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| Rain on the PA Turnpike |
Bike line at the Hangar Theatre |
Group shot at the Hangar |
Our lunch hosts Matt & Harmony |
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| Bikes at JR Clancy |
Eric McAfee | Group shot at JR Clancy |
Marilyn Larsen on Moe's bike |
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At the Lock 24
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Tom, Michelle, Steve, Cris |
Greg & Bruce Purdy |
The day dawned with promise. Everyone was up early, eager to get on the road. After the traditional chocolate chip pancake breakfast and some last minute preparation, including the blessing of the bikes by Ida, we were ready to go. And we were five minutes early! The ride through the neighborhoods up to the PA Turnpike was very nice and it was good to be riding in the group once again. So far it wasn't raining and it looked like we might just get lucky and have a dry day.
Meanwhile, while we were leaving Philly another group, led by Neil Mazzella of Hudson Scenic, was leaving NY City. This group contained Neil, Wayne Rasmussen, Jim Niesel, Mark Heiser, Mike Cucciarre & Cris Dopher. The plan has the Philly and NY groups meeting up mid-morning at the Pocono exit of the Turnpike. And if that's not enough riders, let's not forget that Frank Stewart is working his way in from Missouri and will also meet up with us today.
Once the Philly group hit the turnpike their luck ran out when the skies opened up and it started to rain. And lighting. And thunder. Lots and lots of it. So much that we had to stop twice and let the heavier downpours go by. We didn't get out of the rain till about 20 miles south of the meeting point. We were running about an hour late. The new York group was blissfully dry and unaware of our problems as they enjoyed their coffee and donuts and waited for us.
Once we finally hooked up Neil had to head back to NY. Neil runs Hudson Scenic and he's in tech rehearsals for Young Frankenstein out in Seattle. Neil had had planned on doing the full ride but the pre-Broadway production required his attention. So he flew in for the short ride, turned around, went back to NYC and flew back to Seattle.
We didn't waste any time in the meeting as the weather looked to be catching up with us. So it was back on the turnpike, the group now consisting of 13 bikes and a chase car. Our next appointment was the Hangar Theatre in Ithaca NY where the TD, Adam Zonder and Matt and Harmony Farrow of Ithaca College. Lunch was great and it was good to stretch out legs in the very pleasant surroundings of the Hanger Theatre. And we hooked up with Frank Stewart.
After Ithaca it was a ride up the west shore of Lake Cayuga and over to the JR Clancy factory. Clancy makes rigging equipment and the owner, Bob Theis, had invited us over for a tour before taking us out to dinner. Dinner, which had been arranged by one of Bob's staff, Marilyn Larsen and Barbara Lucas from USITT, was at the Lock 24 Restaurant in Baldwinsville. It was right across the canal from our hotel, which Marilyn had also arranged for us. It was perfect. We sat around for a few hours enjoying the company and the food. We were joined by a number of the JR Clancy staff, including Eric McAfee. It's not widely known but Eric is the one that suggested that the original Long Beach Long Riders trip could be a fund raiser. There were several of us in a group kicking around the idea of a cross country bike trip and Eric, on overhearing our discussion, leaned in and mentioned that we could use the ride to raise money for charity. It was the galvanizing moment that turned our idle talk into a purpose and real planning. The rest, as they say. Is history.
We were also joined by the USITT national office staff. Michelle, Monica and Barbara were there along with some friend and, I think, a spouse or two. Bruce Purdy from the Smith Opera House joined the party a little later in the evening.