Chuck:
Scrap the well laid plans. We like all the RVs in the Wal-Mart parking lot cannot tear ourselves away. Not really, life’s little chores sometimes get in the way of fun and progress. Today, Betty & I returned the extra spare tire mounted on an extra wheel, for a half-price refund. Next we picked up the hybrid bike we had left in a bike shop for minor repairs. We stopped by Rivers’ Edge RV Park to make reservations for our return in mid-July. Also, we checked to see if they might have found a bike bar bag that has gone AWOL. While in that area, we checked on the possibility of a sternwheeler paddleboat cruise, when we return to Fairbanks with Suz and Christie. I got a haircut. We did some searching for a birthday present for our daughter Suz, whose B’Day is between now and when they meet us in Anchorage. And, there was the waiting for a lady who really wanted to buy one of our extra bikes for her 16 year old daughter. A test ride revealed that my bike did not fit her 6 ft 3in little girl. With Bren, we watched Chicago come from behind to win the Stanley Cup and got rid of all that old Alaskan beer. Anyway, tomorrow we will get serious.
When we started this saga from Key West to Alaska about five years ago we wanted to raise funds for the American Cancer Society because so many in our families and friends have been victims. Recently, Tori Austin Kenney, a lady from the town Betty lived in as a child (Harmony, Minnesota) sent me a pair of “Pink for the Cure” mohair socks. This gesture immediately “clicked” with us; I have worn the pink socks on the Dalton Highway and plan to continue wearing them on the connector miles and the 1500 mile Alaska Highway. Already, they help; as I pump up steep hills and glance down at the odometer to see my miserably low speed, I see pink socks. Whamo, in a micro-second, thoughts flash: I don’t do pink, oh yes, pump harder for the cure, maybe someone will live with a little less pain, keep pumping, maybe someone will live a few days or months longer, maybe a cure will be found. You can have a pair of these very comfortable socks, check our home page for a link to Austin’s Mohair Socks.
Please select an amount to pledge to the American Cancer Society, at just a penny a mile there are three options:
Key West to the Arctic Circle (this is the whole trip) 6597 miles = $65.97
Montana/Canada border to Arctic Circle 2013 2660 miles = $26.60
Or the historic Alaska Highway (aka ALCAN) 1390 miles = $13.90
Consider pledging more than a penny a mile. Those extra pennies every mile are incentive to push harder. Thanks!
Betty: On the first phases of the trip (Key West to the Montana/Canada border) we raised nearly $10,000 dollars. We would like to keep the momentum going. We’ve offered some options and hope all our friends and family will pick one. If you let me know what you are pledging, I will keep a running total. At the end of the trip you can send the money in to the American Cancer Society – or you can give it to me and I will send it in. I will not put names with the amounts, but would really like to keep track of the amounts. Some of you will see this message again as I am going to place it on facebook and will also send some by email. Let me know your pledge via email. Many Thanks to you all.