Some end of trip thoughts from Dave First I would like to express my deep appreciation for all those who helped make this trip a success.   So many people have helped in so many ways.  Thanks to all of you. Next I would like to thank the fine people at the Lakewood Church in Houston, Texas for welcoming my family and I so warmly.  I was really choked up when Pastor Osteen and his wife Victoria came out to greet me at the new Lakewood facility.  They arranged for me to have a police escort through the last part of the trip.  Victoria Osteens brother Don then gave my family and I a great tour of the new Church.  It is going to be a fantastic place when it opens in July of this year.  On Saturday night we attended church services at the current Lakewood Church.  We had reserved seats right behind the Osteen family.  Again we were greeted so warmly with hugs and handshakes.  Dodie Osteen came back to my seat and gave me a big hut.  It felt so good.  The service started with some awesome music.  I could listen to that choir sing all day.  Such powerful talented voices.  Next Pastor Osteens mother came up to the front and greeted the visitors for the service.  She then told the story of my bicycle ride from Crystal Lake, IL to Houston Texas.  They showed a video clip they had made of me riding down the street with the police escort and peddling up the last hill to the front door of the new church building.  Mrs. Osteen then introduced my family to the congregation and then me.  We received a very warm round of applause from the congregation.  Pastor Osteen smiled when he saw me sitting in the church.  Such wonderful people.  I would like to go back soon and often to be with these friendly people. Thank you to my family for allowing me to do this.  I was gone a long time and they all had to work much harder to keep things going at home and work.  I am blessed with a great family.   My sister Mary and her husband Bob drove down and brought my Mom and Dad.  It was great seeing my Mom and Dad in church together.  A really special day. Next I would like to thank the truck drivers of this country.  Over 30 something days of riding my bicycle down all the highways I was always impressed with how the truck drivers would go out of their way to make sure I was passed safely.  At truck stops they would offer to watch the bike and trailer while I went inside.  They took the time to speak with me when I was resting and encourage me.  Thanks to all of you. Next I would like to thank the Police and Fire Fighters who helped me in so many ways.  The Police for providing some very needed protection on a very scary night and for the many times they provided directions through unfamiliar towns.  The Fire Fighters for providing shelter and water in so many towns.  Especially the great Fire Fighters in the town of Sesser, Illinois who after seeing me thrashed about in a big thunderstorm took me in and provided shelter for the night, a soft couch to sleep on, and then proceeded to provide food and clothing.  These are great people.  Thank you so much. Next I would like to thank all those who send me prayers and words of encouragement along the way.   On the windy rainy days when every direction seemed to be uphill those words felt like a big hand pushing me along.  I received such great letters from DiMitri's mom and teachers, Nicole and her dad, and many others who found out about the trip.  People who met me along the way would say prayers for me and wrote notes to Rita to tell her I was OK. Thanks very much to Dale Jackson of Houston Texas for the use of his very nice beach home near Galveston.  My family was able to get back together in a great place.  The kids played on the beach and had a really great time.  We even saw a dolphin working the shore.  One of the dolphins bumped into me when I was not looking and then swam away.  Dale told me that the dolphins will play with people that way.  I knew it wouldn't be a shark and wasn't worried at all.  Not much anyway.  Thanks Dale.  Dale owns a FASTSIGNS center in Houston and you should talk to him when you get the chance.  Another really great guy.   I am going to be giving a little talk to a bicycle club in St. Charles next month and I am looking forward to sharing what I learned on this trip with them.  I certainly made a number of mistakes but also did some things right.  Perhaps others will benefit from hearing what these were.  I would have benefited from speaking with more people who have taken a trip like this before I left.  I am also going to be speaking with the Cub Scouts about the trip.  Rita and I have worked with the Scouting programs in Crystal Lake for a number of years.  I would encourage every family with a young son to look into the scouting program in their area.  Scouting is a terrific family oriented program. I have been asked by a number of people whether I would do something like this again.  The answer is yes with the proper motivation.  On this trip the motivation was DiMitri and Nicole.  Two wonderful kids who showed me how people in difficult situations could still put other people first.  Kids like them set examples for all of us.  Raising money for others like them to have a little fun during such trying periods made the trip much easier.  It also turned out the trip provided some inspiration to other heart patients.   That was not the goal of the trip but I'm glad that worked out.  I was most surprised by how the trip brought my family closer together.  Seeing my whole family in church together was really special.  The trip worked on so many different levels.  I would have made the trip for any one of the reasons. I am going to be adding a page on the technical aspects of the trip soon.  I am still collecting my thoughts on some of this section.  My knees are still a little sore but other than that I feel fine.  I lost quite a bit of weight and am sporting a rather dark tan where it shows.  Now I have to keep the weight off and keep riding for exercise.   The boss wants me to get back to work now so I will have to finish this later....