Now, I will move onto the heart of this post. One week ago I mounted my bike for the longest ride in the history of Isaac Fernandez bike riding. The destination was of extreme significance to the Fernandez name and history, Ossining New York. In case you were not aware this is one of the first towns that Devon Fernandez called home. In fact he spent some time growing up in a brick apt. complex across from Nelson Park (both pictured here). Due the importance of the journey I had planned everything out; I had drawn a map, packed some snacks and charged my cell phone the night before. I was a bit concerned about the distance 48miles but I was determined.
Where Devon planned his future.
Ossinging was no disappointment. A short ride from Pleasantville, Ossining was like a dream come true. The town was full of apt buildings, people, stores, roads, and sidewalks. Unique in every aspect, I took a lazy route to the past home of my brother just so I could tour a bit more. I found the park they had built for Devon. In the park there were little boys playing soccer, and a statue of Devon. I also located the apartment building.
Where Devon taught his toddler friends to walk.
I grabbed a sandwich before the ride home. All in all it was a complete success. Before I wrap up I feel I am obligated to divulge a little secret weapon I used on my trip. RAIN
Thanks to my good luck and gods love when I awoke Sunday morning it was raining. Not a slow boring rain but one that would soak me thoroughly as soon as I started. I contribute the success of my journey to the rain for a number of reasons including speed, efficiency, and motivation.
1) SPEED– Rain is made of water & and water causes things to get wet and stretch. This is very useful when it comes to brake cables. Anyone who has biked knows that stopping is very frustrating because you lose all the momentum you have built up. The rain effectively disabled my brakes due to the stretching of my brake cables and eliminated the stopping option. This made my average speed much higher and trip quicker. Thank you rain.
3) MOTIVATION – I always bring my cell phone in case of emergencies. The problem with this is that I always have a way out in case I get a flat tire, lost, or just tired. The rain was able to quickly disable my phone and significantly increase my motivation to finish what I stated.
Thanks to the persistent and continuous downpour I was able to conquer Ossining and visit the origins of Devon Fernandez. I hope this post was helpful.
LINK TO TRIP
Statue of Devon as a child.
You must publish this account of your adventures together!! It is too wonderfully amusing to be kept only to a few.
Yo, this is a great piece! First, thank you for the pics and a chance to glimpse back in time to the haunts of Ossining. Second, you clearly have a flair for the prose besides your financial prowess! This is a well written and very funny piece! Third, it only got scary when I realized the part about your bike brakes was true!!!
LY
I have wondered what Devon looked like as a child. Always an angel I see. :-p