Mood:  a-ok

Eighty seven days after leaving Everett, my journey is about to reach it's conclusion. 

A good night's sleep is what we all wish for, but it was not forthcoming last night.  Awaking at 3AM, I just couldn't get back to sleep.  At 5 AM, I got up.  It was still unclear as to the exact distance to Raleigh, but my guess was somewhere between 45-50 miles, although it could be 60.  An early start would get me to our meeting point in Raleigh regardless of the distance.  Today was not going to be quite as hot--maybe 90 degrees--but I still slathered on the 50 sun block.   The motel had a reasonably nice breakfast.  I was on the road at 6:50 AM. 

The terrain was changing.   The hills were still there but more gradual slopes, so a higher speed was possible going uphill.  It was 2-3 hours before I even needed to go into my low range chain ring.  This means, simply, that I was going a little faster than yesterday, and it was less tiring.  This is always nice but today it was doubly important.  In light of the fact that the exact mileage to the Raleigh fairground is uncertain, if I was to meet my brother, on his bike, on the outskirts of Raleigh by 2 PM, then I had to make sure I could get there on time.

When I reached Pittsboro, I had a decision to make.  The road was terrific with lots of room on the right shoulder.  I could stick on the road, bypass Pittsboro, and arrive safely on the other side of town, nine miles later, safe and sound.  Or I could exit the highway, ride straight through town, and arrive on the other side five miles later.  The difference, besides the mileage, is that the ride through town was much riskier:  narrow, with no shoulder, and, since I was riding east into the rising sun, I could not use my mirrors because of the glare, thus I would be virtually blind as to what was approaching from behind.  This was not an issue on Hwy 64 because the shoulder was so wide.  Going directly through town with no shoulder to ride on would incur more risk.  Yet the distance would be reduced from 9 miles to 5 miles.  I opted for the shorter but riskier route.  It ended up not mattering because the trees along the road blocked the sun, so I could see as well as hear traffic approaching.  

While I'm in town, let's eat.  I'm hungry.  Ahh, there is a cafe.  The second breakfast of the morning.

The road rolled with the hills but I was making pretty good time.  I had mentioned once before about how courteous car and truck drivers were to me, giving me lots of clearance.  In my opinion, the ones at risk were some of those cars as they tried to pass me and duck in before oncoming traffic.   Today a new problem occured, none of it potentially dangerous to me.  The road I was on, Highway 64, was a four lane highway with a grass meridian between the eastbound and westbound traffic.  Many times, while I am pedalling safely on the road's  shoulder, a car in the right lane moved over into the left lane in order to give me even more clearance.  However, twice, the drivers forgot to check to see if a car was on their left.  Two times a car was run off onto the left shoulder that way.   And people are worried about me?

The next major town is Cary, which is just west of Raleigh, but first I cross over a rather large, pretty lake.  It is calm, and a few fishermen are out in their bass boats.  We exchange waves.  The cool air feels good.

Holy cow!  There is the Cary city limits sign!  One thing for sure is that I won't be late to meet my brother.  Jim and I had discussed a route through Cary, and we would meet at the Raleigh Fairgrounds.  After almost 4,000 miles on the road, I was not fearful of riding in traffic, but I am not stupid either.  The traffic in Cary seemed a bit too speedy and careless for my comfort, so I moved up onto the sidewalk for a while.  It was a little after 11 AM, and I was getting hungry again, so I was hopeful for a restaurant to pop up soon.  Ahh, I turned right and there is a bicycle lane on the right.  I have seen few of those since leaving home.  Now I won't have to be as concerned about the traffic.  Darn, a mile later the bike lane ended.  What is that up ahead on the left?  It looks like a pavillion.  Yes, it is.  I'm at the Fairgrounds!  It is 11:30 AM.  I only have to wait for my brother to get here also.  At least I wasn't late.

Off to the side, and across the railroad tracks, is a convenience store.  I purchased a large Gatorade, sat in the shade under a tree, and tried to reach my brother's cell phone, not wanting to rush him at all, but just to let him know that I was here.  No answer.  So the next calls, in order of importance, was to Karen, then my mother.  I called several others, but the only one I can remember is my church back home, but the pastor was out.  Maybe I had better have a hot dog and some sweet rolls.  Better get some water, too, as I was still parched, and my supply was low.

I decided to re-cross the railroad tracks and find a shady place to rest at the Fairgrounds entrance.  Man, traffic was crazily busy.  So busy, in fact, that I dismounted and walked the bike across the street.   Jim calls.  He'd left his cell phone at home, and just retrieved my message.  Jim bicycles, but I was concerned about him riding in this traffic, so I suggested that we meet a little closer to his house.  Perhaps the traffic would not be so bad there.  He agreed, and we planned to meet at Meredith College, a large private women's college, a couple of miles closer to Jim's house. 

Waiting for traffic to clear, I eased out into left turn lane.  When the light changed, instead of making the turn, I went wide and stopped by the Raleigh City Limits sign.  I'd hoped to have my picture taken there beside it, but now, since I was the photographer, I took one of the bike leaning against it.

Meredith College was not far down the road, but the traffic was much more reasonable there.  I pulled inside the entrance, leaned my bike against a brick pillar that would be visible to Jim, and walked over to a tree that provided cool shade while waiting.   Finally, getting sleepy, I started to nod off, curled up on the grass, when a voice called out "Hey. Will!"  It was my brother, Jim.

The ride to his house was a little tour of Raleigh.  We drove past two more colleges, including North Carolina State University.  We passed the brand new YMCA (at which I would attend a spinning class early Friday morning), rode by the state capital and Governor's mansion.   Soon we were in familiar territory.  The Crispy Creme store was my first clue, since I knew it was near Jim's house.  A block from Jim's house, a contingent of people including his wife, Barbara, son, Cory, and exchange student, Jo Jo, were there to take photos for the record.  A neighbor kindly took the responsibility of being the photographer.

One block later, and 53 miles after I left this morning, we were at his house.  Over 4,000 miles after leaving Everett, Washington, I had finally reached the end of my journey.  I'd had no further falls or spills after having those three in a four day period.  No dogs were able to get ahold of me.  Except for the falls, I sustained no injuries, and few aches or pains.   I'd ridden several snowy days where the temperature hadn't gotten above freezing.  And several weeks where the high temperatures rarely dropped below 95.  The thought of all of the people and places that I had met and visited was too large of a collage for me to even ponder.  We have such a great country, filled with such great people!  I have, humbly, seen such wonders and learned from wonderful people.

There was also, importantly, an inner journey in addition to the outer one.  God has been actively at work in my life during this trip, and I have grown closer to Him.  I hope that I can do a better job of finding the path that He has set out for me.  He still has much work to do.

Tonight is a celebratory dinner with my cousin's family.  Likewise on Friday.  On Saturday, my brother invited a number of his friends over for a party. 

Most importantly, however, is that Karen is flying out on Monday.   It has been almost three months since we have seen each other.  I can't wait!

It is hard to feel that a trip, such as this one, can just end.  Day after day of pedalling.  Can you turn off the switch and go back to life as it was?  But, of course, there is no other choice.  

My deepest thanks to those that have expressed their pleasure from reading about my life on the road.  I think that my cousin, Kendall Hodgson, who is a farmer in Little River, Kansas, had a most insightful comment.  He said "I think of your ride as a metaphor for Life, in that with the proper planning, and some persistence, taken one step at a time, our struggles will eventually get us where we want to go."  Amen to that.

Will McMahan