Don, at left, is pictured with Dennis, his long time employee
We visited with one of the longest serving business in Palo Alto, CA. Located on its real Bike Boulevard, Park Ave, Park Automotive has been led by a brilliant businessman/mechanic since 1977. Listen as Don Armstrong tells us how Palo Alto and the automotive industry both have changed in the birthplace of the Silicon Valley over the last three decades.
And as you listen, bear in mind that as one of our NBG sponsors, Don’s support has been crucial for which we are extremely grateful. He has given the 40 foot bus we will be using to get the Busycle to the East Coast as it supports our ride across the USA on the Eagle, a safe haven. See also book excerpt below…
[audio http://www.radio4all.net/files/NBG@bikeroute.com/1680-1-ParkAveDon.mp3]29:38
 What made this NBG Day different, however, was where we would stay the night. As our first night on what we liked to call the Rock Star bus, it would take place on Palo Alto’s other bike boulevard, Park Blvd, in the parking lot of Park Automotive. It was there that our dream for this tour really began to take wings. |
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| After John E Cabrera bought the bus for us, it had stayed next to a freeway near Sunnyvale in Mountain View. There it served as the home for the Humility Training that my Deprivation Training turned into as I worked to dig out from the mess my 2009 attempt had caused. It wasn’t until Don Armstrong agreed to let me keep the bus on his property four months later, that the vision we held for it started to take form. No longer living next to a curb with a freeway sound wall right next to me, when we finally got it moved to Palo Alto, I felt alive again. Don let me run a cord from his garage to the bus so I could power computers and a reading light. He let me use his water and a hose so I could wash the long moving billboard it would become. Soon, I was able to interest Steve at MrLetter.com in our project and was able to use the vinyl advertising signs he made for those businesses that supported what we were doing.Finally I had more than Virginia, my wife, who had kept me inspired from over in Ireland, to call upon for support. I was close once again to all the people who had kept my Eagle on the road and kept this effort moving forward in many other ways. Shawn Raymond, Manny Garcia, Cathy & Wayne Douglas, Frank and Kirsten Flynn, Jeff Kistler, Matt Podoli, Robbie Benson, Matt Cristie, Mark Lind, 4130inc Tom, David Bajot, Jason Green, Gerry Gras, Dana St. George, Chantal, David & Peggy Martin, Jay Thorwaldson, Steve & Emily Branz, Amacker, Jill Cohen, David & Dihuyen Adams, Unwheeldy Dave, Yoriko Kishimoto, Sven Thesen, Rich Willits, John Dohner, and Tom Kabat, etc, were no longer separated from me by a cold ten mile ride across two cities. All the familiar faces in all the stores that enjoyed seeing me roll by on my Eagle also returned. Cycle zealots also stopped in.Jim Thompson, a man whose herculean rides, were much talked about locally, Jobst Brandt, the legendary author of the timeless book,”The Bicycle Wheel”, even Ellen Fletcher herself, all paid visits on their bikes. Those who missed me often took pictures of the bus for their blogs and Facebook pages.(continued in “How America Can Bike and Grow Rich” ) |
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