By: Annika Nygren
Day 30: Yes friends and family of Apogee, it is the day you’ve all been waiting for… Fun Fact Friday! I would like to preface this by saying I did not know all of these facts off the top of my head and that Google search engine was a huge supporter in my endeavors today. I hope that as you check in on your child/ trip of interest, you may learn something just as I did! Whether it be something about the town/ state, or something totally irrelevant that’s just fun to keep in your back pocket as a conversation starter at your next family event, I hope that you enjoy Apogee’s first Fun Fact Friday!
Cape Cod and the Islands (CI): Emily and Will are back! And more ready than ever to take on their third, and final, Cape Cod and the Islands trip! Fun fact and a little American history for you:The first landing of the Pilgrims in the New World took place on the Cape on November 11, 1620. The Pilgrims stayed five weeks in Provincetown before sailing across Cape Cod Bay to Plymouth.
Our newest Capers – welcome, friends!
New England Mountains and Coast (NEMC): Matt and Midge (aka M&M) are gathering their final group of kids for another fabulous trip of hiking, rafting and high ropes course-ing (I know that’s not a verb but I tried to make it one in order to keep the flow of my listing.) Fun fact about New Hampshire: Of the thirteen original colonies, and known for its rugged individualism and independent streak, New Hampshire was the first to declare its independence from England — a full six months before the Declaration of Independence was signed.
They fought the Friday afternoon traffic leaving Boston – and they won!
Coast to Quebec (CQA): Today’s schedule involves hopping off of the bikes and jumping into life jackets today for rafting on the Kennebec River! Mary and Mike’s group crushed the rapids and were excited to learn that Fun Fact! The Kennebec River is 170-miles long and runs in it’s entirety within the state of Maine – it was also used by General Benedict Arnold to transport troops up to Quebec City where he laid an ultimately unsuccessful siege against the British (before he swapped sides, of course…) during the American Revolution.
Coast to Quebec (CQB): First big 55-mile ride day today!! Long stretch in rural Maine to Jackman today with some pretty incredible views and odd statue of a winged moose. Fun fact about moose: it is the state animal of Maine as the state is home to the second largest population of moose (30,000) in the country, behind Alaska. 
Fun fact: I have no idea what the meaning behind this winged moose it…but I do find it very a-moosing – HA!
Maine’s Downeast Explorer (DEX): Another beautiful day in Acadia for Erin and Marino’s group. Fun fact! Acadia is the oldest American National Park east of the Mississippi River and the very first where the land was donated to federal government. Also, since these guys are in Maine for the entirety of their trip, they should be aware that in Maine, it is illegal to own an armadillo.. It is, however, okay to own an alligator but it is illegal to walk one in public.
Oh, yeah – sun’s out, guns out! Seriously, fellas, put those away before someone gets hurt!
Montana Service Adventure (MSA): Shots from service today and lunch yesterday! Hannah and Opie’s group is in Helena, Montana – which is, of course, the state with (fun fact!) the largest number of different mammal species!
Northwest Explorer (NWX): Oh, and they are off and into the back country. Izzy and John’s group are heading deep into Olympic National Parks woods, which extend almost 1 million acres (the exact measurement is 922,000 acres or 1,441 square miles) and the park is also home to 13 separate rivers! Here are a couple of tide-over pics that Izzy sent us yesterday before heading into the woods.
OK, guys – seriously – which way?
Pacific Coast (PCA): Riding to Humbug Mountain State Park led to Jeanne and Matt’s group spotting quintessential Oregon views! … and weird dinosaur statues at a dinosaur park! (whatever that is..). Fun fact – scientists estimate that the Tyrannosaurus Rex could top out at about 25 MPH – meaning that our groups, as quick as they are, would need a bit of a head-start to outrun a T-Rex were they to race to San Francisco.
Guys – watch out! There’s a huuuge dinosaur right behind you – this is no time for pictures!
Pacific Coast (PCB): Color coordination cruising through Oregon terrain. Trevor and Kate’s crowd are rolling towards Humbug Mountain. Fun fact: Oregon’s Humbug Mountain was originally named Sugarloaf Mountain, which coincidentally is the name of a large ski mountain all the way over here on the East Coast about two hours north of our office here in Brunswick. This makes us feel just a little closer to our far away West Coast family.
Alps Explorer (AX): The Aletsch Glacier and a picture-perfect day! Amazingggg hiking today for Jack and CC’s Alps Explorers on (fun fact) the largest glacier in the Alps! I think these pictures speak for themselves… great weather, epic views and smiling stunners. We didn’t get any pictures from them yesterday – but they more than made up for it today!
Europe Coast to Coast (ECCA & B): Both of our groups are north of Trento, Italy tonight and looking forward to climbing their very last pass tomorrow. Fun fact – from Wikipedia: Trento was settled by the Romans, who named their settlement “Tridentum,” meaning “three teeth” because of the three tooth-like hills that surround the city – Doss Tent, Sant’Agata, and San Rocco. Only two – yes, two – riding days left!
That is just a lovely, lovely place in the world…
Riding through Glurns, Italy this morning
ECCA – living the Adige Valley dream – hard to believe that by the end of the day today, they saw their first palm trees!
ECCB – Venezia or bust!
America Coast to Coast (ACC1): Watch out Arizona, land where a gallon of ice cream must weigh exactly 4.5 pounds (Arizona fun fact!), Josh and Laura’s group are gearing up for the famous desert rides and eager to keep pushing on closer to the true coast of the West Coast! The bad news, they’re now three full hours behind us and we don’t have a picture as of press-time – should have a couple tomorrow, though!
America Coast to Coast (ACC2): New Mexico day off for Ally and Sam! Socorro, where they are staying, is the home to the famous site where the alleged UFO incident occurred – in April of 1964 a local policeman claimed to have observed a UFO and two little men.
A little blurry – but you can tell these guys like mail call on an Off Day! Thanks for the Cheez-Its, Mom!
A lovely group shot, if we do say so ourselves!