Day 1 - Rancho Cucamonga, CA to Phoenix, AZ

Today was beyond belief. I have cried, laughed, sweated, met new friends and heard some incredible stories. It has been a long day and tomorrow is going to be the same. I have so much to share. I will try to be brief so I can sleep and you won't be bored. 

Let's start with the tip-of-the-day: when the 10 minute horn blows you better have a full tank of gas and an empty bladder. Good stuff to know. 

Our first gas up was an experience, truly an organizational miracle, 200+ bikes gassed and back on the road in 30 minutes.  There are so many bikes and they pull in so close, it gets a little hairy. When we stopped in Blythe while waiting in line to get gas, I jumped off the bike ran into the mini-market bought two Diet Cokes and was back on the bike before Don was finished gassing up. So happy to get my diet coke fix. 

I think I'll finish today's blog post with a:

Today's Heroes Board

Meet Sam-he served 32 years in Vietnam and Desert Storm. Recipient of 4 Purple Hearts. Sam is super friendly and has been very kind to us. 

Meet Cory - he served 10 tours in Afghanistan before suffering a serious injury. Cory was brought to the dinner in Phoenix by his parents. What a sacrifice this family has made. 

We met so many heroes today and heard so many stories. I can't blog them all. I will have to save some of them for "Riding For The Wall - The Book". Hopefully it will be out this year. 

I am grateful to participate in this year's ride to the wall. I am humbled to see and hear the sacrifices made by so many so I can enjoy the wonderful blessing of living in this free country. Please share the two heroes I have posted here don't let their service be forgotten or go unnoticed. Until tomorrow!