RSS | 
Twitter
| 
Be a fan!
Pa. offers challenge for cyclist's cross-country trek
"The highway system back here the last day or two was the scariest," Ritzer, 58, said Wednesday when his journey came to an end at his childhood home in Fallowfield Township, where his parents, Bud and Do Ritzer, still live.
He left his home in Tum Tum, Wash., on May 17 after retiring from the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, where he worked in wildland fire management at Spokane Indian Reservation.
It was a decision he made while bicycling on a regular basis with friends in the San Juan Islands in the Pacific Ocean off the Canadian coast.
Rate This Story:
1 the lowest - 5 the highest
Current rating:
He followed the Northern Tier that hugs National Route 2 through Idaho, Montana, North Dakota and Minnesota. He experienced chilly weather at times and even snow in Dickinson, N.D.
His son, Brian, accompanied him for two weeks, and then he met up with a 65-year-old friend who followed along for 1,000 miles to Grand Rapids, Minn.
There, he stayed for two weeks with his daughter, Kelly Hopkins, joined by his wife, Janice.
From there, his 15-year-old grandson, Bridger, joined the ride to Lake Michigan, and Ritzer made the rest of the trip solo.
His best memories involve the many hospitable people he met in small, well-manicured towns across America.
"The friendliness of the people - patriotic," Ritzer said.
He plans to stay in the area for several weeks to attend a family reunion before returning to Washington.
He won't be going home, though, on his bicycle loaded with 80 pounds of gear.
"I'm going back on an Amtrak train on a cushioned big chair and be able to look out the window and grin."
Cyclist cross country trek : 7/24/2009
Love this story. Brought tears to my eyes. This is what life is all about.
Cyclist cross country trek : 7/25/2009
A nice inspiration for my own trip next year from Oregon to Maine. Did Mr. Ritzer publish a blog that might offer some travel insights?
