Our first stop of the morning was Asheville Harley Davidson and pulling into the dealership felt unreal. The sun was just starting to come up over the Blue Ridge Mountains and the entire sky looked painted in pink, orange, purple, and blue. Low fog rolled through the mountains making everything look almost smoky, and there was a cool breeze in the air that felt AMAZING before the North Carolina heat decided to attack us later in the day.
For a few quiet moments before the engines fired up, everybody just stood there taking in the sunrise. After days of long miles, loud engines, and nonstop movement, it felt peaceful.
Even that early in the morning, the dealership was full of energy. Updates were given on the fundraiser competition and the Patriots are STILL holding first place, Army is in second, and Marines are in third. The competition is definitely heating up and people are getting very serious about those bragging rights. There was also a beautiful handmade quilt donated along with one more incredible iron plaque from yesterday that riders gathered around admiring and purchasing.
The prayer this morning was led by Chaplain “Lucky Charm,” who did a great job starting the day off right, and Kim sang the National Anthem beautifully as everybody gathered.
Then they asked for an FNG volunteer, which immediately made the entire parking lot go quiet because nobody knew what they were volunteering for. One brave FNG finally hesitantly walked up there probably wondering what he had just signed himself up for… only for them to hand him a Chick-fil-A gift card and send him right back. The whole crowd started laughing because everybody had been so suspicious for absolutely no reason.
Then a little later, when it was time to go over hand signals, they AGAIN asked for an FNG volunteer without saying why. At that point nobody trusted them anymore and everybody started laughing. Eventually another volunteer stepped forward and they joked, “Don’t worry, this one isn’t for a gift card.” The timing of it was perfect and the whole parking lot lost it.
Today’s bio was for Staff Sergeant Justin “Dutch” Michael Estes. Hearing his story was emotional enough on its own, but what made it even more powerful was learning that William Strobeck, who is riding here with us on the mission, actually served with Dutch in Germany and during Operation Iraqi Freedom. William will be carrying Dutch’s bio all the way to the Wall in Washington, D.C. You could feel the emotion in the crowd afterward.
Once we got on the road, North Carolina absolutely showed off today. The lavender growing along the highway mixed with all the wildflowers and mountain views was unreal. Between the fog rolling over the hills and the sunrise lighting everything up,
Fuel Stop 1 was at Sheetz, but after fueling we headed over to Pressly Memorial A.R. Presbyterian Church where Food Lion had donated 175 bottles of water for riders. They also had fruit and popcorn chicken waiting for us which tasted amazing after the heat started to kick off. As we continued south, we passed through small towns where people lined the roads waving flags, cheering, saluting, and standing outside just to support us for a few seconds as we rode by. Every single overpass seemed to have people standing on it waving American flags. It still amazes me how people who have never met us will stand in the heat for hours just to say thank you to veterans.
Lunch in Siler City was EXACTLY what all of us needed after being out in the heat. The church served steaks, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans, peach cobbler, and ice cream, and everything was homemade. After sweating in riding gear all day, that meal felt like a reset button for the entire route.
But honestly, today’s heat and humidity completely wiped everybody out.
I have never seen anything like it before. Riders were coming inside the church just trying to cool off for a few minutes, and before long the church lobby was filled with sleeping bodies everywhere. People were laid out on chairs, against walls, on the floor, wherever they could find a cool spot to rest for a little while. Today truly winded all of us. The combination of the heat, humidity, gear, and long miles really started catching up to people.
Then we made our way to Falcon Children’s Home in Falcon, North Carolina, population: 390.
Tiny town. Huge hearts.
There are currently 85 students at Falcon, and getting to spend time with them and hear about their dreams for the future was incredibly special. Out of respect for their privacy, I won’t be sharing their names, but hearing one student talk about wanting to become a country singer one day and watching another recent graduate sing the National Anthem before heading off to college in Tennessee was very inspiring.
The school choir also performed two songs for us, and wow… it was beautiful. You could see people throughout the room wiping away tears, myself included. I kept trying to hold it together, but it was hard. These kids are not much younger than me, and hearing them sing with so much heart while knowing some of the challenges many of them have faced made the moment hit even harder.
Then RFTW surprised each graduating senior with a $150 gift card. Watching the students’ reactions was one another of those moments where you could physically see how much this mission means.
What honestly surprised me most is that I live in Raleigh, only about an hour away from Falcon, and before today I had never even heard of Falcon Children’s Home or the school there. Seeing the impact this place has on so many students really opened my eyes to how many incredible organizations are quietly changing lives right in our own backyard without most people even realizing it. I will absolutely be spreading the word when I get home because places like this deserve support, recognition, and people willing to show up for these kids and their futures.We also learned about Gary Bird and the “Diaper Run” that he helps with through his chase truck, which supports women and mothers by collecting and delivering diapers and other needed supplies. Hearing about programs like that was another reminder that this mission is not only about honoring veterans, but also about serving communities and helping people however we can along the way.
And of course there was Mr. Cool, an 82-year-old RFTW rider still out here riding and proving age means absolutely nothing when your heart is in the mission.
The ride to dinner was… rough
Traffic had backed up for a while, and we ended up sitting in the heat wearing full gear with the humidity absolutely draining every ounce of energy we had left. One lane had been shut down because of an accident, so while everyone was tired and ready to get moving again, there was also this shared feeling of hoping everybody involved was safe and okay.
But as exhausting as that ride was, the welcome waiting for everyone at Bizzell Grove Pentecostal Holiness Church made every second worth it.
My grandpa lives near Washington, D.C., and since we do not get to see him very often, we ended up peeling off right before dinner to meet up with my dad instead because they hadn’t seen each other for a while. As much as I had been looking forward to the famous spaghetti stop, getting unexpected extra time with family during this mission was really special too.
But even though I was not there for dinner, EVERYBODY made sure to tell me all about it afterward.
Bizzell Grove Pentecostal Holiness Church apparently gave the route one of the sweetest welcomes ever. Riders pulled into a driveway lined with American flags while people stood outside cheering before the bikes even had their kickstands down. After such a long, hot, exhausting day, that kind of welcome meant a lot to everybody.
And then came the famous “Igloo Spaghetti.”
Yes… spaghetti served out of giant Igloo coolers.
And yes… according to basically every rider I talked to afterward, it somehow tasted AMAZING.
Apparently it is one of those Midway Route traditions people look forward to all year long.
Between the spaghetti, homemade desserts, hugs, laughter, and the love poured into that stop, everybody kept describing it less like a dinner stop and more like being welcomed home by family.
By the time today came to an end, I think everybody was feeling the miles a little extra.The heat wore us down, the humidity tested everybody’s patience, and there were moments today that were emotional in ways I did not expect. But somehow, even on the hardest days, this mission has a way of bringing people together and reminding you why every mile matters.
Some days on this mission feel exciting and fun, and then there are days like today that just hit differently. Between the mountain sunrise this morning, the overwhelming heat, the emotional stories shared throughout the day, and reminders everywhere we went that kindness still exists in this world, Day 9 felt like one of those days I will be thinking about for a very long time.
Catch y’all tomorrow for my final day on this year’s ride. More laughs, more memories, and at least three more moments of asking myself why I packed black riding gear in May.
-Natalie ‘Guess Again 2’ Fielding
Due to circumstances beyond our control, Midway Route Photos from previous runs are no longer available. 