Maryland.

This morning the Coast to Coast for MS team woke up around 6:30, ate breakfast, and had the chance to bike with Kayla Jacoby's grandfather, Karl, for about 5 miles. He'll be 76 this August but totally kept up with us! 

We faced a ton of hills throughout today and reached up to 45 mph on the way down a lot of them. The weather today was killer. The 95 degree weather gave our riders some interesting tan lines, or should we say burn lines! 

The team finally crossed into a new state, Maryland. Our first break in Maryland was at a 7-eleven, where we were lucky enough to have some free slushies donated. But. The best part about today was the new game we invented for the ride- "find that road kill!". Once we smell a dead animal we race to see who can spot it first. Yeah, you would come up with some crazy games too if you were biking for 8 hours a day! It's actually a pretty fun game. 

We made it to Towson after biking 68 miles today and were met by the Klohr family! We had a fabulous dinner at Edenwald. Afterwords, the Coast to Coast for MS team delivered a presentation for the residents at the apartments about our trip and why we do what we do. What a great group of people to share our experiences with! There was an elderly lady, who had also biked across America, as well as another man in the crowd. They were the only two audience members to have biked cross-country. 

Tomorrow we plan to bike 78 miles to Virginia. It's supposed to be another hot and humid day, which is just another challenge out team gladly accepts. 

Lets Celebrate.

This morning, the Coast to Coast team woke up around 6:15 to get everything packed and ready for today. George's dad, Mr. Renzulli drove our support vehicle today. 

We began our ride from PhilaU this morning at 7:45 with the Architecture Dean, Klinkhammer, and Shirley, the book store manager. They rode about 10 miles with the team on a bike trail. 

Afterwords, we continued riding as the sun got hotter and hotter. Today's temperature reached 88° and some of the riders got a little toasty. We biked on the same road, Business 30, all day long. Biking on the same road means that there is no getting lost, but it can also get pretty boring and make the day seem twice as long.  

Finally, after biking 77 miles, (in what seemed to have been a straight line) we crossed over the bridge into Wrightsville, where we had many friends and family waiting for us on the other side. 

Tonight, the Coast to Coast team celebrated our first part of the trip with friends and family. The local news channel came to interview the team and video us biking across the bridge into Wrightsville. 

We also celebrated Kayla, Stephen and Mr. Swengel's birthdays tonight. Kayla turning 20 years old, Stephen turning 19 years old and Scott Swengel turning 21 years old. Thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday! Y'all make me feel at home here, and I also want to thank y'all for that as well. 

After biking our first day in straight heat and sunlight, everyone was drained of energy.. I have literally fallen to sleep 3 times writing this blog tonight. Goodnight world. 

Break Day #1.

Everyone slept in this morning, catching up on our much needed beauty sleep. When the team finally woke up, we headed straight for lunch. 

Later in the afternoon, the Coast to Coast team went to meet with PhilaU's President, Spinelli. We had the opportunity to talk to Spinelli about what our team is doing for MS. He was very supportive of us, and proud to see students from his school making a difference in the world. 

Finally, a few of us were able to take our bicycles to a shop to get tune-ups. It's something many people take for granted, but after biking several hundred miles, parts on a bike begin to stop working as well as they once did. 

The rest of the day was free for the team to enjoy and prepare for tomorrow's 90 mile bike ride into Wrightsville, PA, where we will meet with friends and family for a huge dinner. But that's for tomorrow's blog. 

Blog for May 28th.

Yesterday morning, the Coast to Coast team woke up to an amazing breakfast served by our hosts, Paula and Roseann. They went out of their way to help and support our team as much as possible, and the team thanks them very much for that. 

After breakfast, we were on our way to Conshohocken, PA. We biked only 35 miles before eating lunch. Alex's family met us in Lamburtville, NJ, where they provided the team with the best lunch ever. The Klohr family set us up with sandwiches, fruit, chips, cookies, pie and anything else you can imagine. It was a great treat!

When everyone was done eating, we continued our ride. The weather was still cold and raining even worse than before. 

We finally made it to PhilaU, where we were given two townhouses to stay in for our break day. 

As evening come around, the team decided we hadn't biked enough so we went on a 7 mile Midnight Pretzel ride. We rode to the Art Museum where the Rocky statue stands, and from there to the pretzel shop. We were all finally asleep by 2 a.m. 

Sunshine! ... It's about time.

May 28th. 

Finally, after seven days of what seems to have been none stop rain the Coast to Coast team experienced a warm sunny day. We started the day off in New York, and before long found ourselves biking through New Jersey and into Pennsylvania. 

Pennsylvania was also the first time to spot wildlife while biking. The team saw many little chipmunks running around. Also, deer, and ducks with their little ducklings, crossed out in front of us, and finally a few groundhogs. 

We finished the day with biking 82.5 miles into Easton, PA, where we stayed at the Swengel family friends house. We were welcomed with balloons, banners and food. 

The generosity the Coast to Coast team receives on a daily basis is incredible. People and businesses we have never met before feed us, pay for our meals, donate, and all around just support us along the way. It's pretty amazing to experience. 

After 10 great beginning days of the trip, Mr. Swengel had to head home for a while. He'll be returning in Florida to continue  driving for the team. Thank you Mr. Swengel for protecting us and driving us for the last 10 days! You're the best!

One more day of riding before our first break day. We plan to ride 68 miles into Norristown, PA. 

Thank Y'all.

I just wanted to say thank you to everyone who has helped out with this bike ride. Either through prayer or support. I'm not just biking 88 miles a day along the East Coast for laughs and giggles, I'm raising money for something i believe in. I cannot accomplish a journey this great for a cause like MS without the support of wonderful people, such as yourself. 

I'm biking along the East Coast to raise money for the National MS Society, with a goal of raising $3,000. I'm not quite there yet, but y'all have helped me out tremendously! Thank you for that. 

It's not too late though! You can still donate money, knowing that this money goes to the MS Society to research a cure for MS. Our website is coast2coastforms.webs.com . You can visit our website and press the "donate" link. Scroll down to "donate in the name of a rider" you'll see a list of riders, then click "view all" at the top of the list. Scroll down and you will find my name.

Let's achieve a world free of MS. 

Now I'm In New York.

Another day of success. The Coast to Coast Team biked 87.5 miles today, to end up in Otisville, NY. 

We crossed over the Hudson River. 

Today was also the first day in 5 days it hasn't rained on us. The weather was perfect. The sun showed up and brought much needed heat with it. Even though the temperature didn't go over 65°, it felt great. 

Surprisingly, New York has a lot of farms. Go figure. 

Fire Station.

Thank you to all the fire fighters who allowed for Coast to Coast for MS Team to stay with them at the station. 

Photo Update! Day 6.

Today absolutely nothing exciting happened.. We just biked. The temperature was 43° but felt like 38°, and then it rained on top of all of that. 

Tonight we are staying in Lakeville, Connecticut. 

I will use this blog to post the many photos I have been promising. 

The team is improving everyday as we continue to make our way toward Key West, Florida. Our bodies are finally adjusting to the stress we are putting them through day in and day out. 

During breaks, the team takes turns looking at the maps, making sure we are on route. 

Day 5. State 5.

Today was officially Coast to Coast's 5th day of riding, and in that time we have successfully biked through 5 different states. Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and finally Connecticut, which is where we are tonight. 

The weather is continuously improving the further South we bike. Today's temperature was around 60°, which is much warmer than it has been, and we were only sprinkled on a few times. 

It's hard to believe that we are almost finished with our first week of bicycling. The days are beginning to pass faster, and the team is quickly losing track of the days of the week. 

On a typical day of riding, we drink approximately 100 ounces of water each. Which means, we are regularly refilling our water bottles. Well today, our water tasted a little bit different, it had a peppermint linger to it. What had happened was, one of the riders used a muscle soothing product called, Tigerbalm. The Tigerbalm cream's purpose is to relax the sore or swollen muscle you apply it to. After applying it to his leg, he then iced the muscle and when he was all finished placed the bag of ice inside the wrong cooler. Therefore, our water tasted like Tigerbalm. 

Over all, today was a very successful day. We rode 78 miles into Union, Connecticut and had a fantastic dinner, which was graciously covered by Mike Otterbein's aunt and uncle. 

Tomorrow we are riding 84 miles into Lakeville, Connecticut. 

(We are still without wifi, which is why I haven't uploaded any new photos of the team biking. I apologize and as soon as I find wifi connection will put those up)

Thank You Fire Fighters.

I don't know who said the 3rd day was the worst, but they were wrong. Today was by far the most painful day yet. 

The weather forecast for today showed rain in the early afternoon and sunshine later on in the day as we crossed into Massachusetts. That's exactly what happened. For a while the team thought we would never get out of the cold/wet weather, but everything is already warmer here in Massachusetts. 

We successfully rode 74 miles today and are spending tonight at the Littleton Fire Station. (Sorry I don't have any pictures of the fire dept. I will post them in the morning) The fire fighters are real hospitable to us, and we are enjoying our time here. They showed everyone their trucks and the snowmobile they use during winter time. We were also provided dinner by the firemen. They fed us delicious hamburgers and hotdogs. 

After supper, we quickly drove to a local ice cream shop. We were told that the best ice cream in Massachusetts was sold there, those rumors were correct. It was gooood. 

Now I'm laying down in bed, trying to finish this blog so I can get some sleep. Tomorrow, things should start getting easier. We are biking another 78 miles to Connecticut. 

(Keep an eye out for pictures tomorrow) 

Police Escort.

Another day has come and gone. The Coast to Coast team woke up this morning sore and tired. Day 3 is always the toughest, (my legs hurt a lot today) but we pushed forward. After eating a quick breakfast and airing up our tires, we were on our way. 

The weather this morning was cold and rainy, the same as every other day in Maine thus far. Regardless, today turned out to be quite an adventure. 

Mike Otterbein, one of the Coast to Coast for MS riders, got lost today. It wasn't anything serious, he had just biked a little ahead after one of our breaks. After discovering his absence, the team pulled over to the side of the road to wait for the Penske truck to find Mike. After several minutes, Mike came biking back to where we were waiting, asking where we had been. It was about that time a police officer pulled up, asking if he was the missing biker. (Yeah, the cops were involved) Long story short, the officer was absolutely awesome, and for the next several miles we had a police escort. 

The excitement eventually wore down and we were back to our normal routine again. We finished the day at biking 89 miles and are finally out of Maine and into New Hampshire!  

Tomorrow's plan is to bike about 75 miles. We are hoping the weather is nice and the ride is good. Thank you to everyone who is keeping us in your prayers! 

Just Keep Spinning.

This morning we had pancakes for breakfast, dried some biking gear, dressed warmly and headed for Freeport. 

Maine has been consistently cold and rainy. The team has grown to strongly dislike the weather Maine has been giving us, but we thoroughly enjoy the views. The fact that we are so close to the coast means that sand covers areas of the road, causing our bikes to take a beating. 

It immediately started to rain on us as we began to ride, but it was nothing we hadn't seen before. Today seemed to be colder than yesterday, so much so our feet froze, literally. By the end of 50 miles my feet had turned dark red from the rain and wind hitting my shoes. I couldn't feel a thing. After a timely process of warming them up, and eating lunch the Coast to Coast for MS team continued out last few miles. 

Somewhere near Freeport, the biking maps took us on a bike trail. It was short, but we enjoyed it. While on the trail we met up with an older man who was also biking, but just around his town. We told him what we were doing and where we were headed and he said he would bike part of the way to Freeport with us so we wouldn't get lost. He was a nice gentleman, near 60 years old, but he could bike just as fast as we could. He stayed with us for about 4 or 5 miles and then went on his way. 

By 4:30 we were in Freeport, Maine with only biking 64 miles. [Appariently, we took a 10 miles shortcut somewhere today] 

Freeport is a small, old fashioned like town. A very nice place. We first went to a bike shop to repair some bikes and get new brakes for others and then headed to the Econo Lodge where we are staying the night. 

After getting situated in our rooms, we walked across the street to Bucks Naked BBQ, where we received free appetizers for our bike ride. The Manager was very nice to our team and fed us well. Finally, on full stomachs a few riders decided to have a Ghost Pepper challenge. Alex, George, Stephen and a little bit of Chris accepted the challenge and all ate some ghost pepper. 

And... We're Off!

Hi this is Stephen Rosenberger coming to you live from Rockport, Maine. I'm here to tell you a little bit about what the Coast to Coast team faced today, and what the outcomes were. 

The team woke up at 7 a.m. this morning to the sound of rain, with temperatures dropping into the 40's. Needless to say, this morning was a little depressing, but we faced the challenge determined to make it. 

We began the ride at the Bar Harbor Pier, where Pastor Record prayed for the Coast to Coast team and sent us on our way. 

It consistently rained for the first 30 miles, and everyone was soaked. It wasn't bad really, expect for our feet, which were nearly numb. To keep warm, we continued biking without long breaks. It wasn't until after lunch that the sun came out, and after that the riding conditions were perfect. 

Today's original plan was to bike 86 miles into Rockport, Maine. While we made it to Rockport, we took a few wrong turns which caused today's total distance to add up to 93 miles. 

The terrain today was, for the most part, hilly. It was a challenge for everyone, but all of the riders pulled through in the end. 

Tonight we are sleeping at a campground, staying in two 12ft-12ft cabins. Alex Klohr and Mr. Swengel cooked barbecue chicken and baked potatoes on the grills, which was quite delicious. 

Tomorrow's plan is to bike 74 miles to Freeport, Maine. Hopefully it doesn't rain again. 

The Countdown Begins.

4:10 a.m. came earlier than anyone would have liked, but we woke up regardless. We were at the top of Cadillac Mountain just in time to see the sunrise over the East Coast. It was 34° at the bottom of the mountain, which means it was way too cold for a Texan, period. None the less, I stuck in there and watched the sun do what it does every single day, rise. 

After watching the gorgeous sunrise, [the picture doesn't give it justice] we drove around Bar Harbor, looking at the beach, old buildings, gift shops, went to church service and finally saw the dramatic low tides that occur here on the East Coast. 

The above photo shows the coast at low tide. This is an island off the coast that becomes completely surrounded by water during high tide. During low tide, many tourists walk or drive out to see the "Natural Bridge" that lays on the ocean bottom. The locals said that they have seen people get stuck out on the island when high tide comes in, which causes the water [where you see a rock-like beach] to reach over depths of 9-12 feet. 

The weather today ended up being quite gorgeous, and the Coast to Coast team put in a 10 mile ride around the outskirts of town. Tomorrow morning is our first official day of biking, and we wanted to put in a little practice. Tomorrow's plans are to bike 86 miles to Rockport, Maine. 

Bar Harbor.

After 10 hours of being cooped up in a Tahoe traveling North, we finally arrived at Bar Harbor, Maine. 

We went on a walk through town to see the harbor.

The town is a small town, but many tourists come to visit. We are staying at First Baptist Church here in Bar Harbor for the next two nights. Right now it's 45° outside, and the pastor of the church said the temperature has only reached mid 60's twice this year so far. 

Tomorrow morning, we plan to wake up at 4:10 a.m. to watch the sunrise on the coast. After a freezing morning on the harbor, we will take a shower at a local YMCA before attending the church service. 

On the Road.

After eating dinner and saying our goodbyes we finally hit the road. Tonight our plan is to drive until we don't want to drive anymore, and tomorrow we will finish the drive to Maine. 

The Team.

Here is a short introduction of our Coast to Coast for MS team. Our team consists of eight riders. Six team member will be bicycling the entire 2,636 miles from Bar Harbor, Maine to Key West, Florida, while two members will bike part of the distance before returning home. 

Cameron Swengel - 19yrs. From York, PA.

Kayla Jacoby - 19 yrs. From York, PA.

Alex Klohr - 20 yrs. From Princeton, NJ.

Stephen Rosenberger - 18 yrs. From Huntsville, TX.

George Renzulli - 20 yrs. From Downingtown, PA.

Michael Otterbein - 20 yrs. From Malvern, PA.

Chris Jones - 20 yrs. From Coatesville, PA. 

Max Yousey - 19 yrs. From Flemington, NJ.

To read more about our team, visit: http://coast2coastforms.webs.com/aboutus.htm

The Last Few Details.

The team is finally here in York, PA finishing the last few preparation details of the bike trip. Today has been spent getting bikes tuned up, packing extra tubes and equipment and making sure everyone is ready for the ride. 

This is a picture of our home for the next month. 

We have had a few changes in plans already. Instead of driving to Maine tomorrow morning, we've decided to put in a few hours of driving tonight after dinner. Tomorrow we will continue the drive to Bar Harbor, Maine, where we will be staying the next two nights at a local church. 

KBTX News Interview

http://www.kbtx.com/home/headlines/-Huntsville-Teen-Cycling-Coast-to-Coast-to-Raise-Money-for-MS-207444811.html

Getting Ready.

I'm here in York, PA with the team getting our gear, food and support vehicle ready for the ride. This Saturday, we drive to Bar Harbor, Maine beginning our bicycle trip on Monday. 

As we finish our last minute preparation, we continue to educate more and more of the devastating effects MS has on people around the world. Check out KBTX.com/video to watch an interview talking about our upcoming ride. 

Don't forget about our website! coast2coastforms.webs.com

Thank you to everyone, for all of your prayers and support in helping reach a world free of MS.