6/14/08
We
all met at the Combsı house around eight. The we made an hour drive down to
Milford to begin our trek. After a short ride we arrived in Morrow, where we
stopped for lunch and ice cream. In about two more miles we arrived at our
destination, Morganıs Livery Campground. We set up camp and had a quick rules
meeting before wandering off and finding numerous ways to entertain ourselves.
Dinner included hamburgers and macaroni. After dinner some of the Scouts went
back down to Morrow where we got more ice cream at Mirandaıs. After returning, and putting up the
final touches on our campsite, we headed to bed.
6/15/08
We
rose early and began what was to be a daily routine of tearing down tents,
eating pop tarts, and filling our water bottles. We then went to the livery to
catch a bus to the river.
Once we got there, we began picking our kayaks and launched them into
the river. We rode down the river
and quite a few people fell into the river and swamped their kayaks. It was easy kayaking because the river
was high and the current was swift.
After passing three bridges, we pulled in and boarded a bus to head back
to camp. We then resumed the bike
trail. It was an easy ride. We met up with Terry at Spring Valley,
because she and John would drop ff the vehicles at the campsite before hand. We
then had to get off the trail and head up and down devilıs backbone. After
breaking a good hard sweat we arrived at camp and most everyone set up tents,
except for the few who slept under the adirondack. Soon after we had dinner.
Eventually, we headed out to Youngıs for ice cream. After messing around on the
tires and with the goats we headed back to camp and called it a day.
6/16/08
The
morning came only to find that Jeff Anderson popped a tire in the night! After
sleeping under the picnic shelter and we once again rose to only have Frosted
Flakes, pop-tarts, and lemonade. Soon we headed off again and rode quickly to
the bike trail only to find that Joel had a flat tire too! We moved on briskly
and staying together as a more formed crew. Ten minutes down the road Joel
popped his back tire! While fixing it Rickıs tire unexpectedly blew too. We
hung out in a cozy, little, rundown, town, with an ice cream store closed
because of no air conditioning. As we headed on we moved towards Xenia, where
we witnessed an illegal street-race between a Camero and a Honda Civic. We also
stopped for lunch. While in town we stopped at a bike store to get tires for
the Andersonıs 23-year-old bike that they had. As we were riding we caroled to
some sweet rock songs that we made un-sweet. We stopped in Yellow Springs for a short break where Sean
and Mike successfully flirted
with some girls while playing hacky-sack. Seanıs girlfriend probably wouldnıt
be too happy about that. Then we moved on toward our campsite and went up
Devilıs Backbone, which was a crooked terrible up-hill mess that we needed to
get up to reach our destination. Shortly after we arrived at John Bryan group
camp. Here we pitched camp and gathered wood for a fire later on that night. We
all rested for a little bit doing what we pleased, and then made dinner of
chili and peanut butter. Rick had to make a trip back to civilization to return
his pager and have a real meal. Meanwhile, back at the camp we waited endless hours
for our noble knight Ricko-lis to return so we too, could have a real meal at
Youngıs Jersey Dairy. Finally he returned and we ventured off towards Youngıs
Dairy, where we picked up ice cream and entertained ourselves by doing stunts
on the local tires and still avoiding the young ones. We filled the water jugs
and returned to camp. We started a nice fire before heading off to bed.
6/17/08
We
woke up this day bright and early. We in record time and went down Devilıs
backbone. On the backbone John crashed his bike on a sharp turn. But after
recovering quickly we moved on. Soon after a first aid kit was acquired and
Rickıs tire died after having quite a few holes in it, exposing the tube. As we
moved on we stopped at K and Gıs bike shop to pick up a few materials. On this
detour through Xenia we rode an extra 11 miles. Joel and Chris saw two deer
cross 20 feet in front of them on the bike trail when riding! Around 11 we left
Xenia and soon stopped at Cedarville for lunch. We picked up Terry and another little
boy who seemed to be fascinated by our Journey to New York. After a few miles
the young boy, Jonathan left. We still biked on, spoonerizing all the way. One
of the few of Terryıs spoonerisms was ³Demented Rick²! As the clan stopped to
regroup, we ran into Big John who was hunting for a geocache. We helped him
find that one and one more before moving on. So we departed on through towns
and such. Mike, John, Sean and Joel found an efficient way to bike by drafting
behind the people in front of you and rotate positions every half a mile. As we finished the trail, we totaled up
our extra mileage and it turned out to be an extra 20 miles! Bringing it to a
total of 53 miles. John and Terry went and fetched the van as we loaded the
bikes. We soon headed off for the hour drive to Autumn Lakes There we set up
camp and we fixed great beef stew.
We also got the owner to open his store for us to get ice cream and
other sugary items. However, we had to write down that Terry turned down ice
cream. We headed back to camp for
a quick meeting and hung out for the evening.
6/18/08
We
woke up at seven and had cereal and pop-tarts before heading out on our one
hour drive. We arrived at the high school and began our 54-mile ride. We rode
on through towns and cities. We had a pretty ³normal² day and nothing too
exciting happened till lunch. We stopped at a little drive through area where
we had the usual meat and cheese sandwiches. After lunch was done we went and
got ice cream there at the drive through. Soon we forged on to go to our camp
we had set up the previous day. Also today Terry went off geocaching with John.
They also went out and restocked on food and such. We met up at the campsite
and made dinner of chicken dumplings and canned peaches. Later guys played basketball
and chilled around camp. Around 10:30 we headed up to the store to go get more
goodies before heading in for the night.
6/19/08
We
left Autumn Lakes and head outward and onward to our next campsite. As we biked
we realized that we had gone an extra two miles, and thus had to go back to
where we were. Lunch was out at a truck station. There was a nice drive-through
there where most guys got ice cream. As we headed on we picked up Terry and
started to hit some huge hills. It took so long to go up all of the hills as
John passed us in his van. Finally we got near our campsite and hit up another
ice cream place. Here their ice cream was approximately a foot tall! After we
finished off our treat we arrived at our campsite where we set up camp and emptied
our systems. Dinner came and a few kind adults fixed dinner for the sleeping
Scouts. We had a filling pasta meal before we lumbered off to gather firewood,
play cards, and take showers. The night went on and we had to make one more
stop for ice cream. So John drove the drove the van to the ice cream place for
one last fill. We came backed, enjoyed a nice fire and soon after headed to
bed.
6/20/08
We
woke up with our cereal and pop-tarts and forged on ahead. We arrived at
Ashland where we lost the trail. We mindlessly wandered and soon found our way.
After hitting some big hills we picked up Terry. A few miles more and we hit
lunch. Here, in the middle of nowhere, we saw our first of many Horse and
Buggies! Also at lunch there was a very playful dog. But soon lunch ended and
to avoid a bumpy road we took a ten-mile detour, decided by our leaders. We saw
more and more Amish people! We passed farms, horses, and fresh food for sale.
After finding a sign for Jeff with his name on it, we stopped and whipped out
our GPS. We followed it back to
camp. At camp we set up for our two-night stay. Later on after more pasta and
chili, a lot of the guys went swimming with the water trampolines where we
launched Gene again and again. We moved on to the water mat where Alaskan
wrestling took place. After that wore out it was on to the diving boards where
there were flips, cannon balls, and flying squirrels! Mitchell did a flying
squirrel and busted open his tongue. Soon we wore down and headed back to camp.
And since no day is complete without ice cream, we headed off to town to get
Dairy Queen. Here Chris found a geocache which scored him $4 worth of ice cream
from John. Some people stayed around at D.Q. to wait for a hot air balloon
launch that would never come, while others went to the laundry mat to wash
clothes. Soon we headed back to camp and fall asleep to the loud obnoxious
campers and their stupid country music blaring.
6/21/08
We
woke up to take shower rotations and make pancakes. John spiked his Mohawk and
Doug took down his tent for his last day. We loaded Dougıs stuff in the trailer
and were off to Cedar Point! We arrived at 9:45, fifteen minutes before the
park opened. We gathered maps and made final bathroom trips. 10:00 total chaos
as every person there ran to the coasters! Throughout the day there we many
rides to be ridden such as The Maverick, Top Thrill Dragster, Millennium Force,
The Mantis, and so many more! But as the clouds moved in it started to rain at
4:00. With lightening in the area all rides were shut down. After a couple of
hours the rides reopened, the skies cleared, and the sun cam out! For the rest
of the day we rode, walked, and ate. The day started to come to a close. A
great day ended with some of us meeting new people and bringing our mullet
count to a stunning 27! We piled into the van and said our farewells to the
park and Doug! As we got back to camp we all fell asleep fast, again listening
to country music.
6/22/08
A
wet dewy morning came as we woke up with our tarts and cereal. We soon packed
our gear up and headed out. As we rode we had to stop at a McDonalds to satisfy
Karlıs coffee crave. But soon we left our beloved pit stop behind and shortly
after, arrived at Cuyahoga Railroad. During the train ride we picked up snacks
and played cards. At one stop they said we would be there for 20 minutes. On
that stop it turns out it was only more of a 20 second stop. Thus we left John,
Terry, Joel, and Sean! They had to wait 20 minutes till the train looped around
and came back to pick them up! Soon we returned to Penisula Station. We
gathered everyone up and headed of to our next campsite. We arrived at our KOA
and checked in. We arrived at a big campsite only to find it raining. We got
the two dining flys up in record time! After we finished that we set up tents,
some under the fly, and others toughed it out and set up in the rain. We ate a
late lunch around three. It then came to the decision that whoever got Dougıs
food had to do his job. Joel and John gladly split the food and the load. After
lunch everyone did various things. Most went down to the game room to plays
games such as racing, hunting, and ping-pong. John amazingly found 20 quarters in one of the coin return
slots! Soon thereafter a small family came down to join us in the game room.
The little boy always asked for quarters and offered every one ³candy² which
everyone thought his mom was on! The evening wore down as dinner came, which
was beef stew. We all forced Edwin to have at least one bowl. Rick even
threatened to load him into the sag-wagon tomorrow! The night went on and we
took showers. As it turns out, if everyone showers at once the water gets
cold!! After that was over, everyone just chilled and went to bed in
preparation for our huge ride tomorrow.
6/23/08
Jeffıs
birthday! We all sang happy birthday to Mr. Anderson and made some tasty
pancakes. We filled our water bottles, switched trailers and were off, hoping
to get back at the country music playing rednecks. We arrived at our previous
campground, but sadly the next-door campers had left. So we mounted up and left and two miles we had to stop to
reconfigure a computer, and fix Mitchellıs bike gears. After a while we headed
on at a good pace. We rode through Medina and such. Soon we hit 40 miles and
stopped for lunch. We had bonus cookies for lunch that added to our sandwiches
and crackers. As we moved on we ran into a cold rain. It hurt when we went fast
and drenched us completely. Thankfully we rode out of it and into the sun. The
sun mostly dried us on our ride. We rode on and hit a huge hill. Our top speed
was set at around 42 mph! In a few more miles we met up with John. He refilled
our tanks and we moved on. However, John and Sean went to go visit Seanıs sick
grandmother. So they added another 30 miles to their already long trek.
Everyone else headed up 303. And when I say up I mean a three-mile up-hill
climb! Soon we arrived back at camp. Laundry was done, and showers were taken.
Finally supper came and we celebrated Mr. Andersonıs birthday with a card,
hamburgers, Mac & cheese, strawberries, and of course, cake! The evening
drew to a close after a long hard day, but with joy for Mr. Andersonıs aging!
6/24/08
We
woke up with a great breakfast of donuts, rolls, and cereal! After a few
showers and a great start to the day we headed off to terrorize Cleveland! We
arrived at Cleveland and went inside the Terminal Tower . Here we looked at
shops, and tried to get up onto the observation deck. Sadly it was closed for
construction and we couldnıt go up, even though the lady tried to pull some
strings for us. We went on touring. We saw all of those guitars around
Cleveland, went into a shopping mall, hit up the Cavs and Indians shops, and
stopped at Teresaıs Pizza. There Mr. Harvey was kind enough to buy us
drinks. He also visited with owner
whom he knew. At 12:30 we met up for lunch at the Hard Rock Café! While here we
ordered a special birthday treat for Mr. Anderson. John also broke a glass, which rose up excitement. After
stopping at the gift shop we went to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Sean,
Joel, and John didnıt realize we needed tickets and started touring before
getting caught by a crazy lady who told them they were lawbreakers! After a
couple of hours a few Scouts went to the science museum, others tried getting
into the Brownıs shop, but it was close for redecorating. After barely clearing
the 6ı10ıı garage gap we headed back for camp. We arrived and made dinner. Some
people took a shower and others just chilled. Sadly enough, Edwinıs newly found
girlfriend, Jesse the crazy lady, left. What a sad sad night for poor Edwin! As
the evening rapped up we headed to bed.
6/25/08
A new day had risen and we boarded our
bikes for todayıs journey. After leaving our nice clean showers and toilets we
were off. Over the hill and more
hills we went, out in the hot burning sun. After only 23 miles we stopped for lunch at a nice picnic
area. Here we back flipped off of swings, and had jumping contests. We picked
up Terry and moved on. As we passed hills, we turned to see a 7ı foot tall
bunny in someoneıs yard! It was one of those Kodak moments! In a few short
miles we arrived at Pine Lake Campground. The showers here charged rent! At
least there was free ping-pong and tetherball, the new favorite sport, to keep
us busy. Dinner came and pasta warmed our bellies. During the nightly troop
meeting it was decided that we each get 50˘ (16 minutes) for our shower. So
Gene went and got $6.00 in quarters for our shower. The night continued with a
fire. Edwin was kind enough to give us song and dance, by the flames. Most
people were tired and fell asleep shortly.
6/26/08
We
woke up to a nice morning and had the regular cereal and pop-tarts and then
went on our way. We biked along State Route 44 for about 10 miles and saw a
military helicopter! We moved on and boarded a bike trail! As good as it was
Chris blew a tire almost immediately. More miles down the road John blacked out!
He crashed on the bike trail, 911 was soon called! He was checked into a
hospital to make sure he was ok. But the hike continued on and after a few more
miles we ate lunch in the hospital John was at. With many flats along the way,
we took a long detour, because the bridge we all were supposed to ride on was
closed for painting. Soon after we arrived at the campsite. John, John, and Terry already got back to the
campsite and dropped off the trailer. Everyone set up camp while they all went
back for the Honda. Meanwhile all of the scouts took amusement into seeing how
far they could ride Rick's unicycle! That lasted until dinner, where upon
everyone ate and was merry! The night went on and John wanted to start the
mileage he didnıt complete that same day while the other scouts had a plan
cooking. Their plan would only be revealed the next day. Later, some took
showers and others relaxed as the day ended.
6/27/08
Breakfast
came and went,. Afterward, everyone sang ³Happy Birthday² to John and gave him
a helmet they had been working on last night! Each Scout and adult signed his helmet
to hold memories. Soon we moved onward and biked. Since it was a shorter day we
all wanted to get finished quick. However, as it turns out our navigator got us
lost again, and we had to stop for lunch. Here we discovered we finished the
underground railroad trail! So John went back to finish his uncompleted mileage
and finish the section. Everyone else headed back on the 13 mile backtracking!
Most of it was up-hill and made it all so much worse. To add to the mess Gene
ran over a nail and popped a tire! But in a couple more hours we all arrived at
the KOA. To our surprise there was a heated swimming pool! According to Sean,
we swam, we ate, we carped, and we showered. Our meal was great! It was
provided by the camp and came with a hotdog, hamburgers, two bags of chips, two
pops, and watermelon! After dinner a group went out to ride out on Presque Isle
State Park. The view was breath taking, but in the end they had to return.
While they were riding the other guys at camp did quite a few things. They
played in the game room, watched Aladdin, played tetherball, and got in
fights! The fight was due to mainly Mitchell. Mitchell had finally found a girl
to play tetherball with him! After she left, Mitchell went to go hang out with
everyone else. Three bigger guys came over and yelled at Mitchell, accusing him
of hitting on their sister. After he made a few verbal flumbers, Sean came in
and saved him before any real problems could occur! Everyone had a different
plan for tomorrowıs schedule. We came to the conclusion that we would wash off
after the trip we all headed to bed.
6/28/08
A
bright 6:00 woke everyone up! We all wished John & Terry a happy 28th
anniversary and moved out. Within three miles we had our first flat of the day,
Chris Tyler. With help from everyone else we moved on. We rode through the
decent city of Erie. In Erie Mitchell got a flat too! We picked up Terry and
left. Up and down hills we went, till Mike hit a flat! We stopped for a while
and people peed and we moved on yet again. After a few more hills Johnıs knees
hurt him so bad he had to drop out! Everyone kept on riding through a beautiful
vineyard countryside. Eventually,
everyone reached the New York border. Everyone wanted John to come out and ride
over, so he did. Just then buckets of rain flew down on us! Most everyone was
soaked! They all got the shower they wanted at the end. We all took a bunch of
pictures at the border and Big John shot down Joel at the border, just like he
promised! He also soaked others with his squirt gun! After we loaded the bikes,
we headed to Pizza Hut. We got
there in time for their all-you-can-eat buffet and stuffed ourselves. We then returned to Johnıs house where
we unloaded the bikes and equipment trailer. All in all it was a great trip.