Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Welcome! Students of Sunset Park Elementary...
A big hello to the students of Sunset Park Elementary, Rock Hill, South Carolina. Miss Cagle has informed us of your interest in Zac's ride across America for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. Miss Cagle also told us that you have read the historical fiction journal, Tales of the Trail, of the boy that left Georgia and followed the Oregon Trail. What a wonderful coincidence that this is so similar to what Zac is doing at the present time. He has left South Carolina and has been travelling through the mountains of North Carolina, and now the hills of Tennessee. Unfortunately, at the present, he is travelling in areas with limited cell phone service and is not easily reached. I have had a chance to tell him that you were on interested in his travels and wanted to hear about his journey and also participate. How very, very exciting! I hope you all know what a wonderful boost this was for Zac to hear about it briefly. He is going to need a great deal of encouragement for many days to find his way to the Oregon coast. You all can give it to him. We hope you all know how much this will mean to him and for what a great cause! We will be in touch so that you know where Zac is cycling and what he gets to see and do. Thank you again for your great wonderful interest.! We know that Zac will write and be in touch as soon as he can! Very sincerely, Zac's Parents
Day 6 Departure from hometown of Aiken, SC
Time to leave Aiken on the long Journey. Everyone met at Pat's Restaurant to have a hearty Southern breakfast, express their well wishes, say a few prayers for safety and success, and give Zac one more gentle reminder to always call his Mother.....
And.................. Royal Robbins is still telling the same story..
And Zac sent off for Day 6 to Calhoun Falls , SC. - a distance of 84.52 miles. He was so fortunate to be welcomed into the home of Pastor Aaron Meadows and his Wife, Christy and their family. They were so very kind to include Zac in their wonderful family dinner. *this is posted by Zac's Mother and will really be edited by Zac when he gets a chance!
Day 5 Interviews for TV and newspapers
Zac was to leave from Aiken today but had to do some local PR work with some wonderful TV stations and our Aiken Standard... And one more day to be well fed and sleep under his downy comforter.....
* posted by his Mother and subject for editing when Zac finds a computer......
* posted by his Mother and subject for editing when Zac finds a computer......
Day 3 & 4, Rest Days, Aiken, SC
Two days of visiting with friends, packing up all his belongings, and repacking his bicycle. Had to lighten the weight of his backpacks, eat, and rest. His Mother was anxious about the upcoming trip,trying to remain calm and trying to slip hidden food items in Zac's backpacks, (unsuccessfully!)... His Father was trying to keep his Mother calm..
*posted by his Mother and suject to be edited as soon as Zac gets to computer....
*posted by his Mother and suject to be edited as soon as Zac gets to computer....
Monday, May 12, 2008
Day Two Completed - Back in Aiken, SC
Back in Aiken, the end of Day 2
May 2nd
Arriving Back in time for the Lobster Races
Television Interview for Evening News
WAGT Interview, Augusta, GA
Two days of rest in Aiken. This included a good deal of PR work with local newspapers and two TV stations, coordinated by a good friend, Kim Sinclair...... PS. She used to babysit Zac and now is proud to send him on this memorable bike ride. Thank you, Kim for all you have done to get the word out!
Above pictures and text added by Zac's Mom , to be edited by Zac at a later date!!!
Leaving Hunting Island State Park, SC, - Day One
The Adventure Begins!
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Organized, Packed and Ready to Dip our Wheels in the Atlantic...
Hunting Island Beach Access
Zac Begins the Attack
The Wheels have been Dipped and Ready to Roll!
The above pictures posted and titled by Mom...
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Day 1 and Day 2 Recap
Day 1:
My mom dropped me off at Hunting Island, SC which is located 15 or 16 miles from Beaufort, SC. I planned to ride approx 70 miles to a campsite located about 10 miles from Hampton and about 15 miles from Olar. The ride started out ok. I left Hunting Island at 10:30 am. I had to drink a bunch of coffee bc I couldn't sleep the night before. I was way too excited so I went to bed at 2 am and woke up at 6. This was my first setback. Anyways, I got on the road and stopped in Beaufort for lunch. I bought lunch at MO's Burritos bc I did not have time to make lunch. I love their burritos! I can't afford to buy lunch like this everyday. It costs to0 much for too little food. The cost of eating out over time is more expensive than getting simple lunch ingredients from the store. I want to spend the least amount of money I can on this trip so I cannot splurge all the time. Hopefully I will work out sponsorships with chain restaurants who will give me a free meal in each town I stop.
Highway 21 out of Beaufort had no shoulder and it was a little scary. What negated this danger was the niceness of the Low Country folk in SC. They gave me sooo much room in passing and I really appreciated it. Everyone is so nice in SC; it's truly amazing. I guess I took it for granted when I lived here and now I really am grateful for how generally cheerful SC folk are.
I found Sheldon Church on my way out of Beaufort. This church was built by the son of an English colonial immigrant. It was burned by the British and later by Sherman. I'll post pics of it soon. Its a creepy shell of what stood there but it is juxtaposed by the beauty of the Low Country Spanish moss-covered oaks. Graves are placed sporatically around the grounds. There are people from the mid-1700's to 1974 burried there. It's got a lot of history. Check it out when I post pics.
After my church break, I kept on riding the rest of 40 miles to my campsite on the other side of Hampton. I love the Low Country. It is soo flat and everyone is sooo nice. The roads were great on my second half of the day's ride. At approx. 6 pm, I set up my tent in an RV park, made dinner, and tried to get my fatigued heart to quit beating so hard as the night went on. I was really nervous about that, but I attribute it to my lack of sleep from the night before. I wanted to write in my journal but I forgot a pen. Darn. I didnt really have the energy to write anyways. Day 1 over. 70 miles conquered. Booyow.
Day 2:
I planned to ride from the RV park to my home town of Aiken, SC. This distance was 76.3 mi. This was the first full day I have had of bike touring on this trip. What I mean is it is the first day where I woke up in a tent, made breakfast, and rolled out from there. I had a late start which stinks bc I take so long to get ready anyways. It was all good. I packed up my tent and cut my hand on a stubborn tent peg. That sucked for a second but then the blood made me feel hardcore. It was 9 am and I had already bled for the cause. Hardcoredness ensued. I got rolling and man, I felt like poo. I was still tired from the not getting proper rest before Day 1. The flatness of the Low Country was much appreciated as I got going. In this area it was more like sand and pine trees then the sand and oak tree's from the night before. There was no one on the road so I put in the Ipod and jammed out to some Pantera to get me pumped. The corny thing is it actually worked. Metal for all. So as the power chords gave my calves power, I made my way to Barnwell, SC. On my lunch break, people kept asking me what I was doing. I told them without asking them for money. They reached for their wallets as soon as I finished 3 sentences about my cause. On an hour and a half long lunch break I was given $40 by random people. One of them was a guy I used to go to parties with in high school. He's changed his life around and become a Christian. I hadn't seen this guy in 6 years. His story was amazing and I was really glad to see him start a new life and a new family with a new job. We talked for a bit about life and what not and as he left he gave me a huge cash donation. I cannot appreciate more the generosity of the people from the Cackalack aka SC.
I reached my house in time to make the Lobster Races in Aiken, a 24 year ol' festival in which adults drink beer, bands rock out, kids play, and everyone has a good time. I was soo gald to attend this event as did when I was younger. It was a great opportunity to see all my old friends, make new ones, and promote my cause. I did a news spot which was cool and then I got to go on stage a race a lobster. My lobster won! I am not a champion of crustacean racin'! My dreams came true in that I was finally a Lobster Race champion. I was so proud, I gave my lobster a smooch. That picture is in the Augusta Chronicle. Ill post all my pics soon. I have to get the correct camera chord.
These are my experiences thus far. We have raised almost $6000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I have met some of the nicest people in the Union, whether they have wanted to be in it throughout history of not. I love SC, the people there, and how safe I feel on its roads. Please check out my fundraising site and tell your friends about the cause.
Love,
Zac
My mom dropped me off at Hunting Island, SC which is located 15 or 16 miles from Beaufort, SC. I planned to ride approx 70 miles to a campsite located about 10 miles from Hampton and about 15 miles from Olar. The ride started out ok. I left Hunting Island at 10:30 am. I had to drink a bunch of coffee bc I couldn't sleep the night before. I was way too excited so I went to bed at 2 am and woke up at 6. This was my first setback. Anyways, I got on the road and stopped in Beaufort for lunch. I bought lunch at MO's Burritos bc I did not have time to make lunch. I love their burritos! I can't afford to buy lunch like this everyday. It costs to0 much for too little food. The cost of eating out over time is more expensive than getting simple lunch ingredients from the store. I want to spend the least amount of money I can on this trip so I cannot splurge all the time. Hopefully I will work out sponsorships with chain restaurants who will give me a free meal in each town I stop.
Highway 21 out of Beaufort had no shoulder and it was a little scary. What negated this danger was the niceness of the Low Country folk in SC. They gave me sooo much room in passing and I really appreciated it. Everyone is so nice in SC; it's truly amazing. I guess I took it for granted when I lived here and now I really am grateful for how generally cheerful SC folk are.
I found Sheldon Church on my way out of Beaufort. This church was built by the son of an English colonial immigrant. It was burned by the British and later by Sherman. I'll post pics of it soon. Its a creepy shell of what stood there but it is juxtaposed by the beauty of the Low Country Spanish moss-covered oaks. Graves are placed sporatically around the grounds. There are people from the mid-1700's to 1974 burried there. It's got a lot of history. Check it out when I post pics.
After my church break, I kept on riding the rest of 40 miles to my campsite on the other side of Hampton. I love the Low Country. It is soo flat and everyone is sooo nice. The roads were great on my second half of the day's ride. At approx. 6 pm, I set up my tent in an RV park, made dinner, and tried to get my fatigued heart to quit beating so hard as the night went on. I was really nervous about that, but I attribute it to my lack of sleep from the night before. I wanted to write in my journal but I forgot a pen. Darn. I didnt really have the energy to write anyways. Day 1 over. 70 miles conquered. Booyow.
Day 2:
I planned to ride from the RV park to my home town of Aiken, SC. This distance was 76.3 mi. This was the first full day I have had of bike touring on this trip. What I mean is it is the first day where I woke up in a tent, made breakfast, and rolled out from there. I had a late start which stinks bc I take so long to get ready anyways. It was all good. I packed up my tent and cut my hand on a stubborn tent peg. That sucked for a second but then the blood made me feel hardcore. It was 9 am and I had already bled for the cause. Hardcoredness ensued. I got rolling and man, I felt like poo. I was still tired from the not getting proper rest before Day 1. The flatness of the Low Country was much appreciated as I got going. In this area it was more like sand and pine trees then the sand and oak tree's from the night before. There was no one on the road so I put in the Ipod and jammed out to some Pantera to get me pumped. The corny thing is it actually worked. Metal for all. So as the power chords gave my calves power, I made my way to Barnwell, SC. On my lunch break, people kept asking me what I was doing. I told them without asking them for money. They reached for their wallets as soon as I finished 3 sentences about my cause. On an hour and a half long lunch break I was given $40 by random people. One of them was a guy I used to go to parties with in high school. He's changed his life around and become a Christian. I hadn't seen this guy in 6 years. His story was amazing and I was really glad to see him start a new life and a new family with a new job. We talked for a bit about life and what not and as he left he gave me a huge cash donation. I cannot appreciate more the generosity of the people from the Cackalack aka SC.
I reached my house in time to make the Lobster Races in Aiken, a 24 year ol' festival in which adults drink beer, bands rock out, kids play, and everyone has a good time. I was soo gald to attend this event as did when I was younger. It was a great opportunity to see all my old friends, make new ones, and promote my cause. I did a news spot which was cool and then I got to go on stage a race a lobster. My lobster won! I am not a champion of crustacean racin'! My dreams came true in that I was finally a Lobster Race champion. I was so proud, I gave my lobster a smooch. That picture is in the Augusta Chronicle. Ill post all my pics soon. I have to get the correct camera chord.
These are my experiences thus far. We have raised almost $6000 for the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. I have met some of the nicest people in the Union, whether they have wanted to be in it throughout history of not. I love SC, the people there, and how safe I feel on its roads. Please check out my fundraising site and tell your friends about the cause.
Love,
Zac
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