PEOPLE OF INTEREST
The TRAVELING MAN
ANTHONY INSWASTY PHOTOS
91
Jerry Groendyke, manager of the tower at St. Lucie County International Airport for many years and a Federal Aviation Administration employee for 33
`ears, enQo`s Å`ing his *essna around the countr` 5ow retired, .roend`Re is a `ear memIer of the ,_Werimental Aircraft Association
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Whether riding his bicycle or Áying his plane,
-erry *roendyNe has logged plenty of miles in
his lifetime. A retired air trac controller, he has
traversed the continent in a straight path from east to west
on his bicycle and Áown in a diagonal from the southernmost
reaches of the United States to its northernmost state.
-erry said his continental traveling plans began during
lunch hour at worN in the tower at St. Lucie &ounty ,nternational
Airport now 7reasure &oast ,nternational Airport
about years ago when someone asNed him what he was
going to do when he retired. He stated that he would ride
his bicycle from )ort 3ierce to &alifornia. His friends Nept reminding
him of this declaration after he retired, so he and his
wife, Elisa, began to plan the trip, which tooN them through
eight states as they logged , miles on the odometer of
their foot recreational vehicle, aͿectionately named the
´Ultimate Behemoth.µ Elisa was behind the wheel and -erry
and son, *rant, were riding their biNes. 7hey would meet at a
prearranged campsite each evening and part company every
morning. Elisa·s only company was the family·s yearold
cat, SparNs.
)or the most part, -erry used maps from Adventure &ycling
5oute 1etworN in maNing plans to taNe the ´Southern
7ierµ route across the continent. An avid cyclist for more than
years, he rides about miles or more each day around
St. Lucie &ounty and Nnew he could handle this trip. 7hey
started on )eb. and arrived in San 'iego on 0ay .
´7he first day of the trip was the worst,µ -erry says. ´:e
rode to 9ero Beach and then to &lermont and got lost on
a dirt road. ,t was raining and cold. All day our turns had
matched *oogle maps, but we ended up on this dirt road. ,t
started raining so hard, we had to get oͿ and walN our biNes
through the mud. 7hen we saw Highway , but it was
on the other side of a fenced pasture. :e came to a )orestry
Service gate and realied we could bacNtracN five miles or go
through the gate and across the field. :e decided to cross the
field. :e had no cell service but headed onto the road. ,t was
late when we got to the campsite.µ >>