Day 53 -- Portsmouth to South Boston (MA) -- 78 Miles

I had a great opportunity to reflect on my coast-to-coast journey in my solo ride home today. I thought about the places I had been, the people I shared the experience with, and the reasons why I took on this journey that has already proven to be an unforgettable chapter in my life.

Although I took a few detours, and moved at a pretty slow pace today (the headwinds were formidable, and the legs felt a bit heavy), the miles seemed to disappear quickly because I was so lost in my thoughts. Before I knew it, I was approaching the "Welcome to South Boston" sign, and I was truly proud. Pedaling to my front door was even more exhilarating!

My plan is to write a final post in the coming days. I am not sure what it will say, or if I will be able to scribe a proper conclusion to this amazing journey. My hope is that a little more reflection before signing off once and for all will be beneficial. In the meantime, I want to thank you for following my blog as I pedaled across the United States. I have been overwhelmed by your support along the way, and the opportunity to share this experience with you has been such a treat.

Day 52 -- Manchester to Portsmouth -- 64 Miles

It's official -- After 3,943 miles, I have successfully pedaled my bicycle from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic Ocean. With the tour officially coming to an end, I was surprised at how emotional I was -- happy to complete my goal, yet sad to say goodbye to the friends that I made during this unforgettable journey.

The first 60 miles were pretty typical except for the fact that most of the group stayed together as we rode. We usually ride at our respective paces, but today seemed as if we were collectively trying to hold on for as long as we could.

Eventually, it was time to complete the tour and we did so in style. The Rye Police Department provided an escort for the last 3 miles to the final destination -- Wallis Sands State Beach. It was really exciting, and arriving at the beach with my family cheering me on was so special.

I set out with a goal to follow in my father's footsteps -- I wanted to pedal across America just as he did 20 years ago. Furthermore, I wanted to do it in honor of "The Farrell Sisters" -- four of my aunts, each of whom passed away far too soon. Lastly, I wanted to do it for a worthy cause. It is with great pride that I am able to say that I successfully accomplished all of these goals.

Although today marked the "official" end of my cross country challenge, I still have a bit of unfinished business. Tomorrow, I will pedal from Portsmouth to Southie.

For me, there is something special about being able to say that I pedaled from San Francisco to my front door. Furthermore, the ride will serve as an opportunity to surpass the 4,000 mile mark (which I am thrilled about), and, since I will be riding solo, to reflect on the past 2 months -- a truly amazing chapter in my life.

Day 51 -- Brattleboro to Manchester (NH) -- 92 Miles

Lots of climbing again today -- over 6,000 feet -- that allowed us to once again test our legs. After 46 days of riding, my legs are certainly not fresh, but I am grateful that I was able to handle all of the ascents. Admittedly, some of the climbs were intense. One in particular seemed like we were pedaling up a wall -- an average of 16% grade (with a max of 24%) for over a mile.

In spite of the challenging terrain, it was yet another great day to be on the bike. We had beautiful weather all day and passed through some great, little New Hampshire towns (e.g. Keene, Francestown, Bennington). And, I am one day closer to being home. In fact, Manchester is actually closer to home than our final destination tomorrow (Portsmouth).

Soon enough, I'll be lounging on my couch, sleeping in my bed, and attempting to get back to the routine I had before taking on this cross country challenge. While I am excited for all of that, I have to say that this cycling experience has been truly amazing, and it will be hard to say goodbye to it all.

Since tomorrow is the official end of the tour (I, however, will extend my ride an extra day so that I can pedal to my front door so the blog go on for a little while longer), things get hectic after the ride -- people have to pack, box up their bikes, catch flights, etc. As a result, we will be having a farewell dinner tonight -- an opportunity to say goodbye, reminisce, and celebrate our journey together. I am really looking forward to it, especially since my wife will be driving up to Manchester so that she can partake in the festivities and meet the "other crazy cyclists" with whom I have spent the last two months of my life.

Day 50 -- Latham to Brattleboro (VT) -- 82 Miles

Greetings from New England! Although there were many things today that made me feel close to home -- the scenery, architecture, landscape, familiar stores to name a few -- arriving at a hotel that had NESN as one of its tv channels sealed the deal. Watching the Sox game and hearing the soothing sounds of Remy and Orsillo will be quite a treat.

We had another great ride today. There was some substantial climbing (about 5000 feet), so we had an opportunity to (re)test our "climbing legs." Thankfully, I felt strong throughout the ride, and I was able to conqure part of Green Mountain as well as Hogback Mountain. Our hard work on the climbs were rewarded with some quality descents. Similar to my descent at Monarch Pass, I topped out at slightly over 50m.p.h. -- quite a thrill.

Overall, it was a great day -- the weather was cooperative, the scenery was beautiful, and I officially made it to New England. I even took a quick detour to New Hampshire, so technically I was in 3 different states today -- not a bad day!

Day 49 -- Little Falls to Latham -- 79 Miles

As I spend my last night in New York, it's really hitting me that this trip is truly close to being over. It's a strange feeling -- in one regard, it feels like this trip has passed by so fast. Yet when I think about specific rides from early on in the tour, they seemed like they happened a lifetime ago. I am not sure if that makes sense, but hopefully you catch my drift.

Today was another enjoyable day. Unfortunately, we got wet again --some people loved the rain and soaked it all in (literally), but not me -- I had to deal with those wet socks again (I don't need to remind you about my feelings on wet socks, do I?). Most of the rain happened during the first part of the day, although we were hit with a couple of scattered showers as the day came to a close. Even after the rain subsided it remained pretty humid, so it was a pretty wet day all around. I think my wet t-shirtesque bike jersey as seen above is an accurate portryal of how the day went and felt.

As I mentioned yesterday, one of my best friends (and 4-year college roommate), Mike Smiley, picked me up at my hotel in Latham after the ride. We went out for a bite to eat, bounced around the Saratoga area, and generally had a good time just catching up on the things we have been up to over the last two months.

I enjoyed spending quality time with Mike -- a guy who is like a brother to me. I should probably get used to catching up with old friends and family, as there are only a few more days until I say goodbye to my cross country cycling family!