Bar Harbor to Ellsworth

One Day on Plane = Sixty on my bike

I cracked open “The Power of One” by Bryce Courtenay just after boarding my 7:00am flight to Philadelphia. As I read I came across a quote which read “Ahead of me lay the dreaded Mevrou, the Judge and the jury, and the beginning of the power of one - how I learned that in each of us there burns a flame of independence that must never be allowed to go out.” Hmmm. Tell me more.

My bags were packed, my bike was shipped, and I was on the brink of the adventure of my lifetime. As I sat there on that jet, it was strange to think that I am going to spend the next couple of months as a bicycle migrant, making my way across the North American continent; that I am responsible for every single decision. I looked down at the news on my phone and saw the headline screaming that Category 3 hurricane Irene is targeting New England. Good thing I brought my rain coat.

When I arrived in Bar Harbor, in a relatively small propeller style plane at a single terminal, basically unmanned airport, the magnitude of what I was doing hit me. I was on my own, the cool ocean breeze was chilling compared to the sauna heat wave I have been used to in Phoenix. I made friends with a woman, named Linda, on the plane who turned out to be a retired high school English teacher. After talking for a couple of seconds at the “baggage claim,” which consisted of a woman in a vest heaving bags from under the wing towards us herded passengers, she offered to drive me to my hotel. As we made our way to Bar Harbor, she revealed facts and tid-bits of interesting information. This included the idea that many tourists explore Cadillac Mountain since it is the first part of North America to see the rising sun each morning. I don’t know if this is true or not but it sounds like it’s worth checking out. Soon after, we dropped by my hotel room and she was gracious enough to take me to the nearby grocery store. Linda, I love you.

So it’s been an epic day of travel, and now I must bid you adieu. Goodnight.

TUCSON MORNING BLEND ON KGUN9

Watch News Broadcast Here

I didn't have a chance to thank everyone that has contributed so far but without you, this whole event wouldn't be possible. Everyone who has contributed, Friends and family for your support, Fair Wheel Bicycles, Cody and the crew at Muscle Milk, Cédric Bosch, Maria Salonga, Brittany Marie Watts, Alexandra Sales, GMD Graphics for helping me out with the shirts, and many more. I cannot tell you how much of a difference you have made. Thank you all.

Oh Hi There

Wow. It’s been some time since I have updated this. I’ll try not to make this post too epic. So I finished my MCAT last Friday, and now it’s coming down to the wire. I have 8 days until I fly out of Sky Harbor and my bike ships tomorrow via Fed Ex to the Bar Harbor Bicycle Shop. WOOO.

News

*SHIRTS are still for SALE; however, I only ordered 144 shirts. Quite a few have been sold, and once they are gone, they are GONE! I have a challenge for everyone that has a Carpe Diem T-shirt. Post an original/creative picture of you SEIZING THE DAY while wearing the shirt, to my Facebook Wall.

*I have been asked to be on a morning news show on KGUN9 called The Morning Blend at roughly 10am on Monday, August 22, 2011! I’m so nervous. I’ll post it as soon as I can.

*I now have a GPS tracking unit which can be accessed at GPS Map. Password: makeawish

*Cedric lent me his helmet camera which should be a sweet way for me to update my blog and let you join me on the ride. As soon as I can I’ll get a video up for you.

Overall, the fundraising total is at roughly $725 not counting t-shirt sales (I realize some of the monies have not been logged yet on the online donation page, but I can assure you it is here). Please help me reach my goal of $4000 and clink on the DONATE NOW link.

Lastly, I am accepting music playlists donations. If you’re in Tucson or Phoenix and would be so kind as to make me a playlist that I could listen to on the ride it would make the trip that much better! Please email me if you think this is a possibility (mauser@email.arizona.edu).

Justin

TL;DR – I’m about to leave for Maine soon!

ANNOUNCEMENTS

Today has been a big planning day in terms of both the ride and fundraising for the Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Arizona.

I have now booked…

       *Flight (US Airways) –Sky Harbor International to Bar Harbor on August 24, 2011

       *Hotel – Anchorage Hotel, Bar Harbor, Maine

       *Bike and B.O.B. Trailer Ground Shipment – thank you Bikeflights.com

After several weeks of hard work, American Apparel black tri-blend cotton tank tops have been ordered and are nearly finished being screen printed by GMD Graphics of Phoenix, Arizona. These should be completed in a week or so. Shirts will cost $20 each and will donate 70% of the profits to Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Arizona and 30% for food necessary to complete the bicycle ride. Just to get a rough idea of what the shirts will look like, check out the design below.

Supper of Sardines, Side-tracking, and Sayings

"A man too busy to take care of his health is like a mechanic too busy to take care of his tools."

With health in mind, I have experimented with a variety of recipes and, from time to time, I have improvised for friends. Just the other week, I made impromptu green chile burritos in the slow-cooker with a large round roast cut, a slew of vegetables, whipped and spattered with spices. The smell saturated the house and induced an instant, excited comment anytime a friend walked through the door. 

“I love improvising”

Today, I had a flashback to when I was a kid. It was one of those nights my parents deemed “Find-It Night.” A phrase that really meant, “No, we’re not buying fast food, stop being lazy and put in some effort, there are plenty of groceries in the cupboard.” Whenever I opened the pantry I thought “Messy,” “Takes too long,” “Sounds gross,” “Just ate that last night”…my protests trailed on. In reality, I just savored the idea of fast food, where my chauffer of the drive-though would slap together something special, salty, and visually appealing as fast as I could holler into the vibrantly painted microphone.

“French fries are the most eaten vegetable in America”

But I digress… In my repeated efforts to open the cupboard and refrigerator doors, no magic happened. Nothing appeared on the fourth, or fifth opening, definitely not the David Copperfield-esque production of a steaming, prepared meal for which I had hoped for. Disappointment. Then I saw it, looming, on the shelf.

“A dream doesn't become reality through magic; it takes sweat, determination and hard work.”

Sardines. I have never eaten them. They were a whirlwind, impulse purchase because I have heard there are benefits to consuming such an animal. I thought to myself, tonight is the night. They can’t be too bad. I grabbed the can, and allowing it to glare ominously at me, as I prepared the rest of a salad which it would soon garnish. My creation came together quickly as I added spinach, onion, bell pepper, and cauliflower. 

“I have never cared much for fish - it floats in the belly as much as in the pond.”

            I pulled the tab on the Sardine can, just to have it snap off. This was a sign. I jammed a butter knife into the can and instantly the aroma of an alley garbage dumpster behind Joe’s Crab Shack fisted my nose. The fish were about the size of a thumb, lacked heads, but had every bone. This was a challenge that was fit for Fear Factor and I was not about to give up on my healthy dinner. I topped the monster salad with Italian dressing.

“Sometimes it works, sometimes it fails, but that's what we face when we're dealing with improvisation.”

With determination, I finished that epic salad. I tell myself, the omega-6 fatty acids are reducing inflammation already…as I chase the swimmers with ice cream.

“The most essential factor is persistence - the determination never to allow your energy or enthusiasm to be dampened by the discouragement that must inevitably come.”

UPDATE: Adventure Cycling Maps Have Arrived!

I have received my maps which I ordered earlier this week from Adventure Cycling. I am so excited to finally know exactly where I will be traveling here in a little over two months. I have highlighted the major cities I will pass through as I ride; however, the route itself is very detail oriented and does not match what I have on this Google map.

Google Map of the Ride

More happy news, I have heard back from Make-A-Wish Foundation® of Arizona and they have officially accepted me as a volunteer fundraiser. I will have an update as soon as possible, describing donations/fundraising. Thank you.