The day began with another "great" breakfast at our Okoboji suite. We headed to Fort Defiance under a beautiful blue sky and warm temperatures. The park was small, but had a nice paved road and all went well. After completing the mile we headed to the 95th and final park located near Dolliver, Iowa.
Okamanpedan State Park did not disappoint. It was small, located next to a lake, with only one rough road. And, it was gravel. What a fitting way to end this mission. We have ridden on many types of surfaces, during this park tour, and a little gravel was not going to hinder our day.
While preparing for the ride, Tom and Rene Thiel showed up to celebrate the completion of our last ride. They had driven over 180 miles (one way) from Carlisle, Iowa to be here for the final ride. Tom even brought his bicycle so he could fully participate. They also brought a cooler of "adult beverages" so we could toast the completion of mile number 95. Thanks Tom and Rene! It was "special" that you took the time and effort to be there.
After departing the park we headed for Clear Lake, Iowa. Here, we met Bruce and Sandy Davison for introductions and ice cream. Bruce had contacted us after we started our "Pedal the Parks" campaign. He has suffered from Meniere's for twenty (20) years, and was looking for better answers to his questions. We directed him to the University of Iowa Hospitals. After many tests and evaluations, Bruce was scheduled to have a Cochlear Implant. After his surgery, on June 4th, he seems to be doing fine. He feels Patty and her experiences, are highly responsible for given him a "new" lease on life. Our time, with the Davison's, was quite enjoyable. It was also quite humbling to see how our efforts have made a difference.
Our drive back to Altoona was filled with several reminiscing stories about the last several months.
It has been very challenging and rewarding. Many of the ninety-five (95) parks were beautiful, many were in dis-repair. Some had very nice paved roadways and trails, others had gravel, dirt, grass, or weeded trails. Some had NO roads, trails, or even picnic tables or benches. A few were never found, and a few were very hard to find. Several parks were located by lakes, rivers, or streams. Many had rentable cabins. Most had campgrounds.
The people we met were very friendly and helpful. Some donated money. Others sent in donations or used the website. Some people knew someone who had Meniere's, others had never heard of it. A few people claimed to know how to ride a unicycle. No one demonstrated. Most people liked Patty's trike and thought it "looked like fun and was the way to go."
We started this adventure on March 17th. We completed it September 7th. Since I am working full time, most parks were ridden on the weekends. Over the six (6) month period, we rode a park or parks on twenty-seven (27) days, averaging 3.5 parks a day. A few days I only rode in one (1) park. The best day I completed seven (7) miles. The worst day I fell and seriously sprained my wrist, but finished six (6) parks anyway. The justification was that "I didn't need to use my hand to ride a unicycle." This was poor judgment, since I used the same hand to break a fall in the sixth park that day, which did more damage. Our van has acquired an additional 6,510 miles as well. The four (4) corners of Iowa, are not that close to our home.
All in all, it has been a wonderful experience. We will continue to raise money for Meniere's research in hopes to one day find a cure. Our "Pedal the Parks" experience has given us a springboard to expand on what we have started. Hopefully, people will continue to support these efforts by logging on to our website at www.givetoiowa.org/burkey Thanks for sharing in our rides!
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Estherville, Iowa |
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Park #95 in Dolliver, Iowa |
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Sharing the ride with Tom Thiel |
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Time to Celebrate the Completion |
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"WE DID IT!!!!" |
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Bruce Davison and Patty -- Meniere's Sufferers |
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Please Continue to Support our Vision for a Meniere's Cure |
