Home Sweet Home

Cindy & I have made the full circle and are back home in Turlock. We had a good visit with our son Josh and his family. Our two grandsons continue to grow and are doing well. Josh & Shannon are great parents. Josh got to show us the construction project that he has been working on the past couple of years for Turner Construction Company. It is an addition to the Eisenhower Hospital in Palm Springs. It is a big project that is approaching completion and we had a chance to meet a lot of the people Josh works with. It was neat to have Josh give Cindy & me a tour of the project. We felt pretty important wearing the hard hats as we toured the construction site. It was obvious that Josh had kept his coworkers informed about the coast to coast trip as they asked a lot of questions and congratulated us on the completion. We had a good time at dinner with Josh's family and were blessed by songs and bible verses by our grandson Teagan. We were graciously hosted by Shannon's mom, Glynda, who has recently moved to the Indio area. We had a good trip home and are trying to get back to regular life in Turlock.

Quickly Moving West

Today was a big travel day. No side trips. 700 miles, 3 states(Texas, New Mexico, Arizona), and 2 hours time change. We are in West Phoenix and should make Indio, CA for a visit with our son Josh and his family tomorrow. It will be good to see them all. I think we are ready to get back home to Turlock.

Texas

We spent Saturday afternoon and Sunday with my son Micah and his family in Houston, Texas. We had a very good visit and stayed for the first time in their recently purchased home in Southeast Houston. They have a very nice home that gives them a lot more room. Micah is doing a good job with the yard work. Today we made it through San Antonio and are staying in Ft. Stockton. We stopped at a small town North of San Antonio, Junction. This is the town that Bear Bryant took his first Texas A&M team to camp in 1958. This experience was the subject of a movie (The Junction Boys) made a few years ago that told the story of a grueling training camp that set the stage for a national championship team a few years later by Bryant and the Aggies. They took 50 players from College Station to Junction and returned with only 23. Two of those returning players were coaches of mine during my football career. Elwood Kettler was the defensive coordinator for Mississippi State my sophomore year in 1972. He was the quarterback of that team. Jack Pardee was the defensive coordinator of the San Diego Chargers in 1981. He was a fullback/linebacker for the Aggies. These were obviously 2 very tough men. It was nostalgic to be at the same place they worked so hard. The rest of Texas tomorrow.

Mississippi & Louisiana

As we begin to work our way back toward home in California, it is good to stop and visit with friends and family along the way. Thursday we drove from Niceville,
Florida to Florence, Mississippi to visit my mother and update her on the trip. She is doing well and we had a good visit. We also had a visit at the nursing home from some of my family from the Florence area. My Aunt Bea, and 2 of her children their families and several grandchildren and a great granddaughter joined us for a brief "family reunion". It was a good time. Friday afternoon we headed down to Hammond Louisiana and had a nice evening the Tillery's, our son Micah's inlaws. They were wonderful hosts. We head to Houston Saturday to see Micah and Blair and Amelie. We are having fun.

Return Trip

After a canceled flight in San Francisco, and as a result missed connection, then a lost cell phone, we made it back to Jacksonville, FL. to get our pickup and come back home (we have problems too, especially when we are tired and a little stressed). We visited my brother Dan and his wife Judy Tuesday night in
Gainesville and are staying tonight, Wednesday, with another brother, Phil and his wife Libby. It is good to have family and I have the best. We had a nice drive today checking out a coastal area of Florida we had not seen. We'll see more family the next few days as we crisscross across the south.

I would like to remind everyone that a part of this effort is fundraising for Teen Challenge. Thanks so much for those of you who have already contributed to the ministry in response to the ride. I believe we have received over $13,000 with another $14,000 or more pledged that would be about $27,000 total. This is amazing and beyond anything I imagined. There have been over 100 people or groups to donate or pledge. For those of you who have pledged, but not yet donated, you will received an envelope and note reminding you of your pledge. It is not too late for you to make a donation. We'll leave the blog on, but you can just make your check out to Teen Challenge and note in the memo: "Coast to Coast Ride" and mail to Teen Challenge, PO Box 611, Turlock, CA 95381. Thank you all so much. I am again overwhelmed at how much people care. Talk to you soon.

Best, Worst, Hardest

Best Food:
Cindy-Mexican Food in Superior, Arizona
Jimmy-Bar-B-Cued Brisket, light bread, potato salad and sweet tea in Blanco, Texas

Best Day:
Cindy- St. Augustine-July 29: the finish
Jimmy- Louisiana in the rain-July 22

Worst Day:
Cindy-Silver City, NM-lost keys
Jimmy-Quartzite, AZ-Phoenix-5 flats

Hardest Day:
Cindy-Texas traffic-July 17
Jimmy-Tie: Texas Mountains-July 10
El Paso/ The endless expressway in the heat July 8

Best motel:
Cindy: Days Inn-Chipley, Florida
Jimmy: Comfort Inn-Del Rio, Texas

Thanks to All

Wednesday night at 10:30 Randy and Lori Fiorini picked us up at the airport in San Francisco and brought us home. It was so good to see our best friends and be able to share with them, even if we were a little weary, as they took us home. After a day Thursday to rest, read the mail, pay bills, and catch up with things in Turlock; Cindy & I had a chance to go by and share a little about the trip with the the men and staff of Teen Challenge. It was a special time again filled with joy, thankfulness, and prayer by many. We are so thankful. Thanks to the men, staff, and board of Teen Challenge. I also offer thanks to my best friend, Randy, who did so much to support me throughout the preparation of and rhe ride itself, by his encouragement, his provision of supplies, his timely calls throughout the journey, and his friendship. Another group that I am grateful for is my church family of New Life Christian Center in Turlock. They are an amazing group that never fail to inspire and challenge me with their generous hearts. Thanks to our sons, Josh and Micah and their wives , Shannon and Blair and our 3 precious grandchildren, Teagan, Trey, and Amelie. Thanks to my mother and 3 bothers with their families who were so enthusiastic and supportive of me. Thanks to my other family, especially those from my Uncle Horace's family who joined us in this journey. Thanks to so many personal friends who we heard from through comments and emails. Thanks for those who followed us but weren't able to figure out how to respond. Thanks to PowerBar for sponsoring us. Thanks most of all to God for His protection, provision, blessings, lessons taught, and strength to carry on day after day. We'll have more highlights of the trip to come.

St. Augustine: Mission Accomplished!

The final 38.7 miles put the finishing touches on the coast to coast bike ride across the USA for Teen Challenge. After I reported to Dennis Whitman at 8:50 AM eastern time (5:50 AM pacific time) I received a video phone call from the Teen Challenge men and staff of resounding cheers like I never heard at Candlestick Park in my days with the 49ers. I don't think the finality has hit yet, but we are just overwhelmed with thankfulness. Cindy & I will never be the same after this adventure together. We probably need a little time to process it all. I look forward to sharing with the Teen Challenge family. Thanks so much to all my family, friends, and all of you who took part in this journey. More to come.

Finishing Strong

Quote for the day: "A glad acceptance of hard things opens the way for glory." Elizabeth Elliot

We got a not so easy 97.3 miles through a variety of trails in east central Florida today to put us within 40 or so miles of striking distance of our goal of St. Augustine. We saw heavy traffic coming into Gainesville around 7:30 AM on the 2 lane county road, but then we got on the scenic Millhopper Road with the live oaks and Spanish moss making a cathedral type entrance way into Gainesville with beautiful homes and preserved habitat. As we entered the urban area, the route took us through a very biker friendly cross town street to the east side to get me to the 17 mile Gainesville-Hawthorne bike trail. This was a high point of the day as the trail was shady, quiet, and very scenic. A fawn hopped beside me no more than 20 feet away and bounded down the trail for several hundred feet with me. It was a great experience. Then I got on some rural roads that were OK for a while, but deteriorated as we got back into logging country. Rough shoulders yielded a flat at a bad time. The humidity was merciless. I have to say I experienced some of the best biker friendliness in Gainesville, but also the worst in a town that will remain nameless as I was able to dodge a can thrown at me from a jeep. I'm glad the guy had poor aim.

Cindy put some songs on the play list and says they are "heavy into grace". I told her that was just fine with me.

Tomorrow we go for the finish line. Stay with us through the very end.

Happy Birthday Teagan!

Quote for the day: "This motel is almost a no!" Cindy Webb


July 28 is Teagan Webb's birthday. This is his 3rd birthday. He is our oldest grandson and lives in Indio, CA. He had a big party Saturday and we got to speak to him, but we wanted to recognize him on the blog with his picture and a birthday song. Teagan, Happy Birthday again from Mimi and Pops. We love you!

We got the full treatment of Florida heat today, but managed 123.6 miles by pushing hard early. We had a good, flat track most of the day. Beautiful Spanish moss was again everywhere. The crop of the day was Bermuda grass hay. I could smell it as the trucks went by. When we went to dinner at 6 pm the heat was unbearable. We are down to about 140 miles to St. Augustine, our goal. We are on target to make it if things continue as planned. We will try to get through Gainesville and over toward the coast for a finish Wednesday morning, Lord willing. Thanks for your prayers.

North Florida Express

Quote for the day: "A mother is only as happy as her saddest child." Unknown author

I can begin the see the end of the ride. 127.2 miles, again in the North Florida muggy heat. It only got to 93-94 while we were out, but that's enough to wear on you. I felt good through the finish, I had a little to spare. Tallahassee, the capitol of Florida, was a little challenging as they had me finishing the city on a bike path headed out in the country. I made it on the trail, but couldn't find where to get off, so I rode a few extra miles. We had our last time change as I crossed over the Chattahoochee River at about 11 central, Noon eastern. We are still in the panhandle and hopefully will get above Gainesville tomorrow. I can smell the finish and will be happy to see that Atlantic Ocean. Our hope is to dip the tires of the bike in the Atlantic on Wednesday late morning and try to make a flight from Jacksonville to SFO. We have some work to do and need to check on things, then we'll fly back several days later and get the truck and drive back visiting relatives and friends on the way back. We'll keep the blog going for a while. We'll have some more fun and adventure. Keep praying as we are not quite there yet. Let's all finish strong!

Pensacola, Apalachicola: I'll have Coca Cola

Quote for the day: "Only those are fit to live who are not afraid to die." Douglas MacArthur

We made 118.5 miles through northwest Florida today. We probably could have pushed it a little more, but as we get close to the end, I'm not going to overdo it. We had good conditions, but the humidity down here can play tricks with your body. I was a little anxious as we started today, but we got to see some beautiful farmland. Cotton and peanuts were the crops of the day.

I was thinking this morning at 4 AM as we were getting up, having some coffee, and reading our daily devotions. We are reading devotions by Dietrech Bonhoffer the German theologian of the 1930's and 40"s. Cindy is reading his contrast between humanity and spirituality. I'm looking over in the corner of the motel room wondering if the bike tires went flat overnight. Bonhoffer likely had a Nazi guard with a gun pointed at him as he was writing. What do we have in common? Not much you say. Well I beg to differ. We serve the same God: holy, sovereign, and totally in control.

Sweet Home Alabama

Quote for the day: "A man may die, nations may rise but an idea lives on." John F. Kennedy

109.5 miles through coastal Alabama and Florida finishing north of Pensacola was what we did today. We lost about an hour taking the ferry across Mobile Bay at 9 AM, the heart of when we need to be on the road, but that's the way it worked out. The coastal islands of Alabama were a sight of beauty with Spanish moss and a large variety of water fowl all around the area. Marshland was almost as far as you could see. The bridge to Dauphin Island was a challenge to ride over, but the view from the top was spectacular. After the ferry ride the road was new and good so it helped make up time. There are a lot of condominiums for sale in Alabama and Florida. That's for sure. Pensacola was tougher to get through, but we made it. The highlight for the day was a visit from my brother Phil and his wife Libby who were able to visit us and treated us to a wonderful dinner at Texas Road House. I got an email the other day from Jim Pyatt a staff member at Teen Challenge. Jim wanted to remind me to make sure I get all the fluids I can to finish strong. This is especially meaningful since Jim did this trip himself some 18 years ago in less time than I am trying. Thanks, Jim. That means so much coming from you.

Quote for the day: "Do what you can with what you have, where you are." Theodore Roosevelt

122.5 miles was the total for today through Mississippi. We were pleased and somewhat surprised at the good roads we had for the most part. Most of what I biked I had not seen previously in my home state. The lush pastures around Poplarville with the cattle lazily grazing was a pleasing sight. The pine trees were abundant, so tall and thin. Again the heat did not kick in until later in the afternoon. I did not get too tired today.

You will note we have changed up the music. We're bringing back "The Small Town Southern Man" by Alan Jackson. This time I would like to dedicate it to the memory of my Uncle Horace Webb. Several of his family have been on this journey with us. Uncle Horace was the consummate "Small Town Southern Man". A hard working, but gentle man who lived out honor and dignity. He fought in World War II in the European Theater. My grandmother let me wear his old army jacket sometimes and I was so proud. He was a deacon in his church and loved Aunt Bea and his children so much. Also, we have Alabama with "Song on the South". We thought it appropriate being in Alabama as well as lead singer Randy Travis being an owner of Polled Hereford cattle that we include it.

Quote for the day: "A child who is allowed to be disrespectful to his parents will not have true respect for anyone." Billy Graham

Goodbye Louisiana, hello Mississippi. After 123.8 miles of mostly rain biking we are finished with Louisiana as we passed through Bogalusa and went over the "Mighty" Pearl River. The day got off to a slow start as we waited for over an hour in the rain in St. Francisville. We finally got going and had a bridge out detour. After all that we cruised on wet but mostly lightly traveled surfaces in rain until just outside Bogalusa about 3:30. The bike did well. My angels were watching over me as there was only 1 slip at the end as I was waiting for Cindy at the finish (I was so embarrassed but not injured). I have had only a little rain biking experience, but alot of today was fun for me. At 75-80 degrees, it was comfortable and I felt like a kid again. I would also like to thank Ray Williams, Beth Ann's cousin, who was so kind to us while we were in the St. Francisville area. He and Beth Ann saw that a lot of our supplies were restocked and gave us area weather reports and accommodation suggestions. If you are ever in Ethel, Louisiana stop in at the F. S. Williams Country Store. Thanks Ray. Thanks to all of you supporters of Teen Challenge and this ride. We feel your prayers.

Quote for the day:"...all things work together for good to those who love God..." The Apostle Paul

Another good day in bayou country of 132.4 miles. We got an early start and even with a flat after 7 miles, still got in good early miles. With a fast level track for the entire morning we wove through the marshland close to the Mississippi River from mid morning to afternoon as we finished on the ferry to St. Francisville. We saw soybeans chest high and lots of sugar cane. The weather remains good and relatively cool. We know it can change quickly though. It rained after we finished again today. We spent some time adjacent the famous Louisiana State Penitentiary at Angola. From what we saw if anyone escaped he'd better be prepared to wrestle alligators (I saw a dead one 6-7 feet long along side of the road in that area). There was a good headwind as we headed back south, but I could manage it well with the level levee roads we had most of the afternoon. We had a good dinner and visit from our good friend Beth Ann Luter who drove all the way from Jackson, Mississippi just to have dinner and visit with us. Thanks for the encouragement Beth Ann! You are a great friend to Cindy and me. Tomorrow we set our eyes toward Bogalusa.

Quote for the day: "Life deals you a lot of lessons. Some people learn from it, some people don't." Brett Farve

We had a good day of rest in Eunice, LA. I got new chains on both bikes, so I am back to 2 completely functioning bikes. The bike shop in Lafayette was a bout 40 miles away, but they were very accommodating, friendly, and professional. Lafayette is a college town west of Baton Rouge and was bustling with energy. I got my favorite "power lunch": 5 double cheese Krystals and a chocolate shake. Cindy got all the clothes washed and our maps charted. It rained about 3:00 pm, but is clearing up we hope for tomorrow. We hope for continued not so hot and humid weather. We are ready to head out at first light tomorrow. Hoping for another good day in the swamps. Thanks for so many neat comments on the blog. We are encouraged, especially from the guys of Teen Challenge.

Quote for the day: "Courage is the fear that is said in prayers." Shepherd (Texas) Methodist Church

Out of Texas and into Louisiana gaining 130.0 miles for a great day. Conditions were good to start with early morning fog lasting into late morning allowing us to move faster earlier which has been the best for us. We were able to go a little later because it never got hot until around 3 pm. We got in to real Cajun country. We went through Oberlin, LA the home of Mississippi State great fullback Hoyle Granger one of my very favorite Bulldogs. Hoyle played at MSU in the early 1960s and was one of the top pure fullbacks to play ever in the SEC. They said he got his strong legs from working as a boy in the rice fields in Oberlin. We saw plenty of rice fields (but no kids working in them today).

We will take another day of rest tomorrow, Monday. My body is tired, we need to rotate some tires and maybe get a chain fixed. We have been over 2000 miles and are getting set for the final push. We are in a nice motel in Eunice, LA about 15 miles from where we left the route in Mamou, LA.

Quote for the day: "Every man should have a wife like Cindy who allows her husband to chase his dreams and then joins him in the capture." Jimmy Webb

Can you say HUMIDITY! We got it today along the 113.5 miles of East Texas we rode. We finished around 2:30 pm as I was fading fast on a rough expressway we got on after being in the beautiful piney woods that reminded me of my home in Mississippi all morning long. At about 4 pm it came one of the biggest down pours I have experienced in a while. Cindy was washing clothes in the laundry area of the motel and we got separated for a half hour as she could not get back to the room through the rain and hail. Our lights were out for 3 hours, but we are dry and cool now. Our little granddaughter, Amelie has these enclosed water bottles called "sippie cups". Last night as Cindy was preparing the 4 or so gallons of PowerBar electrolyte mix. Amelie was interested in what her "Mimi" was doing. Cindy just turned and said," I'm just fixing Pops' "sippie cups" for tomorrow.

Quote for the day: "I don't feel right unless I have a sport to play or at least a way to work up a sweat." Hank Aaron

A really good day of 125.5 miles through some of Texas most beautiful country. We were blessed with a cooler day that allowed us to go a little longer. Clouds around Navasota kept the temperature bearable. We came through areas where it had rained and experienced storm threats, but were blessed by not getting rained on. I faced some stiff winds for a while, but I was able to fight them because it wasn't so hot. We hope to be out of Texas by Sunday. Our son Micah, his wife Blair and our precious granddaughter Amelie from Houston drove up and provided us dinner in our motel and encouraged us with a good visit. I hope we continue to make good progress. We have been so blessed by safety, health, and no major problems to this point. Just a tough track, mountains, winds, wires, and some heat. I received a call a couple of nights ago from Guy McIntyre the former All-Pro Guard with the 49ers who is still with the club in the front office. Guy is aware of this effort and sent his encouragement from the team in support of a fellow 49er alumnus. I didn't have the honor of playing with Guy, but I have much respect for him and appreciated his words of encouragement. Tomorrow on toward Louisiana.