only did a little over 20 miles today over all. One of our Trekkers, Mary has family in the immediate area and they are graciously allowing us to camp out on their front lawn. They live on a farm with three horses and some chickens. We arrived here at around 3:00 and Mary's aunt got a kick out of seeing everything on our bikes. One of her friends has a small lakefront cottage with a water slide we could swim and play on. Mary's cousins, Tyler, Claire, myself (Kyle Rifkin) and Jack hopped into a minivan and drove about a mile to the place. We jumped off the dock and slid down the slide into beautifully warm water over and over again. At one point Jack threw a bouncy ball into the water and it went really far out. Mary's aunts friend (who is a very trusting person) let us take a boat to retrieve it. History is full of great captains-Ahab, Sparrow, Crunch, and Jack Davis is not one of them.  Just as things were looking grim, the owner of a different boat showed up. Whoops. Eventually I took control of the boat and safely got us out of the marina, to the ball and then parallel parked it again in the marina (take that, drivers test.) -- Trekker Kyle

Across America Trekkers Cross The Mississippi

7/31 Today we biked down the Mississippi River from La Crosse to Prairie du Chein, then turned east and made it to Fennimore for a whopping 88 miles. We woke up in La Crosse outside the Walmart, where we ate a fresh breakfast of bagels, OJ and fruit. We sped through our first 33 miles to Sugar Creek Park where we had a big lunch and continued on our way. Twenty-three miles later in Prairie du Chien we visited the historic St. Feriole Island Park, where we discovered that Prairie du Chein was founded in 1673! After a warm swim in the Mississippi and a quick second lunch we began a climb eastward and entered the rolling hills of Wisconsin, ending the day with traditional Friday fish fry at a friendly local restaurant in Fennimore.