Just over a month has passed since we walked in San Francisco and we’ve started back with our monthly “training” walks. Pretty certain that our next walk will be in Washington DC in May, 2018, getting together for a 8-10 mile monthly jaunt has become fixture on our calendars. Celebrating another month of summer, we headed to Huntington Beach and the Bolsa Chica Wetlands. In order to beat the heat and the crowds, we started with a 7 mile round trip walk along the beach beginning at Warner Avenue and turning around just before Dog Beach. We shared the bath with countless bikers and runners and walkers participating in a morning 5K event to benefit children with cancer. Motorhomes and surfer vans lined the path and warm hellos passed from families, veteran surfers and kids filling up on breakfast before hitting the beach. By the time we completed the first 7 miles, the sun and the crowds were out in full force, so we moved on to the final 2 miles along the wilderness loop of the wetlands. Home to more than 250 species of birds and water fowl, the calming waters of the Bolsa Chica Basin provided beautiful scenery for our last few miles. With hiking trails that meander throughout the park, this just became the sight for a future walk.

Originally planning to have lunch at Schooner or Later in the Long Beach Marina, a possible 2-hour wait sent us across the parking lot to the Boathouse on the Bay where we had a wait, but it was at the table armed with Bloody Mary’s (voted by our group as some of the best we’ve had) and champagne for a few, the sun, a cool breeze off the water and the background sounds of steel drums.

Let’s see where next month takes us….anyone? anyone?

We wanted to share the thoughts of some of the team members after they experienced the Avon 39.

Two years ago my friend Lori asked me to join the Pink Bra-Gade in NYC on a 39 mile trek towards a cure for Breast Cancer. The commraderie of these wonderful women brought me back again, despite the blisters and sore muscles, for another 39 mile journey, thIs time through the streets of SF. The most memorable moments are the interactions with the volunteers along the route. From the motorcycle contingent with their pink jeans, pink beards & mustaches and decked out bikes taking time out of their weekend to ensure that thousands of walkers cross streets safely and stay on course to the volunteer police officers riding alongside on bicycles blasting their music and offering words of encouragement along the way. Some of our favorite volunteer groups included “Dudes for Boobs”, the “Tit stop” and “hakuna maTATAs”. We are looking forward to a new adventure in our nation’s capital in 2018 when The Pink Bra-Gade takes on Washington DC.

—Carole Cassell

Waiting at home for Debbie to arrive.

As interesting as it was getting everyone to San Francisco, turns out getting back home was just as challenging. Terri joined her husband in the city, Karen made her second successful Uber ride back to the airport, Carole and Lori headed out early Monday morning for an Irish Coffee at Buena Vista. Debbie had the worst of it with a 24-hour airplane journey from San Francisco to Detroit all the while with her beloved pup Rudy in ICU. Carolyn headed back to the Chapman’s onto another adventure in Tahoe in just a few days. The final seven loaded up in four cars and headed back to Southern California on Monday. Lisa and Leanne taking the longer scenic route. Fortunately everyone made it home safely and Rudy is on the mend.

Thanks to Lynne for finding the perfect house for our team of 13.  And, it came complete with a House Cat. Smokey (named by Carolyn) we wanted to take you home, but couldn’t make it happen. Thanks for the purrs and leg rubs! And you are welcome for the milk. 🙂

While most of us had tossed off our tennies and settled in for the night, these ladies had the will to get dressed up and enjoy a night on the town. Upon the recommendation of a friend of Carolyn’s they enjoyed a delicious meal at Le Comptoir in the quaint downtown area of San Rafeal. Tossing out the friend’s name, got a complimentary glass of port at the end of a delicious meal and a picture with the owner as well. Good for you girls, though the leftover pizza the rest of us shared wasn’t really so bad.

Not far from the finish line, we found a great spot to celebrate, a very cool cocktail and coffee bar welcomed us in and let us relax and share the ups and downs of our experiences. We told stories of those we had met along the way who made an impact, we thanked each other for giving support when we needed it, we even compared blisters! We did miss our newlywed Terri, who was whisked away by her new husband to take on the town together. She was with us in spirit and we celebrated all we had done as a team. Together we had finished walk number five for our team, made platinum level for the second year in a row and raised more than $100,000 which will go toward finding a cure to this devastating disease that has touched the lives of so many of our friends and loved ones. We did indeed have a great deal to celebrate.

Our mamas taught us not to use bad words….but we can’t help but agree with this sentiment!

Up bright and early and ready to take on day 2. Not much can stop the Pink Bragade.

Some well deserved bling!

There is so much negative press about police these days…but we wish the media trucks could have been out in force to see the contribution of a group of law enforcement volunteers who spent two days helping us get safely through the course. They exuded personality plus some great singing voices, senses of humor and true dedication to seeing the walkers up the tough hills, through the crowded streets and alongside fast and furious bikers. Hats off in particular to the boys on bikes from the San Jose Police Department.

Our walk in 2014 through New York City gave us a chance to see the city in a way few people have the chance to experience. We thought our 2016 would be similar, just a west coast version of the downtown life of a big city. The route however didn’t deliver in that way. We were only actually in the city for a small portion of the journey. We did make our way along Fisherman’s wharf, through China Town and Pacific Heights, up some pretty intense hills and by the Presidio and the beautiful beaches at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge (which we crossed twice over the two days). But the majority of the walk was through the neighboring towns of Salsalito and Mill Valley ending at Corte Madre. The route was beautiful, but crowded with tourists and bike riders, many who were not so happy to share the road. But whatever we may have expected, we enjoyed what we got and saw some beautiful sites along the way.