For his part, 16-year-old Isaiah prefers the rush of racing down hills on his bike.
“I like the exhilaration of the wind,” he said with a big smile on his face.
“As long as I can remember, I’ve enjoyed biking,” said his father, Nathan.
Both Hitzes will get to do a lot of what they enjoy–riding–as they make their way to the elder Hitz’s family home in Hershey, Pennsylvania. The pair left Blaine on July 8 and hoped to reach their destination on or around July 30. The trip is years in the making.
“I don’t minimize that there are easily hazards, but we’ve been training, working on things that will keep us safe, ” said Nathan. “I trust Isaiah is a lot more prepared than he was three years ago.”
Isaiah and Nathan have been keeping track of their progress in training and now on the trip on a blog, and so far their journey has brought about most of the expected situations–broken parts, flat tires, encounters with wildlife, and beautiful scenery. The longest day they’ve had so far involved riding for more than 80 miles. They’ve been able to stay in church buildings and campgrounds along the way, and have used the donations they gathered to provide meals at Walmart and other restaurants.
No doubt they’ve also continued to build their relationship.
“We’ve learned to cooperate better and talk and communicate better,” Isaiah said.
“I like the idea of, later in life, him having something to look back to,” said Nathan. “It’s great bonding.”
Nathan’s wife will drive to Pennsylvania separately where she and the couple’s three other kids will reunite with Nathan and Isaiah before the whole family makes the drive back to Minnesota.
