After some late night heroics performed by my new friend Nick in Shepardstown WV, I had a new crank..kind of, and a ‘new’ chain. He looted a chain from an old 1958 Schwinn Racer to complete the job.

My first few pedal strokes were done gingerly, I didn’t want to stress out the 50 year old chain, didn’t know if it would hold up. But after a few miles it felt strong, and I was on my way to Washington DC!

It felt so good to be pedaling with two legs again, what a difference it makes. As the miles ticked down on the C&O trail I got more and more excited. I couldn’t believe my journey was coming to an end.

I’ve seen and experienced so much, the initial rush of taking off in Oceanside, struggling over the first set of mountains, suffering through the 110 degree heat of Arizona, meeting TONS of amazing people, eating countless cans of beans, sleeping on picnic tables, enjoying every bit of nature along the way and slowly pedaling….all the way across the USA. Wow!

I’m inspired by those I met along the way and so lucky to have found them all, Americans are pretty darn cool!

Riding into DC was a dream, pedaling past the Lincoln Memorial down to the Washington Monument. When I got there I stopped for a moment to savor the moment, and then I called mom to let her know that I had gotten there safely…as I did every night of this adventure.

My buddy Jaime then came cruising by on his spiffy folding bike and we shared a bottle of champagne on the lawn. It felt so good to relax.

For dinner by good friend Doug took me out to an Ethiopian feast, Wow, my taste buds weren’t ready for those exotic flavors, I’m too used to peanut butter and beans.

Thanks to all of you who supported me along the way, I never felt alone on this journey, big hugs to all you!. And a huge thanks to those who donated to Community Cycles, if you’ve been waiting until the end to donate, you can still do it, it’s easy, fast and will make your heart grow two sizes!

I’d also like to thank New Belgium Brewery for helping to make this dream come true. Bike more, Drive less!!

And here’s all the fun from my final push into DC. Cheers!