More memorable moments on the road to a cure (edited, sorry Jon!)

We have been so lucky to have amazing people all around us on this journey for Parkinson's disease.  Jim Pettus, who was there right at the begining, and his son Dave, who lives in Virginia, were able to join Skip and Arch for dinner last night.  Jim had traveled to Virginia from Oregon to visit his kids, and his timing couldn't be better!  He was only 40 minutes away when we rolled into Christiansburg, VA.  

We also recieved one of the most touching letters this morning from Jon Hutchins, who works at the front desk at the Quality Inn where we spent the night.  It's an unbeleivable feeling to know what your doing has inspired someone like that.  We wish you all the best in everything you do Jen, and thank you from the bottom of our hearts!  Your show of support and your beautiful words are he biggest kind of support we could wish for because it came from your heart.  

It looks like we should be crossing the finish line sometime on the 18th of September!!!

Thanks to Stephanie Padgette, we will be staying at the Marl Inn Bed and Breakfast.  If you'd like to know more about becoming part of the welcoming party for Skip, please e-mail me at coasttocoastforpd@hotmail.com

This Coast to Coast Adventure across 4280 miles had been one of the most inspiration and memorable trips we have ever been and may ever be on!  I feel like there is no way to properly thank all the people that have helped us, supported us, been there every step of the way in heart and mind.  It is because of all of you that we were able to make this journey what it is, one of the many steps towards a cure for Parkinson's Disease.

The Final State

On September 11th, Skip crossed his last state line into Virginia on his way to the finish line.  After so long on this great adventure, it seems almost unreal to finally be here, so close to his goal of 4280 miles.  

He still has another 600 miles of cycling to go before his arrival in Yorktown.  It's amazing to think back on all the people and places we've seen so far, and to wonder what it will be like when Skip rolls across the long awaited finish line.  It's almost a little overwhelming, since the start we've finally gotten into a rhythm of packing and unpacking, double and triple room checks before getting in the car and heading to the next destination, picture taking and blog updates, making sure Skip has everything he needs to have a successful bike ride for the day, now what will we do!??

I'm sure we will figure it out!  The day of our last state crossing started out like many others, although we may of been slightly groggy after staying up late to catch our story on WYMT.  While finishing up the blog, and getting ready to pack up, we received a phone call from Skip.  He was stopped in Hindman, KY after spending the last 18 miles biking in the rain and needed a warm change of clothes.  After making sure Skip was warm and dry before sending him on his way, Arch and I stayed in town to enjoy the Gingerbread festival, before heading out to catch up with Skip.

Catching up with him turned out to be a little more difficult than we had anticipated.  So far, we have always found Skip pedaling furiously along to our destination, not this time!  We made it all the way into Virginia to our motel, and due to no cell reception, got a little worried when he wasn't there either.  On our way back the way we had come, Arch got a message from Skip letting us know we had passed him while he was stopped at a gas station getting rehydrated.  We were very thankful to hear from him, actually make that EXCEPTIONALLY happy!  But, everything happens for a reason, and since we had to double back to find skip, we were lucky enough to come across him at the state line between Kentucky and Virginia!  Talk about perfect timing. 

The last State Line crossing!

 

Yesterday afternoon, September 10th, 2009, was a very special afternoon for us all.  Through the help of Dave and Sue Hoeph, and Sue's brother Dennis Trease who works for a News station in Kentucky, we were interviewed for the local WYMT news in Hazard, KY.  

Dara Rees came out to the Super 8 where we were stopping for the evening to interview Arch and I about Skip's one-man-trek across the US for Parkinson's disease.    

                  

Dara Rees did an amazing job telling our story, we are all very thankful for the time and effort she put into it.  A big thanks goes out too Dave, Sue and Dennis, who were a huge part of us being able to have this opportunity.  We'd also like to thank Casey Ferguson, he was kind enough to let us have our room at the Super 8 for a minimal charge.

L-E waiting patiently for her 15 minutes of fame.  The ride into Hazard was quite pretty, along rolling hills and through beautiful farm land.  

Shortly after catching up with Skip, we had to turn around to make sure he was alright after sudden rain came pouring down.  We found him taking shelter (and a nap) under the eaves of a closed gas station...  After a well deserved 20 minute break and a wardrobe change, Skip got back on the road, with about 25 miles to go before arriving in Hazard for the evening.  

Cindy was able to send be there to help us send Skip off, and is now on her way to Scotland with her sister!  We will miss her at the finish line, but hope she has an incredible time.  Can't wait to see all the pictures when you get home!

You can check out Dara Rees broadcast on Skip's Coast to Coast for Parkinson's at the link below;

LINK TO OUR WYMT NEWS SPOT

Thank you again to everyone who has donated, or helped pass along our message!  We never dreamed at how far this would take us, and now it seems like the posibilties are endless, so keep up the good work!  If you or someone you know has been touched by Parkinson's Disease and would like to tell your story here, please don't hesitate to e-mail me at coasttocoastforpd@hotmail.com  

We would be honored to help pass the word along 

On another exciting note, we only have another 700 miles to go before we reached our destination in Yorktown Virginia!  Today we will be crossing our last state line from Kentucky into Virginia, so let everyone know!  Our tentative arrival could be as early as the 17th of September, so stay tuned... ;)

Friends and Family along the way

Our arrival in Berea was yesterday was met with quite the greeting party!  It made the arduous and confusing trip into town worth all the circles Arch and I drove around in, trying to follow the route Skip took.  Skip beat us into Berea and even had time to bike into town for some ice cream before we finally found our way out of the woods.  

It was exceptionally exciting when we arrived because, not only were we going to see Cindy, Skip's mom soon, but Dave and Sue were there to greet us.  Dave is one of Arch's old friends, and a PATCO brother.  After we all got settled in our hotel rooms, and cleaned up, Dave and Sue kind enough to treat us all to dinner in downtown Berea.  We had a great time, good food, good friends, what an amazing way to end a day.  

This has made me reminisce on all the other friends that have taken the time out of there busy lives' to make it out to see on on our adventure.  I must admit, it has been hard to keep everyone abreast of where we will be, and when we will be there!  But through internet, constantly checking how many bars we have along the way we've had success!  Jim Pettus was there to pick Arch up at the train station in Astoria.  Rudy Verner came out to bike up the Hoosier pass with Skip, Stephanie and her daughter Elizabeth came out to see us in Missouri, where we had another great dinner with them. 

Thanks again to everyone, you guys have all been such tremendous support, we couldn't do it without it! 

A fellow Trans-Amer

While cycling along the SR140 from Marion, KY on his way to Falls of Rough, KY, Skip stopped in at a small dairy bar for one of his favorites, a chocolate malt.  While enjoying his well deserved snack, Skip had the chance to meet Dick Nehrine.  Dick is a fellow cyclist who is also traveling from coast to coast.

Dick started in Astoria, OR and is also headed to Yorktown, VI.  After enjoying they're snack break, Dick and Skip cycled on together.  Skip really enjoyed his time with Dick, and hopes to keep in touch with him since they both enjoy cycling quite a bit!  Skip also sends his best to Dick's grandson, Nick Reed, who just joined the Seattle Seahawks!  We will be looking forward to watching him play.

This afternoon, Skip arrived in Bardstown, Kentucky this afternoon, he actually made it there minutes before Arch and I did!  Quite the feat considering he covered the 100 miles on a bicycle.  

We are crossing through real rolling hill landscape, blanketed in trees, flowers, fields and livestock of all different kinds.  Bardstown is nestled in history with that beautiful landscape as a backdrop.  We've had the opportunity to travel the back roads of the US, the see the towns and people outside of the big cities, and travel on anything but a highway.  It's hard to describe the experience other than something amazing, something you wish all your friends and family could be a with you along the the way.  

Tomorrow we ill be headed onto Berea, KY.  Cindy, Skips mom has been able to organize a a little trip down from Ohio to meet up with us.  Since she will not be able to be with us at the finish line, we are very excited to spend some time together, and have her along for a part of this great adventure. 

Popeye the Sailor Man

I wasn’t sure how to start; it’s been an eventful couple of days!  (And I was worried I wouldn’t have anything to write about…) I guess chronological order is the way it’s going to have to be!

We left you guys in Farmington, Missouri, and since then, we’ve made it over the Mississippi River into Illinois, and by the end of today will be in Marion, Kentucky, now you can see where things can sometimes get a little confusing. 

         We crossed the bridge over the Mississippi River where we also crossed the state line into Illinois. The first town in Illinois we came too happen to be Popeye the Sailor Man’s hometown!  I was wondering why I suddenly had the incredible urge for a spinach salad...

Who else can say they have physical evidence of there father-in-law to be posing like Popeye, it’s really too bad I didn’t have a pipe on hand as a prop…  We can only hope there are many more photo opportunities such as this one. Oh wait... Here's another!  (P.S. if you look back to some of the previous post of us in Yellowstone, I do believe there is a photo of Arch and Skip pretending to be Lewis and Clark!) L-E and I got in on the action too!

Although it was difficult to get L-E to pose as well as Arch did!

Early this morning, very early this morning, Mother Nature gave us quite the wake up call.  At 5:15 AM Skip and I were startled awake by one of the biggest thunderclaps I have heard in a long time.  I believe Mother Nature had something in mind for us because it wasn’t long before we were both up and on our way to find our coffee fix.  Skip needs quite a bit of caffeine to bike 100 miles a day. At a local Kroger's Doria was there to help us!

  Well it turns out that Doria is also a teacher at Head Start, a not-for-profit membership organization that is dedicated to helping low-income families and their children off to the best start possible.  Doria has been with the Head Start program for 21 years, her daughter also teaches, and her son is in finishing up his education.  Doria is a single mom, and a great person; she even made sure we didn’t go back to the hotel empty handed since Arch and L-E were still in bed. 

I have attached a link to the Head Start website for anyone who is interested in finding out more about this great program.

This will be a short stay in Illinois, since today we will be taking the ferry over to Kentucky! Our next stop for the night will be in Marion, and hopefully our directions today will be much clearer than the ones that tried to navigate us into the ever elusive Canondale.