We did it! The last day’s ride of about 85 miles took us from Metter GA to Tybee Island near Savannah, GA. And inevitably down to the beach there to celebrate.

We also shared experiences and the new memories that we have created. It feels so good to have completed the challenge, but also a bit sad to be suddenly at the end of a journey that has been totally absorbing to the exclusion of much else. And also poignant in that the “remember” part of the title recalls Valerie’s life.

Many, many thanks to all who have shared, supported, followed along, and also donated most generously.

And here is the final animation of today’s ride:

#ccan #rockspringucc #climate-ride #curealz #solarvillageproject #pactour

Through rural Georgia…cotton, and other crops. Lots of trees.

Just one more day till we arrive at the Atlantic, Tybee Island, near Savannah, Georgia. It all seems quite a blur right now; 27 days, ride, eat, sleep; repeat… early!

One thing I am clear about is the support I have had along the way. In particular, a huge thank you to folks who have donated to the causes I am supporting. It is not too late to donate. There is an incentive in place to encourage you:

For each additional $5,000 that comes in for each organization I’m supporting, I will add another $1,000!

My ride ends tonight, so now is the time!

Right now, we are about 80% of the way to the $5,000 goal for Cure Alzheimer’s; and about 70% of the way to the $10,000 goal for the two organizations I’m supporting through Climate Ride.

Here’s the animation of today’s ride (some recent ones got a bit mixed up, and yesterday’s is lost forever!)

Just two days to the end of the ride! I feel as though I should be in reflective mood, but honestly it continues to be all about focus on each day’s ride.

Yesterday saw us ride through eastern Alabama, from Greenville to Eufaula (110 miles). Today mostly in Georgia: Lake Eufaula to Lake Blackshear and on to Cordele, GA (116 miles).

Rural Georgia has probably been the prettiest part of the eastern states so far, but it is rolling terrain…one minute down, five minutes up, repeat and repeat and… Tiring!

More at today’s Climate Breadcrumb for Georgia

#ccan #rockspringucc #climate-ride #curealz #solarvillageproject #pactour

Making our way from Kosciusko MS to Livingston AL and now to Greenville AL, 245 miles in two days; rolling alone! Our first rain in over three weeks…torrential for an hour.

I discovered that there is the Alabama River–in one of these photos, the PACTOUR group (bikes and support vehicles) has stopped for lunch on the river bank.

Our routes take us clear of large cities, creating the impression that America is rural. So much land; so few people.

Riding from Monticello, Arkansas to Indianola Mississippi and thence to Kosciusko (Oprah Winfrey’s birthplace). Crossed Ol’ Man River by the fairly new Greenville Bridge. About 150 miles of flat, flat flood plains, then a small hill, and normal terrain was restored.

The end is in sight! Just six days to go. Good time to recall the causes I am riding for.

Today’s Climate Breadcrumb: The Mississippi River

#ccan #rockspringucc #climate-ride #curealz #solarvillageproject #pactour

I don’t know what I expected from Arkansas, but the pine forests were a surprise–hundreds of miles of them–and lakes (see yesterday). I guess it lives up to one of its nicknames “The Natural State.” Very pretty.

Click through to today’s Climate Breadcrumb:

And enjoy the animation of today’s ride!

#ccan #rockspringucc #climate-ride #curealz #solarvillageproject #pactour

Now we are exactly two-thirds of the way through the ride.

Friday we rode from the bustling town of McAlester to the serenity of the Queen Wilhelmina Lodge just across the border into Arkansas. Getting there was a major challenge, with some steep climbing along the Talimena Parkway (like Virginia’s Skyline Drive, only steeper!).

What goes up, must come down, so today we descended through some beautiful pine forests to Arkadelphia.

If you missed yesterday’s post about Cure Alzheimer’s – one of the causes for which I’m riding – you can read it here.

#ccan #rockspringucc #climate-ride #curealz #solarvillageproject #pactour

All OK for 2 days (that would be all Oklahoma), passing to the South of Oklahoma City: Weatherford to Purcell, and then today to McAlester.

Wind turbines everywhere; front yard oil production, and rain-fed agriculture and animal husbandry. Difficult to imagine that this was the scene of the devastating Dust Bowl, nearly a century ago.

For more on this area, see my Oklahoma Climate Breadcrumb.

Please consider helping me in my fundraising efforts, to increase the audience, simply by visiting and “liking” the dedicated Facebook page “A Climate Ride to Remember.” The page contains all the posts I’ve made here, and also the “Climate Breadcrumb” trail I’m posting.

Here are the links for the the rides in the past few days:

#ccan #rockspringucc #climate-ride #curealz #solarvillageproject #pactour

It was also an interesting day, as we followed the track of old Route 66, one of the first US highways connecting Chicago with Los Angeles.

It’s a bit of an open air museum of Americana, with of course more than one museum along the way. And it evokes memories of the Dust Bowl, and the migration of many from the mid-West to LA to escape that environmental disaster (Climate Breadcrumb in the works!)

And finally, a big thank you to everyone who has donated to the causes that I am supporting. More tomorrow hopefully on that!

Here’s the animation of today’s ride.

#ccan #rockspringucc #climateride #curealz #solarvillageproject #pactour

Our only full day in Texas, the Panhandle in the north-west of the state. A 94-mile ride from Amarillo to Shamrock.

Cross-winds slowed progress. Along the way, reminders of historic old route 66, an early long distance route across the West from Chicago to Los Angeles and immortalized in Steinbeck’s “Grapes of Wrath.”

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See up-to-date series of Climate Breadcrumbs at https://bells.live/climate-breadcrumbs/

Here is the animation of today’s ride.

#ccan #rockspringucc #climateride #curealz #solarvillageproject #pactour