2024 'Seal The Border' Bicycle Tour

Things have changed since my generation. No one walked us to school. It was a safer time back then, but this is nice. The children will always remember that they were the top of the love chain.

When I first saw these Waymo cars all around San Francisco, I assumed that these were the latest Google cars. There are cameras all around the vehicle. But I was wrong. I'm told these were driverless cars that provide a service similar to Uber. I might wait awhile to do that. one.

It was a 5 1/2 hour flight from Washington DC to San Francisco, cheaper than if I had flown directly home to Iowa which is less than half way. ? My car had been sitting in California for a few months and the plan was to drive home after seeing relatives. 1st stop was going to be San Luis Obispo at my daughter's home.

I've finished what I had set out to do. I had pedaled my bike from the State of Washington to Washington DC to bring attention to "Sealing the Border" and getting folks to vote. I spoke to hundreds and hundreds along the way and 99 per cent were for TRUMP in the upcoming election. I don't know what more I could do for my country but it was a relief to complete this endurance adventure. I was disappointed at the White House. Construction everywhere. It was j***y. Oh, well. I'm headed back to my own bed eventually.

I couldn't leave DC without saying hello again to some old buddies. The Vietnam War Memorial. 60 years ago. We were just kids. They didn't get to experience marriage, children, grandchildren, and all that goes with life in the USA. Why was I so lucky?

The terminus of my bike tour was in Washington DC. I was very tired from having little sleep the night before. It was cold in the tent and the aches and pains of the accident 3 months ago in Sacramento continue to be annoying. ...The White House is now ringed with fencing so far from the building that one can't get a photo of the President's office and residence.

In Harpers Ferry I had met three women from Alaska who had rented one of the lockhouses on the C&O Trail and they offered for me to join them to camp at lock 125. They were meeting a sister and friend who were local and bringing them all the supplies they would need. It was amazing how much stuff they brought. We really had fun together on the last night of the bike tour. (The lockhouses are rustic. No electricity or running water but their was a porta john outside. They complained the next morning that the beds were really hard. I said that next time they should bring mattresses, too.)

White's Ferry was an old crossing, famous for troops making their way over the Potomac River. It's not operating right now because of a dispute between West Virginia, Maryland and the owers of the land on both sides of the river. Yt a nice rest stop to get a Coke and junk food talk to other cyclists.

I ran into a group of women who had just returned from a horseback ride on the trail. The horse is a Leopard Appalossa. Linda and her friends lived not far away.

It was back to the trail with just a few days left. The C&O Canal trail was busier as we neared the Washington DC area with lots of walkers and local riders.

Ed walked with me down to the railroad trestle which was my access back onto the C&O Trail. I needed him because the bike and gear had to be taken down a stairway from the trestle. They say they are going to fix that in November.

My host Ed who hiked up to the top shot these photos of Harpers Ferry the day that I left and sent them to me.