Seems like the end, but it's only the beginning.

After biking 2,637 miles, after burning around 217,000 calories, after spending a month with 7 other teenagers, after biking through 12 different states, after raising nearly $27,000 for the National MS Society, after building friendships that will last a lifetime, after making memories with the Coast to Coast for MS team that I'll never forget, I'm finally pulling a Forest Gump, and saying, "I'm pretty tired. I think I'll go home now". 

I can truthfully say, that this was a very successful bicycle trip from Bar Harbor, Maine to Key West, Florida. Another way to look at it is, I saw the sunrise in Bar Harbor, and watched the sunset in Key West. 

 

What are my plans now? First, I'm going home to sleep. Eventually I'll have to wake up again, and that is when I'll be forced to face the real world. I'm going to continue remodeling with my father, and fighting fires with Pine Prairie Volunteer Fire Department and the City of Huntsville. Over the next year, I will be working on receiving my Commission as a Texas Firefighter. This will not be my last trip though, I have a few more ideas for other expeditions (which I guess you're just going to have to wait to hear). For the next couple years though, I'm going to stick with shorter excursions, and stay near home a lot more. Who knows, maybe I'll get into racing bikes. You never know. 

I want to take a minute and thank y'all for supporting me again during my second trip and praying for me the entire way down the coast. Without your support the bike ride would not have been possible, and the Coast to Coast team couldn't have raised the moneys for the National MS Society. Thank you. 

Also, another minute to make one last comment. After making two trips, one from Virginia to California, and this year from Maine to Florida, I've slowly gained a little wisdom. Listen closely. ANYONE can make a journey across the country, or an even greater adventure. If you have a desire in your heart to follow your dreams, do it. It doesn't matter whether you dream of biking, singing, or hiking Mount Everest, you can accomplish that dream (if your mother allows you to hike Mount Everest anyways). It's never to late. 

Yeah. That's all I had to say. I'm done. Y'all have a wonderful summer!

Random fact.

Good morning everyone! Today is our first day of being finished with the ride. We plan to rent mopeds and tour the town a little bit, and of course go swimming as well. 

But. I wanted to share with y'all a little fact about Key West, and what animal lives here. Yesterday, we only biked 33 miles, but saw 11 of the animals. Also, while unpacking our truck and shipping our bikes home, we saw 7 more. Can anyone guess what they are?

Iguanas! 

Key West seems to be full of Iguanas. They are literally everywhere, which is kind of cool I guess. 

Yesterday while biking, a pack of iguanas passed the trail in front of me. I kid you not, they were running in between my tires. 

So yeah, that's today's random fact. 

We did it!

We finally made it to Key West, Florida! Today at 1:20, we biked to the Southern most point of the US and celebrated our victory. 

Only having to bike 33 miles today, we slept in until 10, ate breakfast, and finally got on our bikes around 11:30. 

I am spending the next two days in Key West, and then finally, after being on the road for 6 weeks, fly home on Tuesday. 

Thank y'all so much for supporting me along my journey and keeping me in your prayers. I couldn't have done it without all of the encouragement. Cross-country ride number two, done. 

I will continue to blog until I get home, and will make a special blog about a lot of biking facts from the trip. 

One more day!

We are almost done! Yesterday we biked 101 miles to Big Pine Key, FL. 

While biking, we saw a lot of new wildlife, but mostly large lizards, the size of baby alligators. On Big Pine Key, there are minature deer named, Key Deer. They are protected animals, and are fined for hitting them. 

After biking our 101 miles, we stopped at Behia Honda State Park to swim in the Atlantic Ocean before going to sleep. 

Today we have a little over 30 miles to bike before reaching Kew West, Florida! 

We slept in this morning, ate a good breakfast and ready to knock out this last day! 

It's good to be back.

Yesterday we successfully biked 90 miles to Cutler Ridge, FL. It was a very warm and humid day for the team. We spent most of the day cycling shirtless to get our tans on for the beach. 

By mid afternoon, we were biking through Miami. Interesting fact, we biked right beside the arena where the Heat played the Spurs last night. We were tempted to stop by and watch the game, but had to continue riding. (We all knew the Heats were going to win)

Cameron's grandparents joined the team last night to travel with us until we make it to Key West. Today we are entering the Key's, and hopefully get to see some new wildlife. 

I'll be posting a lot of pictures of us riding this afternoon. 

Two more days until we finish the ride! 

Reunited.

After a wonderful visit to Washington DC, I'm back with the Coast to Coast for MS team! 

I flew to Washington DC on the 18th of June, where I was picked up by my parents and beautiful girlfriend! That evening, we attended a dinner event with the other Congressional Award Gold Medalists at the Hyatt. 

The next morning, on June 19th, I was awarded the medal. 

I also had the privilege to meet Congressman Kevin Brady. 

Receiving the Congressional Award Gold Medal was a great experience! I was able to meet many important people, congressmen and senators. 

After the ceremony, I went to eat with my family, and eventually flew back to the Coast to Coast team. 

Today we plan on biking 102 miles to Miami, Florida. We were also interviewed on a Key West news station this morning before taking off on our bikes. 

Washington DC.

Today, I leave the Coast to Coast for MS team for a brief visit to Washington, DC. 

While in DC, I am receiving an award known as, the Gold Congressional Award Medal. The Congressional Award is an award for young Americans, established by the United States Congress in 1979 to "recognize initiative, service and achievement in young people." 

The Congressional Award recognizes the setting and meeting of goals in four program areas: Voluntary public service, personal development, physical fitness, and expedition/exploration. Based on time commitments to each of the areas, participants earn Bronze, Silver, or Gold Congressional  Award Certificates; and Bronze, Silver, or Gold Congressional Award Medals. 

Today is also the first day I will see my parents in over 5 weeks. We will spend time in DC together before attending the Award Ceremony. 

Tomorrow evening, I will be flying back to the Coast to Coast team to finish the bike ride with them! 

Happy Father's Day!

Once a year, every year, we celebrate a day for those men who selflessly give of them selves to teach, protect and love their children. These men play a huge role in making us who we become later on in life. 

Through encouragement, discipline, sacrifice, love, example, support, and always believing in dreams, our fathers deserve today to hear, thank you. 

Thank you for always being there when times were tough. Thank you for believing and supporting our dreams. Thank you for being the men y'all are, and thank you for being our Dads. 

Happy Father's Day! 

No more ER visits!

June 15th. 

The Coast to Coast for MS team was up-and-at-em early this morning, ready to ride. After two days of biking over 100 miles, we calmed it down with only having to bike 87. 

I on the other hand, was taken back to the ER. I was given two more bags of IV, and many many other tests. In the end, doc said after a little rest and some medication I will be good as new. So y'all don't have to worry about anything!

The day was finished by 4 o'clock and the team had the rest of the evening to rest. 

We entered Jackson City, where Miss Pam finished her turn as our support vehicle driver. The Coast to Coast team greatly thanks her for taking time out of her vacation to be our mom for a week in a half. We miss you and love you Miss Pam! 

Papa Swengel and his sister, Kristen Lewald, have come down from PA to drive the support vehicle. They will be with us from here to Key West, FL. 

This ride would have been impossible without the help from all of our support vehicle drivers, donors, and all those who have been praying for the team. Thank y'all!

I will be sure to start taking more pictures from here on out. With the past couple of days, I slacked off on the details and photography. 

Century #2.

Today turned out to be a fantastic day for the Coast to Coast for MS riders! They biked a total of 111.5 miles to Folkston, GA. 

Again, I did not bike today. Instead, I rode in the support vehicle and assisted in navigating. My health, however, is continually improving with no dangerous side effects from the fluids pumped into me, or the medication I am on. I plan on riding with the team tomorrow. 

Today I had the opportunity to see my Aunt Jerri and Uncle Ted for lunch! The team stopped to eat lunch in Patterson, GA, where we found a local BBQ restaurant. The team was blessed by their generosity in purchasing our lunch. I haven't seen my Aunt since my last bike trip two years ago. It was great getting to catch up with them! 

Interesting story. We're staying at an Inn tonight, and it just so happens that they experienced a fire in the past. Don't worry though, the other half still looks really good. 

Oh! P.S. I saw this awesome truck today. 

Covering the past couple of days.

I apologize for not blogging the past couple of days. Both nights the Coast to Coast for MS team camped out, and cooked our dinner. We got busy taking care of everything else and completely forgot to blog. This blog post is going to cover the past two days as best as possible. 

On June 12th, the team biked 81 miles from Moncks Corner, SC to Point South, SC. It was a very hot day and we got plenty of sun. We camped out at a KOA, which had a nice pool where we cooled off before cooking dinner. 

On June 13th, the Coast for Coast team biked 107 miles! They biked from Point South, SC to Reidsville, GA. We officially have one more state! 

I, however, was not biking. I rode in the truck because the day before I got heat exhaustion and felt miserable. By mid afternoon, I was at an Emergency Room with IV bags hooked up to my arm. After a few hours, and a few bags of fluid pumped into my body, I was released with a few directions from the doctor. 

For the rest of the team, it was a long hot day in Georgia, but everyone pushed through. The two most important rules for being in the sun is first making sure to rehydrate yourself with electrolytes and use sunscreen. 

For most of the team, this was their very first century ride (which means 100 miles). Everyone was exhausted, but did an absolutely great job!

We ate dinner at DQ and quickly went to bed. 

June 14th. Today the team is biking 111.5 miles to Folkston, GA. We will literally be 6 miles from the Florida state line, and bike into our last state tomorrow morning. 

I am again riding in the support vehicle. The doctor told me not to ride today, but to take it easy. Tomorrow, however, I will be back on my bike with the rest of the team!

Happy Birthday.

June 11th. 

Today we celebrated Kayla's 20th birthday and Stephen's 19th year of life. To celebrate, the Coast to Coast for MS team biked 92 miles to Moncks Corner, SC. 

After biking roughly 30 miles we met other bicyclists heading toward North Carolina. They were four older gentlemen from Iowa, biking a state or two every summer. Two of them had biked across America in 1981, and had a goal of biking through all 50 states. These men averaged around 50 miles a day, and carried all of their gear in panniers on the sides their bikes. Spending time with them was definitely a highlight of the day. They joked, laughed and even sung Kayla and Stephen happy birthday. Before long, we said our goodbyes and continued biking. 

Upon arriving to our campsite (yes, we are camping tonight) we saw dozens of wildlife signs. 

A few minutes later, while walking around the park, we actually saw an alligator. It was about 8 feet long, and pretty darn fat. Some of the teammates had never seen an alligator in the wild before, but as we get closer to Florida, we will start seeing more and more alligators. 

We finally got camp set up, took our showers, and started cooking. We ate spaghetti, and then played catch with our football for a while. Pretty soon, the sun began to set and reflected on the water. It was one of the prettiest sunsets we have seen all trip. Needless to say, it was the perfect ending for a birthday. 

Officially in the South.

June 10.

The Coast to Coast for MS team finished another day! We biked 78 miles from Southport, North Carolina, to Conway, South Carolina. Another state down! 

We got lost a lot today. After crossing into South Carolina, we biked about 10 miles and somehow ended back up in North Carolina. The team did not like that very much. After getting back on track, we made great time getting to Conway. 

We finished biking around 5pm and drove to Myrtle Beach for dinner. It's almost like the Kemah Boardwalk in Texas, a tourist attraction. After eating we walked around and checked out the shops. 

There was even an upside down house. It was sort of a huge play place/science museum where you walk through and enjoy the different exhibits. We didn't do it though. 

After walking around the shops, we headed to the beach so watch the sunset. We were walking along the beach collecting shells and searching for sand crabs. The water felt refreshing on our feet and before we knew it, we were all in the ocean swimming. A perfect way to end a long day of biking. 

Weird Fact of the Day:

Here in South Carolina, the fish are always hungry. So much so, that when you feed them they go crazy and start jumping out of the water.. Literally. 

Just a clarification.

Hey blog readers! 

I just wanted to let y'all know a few things about my Coast to Coast for MS blog. Recently I've been blogging early in the morning for the previous day. That's because when I finish the day, it's so late and I fall asleep before getting to it. So of any of y'all have been confused about why I'm writing the dates at the top, it's because that's the day the blog is for. 

Thank y'all for reading my blog! 

Right now is about midday into our ride. We've biked 37 miles so far, out of our 78 mile day. I'll write everything about today in my next blog post! 

Don't forget our about our website. coasttocoastforms.webs.com

Almost to the point of almost being done.

June 9th. 

The Coast to Coast for MS team woke up ready to face our 93 mile long day! It was cloudy and much less windy than yesterday, making it easier on us. 

One of the team's riders, George, has had a cough for the past week. Day by day, his cough continued to get worse, so he visited Medac Clinic. He received medicine and is being treated for Bronchitis, though it is not confirmed that he has bronchitis. Whatever he has, it isn't too serious and he will get well soon. 

It rained on us today, for the first time, while biking, since we left the colder states. The rain was actually refreshing and didn't last very long. 

After the rain had finished, we spotted a large snake in the middle of the road. It had been run over, so it was dead, but the team still wanted to take a picture of it. The snake breed is a Striped Racer, and it isn't venomous. 

While eating lunch, a curious couple approached us wondering what we were doing. We explained everything to them, and they were generous enough to donate to our cause. They then followed us to the ferry to say goodbye and wish us the best of luck. 

We crossed over our fourth ferry of the trip today. It seems that the route Coast to Coast for MS is biking goes from mainland to island to mainland to island, etc. The ferry rides are pretty enjoyable though, and we saw dolphins!! So no one is complaining. 

The team is constantly tired now that we are on the flats. The hills seemed tough, but they came with downhills that allowed us to rest. Biking on the flatland means that your legs are constantly moving. Regardless, the Coast to Coast team is doing great and the riders continue to improve daily. 

Interesting Facts: 

We bike faster than tractors. True story. 

Also, we went fishing today.. Made a pretty big catch. 

It's sooo windy.

Hey everyone! Sorry I missed a day of blogging... I forgot/didn't really want to blog. (I wanted to sleep instead)

We woke up this morning at 5:45, to be on a ferry by 7. We had a two hour long ferry ride to Cedar Island, where we started biking. The Coast to Coast team biked 88 miles to Jacksonville, NC. 

It was really really really windy. We averaged about 12-15mph because the wind was so terrible. 

My bike was a little messed up today. The back tire's release (the gadget that allows the wheel to spin freely without peddling) was jammed, causing my peddles to continuously spin. About 20 miles out of Jacksonville, we found a bike shop and got my bike fixed. 

We finally made it to our hotel room, went swimming, took our showers and ate at the Texas Roadhouse. I think that makes for a pretty successful day. Goodnight. 

Beach Time!!

Today was definitely a day of rest for the Coast to Coast team. We slept in late, compared to when we usually wake up, and hung out on the beach for most of the day. 

We also did a little touring of the area, and went into a few of the local shops. Cameron bought some chocolate flavored insects from a peanut shop and I was dared to eat them. Lets just say, God gave us chicken to eat for a reason. 

Here in the Outer Banks is where the Wright Brothers flew the very first airplane! They had a huge monument and museum, but the beach was just too distracting to go check it out. 

We ended our day with some BBQ, one last dinner with Kayla's grandparents before they head home. Cameron's mom, Pam, is officially our new support vehicle driver. I would just like to thank each and every one of our drivers, it's a really tasking job and we couldn't bike the East Coast without y'all. Thanks! 

Interesting Fact:

This fish was caught on my birthday (which is also the same day as Kayla's birthday) June 11th. I don't know anything else about the fish other than it weighed 810lbs. It's a Blue Marlin. 

Break day = Fun day.

June 5th. 

The Coast to Coast for MS team woke up to another early morning of great weather. Before long, we were on the road. 

We spent most of the day biking down back roads, and swamps. Finally though, we reached North Carolina's Outer Banks. 

We finally made it to the coast!

This puts us at our second rest day location. On June 6th, (technically today) Cameron's mom, Pam, will be joining the team as our new support vehicle driver! 

Upon arriving to our hotel, we immediately unpacked and jumped into the ocean. This was officially my first time to swim on the East Coast. It wasn't as cold as I thought it would be. 

The entire team was eager to get away from the northern states to escape the hills, but now we deal with wind. The wind has been blowing against us for the past two days, which slows the Coast to Coast team down dramatically. To avoid exhaustion, we bike in a line, with the front rider blocking the wind for the back. After a few minutes we rotate, all taking turns in the front. This is called drafting, which saves us time and effort. 

But now, it's time to effortlessly enjoy the beach. 

No Hills!

June 4th. 

We woke up early, ready to tackle our 93 mile day. It was a peaceful ride, on and off of bike trails. The Coast to Coast team did not come across any real wildlife today, other than turtles. 

After biking 30 miles, we got onto a ferry, which took us from Jamestown to Scottland, VA.

Interesting fact, today I biked many of the roads, such as Route 76, that I biked two years ago with Mr. G. 

The entire team did absolutely great today. It was our first day without a single hill. Some of the guys finally learned how to ride their bike without hands!  

We goofed off...all day long.

And. To top the day off, we played music all day long. 

We finished our ride in Suffolk, VA, where the Cromer's, friends of my family, live. I was able to eat dinner with the Cromer's and enjoyed the time I spent with them! Thank y'all!

All we do is Ride.

This morning, the Coast to Coast for MS team woke up to rain and hail, so we went back to sleep. After snoozing for another hour, everything had cleared up enough for us to hit the road. We followed Route 1 for most of the way today, until 20 miles out of Stanson, near Richmond, which is where we are staying tonight. 

Absolutely nothing exciting happened today. 

We finished riding around 3:00 today, which gave everyone plenty of time to take showers and rest. After biking for nearly two weeks, I finally took my first nap.. It was heavenly. 

Tomorrow we plan on riding 93 miles into Suffolk, VA. 

Daily Fact About our Ride:

On a typical day of riding, each rider easily burns between 6,000-8,000 calories. 

I have no title for today..

Today was another successful day! Originally, the team had planned to bike 84 miles today, but we took a small detour and actually took a few miles off of our total. Today's milage ended up being only 70 miles. Our first 25 miles of biking were on another bike trail, which was exciting. The last 45 miles were along Route 1, the first major roadway to go all the way from Maine to Florida. 

Today we passed up the George Washington Distillery and Gristmill. We took a quick break in the field and continued on biking.  

We stopped around 1:30 for lunch, and Little Ceasars donated 5 pizzas and drinks for the team. After eating, Goerge and Mike got new haircuts. We ended up taking a long lunch break because of everything we did, but it all worked out and the Coast to Coast team finished biking by 5 p.m. 

We are staying in Fredericksburg, VA tonight. Tonight's weather shows severe thunderstorms and a chance hail, which should all be cleared out tomorrow morning. 

Don't forget to visit our website! coast2coastforms.webs.com 

And remember, you can comment on the blog! Let me know what you want me to include in the blog, what facts you'd like to hear about our day.