In typical Mackinnon fashion, 20 Kilometres from Point Pleasant Park, Halifax and our intended goal the four of us found ourselves on the no cycling 100 series highway with blue and red lights illuminating the sky behind us. On our final push to the Atlantic Ocean, being almost arrested for the third time we honestly believe this is the only fitting way for us to end our make shift journey from coast to coast. The nice "Newfie" police officer who pulled us over, loved our story, laughed at our weak attempt at growing beards and in turn gave us a royal and unintentional lights a blazing escort 10KM down the highway and into Darmouth over looking the Halifax Harbour. The feeling of cycling into Halifax and finally making it to our final eastern destination was unbelievably surreal. When the four of us pulled up onto the beach and witnessed the Atlantic covering the horizon we all had goose bumps. It just did not feel like we were actually finally here.
For 61 Days, we struggled through a trip that all of us would call the most rewarding and challenging experience of our lives. I really cannot describe the feeling we had when we finally knew we had made it. The sights we have seen, people we have met, stories we have heard, support we have received the last two months has been literally life changing.I think we have learnt so much about ourselves as people, our strengths and weaknesses and most of all how lucky we all are to have each other as brothers. Having the ability to speak with people on a daily basis about our grandfather, his life, how much we looked up to him and what a wonderful man he was, was something that we needed, absorbed and has only increased our respect and admiration for our BAHA and any Parkinsonian who has the will to fight Parkinsons like he did.
For the last 61 days we have talked about our goal of dipping our Baha's bike tire into the Atlantic Ocean. We also had another life long goal that we kept quiet which continually inspired us to make sure we made it to the Atlantic. On August 31st, 2004, On the one year anniversary of our Baha's death our family (Kathy Mac/Hughy Mac and the four boys) went down to Goose Spit on the Georgia Strait that flows into the Pacific Ocean and spread our Baha's ashes into the ocean. At that moment we all knew one day we were going to get our Baha to the Atlantic. Almost eight years later, arriving on Black Rock Beach in Halifax, 60 painful days after departing Vancouver, each brother got a chance to spread some of our Baha's ashes into Atlantic. An emotional moment for all of us, it was pretty amazing to know that our Baha finally made it across the country.
For 61 Days, we struggled through a trip that all of us would call the most rewarding and challenging experience of our lives. I really cannot describe the feeling we had when we finally knew we had made it. The sights we have seen, people we have met, stories we have heard, support we have received the last two months has been literally life changing.I think we have learnt so much about ourselves as people, our strengths and weaknesses and most of all how lucky we all are to have each other as brothers. Having the ability to speak with people on a daily basis about our grandfather, his life, how much we looked up to him and what a wonderful man he was, was something that we needed, absorbed and has only increased our respect and admiration for our BAHA and any Parkinsonian who has the will to fight Parkinsons like he did.
For the last 61 days we have talked about our goal of dipping our Baha's bike tire into the Atlantic Ocean. We also had another life long goal that we kept quiet which continually inspired us to make sure we made it to the Atlantic. On August 31st, 2004, On the one year anniversary of our Baha's death our family (Kathy Mac/Hughy Mac and the four boys) went down to Goose Spit on the Georgia Strait that flows into the Pacific Ocean and spread our Baha's ashes into the ocean. At that moment we all knew one day we were going to get our Baha to the Atlantic. Almost eight years later, arriving on Black Rock Beach in Halifax, 60 painful days after departing Vancouver, each brother got a chance to spread some of our Baha's ashes into Atlantic. An emotional moment for all of us, it was pretty amazing to know that our Baha finally made it across the country.
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