ODESSA, Fla. — Don Coffey already biked across the country, trekking through the southern states three years ago. But this summer, he was ready for another challenge.
“And I said it would be cool to go across the northern states," the 67-year-old said.
So he and his daughter Liz did just that. With Don’s wife Susan following along in an RV, they rode from the tip of Cape Cod to the Pacific Coast in Washington State, making it through 13 states in 74 days and averaging 30-50 miles a day.
“We touched all the great lakes on this ride," Don said. "We crossed the Mississippi river, the Missouri. We went to Glacier National Park, which was awe-inspiring.”
Susan stated that they "had a lot of determination."
“A lot of grit," she continued. "Good sense of humor. I knew they could do it. But it was really an awesome accomplishment."
But there was more to the trip than sightseeing. The Coffeys used the ride to raise money for the Wounded Warrior Project, inspired by their son who is an army veteran.
“Fortunately Tom never got hurt," Don said. "But some of his pals did. Wounded Warrior is a great organization. They help wounded vets get back on their feet."
Don said that while this was the best summer of his life, he’s already thinking about his next ride.
