Depart San Diego, California
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Depart San Diego, California
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Our wild and wooly Kentucky Hill Bill has started his coast to coast adventure, placing his future in the hands of the inveterate Joe and his driving and navigational skills. Here are the two riders, hoisting their bicycles over their heads to celebrate their arrival at the Great Lakes... or so we thought until we were straightened out by a South California surfer who called us Dude. So here are our two travelers hoisting their bikes at a Pacific Ocean wheel-wetting ceremony.
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Bill is joined by his 15 year old daughter, Mandi and California-raised and Kentucky-bred wife, Trisha. Joe is in front of his wife Janette and son Jim. The two ladies are performing as support drivers and media capture specialists during the ride. Our photo at left was taken at the Huntington Beach Dairy Queen where one t-shirt and a poster were traded for a parking spot. |
 Here Bill, Mandi (with
one i), and Jim top the crest of one of many hills. Joe is shown
eagerly anticipating the next downhill as he granny gears up the hill while
bringing up the rear. "Hey, 6 mph up a hill and 42 mph down still
averages out to 24 mph by my reckoning." Joe's bug screen seems to be
working well but on several occasions was mistaken for Eric Estrada of Chips
fame and received numerous honks, beeps, and fingers (thumbs up) from
passersby. |
 With the love that only
a father can show, Joe selected a state of the art bicycle of supreme
capability. After pedaling for 5 miles at 2,000 rpm and a forward
speed of 3 mph, Jim could only say good things about his dad. After
spending an hour of fine tuning his bicycle, the gratitude displayed by Jim
touched the hearts of all. |
This is the last picture taken of Joe just before he did his Artie Johnson tricycle tip-over imitation. This occurred from a standing stop at a traffic light. One second he is upright, the next he is sprawled across the road. We were as impressed with his stability and balance almost as much as we are with his ability to make U-turns. |
 Here Jim
and expectant wife, Emily look out to sea at Huntington Beach at the
conclusion of today's ride.
Jim ponders the ocean, wondering, wondering, just wondering where his Dad and Bill could have disappeared to. |
 Harpoon
Harry, an infamous amputee of piratical times, came out of his Pacific coast
lodging to welcome our heroes to California.
Both Joe and Bill were very impressed with the Ohio Willow Wood willow wood pegleg, fabricated by Raymond while he was just a child in the early 1900's. Harry was just as impressed with Joe and Bill's Pathfinders and was heard to exclaim, "Well shiver me timbers... if Joe doesn't take his hand out of me beer and Bill's finger out of me nose, they are going to be wearing those Pathfinders as neckties. Arrrgh there maties" As we complete out first day on the road, we have but one unanswered question... Where in the world is Jim DeLong????
Tomorrow, we depart from the HealthSouth Tustin Rehabilitation Hospital for our official sendoff. |
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