We got up at 8:00 am and found out it had rained during the night (woke all of us up). After a great breakfast we were on the (dry) road to San Antonio. We want to be there early enough so we could decorate the quads for the parade. We met up with Mela (the Texas Organ Sharing Alliance (TOSA) contact) at her house where we met her family. After short introductions, we were off to a late lunch and then over to the site where we would enter the parade.

The San Antonio Fiesta Flambeau Parade has been around for about 60 years, is about 2 ½ miles long, winds through downtown and is said to be the largest night parade in the United States. Participants are required to decorate themselves and floats with lights - any shape, color or amount. It is one of the last events of week-long festivities in San Antonio.
We decorated the quads with snap-lights and papier-mâché flowers and we had students from one of the elementary schools carry the TOSA banner that preceded us. We were positioned near the front of the parade at started down Broadway at about 7:20 pm. It took us about 1 ½ hours to navigate through downtown and boy was it a sight! There must have been 400,000 to 500,000 people lining the route and hanging off buildings!  It was a fantastic night. I understand that this is the first time Texas Organ Sharing Alliance was represented in the parade so we made some great in-roads tonight! It was a lot of fun waving to the kids and seeing them perk up when they realized I was looking at them!

San Antonio is a beautiful city. I had been there once before and seen it but it was just as impressive this time as we traveled through downtown. The parade took us right in front of the Alamo which is quite the sight. The mission has a very solemn atmosphere because of what occurred there. That battle of the Alamo was instrumental in helping Texas gain independence from Mexico even though almost all were killed there. It allowed other rebel forces to gather strength while the Mexican army tried to handle those at the Alamo. The building itself is quite small. You have this image in your mind because of the history and all you hear about it. Then when you actually see it, it's much smaller than you think it is. But just the same, it's very impressive.

Now here I have to tell you a funny story that happened tonight after the parade. Greg and I had gone ahead, riding the three-wheelers, of those walking back to the car because they told us to meet them at Frio Ave. which was about 3 blocks up. When they hadn't come after a short time I started walking back one block to see if they were held up at a signal. I also called Brian (Crash) on the phone. They had already made it to the car and were on their way to meet us. Well they came pretty quick so I jogged back to the three-wheelers and Greg, jumped on the bike and took off to follow them. When we got back to the restaurant parking lot, Dominic (Mela's youngest son about 14) said I ran like a girl! HA! I think I do very well for a man my age thank you very much. I then see Crash give him a 5 dollar bill. What's this? Apparently Dominic made that statement in the car as I ran back to Greg. Brian did a double-dog dare to tell me I ran like a girl. And you know what that means!

Well, I told him I could run a little and he said he could beat a girl. Well, I said okay, I'll bet you that five dollar bill there that I wouldn't have any trouble out running you! And the haggling began! He said let's go down to the end of the parking lot (gravel) and run to here and I'll beat you! I said hey, I won't even tie my shoes! So we walked down to the end of the lot and his brother Matthew joined us also. He counted down and we took off! I ran about ¼ speed and he was running as hard as he could! It was beautiful and I got his five bucks! HA! HA! But it wasn't finished. After beating him and getting the five bucks he then said he was embarrassed now because was beat by an old man!!

We have a day off tomorrow for site seeing. We lose Doc in the morning but we pick up Dan and Renee to finish out the trip and then in El Paso we pick up Chris Klug. Doc, did I ever say thanks for coming with us?

I also received this email from Renee after leaving Louisiana that contained the following piece. It's her impressions of the ride while she was able to spend time with us! 

So, the journey began to meet the guys in New Orleans for Ride Across America.

I headed out of Breaux Bridge at around 7:30pm. The trip went very well until I got to my exit (9B) that was really supposed to be 9A... Already - Renee is lost! Thank gosh the hotel was not too far off the exit (whichever one I was supposed to take in the first place)! The guys were very nice and decided to "wake up" when I got there. First to say hello was Kevin - My friend from the Rose bowl Committee and partner in crime that invited me along on this trip! Then there was Greg, Kevin's brother as well as his son John (Greg's son) who will one day on this trip show me how to ride his Honda (I hope!) Then Bryan and Bryan... One we call Doc (the EMT/Fireman/Liver Recipient) and then there is Crash - O yes, there is a story behind this nickname. I believe it has something to do with crashing a quad in to another vehicle or quad.hmmm... I'll let Crash, I mean Bryan tell the real story at a later date. (And to think I let this guy drive MY car from New Orleans to Lafayette) ha!!

Anyway, on with the story. I got up at 4:30 this a.m. b/c I could not sleep any longer. The excitement of the day was getting to me and there was no way I was going to be the "late" one out of the bunch. (I'm the only girl on this trip!) We headed for breakfast around 6am and then made our way to the parking lot to practice riding the "quads" as the Californians like to call them (down here in the south we call them "4 wheelers"). Kevin thought I should practice a little on the "quad" before heading out on the open road. After explaining the details of the bike to me, there was one important part he left out - take the brake off... So for a few minutes the brake was on and it looked like I was doing burnouts in the parking lot (in front of cops).

After finally making our way on to the freeway of New Orleans, less than a mile in to the trip, the sirens were in the background. We had to pull off the side of the road and wait, and wait and wait as we showed the Crescent City Welcome Committee our permit to ride the quads on the freeway. We were able to take a few pictures with the cops and thanks to Mr. Cop (don't remember his name) he notified me that my price tag was still on my jacket (thanks for telling me, guys!) We started our journey once again after being delayed by about 45 minutes only to delay the trip a little further when someone (I won't say who - because you know it was... ME) said we needed gas. Hmmm. The guys love me already I can tell! Ha...

The ride started once AGAIN and this time - was successful. We went through a bit of fog over the Ponchartrain Bridge but the quads were full speed ahead (67 miles an hour!). We arrived at Harley Davidson in Baton Rouge at approx. 9am. Nyla did a wonderful job in setting up our LOPA table and the media was waiting on us to arrive. We did several interviews that turned out fantastic with not one news station but two. We had a few people come register at our table to become organ donors and one man (not knowing what was going on) had his own story to tell. Mr. Richard Taylor received a heart transplant on Nov. 17, 2007 and is back on his Harley after just a few short months. He was the perfect picture of a successful transplant! Then there was Shani who donated her mother's organs six years ago and was very proud of her for giving others the gift of life.

Before heading out on the highway to our final destination in Louisiana, we had to make a phone call to the Arctic Cat Dealership in Breaux Bridge. It seemed one of the "quads" (of course it had to be the one I was riding earlier that day) had to go in to the shop. (Guys, you just can't take me anywhere!) While on our ride in to Breaux Bridge, we have to make yet another stop. Of course, my four-wheeler needed a little more gas. What, I thought we "had" to go 67 miles an hour to keep up with traffic? (Snicker, snicker)

By the time we made it to Breaux Bridge we had yet another welcoming committee. This time it was a celebration by a wonderful little boy. My son Taylor, and my mother were waving us in while taking the exit ramp in to Breaux Bridge. We took the quad to the repair shop then made a quick dash to Taco Bell for a bite to eat before heading out to Cajun Harley.

We arrive at Cajun Harley at approximately 2:00 pm. LOPA was waiting with the camera's flashing and hot boudin inside for the guys. We had a donor quilt hanging inside for all of those to see as well as the flag for everyone to sign. The crowd was a little thin so we left early to go get the other quad from the repair shop (guys - do you think we can give them names? Quad is getting a bit repetitious. We said goodbye to AJ and the gang at Cajun Harley and headed East to the hotel and then to the repair shop. I took off from there and went to church with Taylor and since the guys were so nice to me today and letting a "girl" tag along on the trip, I treated them to supper at Prejeans (pronounced prey - johns, not Preeee Jeans....) I think the guys enjoyed the atmosphere and the food because we all left full and very tired.

The guys have to get up very early in the morning and I have to sleep in and relax (sorry guys - I just had to say it!). Taylor took pictures with everyone and he seemed to enjoy them all very much. Guys, thanks for making him feel so special and for hanging out with us today.