A Time to Ride

Dave Thompson from Marriage Equality NY

Pier 45

Friends, Connie, Michelle, Ruthie and Natalie

The bike path along the Hudson River

The Statue of Liberty over Carrie's left shoulder

Lee Gorman of Fast and Fabulous

The press conference after the ride at Pier 45

Lots of cameras

Speaking at the PFLAG meeting

Clowning around with the film crew at Times Square

The Proclamation from the New York City Council

Dave Wheitner and Carrie

Councilman Bill Peduto

Bob Sette

making posters for the protest

Cheney protesters

taking a break with wall-eye film crew

getting ready for the parade

marchers from the wedding float in front of  us

In the WFHB studio

Our hosts, Buff and Jerry

On the Capital steps with organizer, Cecilia

On the Capital Steps with Abe

Presenter Allan Cook

The winner is...   At the CORAL picnic with DJ Jane & Partner.

Cutting the cake at the GLAD potluck with Jim Barr

At the Sunday morning MCC Church dedication

the Katy Trail

With Mo and Barbara at MoKaBe's

Candidate Jeff Smith

Ken Haller, MD, President of the Board of Directors of the GLBT Medical Association, and Rabbi Susan Talve, of the Central Reform Congregation.

The Salt Lake City Tribune

San Francisco pictures.  Click for a larger image

With one of the Sisters above

Posing with Marina, her two moms, and Assemblyman, Mark Leno after the 5K run

Shot of the crowd at Golden Gate Park

Carrie and Travis, organizer of the event

The long journey begins after dipping our toes in the Pacific Ocean just south of the Golden Gate Bridge

Awesome

Sacramento

Claude, Texas.  Here's a picture of a genuine rodeo bullrider/mechanic who did a great job fixing our RV at a reasonable price at Keith's Service Station.

Friday, April 9

Gassed up and ready to go.

With Zeke Fread from DontAmend Tampa Bay.

Interview with Chris from Channel 8 News.  Keith Wilson on right.

A Time to Ride: THE DOCUMENTARY

(scroll down to read the Journal and see photos below)

Award winning filmmaker, Keith Wilson (Southern Family) captured our ride on film and he has produced a documentary about our journey in the greater context of the raging marriage equality issue.  The Documentary is called A Time to Ride and will be available by September 15.  It is our hope that we can widely distribute this film – especially in swing states and in states with marriage amendments on their ballots – before the elections in November.  If you are interested in helping us to organize a viewing of the film either to a large audience or just a few friends in your own home, please contact us at (800) 891-8189 or info@RainbowLaw.com. 

Click here to see the trailer of A Time to Ride:  http://www.wall-eye.com/trailer.html 

From the website www.ATimetoRide.com: 

A Time to Ride is about the cross-country bicycle ride and marriage equality awareness campaign of married lesbian grandmothers Elisia and Carrie Ross-Stone, also known as the Rainbow Grannies. Their journey began on May 2 as they rode from San Francisco's Golden Gate Park 3,100 miles, arriving in New York City on July 10. In cities, both large and small, they held press conferences and rallies, lead bike rides, met with local elected officials and spoke to local gay and lesbian organizations. These were galvanizing events, encouraging locals to be aware and involved with the fight for marriage equality.

A Time to Ride captures the Grannies courageous and determined effort, continuing despite death threats, exhaustion, injuries and homesickness; there's a lot of drama in 3,100 miles. Viewers will meet families along the Ride's route whose lives have been negatively impacted by a lack of civil marriage rights, families who want to be protected, together, and safe. News and archival footage will be interwoven, providing context and illustrating why those public figures supporting discriminatory legislation must be removed from office.

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July 10th.  New York City!  

We arrived in New York City on Friday evening July 9.   

We got off the bikes just outside the city limits and drove the RV to park it for a few days in Brooklyn.  Now, that was a harrowing experience that we do not want to repeat any time soon! 

We called a cab (a van) and loaded it with our bikes, dogs, and all our gear and got a ride to the Colonial House Inn in Chelsea.  The Colonial House graciously provided us with free accommodations during our stay in New York City.  It is located at 318 W. 22^nd St., near the corner of 8^th Avenue. The Colonial House is a gay owned establishment in a beautiful area of town, and we highly recommend it to anyone looking for a charming and convenient place to stay while in the city.  

On Saturday morning July 10 we hopped on the bikes and rode the short distance rode to Pier 45 at the foot of Christopher Street to meet up with Bob Nelson, Lee Gorman and others members of Front Runners and of Fast and Fabulous, the local LGBT bicycling club.  Lee and Bob, along with Dave Thompson of marriage Equality New York organized this amazing event to celebrate the end of the Rainbow Ride. 

No words that we could write here could possibly describe our appreciation of their efforts.  It was a magnificent day. 

Before the rally, we took a short ride with Fast and Fabulous along the Greenway and into Manhattan.  We rode past the remains of the World Trade Center – a huge crater where the twin towers once stood – and into Battery Park where we stopped when we reached the Atlantic Ocean and a view of the Statue of Liberty.  It was awesome.  That beautiful Statue that greeted millions of immigrants to America now stood to congratulate us for completing our long journey for justice and equality. 

Returning to the Pier, we were greeted by members of the media and several of our friends from NYC, including Ruthie and Connie and Natalie and Michelle.  The Pier was decorated for the Rally with colorful flags made by Lee and Rainbow Ride banners supplied by Marriage Equality New York. 

What a fitting end to an incredible journey!  We felt exhilarated and exhausted all at once!  I don’t think we could comprehend that we had made it all the way from San Francisco until a few days later. 

The following day (Sunday, July 11) we spoke to a group at a PFLAG meeting in Manhattan.  That night, we were tourists and went to Times Square with Keith and the Wall-Eye Productions crew.  We had a blast and the realization of what we had accomplished was finally sinking in!!   

WE MADE IT!!! 

On Monday we met with members of the New York City Council at City Hall for a joint press conference with council members and Dave Thompson from Marriage Equality New York.   

The, the City Council presented us with a Proclamation!! Here is what it says:

The Council, City of New York

PROCLAMATION

Whereas, the Council of the City of New York is pleased and proud to join Marriage Equality New York in honoring Carrie and Elisia Ross-Stone for biking 3,800 miles to draw attention to the issue of marriage rights for same-sex couples; and

Whereas, it is the tradition and custom of the New York City Council to honor citizens who have enriched us with their contributions; and

Whereas, Carrie and Elisia Ross-Stone embarked on their Rainbow Ride Across America on May 2^nd in San Francisco, that took them through California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New York; and

Whereas, Carrie and Elisia’s determination to make this incredible ride springs from a deep commitment to their own family and to the cause of equality for all lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgendered (LGBT) families everywhere; and

Whereas, as they traveled through each state, they met with supporters, and tried to open a dialogue with opponents, raising awareness of how important this issue is to LGBT families and friends, and to all Americans who believe in justice; and

Whereas, today we are immensely proud to honor Carrie and Elisia Ross-Stone for their extraordinary dedications and contribution to the fight for civil marriage rights for same-sex couples.  They have truly enriched us with their presence and journey and are worthy of the esteem of all New Yorkers; now, therefore

Be it known:  That the Council of the City of New York honors Carrie and Elisia Ross-Stone for their exceptional service to the City and the entire LGBT Community, and wishes them the very best.

Signed this 12^th day of June, 2004 by Gifford Miller, Christine Quinn, Phillip Reed, and Margarita Lopez. 

After this incredible experience, we took a cab back to Brooklyn and the RV.  And…. It wouldn’t start!!   

We used our trusty jumper cables and she finally started up.  Then we took a bike ride to Brighton Beach to dip our tires into the Atlantic officially ending the 2004 Rainbow Ride Across America! 

The RV conked out again on Staten Island – we coasted right into the parking lot of a mechanic where we spent the night until he was able to fix it by the next afternoon.  Sadly we were unable to make it to our last event in Columbia Maryland but we were happy that we finished the ride on schedule and then home again safely.

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July 1st - 4th.  Pittsburgh, PA

We made it to Pittsburgh on Wednesday, June 30th.  The first thing we did was to visit our daughter, Katie, who is going to school there.  We had not seen her for over six months and she was a beautiful sight for sore eyes!

On Thursday, July 1st, an event celebrating the ride was held at the Andy Warhol Museum in Pittsburgh.  This was a homecoming for Carrie, since she was born and raised here.  Actually, she's from Mars, PA, as small town a few miles north of Pittsburgh.  See the photo with us standing by the space ship that is displayed in the Mars town square.

Speaking with us at the Warhol Museum event were Bob Sette,  of the Gay and Lesbian Community Center (who also organized a local bike ride), Pittsburgh Councilman Bill Peduto, Stacy Young of the Women's Law Project, Mike English of the Pittsburgh Urban Magnet Project, Michael Snow of Statewide PA Rights Coalition, and Reverend Janet Edwards of Presbyterian Church USA.  The event was organized and moderated by our new friend, Dave Wheitner with the help of the G.L.C.C., First UU Church, and PFLAG and the Andy Warhol Museum.

This was an incredible venue and successful event.  Dave is currently looking for work and we promised to tell all who read this that he did an amazing job  pulling this event together for us.  He and his wife Jen are wonderful supporters of our cause and community.

We stayed in Pittsburgh for the next few days .  While we were there, Dick Cheney came to town and we were able to participate in a protest outside the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall where he was speaking.  The people exiting the Cheney speech were very rude and confrontational.  Apparently they don't appreciate opposing views.

Left to right, serenade by the Raging Grannies, posing by the spaceship in Mars, Our beautiful daughter, Katie, and downtown Pittsburg from the Gateway Clipper Fleet.

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On July 5th we headed east across Pennsylvania toward New Paltz, NY.  We arrived on July 9th and we met with Mayor Jason West and UU Minister Kay Greenleaf.  Our Hosts in New Paltz were Charles and  Maurice of  the LeFevre House Inn.  They arranged for a press conference and the meeting.  Jason is a refreshing and idealistic young man who is clearly unaffected by his sudden fame (he was named by People Magazine as one of the 10 most eligible bachelors).  That afternoon we headed south toward NYC.

From left to right, posing on our bikes with Jason West and Kay Greenleaf, Keith Wilson with camera, The steps of LeFevre House Inn, Charles and Kay.

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June 26th.  Columbus, Ohio.

We arrived in Columbus two days early after an easy ride on Route 40.  Resting up before the big weekend of Pride Celebration, we found a perfect place to park on the street near the festivities.  On Thursday we stopped into Stonewall Columbus to meet with Kelley Pinkleton, Director of Programming for Stonewall who is coordinating the Pride Celebrations.  The Center is abuzz with preparations.  Everyone was very nice and we felt warm and welcomed.

Since we had spare time, we decided to get a look at Columbus.  It is a great city - Rainbow Flags abound! 

Friday, June 25th.  We spoke tonight at the Rockin' In the Streets concert..  Susan Powter was the MC and Bitch and Animal were the main attraction.  We stayed out too late!

Saturday, June 26th.  The Parade!  We decorated ourselves as bike'n brides and our bicycles with signs and rainbow stuff.  We pushed our bicycles in the parade and had an incredible experience!  We had no idea how large the parade or how supportive the community would be. We were behind a giant wedding cake float with various wedding related tunes wafting in the air, blending with the sights and sounds of the magnificent parade.  People in the streets cheered when the Wedding March played.  Many anti-gay protesters were present, but even with bullhorns, the cheers drowned them out.

Sunday, June 27th.  We had a speaking event at a PFLAG meeting where met with the mother and sister of our friend, Travis.  It was great speaking to such a supportive and activist group of parents and friends.  We really need their support.

Spending Sunday night in Columbus and departing early on Monday morning, continuing on 40, we made it to Zanesville where we spent Monday night.  In Zanesville, we got onto 22 toward Pittsburgh, Carrie's home town, where things got hilly again.

left, the stage at Gay Pride, right, meeting at PFLAG

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June 19th.  Indianapolis, Indiana.

From Bloomington we headed on to Indianapolis along Route 37.  We arrived on Saturday, June 19th.  There we met with a small group of supporters at Out Word Bound Books at 625 North East Street.  Visit their website at http://www.outwordbound.com.  We spent the night at WalMart (our favorite campground), then headed east on 400 on Sunday morning.  Still very warm (mid 80's) and humid so we are riding early and stopping by mid-day.

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June 17th.  Bloomington, Indiana.

We were interviewed on Blooming OUT Radio.  Be sure to tune in to Blooming OUT, Indiana's only weekly radio show dedicated to the LGBT community.  Blooming OUT can be heard every Thursday from 6-7 pm on WFHB, 91.3 and 98.1.  You can also hear them at www.shoutcast.com or iTunes.  They plan to do a follow up interview after the ride is finished.

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June 11th - 13th.  Springfield, Illinois.

We left St. Louis on Sunday morning, riding past the Arch, and across the Mississippi River into Illinois.  We spent Sunday evening in Alton, IL, before heading northeast to Beaver Dam State Park, arriving there on Monday evening.  On Wednesday, we were joined by members of CORAL (the Coalition of Rainbow Alliances), a group of LGBT organizations providing a means of networking and coming together to coordinate events and programs for the greater Central Illinois community.  Our primary hosts for the Springfield event were Buff Carmichael, editor of Prairie Flame, a local LGBT newspaper, and his partner, Jerry.  The Prairie Flame offers news, information, resources, and referrals to LGBT families throughout central Illinois (http://www.prairieflame.biz).

On Thursday we rode our bicycles to Springfield and made our way to Mr. Lincoln's Campground.  On Friday morning we participated in a rally on the Capital steps, standing at the foot of a statue of Abe Lincoln, a champion of freedom, justice and equality.

That afternoon we spoke to a group of employees at Wells Fargo where we described our family, and explained to the mixed gathering of gay and straight employees, why legal protections are so important to LGBT families.  This talk may have been one of the most important of our campaign.  We have received positive feedback from the organizers that their supervisors and coworkers felt compelled to rethink their belief systems and are committed to sharing what they learned with other employees, friends, and family members.

On Friday evening, we were hosted by Jack Bishop, executive director of the Phoenix Center (http://www.phoenixcenter.net), an incredible resource for the LGBT and straight community.  The center offers free health screenings, counseling, and STD and HIV testing.  They also provide a safe place for LGBT youth to gather.  If all of this is not enough, they offer showers, laundry facilities, internet access, and even a good pantry for community members in need.

On Saturday morning, we enjoyed a relaxing potluck breakfast organized by Cecilia Hassis at the Abraham Lincoln Unitarian Universalist Congregation (ALUUC).  At noon we spoke at the CORAL picnic where music was provided by DJ Jane Feagans-King.  Afterward we were presented with a certificate proclaiming us as honorary members of the Springfield LGBT Community!  What an honor!

That evening, we were escorted to nearby Decatur, IL, to speak at a potluck held at the Gay and Lesbian Association of Decatur (GLAD).  Thanks to Jim Barr and Linda Schoeder or organizing the event and for the beautiful cake decorated with bicycles!

On Sunday morning, we returned to the ALUUC to speak at the service before being whisked off to attend the Sunday morning MCC service for a chance to address the congregation.  Our visit coincided with the dedication of a beautiful new church where our new friend, Allen cook, will lead the services.

After our whirlwind visit to central Illinois, we spend a day resting before hopping back on our bikes to head east to Indiana.  The weather has been very humid and hot with early morning and afternoon showers everyday this week.  The creeks and ponds are flooded over, thus making the riding dreary.

Above are some pictures of some wonderful people and their families in Springfield.

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June 5th & 6th. St. Louis, Missouri.

We were riding along Route 50 in Missouri, bemoaning the road conditions and lack of shoulder, when we decided to stop for lunch at the Katy State Park in Sedalia, MO.  Low and behold (!), we discovered that the park is a stop along the State-wide Katy Trail, a cross-state, "rails-to-trails" bike path stretching all the way to a suburb of St. Louis!  Of course we decided to follow the trail, and had a lovely week of riding.

Arriving in St. Louis, we were invited to a gathering at MoKaBe's Coffee House on Arsenal and Grand.  In the midst of the amazing ambience, we spoke to the community along with representatives of the Constitution Defense League (http://www.constitutiondefenseleague.org), and Jeff Smith, a candidate for the Missouri House (www.jeffsmith2004.com).  Jeff is a staunch supporter of equal civil marriage rights and other progressive issues.  As you probably know, the Missouri Legislature passed a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage.  The amendment will appear on the August primary ballot.  All eyes will be on Missouri - the first state to vote on an anti-gay marriage amendment -- to see  whether Missourians will support the LGBT community and reject the mean spirited and oppressive amendment.  If you're interested in getting involved, please contact Barbara Woodruff by phone at 314-577-0484, or email at barbarawoodruff@email.com .

While we camped in St. Louis, we received two thinly veiled death threats:  one by fax, and one by phone.  The fax originated from a source calling himself, "A Fisher of Men."  Both the fax and the phone (caller ID indicated an "unknown caller") from a man with a husky voice, quoted biblical passages claiming that God celebrates, "the death of the wicked."

The threats are indicative of the consequences of what happens when a group of people are cast aside and dismissed as undeserving of legal rights and protections. And, although we were a bit frightened, we are more determined to continue with our campaign.  After all, we must be making a difference or else why would anyone bother to try to stop us?

     Crossing the Mississippi into Illinois.

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May 29th - June 1st. Topeka, KS

We rode into Topeka, KS along Route 24.  We are determined to dispel one particular myth about Kansas and that is that the entire state is FLAT!  We discovered that the "red hills" run the entire length of the Northern portion of Kansas!  We also discovered that the people of Kansas are lovely, considerate and extraordinarily helpful.

On Saturday May 29, we were hosted by the Topeka Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) for a speaking event with Tiffany Mueller of the Equal Justice Coalition, and Paul Evans, the MCC Minister.  Our host for the event was organizer Tom Cyphert who introduced us. 

We had a small but powerful gathering and afterward we all decided to use the timing of our visit to Topeka to attend, en masse, the Topeka City Council meeting the following Tuesday.  The purpose was to  confront Topeka Mayor James A. McClinton and members of the City Council after they refused to meet with us in person.

On Sunday morning, May 30 we attended service at the MCC Church where we had another opportunity to talk about the ride and our mission.  Afterward we shared breakfast with Reverend Paul, Donna and other members of the church (thanks to Donna for treating us to breakfast) and later that afternoon we rode to the Westboro Baptist Church (Fred Phelps' compound) where we had a brief demonstration in front of his "church."   Later that same Sunday we protested again at a Phelps favorite protest spot, the corner of Gage Avenue at Gage Park.  Passers-by waved and honked enthusiastically in support of us, the anti-Phelps protesters! We feel the protest sent a powerful message to Topekans to take back their City.

On Tuesday night June 1, we attended the City Council meeting.  As we waited outside for the meeting to begin, Fred's troops began to gather and then surround us with their despicable hate-filled placards.  Their purpose was to silence and intimidate us but they failed to do so.

At the meeting we read a statement that included a quote from George W. Bush, spoken just one week earlier to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Brown vs. the Board of Education.  Bush said: "We honor those who expose our failures, correct our course, and make us a better people. "  "On this day, in this place, we remember with gratitude the good souls who saw a great wrong, and stood their ground, and won their case.  And we  celebrate a milestone in the history of our glorious nation."

In our statement we called upon the Mayor and the City Council of Topeka to take Bush's words to heart as they considered the request of the LGBT community to be included in the definition of a protected class for the purpose of employment and housing protection.

We asked them also to reflect upon their own legacy and to decide whether they want to be remembered as a person who stood in the way of LGBT equality or as a "good soul who saw a great wrong" and did something about it.

The good news is that the Kansas Equal Justice Coalition and Unity Boulevard decided to use the opportunity of our visit to reintroduce their request  to amend an ordinance to protect  LGBT citizens from employment and housing discrimination on account of their minority status. We hope that the council will see that this protection is long overdue and that when compared to marriage equality, it seems like a no-brainer.

Our Documentary Film Maker, Keith Wilson couldn't resist putting down his camera and getting involved in the protest.  Please visit his website, http://www.wall-eye.com/ and read about his plans for the Rainbow Ride 2004 documentary he's creating.

The last picture on the left is of our host in Topeka, Tom Cyphert.  To view some of the other photos he sent to us, click here

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To our amazement, as we were making our way across Kansas to Topeka, we rode right past the world's largest ball of twine in Cawker City!  Here is the store front across the street, and Keith paying homage. 

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May 23rd. Laramie, WY.

Joe Osborne of the University of Wyoming in Laramie was our host and tour guide.  First Joe drove us by the Fireside Lounge, the site where Harris and McKinney picked up Matt and drove off with him (see photo, second from the top at left).  After the tour of Laramie we met up with a group of friends, some who knew Matt, some who didn't, for a relaxing day off and picnic in the park.  After the picnic, we rode out to the remote and isolated spot when Matt's murderers left him to die. The photos below, in order from left to right show the view of the last thing Matthew Shepard saw as he was tied to the fence.  The middle photo shows the spot where Matt lay bleeding, and where the homemade memorial was destroyed and scattered.  The next photo shows Elisia holding a stone with the word, "FORGIVE" etched on the underside.

At first blush, Matt Sheppard's ordeal may seem unrelated to the issue of marriage equality, however we believe that it is important to remember the extreme consequences of homophobic and bigoted laws that treat a minority group differently.  We hope we did not offend you.  Our visit to Laramie merely inspired us and made us more determined than ever.

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May 21st and 22nd. Fort Collins and Longmont, CO

We arrived in Ft. Collins after a difficult but thrilling ride through the Rockies.  Not only was the scenery breathtaking, the wildlife was incredible (we passed by two moose calves and a mountain lion the size of a golden retriever!).

Adam Bowen organized a speaking event at the Lambda Center in Ft. Collins where we talked to a group of LGBT Coloradoans, and later to another group of Straight Allies at the coffee shop next door. 

On Saturday morning we were joined by a group of cyclists headed by Jacob, who rode 33 miles with us to Longmont, CO, where the author of the Federal Marriage Amendment, Marilyn Musgrave, has an office.  We rode into a park where we were greeted by Gay and Lesbian Families, some of whom brought their children.  We all had photos taken of our families and then we carried them a few blocks to the office of Marilyn Musgrave, sponsor of the mean-spirited Federal Marriage Amendment, the amendment that. for the first time in American history  would write discrimination into the constitution.  At Musgrave's office we had an opportunity to speak about the ride and then we all took a turn to write a note to Musgrave next to our photo on a poster-sized "greeting card"  which we left.

Thanks to Abby and Teva, of Civil Rights Now who organized the rally and protest in front of Musgrave's office.  The photos to the left depict, from the top, Acacia, the youngest ever winner of they Rainbow Duck hat raffle.  The remaining photos show the rally, the greeting card, and some of the cyclists at the park at the end of the ride.

After a great lunch with some members of the group, we drove off for a side trip to visit Laramie, Wyoming, in memory of Matthew Shepard.  We believe there is a connect between laws that promote anti-equality and homophobia driven violence.  When a society condones and promotes unequal treatment of a minority, homophobes may feel entitled and encouraged to victimize our community.  Matthew Shepard paid the ultimate price for a society based on bigotry and oppression.

A special thank you to Deb Funk from Sprockets and Spokes for your generous and thoughtful contribution.  www.geocities.com/sprocketsandspokes .

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Incredible  scenery in northern Colorado.  We left SLC on 80, went south to get on 40 and entered Colorado at Dinosaur.  A big thank you to Gerri and Bob Eddy from Pensacola for suggesting that we take Route 14 into Fort Collins.  It was a beautiful ride through Muddy Pass, and over Cameron Pass (just over 10,000 feet).  After Cameron Pass, it was downhill to Fort Collins, and goodbye to the Rockies.

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May  14th - 16th, Salt Lake City.

We arrived in Salt Lake City on Friday, May 14th where we rode to the front steps of City Hall and were greeting by a crowd of cheering supporters and the press.  About 10 minutes after we arrived, Salt Lake City's Mayor, Rocky Anderson stepped out of his office and congratulated us on our ride and offered us words of support and encouragement.  When the mayor went back inside, we and other speakers from Equality Utah addressed the crowd.  Afterward we rode off again to cheers.  It was incredibly inspiring and we felt extraordinarily privileged to be a part of such an amazing event.  Later that day, we were escorted to our suite at the Pierry Hotel.

Thanks so much to Michael, Brandon, and Chad of SL Metro for giving us the gay tour of SLC, for treating us to the lap of luxury, including a two room suite, complete with room service and a therapeutic massage.  These incredible guys also helped us raise much needed funding (especially after the expensive RV repairs), and they pampered us and showed us an amazing time.  Thanks to Laurie Mecham and Swerve for hosting our dinner on Saturday night, and for giving us an opportunity to speak to their group at the LGBT Center. 

In the two photos on the top left, Carrie, Elisia and Keith are out on the town with the SL Metro gang and Joe, the owner of the Trapp.  The next photo shows the article and photo in the Salt Lake City Tribune with Mayor Anderson.  The photo on the bottom is the plaque and Key to the Empire presented to us by The Royal Court of the Golden Spike Empire. 

A special thanks to the sweet  woman who literally gave us the shirt off her back -- you know who you are!

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After leaving Reno, we returned to Carson City where we got back on 50 and rode to Fallon, NV to spend the night.  It was 90 degrees when we went to bed, so decided to get an early start the following morning to beat the desert heat.  As you can see by the two pictures on the left above, the weather made a quick change by late morning.  Here we are gassing up in Cold Springs, one of the few existing pony express stations that remains on this historic route.  On the right are a few shots of Eureka, NV, where we were able to get on line at a local library.

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May 7th and 8th, Reno, NV

We arrived in Reno on Friday, May 7th, barely making it up the pass from Carson City.  The RV was still overheating so we took it once again to a mechanic and this time the diagnosis was a bad catalytic converter.  This turned out to be true and after another $500 mechanic bill, we have been problem free (knock on wood) ever since.  That night we were treated by our hosts, Puff and Brook (top left photo) to a tour of the city and a trip to a casino for their famous buffet dinner.  The next day we participated in a rally with the Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada (PLAN), Nevada Young Activist Project (NYAP), the League of Young Pissed Off Voters, the NAACP, as well as with representatives from the Hispanic and Native American communities.  The energy created was very inspiring and powerful.  We felt, more than ever, that together, traditionally oppressed groups of people can find common ground and work together on issues that are important to all of us -- equality and justice!

The excitement of the morning rally carried into an afternoon event at Dreamers Coffee House, where we again spoke about our ride and mission.  The long day finally ended at a barbeque at the home of  Assemblywoman, Sheila Leslie.  A special thanks to Bob Fulkerson of PLAN and Inger McDowell of NYAP for their support and hard work in making our visit in Reno a success.

On Sunday, we headed east along Route 50 toward our next destination, Salt Lake City, Utah.

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Riding through the Sierra's.  Lake Tahoe, Gathering Sage in Nevada

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May 4th, Sacramento, CA.

Two days later we arrived in Sacramento where we began to have serious problems with the RV.  Although the temperature gauge remained normal, the engine and floor were very hot and we were having difficulty making it up hills.  We were contacted by a friend, Barbara Moore, who lives in Sacramento, who recommended that we take the RV to her mechanic.  It was diagnosed as needing a new radiator since the old one was clogged.  Thank you so much to Barbara for her help and contribution to the costs of the repair bill which was over $800!  Here we are with Barbara at a local bookstore in the picture on the left.  Leaving Sacramento we rode past Folsom prison and made it to Placerville, where we spent the night.  The next day, continuing on 50, we began to climb over the Sierra Nevada's, along the Pony Express Trail.

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SAN FRANCISCO - May 2nd through May 5th.  A perfectly sunny and warm day in San Francisco marked the start of the second Rainbow Ride Across America!  Thanks so much to Mollie, Travis, Davina, Assemblyman Mark Leno, Marina, Anna, Susan, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, and to everyone who gave us such an enthusiastic send-off.

After an awesome blessing (complete with fairy-dust) by the Sisters, we rode off into Golden Gate Park under an archway of lavender and white balloons.

Our first stop was to Baker Beach where we ceremoniously dipped our toes into the Pacific Ocean.  Next, we rode over he magnificent Golden Gate Bridge and headed to Marin. The temperature hopped up to over 90 degrees once we rode into Sausalito and it was a battle with traffic the remainder of the day.

We made it all the way to Vallejo where we spent the first night in a parking lot of an all night gym.  We got very little sleep that first night.  Cars were driving in and out of the parking lot and at 3:00 am, I (Carrie) was outside with one of the dogs when I was approached by someone coming out of the bushes asking for money!  Very scary.

On Monday, we headed east, roughly following I-80 through Napa and Vacaville, riding through beautiful and bicycle friendly Davis near the end of the day.  I have never seen so many bicycles and such an intricate network of bike trails and paths!  Every city should be like this!

No overnight parking at a single Wal-Mart we passed so we spent the night at an all night gas station.  We asked the clerk for permission which he granted only if we promised to be gone when his boss arrived at 6:00 am.

Tuesday we rode through West Sacramento and then into downtown Sacramento to see the Governor's Office.  The traffic was horrible and although the signs encourage drivers to share the road we had a few hair-raising close calls.

In Sacramento, we began to have additional problems with the RV, namely over heating and loss of power going up hills.  On Tuesday afternoon we took the RV to a garage where we spent the night and in the morning had the radiator replaced at a cost of $800.00!  W left Sacramento feeling optimistic about the car but were distraught o discover the problem continued on Thursday as we rode through Placerville and Pollock Pines along route 50.

We called our friends in Reno and will have it checked out by their mechanic this weekend, but we are getting nervous about whether he RV will make it all the way across the country again.

We have been riding steadily uphill since we left Folsom, CA (home of the prison made famous by Johnny Cash).  This morning I am sitting along Route 50, writing this as Elisia rides.  There are tall green pines and logging trucks.  This is the place where the legend of Paul Bunyon was conceived.

The route we were going to take (Mormon Emigrant Trail) remains closed for the winter and snow is still visible on the mountaintops.  We have an all-day upward climb today, but will be rewarded with a long downhill to Carson City.

We will be in Reno later tonight (we are leaving the bike trail to drive there from Carson City) or early tomorrow.

Not surprising that none of the Reno City Council nor the May has agreed to meet with us.  Nevertheless, we will call a press conference and let the media know that their elected officials are not willing to sit down with a couple of grandmas to discuss the issue.

More to follow!

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  Santa Fe, New Mexico.  We went slightly off route to visit Atma Wiseman and Joy Silver and see the progress of Rainbow Vision, a gay and lesbian retirement community and assisted living facility about to break ground in Santa Fe.  Imagine living out your years in the beautiful south west in a community of gay and lesbian residents and staff.  For more information, visit www.rainbowvisionprop.com.  Space is still available, but going fast.   Here we are at the actual site below.

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Photos of Camp Sister Spirit (April 9th) below

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 April 4th.  Although it's sad to say goodbye to our family and friends, we are relieved to finally begin our journey west on the Pinellas Bike Trail in St. Petersburg, FL.  We are met by Zeke Fread of the Tampa Bay Chapter of Don'tAmend.com, Chris Taylor from Channel 8 News (WFLA), and Keith Wilson, a documentary film maker from San Francisco who is interested in our story.  We selected this departure site because of nostalgic reasons (we rode daily when we lived in St. Pete), and because the trail gives us the opportunity to climb "hills" (a rarity in Florida) as it rises over intersections.  We are relieved that our leg muscles, although we've been mostly sedentary since January, were able to carry us over with ease.  We look forward to the 20-40 mile rides as we travel west to begin the Rainbow Ride Across America at Golden Gate Park in San Francisco. Photos at left.

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March 24th.  The time is flying by as we make last minute contacts with the organizations and groups in the towns and cities we're riding through. We're trying to  finalize our plans so that we can send press releases and update our web site calendar.  The RV goes in tomorrow morning for a few minor repairs and a brake check.  We're taking bins to a storage space we just rented for the things we don't have room to take. The plan is to leave for our ride west on April 2nd, beginning at the lower end of the Pinellas Trail in St. Petersburg, and taking turns riding and driving the RV.  Our first stop is in Pensacola where we were invited by Rev. Bob Eddy to speak to a group at the UU Church on the 7th.  We're going to use the extra time getting there to ride everyday (to train), and assess the RV and equipment.  We hope to be self contained, cooking, taking showers, getting on line with a wireless connection.  Hopefully we will be able to get everything working before we leave for the "actual ride" on May 1st.