Our Hometown
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Miller, of Route 88 South, invited the four to her home for a steak dinner, refreshing showers, and part of her backyard for a campground. I met with them early yesterday morning, for coffee and homemade chocolate chip cookies. The travelers are Pat O'Rourke, 58, of El Paso, Texas; Eric Berzsenyi, 30, of Denver; Wendy Miller, 32, of Boulder; and Andy Houston, of Boulder. O'Rourke started pedaling on June 16, in Seattle. 'I started at the Ethan Allen Furniture dealership there and hope to end the journey at Ethan Allen headquarters in Danbury, Connecticut,' said O'Rourke. Berzsenyi has been working as a business consultant and is between jobs. 'I work to live, not live to work,' he says, 'and by taking this trip, I am making sure of that. I wanted to see America differently by meeting the people, not buzzing by, looking out a window. The people are the best thing about this trip. Just when we get a bit down or frustrated, someone comes along and picks us up with their generosity and hospitality. Carol Miller is another example of people's generosity in America. She saw us at 4 p.m. at Burger King, looking lost, and she took us home and opened her home and heart. The people make this trip; they reaffirm our hope in America.' Wendy Miller had originally planned on doing this trip with a friend. When the friend hurt his back just two weeks before the trip, she decided to do the ride anyway. She started on June 9 from Bay View State Park on the Puget Sound, north of Seattle. 'In Montana on July 4, about 20 cross-country cyclists happened to stay at the same campground. I have been traveling with these three ever since. The few days I've had to ride by myself have given me a wonderful sense of independence, but I also have found that having people to ride with make the miles go by quickly.' She has been teaching fourth grade but will take a leave to pursue graduate studies. 'I have been overwhelmed by the generosity we've been shown. The instant camaraderie among riders surprised me. We are here for similar reasons and have common interests. We're all a little nuts but love adventure. Cape Cod...here we come.' Houston has had a career in sales and marketing and has also taken a leave. He started riding in Alava Cove in the coastal Olympic National Park, Washington, the westernmost point in the United States. 'Eric and I met Wendy and Pat, separately, in Montana and started riding with them in Michigan. We are going to Cape Cod because of Wendy, and then driving home. When I return to Colorado, I have to find work again and start planning my next adventure. Here in Newark, we've been shown the best example of country kindness.' His email address is Hou1972@aol.com The bikers pick out the route each day, as they go. The evening before they stayed in Newark, they were in Albion. Tonight is to be spent somewhere east of Syracuse, along Route 5 or Route 31, most likely. The group got together in Wolf Point, Montana on July 4, rode together in part of Montana, then went separate ways. They ride between 70 and 80 miles day, on average. 'We did not see each other again until I ran into Wendy in Ironwood, Michigan. Two days later, we found Eric and Andy in Iron River, Michigan,' explained O'Rourke. With the exception of five days in Michigan, the foursome has ridden together. The trip is recorded on the Web site Stantonstreet.com, with day-to-day text and photographs.
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