Monday, July 7, 2008

The final days...

Wow! The past week or so has really flown by- we've been in Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and now the wonderful state of North Carolina! We just had time to put some photos up the other day so here's a summary of the past little while. Matthew got an awful flat tire as you can see in the photo... we patched it three times and the patch didn't hold, so we decided to just camp out for the night since it was starting to get late. Luckily, we were right next to a cattle farmer's house named Richard who let us camp in his yard and brought us out some tasty bologna sandwiches and chips. In the morning he brought us to the next town in his truck so we could go to a bike store to get a new tube (we had used up our last one after Matthew's tire popped during his wreck). So we got a new tube and I got a new front tire because there was a marble sized bulge coming out of my old one from the nail I ran over back in Idaho, and I didn't want my tire to explode as I was flying down a hill. However, the duct tape and dora the explorer band-aid had held my tire together for quite a while. Anyways, we put in a lot of miles and rode through some really beautiful parts of Kentucky and didn't run into any crazy bike hating rednecks, for which we are grateful. Then we rode into Johnson City Tennessee just in time for Independence Day which also happens to be my Mom's birthday, and met up with my Mom, Dad, Sister, Aunt, Uncle, and Grandma (the last three all live in Johnson City). We got some good food, saw some nice fireworks, and listened to a little live bluegrass music. Coming back into the south has kind of been like entering a foreign country, but it's been pleasant. So my dad is riding with us for the last leg of our journey, and started with us Saturday. We had a very pleasant ride over the mountains, it wasn't hot and we got rained on quite a bit which was refreshing because it wasn't too cool either. Riding down the mountains was amazing, possibly the most enjoyable ride that we've experienced on our trip- it was eleven miles of winding road going down through the lush green landscape. Only one car passed me going down the whole time, so it was very peaceful. We made it into Morganton that night and camped out in a park near the church and then went to church on Sunday. The Wheeler family let us come over to the their home after church and enjoy a large delicious meal, and then brought us by some breakfast this morning because we camped out next to the church last night. My dad is keeping up with us pretty well, and Matthew and I haven't had to do CPR on him yet, so it's great! My legs have felt better than they have the whole trip, they finally feel like they can do whatever I want them to, and I no longer groan when I see hills up ahead. Matthew and I both are planning on making cycling a part of the rest of our lives. It beats walking and paying lots of money for gas too! Well, it looks like we're going to finish on the afternoon of the 10th, but we'll see. Our seminary teacher, Steve Topp, is going to ride the last day with us as well, and we are looking forward to that. We'll try to get one more post on here before we finish. Thank you to everyone who has been following our dream- it wouldn't be nearly as enjoyable without you!

8 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hey guys!
I had so much fun seeing you this last weekend. I can’t believe how quickly this has all gone by! It was fun seeing a little bit of what you get to do everyday and how nice everyone is to you. Thank you again Wheeler family you are AMAZING!!! It was such a wonderful experience to be able to go home with you and get to know your family.
Dad you’re amazing I can’t believe cool you are. Not everyone could just join in at the last and be able to keep up. See you at the finish line!!! Love you all!
-Amy

Em said...

You guys are incredible! I bet you have got some killer muscles going on there! Way to go! I can't wait to hear the stories in person!

Anonymous said...

Glad to see that you guys have reached the final days of your trip. We have followed you every mile of the way through your excellent blog. Wishing you three all the best for the balance of your ride.
Look forward to seeing you!
Grandpa and Judy

Anonymous said...

I talked with Matthew and Eric for a few moments last Tuesday morning after they camped out behind the newspaper I currently work for in Henry County, Ky. They used one of our computers to check their route, and were on their way towards Tennessee in no time. I want to wish them good luck, and a safe trip back home. As the sports editor, I decided to write my sports column about the trip which will come out in tomorrow's paper, even though I only talked with them for a short time. You can also see the column at our website, www.hclocal.com.

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Cyclists pass through Henry County on their way to 'living the dream'

At the end of another long day of cycling last Monday night, with hundreds of miles behind them and hundreds more still ahead, Matthew Case and Eric Brewer decided to call it a night. The duo, in a far place away from home as college students from Utah, were in New Castle and needed a place to stay when they spotted the Henry County Local. Bingo.

There — hidden behind a building that used to be a restaurant before the Local relocated there in the mid-1970s — they gave their tired legs a needed break, unloaded their bikes, put up a tent and rested for the night. While cars continued to whiz by Monday night and into the early Tuesday morning light, it was definitely a well-deserved stop for the long-distance cyclists.

By looking at the pair huffing and puffing along the roadway — through the countryside or along a busy highway — its obvious to bystanders that they aren’t your typical bikers out for a Sunday morning stroll. Their loaded-down bikes full of gear, which includes sleeping bags, extra clothes and a tent, along with their steady pace lets all those around know that they’re in for a long haul. But what exactly they are doing remains a mystery to most.

For Case and Brewer, friends since the age of 4, it’s a dream come true to bike across the country. They started in Florence, Ore., on May 10 and plan to arrive at Carolina Beach, N.C., within the next few weeks. During the 3,000-plus miles journey, they average about 75 miles per day. They will go from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean, which will take roughly two months.

Their cause is simple: to inspire others by fulfilling a life-long dream.

“We aren’t riding for a charity or anything like that, just to let people know that they can live their dreams — whatever they are,” a tired but bright-eyed Case said while preparing to leave from the Local Tuesday morning. “Hopefully people will look at us and do whatever they dream of doing. This is our dream.”

Case attends LDS Business College in Salt Lake City, while Brewer goes to Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. Their summer cross-country adventure brought them to Henry County last week, where they happened to settle for the night behind the lone newspaper in the county.

On their blog www.livingthedreamonabike.blogspot.com, which Case and Brewer update frequently throughout the trip, here was part of an entry from June 25, five days before reaching New Castle:

“Life is good ... do I say that a lot? Well I mean it. Last night we pitched our tent in a large field behind Wal-Mart on top of a mound, in a grove of pine trees. And in the middle of the night I felt a drop of water on my head and we put the rain fly on just in time for the thunderstorm. It was relaxing to go back to sleep listening to the heavy thunder and pitter patter of the rain on our tent.”

For some, living the dream might mean visiting another country, going skydiving, writing a tell-all book, running a marathon, going back to school, starting that exercise program you’ve been putting off, making that leap into another job or finally taking that dream vacation. For Case and Brewer, living the dream means biking across the country, listening to the rain fall on a tent — exactly what they’re doing.

Last Tuesday morning, they checked their route on a computer inside the Local, took a brief pause outside the building to get everything situated on their bikes, posed for a picture, then pedaled towards their destination. They passed through Henry County, riding along Highway 55 into New Castle, Eminence, and onto Shelbyville, where they headed east on Highway 60.

When they left the Local, and slowly disappeared around the corner heading towards Eminence and became a distant memory, I started to reminisce on my own solo bike ride back in 2005.

Besides my wedding and my baby’s birth, it was one of the best weeks of my life as I biked from Shelbyville to Florida. It was tough — that’s for sure — but it was living life a little on the edge, even if it was for a short while. In a crazy way, I can relate to Case and Brewer, which brings a smile to my face as I nod and think about that week three summers ago.

Case and Brewer will continue to ride into the sunset each day until they reach their own finish line. For now, they’re just two guys living the dream, pedaling away. And along the way, hoping to inspire others to do the same.

Tommie can be reached at sports@hclocal.com.

Anonymous said...

By the way, our intern Erin thinks Matthew and Eric are really cute. She was actually hiding in the back because it made her a bit nervous.

Anonymous said...

I have read your blog from the beginning and followed your progress by using my Atlas. I don't know either of you (although I have a cousin and his family who live in Columbus, IN)but I have come to feel like I know you both. I have been very inspired by your trip and would love to "drive" it some day. You are both great examples to those whom you have met and the many you have not met but have gotten to know you through this blog. I have an old BYU roommate who lives in Wilmington NC...I'm going to tell him to look for you. Congratulations and good luck!

Anonymous said...

Matt & Eric, I was so excited to have come across you blog. What you are doing is so inspiring. That is cool to see Scott joining in on the last leg and Steve Topp. We have not seen ya'll in a long time, since we moved from Greensboro to Charlotte. Tell your families hello for us and maybe we will see you at David Johnson's wedding reception!! Great job! Love Steve and Lisa Page

chaela said...

You two are so legendary. People who don't even know you write articles about you and follow your trip on an atlas! I think if I looked up legendary on wikipedia there would be a link to this blog. I love you more than a fat kid loves cake.

chae