Sea2Sea Cycling Challenge

[ventura ace]

Folks, sorry that I’ve been fairly scarce around the Fiat forums recently, but
I’ve been working on a big project, and I want to share it with you, mainly
because I am hoping to run into some of you around the US while traveling with
this project.

Check out http://www.Sea2Sea.org . This is a cross-USA cycling challenge with primary
purpose to raise awareness and $$ for the needs of our servicemen/women that
have served to help keep our world free. Our goal is to raise $10 million US
and 5 million British lbs for Wounded Warriors, Help for Heroes, the Veterans
Charity, and other similar charity organizations. We will dip our bicycles in
the Pacific west of Seattle and start the adventure on April 23. About 4000
miles, and 11 weeks later, and averaging about 65 miles/day we will arrive in
Washington, DC on July 4. We’ll be staying at military institutions of one
sort or another every night, and talking to folks at public schools and town
hall meetings every day at each destination along the way. The event is open
to anybody and everybody who may want to participate.

I’m going to keep a log of all the Fiats, old and new, that I see in our bike
trek across the country. I’m hoping that I will have an opportunity to see
many of you along the way, and will make it a point to meet you if you keep in
contact with me as I near your location. The web site referenced above has an
overall route map, and a detailed listing of all the daily destination stops.
If you think that you might have a chance to rendezvous with us, whether you
are on a bicycle in a Fiat, please contact me and I’ll add you to my list of
stops (ventura_ace@juno.com , 805-338-1767). For any of you that may
seriously want to join us for a segment of the cycling, contact me and I’ll give you more
details. We will have a support motorhome, and can probably store your gear so
that you don’t need to carry a lot of weight on your bicycle.

Here’s to reuniting with as many Fiat buddies as possible, and meeting at least
an equal number of new ones!

Alvon Elrod
Ventura_ace@juno.com
805-338-1767

'70 Fiat 124 spider
'12 Fiat 500 PE #18
'10 Specialized Roubaix Expert

[DocGraphics]

Alvon, looks like your coming right thru my town, Coeur d'Alene Id. I would definitely like to meet you. I'll e-mail you.
Looks like you will be here in town over night May 2nd, hopefully we can hook up.

Coeur d'Alene hosts a couple big races/events, there is the Ironman Triathalon (10th year) in June & the Coeur d'Alene tri/biathalon (29th year) in August.

This sounds like a great event for a great cause your doing, hopefully CD'A will put up a big tado when it's coming thru!

[ventura ace]

Don,
Great! I'll count on running into you that afternoon. I see you are involved with graphics. I'd like to confer with you with a few questions regarding the graphics wrap that we are putting on our support vehicle (30' Class A motor home), if I may. Looking forward to receiving your e-mail. Please include a number that I can call you. Thanks!

Alvon

[baltobernie]

Good on ya, Ace! You're on the calendar for July 4. Sorry no chicken & waffles available here, but we'll get you rehydrated and refueled pronto Do you have your return date and logistics set yet? We're about 35 minutes from BWI if you're using that airport.

[ventura ace]

The present plan is that Maureen will fly to join me in DC. Then we'll drive the Sea2Sea project motor home down to the Carolinas to visit with my daughters and parents. Then we'll leave the motorhome with my brother in Atlanta, who has offered to help us put it up for sale, and we'll fly back to CA from Atlanta. Of course, if someone in DC area would like to buy the classic Sea2Sea 30' Class A Pace Arrow, that could change our plans. I'll offer more information about that later if someone is interested.

Alvon

[kilrwail]

Alvon - Great initiative! Stay safe and keep hydrated - and have fun out there.

[ventura ace]

Peter,
Thanks for the encouragement -- I'll heed your advise.

Alvon
http://www.sea2sea.org

[ventura ace]

The countdown is down to 2 weeks when I depart to head to Seattle for the 2012 Sea2Sea cycling project. I'll stay overnight in Ashland, Oregon at Andy Jossy's place on the way up to Seattle area on April 19.

I hope to see Don in Coeur d'Alene, ID and Bernie in the Washington, DC area.

Richard Ridge has offered his place for a visit when we get to Washington, DC on July 3rd, 4th. I'm hoping to see several more of you folks on the ride. Please check http://www.Sea2Sea.org for the route, and bring your Fiat or bicycle out to visit me if you are anywhere close to the route. Thanks!

best,

[supplyguy]

Would love to meet if there's a gathering near DC. Was in Seattle (Black Diamond actually) and saw a flier for this woman, doing a similar cross country bike ride from Astoria to Yortown, hoping to arrive in time to celebrate her 70th birthday. Perhaps you will cross paths? Good luck - Chuck.

http://emeraldcitylightsbikeride.org/

[Zippy]

I would love to meet up with you! Where are you going to be in Seattle? Are you coming to the city ahead of the event? From looking at the map it looks like the ride is starting out on the coast, maybe Westport? Then heading south to Portland. It doesn't look like the ride is anywhere near Seattle. We live in Federal Way, about 25 miles south of Seattle.

[ventura ace]

Would love to meet if there's a gathering near DC. Was in Seattle (Black Diamond actually) and saw a flier for this woman, doing a similar cross country bike ride from Astoria to Yortown, hoping to arrive in time to celebrate her 70th birthday. Perhaps you will cross paths? Good luck - Chuck.

http://emeraldcitylightsbikeride.org/

Thanks, Chuck. I tried the emeraldcitylightsbikeride site, but didn't have any lucks with the links. There should be huge gatherings in DC on the 3rd and 4th. Keep checking the http://www.sea2sea.org web site for details as the time gets closer to then.

Alvon

[ventura ace]

I would love to meet up with you! Where are you going to be in Seattle? Are you coming to the city ahead of the event? From looking at the map it looks like the ride is starting out on the coast, maybe Westport? Then heading south to Portland. It doesn't look like the ride is anywhere near Seattle. We live in Federal Way, about 25 miles south of Seattle.

Arriving in dowtown Seattle on April 20, and picking up the UK participants from the airport that aftenoon and the next evening. We'll be shoppng to provision the motor home on Saturday and Sunday, then heading out to Ocean Shores sometime Sunday afteroon (April 22) to set up for a sunrise start on the 23rd. Actually the sunrise is mainly a photo op for us, and a time to ponder the mission. We will have send-off ceremonies until about 9:30, and then set off for the days ride which will put is into Oakville, WA at the end of the day. The next day we continue heading south toward Portland.

Check the website http://www.sea2sea.org for day=by-day agenda.

Please send me your contact info if you'd like to try to meet up. We'd love to see you. Thanks!

Alvon
ventura_ace@juno.com
805-338-1767

[Zippy]

Alvon,

It was great meeting you and Bob. Thanks for taking time from your journey to see us. I always look forward to any opportunity to get to know the people on the forum. Thanks for explaining the goals and origin of sea2sea.org, it is a worthy endeavor. Stay safe.

Al

Here is a picture of us.

[ventura ace]

Thanks for the picture Al! It was great seeing you and your wife on our way to Seattle airport. We saw nary another classic Fiat until we reached DC, and were treated by several there at a gathering put togeher by Richard and Gina Ridge at their place in Rockville, MD. Looking forward to seeing you again one day, perhaps at the annual Oregon event.

Alvon