Day Three and Three Free!

Desert Sunrise taken by Greg at our hotel in Blythe, CA

Day Three and the winds have subsided!

It was 40 degrees and felt like 36 at 7:15AM 

when Melissa and Glenn took off for Brawley.

Glenn will wear Jerseys from each of the rides on this journey.
Watch for a collage of all of them at the end of the ride!

THREE FREE!

This has been my mantra for the last eight years!

I strive to find accommodations along our route that provide the THREE FREES:

Free Wifi  *  Free Breakfast  *  Free Parking 

  

    I'm excited to share that we did accomplish that last night!  

It is sometimes a challenge on these routes to find 

places to stay that are the distances that would be best for 

the riders, hence the 90+ mile days.  It gets much easier 

when we reach the California Coast!

Today Melissa hit the road with Uncle Glenn while Greg 

hung with me.  They are quite a tag team!

Since they did two great top 5/10 lists yesterday, I

thought I would do one about them today!

Top 10 Things I Love About Having Melissa and Greg on the Road with Us:

10. There is someone besides me to find restaurants on Yelp for our dinners in these little towns!

9.    There is someone besides me to drive and get us to those restaurants!

8.    It helps to have extra hands to unload and load the van each and every night and morning!!

7.    It makes me feel useful to pack two or three lunches every morning before sending them off!

6.    It’s fun to have newbies at this long distance riding to renew our enthusiasm!

5.    I love having one of them in the van, especially when I have no cell service and they do 😊

4.    It is great to have them here to capture those special photo shots that I might miss while driving!

3.    It’s fun to share old stories and memories over meals with someone other than Glenn!

2.    It relieves so much stress for me to know that someone is out on the road with Glenn daily!

1.    It has been great bonding time with two incredible people who we love dearly!

Glenn and Melissa

Heading out at 7:15 AM

Chilly but excited to get on the road!

I assume that most of you know that we are being followed on the 

60's on 6 on Sirius/XM radio thanks to DJ, Phlash Phelps! 

Something very exciting happened on Wednesday after Phlash played

the interview with me on Day 1.  I heard from a listener who

lives in one of the towns on our route.  Thanks to Lynn from Alpine

for reaching out to us.  We have plans to have breakfast with Lynn

and her husband on the 24th before Glenn rides out of Alpine!

I'll post photos after the meeting!  Below is her email to me!

Phlash is sporting the new I Care I Cure I Cycle Logo tee-shirt here :)

Hi Lynn,

I heard you on Phlash’s show this morning on my way into work; I live in Alpine and was excited to hear you mention Glenn coming through our little mountain town.  If you can see it at night when it’s all lit up for Christmas, then all the better!  I would love to come by and cheer if schedules permit.

We have many cyclists (both road bikes and mountain bikes) in town during the weekends.  They like to hang out at Starbucks near the Albertson’s.  You can also see them at the delightful Alpine Beer Company which now boasts two locations both in Alpine—the original “tasting room” on Alpine Blvd. which was previously watering stop for the gold miners heading up to Julian.  The Alpine Beer Company also now has a new full-service restaurant/pub and beer gardens located next to the Ace Hardware on Tavern Road.  Alpine does not lack for Mexican food either and my favorite of the six restaurants/taco shops is Manana’s (best rolled tacos with guacamole).  What is also nice about the Alpine Beer Company tasting room is that there is a taco shop just next door (Tapatio’s) where one can grab a burrito and then go to the tasting room and enjoy it with a frosty beverage.

We also have a great Italian Bistro we call “The Med” (short for Mediterreaneo) and a super-duper steakhouse called “The Grove” up at Viejas Casino and Hotel.  Next to the Casino is an outlet mall with major retailers (Gap, Eddie Bauer, Coach, Guess, Nike, etc.) and a bowling alley.  Also, Rubio’s, home of the famous San Diego fish taco.

There you have a mini-tour of Alpine – best of luck to the team as you finalize your journey.

Lynn

I forwarded Lynn's email to Phlash and I just happened to hear

 this clip while driving the SAG vehicle!  Thanks, Phlash, for the air time!

Phlash is on vacation until December 27 but he will be back

to follow the last three days of the ride into Santa Monica!

Greg and I headed out to meet Glenn and Melissa at about 10 AM.
It was fairly easy to find them since most of today's ride was
on Rte. 78.  That makes for easy navigating for all!

Hay!  Believe it or not, we're in Ripley!

This "cotton pickin" scenery is incredible!

Sorry for those two captions....too much

time in the van thinking about the blog!

Irrigation!  Melissa and I wondered when we saw

some areas of green yesterday where the water was! 

Found it today!

I think we may really be in Radiator Springs!

Tractor Tipping anyone?!?!

Sorry....we ARE traveling cross country! 

All the way, around the USA!

A Glimpse From Glenn

Today was a great day. Not only did I have the company of Melissa, our niece (who managed to log the most miles in a day today) but as you can tell from the scenery it was quite varied. We had a view of Palo Verde Peak (above) for the first 35 miles. We had rolling hills that Melissa learned to manage like a seasoned rider in no time. We had a fantastic downhill that lead us to the Imperial Dunes which are extraordinary. The weather was superb we even had tail winds for some of the day. The only issue was that when we entered Imperial County the shoulders became bumpy.  We finished the day by going through farm country.  I had told many people that I was not expecting to be impressed by the vistas that I would take in across the South, but how wrong I was.  It has been phenomenal to have company to share it with too. As we were finishing today, I could not help to think about that 3000 foot climb tomorrow at the end of the day.  I also want to thank everyone for taking the time 

to look at the blog and in that way sharing the experience 

of this rather unique and amazing adventure.

We met up with Glenn and Melissa at 10:50 AM when they

were almost at the halfway point of their day.  They were doing

well and Melissa even said she was having fun pedaling up and

down the many DIPS in the road.  Roller Coast Road!

Melissa in 1990 at age 5!

Who knew when Melissa began riding her big girl bike

that she would accomplish the amazing feat that she did today!

91.04 miles from Blythe CA to Brawley CA!

We are so excited for you and proud of your perseverance!

My co-pilot for the day with the riders!

Snagged the SAG lady for a PHOTO OP!

The Imperial Sand Dunes, sometimes called the Algodones Dunes, are the largest mass of sand dunes in California. This dune system extends for more than 40 miles along the eastern edge of the Imperial Valley agricultural region in a band averaging five miles in width. Rising to heights of over 300 feet above the surrounding desert floor, the dunes are a well-known landmark to local residents and the thousands of highway travelers who pass by them every year.

This was a stunning sight!  Today I really felt like I 

was in the desert!  There were just too many photos to 

take...and we did....but I will only share the highlights!

Greg taking one of our many photo shots!

Just a small touch of color in an otherwise monochromatic scene!

This is a "wheely" good view!

Greg greeting Melissa as she ascends the hill to 

meet us at the Osbourne Lookout!

Any which way she went, Melissa was a rock star today!

The team arrives for a lunch break!

12:30 PM with just 24 miles to go to reach Brawley!

Greg hiking up the hill to the Osbourne Lookout so that Glenn and 

Melissa could hop in the car for the steep climb 

An actual table for lunch on the road.

And what a view they had also!

Hi from the Imperial Dunes

Aunt Lynn and Uncle Glenn 

with Melissa and Greg

 

Taking off at 1:03 PM to head to Brawley, our stop for tonight!

I was really tempted to climb the dunes....I know 
a few little boys who would have loved this stop!

Greg was behind the wheel today....nice to have a break!

Using the back-up camera is challenging  when

there is a bike on the back of the car!

My favorite drive-by shooting of the day!

Many of you have been following the blog for all

nine years.  Tonight's question is a throwback question.

Today we visited the Imperial Dunes in California.

Where else did we visit dunes on our

I Care I Cure I Cycle Journey?

Palm trees....we must be on vacation!

Welcome to Brawley, CA

After an amazing ride of 91.04 miles, Glenn and
Melissa arrived at the hotel in Brawley at 3:10 PM!




Today's Stats

From the I Care I Cure Holiday Newsletter

December 21, 2017

Ian's Uncle Glenn Embarks on the Final Leg of His Bike Ride Around the Country to Raise Awareness and Funds for Childhood Cancer Research

Since 2009, Ian's Uncle Glenn has cycled: the East Coast Greenway from Key West to Maine up to the Canadian Border; from Seattle to San Francisco; New Orleans to St. Augustine, FL; and last fall from Phoenix to New Orleans, all for I Care I Cure. Aunt Lynn follows along as his support vehicle every mile along the way. Uncle Glenn has received nationwide notoriety and support for his endeavor. He already raised over $24,000 this year!  He is starting in Phoenix and will end at Santa Monica Pier later this month.  Follow Uncle Glenn and Aunt Lynn through their blog at https://icareicureicycle.blogspot.com/ and enjoy his most recent Phoenix network interview! by clicking here!

The following are notes from my college friend, Melinda Brown, who has been a constant supporter of I Care I Cure and a wonderful cheerleader for our rides.  She wrote me a few emails that I felt I needed to share with you.  This ride has been our way to battle the devastating toll that childhood cancer has taken on our family, but we know that so many of you have also been touch by a child who has suffered through this insidious disease.  Please feel free to share your stories with us and we will dedicate a day of the ride to your loved one. 

From Melinda:

“When I see the posts of the little 3 year old in my grandson, Keegan's, music class and what she is going through, your journey becomes soooo real.  You are helping little babes all over the country.  Her name is Ella.  Give her a mile of your ride, Glenn!  We know you are helping her!

The family is fighting a tough fight but they seem to be over the hill at this point.  The Ronald McDonald house has been a godsend for them since they live here in Allentown, NJ and she's treated in New Brunswick. 

It is my understanding she will now be on maintenance for about 2 years.  She was just 2 years old when she was first diagnosed with Acute B Lymphoblastic Leukemia.  She has been an amazingly brave little girl (as are her parents ).  I saw a recent video of her feeding herself her meds from a syringe.  It brought tears to my eyes.  This little bald girl bravely taking her meds and then smiling!  What these kids go through!  

From a recent blog.......

Maintenance Day 1: LP Methotrexate, IV Vincristine and home. Last night was Ella’s last medicine free bedtime for next 2ish years. 😜...”

Today’s ride was dedicated to little Ella in NJ.  Glenn and Melissa were

 inspired by her story and it gave even more purpose to their day.   

We wish Ella a lifetime of happiness and good health!

We are hoping that you might still need to make that one

last donation for 2017 and that you will consider I Care I Cure.

Click Here to Help Children like Ella!

Memories

August 2014

Oregon Coast

Reflecting on the Seattle to SF ride

Photo credit to Jim Beaty

Click here to email Lynn and Glenn