I just wanted to share some final thoughts on our adventure that ended yesterday evening. First, a couple of observations about the closing banquet last night. It was so well done and the slide show was perfect. Lon and Susan said nice things about everyone and I think they actually meant it which is amazing after all being together for 17 days! And, finally, Pactour supports a number of worthy causes both in the U. S. and abroad. So at the end of each tour all of the riders and crew sign a large map that shows the route that has been ridden. They then auction the map to the highest bidder with the proceeds going to support those charities. Jonathan Page, one of the riders from Australia, submitted the winning bid and then generously donated the map to Zach Lester, who rode the only tandem of the tour with his dad, Greg. Zach overcame a number of challenges throughout the trip and was an inspiration to everyone. Zach was so happy to receive the map and his dad was very proud of him. Thank you Jonathan for your thoughtfulness and generosity. You made a young man very happy and the rest of us very proud to call you a fellow Pactour rider.
I would be remiss in not giving a huge thank you to my roommate, Ethan Thorman of Palo Alto, California. I did not know Ethan until I met him in Stockbridge the afternoon before the trip began. Ethan, I so enjoyed riding with you and getting to know you. We probably rode about 1000 miles of the 1750 miles of the trip together. On the surface we are very different but our values and philosophies on life are very similar. So Ethan thank you. You made a great trip in to a really special trip for me. It would be a privilege to ride with you and room with you again. I sincerely hope I get that opportunity in the future.
So now what? Some time off the bike is the first order of business. The body needs to recover and heal and a week wandering back home through New England should do the trick. May of 2013 is the Pactour Elite which takes 17 days to ride from San Diego to Savannah. It would fulfill my lifelong goal to ride across the United States. I think with some more endurance work I can do it. It's more like 170 miles per day but it is much flatter than the Eastern Mountains Tour. So my knees will not take the beating they took on this trip with all the climbing. So barring an accident or injury, I will be back blogging this coming May from San Diego at the start of yet another great adventure. Hopefully you've enjoyed following the trip. Remember that more photos have been posted at www.pactour.com
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