Day 60

We’ve now entered the last state on my bicycle ride across America. If all goes according to plan, sometime tomorrow I’ll make it to the coast near my brother Kyle’s house outside of East Lyme, CT.

Tonight we’re being hosted by Hope Lutheran Church in Storrs, CT. We were greeted this afternoon by one of Hope’s members, Sheri, who showed us around the church and directed us to some local attractions. Hope is located right near the University of Connecticut campus.

We all enjoyed our visit to the UConn Dairy Bar – especially Brennen!

We’ll be coming back to visit Hope this Sunday, as I’ll be their guest preacher. A big thank-you to Pastor Nollet for following my bike ride and extending this invitation!

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Day 59

Hello Massachusetts!

I left Delmar this morning and cycled through Albany toward the Massachusetts state line.  My route was through the scenic Berkshire hills and I arrived in Westfield, MA by late afternoon.

Along the way I met Jim, another cross-country bicyclist who started in Washington earlier this summer.  Jim is headed to Maine, where he lives.

Westfield, MA is a college town – the home of Westfield State University.

St. John’s Lutheran Church is also in Westfield. Pastor Hazzard and the congregation have been following the progress of my ride and offering their support of Lutheran Campus Mission Association.

Day 58

A big thank you to Pastor Mueller and everyone at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Delmar for welcoming our family and giving me the opportunity to share the story of Lutheran Campus Mission Association this morning!  The theme for worship was “Rooted in Love,” based on Ephesians 3:1-21. In his sermon, Pastor Mueller reminded us:  “When you are rooted in God’s love, you are taking in God’s nourishment so that your faith is healthy and strong and will endure the droughts and storms of life.”  Campus ministries help college students remain rooted in God’s love during a time when many young people experience some of life’s droughts and storms for the first time.

If you are college student – or know someone who is in college – Lutheran Campus Mission Association can help you connect with a local ministry.

Day 57

Tim Mueller joined me for today’s bike ride from Thompson’s Lake to his family’s house in Delmar, NY. Not only did we make it to our destination before it started to rain, but we also enjoyed coasting on some long downhill grades.

Another highlight today was a visit from Kristin Negele, who was a college student at Kent State during the time I served as a campus pastor at Kent.  Kristin lives in New York now and has been following my ride on the blog.

We all attended the evening worship service at Bethlehem Lutheran Church and enjoyed the hospitality of the Mueller family. Thank you to our New York friends for a great day!

Day 56

Today’s ride brought us to Thompson’s Lake State Park near Voorheesville, NY.  I was able to avoid the morning rain and scattered afternoon showers. There’s a nice swimming beach at the lake, which was a welcome attraction for the kids.

This evening we had dinner at our campsite with our friends, Mark and Bonnie Mueller and their kids, Emily and Tim. Tomorrow Tim and I will bike to the Muellers’ house in Delmar, NY where Mark serves as senior pastor at Bethlehem Lutheran Church.

Day 55

Tonight we’re camped near St. Johnsville, NY.  If the weather cooperates tomorrow I hope to make it to the outskirts of Albany. I’ve been enjoying the ride through New York and could envision more bicycling here in the future.

The reality that my ride across America will be over soon is starting to cross my mind. Mentally and physically, I feel great! When I return, I hope that this experience will continue to inspire me to keep personal wellness a high priority.

Day 54

Just adding up the miles… Today was the third consecutive day over 100 miles since arriving in New York.  That’s a good thing, as tomorrow’s weather forecast is calling for rain and thunderstorms throughout the day.  Riding conditions today ranged from smooth, paved-shoulder highways to single lane trail. My stopping point for the day was in Rome, NY.

My route also took me on the urban streets of Syracuse. I missed out on some nice photo opportunities while navigating downtown traffic, but did get a picture of this Croatian church (which looks much more magnificent in person).

Day 53

Today’s bike ride followed the towpath trail alongside the Erie Canal.  My stopping point tonight was Palmyra, NY.  I had a flat tire right away this morning, with the puncture coming from an unusual object… a fish hook!

 

Today’s family adventure took Jen, Emma, Norah, and Brennen to Niagara Falls and the Erie Canal Discovery Center in Lockport, NY. The first stop in Niagara was Cave of the Winds on Goat Island. “When you first enter Cave of the Winds, it’s like a mist. When you get to Hurricane Deck, it’s like you are taking a clean shower because the water pours right on you,” Norah reported.

Brennen exclaimed, “I loved it. The water was blue until it splashed, then it was white. There were bubbles like soap.”

“Hurricane Deck was awesome because you get soaked,” Emma shared. “The observation deck was cool because it felt like you were floating in the air over the river.”

At the Erie Canal Discovery Center, we learned how they made the locks in Lockport. There was an interactive interpretative movie narrated by a person playing Benjamin Wright, the lock engineer for the Erie Canal, from the famous ‘Opening of the Erie Canal’ mural by A. Raphael Beck.

 

“Wright” explained to us why New York needed the Erie Canal and how the canal was dug. Then invited us behind a movie screen to finish the film on a packet boat where we learned how the locks worked. After exploring the center, we went out to the “Flight of Five” and walked along the original canal locks in Lockport.

Day 52

Lake Erie coast…

With a strong west wind, it didn’t take very long to cycle from Erie, PA to the New York state line!

The wind, cooler than usual temperature, and lake shore scenery made the 112 mile ride to western Buffalo, NY very enjoyable. Here are a few pics:

Day 51

We’re on to the next state on our cross-country tour!  Today I resumed my bike ride, travelling from Conneaut, OH to Erie, PA.  Of course, that was after wrapping up a wonderful weekend with old friends and new friends in Kent, OH.

This morning I was the guest preacher at Faith Lutheran Church in Kent, where I served as campus pastor for my first five and one-half years of ministry.  Not only was I welcomed to preach and share about LCMS Campus Ministry, but today was also the Baptism of Xavier Voelker, the son of JJ and Tammy Voelker (JJ is the current campus pastor at Kent).

Here’s a picture of Emma with her friend Mildred Edmonds. Emma and Mildred enjoyed having doughnuts together at church when Emma was a preschooler.

Yesterday we visited friends and went to a picnic at one of our favorite parks in Cuyahoga Falls. At the park there was no shortage of other kids for our children to play with.

Toward the end of the day we toured a yurt that was designed and built by our friend Andreas.  Andreas and his wife Jae were Kent State students during my first years in Kent.  Awesome job, Andreas!