Day 3 of 22.
From Turlock to Ontario. Our route took us down Hwy 99 to Interstate 5. We summited the Grapevine in what felt like subzero weather. Temps weren’t much better in Ontario, but our spirits were warmed by the welcoming smiles and hugs we received at check in.
We quickly learned that life with the Run For The Wall isn’t much different than life in the Military. These folks have planning, logistics, chain of command, and guidelines down to a T. They have waiting in line down too! We got to wait in the same line twice after being sent away to get missing paperwork from a table we’d missed on our way in. It’s familiar in so many ways. I could be wrong but I believe this is by design to make Veterans participating in the Run feel more at home. I think the logistics of the event are where the parallels to the military will end. Never in the military did someone give me a hug and say “Welcome” upon my arrival.
I wasn’t at all sure of how I’d feel when I arrived, so it wasn’t a surprise when emotion overcame me a bit upon meeting some of the folks who’ve I’ve spoken to by phone. These amazing volunteers have extended themselves to make my experience extremely special. For that I am very grateful.
We dropped Dad’s bike at Mountain Motorsports to fix the charging issue. They will look 
at it tomorrow. A shout out to the staff there for letting me wash my bike and providing the towels for me to dry it.
Once the Run officially starts on Wednesday morning, I’m not sure how much I’ll actually blog. Some days will be very long. I’ll do my best. It’s my goal to keep all of my friends and loved ones up to date on what is happening with us.