What were you doing on June 15, 2005?  Odd question, I know, but I remember exactly what I was doing.  My dad and I went on a 100 mile bike ride that day from Monona, IA to Winona, MN.  It was the final leg of a 33 day, 3,160 mile bike trip from International Falls, MN down to Baton Rouge, LA and back up to Winona.  It was a trip that pushed our bodies and minds to the limit.  According to my dad, it was "a once in a lifetime opportunity."  For all of you that know my dad, you would immediately say, "Yeah right, Phil."  Being a naive 21 year old, I actually believed him at the time.  We were getting interviewed by the Winona Daily News when the reporter asked if I would ever do anything like this ever again.  I said it was a possibility, but not anytime soon.  But here we are less than four years later and here we go again.  This time we will be embarking on a venture from L.A. to Boston.  This is the same route my dad took with a fully supported group in 2007, and he says the roads are great.  However, anything will be an upgrade from what we had to deal with in the southern states in 2005.  So starting on April 21, we will be leaving from L.A. and heading east.  I will be updating this blog as much as possible during the entire trip to let you know what is going on.  This way you can follow not only the geographical area covered, but also join us in our psychological journey of increasing dementia, which judging from our first trip is completely inevitable.  You'll laugh, we'll do the crying, and hopefully in 32 short days, we will see the Atlantic unharmed (or harmed, my dad says if Lance Armstrong can bike with a busted collar bone, so can he...Yeah right, Phil).  Your prayers and support will be greatly appreciated.  I’ll see you all in L.A…

Blake