After a day of rest in Pittsburgh, our walk out of Pittsburgh was just atrocious. Traveling Highway 30 for most of the way, we were forced to walk where there was absolutely no shoulder. We have run into this problem numerous times but the difference here was there was about 10 times more traffic on the roads. We were literally sharing the same part of the road as 18 wheelers. For about a quarter mile or so, it actually got so bad that we hopped over the guard rail and attempted to sidestep. Normally this would be just a minor problem, but there was only about a foot and a half of flat ground as it abruptly sloped down into the woods. If our stroller slipped and rolled down the mountain it would have been a disaster, not to mention the chances of us falling down ourselves. Another problem we had was the telephone poles that were splitting the foot and a half we had to walk on. At those points, we had to carry our strollers as they hung over the guard rail, sharing space with oncoming traffic. Needless to say it took us about a half hour to cross the treacherous quarter mile. This all happened during a 33 mile walk. Just not a good day.

The shoulder opened up on the next walk to Ligonier, PA, but the walk after that to Jennerstown threw another obstacle at us. While we have gotten rained on during this trip we have always been able to avoid the worst of it. During this walk it literally rained the entire time. Soaked, tired, and cold we were able to make it 10 miles to a run-down hotel, setting us up for a wonderful 37 mile trek the next day.

While the extremely long walks seem to slow down time in the moment, once you’ve reached your destination it all becomes a blur. There are numerous highs and lows during each walk but once you are about a mile from your destination on one of these long walks there is a pretty nice sense of accomplishment. We had once again met up with a member of the electric co-op we have been connected with who had us set up for a room that night and the next, along with some spending money for our next few meals. The co-op is responsible for supplying power via telephone poles throughout the country and therefore they have a huge network that stretches throughout the States. Thanks to Brooks Shoemaker, Duane Kanagy, Marvin Snyder, and everyone else involved who helped make those few days much easier for us.

Making our way towards the capital, Harrisburg, we hit several more towns, including an unexpected stop in Mcconnellsburg, PA. We were supposed to head to Central City but we decided to change our route spur of the moment. When we reached McConnellsburg we had about 6 more miles to go to our destination in Fort Laudon. By chance we ended up eating a certain local restaurant in town. Todd, his wife Hilary, some friends, and his children happened to be eating at the table over from us. After a quick conversation, Todd wanted to help out. He informed us that the hotel we were heading to had burned down and it would just make sense to stay with him and his family. Todd had a cabin located near his home where he offered to put us up for the night. Before heading to the cabin, Todd showed us his farm where we “helped” separate his bull from the rest of the cows. It was an interesting experience and one we are definitely glad to have been a part of. From there we headed to the cabin where we enjoyed a steak dinner. In his vast backyard, Todd was able to capture a black snake albeit after a few strikes that drew blood on his hand. Reluctantly, I held the snake just long enough to pose for a picture before quickly hand it back off.

That morning we headed out and climbed over the last mountain of the trip, Tuscarora Summit.
Once we reached the top we had a pretty sweet view of the town below. From there we had a long downhill walk, which we actually decided to jog down about 2 miles. Our next memorable stop was in Shippensburg, PA, where we again got connected with the electric co-op. There we met Dwayne, Marvin, Bruce Hockersmith (the town mayor), and their family and friends. After a wonderful dinner at our hotel, compliments of Adam’s Electric, we met up with a sorority from Shippensburg. Kelsey, originally from Clifton, heard about our walk and wanted to meet us. She came to the bar with her sisters and also with some freshly baked brownies. It was great to meet them and talking about home made us realize how close we are.

From one college town to the next we made our way to Carlisle, home of Dickinson University. Just about 19 miles down the road we arrived to the really nice town placed between miles of corn fields. We had a nice a comfortable night in the heart of the city, knowing we were going to be in Harrisburg the next day. Another 19 mile walk brought us to Harrisburg where we once again met up with our friend Bill Logan, who we met with in Pittsburgh. Bill has been the one contacting the rest of the Electric Co-ops throughout Pennsylvania to support us. During our walk there, ABC met up with us to film us in action and grab an interview. It later aired on the 5:30 news, which was a pretty cool thing to see.

Bill had set us up right in the heart of Harrisburg, at the downtown Hilton. Knowing we were craving a home-cooked Italian meal, his wife Maria had a huge meal planned for us that night. We met up at his beautiful home, where Maria did not disappoint, providing us the best meal of our trip. After Greek fried cheese, salad, angel hair pasta, meatballs, homemade ravioli’s, and home-made rice pudding, we slipped into a slight coma. We washed it all down with a cappuccino before heading back to our hotel.

On our day off in Harrisburg, we had an interview for another local paper. The interview was set up at Maria’s sister’s restaurant, Sophia’s Place. Sophia is well-respected in the area for her involvement in raising money for various foundations. We had the chance to sit down with her for a few minutes and talk about our walk and her efforts in fundraising. Before we headed off after a great lunch, she made sure we left with a bag full of her fresh desserts.

Later that day we visited the Hope Lodge in Hershey, where patients have extended stays when they are being treated at the Penn State Medical Center. Thanks to Steph Okuniewski who took her time to give us a tour of the area. Being that we usually have to walk everywhere, we usually don’t get to see much of the areas that we’re in.

Later, we were brought back to Hershey where we had dinner once again with Maria and Bill. This time we ate at Maria’s other sister’s restaurant, called What If Hershey. Here we had what was probably the best Fried Calamari of our lives. The whole family can cook extremely well and we had some of our best meals of the entire trip in those two days. Bill and Maria have done so much for us and we honestly can’t thank them enough. They are even planning to make it to our final walk on October 7th which we’re really looking forward to.

Meanwhile, in between our time with Bill and Maria we met up with Anthony’s friend Megan and her family. Megan’s mother Elaine was recently diagnosed with breast cancer and so she was pretty excited to meet with us. After some conversation with her, she immediately became an inspiration to us, especially because of her positive attitude and wonderful spirit. I’m pretty sure she went through treatment that same day, so for her to have been out that same night with so much energy was so impressive and truly inspiring. It’s moments like these that make the long days of walking completely worth it.

From Harrisburg we had a 14 mile walk to Hershey Park. Bill once again set us up with a hotel there and we met up with some friends from back home. It was great to finally see friends from Nutley. They even brought us a Ralph’s pizza, and if you’re from Nutley I don’t need to explain any further. With another day, this time in Hershey, we were able to relax and enjoy a little of what Hershey has to offer.  Thanks to Ally and Maha for making the drive to help out and spend the day with us.

We’re now sitting in Kutztown, PA, just 96 miles from home.

This trip has led us to meet so many wonderful people. It is amazing how quickly strangers become friends. We have made some friendships and shared some experiences that will last forever. In just two walks we will be crossing into New Jersey. With some extra time to reach home (October 7th is the set date for our walk into Nutley), we are trying to reflect on the whole experience, which seems more and more surreal. Can’t wait to see everybody at the finish line on Franklin Avenue…

We walked and walked and walked and somehow woke up in Pennsylvania. It seems like a big dream and almost unbelievable that we are this close. When we tell people what we are doing and how far we have come I can relate with their disbelief. Now that we are in Pittsburgh, we can basically taste home.

During one of our latest walked Ant and I were walking along in silence like we usually do. A feeling came over me and I turned to Ant and said, “This is pretty damn boring.” Surprisingly, it took us to get to this point for me to state quite obviously that walking about 8 hours a day is not too much fun. I look at this revelation as a very good sign. Most of the trip there was a million things on our mind. Now with nothing to worry about, boredom is our biggest obstacle. While there is still some slight pain and discomfort, we see the light and are sprinting towards it.

Before speeding home, we relaxed a little bit in the Columbus area of Ohio. My cousin Jamie lives there with her husband Danny and they really showed us a good time. We enjoyed some good food and just took the time to relax and lay around. We actually hit a few golf balls for an hour, which goes to show how good we are feeling. The area surrounding Columbus is surprisingly very nice and definitely a great place to live. We also got to see the Ohio State campus, which is absolutely massive and seems like an awesome place to go to school. Thanks again to Jamie and Dan.

During our stay there, my first niece was born. She was born on September 6 and is now my main motivation to get home so I can see her. Livia Hope Bonora, 7 lbs 6 oz and I can’t wait to meet her. I’m sure she can’t wait to see her favorite uncle as well.

After leaving Columbus we were ready to get out of Ohio. We still had quite a few walks to get out of the state though. These walks included the towns of Newark, Dresden, Newcomerstown, Urichsville, and Cadiz. On our way to Dresden and Uhrichsville we had police escorts the last mile into town both times. While it is extremely uncomfortable and awkward we were definitely appreciative and honored to have the escorts.

In Uhrichsville, we did three interviews. Two were for a county paper, the Times Reporter and the other was for a radio station. The story ran the next morning so on our way out of town we had plenty of people honking at us and some actually stopped on the highway to say hi and to make a donation.  I want to say thank you to Mayor Rick Rieger who had us set up and a hotel and also provided us with food and drinks at his drive-thru business in town.

During this time, our families visited again. It is always a morale booster to see some familiar faces. We laughed a lot and had a great time. Thanks to Dad, Aunt Sara, Uncle, Ricky, and Michele.

When we were in Uhrichsville we met a woman, Jackie Stewart, at a Verizon store because I had to get a new phone. Whenever our family comes to visit we cause a pretty big scene. We are quite easy to spot out because we are from New Jersey. Normally, that would cause enough attention but because they are all wearing our coast to coast for a cure t-shirts we get even more attention. Our families do not miss an opportunity to tell our story so when Jackie asked they were happy to tell her everything we were doing. She immediately jumped into action and within 20 minutes we had a free place to stay in our next town of Cadiz, OH. Jackie even recommended a good bar to watch opening night of the NFL and then met us there once she got off work.

In Cadiz we got hooked up with Tammy Mattern. She owned a beautiful bed and breakfast that isn’t even open yet. She is in the process of restoring the house but allowed all seven of us to stay there. Once we arrived we had a local news reporter there for an interview. The next morning we did another television interview for NBC. At night she took us to her favorite spot to get drinks and eat dinner. Tammy was wonderful host and we couldn’t thank her enough. It is pretty shocking to have so many people to do so many nice things for us.

Cadiz was our last town in Ohio. From there we headed to Weirton, WV where we were set up for another comp’d night as well as a free dinner at Dee Jay’s. On our way there we met the Dowdle family, who had heard about our story and just wanted to talk for a little bit. They pulled over on the side of the road and waited for us to reach them. It’s the little things like this that make this walk so great.

The part of West Virginia we were in was only 7 miles wide so we ended up being in 3 different states in just two days. In a blink of an eye we were out of West Virginia and into Pennsylvania.

Bill Logan, a man working for the same Electric Co-op network who we got connected with back in Missouri had gotten us two tickets to the Pittsburgh Steelers game as well as a hotel stay in downtown Pitt. Bill and his wife Mary took us for some pre-game drinks and then post game dinner. We will be meeting up with them again near their home in about a week. Bill is doing everything in his power to make sure the rest of our trip goes well as he is working on hotels and publicity. Bill is part of the same network that we met in Missouri when we met Barry Hart, who has helped us out tremendously.

To give a brief summary of today’s walk……horrendous. We’ll explain in detail in our next blog.

Here we go again. Since leaving Indianapolis we have been having some great days. The only set back was Ant’s front wheel collapsing on the middle of a dirt road 17 miles short of our destination, which at the time was Greenfield, IN. The only option for him at that point was to tilt the stroller on the back two wheels and have the nose of the stroller sticking up. In order to walk that way, your arms have to hang uncomfortably low. On top of that you really can’t take a second off because the stroller would just topple over. Doing this for any amount of time would be annoying, hard, frustrating, agitating, and any other synonym you can think of. Unfortunately for Ant, he not only had to do that for the last 17 miles that day but three more walks, which included a 33 mile trek, until we could replace it.

That 33 mile walk took us to the edge of Indiana. We were literally a half a mile away from Ohio when we stopped for the night at the Hampton Inn in Richmond, IN. We have become quite the hotel connoisseurs and we were excited about the Hampton Inn, because they have a legendary continental breakfast. After a relaxing night we headed off to hit our ninth state. Before we entered Ohio we prepared at the nearest gas station, filling up on water, ice, and Gatorade. Some military guys happened to walk in as we were and we struck up a conversation. Mike, from Indianapolis, began talking to us and ended up buying our supplies for the day. While we graciously accepted, we both were uncomfortable with the whole situation because we were the ones who should be buying stuff for our soldiers. We had a quick conversation about it and then proceeded on the walk.

After entering Ohio we were set to get picked up and brought to Cincinnati by the Wilkening family, cousins of Mike Turnbull who we met earlier in Nevada, Missouri. When Alley came to get us with her baby son Asher we were looking forward to the night they had planned for us. Allie had mentioned some people were coming over for dinner and after a quick shower we were excited to see it turned into a nice little party. Matt, Allie’s husband was on the grill making his famous ribs and they did not disappoint. Matt is currently in Med school so a few of his classmates came over to meet us and enjoy some really good grub. Also, some neighbors joined to complete the guest list and we all had a really nice night.

One reason why we got hooked up with the Wilkenings is because their four year old son, Eli, has leukemia. He was diagnosed when he was two years old and has been battling ever since. Eli is doing really well and he seems to be handling the situation better than most adults would. I honestly don’t think I saw a smile fade away from his face the entire time we spent with him. It’s funny as we got dropped off by Alley where she picked us up the next morning she said we were an inspiration. We are obviously humbled and very appreciative when people tell us that but honestly I think it is the other way around. The people we meet have given us the inspiration and motivation to keep pushing through. So, thanks to Alley, Matt, Eli, and Asher for being great hosts.

The following day, our walk brought us to Dayton Ohio. The past few weeks, all of our hotel stays have been taken care of. Our mayor Joanne Cocchiola and Loren McCreesh have sent out letters to all the towns/cities we walk through and the response has been great. So, a long overdue thanks is definitely in order for allowing this walk to turn into something special. Between their letters and the people we have met along the way who have passed on word we have been pretty well taken care of. Today at the Double Tree Hotel in Dayton was another one of those nights where we were treated unbelievably.

Unbeknownst to us some employees were tracking our progress as we neared the Dayton area. When we finally arrived at the hotel we were met with our best reception of the trip. About 10 employees were there cheering on us. Some even had special pink shirts on in honor of the fight against breast cancer. Once we got in the lobby there was a sign welcoming us. The whole lobby was decked out in pink and after a lot of introductions and pictures we headed to our suite. There they had cold Gatorade and a huge gift basket stuffed with snacks and t-shirts. Shortly after settling in they told us they had Dayton Dragon tickets for us, the single A affiliate of the Cincinnati Reds. The whole staff had been notified we were coming and they could not have treated us any better.

It is definitely a huge “pick me up” when get responses like that. It seems unfathomable to keep being treated like this, but people continue to surprise us and we are truly thankful each time. Another state down, a day closer to home, and another story to tell.

Aside from the nagging blisters and beat up joints, this has been the best stretch of the trip. Truthfully, we have been feeling much better and the pain is continuing to subside. St. Louis was a nice stop for us, especially the Cardinals game we got to see and the famous Gateway Arch.  Just want to make a quick shout out to Gerald Stewart who we met at the Sonic in St. Louis.

After leaving St. Louis, our goal was to fly through Illinois.It was a 150 mile stretch that we really wanted to put behind us just because it was flat and there really wasn’t much around. To get out of the state, we had 102 miles that we planned to break down into four walks. However, after a little discussion we decided just to get it done in three days. The way it worked was 3 walks, each 34 miles long. Those extra four miles really take a toll on you, especially after the first walk knowing you have to do it two more times.

Yesterday we made it to downtown Indianapolis and now we are just about 700 miles away from Nutley. Ant was in heaven for a day because he got to see Lucas Oil Stadium, where the Colts play. We continue to get the royal treatment as we relaxed in a suite and the Hilton Hotel in downtown Indy. After a comp’d stay at the Crown Plaza yesterday, we just received an email saying we will be taking care of the rest of the time through Indiana. We really want to thank everyone who has contributed in any way to the success of our walk. There are simply too many people to thank because this has grown into something beyond both of our expectations.

During today’s walk out of Indianapolis we started talking to a few people as we were taking one of our breaks at a gas station. A couple struck up a conversation with us because they of course were curious of the baby strollers. After we told them we were doing they wished us luck. A little way down the road they beeped as they drove past us. Apparently, an idea popped up in their heads as they pulled over to the side of the road and waited for us to meet up with them. Once we got there they ran out to take a picture and asked for our autographs. That was definitely a first for us and we really appreciated it. A few miles down the road we took a longer break on a couple of park benches in the shade and then finished the final 12 miles to Greenfield.

Another boost for our psyche during this past week was crossing into Indiana and entering the Eastern Time Zone. We are now on the same schedule as everyone back home, which makes us feel even closer. We will be in Ohio in just a few days and will continue to get closer and closer. Our estimated arrival date is now Friday October 8. This will give us some leeway in terms of taking a few extra days off or cutting some long walks into shorter ones. Thanks everyone for following and once we have definite plans for our final walk we will let everyone know.

Missouri has continued to be amazing. Since we left Nevada, MO, we have been hooked up the whole way. The Lake of the Ozarks, the jersey shore of Missouri, was a great place to relax. Ron Barks, a friend of Michael Turnbull who we met Nevada, showed us around the entire area during our two days of rest. We were even able to get out on his bass boat at night and get out on the lake before and after dinner. While we wanted to enjoy the lake a little more, we just took the time to relax and recover. Even when we had the energy to go out, the extreme heat made us just want to lay around in the air conditioning all day. Unfortunately, we didn’t get the chance to enjoy the best part of the Lake of the Ozarks, which is known as “Party Cove”. But our plan is to eventually drive our route a few years from now, so we’re looking forward to visiting Ron and his wife Daphne when we do.

From the lake we headed northeast to Jefferson City, the state capital. There we were greeted by Dan and Jean Carpenter who set us up at the historic Plaza Hotel. After sharing a great dinner with them at the local Irish Pub, Paddy Maloney’s, we headed home to rest up. In the morning we had some media coverage and met with Barry Hart, CEO of AMEC, who invited some friends and employees for breakfast in the hotel. After a great meal, we snapped some photo’s and went on our way to Linn, MO. Halfway through the walk Jean Carpenter, who we met the day before picked us up for lunch where we showered and relaxed during the hottest part of the day. Even though we didn’t want to leave we had to get to Linn, so we continued to push. Once we reached the town we cleaned up and went out to dinner with Dan and Jean for some great steaks at a local restaurant, BJ’s.

We ended up staying at a rectory in Linn that night, where we were hosted by Father Medena. He was a really great guy and asked us countless times if there was anything he could do to help us out. We got there late so after some quick conversation we headed to bed and got some good rest. We woke up early, had some coffee and were on our way. The early morning clouds quickly dissipated and gave way to the unrelenting sun. Our socks literally became soggy as if we were stepping in puddles because we were sweating so much. The sweat was so excessive that we nearly drank 3 gallons of water each. By the end I was able to ring out my clothes and watched the sweat drain out of them.

On top of the heat I was dealing with a broken stroller and some pretty nasty blisters. For whatever reason my blisters refill with fluid each day and I can’t seem to fix the problem. I have tried all sorts of things but apparently the way I walk puts pressure in certain areas and the constant pounding of 30 miles is just giving me problems. Meanwhile, Ant is dealing with some really bad hip pain. Whenever we sit down for an extended period it is always a struggle to get up. We both have definitely aged about 8 years at least and are expecting some serious arthritis when this trip is over. These are just some things we have to deal with on a daily basis.

Our next stay was one of the nicest of the entire trip. We stayed at a bed and breakfast called Second Creek just north of Owensville, MO. Jack and Patty Wilson, who own and operate the B&B took extremely good care of us. They brought us a great dinner and cooked a wonderful breakfast in the morning. It was honestly one of the nicest places we have seen with huge open spaces and high ceilings. The B&B was built from scratch 9 years ago and the detail and décor were impeccable. It was just a real comfortable and relaxing stay with great hosts. Apparently, there is wine country in Missouri, so we enjoyed a glass of some local red wine. We really couldn’t have thanked Jack and Patty enough. We always would like to spend more time with everyone we meet but with our hectic schedule we really can’t afford to fall behind.

From there we headed to Union, MO, where we knew we had a free stay at the Super 8 on the east end of town. We went out to dinner with Joey Graves, who got us the hotel room, along with some friends including the mayor of Union. After dinner we went to Wal-Mart so I could pick up a new stroller because by that point it was completely shot. I could barely make left hand turns and I ended up working twice hard just trying to keep my wheels on the ground.

After some media coverage and breakfast we were off to Wildwood, MO, where we are currently resting in bed. At this point these walks are just becoming a normal part of our day as crazy as that sounds. We have to approach these walks like a job, albeit a painful job. People always ask how we consistently continue to push on to the next day and honestly we don’t have a good answer. We just know what we have to do and we get it done each day. Whether it’s listening to music or anticipating the next break there is always something to keep looking forward too. You have to break the walks down into smaller segments or else it would drive you crazy.

Tomorrow we hit St. Louis and at night we are going to catch the Cardinals game. Other than that we plan to see the famous Arch and do the Anheuser-Busch tour, which we heard was a highlight of the city. As you can imagine, the big cities are what we really look forward too. We also heard St. Louis has real good Italian food, which will give us a taste of home.

While we are currently sitting in a condo in the Lake of the Ozarks, we’ll have to backtrack all the way to Wichita to catch everyone up to speed. I am sure people know this has been one of the hottest summers on record and the middle of the country is where the heat wave hits the hardest. Ever since hitting Kansas the heat combined with the humidity has been a brutal combination. It literally weighs you down and walking on highways allows for no shade and the heat reflects off the blacktop turning the intensity up a little more. It would usually take us a few miles to start sweating and now it takes a few steps before we are completely drenched. Unfortunately, the heat has really taking a toll on us and we haven’t even taking any videos these past couple weeks.

Anyway, it is just something we are going to have to deal with the rest of the way home. Kansas was actually a somewhat easy state to walk through. While it was massive, the flat land provided good walking highways. Wichita turned out to be a really cool stop along our journey. Anthony and I would like to sincerely thank Mike Noller of the World Treasure’s Museum and all of the people who turned out in support of that wonderful museum. Mike was actually running an annual fundraiser one of the nights we stayed in Wichita and was really interested in our story. Anthony’s parents met Mike while we were walking and once we got there he immediately handed us 4 comped  tickets for his fundraiser. I was also given the opportunity to speak to all of  his guests, which we really appreciated.  After saying a few words at the podium we received a great response from the crowd, including some donations.

We were pleasantly surprised with our whole Wichita experience. The old town had plenty of cool bars and the brick buildings provided a really nice backdrop. We thoroughly enjoyed our day off after about 3 straight weeks of walking. From Wichita, we were determined to get out of Kansas as quick as possible.

As we headed towards the Missouri border, we found ourselves in the small town of Eureka looking for any food we could get our hands on. Finally we ended up at the Lo-Mar Drive in. While we waited here for our meals, a few younger kids came rushing in for some food. They had seen us walking earlier in the day and had some questions for us as they laughed at our jogging strollers.  A minute or two after they seemingly had left, Dylan (one of the kids) came rushing back in with a lime green bracelet that he handed to Ant. He asked if one of us would wear it for the rest of the trip, in memory of his grandmother who had died of breast cancer just last year. It was definitely one of those moments that we’ll remember forever. Below is a picture of the four kids with Ant -( from left to right) – Dylan, Matt, Ahn-Alika, and Kennedy.

East of Wichita you hit an area known as the Flint Hills, which are as the name suggests, hilly. While Kansas is known for being flat we did have some serious hills to climb to reach Missouri. Once we got past those hills we had about 60 miles until the Missouri border. We finally hit the border and were thrilled to reach our next state. Just before we did, we stayed in Fort Scott, Kansas. There is a beautiful B&B there called the Twins Lyon Mansion, and we were giving a free stay in the suite room. They are two identical mansions, which have been converted into a bed and breakfast. The mansions were spectacularly decorated and the morning breakfast was out of this world. Thanks Nate for a great stay!

Missouri has already been a great experience. We got hooked up with Mike Turnbull from Nevada, Missouri, which is the first town we hit once we crossed the border. He showed us around town and introduced us to what felt like all of Nevada. The town is actually pronounced “Nuh-vay-da”. He brought us out to two great dinners, each having around 20 guests. He allowed us to stay in his home two nights, which was a really great experience.  We also went out to a local bar and met really some interesting people. It actually felt like we were leading a normal life for the past couple days. If anyone happens to pass through Nevada make sure to stop at White Grill, a classic spot with unbelievable food.

Mike and his friend Deborah decided they wanted to walk some miles with us. Unfortunately, it was one of the hottest days of our entire trip. The thermometer told us it was 108 but with the 70% humidity and no shade, it had to be at least 120 degrees on the road. They both were able to stick it out for a while and we loved the company. Nevada definitely left an impression on us and gave us a good taste for the middle of America.

Now, we are relaxing in the Lake of the Ozarks and we are going to take a couple days off. It is the destination we have been looking forward to for awhile so we might take two days off for the first time the entire trip. Mike from Nevada continues to hook us up as we are staying with his cousin right on the water.

We will begin to video again once we head east from here. We are closing in on a 1000 miles. Hopefully, we will only have to endure this heat for another two weeks before it starts to cool down.

We have blistered on to Wichita. It is amazing how we continue to get blisters, so apparently this is going to last the rest of the trip. The sun has been pretty brutal and all we can do is hope for some cloud coverage. I tend to look up the sky to see which direction clouds are moving and silently pray that they will move in the “right” direction to block the sun. It is partially my fault for not using as much block as I should but when the sun beats down on you for ten hours a day there isn’t much you can do about it. Also, you are never really in the mood to reapply suntan lotion even though you are supposed to every few hours. The only thing you can really do is just keep walking. Our pain tolerance has definitely grown as we continue to push ahead and put the discomfort out of our heads.

On the bright side, Wichita is a breath of fresh air. The converted brick buildings provide a really nice atmosphere in Old Town, Wichita, where the whole scene is. We didn’t really know what to expect but it has proven to be one of the nicest places we have seen. It is a small and clean walking city with plenty of nice bars and good places to eat. It is amazing how we can be in a corn field one day and end up in a city the next.

Continuing with the good news, today was finally a day off for us. After about 3 straight weeks of walking 25 plus miles, we were due for some recovery. It works out perfect because we can enjoy Wichita and get to explore the city. Right now we are resting in our hotel room and hiding from the sun because at this point, I never have to see that thing again.

Yesterday’s walk was pretty different because the local NBC affiliate of Wichita filmed us for about a half hour during our walk. They took plenty of shots from different angles and we gave an interview as we walked. As if we weren’t getting enough crazy stares from drivers we must have really caused a scene today. But we were happy to get the press and really hope to get a flow of donations from it.

From here we are heading dead east towards Missouri. Our first walk out of Wichita will mark the halfway point of our entire journey! Just 9 miles into the walk we will reach and cross that monumental point. We should be out of Kansas in less than a week.

It is great to keep moving closer to home but the humidity is getting worse and worse. We have been sweating instantaneously as soon as we begin our walk, but it’s definitely a trade-off we are willing to accept as we get closer to home.

Kansas has really been everything we hoped for. It is extremely flat, which has really helped heal our joints and feet. Also, it has been surprisingly more populated than we expected. We have not run into any trouble where our destination has been too far to reach in a day’s walk.
Currently, we are in Dodge City, about 120 miles into the state. We continue to push ahead as we have put together a string of impressive walks. With the help of my brother Mike and his girlfriend Christina, we were able to keep moving without having to worry about anything. Now that they have left we have Anthony’s parents to keep us going until we hit Wichita. Hopefully, we don’t run into any tornadoes but we are in tornado alley so they will be able to follow us in case any bad weather arises. We have already seen some of the craziest lightening in our lives.

The one negative I do have to say about Kansas is the smell is pretty awful. We pass 18 wheelers carrying livestock all day and the stench is putrid for about 10 seconds after each one passes. The smell seems to permeate the air and the only way to escape it is to get inside. I do not understand how people can possibly say New Jersey smells but I guess will save that for another day.

Apparently, we decided to walk across the country during the hottest summer ever recorded in history. 100 degrees has pretty much been the norm for us. As we head further east we are hitting more humidity and more flies. We have had a few gnat and mosquito attacks on our last few walks. That can be real frustrating when you are tired and sweaty and then you have bugs flying all around you.

All in all the whole process of the walk has gotten much easier. We are just under halfway through and feeling really good. We have learned to deal with the aches and pains and have picked up our pace tremendously. We may actually be able to get home closer to our original date then our new date, which would be awesome.

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It’s been about a ten days since our last blog so I’ll try to touch on the more exciting parts. The last couple days with Rob’s mom and aunts were spent in the Taos, New Mexico area where we had an awesome experience at a Native Indian Pow Wow. For anybody who doesn’t know, a Pow Wow is basically a Native American Indian celebration of dancing and singing It’s also a spiritual celebration for the natives. There are many variations of Pow Wows, but the one we attended was actually competitive with prize money. I could probably go on forever explaining the scene, but hopefully the pictures do it some justice (i’ll try to upload a video soon too). I can honestly say that it was one of the coolest things I’ve ever been a part of. Just want to thank Rob’s aunt Cassie again for speaking with the announcer and having our names called over the loud speaker. The entire night was really enjoyable.

After Eagle Nest, it was time to say goodbye to our support team for the week and it was back to the grind. Twenty five miles took us into Cimarron, an old western town with a minimal population. We knew we had a free stay at the St. James Hotel that night, but we definitely weren’t aware of the history behind it. The hotel was first built in 1872 by Henry Lambert, personal chef to President Abraham Lincoln. the St. James was visited by many famous lawmen and notorious outlaws and was the scene of many murders. A favorite saying in the area became “It appears Lambert had himself another man for breakfast.” and the usual question around Cimarron was “Who was killed at Lamberts last night?” The hotel is said to be haunted and the original bullet holes from the saloon are still in the ceiling of the bar area. It was pretty cool to see and learn about. (Thanks for setting that up Loren)

Sorry to bore you with history, but I thought some people might enjoy learning a little something new.

Anyway, from Cimarron we had 43 miles to get to Raton. We originally planned for it to be a 2 day walk but we just didn’t have it in us to pitch a tent that night. Instead, we walked all 43 miles (our longest walk to date) and crashed at a hotel around midnight. Event though we paid for it the next morning with some sore hips, we also bought ourselves a day off. The Motel 6 was pretty gross the night before so we headed to another hotel in the morning (which strangely had steam showers that we took advantage of). After a day of rest, we were able to walk 37 miles to the ghost town of Folsom pretty easily. Expecting another miserable night in a tent, we had an unexpected encounter with a woman named Amy who let us sleep in a trailer she used to live in next to a church. A few dead bugs on your mattress doesn’t matter once you’ve experienced a restless night in a tent. The trailer also saved us from waking up in a puddle because it poured that night.

It was nice waking up the next morning knowing we only had a 16 mile walk over the border into Colorado. We had been in contact with Branson, CO weeks before and we knew they were going to take care of us once we arrived. As we approached the border a reporter named Tim Keller was there waiting to take some pictures of us as we crossed into our fourth state. When we made it to Branson we met the mayor, did an interview with Tim for a local newspaper, and met with Rachel Snyder. Rachel is an author who is also heavily involved with rebuilding the town of Branson. She did so much for us in the couple of days we were there. She even made her latest blog post about us which I really enjoyed reading. Not just because it was about us, but more because it was a great piece of writing with so much truth behind it. I’m leaving the link here for you to click on – it’s definitely worth taking the time to read.
what two guys from new jersey can teach you about ‘inspired action only’

In Branson, we also had what might have been our best experience of the trip so far. Rachel introduced us to Willard and Mary Ann Louden, an older married couple who are also both artists. They showcase an art gallery in their attic that Willard built with family a little while back. Unfortunately for Willard, he was diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease recently, but that hasn’t stopped him for doing what he loves. He’s the kindest, gentlest man and his spirit shines right through. Aside from his artistic talents he’s also a geologist, a world traveler, and even knows how to fly a plane. We probably could have sat there for hours listening to stories of his life experiences.

We first planned to stay in Branson a second night after Rachel had offered to do a pick-up and drop-off but our friend Casey, who we studied abroad with in Florence, came to visit from the Boulder, CO area. Although we only had lunch planned, her and her friend Cara showed up with a bunch of food and supplies we needed too. It was a huge help because we weren’t going to see civilization for a couple of days. The following day they dropped us off at Kim, CO where we had 52 miles until Springfield. We wanted to walk 35 miles that day but a thunderstorm forced us to pitch a tent in an abandoned house 8 miles short of our goal. Another terrible night of sleep in the tent, 102 degrees of blistering heat, and ridiculously boring scenery made the rest of the walk to Springfield a living hell. On the bright side of things, we’re now only 34 miles from Kansas.

Not only are we looking forward to reaching our next state, but we also get to see family over the next 10 days. Rob’s brother Mike, along with his girlfriend Christina will be here tomorrow for a few days and my parents get here this weekend. It’s unfortunate they’ll have to suffer with a Kansas vacation but I’m sure they’re going to be thrilled to see us healthy.

Rob and I would like to dedicate this blog post to Theresa M. Cucinello, a Nutley Thriving Survivors Member who passed away earlier today after a long struggle with breast cancer. She was a lifelong resident of Nutley and graduated from NHS and raised her family in Nutley as well. Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends.