‘Ride to Francis’: Memorial Day

A satellite view of
our Memorial Day

The morning was overcast and cool but still dry, and then as Dave rode the final leg of his Memorial Day "Ride to Francis" to Leavenworth National Cemetery the skies broke open.

 

The rain only came on stronger as we crowded under umbrellas near the shelter for the service, including the recognition of memorial wreaths. Dave had traveled 1,502 miles to present the "Ride to Francis" wreath, a special moment for him and for all of us who were with him.
 





Bob, Dave, and Heather

Following the ceremony we gathered at Francis's gravesite to remember him, share poetry and stories, and lay the wreath in his memory. His spirit lives on through all of us who knew and loved him and through so many more who've been touched by the good works of his memorial fund.

‘Ride To Francis’: Day 4 & Arrival!


By Dave Christi

Sat., May 25, 2013. KSU - 9:15 AM CDT

 

The first thing that meets you upon leaving Illinois on Route 64 is the stainless steel Gateway Arch entering St. Louis Mo. I had been to St. Louis years ago on business but it was still very impressive seeing it as I crested a hill on the highway going into Missouri. After maneuvering through St. Louis, I headed into the less-traveled more scenic Route 94 along the Missouri River.

 

After primarily being on  highways it felt good gliding through curves again. I decided to stop at one point just to savor the quiet with my only interruption being a friendly farmer who happened by and asked if I was okay.  Turns out that was literally the calm before the storm as shortly afterwards I ran into a torrential downpour along Route 19, which is only bordered by farmland (i.e., no place to get cover).

 





Note the wet pavement after the storm!

I did finally make my way to the old wine-making town of Hermann where I caught lunch and warmed up a bit. The rest of the trip was back on the main highway (I-70), where it both got sunny and warm. I arrived at Bob & Heather’s place around 7:00 p.m., tired from my long day but excited to finally arrive to welcoming arms. You can see from the trip meter that the trip now has covered 1432.9 miles.
 

Coming up Westgate Street after four days in the saddle

1432.9 miles from Kingston to Overland Park

Sunday is my day of rest and then we all go to Leavenworth National Cemetery on Memorial Day to pay our respects to Francis, who has brought us all together.  I cannot begin to tell you how good this all feels. From the concept that germinated in the fall of 2012 to now has been a great journey full of anticipation and excitement as the pieces came together. The unexpected pleasure, though, was the frequent memories of Francis and the opportunity to once again connect with my great friends in Kansas.

Thanks to all who have been able to donate to the Kansas City VA’s Francis D. Sommer Memorial Fund. I’m sure Francis appreciates the fact that you’ve just made this world a little better for homeless veterans. 

‘Ride To Francis’: update

Hermann, Mo., on a not-rainy day

Email from Dave at 1:53 p.m. today:

Hey! I'm holed up in Hermann, Mo. ;-) Ran into wicked rain between Route 50 and here and colder temps. I'm warming up in a bar where they serve 3/4 inch slices of deep fried pork loin on wonderbread ;-). Makes an order of fries seem like the healthy choice ;-). Heard from one of the locals that Route 94 is definitely a must-see...... Be sure to let me know if you find any sun...;-)

Sunny and warm here, Dave. We hope to see you soon!

Last word was that he's back on the road and heading for Colombia, Mo.

‘Ride To Francis’: Day 3

By Dave Christi


Louisville, Ky.

KSU at 9:10 a.m. EDT

After staying with some very special friends (Bob and Nancy Liebman) in Cincinnati, I bundled up to greet the 47 degree morning temperature. (Bob commented about turning the heat on in his car. It was definitely brisk out there and I couldn't stop trying to figure out what the windchill would be at 65 mph :^) Actually, about 15 minutes later I pulled over, donned my rain jacket for an extra layer and  put on a heavier pair of insulated gloves :-O. Later on I arrived in Louisville, Ky., and as you can see from the photos, I stopped by the waterfront and then (and this is for my cousin Robert Sudol) stopped over to see where the Kentucky Derby is run and snapped a pic of Churchill Downs :^). The place is huge!


Churchill Downs

I got a good feel of the city and met a few bicyclists originally from North East (one being from New Paltz, not far from my home in Kingston, N.Y., and another from the South shore on Long Island.) Small world, huh?

I actually didn't head out until almost 2:00 p.m. and still had a good four hours of riding to get to my next destination just east of St. Louis. By then the clouds disappeared and the temps went into the low 70's with almost no wind - perfect riding weather. I followed a well groomed Route 64 west and arrived at O'Fallon, Ill., now one day closer to seeing my good friends Bob and Heather Sommer and their family.

‘Ride To Francis’: Day 2

By Dave Christi

Thurs., May 23rd. KSU at 9:00 AM ET. 
Today's trip started out in Clarion, Pa., more or less uneventful. Very cloudy and windy and cooler than yesterday. In fact, even though I headed south today, the temps got cooler. Did I mention the wind ;-? It definitely kept me on my toes. Also, the high amount of truck traffic and the record number of road construction sites kept me pretty busy ;-(.

One thing of note was a conversation I had with a local guy from Ohio. I was just finishing filling my tank when this guy came up to me and asked where I was from. I then proceeded to tell him about Ride To Francis. Well, he must have thought it was a worthwhile endeavour because after stopping in the convenience store, he came out and gave me a donation. I thanked him and thought how amazing that a total stranger would be moved to donate. I'll always remember that moment.

‘Ride To Francis’: Day 1

By Dave Christi

KSU (kick stand up) at 9:10 AM ET

 

(Click the photo for a close-up view of Dave's vest)

So, I begin my adventure! My wife Diane snapped this photo just before I left. She's the seamstress behind the vest's handiwork and has been great in supporting this endeavor of mine from the beginning.

What started out as a very overcast and cool morning in Kingston, N.Y., eventually led to a hot (90 degrees) afternoon in central Pa. I'm now further west (Clarion, Pa.), just off of Route 80 - my first stop. I ran through two storms - the first being a heavy (albeit short) downpour accompanied by bolts of lightning in the Pocono Mountains - and then a passing rain near Dubois. The storms cool and clean the air and the smell of negative ions is wonderful. Traffic was unexpectedly light given that Route 80 is normally laden with tractor-trailer traffic. Road work was minimal so no significant delays :^). All in all a good day riding! More tomorrow.... Dave

 

Sunset in Clarion, Pa.

 

On the Road!

Today's the day! Dave hits the road on his "Ride to Francis." Over the next few days, right through Memorial Day, his trip notes and photos will be posted here as he journeys westward to Kansas. Please do check back for periodic updates. Safe riding, Dave!