The Journey's End

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The Journey’s End

By: Ted Kanemitsu

It was my intention to submit to the “Molokai Dispatch” the results of our Trans America bicycle journey a lot sooner. But the truth is I did not know where to begin. What an adventure it was…………. For those of you who followed our journey via: http://bikerted-theadventuresofted.blogspot.com/ , you were kept up to date when ever possible of our progress. Being connected with those of you back home, and knowing you were with us in spirit, kept us going, through the many days of hard riding. They included weeks of temperatures well over a hundred degrees, rain, thunder storms, brutal head winds, mountains and hills the size of……………., well, mountains. We also came close to encountering a tornado, and a rare occurrence in Illinois known as an inland hurricane. There were hail, freezing temperatures, and near catastrophes on winding mountain roads miles from populated towns. We encountered a bear who did not seem very happy, and was later told that judging by its appearance from pictures I took, was about ready to charge. Instinct told me to get the heck out of there, so I did.

     All in all, our journey took us through ten states traveling from east to west. It took us over five major mountain ranges, through four time zones, and into the American heart land. We crossed the Great Divide eleven times as we meandered our way through Colorado, Wyoming, and Montana, as well as the 45^th Parallel five times. We saw the beginnings of The Snake River, and rode for three days through Hell’s Canyon, the deepest canyon in North America. We rode The Oregon Trail, and followed in the foot steps of Louis and Clark. We trod the battle fields of The Civil War, and saw first hand the handy work of some of nature’s greatest wonders. We experienced the life style of some of the poorest people in our country as we made our way through Eastern Kentucky. The Grand Tetons, a sight to behold. And the beauty of nature as we passed through the many National Parks and Forests set aside for our future generations. We saw eagles, elk, moose, deer, antelope, foxes, wolves, bears,  and even a badger, not to mention many other species, some too quick for my camera. We crossed the mighty Mississippi, stayed at the same place where Abraham Lincoln was born. We rode with other cyclists from all walks of life and from various parts of the world. Our goal was always the same, to see and appreciate the country as one can only do on a bike. We made new friends along the way, and met some of the nicest folks imaginable. The American heart land is a far cry from the big city mayhem that gives our country such a bad name.

     The journey has taught us several things about life. It tought us perseverance, to keep on going no matter how hard the going seemed to be. It taught us patience, to enjoy the experience as it unfolds. It taught us to appreciate what we have, and how fortunate our lives have been, we thank The Lord for all of His Blessings. There are worse things out there, and we could have easily been a part of it, life is a reality show with no commercials. But most of all, it taught us to trust entirely in The Lord, with out Him, there would be no peace, there would be no nature, and no safe place to be. He is in control, and is able to deliver no matter what the circumstances appear to be.

     To try and summarize all the high points of our journey would require writing a book. One with thousands of pictures and narratives describing the details of how each event took place. The three months it took us, are memories that will stay with us for the rest of our lives. It would be a testimony to how wonderful and merciful our Lord truely is. It would be a lesson in life, and how two people embarked on fulfilling a dream.

     Maybe you have been thinking of living a dream of your own one day. All I can say is: Do it! You’ll never regret having done so. If you would like to find out more, Lisa and I would be more than happy to share our stories and pictures with you.

In closing, I would like to thank you again Molokai for the overwhelming support you have shown, as well as to my family and friends far nad near. My mom who diligently followed our adventure by way of this blog, to Maricel who gave up so much of her time and energy helping us acheave our dreams, Phillip at Molokai Bicycles for giving use huge siscounts on bike related purchases, and many more.  The list is too long to meantion here.  The community as a whole donated over $2000.00.  And not one penny solicited.  You gave from your hearts, wanting to be a part of this great adventure.  It is for that reason we made the extra effort in compiling in detail what we experianced along the way.
     It has been our pleasure in sharing with you all. Aloha, Ted and Lisa.

In The Woods

A visit to the Kalaupapa over look is always a great thing. Especially on a nice day. But for those of you who are willing to step away from the car and venture into the inner realms of nature. You will find that there are places all around us that are truly special indeed. My hiking buddy Pokahu and I often venture out into these quiet and desolate places to appreciate the wonders of nature, and to get closer to God.

Thanks for watching, bikerted.