Day 61 Chainsaw Safety for Women

Today’s notable attraction (besides the scenery and fall colors) was the Penobscot Narrows Bridge over the Penobscot River.

The left tower in the above photo has an elevator to the observation deck that is 420 feet in the air. It is the tallest public bridge observatory in the world. Where else can you look at views like this?

Also visible was Fort Knox, the first fort in Maine built entirely of granite.

The highlight of the day was rolling into Bar Harbor, Maine and seeing our families (except for Christopher 😢). What a neat surprise!

We were required to place our rear wheel in the Atlantic Ocean. So we did.

Thanks

  • To our spouses and families for their support and encouragement.
  • To everyone who commented on this blog. Each and every comment was read and appreciated. The encouragement was especially good. The comments also made for great discussions at breakfast and dinner.
  • All of you who followed our adventure on this blog.
  • Isaac and Nicole for the use of their van and the great meals.
  • Herb for working on the details of this adventure for over a year.
  • Chad for bunking with me. Chad was 5 when I went off to school and it was great reconnecting with my little brother.
  • Mom and Dad for showing and allowing us to follow our dreams. Dad was a great teacher and passed on his passion for cycling to each of us.

Stats

  • Camden to Bar Harbor, Maine
  • Distance: 90.9 miles (146 km)
  • Climbing: 5333 feet (1625 m)
  • Temperature: 48 – 60°F (9 – 16°C)

Summary

  • Total of 4,843 miles (7,794 km)
  • Traveled through 17 states and provinces.
  • Average of 90 miles per day (145 km)
  • Longest day, Day 27, Interior to Murdo, SD, 126.5 miles
  • Most climbing, Day 20, Basin to Buffalo, WY, 7,955 feet
  • Coldest temperature, Day 7, Baker City, OR, 35°F
  • Warmest temperature, Day 19, Cody to Basin, WY, 96°F
  • Average cost of food per day (Al), ~$37 per day.
  • Average cost of hotel room per person per night, $75
  • Flat tires on road, 4 total or an average of one flat for 4,800 miles.
  • Tires. Joe and Herb installed new front and rear tires in Maquoketa, IA. Chad installed a new rear tire in Maquoketa. Al used the same pair for the entire trip.

Sundry

Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did do.

Mark Twain

24 thoughts on “Day 61 Chainsaw Safety for Women

  1. Thanks for allowing us to join you! I think that yesterday’s post with Alvin’s medallion along for the ride was one of the most touching! Good work cousins.

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  2. Thank you for sharing your adventure with us! Your planning, strength, perseverance, humor, and joy were evident along the way. Wonderful support from your families so you could make this journey in honor of your father and your mother and the love of biking they instilled in you! Well done!!

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  3. I have so very much enjoyed following your adventures every night. I wd share with my Mom the “Bicycle tour”. Loved all the pictures! Now u need to ride across the top of Texas. Theres some amazing little towns! But u prob shd wait till Spring! Thank ya’ll for sharing!

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  4. Congratulations, a great accomplishment! Thanks for the daily updates. I read them while I did my post knee-replacement PT, something to look forward to and quite motivating! I will miss that. It was nice to meet you all in West Lafayette.

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  5. A really big adventure. A great family experience for eternity (Also for Joe, because he is a Miller now 😁)
    Standing ovations for all of you.

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  6. Congratulations guys!!! What a great trip, really enjoyed following you all across this great country. Al, say hello to everyone and hope to see you again🎉🥳👍💥

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  7. Congratulations guys ! You did it ! Proud of you. Each morning I’d read the blogs. You guys showed a lot of “true grit” !

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  8. Many congrats! Following the 4mamil blog was enjoyable and inspiring. Best wishes to you all in reaching your future dreams.

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  9. Congratulations to Al and all of the incredible 4mamils! I loved following your daily progress. You all did amazing! Loved learning about all the history and of course, the beautiful pictures! Thanks for sharing this adventure with us! Glad you made it safe and sound! Can’t wait to hear more about it in person.

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  10. Congratulations Al! I knew you could do it! I enjoyed your blogs and will miss reading them every night. I especially enjoyed reading about your dad’s bicycle adventures as well. Thanks for all the geography and history lessons as well! Enjoy your much needed rest now…bitter sweet for sure.

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  11. Al in my 29 years in the military I did some very difficult tasks, some were dangerous, some were enjoyable and most were challenging! However, what you accomplished in 61 days crossing our country make my own challenges seem petty compared to what you recently accomplished on your bicycle…and that’s the reason I refer to you as the numbers 1 hero! Many congratulations to you for this awesome accomplishment. Your, father-in-law, Oscar

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  12. Congratulations guys!
    Now I have a servere problem, what will fill the gap of the daily first click by drinking my coffee. 61 days a wonderful start into the day.
    Thank you very much for all the impressions, pictures and the brilliant idea for a family experience. Thanks!

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  13. Congratulations! I have loved following your trip. I appreciate all of the extra effort on history of people, places and things along with the amazing pictures on your route. Enjoy Bar Harbor.

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  14. Thanks for sharing your adventures. Truly an inspiration to read, and what a great tribute to Alvin and the love of biking that he obviously imprinted on your entire family. Makes me want to retire and move somewhere I can ride all the time!

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  15. Well, you are all my heroes. This has been a fantastic trip to watch happen and the photos and the commentary were second to none. It is the honest truth that the first thing I did when I came in from the fields from harvesting was call up my computer to see the latest post from your adventure. Every post was a blessing. Your parents would have been proud of you all. Congrats to everyone and have you ever considered biking across Africa?? P.S. I can’t believe the Al Miller family. What a great looking bunch. Whatever your family is doing – keep doing it. Congratulations and regards to everyone. Joe and Kathy Brown

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  16. Thanks, Al, for sharing your amazing adventure with us. I looked forward to your post each day—i learned so much! Mostly it inspired me to aspire to see all those amazing places myself!

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