Right now I'm sitting in the Key West terminal waiting for my plane to board. I had to pay $100 extra to get my flight moved up but that's a small price to pay considering the cost of the ticket ($250). So, while I've been partaking in the best cuisine, beverages and sights that Key West has to offer I've also been neglecting my blogging duties. Strap on your bike helmets and clip into your pedals for the final 75,000 pedal strokes (give or take 10,000) to the end of the road.
After reaching Meghan's apartment I took a third and final rest day before the last push. Meghan was staying with some friends on Saturday evening so the first night I had the place to myself. The next day we went to Ft. Lauderdale, did some people watching, had some food (fish sandwich), and looked at all the goofy beach t-shirts and jewlery that tourists like to buy. It was a good day of rest. I ate so much food on Saturday and Sunday that it felt really good to be back on the bike for two days to work it off.
On my way out of Ft. Lauderdale I biked through Miami and into Palm Country. Southern FL is full of palm tree plantations the way that Pinetown, SC is full of Southern Pine farms. Which brings me into my next adventure.... No-See-Um Hell!!!!!!
No-See-Um Hell is what happens when a person who puts together a cycling route has a complete disregard for slow moving canals and standing water. Combine this with palm farms, FL humidity, and the fact that there isn't any measurable human population in this area and what you have is two hours of the worst possible cycling conditions that you never want to go through in your life. These little black specks were so thick that I had to drop my head so that I could breathe in my nose, bring it back up again to breathe out my mouth and hopefully get rid of any bugs on my lips, then rewind and repeat. The black specks accumulated on my face, neck, arms, legs so quickly that after a couple minutes of riding the No-See-Ums turned into All-You-Can-See-Is-Um's. Every couple minutes you could wipe them off you arms
and legs just the same as you would wipe mud off a shovel. Gross!!!!!
I was very happy to hit the last town on mainland FL. There were still nasty bugs to ride through, but not even close to the palm plantation areas. I stopped at the first gas station around and drowned my arms, legs and face in soap and water.
I opted out of the Adventure Cycling route and decided to take US 1 into Key Largo. It's always a crapshoot when making these decisions
but the shoulder looked good and the road looked straight so I took the risk. It seemed fitting that I ride onto the first Key via US 1 considering the importance of the road to the area.
Once I hit Key Largo I rode up to the welcome sign and met Robin. He snapped a picture fore and them we started chatting about the area and sites to see. As of turns out, Robin was staying at the same campsite as me. So we got together later on for dinner and a couple beers (ie: he made me some food and gave me some beer). With all the generosity and hospitality I've received over the past thirty days I have my work cut out for me in the coming months. It's been really cool to hear all the stories and meet all the people along the way.
The last night camping was hammock incident free. The campers next to me, two mothers and their teenage daughters, decided to noisily roll into their campsite at 11:30 pm and then noisily leave at 5:00 am. Five hours of sleep is fine if you're just camping and then driving to the next site with your 20 oz coffee in hand but it's a little short when you need to ride a bike for the next 8 hours. Wasn't much of a problem though because the excitment of this being the final day could have pulled me through just about anything.
I learned about a series of cracks in my rear rim from a bike shop just south of Ft. Lauderdale. Because of the cracks the wheel couldn't be trued properly and left my wheel vulnerable to bending. This wasn't good because half of the riding in the Keys was on either bike path or sidewalk (designated as the preferred traffic route by Adventure Cycling). If there is one thing I've learned about bike paths it's that they're usually not maintained very well and thus they eat up rims like Pac-Man eats dots. I made it through though and I'm in need of a new rim when I get back home.
Now that I'm done with the trip I can say a couple things that I didn't want to mention before for fear of jinximg myself. For the whole 2540
miles that made up this trip I didn't have one flat tire on the bike. I did have one on the trailer which ultimately led to me losing a piece of my pump, but the bike was flat free. Once I lost the piece to the pump I was really hoping that my luck held out because even though I may
have been able to blow up the tire with some McGyver tactics, I didn't want to find out.
My bike is a creaky, sore, tired piece of machinery right now but once it's back home a good cleaning, lubing and some minor repair work should bring her back to life. It's going to cost pretty penny to ship both the bike and trailer back home bit in the end it'll be nice to have both pieces of equipment back in the garage to fight another day.
I've been remembering bits and pieces of the trip as I go along here and one of the coolest things I saw was in FL I looked at a low flying hawk, osprey or some other type of bird and saw that in it's claws it held a catfish. The catfish was probably about 16-20 inches long and must have been picked out of a nearby pond by the bird. It was quite the sight to see the fish flying around, being carried by a bird not much bigger then it was (minus the wingspan). Fish are probably one of the species which are not so happy about the whole bird sanctuary idea.
I stopped for breakfast on the Key West arrival day at Mangrove Mikes. This place was a little breakfast joint in a plaza about 70 miles from my destination. Breakfast consisted of eggs, biscuits, sausage gravy, hash browns, home fries, coffee and toast. Fuel for the fire. I had a slight tailwind for the last day which made it easy to carry a 18 mph pace. The last day was no time to crank away as fast as possible, this was the time to avoid heat stroke and plan out the logistics of lodging, food, sightseeing, and how to get my bike and myself back home. I
arrived in Key West about 5 days ahead of schedule even though I had the two day knee incident. A job well done if I do say so myself.
There was the seven mile bridge, a little incident where I rode on the old bridge only to find the middle was blasted out so it didn't make the full connection to the other side, and jackasses in their cars who like to honk like idiots even though you're 5 feet from the white line. A lot of people should retake drivers ed and hopefully learn that if you slow down for 5 seconds then maybe, just maybe you can keep everybody safe. I know that everybody who reads this blog gives plenty of room to cyclist so I'll stop ranting now.
Once I hit Key West I rode straight to the Mile Zero sign and took a couple pictures. Some of you may have seem the farmers tan pic already. Goofy, I know, but that's how it works.
Tuesday night I had Yellowtail Snapper, a Sierre Nevada Pale Ale and the beat Key Lime pie that's ever crossed my lips. Yesterday I had enchilada's for lunch with a Margahrita and you all know about the Cuban restaurant already. I smapled the three beers on tap at Kelly', the southernmost brewery, and found my way to the Mel Fisher museum (treasure hunter who discovered Atocha). Time to get off the plane, more to come.
Alright, I'm back. I'm off the Key West to Atlanta flight and on my way to Albany. At the bar I met Mr. Cruz, an Army soldier who is on leave for 12 days to visit his wife and three boys in Flint, MI. Another great person on the long trip. I enjoyed hearing his stories about Iraq and his travels.
So really, that's about it. I put a lot of time and effort into getting the bike packed up, getting a flight home and figuring out how the post Key West ride is going to work. Interesting how once you enter the real world, everything is a hassle again. It's not just jumping on the bile to ride anymore.
To anybody who wants to listen, I don't recommend ever doing this trip by yourself. If you think that statement is just dumb and I don't have a clue what I'm talking about then you're the type of person who will really enjoy and have a good time cycling from ME to Key West.
Bradley W Howe
Thursday, June 5, 2008
Wednesday, June 4, 2008
Soaking it Up!
As I write this I've just finished eating my first meal in a Cuban restaurant. Well, the first meal that I've recognized as being in a Cuban restaurant. The beer selection down here is not so great but the food is amazing. Shredded pork in a cumin spiced sauce, shredded beef and ground beef both in their own sauce/spice mixture, fried plantains that are carmalized on the outside with a sweet brown coating, black bean soup and two different dipping sauces for the bread and/or dinner. It was amazing. The grand finale is a cup of coffee (european style, basically espresso) and Tres Leche (thank you Alton Brown for teaching me about Tres Leche). I just took the first bite and it's heaven.
Last night, after checking in at the hotel, I asked the receptionist for the best seafood, Mexican, and Cuban restaurants in the area. I took her recommendation on the first two but the Cuban restaurant was changed for me on the recommendation of a Cuban woman at the Mel Fisher museum. I've not been disappointed by any of the three meals though.
Once again, I'm going to blog and run so that I can catch a Key West Sunset. Talk to you soon.
Last night, after checking in at the hotel, I asked the receptionist for the best seafood, Mexican, and Cuban restaurants in the area. I took her recommendation on the first two but the Cuban restaurant was changed for me on the recommendation of a Cuban woman at the Mel Fisher museum. I've not been disappointed by any of the three meals though.
Once again, I'm going to blog and run so that I can catch a Key West Sunset. Talk to you soon.
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Mile Zero and The Most Southern Point in the Continental US
I'M HERE!!!!!! This is not the final post because I have lots of great stories to tell about the last couple days but right now I need to shower, get some food and relax. Thanks again for all the great comments and all the support. I'll be back later to fill everybody in on the details.
Sunday, June 1, 2008
The longest day, the kindness of strangers and I thought you only saw those things in pet stores.
This is going to be a long post for sure so if you're down for reading the whole thing then grab yourself a cup of coffee, or beer, or whatever your beverage of choice is and relax with me for a few minutes. Right now I'm at a real computer which means I don't have to put up with lack of service, dying batteries or typing on a playing card size screen. I know there are a ton of typo's in these posts but it's just too much work to go back and edit everything while I'm on the road. I also realized that I lost my most recent post. I guess that it didn't connect up and send properly so I'll need to makeup for that too. Lastly, I'm going to try to respond to some comments that were written by my friends and family at the end of the post.
First I'm going to summarize the route since my last post so that I can hopefully remember all the cool stuff that has happened. There will surely be some experiences that I forget, but I'm hoping that along the road here I'll be able to fill in some more details.
Most of the route through Florida follows A1A, southbound of course. Right now I'm on my last map, 7 of 7, which takes me from St. Augustine, FL to Key West (extreme elation). In my previous post I touched on St. Augustine but didn't go into detail. After St. Augustine I hit Crescent Beach, Flagler Beach, Daytona Beach, Titusville (think Kennedy Space Station), Cocoa Beach, back to A1A at Indialantic/Melbourne Beach, Floridana Beach, Vero Beach, Ft. Pierce, Port Salerno, Hobe Sound, Palm/West Palm/South Palm Beaches, and now I'm at Pompano Beach staying with Ms. Meghan Finkle (sister of the world renowned Steven Finkle). Alright, so the first thing that strikes me about that extensive collection of locations is how often the word "Beach" pops up. There is a lot of sand out there. On top of that, if a section of coastline doesn't have sand but the real estate is high value then they probably just truck it in. I didn't realize just how many beaches there were out there on the eastern shore of Florida. I knew their were a lot, but it's almost to the point where the whole coast is one big sandy beach....and this is a long state.
As I've already stated, St. Augustine is a fantastic area. I met some people along the way who told me that the FL State Park there is amazing too. I need to learn more about the history of St. Augustine now because that is what the town is about and I would be belittling the town if I just said, "St. Augustine, great shops and a really good spinach croissant."
The number of City, County, State Parks that are on the Florida coast is another cause for pause. They take their relaxation time very seriously in FL. For good reason too, it's so damn hot most of the day that you don't want to move unless you have too.
From Little Talbot Campground to Spruce Creek Campground (south of Daytona Beach) was a 109.62 mile day. Not too shabby. Spruce Creek was the home of the friendly squirrels. I'm pretty sure they're the ones who tryed to gnaw through my dry bag. Not a big deal though, they gave up before any real damage was done. Spruce Creek Campground had a really great pier that you could walk out to which was in the middle of a grassland/swamp/inlet mixture. The swamp description doesn't sound too nice, but it was a beautiful area. I arrived at Spruce Creek around 5 pm and the park attendant wanted to take off early so he didn't check me in or take my money. I'll take that, free camping for the night once again. He did tell me that the "Day Workers" come to the park, camp out for 2 weeks (max stay) and then move onto the next park. These guys/gals left earlier then I did so I'm guessing he was right. So as not to give you the wrong impression, "Day laborers" were white, construction worker tanned people who listen to Peter Frampton and Bob Seger. Now then, bye bye squirrels and hello open road.
I'm getting really good at packing up camp and getting on the road but it still takes 45 minutes at best. Every morning includes soreness. If you're a cyclist or a runner then think of those days where you wake up for a morning ride having exercised hard the day before and you tell yourself, "I've gotta do it, I've gotta do it" just to get out there. That's a good day. I must admit though, you get used to working through it. Gradually, you become slightly less sore in the morning but the really amazing part is that after a few weeks it only takes you 20-30 minutes on the bike to become fully functional again. In the beginning I wouldn't be fully functional until I hit a hill that absolutely required everything I had.
When you cramp up or when you have a problem it usually doesn't happen while riding. If I push hard for an hour or two then stop for Gatorade or a banana, I feel the problem area when I get back on the bike. The good thing for me is that I haven't really had a reoccurring problem. Cramps are inevitable no matter how much you drink or how much you eat. The only way to stop them is to slow down or take more breaks.
Now, on the road again. FL is full of cyclists. It's nice to see our kind on the road. The bad part about this is that some of these guys can pass me. Usually this is about 8am when I've already been on the road for 25 miles, but still, I should be able to kick their butt with or without a trailer....well, not really but I'd like to think I could. Cyclist or not, the trailer gets a lot of looks and sparks a lot of conversation. Everybody wants to know what's going on. Yesterday I stopped at a red-light and the lady in the car next to me asked me the WFWT question (where from where to). People in the crosswalk heard me and the next thing you know everybody is stoked about the trip. It's pretty cool when you get this reaction because sometimes people just have no idea why you'd want to do anything that takes this sort of commitment and energy (stereotype here, but usually the 9-5, unionized, white male factory worker). These are the same people who you ask, "What do you do?" and they respond with something stupid like, "As little as possible." Alrighty then.
Florida beaches are full of Sea Turtle Sanctuary areas and it seems like every town is a Protected Birding area. The birding thing isn't too relevant because I don't think people hunt pelicans and herrings in the middle of towns with a population of 8000 people. It does give you the feel good when you enter that specific city though and the Car Wash industry loves it.
Friday night I stayed at Sebastien Inlet State Park. I made a reservation at this park a couple nights earlier and it's a good thing I did. I picked up the last site and as it turns out this is a fantastic park to watch shuttle launchings from. Saturday, 5/31 at 5pm was the next launching. Sebastien's Inlet was amazing. Supposedly there are two Jetty's here which make for a fisherman's paradise. Bird watching is plentiful too. This is where I met Ron and Danna. Rob offered me a Corona that was probably one of the best tasting beers I've ever had. Not so much because it was a Corona, but because I had just rode 104.27 miles in the heat and now I have a beer in my hand in an air conditioned RV. They also let me sit right below the a/c...holy heaven. As it turns out, Ron and Danna have been married for 40 years and they spent a 2 1/2 year honeymoon in Europe (Ron's description). This kindof threw me until he explained that he was in the military. They used to take 3 or 4 day weekends and travel around Europe in a VW Bug with a tent strapped to the back and military Sea Rations for food. He listed off nearly every country in Europe when I asked him where they'd been. Not a bad life if you can get it.....wait a minute, I'm going to change that, Not a bad life if that's what you choose...there, better. Ron and Danna fed me burgers, potato's, beans, cheese, and of the best part, another beer. They were here for the shuttle launch of which Ron was a big fan. He had never seen the launch before and it was something they've wanted to do for awhile. Hope everything went well guys and thanks again.
I need to backtrack here. Before I landed at Sebastiens Inlet I found another burrito restaurant. I still had a hot dog in my stomach that hadn't yet digested and was not cooperating with me riding but this Burrito Joint had written on their sign, "The best Burrito you'll have Anywhere." Come on now, really? So I went in and asked the woman what made it the best. She let me know that the brisket and the pork are smoked in house, the salsa is made in house (and very interesting stuff too I might add), they use a homemade slaw mixture instead of lettuce because lettuce wilts on the meat, plus they use yellow spanish rice, pinto beans, etc, etc. I had to try one, if not for the burrito then atleast so I could ask to sample the salsa's without feeling guilty. It was really good, I'm not sure about the best because Anna's Taquiria in Boston is hard to beat, but definitely top 5. The restaurant was pretty cool too. I wish I snapped a picture. Lot's of music, surfing and 60's/70's type posters on the walls. The men's room was painted pink which was an interesting way to get your attention and make you remember the place (atleast I think it was the men's room...it was, I checked). The counter used corrugated, galvanized, steel roofing to cover the supporting base which looked really cool. The salsas were made out of habanero's, cantalopes, onions, garlic, vinegar, sugar, chipotle's, and I think there was some mango in some types. Very interesting stuff.
Now, back to the campsite. Here is a classic moment. I setup the hammock before really getting to know Ron and Danna. There wasn't many trees in the area but I found a couple that might do. As I'm climbing into the hammock, it sinks low enough so that my back is just touching the ground. One of the trees was a little bit smaller and sort of low to the ground so I couldn't position the ropes all that high up. This just won't due so I get up, and decide to reattach. This is after two beers, food, it's 9:30 so I'm getting tired and it's dark. I reattach the webbing straps, tie the hammock on and crawl back inside. Still pretty low but better then.....whoa, snap, and down for the count. The limb of the tree snapped off and luckily for me my fall to the ground was from about 2 ft up. So now it's late, I'm tired, all my clothes that were drying from the top of the hammock are scattered and I need to figure out a plan. I drag over the table, tie everything up so their is a taunt ridgeline to the hammock, blow up the airmattress and sleep in the hammock but on the ground for the night. The next morning I woke up in the humidity covered with a layer of "somebody let me take a shower" sweat only to find that my clothes didn't dry and it was disgusting out. The good part about this is that after 5 minutes on the bike I was so sweaty and wet that it didn't matter one bit how damp my clothes were or how terrible I felt waking up that morning. Always look at the bright side. By the way, if you heard some commotion in the night Ron and Danna, that's what it was. Sorry about that.
Another day and a big one it was. Gone from Sebastien Island, I missed the shuttle launch but that's ok because I'm sure they'll put another one up someday. The strip of land I'm riding today is a very thin island which isn't too much wider then the road. There's a nice breeze that is slowing me down but I'll take it because at 7am, it's already too hot for me. I decided to push through today and ride 140 miles all the way to Meghan's apartment. Clean shower, a/c and a carpeted floor underneath my feet...life is good, but I'm going to be working for this nights sleep.
On the way there I scared an iguana from the thick grass on the side of the road. I've been seeing a lot of lizards around this area, most of them a couple inches in length, but this was a full on flourescent green iguana. Who the heck forgot to tell me that they actually made these things in the wild? I thought they were only in pet stores. It's not like you suddenly see a talking parrot jump out of the woods screeching, "Yes We Can." Either way, it was cool. The color on this lizard was more flourescent then any I've ever seen in the pet store.
After this I saw something else flying my way. A few kids were skateboarding on a bike path so I took the far right side to give them plenty of room. Right as I'm about to pass thinking I'm in the clear a skateboard whips in front of me and I wack it with the rear wheel. Fortunately, I didn't crash. The kid whips around and says, "It's ok, the board is fine." I wanted to go slap him just once, but whatever, I used to have a skateboard and probably did stupid things like that too. So once again, my rear wheel moves side to side and I can feel it pulsating whenever I hit the rear brake. I think I'm going to let this one go though because the bike shops around here are mostly Beach Bike type of shops and the wheel isn't really that bad. If I find a good one then I'll have them true it up for me just to make sure I don't have any problems.
The Palm Beach area is really, really nice. Very expensive and it looks just like the movies, but the landscaping at some of these houses is better then most golf courses I've seen. In fact, some of the houses have the same exact grass that they use on golf courses and it's cut just as short as the grass that grows 2 feet from the cup.
I took a picture yesterday that could have been a Corona commercial. It was right in the middle of nowhere, but absolutely perfect. A couple palm trees, some beach, the perfect amount of foliage and groundcover. Amazing.
Mostly, yesterday was just grinding through the heat. As I told Jennifer, their are times when the sweat doesn't drip off you, it's a steady stream. If I look down to check what gear I'm in or make a movement it's like somebody takes a dixie cup of water and pours it onto my leg, bike or whatever is in the way. Sweating this much never really wins you any beauty contests but it does keep you cool. By cool I mean a safe distance from a heat stroke.
Needless to say, yesterday was tough, but I made it through in one piece. I rode basically from 7am until 7pm with a break for a late lunch and four or five hydration breaks. Their was a headwind most of the day so covering a lot of ground fast was impossible. I did make 18-20 mph bursts for 1/2 hour stretches, but most of the time I was hanging around 15-16 mph. I think my average for the day was 15.2 and that includes the normal city slowdowns and stoplight crawls.
Alright, now onto some questions. To Nick, yes I did hold 20-22 mph with the trailer. FL is flat and I didn't have any wind that day. Usually I can hold a good pace for 2 hours but I've found that every 10 minutes I need to get up out of the saddle and kick in the turbo for 30 seconds or so. I think it's just a way to let muscles relax while also giving yourself a good fast cadence to start from for the next 10 minute stretch. After about 3 hours at that pace I started wearing down and couldn't maintain it for the rest of the day. I stopped at a convenience store and my left lower calf muscle started crapping. I think I was at 16-18 for the next 3 hours and that night I had to stretch again and again to get it loose for the next day.
Cameron, I don't buy it that you're a quiet girl. I know you too well. You're kind of like cycling in the morning, it takes a little while to get the joints and muscles lubed up but once they're going they don't stop until they wear themselves out. "What's not to think about yourself" I like it.
KeithCo.....Marriage What!!!!! I heard some rumblings but holy shizzah!!! Congratulations buddy. Are you sure she's cool with your Larry Craig style extra-curricular activities? On this trip I actually tried the Kona Brewing Longboard Ale. Very good stuff. I'll try to get the one you're talking about when I get back home. Hope you're going to Finkle Brewfest '08.
JT, I didn't think about the wet dreary days on the ferry but as you, I, and others have figured out, there isn't much that a good beer or Captains and Coke won't cure. That is, if you're walking onto and off the ferry or course.
Jacob, I think it's awesome that you keep getting on that bike. I have no doubt that you're going to be great at riding it very soon. Keep it up and maybe we can ride it to get some blueberry pancakes for breakfast, or lunch if you want.
Sara,
Who the heck is Jimmy Olsen? I'll look into the spring thing, maybe you have something there. Can't wait to test out that garden. Mmmm, tomato sandwich with mayo on toast, salt, pepper and some basil. That's the life.
Amber, Jen, Steve, Any of those chocolate chip cookies left? I'm almost there.
Greg, I know that Jennifer probably has a stack of 12 magazines waiting for me when I get home and I'll read about the dandelion greens. Unfortunately, Jennifer has a list of things for me to do that is probably only marginally shorter in breadth then all the articles in those 12 magazines. Baby steps, baby steps.
I know that Brandon wants to know what made me decide to do this. Most people ask that and I just say it's something I've always wanted to do. This gets me out of hour long conversations with people at the convenience stores. That is really why I did it but there is more detail then that.
One of the reasons is that riding a bike forces you to go through every town and look at nearly every interesting house, animal, tree, or piece of scenery that's on the way. Even when you're in the groove and moving at 20 mph down the road (fast for me on the bike with the trailer) I'm still moving 1/3 the speed of the cars that are whizzing by, listening to their radio's and not paying attention to anything. This trip will end up being about 4 weeks of riding but I've seen a lot more eventful and uneventful people, places and things then you would if you rode in your car for four weeks. After it's all said and done, some of the uneventful ends up being the most eventful. So, this is the way I chose to do it and it's been a good choice for me.
Another reason I chose to do this is that it's a good transition. I've left one job and soon enough I'll start another. I'm getting married to the most perfect woman I've ever met and even though we've known each other for the past 16 years, it's still a change. So it's very fitting that I ride out of one area on a long, difficult journey to end in another completely different place. When I get to Key West I'll probably only be there for a couple days which usually amazes most people considering how long it's taken me to get there, but this trip wasn't about Key West, it was about the cities like Statesboro, Charleston, Delaware Water Gap, New Paltz, Folkston, York, Manheim, Quinnipac, Belford, Portsmouth and dozens of others that I hit on the way. I will say that I'm devoting more time to Key West then any other city, but come on now, after a trip like this you need to drink it in a little. Also, I'm going to visit the Mel Fisher Museum upon the recommendation of Ron and Danna.
Lastly, this trip was a chance to break up a big difficult challenge (difficult for me atleast) into small daily pieces and figure out just how I handled it. How to put together all those little pieces that seem so insignificant by themselves but actually become very significant when and if you forget about them.
You can always guess how your going to deal with a situation and most people have told me things like, "I knew you'd do that" or "I saw that coming" but unless you've actually done this or something like it then you don't know exactly how it feels. I too knew I'd be lonely sometimes, I knew I'd get bored, I knew I'd want to stop when I was in the middle and the initial excitement wore of, but now I know how that feels and I know how I need to react to get myself through it. I know how much the support of others can help me out and I know where you need to dig deep and work through it by yourself. I know how awesome it was riding with somebody for a day after not riding with anybody for 3 weeks. I've been able to experience crossing over into the last state and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel after eating, breathing, pedaling and hurting with nothing else on my mind except getting to FL and getting back home to see everybody. I've visualized seeing Jennifer, Riley, friends and family for 4 weeks now. A million times I've thought about what I'm going to do when I get off the plane, how I'm going to react when I get to sleep in my bed again, how the glass/bottle is going to sound during the first, "Cheers to catching your breath between adventures!". After the whole trip, I don't just "know" how things are going to happen, I've felt how they've happened and I can now talk about them with more clarity then the assumption of an anticipated reaction.
All the really great people I've met along the way who have interesting stories to talk about are not necessarily the most intelligent ones or the best conversationalist (although they are usually pretty high up there in both categories), they're the ones who went out there and did something. Some people are held back because they think they can't do it, some are held back because they need to plan everything out, and most are held back because they're scared of something so much that they come up with another excuse for why they can't do it. Really though, it's all out there for the taking and you just need to decide what you want to experience and what you don't.
So, there's the long of it and if anybody asks me again, "Why did you do it?" then I'm going to say, "Because it's something I've always wanted to do."
Thanks again for the support. Tomorrow night I should be camping in Key Largo and then I make the last push for Key West on Tuesday. After yesterday, these two 100 mile days are like a ride around the block. Unless I get bored, the next post will probably be from Mile Marker 0. Stock the shelves Key West, I'm coming to town.
Until then, You've only got one time around so you better grab as much gusto as you can while you're here (Thanks for that one Ron).
First I'm going to summarize the route since my last post so that I can hopefully remember all the cool stuff that has happened. There will surely be some experiences that I forget, but I'm hoping that along the road here I'll be able to fill in some more details.
Most of the route through Florida follows A1A, southbound of course. Right now I'm on my last map, 7 of 7, which takes me from St. Augustine, FL to Key West (extreme elation). In my previous post I touched on St. Augustine but didn't go into detail. After St. Augustine I hit Crescent Beach, Flagler Beach, Daytona Beach, Titusville (think Kennedy Space Station), Cocoa Beach, back to A1A at Indialantic/Melbourne Beach, Floridana Beach, Vero Beach, Ft. Pierce, Port Salerno, Hobe Sound, Palm/West Palm/South Palm Beaches, and now I'm at Pompano Beach staying with Ms. Meghan Finkle (sister of the world renowned Steven Finkle). Alright, so the first thing that strikes me about that extensive collection of locations is how often the word "Beach" pops up. There is a lot of sand out there. On top of that, if a section of coastline doesn't have sand but the real estate is high value then they probably just truck it in. I didn't realize just how many beaches there were out there on the eastern shore of Florida. I knew their were a lot, but it's almost to the point where the whole coast is one big sandy beach....and this is a long state.
As I've already stated, St. Augustine is a fantastic area. I met some people along the way who told me that the FL State Park there is amazing too. I need to learn more about the history of St. Augustine now because that is what the town is about and I would be belittling the town if I just said, "St. Augustine, great shops and a really good spinach croissant."
The number of City, County, State Parks that are on the Florida coast is another cause for pause. They take their relaxation time very seriously in FL. For good reason too, it's so damn hot most of the day that you don't want to move unless you have too.
From Little Talbot Campground to Spruce Creek Campground (south of Daytona Beach) was a 109.62 mile day. Not too shabby. Spruce Creek was the home of the friendly squirrels. I'm pretty sure they're the ones who tryed to gnaw through my dry bag. Not a big deal though, they gave up before any real damage was done. Spruce Creek Campground had a really great pier that you could walk out to which was in the middle of a grassland/swamp/inlet mixture. The swamp description doesn't sound too nice, but it was a beautiful area. I arrived at Spruce Creek around 5 pm and the park attendant wanted to take off early so he didn't check me in or take my money. I'll take that, free camping for the night once again. He did tell me that the "Day Workers" come to the park, camp out for 2 weeks (max stay) and then move onto the next park. These guys/gals left earlier then I did so I'm guessing he was right. So as not to give you the wrong impression, "Day laborers" were white, construction worker tanned people who listen to Peter Frampton and Bob Seger. Now then, bye bye squirrels and hello open road.
I'm getting really good at packing up camp and getting on the road but it still takes 45 minutes at best. Every morning includes soreness. If you're a cyclist or a runner then think of those days where you wake up for a morning ride having exercised hard the day before and you tell yourself, "I've gotta do it, I've gotta do it" just to get out there. That's a good day. I must admit though, you get used to working through it. Gradually, you become slightly less sore in the morning but the really amazing part is that after a few weeks it only takes you 20-30 minutes on the bike to become fully functional again. In the beginning I wouldn't be fully functional until I hit a hill that absolutely required everything I had.
When you cramp up or when you have a problem it usually doesn't happen while riding. If I push hard for an hour or two then stop for Gatorade or a banana, I feel the problem area when I get back on the bike. The good thing for me is that I haven't really had a reoccurring problem. Cramps are inevitable no matter how much you drink or how much you eat. The only way to stop them is to slow down or take more breaks.
Now, on the road again. FL is full of cyclists. It's nice to see our kind on the road. The bad part about this is that some of these guys can pass me. Usually this is about 8am when I've already been on the road for 25 miles, but still, I should be able to kick their butt with or without a trailer....well, not really but I'd like to think I could. Cyclist or not, the trailer gets a lot of looks and sparks a lot of conversation. Everybody wants to know what's going on. Yesterday I stopped at a red-light and the lady in the car next to me asked me the WFWT question (where from where to). People in the crosswalk heard me and the next thing you know everybody is stoked about the trip. It's pretty cool when you get this reaction because sometimes people just have no idea why you'd want to do anything that takes this sort of commitment and energy (stereotype here, but usually the 9-5, unionized, white male factory worker). These are the same people who you ask, "What do you do?" and they respond with something stupid like, "As little as possible." Alrighty then.
Florida beaches are full of Sea Turtle Sanctuary areas and it seems like every town is a Protected Birding area. The birding thing isn't too relevant because I don't think people hunt pelicans and herrings in the middle of towns with a population of 8000 people. It does give you the feel good when you enter that specific city though and the Car Wash industry loves it.
Friday night I stayed at Sebastien Inlet State Park. I made a reservation at this park a couple nights earlier and it's a good thing I did. I picked up the last site and as it turns out this is a fantastic park to watch shuttle launchings from. Saturday, 5/31 at 5pm was the next launching. Sebastien's Inlet was amazing. Supposedly there are two Jetty's here which make for a fisherman's paradise. Bird watching is plentiful too. This is where I met Ron and Danna. Rob offered me a Corona that was probably one of the best tasting beers I've ever had. Not so much because it was a Corona, but because I had just rode 104.27 miles in the heat and now I have a beer in my hand in an air conditioned RV. They also let me sit right below the a/c...holy heaven. As it turns out, Ron and Danna have been married for 40 years and they spent a 2 1/2 year honeymoon in Europe (Ron's description). This kindof threw me until he explained that he was in the military. They used to take 3 or 4 day weekends and travel around Europe in a VW Bug with a tent strapped to the back and military Sea Rations for food. He listed off nearly every country in Europe when I asked him where they'd been. Not a bad life if you can get it.....wait a minute, I'm going to change that, Not a bad life if that's what you choose...there, better. Ron and Danna fed me burgers, potato's, beans, cheese, and of the best part, another beer. They were here for the shuttle launch of which Ron was a big fan. He had never seen the launch before and it was something they've wanted to do for awhile. Hope everything went well guys and thanks again.
I need to backtrack here. Before I landed at Sebastiens Inlet I found another burrito restaurant. I still had a hot dog in my stomach that hadn't yet digested and was not cooperating with me riding but this Burrito Joint had written on their sign, "The best Burrito you'll have Anywhere." Come on now, really? So I went in and asked the woman what made it the best. She let me know that the brisket and the pork are smoked in house, the salsa is made in house (and very interesting stuff too I might add), they use a homemade slaw mixture instead of lettuce because lettuce wilts on the meat, plus they use yellow spanish rice, pinto beans, etc, etc. I had to try one, if not for the burrito then atleast so I could ask to sample the salsa's without feeling guilty. It was really good, I'm not sure about the best because Anna's Taquiria in Boston is hard to beat, but definitely top 5. The restaurant was pretty cool too. I wish I snapped a picture. Lot's of music, surfing and 60's/70's type posters on the walls. The men's room was painted pink which was an interesting way to get your attention and make you remember the place (atleast I think it was the men's room...it was, I checked). The counter used corrugated, galvanized, steel roofing to cover the supporting base which looked really cool. The salsas were made out of habanero's, cantalopes, onions, garlic, vinegar, sugar, chipotle's, and I think there was some mango in some types. Very interesting stuff.
Now, back to the campsite. Here is a classic moment. I setup the hammock before really getting to know Ron and Danna. There wasn't many trees in the area but I found a couple that might do. As I'm climbing into the hammock, it sinks low enough so that my back is just touching the ground. One of the trees was a little bit smaller and sort of low to the ground so I couldn't position the ropes all that high up. This just won't due so I get up, and decide to reattach. This is after two beers, food, it's 9:30 so I'm getting tired and it's dark. I reattach the webbing straps, tie the hammock on and crawl back inside. Still pretty low but better then.....whoa, snap, and down for the count. The limb of the tree snapped off and luckily for me my fall to the ground was from about 2 ft up. So now it's late, I'm tired, all my clothes that were drying from the top of the hammock are scattered and I need to figure out a plan. I drag over the table, tie everything up so their is a taunt ridgeline to the hammock, blow up the airmattress and sleep in the hammock but on the ground for the night. The next morning I woke up in the humidity covered with a layer of "somebody let me take a shower" sweat only to find that my clothes didn't dry and it was disgusting out. The good part about this is that after 5 minutes on the bike I was so sweaty and wet that it didn't matter one bit how damp my clothes were or how terrible I felt waking up that morning. Always look at the bright side. By the way, if you heard some commotion in the night Ron and Danna, that's what it was. Sorry about that.
Another day and a big one it was. Gone from Sebastien Island, I missed the shuttle launch but that's ok because I'm sure they'll put another one up someday. The strip of land I'm riding today is a very thin island which isn't too much wider then the road. There's a nice breeze that is slowing me down but I'll take it because at 7am, it's already too hot for me. I decided to push through today and ride 140 miles all the way to Meghan's apartment. Clean shower, a/c and a carpeted floor underneath my feet...life is good, but I'm going to be working for this nights sleep.
On the way there I scared an iguana from the thick grass on the side of the road. I've been seeing a lot of lizards around this area, most of them a couple inches in length, but this was a full on flourescent green iguana. Who the heck forgot to tell me that they actually made these things in the wild? I thought they were only in pet stores. It's not like you suddenly see a talking parrot jump out of the woods screeching, "Yes We Can." Either way, it was cool. The color on this lizard was more flourescent then any I've ever seen in the pet store.
After this I saw something else flying my way. A few kids were skateboarding on a bike path so I took the far right side to give them plenty of room. Right as I'm about to pass thinking I'm in the clear a skateboard whips in front of me and I wack it with the rear wheel. Fortunately, I didn't crash. The kid whips around and says, "It's ok, the board is fine." I wanted to go slap him just once, but whatever, I used to have a skateboard and probably did stupid things like that too. So once again, my rear wheel moves side to side and I can feel it pulsating whenever I hit the rear brake. I think I'm going to let this one go though because the bike shops around here are mostly Beach Bike type of shops and the wheel isn't really that bad. If I find a good one then I'll have them true it up for me just to make sure I don't have any problems.
The Palm Beach area is really, really nice. Very expensive and it looks just like the movies, but the landscaping at some of these houses is better then most golf courses I've seen. In fact, some of the houses have the same exact grass that they use on golf courses and it's cut just as short as the grass that grows 2 feet from the cup.
I took a picture yesterday that could have been a Corona commercial. It was right in the middle of nowhere, but absolutely perfect. A couple palm trees, some beach, the perfect amount of foliage and groundcover. Amazing.
Mostly, yesterday was just grinding through the heat. As I told Jennifer, their are times when the sweat doesn't drip off you, it's a steady stream. If I look down to check what gear I'm in or make a movement it's like somebody takes a dixie cup of water and pours it onto my leg, bike or whatever is in the way. Sweating this much never really wins you any beauty contests but it does keep you cool. By cool I mean a safe distance from a heat stroke.
Needless to say, yesterday was tough, but I made it through in one piece. I rode basically from 7am until 7pm with a break for a late lunch and four or five hydration breaks. Their was a headwind most of the day so covering a lot of ground fast was impossible. I did make 18-20 mph bursts for 1/2 hour stretches, but most of the time I was hanging around 15-16 mph. I think my average for the day was 15.2 and that includes the normal city slowdowns and stoplight crawls.
Alright, now onto some questions. To Nick, yes I did hold 20-22 mph with the trailer. FL is flat and I didn't have any wind that day. Usually I can hold a good pace for 2 hours but I've found that every 10 minutes I need to get up out of the saddle and kick in the turbo for 30 seconds or so. I think it's just a way to let muscles relax while also giving yourself a good fast cadence to start from for the next 10 minute stretch. After about 3 hours at that pace I started wearing down and couldn't maintain it for the rest of the day. I stopped at a convenience store and my left lower calf muscle started crapping. I think I was at 16-18 for the next 3 hours and that night I had to stretch again and again to get it loose for the next day.
Cameron, I don't buy it that you're a quiet girl. I know you too well. You're kind of like cycling in the morning, it takes a little while to get the joints and muscles lubed up but once they're going they don't stop until they wear themselves out. "What's not to think about yourself" I like it.
KeithCo.....Marriage What!!!!! I heard some rumblings but holy shizzah!!! Congratulations buddy. Are you sure she's cool with your Larry Craig style extra-curricular activities? On this trip I actually tried the Kona Brewing Longboard Ale. Very good stuff. I'll try to get the one you're talking about when I get back home. Hope you're going to Finkle Brewfest '08.
JT, I didn't think about the wet dreary days on the ferry but as you, I, and others have figured out, there isn't much that a good beer or Captains and Coke won't cure. That is, if you're walking onto and off the ferry or course.
Jacob, I think it's awesome that you keep getting on that bike. I have no doubt that you're going to be great at riding it very soon. Keep it up and maybe we can ride it to get some blueberry pancakes for breakfast, or lunch if you want.
Sara,
Who the heck is Jimmy Olsen? I'll look into the spring thing, maybe you have something there. Can't wait to test out that garden. Mmmm, tomato sandwich with mayo on toast, salt, pepper and some basil. That's the life.
Amber, Jen, Steve, Any of those chocolate chip cookies left? I'm almost there.
Greg, I know that Jennifer probably has a stack of 12 magazines waiting for me when I get home and I'll read about the dandelion greens. Unfortunately, Jennifer has a list of things for me to do that is probably only marginally shorter in breadth then all the articles in those 12 magazines. Baby steps, baby steps.
I know that Brandon wants to know what made me decide to do this. Most people ask that and I just say it's something I've always wanted to do. This gets me out of hour long conversations with people at the convenience stores. That is really why I did it but there is more detail then that.
One of the reasons is that riding a bike forces you to go through every town and look at nearly every interesting house, animal, tree, or piece of scenery that's on the way. Even when you're in the groove and moving at 20 mph down the road (fast for me on the bike with the trailer) I'm still moving 1/3 the speed of the cars that are whizzing by, listening to their radio's and not paying attention to anything. This trip will end up being about 4 weeks of riding but I've seen a lot more eventful and uneventful people, places and things then you would if you rode in your car for four weeks. After it's all said and done, some of the uneventful ends up being the most eventful. So, this is the way I chose to do it and it's been a good choice for me.
Another reason I chose to do this is that it's a good transition. I've left one job and soon enough I'll start another. I'm getting married to the most perfect woman I've ever met and even though we've known each other for the past 16 years, it's still a change. So it's very fitting that I ride out of one area on a long, difficult journey to end in another completely different place. When I get to Key West I'll probably only be there for a couple days which usually amazes most people considering how long it's taken me to get there, but this trip wasn't about Key West, it was about the cities like Statesboro, Charleston, Delaware Water Gap, New Paltz, Folkston, York, Manheim, Quinnipac, Belford, Portsmouth and dozens of others that I hit on the way. I will say that I'm devoting more time to Key West then any other city, but come on now, after a trip like this you need to drink it in a little. Also, I'm going to visit the Mel Fisher Museum upon the recommendation of Ron and Danna.
Lastly, this trip was a chance to break up a big difficult challenge (difficult for me atleast) into small daily pieces and figure out just how I handled it. How to put together all those little pieces that seem so insignificant by themselves but actually become very significant when and if you forget about them.
You can always guess how your going to deal with a situation and most people have told me things like, "I knew you'd do that" or "I saw that coming" but unless you've actually done this or something like it then you don't know exactly how it feels. I too knew I'd be lonely sometimes, I knew I'd get bored, I knew I'd want to stop when I was in the middle and the initial excitement wore of, but now I know how that feels and I know how I need to react to get myself through it. I know how much the support of others can help me out and I know where you need to dig deep and work through it by yourself. I know how awesome it was riding with somebody for a day after not riding with anybody for 3 weeks. I've been able to experience crossing over into the last state and seeing the light at the end of the tunnel after eating, breathing, pedaling and hurting with nothing else on my mind except getting to FL and getting back home to see everybody. I've visualized seeing Jennifer, Riley, friends and family for 4 weeks now. A million times I've thought about what I'm going to do when I get off the plane, how I'm going to react when I get to sleep in my bed again, how the glass/bottle is going to sound during the first, "Cheers to catching your breath between adventures!". After the whole trip, I don't just "know" how things are going to happen, I've felt how they've happened and I can now talk about them with more clarity then the assumption of an anticipated reaction.
All the really great people I've met along the way who have interesting stories to talk about are not necessarily the most intelligent ones or the best conversationalist (although they are usually pretty high up there in both categories), they're the ones who went out there and did something. Some people are held back because they think they can't do it, some are held back because they need to plan everything out, and most are held back because they're scared of something so much that they come up with another excuse for why they can't do it. Really though, it's all out there for the taking and you just need to decide what you want to experience and what you don't.
So, there's the long of it and if anybody asks me again, "Why did you do it?" then I'm going to say, "Because it's something I've always wanted to do."
Thanks again for the support. Tomorrow night I should be camping in Key Largo and then I make the last push for Key West on Tuesday. After yesterday, these two 100 mile days are like a ride around the block. Unless I get bored, the next post will probably be from Mile Marker 0. Stock the shelves Key West, I'm coming to town.
Until then, You've only got one time around so you better grab as much gusto as you can while you're here (Thanks for that one Ron).
Thursday, May 29, 2008
One Beer and ..... Done!!!
In St. Augustine I stopped at a cafe and had 2nd breakfast. 2nd breakfast is one of my favorite parts about burning 5000 plus calories per day. That and 2nd lunch, 2nd dinner and before bed snack. Anyhow, second breakfast today consisted of a huge blueberry muffin and a spinach and feta croissant all washed down with a couple cups of coffee (my favorie drug). Florida is a great biking area. The shoulders are huge. Most areas have separate bike lanes, the towns range from middle income beach towns that retain the small, older beach town feel to super upscale estates (Pointe Verde) that have irrigation systems for not only the lawns but also the shrubby transition areas of the property. St. Augustine is in there too but the history there puts it in a class of it's own. Atlantic beach and Neptune beach have a nice little town center. Some of the beaches are geared more towards campers and some more towards the all inclusive traveller. The FL State park system is the best I've seen yet. Very clean, tidy campsites and great showers and facilities.
I've had to hit a couple ferry crossings on this trip and I've decided that ferry crossings are one of the best things going. I wouldn't mind living someplace where my commute included a ferry crossing. They force you take atleast 15 minutes of your life and do nothing important but look at the other side. It's a a slowdown and a separation between the busy work/errands of the day and the home living part of the day. It forces you to either plan your trips or adapt to situations due to the lack of planning. Mostly though, I just like sitting on the ferry and thinking; thinking about small seemingly insignificant things very slowly, then forgetting them, and then realizing that I'm ok with that.
I met some annoying but playful squirrels tonight at the campground, nearly domesticated. I also had a beer and a burrito on Daytona Beach. One beer nearly knocked me out after the heat and excercise today. It was a 110 mile day that started off great until the sun decided to start squeezing.
Once again the battery is going so I to must leave. It's time for bed anyhow.
Until next time. May you find the time to think about the not so important stuff and then forget about it.
I've had to hit a couple ferry crossings on this trip and I've decided that ferry crossings are one of the best things going. I wouldn't mind living someplace where my commute included a ferry crossing. They force you take atleast 15 minutes of your life and do nothing important but look at the other side. It's a a slowdown and a separation between the busy work/errands of the day and the home living part of the day. It forces you to either plan your trips or adapt to situations due to the lack of planning. Mostly though, I just like sitting on the ferry and thinking; thinking about small seemingly insignificant things very slowly, then forgetting them, and then realizing that I'm ok with that.
I met some annoying but playful squirrels tonight at the campground, nearly domesticated. I also had a beer and a burrito on Daytona Beach. One beer nearly knocked me out after the heat and excercise today. It was a 110 mile day that started off great until the sun decided to start squeezing.
Once again the battery is going so I to must leave. It's time for bed anyhow.
Until next time. May you find the time to think about the not so important stuff and then forget about it.
My Friends the Raccoons
I had another visit from Mr or Mrs Raccoon last night ( I wasn't about to offend by inquiring gender). Seems ad though they wanted something to eat. I woke up and hung all food and all bags from branches only to find that FL raccoons are a
domesticated species. I'm sure that if I wanted the raccoon would have taken food from my hand. As it was, he would only get about 8 to 10 ft away from me unless I started making noise and waving my arms.
I woke up around 5:30 this morning and was on the road around 6:30 am. Time to beat the heat. After 3 pm you don't really want to be on the road. From 1 pm to 3 pm it's hot enough to wear you down twice as fast as normal. Lots of water and a slow afternoon pace keep me moving for a little bit longer though. This morning I've been flying at a 20-22 mph pace. Only 6 hours of riding today if I keep this up. Battery is dying so I'll be back later to tell you all about St. Augustine Florida.
stay cool
Brad
domesticated species. I'm sure that if I wanted the raccoon would have taken food from my hand. As it was, he would only get about 8 to 10 ft away from me unless I started making noise and waving my arms.
I woke up around 5:30 this morning and was on the road around 6:30 am. Time to beat the heat. After 3 pm you don't really want to be on the road. From 1 pm to 3 pm it's hot enough to wear you down twice as fast as normal. Lots of water and a slow afternoon pace keep me moving for a little bit longer though. This morning I've been flying at a 20-22 mph pace. Only 6 hours of riding today if I keep this up. Battery is dying so I'll be back later to tell you all about St. Augustine Florida.
stay cool
Brad
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
F-L-O-R-I-D-A. And say it like you mean it!!!
After hitting up McDonalds for the $2 for 2 Sausage McGriddle's special Jeff and I pedalled off full of cheap, empty calories. I think this special could be a new winner in the Cheapest Calories competition. We took our own route out of Folkston and crossed into FL around 11am. This was amazing, the last state. Jeff and I swapped stories for the next few hours until we finally separated and went our separate ways. I pedalled into the Fernandono Beach area and stopped to digest the fact that the Atlantic Ocean and FL were
finally combined together and I was standing there looking at it. At this point it's all worth it. Every hill, every pedal stroke, every dog, every ache, every look from every stranger that told me I should pedal faster, all of it. The one thing that wouldake this perfect is if Jennifer was here to share the moment....my biggest lesson yet and probably the one I knew I'd not only learn but truly feel at this very moment.
So, now I need to call it a night. Once again, I have much more to write but the heat is unbearable down here so it's more important then ever to ride in the early am. Just as a quick sendoff, tonight I'm at Little Talbot Island State Park and I've mapped out the rest of my stops. If everything goes as planned then I'll be in Key West on June 3rd. The heat is going to put a stop to my 200 mile day because their just isn't enough cool hours to get the job done. Maybe when I get home I'll try something like that.
Until next time, may you always keep the excitemt nearby and always have the best people to share of with.
finally combined together and I was standing there looking at it. At this point it's all worth it. Every hill, every pedal stroke, every dog, every ache, every look from every stranger that told me I should pedal faster, all of it. The one thing that wouldake this perfect is if Jennifer was here to share the moment....my biggest lesson yet and probably the one I knew I'd not only learn but truly feel at this very moment.
So, now I need to call it a night. Once again, I have much more to write but the heat is unbearable down here so it's more important then ever to ride in the early am. Just as a quick sendoff, tonight I'm at Little Talbot Island State Park and I've mapped out the rest of my stops. If everything goes as planned then I'll be in Key West on June 3rd. The heat is going to put a stop to my 200 mile day because their just isn't enough cool hours to get the job done. Maybe when I get home I'll try something like that.
Until next time, may you always keep the excitemt nearby and always have the best people to share of with.
The Death of Fate
This is going to be a short post about the past couple days because I really want to get to a new post about today, I'm trying to keep some sense of order here if you can't tell.
Yesterday I started off the day staring a 130 mile ride in the face. That was the last thing I felt like doing, but you don't get to the end of the day without putting in the first mile. As I was fumbling through my maps I realized that one section of the route met up with the route again three sections away. Helloooooo shortcut!!!!! I'm finding out that everyday on this trip, you always find what you're looking for. There are just so many options out there and so many different paths that if you can't find a way out or a better option then you're not really looking hard enough. Life lesson number 5641.
I started the day from Reidsville, GA and ended near the Okeefenokee Swamp in Folkston, GA. Monday night in Reidsville was spent at a $40 hotel (the Indian woman behind the counter gave $2.80 off because I chatted it up with her for 30 minutes or better). While riding to Reidsville earlier that day I crossed the SC/GA border. This was the worst concentration of loose dogs that I've seen yet. Pitbull after pitbull after....Cujo? Who the heck owns these dogs and haven't they ever heard of a leash? After the dogs I hit a stretch of dirt road that Jess and Mike warned me about. They were right, it was soft and I almost crashed numerous times. The whole stretch of the road I was praying, "please God, no dogs, please!!!!" I guess you could say I'm one of those "Oh Shit" believers.
Ok, so that is over with. I rode past huge Vidalia Onion farms, guys spraying the heck out of pecan trees, corn field after wheat field after oat field, and all else that makes Georgia what it is. While in Statesboro, GA I learned that SC actually producesore and supposedly better peaches then GA. As the peach juice was dripping offs hands I had to agree. I stopped at Vandy's BBQ in Statesboro and needed to look up a review for the place online before eating there because the outside of the building looked so bad. The review confirmed what I thought when I saw the large smoker out back, one of the best BBQ joints in Statesboro. When I went inside to order everybody stared at me for about the first 10 minutes (common occurance down here that I'm becoming very accustomed to). "What's everybody order here" I ask the woman as she walks up to my table. "Large plate, potato salad and stew combo." It was good to the last drop. The plate came with four pieces off Sunbeam bread (as it should have because Sunbeam must have given Vandy's their sign back in 1970. One huge Sunbeam Bread sign hanging from the front of the building with "Vandy's Bbq" underneath it in small letters. Anyway , I used every last breadcrumb to make sure that nothing was left on the plate, slurped up the rest of the sweet tea, and wished I had another stomach so I could order another.
I wish I could post more frequently because every minute something new happens that is worthy of a sentence. I used to wonder how travel writers filled up a whole book but now I understand.
After my departure from Reidsville and finding the shortcut I found Jeff Greenberg. As it turns out, Jeff is going to Key West via bike also. This is a long story about how we met, but we did so we rode together. Jeff looks about 10 years younger then he is and has the enthusiasm of someonewho is 20 years younger. I pushed Jeff to ride way past his intended mileage on Tuesday, but it was worth it. We shared a pizza at Mikey's Pizza in Folkston, GA and then found a great campsite for $5 per tent. There were beautiful Magnolia trees all around with moss hanging from the limbs. In the middle of the night I had a friend who wanted to get into my bag of food. I moved quick in the hammock and let out a pssssttttt sound which sent the critter straight up into the air and then intothe woods. Jeff helped me to hang my food off a tree just in case he came back.
In the am it was time for another day of riding.
Yesterday I started off the day staring a 130 mile ride in the face. That was the last thing I felt like doing, but you don't get to the end of the day without putting in the first mile. As I was fumbling through my maps I realized that one section of the route met up with the route again three sections away. Helloooooo shortcut!!!!! I'm finding out that everyday on this trip, you always find what you're looking for. There are just so many options out there and so many different paths that if you can't find a way out or a better option then you're not really looking hard enough. Life lesson number 5641.
I started the day from Reidsville, GA and ended near the Okeefenokee Swamp in Folkston, GA. Monday night in Reidsville was spent at a $40 hotel (the Indian woman behind the counter gave $2.80 off because I chatted it up with her for 30 minutes or better). While riding to Reidsville earlier that day I crossed the SC/GA border. This was the worst concentration of loose dogs that I've seen yet. Pitbull after pitbull after....Cujo? Who the heck owns these dogs and haven't they ever heard of a leash? After the dogs I hit a stretch of dirt road that Jess and Mike warned me about. They were right, it was soft and I almost crashed numerous times. The whole stretch of the road I was praying, "please God, no dogs, please!!!!" I guess you could say I'm one of those "Oh Shit" believers.
Ok, so that is over with. I rode past huge Vidalia Onion farms, guys spraying the heck out of pecan trees, corn field after wheat field after oat field, and all else that makes Georgia what it is. While in Statesboro, GA I learned that SC actually producesore and supposedly better peaches then GA. As the peach juice was dripping offs hands I had to agree. I stopped at Vandy's BBQ in Statesboro and needed to look up a review for the place online before eating there because the outside of the building looked so bad. The review confirmed what I thought when I saw the large smoker out back, one of the best BBQ joints in Statesboro. When I went inside to order everybody stared at me for about the first 10 minutes (common occurance down here that I'm becoming very accustomed to). "What's everybody order here" I ask the woman as she walks up to my table. "Large plate, potato salad and stew combo." It was good to the last drop. The plate came with four pieces off Sunbeam bread (as it should have because Sunbeam must have given Vandy's their sign back in 1970. One huge Sunbeam Bread sign hanging from the front of the building with "Vandy's Bbq" underneath it in small letters. Anyway , I used every last breadcrumb to make sure that nothing was left on the plate, slurped up the rest of the sweet tea, and wished I had another stomach so I could order another.
I wish I could post more frequently because every minute something new happens that is worthy of a sentence. I used to wonder how travel writers filled up a whole book but now I understand.
After my departure from Reidsville and finding the shortcut I found Jeff Greenberg. As it turns out, Jeff is going to Key West via bike also. This is a long story about how we met, but we did so we rode together. Jeff looks about 10 years younger then he is and has the enthusiasm of someonewho is 20 years younger. I pushed Jeff to ride way past his intended mileage on Tuesday, but it was worth it. We shared a pizza at Mikey's Pizza in Folkston, GA and then found a great campsite for $5 per tent. There were beautiful Magnolia trees all around with moss hanging from the limbs. In the middle of the night I had a friend who wanted to get into my bag of food. I moved quick in the hammock and let out a pssssttttt sound which sent the critter straight up into the air and then intothe woods. Jeff helped me to hang my food off a tree just in case he came back.
In the am it was time for another day of riding.
Sunday, May 25, 2008
A Day of Rest
After a night of food, sweet tea vodka and cheap concession stand beer I decided to sleep in. This is not an easy thing to do when you're accustomed to waking up at 6am. Up at 6am, 6:40, 7:15, 7:30, enough is enough, I'm up already. At the hostel I had some great coffee and a bagel with Nutella for breakfast. Fritz, one of the staff members at the hostel, had some great biking stories and was really friendly. Him and a friend once stayed in an abandoned bus during some bike touring adventure. They only had two hours of sleep because the mosquito's were so bad in the bus. The next day of riding, Fritz's friend Steve fell asleep while riding, rode into Fritz's back wheel, crashed his bike and split his chin open. They rode 12 miles to the hospital, stitched up Steve's chin and finished the ride. That's hardcore!!!
Finding the hostel was a great deal. I was really lucky in that somebody cancelled their reservation for last night so I swooped in and booked it up. Considering I was three blocks away from the hostel when I found this out I was very relieved. My other option would be to spend $250 on a hotel room that I would sleep in for 8 hours.
Brett Treacy was the person who introduced me to vodka sweet tea. Brett is a musician in the Charleston area who is making a go at his passion in life. You can hear Brett's music at www.myspace.com/bretttreacy .
After a little r&r this morning I finally left the hostel and hit the road. It took me a long time to decide if I was going to ride route 17 to Port South instead of taking the Adventure Cycling route. Yesterday I told a group of people to be careful about riding 17 and today I'm riding it myself. White knuckle riding for a little bit, but not too bad after awhile. I ditched off rt 17 for a bit and nearly crashed when a road turned to sand. There wasn't any traffic on this road so it would have been a little spill, but definitely woke me up. I met a couple guys who where fishing for catfish and spot tail bass on the side of the road. After that I found a Peach Cider Shop and sample peach, cherry, muscadine and I think it was blackberry cider. I had to buy some red raspberry sauce (it's sauce not jam Jenni) and sent it back home with some other goodies. If you get a sweet tooth then try some of that raspberry sauce on some ice cream Jenni....unbelievable!!!
The woman behind the counter found me a hotel room for the night that cost $30. I was going to camp at the KOA bit for $10 more I don't need to setup camp and I'll be able to gain atleast a half hour.
Stealth camping isn't much fun in the south because of the heat and the bugs. Showers wash away a hard day of riding and ready you for tomorrows coat of sunblock.
I plan on putting in a good day of riding tomorrow. Right now I'm about 70 miles from Statesboro, GA which will conclude section 5 of my 7 maps. After I pass Statesboro I'm going to travel 37 more miles to Reidsville, GA and camp at a State Park. Tuesday night will be camping at either Atkinson, GA or Folkston, GA depending upon how fast and far I can ride. Folkston is about 10 miles from the FL border so I'm going to try hard to push through.
Depending upon how the heat treats me I'm thinking of attempting a 200 mile day someplace in FL. Tuesday I'm going to ship home the cold weather gear and some spare hardware. If I drastically lighten the load and ride a 18 mph average then I think a 200 mile day is highly possible. Easy to say after a nice light 60 mile day.
Time for me to recharge the batteries. If you're reading the blog then don't forget to post so
e messages. It's nice to hear what everybody is up to.
Untill next time, may the peach cider be chilled and the vodka sweet tea find it's way to NY.
Brad
Finding the hostel was a great deal. I was really lucky in that somebody cancelled their reservation for last night so I swooped in and booked it up. Considering I was three blocks away from the hostel when I found this out I was very relieved. My other option would be to spend $250 on a hotel room that I would sleep in for 8 hours.
Brett Treacy was the person who introduced me to vodka sweet tea. Brett is a musician in the Charleston area who is making a go at his passion in life. You can hear Brett's music at www.myspace.com/bretttreacy .
After a little r&r this morning I finally left the hostel and hit the road. It took me a long time to decide if I was going to ride route 17 to Port South instead of taking the Adventure Cycling route. Yesterday I told a group of people to be careful about riding 17 and today I'm riding it myself. White knuckle riding for a little bit, but not too bad after awhile. I ditched off rt 17 for a bit and nearly crashed when a road turned to sand. There wasn't any traffic on this road so it would have been a little spill, but definitely woke me up. I met a couple guys who where fishing for catfish and spot tail bass on the side of the road. After that I found a Peach Cider Shop and sample peach, cherry, muscadine and I think it was blackberry cider. I had to buy some red raspberry sauce (it's sauce not jam Jenni) and sent it back home with some other goodies. If you get a sweet tooth then try some of that raspberry sauce on some ice cream Jenni....unbelievable!!!
The woman behind the counter found me a hotel room for the night that cost $30. I was going to camp at the KOA bit for $10 more I don't need to setup camp and I'll be able to gain atleast a half hour.
Stealth camping isn't much fun in the south because of the heat and the bugs. Showers wash away a hard day of riding and ready you for tomorrows coat of sunblock.
I plan on putting in a good day of riding tomorrow. Right now I'm about 70 miles from Statesboro, GA which will conclude section 5 of my 7 maps. After I pass Statesboro I'm going to travel 37 more miles to Reidsville, GA and camp at a State Park. Tuesday night will be camping at either Atkinson, GA or Folkston, GA depending upon how fast and far I can ride. Folkston is about 10 miles from the FL border so I'm going to try hard to push through.
Depending upon how the heat treats me I'm thinking of attempting a 200 mile day someplace in FL. Tuesday I'm going to ship home the cold weather gear and some spare hardware. If I drastically lighten the load and ride a 18 mph average then I think a 200 mile day is highly possible. Easy to say after a nice light 60 mile day.
Time for me to recharge the batteries. If you're reading the blog then don't forget to post so
e messages. It's nice to hear what everybody is up to.
Untill next time, may the peach cider be chilled and the vodka sweet tea find it's way to NY.
Brad
The Charleston Spur
This morning I'm in Charleston, SC at another hostel. I can smell the coffee brewing and can't wait to grab myself a cup. If I had to choose only one bad habit, coffee would be it. Beer and wine have their place, but coffee is King.
Last night I met up with a couple guys from the Charleston area at a burrito joint. After eating, they introduced me to vodka sweet tea and we went over to a Reggae Festival. It was a pretty good time.
Time for some coffee, I'll be back later to talk all about the rest.
I'm back. Yes Jennifer, I'm a changed man. There isn't much time for beer or wine when you're riding 100 miles a day. It just slows you down. Coffee on the other hand, gives you a boost of energy, a change of attitude, and time to reflect. When I hit Key West, I may decide that a margahrita or pina colada is in store, but nothing kick starts the system like a good ole cup of joe.
Right now it's about 9:45 am and I'm headed off for a short day with a late start. The decision to take the Charleston spur probably added 25 miles to my trip but if I don't take a little time to drink in the culture then the backwoods towns and some of their constiuents start to get really stale. I've done 96.57, 103.67, 87.55, and 112.72 mile days for the past four days so when I leave Charleston today I'll probably rest up with a 60 mile ride.
The heat is here and here to stay. Hydration has become more important then ever. I apply a liberal coat of sunblock every couple hours and after about 10 minutes of riding I can feel the perspiration pushing out through the sunblock like small leaks in a dam. It's a never ending battle. I need to find some sunblock that holds up to exercise while also protecting from the sun or else I cook.
Yesterday I met up with another couple, Mike and Jessica, on a tandem who were biking from Miami to Bar Harbor, ME. I was sweating my butt off and they told me they were thinking of stopping and putting on arm warmers. I can only hope that I acclimate to the heat as they have...and hopefully before Florida. These two were putting in 100 miles a day and staying at hotels in the evening. You can check out their site at tandemadventure.com . Most people I meet tell me how Georgia can be a little rough in some of the back towns but once you hit Florida life is good again.
I also met four guys from Michigan who flew to Savannah, GA and are traveling to ME, then over the top of the lakes and back to MI. I'm not sure these four are going to make it because after two days of traveling they were already looking for faster routes. It seems as though the route I'm taking parallels route 17 in a lot of areas but route 17 is very sketchy to ride on. They were talking about jumping on 17 to save some time...not a good idea, but each to their own.
Before hitting Charleston I stopped and talked to a guy on the side of the road who was selling shrimp. He was probably around 20-24 and he bought shrimp from his uncle who has a shrimping boat at McClellanville, NC. He used to bring 150 lbs of shrimp up to some restaurants in West Virginia (where he grew up) but his transmission in his truck went and now he sells shrimp off the side of the road north of Charleston. The numbers don't work out that well because he buys the shrimp for $4.50/lb, sells it for $6/lb and he sold about 30 lbs yesterday. I guess that he's banking on developing a customer base so that he can move more shrimp in the coming weeks. Maybe he just likes to sit on the side of the road and relax?
So, now I'm off again. I'm almost done with my section 5 map which means I only have two maps left to go. The Statesboro, GA to St. Augustine, FL section is 287.5 miles and the last leg to Key West, FL is 521.5 miles. As of today I've rode 1609 miles and I have about 950 left to go. With the light day today, I should be in Key West on or about June 5th. Finkle has mentioned that he may meet me down there for a couple days and maybe see his sister in Ft. Lauderdale. We'll see how it works out.
So, until next time, may you never forget to take some time for yourself and always remember that no matter how far you need to go you'll always get there if you're moving in the right direction.
Brad
Last night I met up with a couple guys from the Charleston area at a burrito joint. After eating, they introduced me to vodka sweet tea and we went over to a Reggae Festival. It was a pretty good time.
Time for some coffee, I'll be back later to talk all about the rest.
I'm back. Yes Jennifer, I'm a changed man. There isn't much time for beer or wine when you're riding 100 miles a day. It just slows you down. Coffee on the other hand, gives you a boost of energy, a change of attitude, and time to reflect. When I hit Key West, I may decide that a margahrita or pina colada is in store, but nothing kick starts the system like a good ole cup of joe.
Right now it's about 9:45 am and I'm headed off for a short day with a late start. The decision to take the Charleston spur probably added 25 miles to my trip but if I don't take a little time to drink in the culture then the backwoods towns and some of their constiuents start to get really stale. I've done 96.57, 103.67, 87.55, and 112.72 mile days for the past four days so when I leave Charleston today I'll probably rest up with a 60 mile ride.
The heat is here and here to stay. Hydration has become more important then ever. I apply a liberal coat of sunblock every couple hours and after about 10 minutes of riding I can feel the perspiration pushing out through the sunblock like small leaks in a dam. It's a never ending battle. I need to find some sunblock that holds up to exercise while also protecting from the sun or else I cook.
Yesterday I met up with another couple, Mike and Jessica, on a tandem who were biking from Miami to Bar Harbor, ME. I was sweating my butt off and they told me they were thinking of stopping and putting on arm warmers. I can only hope that I acclimate to the heat as they have...and hopefully before Florida. These two were putting in 100 miles a day and staying at hotels in the evening. You can check out their site at tandemadventure.com . Most people I meet tell me how Georgia can be a little rough in some of the back towns but once you hit Florida life is good again.
I also met four guys from Michigan who flew to Savannah, GA and are traveling to ME, then over the top of the lakes and back to MI. I'm not sure these four are going to make it because after two days of traveling they were already looking for faster routes. It seems as though the route I'm taking parallels route 17 in a lot of areas but route 17 is very sketchy to ride on. They were talking about jumping on 17 to save some time...not a good idea, but each to their own.
Before hitting Charleston I stopped and talked to a guy on the side of the road who was selling shrimp. He was probably around 20-24 and he bought shrimp from his uncle who has a shrimping boat at McClellanville, NC. He used to bring 150 lbs of shrimp up to some restaurants in West Virginia (where he grew up) but his transmission in his truck went and now he sells shrimp off the side of the road north of Charleston. The numbers don't work out that well because he buys the shrimp for $4.50/lb, sells it for $6/lb and he sold about 30 lbs yesterday. I guess that he's banking on developing a customer base so that he can move more shrimp in the coming weeks. Maybe he just likes to sit on the side of the road and relax?
So, now I'm off again. I'm almost done with my section 5 map which means I only have two maps left to go. The Statesboro, GA to St. Augustine, FL section is 287.5 miles and the last leg to Key West, FL is 521.5 miles. As of today I've rode 1609 miles and I have about 950 left to go. With the light day today, I should be in Key West on or about June 5th. Finkle has mentioned that he may meet me down there for a couple days and maybe see his sister in Ft. Lauderdale. We'll see how it works out.
So, until next time, may you never forget to take some time for yourself and always remember that no matter how far you need to go you'll always get there if you're moving in the right direction.
Brad
Friday, May 23, 2008
You one of them Yankee boys?
Tonight somebody asked me if I was a Yankee boy? I didn't get the chace to see what he looked like because ether his mother or his girlfriend hushed him up and they walked into the grocery store. Maybe he didn't know that the war was over and he was wondering if he should use his musket on me? It's a little silly down here sometimes. On Wednesday I went to a bike shop in New Bern, NC and the guy there told me that I didn't want to stay in Maysville because it was a black town. I thought the town was perfectly fine. The ni e campsite in Belgrade that I talked about before, they warned me not to stay there because of roamers. When I did check in to the site I was surrounded by a family from MI who's son was soon leaving for Iraq, a fisherman who stays for the week and a few other people who were preparing for the Memorial Day weekend. It seems as though we create our own fear. As I told Jennifer today, black or white, some of the people I've met are just so worried about how tough they are that they act like idiots.
Dr. John Hall is the man from Alaska who is biking around the US and raising money for Breast Cancer. Visit his site, and donate, at www.bikeridearoundamerica.org . Yesterday I met Kim Diorio too. You can read about Kim's trip at www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/springtime2008 . Today I also came across a couple guys from Holland who are headed to Bar Harbor, ME. I believe they started in AZ. Jan and Frans were their names.
At the Carolina Beach campground last night Iet a couple who gave homemade mango salsa, flank steak, and boiled peanuts. What a great treat. That salsa was amazing. I hope to stay in touch with these guys because I think the recipes they have must be amazing.
It seems as though people got a little worried when I said I thought about throwing I the towel. Thinking and doing are two very different things. I don't think there is anyway you could not think about going home once or twice during the trip, there is plenty of time to think. Right now I'm about 240 miles from GA. I got a really late start today but with a good push I was still able to put in 85 miles. It was a good day because I'm figuring out how to maintain 18-21 mph on the flats. Without a headwind I'm really able to fly. The trick to maintaining the speed is keeping your cadence at 95-107 rpm. 100-103 is optimal for me. The other good part about that rythym is that it minimizes crapping, joint acts, and sore muscles.
So far I've had my rear wheel trued up twice, my bottom bracket has a clicking that let's me know when my right foot is at bottom dead center, the drivetrain looks like it went through a coal conveyor, my front deraileur pivot pin needs to be pushed back into place twice a day, and I'm on my second set of bike gloves.
Tonight I ate a small pizza, 10 wings, a banana, a powerbar and a 20 oz soda. I think I go through about 60-100 oz of Gatorade each day and probably 6-8 bottles of h2o (24 oz each). I'll need to cut back on these eating habits when I'm back home.
Time for bed so I can get an early start in the am. Until next time, may you find your inspiration to push through and don't let anything stand between you and a perfect sunset.
Dr. John Hall is the man from Alaska who is biking around the US and raising money for Breast Cancer. Visit his site, and donate, at www.bikeridearoundamerica.org . Yesterday I met Kim Diorio too. You can read about Kim's trip at www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/springtime2008 . Today I also came across a couple guys from Holland who are headed to Bar Harbor, ME. I believe they started in AZ. Jan and Frans were their names.
At the Carolina Beach campground last night Iet a couple who gave homemade mango salsa, flank steak, and boiled peanuts. What a great treat. That salsa was amazing. I hope to stay in touch with these guys because I think the recipes they have must be amazing.
It seems as though people got a little worried when I said I thought about throwing I the towel. Thinking and doing are two very different things. I don't think there is anyway you could not think about going home once or twice during the trip, there is plenty of time to think. Right now I'm about 240 miles from GA. I got a really late start today but with a good push I was still able to put in 85 miles. It was a good day because I'm figuring out how to maintain 18-21 mph on the flats. Without a headwind I'm really able to fly. The trick to maintaining the speed is keeping your cadence at 95-107 rpm. 100-103 is optimal for me. The other good part about that rythym is that it minimizes crapping, joint acts, and sore muscles.
So far I've had my rear wheel trued up twice, my bottom bracket has a clicking that let's me know when my right foot is at bottom dead center, the drivetrain looks like it went through a coal conveyor, my front deraileur pivot pin needs to be pushed back into place twice a day, and I'm on my second set of bike gloves.
Tonight I ate a small pizza, 10 wings, a banana, a powerbar and a 20 oz soda. I think I go through about 60-100 oz of Gatorade each day and probably 6-8 bottles of h2o (24 oz each). I'll need to cut back on these eating habits when I'm back home.
Time for bed so I can get an early start in the am. Until next time, may you find your inspiration to push through and don't let anything stand between you and a perfect sunset.
South Carolina Bound
People in the South like to talk. Right now I'm in a coffee shop trying to write this post, write up some postcards, and just take care of some catchup but this guy keeps talking to me and will not stop. I'm literally typing away right now ad he's talking about his friend from 20 years ago. Plus he just asked me about where I went to school and as it turns out he went to Clarkson so he's probably not going to stop for the next 20 minutes.
Anyway, last night I stayed at Carolina Beach, NC in a State campground that was fantastic. I caught the sunset right before I checked in and I'm very happy about that. The next time I see a sunset that nice will probably be in Key West.
Really, this guy has to stop!!! I don't care that you were accepted by RPI and Tufts, nor that you're a pilot, or about your friend who likes to bike. I just need to write my post.
Ok, so a couple nights ago I stayed just south of New Bern, NC in a small town called Belgrade, NC. Once again I found a campsite that was fairly inexpensive and sandwiched between a small river ad the highway. Due to the fact that you can no longer ride through Camp Lejeune (Marine Base) I had to find an alternate route. This was a little sketchy because I had to ride for a stretch on route 17. With a little care this turned out to be a fairly safe route considering the amount of traffic.
Now the guy has a friend. Supposedly they have all the worlds problems figured out by 11am but then Democrat comes in and screws it all up. They have also told me to be very careful about housewives in SUV's. It's painful to listen to these two.
I met a guy the other day who is probably about 60, from Alaska, and his wife has breast cancer. He started a bike trip from Santa Barbera, CA, biked to FL, I met him in NC, now he's going to Bar Harbor, ME, across the top to the West coast and then back down to Santa Barbera. This was a big deal for me because I met him on a day when I was getting sick of riding. When I have some more time I will dig out his info and post his website just in case anybody would like to donate or read about him.
Gotta run.
Anyway, last night I stayed at Carolina Beach, NC in a State campground that was fantastic. I caught the sunset right before I checked in and I'm very happy about that. The next time I see a sunset that nice will probably be in Key West.
Really, this guy has to stop!!! I don't care that you were accepted by RPI and Tufts, nor that you're a pilot, or about your friend who likes to bike. I just need to write my post.
Ok, so a couple nights ago I stayed just south of New Bern, NC in a small town called Belgrade, NC. Once again I found a campsite that was fairly inexpensive and sandwiched between a small river ad the highway. Due to the fact that you can no longer ride through Camp Lejeune (Marine Base) I had to find an alternate route. This was a little sketchy because I had to ride for a stretch on route 17. With a little care this turned out to be a fairly safe route considering the amount of traffic.
Now the guy has a friend. Supposedly they have all the worlds problems figured out by 11am but then Democrat comes in and screws it all up. They have also told me to be very careful about housewives in SUV's. It's painful to listen to these two.
I met a guy the other day who is probably about 60, from Alaska, and his wife has breast cancer. He started a bike trip from Santa Barbera, CA, biked to FL, I met him in NC, now he's going to Bar Harbor, ME, across the top to the West coast and then back down to Santa Barbera. This was a big deal for me because I met him on a day when I was getting sick of riding. When I have some more time I will dig out his info and post his website just in case anybody would like to donate or read about him.
Gotta run.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Stormy days and Head Winds
I thought I was doing really well yesterday by putting in 127 miles. I finally hit some flat ground and rode from Richmond, VA to just across the line into North Carolina. By "just across" I mean that I rode until I saw the sign, took a picture of me by the sign and then proceeded to make camp about 50 ft from the side of the rode just beyond the sign. The weather is getting warm and humid which means that their are more mosquito's, spiders and insects. I think I received a spider bite on my arm last night and I definitely pulled a tick of my ankle this afternoon. The easy, sterile, clean world that we usually live in just isn't the same as this adventurous one. The sleep that you get in the hotel room bed is a million times better then sleeping in the hammock someplace wondering what the heck those noises are. I just can't seem to get used to the noises. Whenever I become comfortable with the sounds that I'm hearing something new chimes in.
I can't remember who told me this but supposedly 80% of all animals live in the transition areas (percentage could be off but it's close). So, if you're transitioning from the water to a forest or from the forest to a meadow then you have a very high concentration of wildlife there. Last night I slept right near the transition from corn field to forest and it was the noisiest spot yet. Animals all around. Some singing, some yelling, some chattering and some just humming while they went about their normal routine.
I've carried a small container of pepper spray with me for the past year or so on my bike. Until today, I had never used that spray and never wanted to. The dogs in the backroads of VA and NC are not tied up though. So far I've been fortunate in that they usually do not see me until I'm right up close to their house and they can't catch me. Today a dog saw me early and went on the chase. I pulled out the pepper spray and hit him with some right as he was about 3 ft from my ankle (and gaining). Nothing makes you feel worse then hitting a dog with some pepper spray and then riding in the middle of farm country with nothing to think about except Fido waiting for the sting to wear off. Better that his eyes sting for a few minutes then my leg have puncture marks in it from his teeth....well, better for me atleast.
A storm rolled into Northeastern NC today. Parts of this area and southern VA have tornado advisories. As the storm rolled in the wind became unbearable. I rode 73 miles today and every single one of them was into a headwind. Yesterday I could maintain 16-18 mph on the flats pretty easily but today I was struggling to maintain 10 mph sometimes. I'd see a nice little downhill grade that would be easy to hold 20-22 mph on yesterday and the wind would nearly blow me backwards, up the hill. This was about as demoralizing as it gets. Atleast with the hills, you finally get to the top. With the wind it just keeps right on coming. So, after the 70 miles of riding I was completely exhausted and the storm was getting close. I found a Holiday Inn Express in Plymouth, NC and checked in for the night. Before I was able to get a shower I crashed on the couch and took an hour long nap. This is the most tired I've been on the trip so far. I think that tonight I'll order some Pizza Hut and watch some television.
There have been times in the past few days where I've thought about throwing in the towel. The poverty in the backroads of VA and NC is very depressing and their isn't much to see. I went into a roadside market yesterday only to find that the floor was worn to the subfloor, the heat was an old potbelly stove in the corner of the room, the shelves were 90% bare and what they did have for sale was some cheap, cheap beer, malt liquor, pork&beans, and other canned goods. I asked the woman where everything was and she told me that they don't stock much anymore 'count of all the breakins.
Lots of houses around here are just cinderblock boxes placed near a road. When the wind picks up it seems like half the fields are going to blow away. The dust and soil just start whipping around in the air and it floats across the road like a mist of fog creeping down the mountainside.
I rode by one African-American woman yesterday who turned around and told me, "I can ride a bike but there ain't no way I can ride as fast as you." She had a smile on her face from ear to ear and looked like one of the happiest people in all of NC. It was nice to finally see somebody with a smile on their face. They're few and far between in this area.
It's about time for me to order that pizza. Hopefully the storm passes over tonight and I'm able to get in a good solid day of riding tomorrow. I can't wait to get out of this area and back into some nice towns with coffee houses and sandwich shops.
Until next time, may your neighbors be smiling and your pizza be hot.
I can't remember who told me this but supposedly 80% of all animals live in the transition areas (percentage could be off but it's close). So, if you're transitioning from the water to a forest or from the forest to a meadow then you have a very high concentration of wildlife there. Last night I slept right near the transition from corn field to forest and it was the noisiest spot yet. Animals all around. Some singing, some yelling, some chattering and some just humming while they went about their normal routine.
I've carried a small container of pepper spray with me for the past year or so on my bike. Until today, I had never used that spray and never wanted to. The dogs in the backroads of VA and NC are not tied up though. So far I've been fortunate in that they usually do not see me until I'm right up close to their house and they can't catch me. Today a dog saw me early and went on the chase. I pulled out the pepper spray and hit him with some right as he was about 3 ft from my ankle (and gaining). Nothing makes you feel worse then hitting a dog with some pepper spray and then riding in the middle of farm country with nothing to think about except Fido waiting for the sting to wear off. Better that his eyes sting for a few minutes then my leg have puncture marks in it from his teeth....well, better for me atleast.
A storm rolled into Northeastern NC today. Parts of this area and southern VA have tornado advisories. As the storm rolled in the wind became unbearable. I rode 73 miles today and every single one of them was into a headwind. Yesterday I could maintain 16-18 mph on the flats pretty easily but today I was struggling to maintain 10 mph sometimes. I'd see a nice little downhill grade that would be easy to hold 20-22 mph on yesterday and the wind would nearly blow me backwards, up the hill. This was about as demoralizing as it gets. Atleast with the hills, you finally get to the top. With the wind it just keeps right on coming. So, after the 70 miles of riding I was completely exhausted and the storm was getting close. I found a Holiday Inn Express in Plymouth, NC and checked in for the night. Before I was able to get a shower I crashed on the couch and took an hour long nap. This is the most tired I've been on the trip so far. I think that tonight I'll order some Pizza Hut and watch some television.
There have been times in the past few days where I've thought about throwing in the towel. The poverty in the backroads of VA and NC is very depressing and their isn't much to see. I went into a roadside market yesterday only to find that the floor was worn to the subfloor, the heat was an old potbelly stove in the corner of the room, the shelves were 90% bare and what they did have for sale was some cheap, cheap beer, malt liquor, pork&beans, and other canned goods. I asked the woman where everything was and she told me that they don't stock much anymore 'count of all the breakins.
Lots of houses around here are just cinderblock boxes placed near a road. When the wind picks up it seems like half the fields are going to blow away. The dust and soil just start whipping around in the air and it floats across the road like a mist of fog creeping down the mountainside.
I rode by one African-American woman yesterday who turned around and told me, "I can ride a bike but there ain't no way I can ride as fast as you." She had a smile on her face from ear to ear and looked like one of the happiest people in all of NC. It was nice to finally see somebody with a smile on their face. They're few and far between in this area.
It's about time for me to order that pizza. Hopefully the storm passes over tonight and I'm able to get in a good solid day of riding tomorrow. I can't wait to get out of this area and back into some nice towns with coffee houses and sandwich shops.
Until next time, may your neighbors be smiling and your pizza be hot.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
White Roads, The Last Outpost and 1000 Miles
I want to start this post with a link to another site for some great people that I met along the road. Louie and Becky Berry have made a life of bike touring and living simply. Check out their adventure at www.blueberryrides.com . I think they threw a picture of me in there someplace around May 12 or 13th (could be off by a day or two).
Back to business. After breakfast with Karen, Rob and Jacob I headed off towards Fredericksburg, VA. This was an ambitious ride considering my 10:30 departure. I rode through bike paths until my face was blue and finally ended up at Mt. Vernon, VA. People on bike paths like to see if they can past a guy with a trailer. Or, if you're behind them then they do not like to let you by. I like it when you ride right behind them for 3 or 4 minutes and then when you feel them backing off a bit you drop the hammer, "Hey Pal, make room for my trailer." One thing good about the bike path is that you can have fun.
I'm not sure what the best bang for your buck is in terms of calories. The $.25 peanut butter fudgesicle rates right up tthere but I think the 7-11 Big Bite hot dog takes the cake. The problem with the big bite is that you need a half hour digestion period before you can really start cranking again.
The roads are white in parts of PA, VA and MD. Not really blacktop and not really gravel. If the usual road is 2 parts pavement and 1 part rock then some of these roads are definitely 1 part pavement and 4 parts rock. They shake your toenails loose and leave you squirming on the saddle in a desperate attempt to find the one square inch of your backside that holds the least pain.
In Fredericksburg I met a homeless guy who offered me $6 that somebody just gave him. I must have looked pretty bad. He then proceeded to tell me about people who travel and eat edible greens. A lot of people consider edible greens weeds when they're really valuable sources of nutrition. I'm thinking that if I try to go from ME to Key West on edible greens off the sides of the road then I'd still be in Kennebunk. Hey, if he can live off that stuff then more power to him.
Today was the push to Richmond where I met up with my future mother-in-law for dinner. We had an awesome dinner at California Pizza Kitchen and spent some time catching up on the important, the not so important, and the not so important that is really important. You know what mean?
This is the last outpost (coined by Mrs. Darlene Hancox) in that it's my last stop with planned visits from friends and family. The road is pretty lonely and I've looked forward to these visits but now I think I can start logging more miles per day. Speaking of, today I hit the big 1000 mile mark. One milestone down, more to come.
Until next time, may the greens be plentiful and the roads be black.
Back to business. After breakfast with Karen, Rob and Jacob I headed off towards Fredericksburg, VA. This was an ambitious ride considering my 10:30 departure. I rode through bike paths until my face was blue and finally ended up at Mt. Vernon, VA. People on bike paths like to see if they can past a guy with a trailer. Or, if you're behind them then they do not like to let you by. I like it when you ride right behind them for 3 or 4 minutes and then when you feel them backing off a bit you drop the hammer, "Hey Pal, make room for my trailer." One thing good about the bike path is that you can have fun.
I'm not sure what the best bang for your buck is in terms of calories. The $.25 peanut butter fudgesicle rates right up tthere but I think the 7-11 Big Bite hot dog takes the cake. The problem with the big bite is that you need a half hour digestion period before you can really start cranking again.
The roads are white in parts of PA, VA and MD. Not really blacktop and not really gravel. If the usual road is 2 parts pavement and 1 part rock then some of these roads are definitely 1 part pavement and 4 parts rock. They shake your toenails loose and leave you squirming on the saddle in a desperate attempt to find the one square inch of your backside that holds the least pain.
In Fredericksburg I met a homeless guy who offered me $6 that somebody just gave him. I must have looked pretty bad. He then proceeded to tell me about people who travel and eat edible greens. A lot of people consider edible greens weeds when they're really valuable sources of nutrition. I'm thinking that if I try to go from ME to Key West on edible greens off the sides of the road then I'd still be in Kennebunk. Hey, if he can live off that stuff then more power to him.
Today was the push to Richmond where I met up with my future mother-in-law for dinner. We had an awesome dinner at California Pizza Kitchen and spent some time catching up on the important, the not so important, and the not so important that is really important. You know what mean?
This is the last outpost (coined by Mrs. Darlene Hancox) in that it's my last stop with planned visits from friends and family. The road is pretty lonely and I've looked forward to these visits but now I think I can start logging more miles per day. Speaking of, today I hit the big 1000 mile mark. One milestone down, more to come.
Until next time, may the greens be plentiful and the roads be black.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Can somebody please get me to Arlington!!!!!!
I'm going to start off from the beginning and then hopefully I can guide you to Arlington. So, the buttermilk biscuits were fantastic and I went back to the hostel to prepare to the day. I'm very fortunate because not only do I have a great family that posts comments and keep me motivated but I'm also marrying into a family that is willing to take me in for the night, feed me Thai food, educate me on the complete insanity surrounding our current political situation, and just be all around great people. Thanks Karen, Rob and Jacob.
Now, as I was saying I left Baltimore at about 11am. I also miscalculated the mileage by about 20 miles, hit a bunch of hills and stop signs, spent way too much time finding the Rock Creek bike path, got lost, bushwacked through the forest, and nearly lost my mind. I was 4 hours late, cold, wet, dirty, hungry, and feeling like crap. I met about three groups of people who couldn't give me directions and two more who knew a better way for me then what I already had on the map. "Just go on highway 410 until you hit Connecticut, then cross 6 lanes of traffic and, oh wait did I say Connecticut? I should have said Wisconsin" Umm, did you notice I'm on a bike, with a trailer, an extra 5 lbs of sticks and leaves coming out from every nook because of the 30 minute trek through the only forest near DC, and I'm having a day that's about one notch above pulling four wisdom teeth without painkillers. Just about then her friend chimes in with a better route. Thanks ladies, time for me to go!!! After that all, I met a guy on a bike who was going to a friends house three blocks from where I needed to be. Amazing!!!! We talked the whole way and he works for a nonprofit that deals with sustainable community issues. He also snapped a couple of pictures for me and really helped me get my head back in the game. I finally reached my destination with scraped up legs, cramping thighs, sore feet/butt/neck/etc to find that a hot shower, good food and comfortable bed were all a moment away. All's well that ends well.
Here Are some quick highlights.
Love Baltimore, great city that Jenni and I need to spend some time in.
Ellicot City outside of Baltimore is a clean brick and stone built town with a great vibe. Need to visit that place.
I want to get a cyclocross bike. That is just good dirty fun and after riding all those super slick bike trails today I realize how much fun that sport must be.
Hostels are cool, the people that you meet in them are even cooler.
Don't talk to somebody while riding down wet, twisty, leaf covered bike paths...they will crash.
and lastly, don't think about the 1600 miles you have left to go, day by day is the only wayto make it.
Until tomorrow, may you always finish the day on a high note and never forget the people that helped you get there.
Now, as I was saying I left Baltimore at about 11am. I also miscalculated the mileage by about 20 miles, hit a bunch of hills and stop signs, spent way too much time finding the Rock Creek bike path, got lost, bushwacked through the forest, and nearly lost my mind. I was 4 hours late, cold, wet, dirty, hungry, and feeling like crap. I met about three groups of people who couldn't give me directions and two more who knew a better way for me then what I already had on the map. "Just go on highway 410 until you hit Connecticut, then cross 6 lanes of traffic and, oh wait did I say Connecticut? I should have said Wisconsin" Umm, did you notice I'm on a bike, with a trailer, an extra 5 lbs of sticks and leaves coming out from every nook because of the 30 minute trek through the only forest near DC, and I'm having a day that's about one notch above pulling four wisdom teeth without painkillers. Just about then her friend chimes in with a better route. Thanks ladies, time for me to go!!! After that all, I met a guy on a bike who was going to a friends house three blocks from where I needed to be. Amazing!!!! We talked the whole way and he works for a nonprofit that deals with sustainable community issues. He also snapped a couple of pictures for me and really helped me get my head back in the game. I finally reached my destination with scraped up legs, cramping thighs, sore feet/butt/neck/etc to find that a hot shower, good food and comfortable bed were all a moment away. All's well that ends well.
Here Are some quick highlights.
Love Baltimore, great city that Jenni and I need to spend some time in.
Ellicot City outside of Baltimore is a clean brick and stone built town with a great vibe. Need to visit that place.
I want to get a cyclocross bike. That is just good dirty fun and after riding all those super slick bike trails today I realize how much fun that sport must be.
Hostels are cool, the people that you meet in them are even cooler.
Don't talk to somebody while riding down wet, twisty, leaf covered bike paths...they will crash.
and lastly, don't think about the 1600 miles you have left to go, day by day is the only wayto make it.
Until tomorrow, may you always finish the day on a high note and never forget the people that helped you get there.
Beer Break and Buttermilk Biscuits
When I started this trip I had the crazy idea that maybe I wouldn't drink wine or beer while I was out here. That was just about the stupidest thing I've ever said. Biking and beer just go well together. Maybe not at the same exact time, but after three or four days of riding you need to look forward to something. Last night I went to BrewArt in Baltimore, MD as had a couple beers along with an oyster pot pie. The beer was great, the food was so-so.
Speaking of food, one thing I love about being South of the Mason-Dixon is the buttermilk biscuits. Biscuits have to be the perfect pairing for eggs and breakfast sandwiches. Why anybody would choose toast when biscuits are an option is beyond me.
Yesterday I rode about 110 miles to push through to Baltimore. My route took me from Mt Hope, PA (beege), through Manheim, Marietta, across the Susquehanna (riding in and out of that valley was terrible), Airville, and finally into MD. It was supposed to rain overnight (and it I'd) so I took the Chesepeake Bay route on my map and headed into Baltimore. I need to find out the total elevation climbed for the trip too because I climb more miles in an hour then most months of riding back home. I think that if you add up all the miles from the last four days then the total would be pretty close to riding 4 Century rides in four days through hilly terrain with a trailer. My legs are feeling every bit of that.
Yesterday I ate some fresh picked strawberries from an Amish farm in the middle of nowhere. The mother, her two daughters and her son where all put there helping. I ate a quart in one sitting, then went digging through my bag for more food.
I got really tired of stopping every hour to eat food so I decided to load up in the morning. This was a bad idea. The only thing worse then not eating enough is eating too much. For the next two hours I could feel all that food just sitting in my stomach like an anchor.
Alright, so that brings me to Baltimore where I am right now. It's wet and raining outside so I'm in no mood to run right out there and put in another 100 miles. I think I'll go back to the hostel, pack up with all my clothing in ziplock bags, put on the rainfear and head out before 11 am. Oh, I stayed in a Hostel last night for $32. What a bargain. I met a guy from Brazil who teaches English and the staff gave me the quick and dirty on where to get a good beer and some food. Everytime I come to Baltimore I'm more impressed.
It's really amazing how quickly you can get yourself back to appreciating simple, small, seemingly insignificant activities. It's sort of cliché to say that we don't appreciate the simple things in life but life isn't usually that simple so why would you. It's very easy to buy an expensive dinner or entertain ourselves by spending a lot of money, but this is certainly not as gratifying as slowing down to realize how much we're missing because we need to stay busy 24-7. Most of the people I meet who are bike touring have figured out how to work a little to live a lot. They live modestly and enjoy two or three months of free time for travelling every year. Not a bad life if you can get it.
Until next time, may the showers be hot and the biscuits be plentiful.
Speaking of food, one thing I love about being South of the Mason-Dixon is the buttermilk biscuits. Biscuits have to be the perfect pairing for eggs and breakfast sandwiches. Why anybody would choose toast when biscuits are an option is beyond me.
Yesterday I rode about 110 miles to push through to Baltimore. My route took me from Mt Hope, PA (beege), through Manheim, Marietta, across the Susquehanna (riding in and out of that valley was terrible), Airville, and finally into MD. It was supposed to rain overnight (and it I'd) so I took the Chesepeake Bay route on my map and headed into Baltimore. I need to find out the total elevation climbed for the trip too because I climb more miles in an hour then most months of riding back home. I think that if you add up all the miles from the last four days then the total would be pretty close to riding 4 Century rides in four days through hilly terrain with a trailer. My legs are feeling every bit of that.
Yesterday I ate some fresh picked strawberries from an Amish farm in the middle of nowhere. The mother, her two daughters and her son where all put there helping. I ate a quart in one sitting, then went digging through my bag for more food.
I got really tired of stopping every hour to eat food so I decided to load up in the morning. This was a bad idea. The only thing worse then not eating enough is eating too much. For the next two hours I could feel all that food just sitting in my stomach like an anchor.
Alright, so that brings me to Baltimore where I am right now. It's wet and raining outside so I'm in no mood to run right out there and put in another 100 miles. I think I'll go back to the hostel, pack up with all my clothing in ziplock bags, put on the rainfear and head out before 11 am. Oh, I stayed in a Hostel last night for $32. What a bargain. I met a guy from Brazil who teaches English and the staff gave me the quick and dirty on where to get a good beer and some food. Everytime I come to Baltimore I'm more impressed.
It's really amazing how quickly you can get yourself back to appreciating simple, small, seemingly insignificant activities. It's sort of cliché to say that we don't appreciate the simple things in life but life isn't usually that simple so why would you. It's very easy to buy an expensive dinner or entertain ourselves by spending a lot of money, but this is certainly not as gratifying as slowing down to realize how much we're missing because we need to stay busy 24-7. Most of the people I meet who are bike touring have figured out how to work a little to live a lot. They live modestly and enjoy two or three months of free time for travelling every year. Not a bad life if you can get it.
Until next time, may the showers be hot and the biscuits be plentiful.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
It's about the bike again!!!
Feeling good and I can't wait to start putting in extra miles. I rode from Buck Island ( near Byrum, NJ) to Clay, PA today. I entered PA through New Hope, PA.
Highlights to come back to.
breakfast at Cravings
leaving camp on the nick of time
"artsy" town
Turtles sunbathingSnacking Italy style
St. Peters, PA
River RdBald eagles
Fruitstand
Roccos Pizza
Car show and band
Tandem couple
Old guy with panniers
Colorado couple
dude
Bike shop
Nuke plant
Highlights to come back to.
breakfast at Cravings
leaving camp on the nick of time
"artsy" town
Turtles sunbathingSnacking Italy style
St. Peters, PA
River RdBald eagles
Fruitstand
Roccos Pizza
Car show and band
Tandem couple
Old guy with panniers
Colorado couple
dude
Bike shop
Nuke plant
Tuesday, May 13, 2008
Riding like it should be!!!
Yesterday was the first 100 plus day. I don't think it should have been 100 miles (missed a turn someplace near Bruynswick, NY and rode for 6 miles in a circle). Atleast I got back to where I should have been. This made me realize just how nice it is to have Google Maps on my phone. Lots has happened since my last post. I spent the night near a water reservoir in CT on 5/10 and woke up a little late in the am. When I finally crawlled out of the woods there were three guys standing next to their cars and near the locked entrance to the reservoir (workers who needed the ranger to open the gate). Well, I was sick of waiting for them to leave so I walked out of the woods and spoke up really loud so they knew I was there, "Good morning!!!" These guys had no idea wha to think. He's a guy in a hi-viz bright yellow jacket walking out of the woods with black biking tights on greeting them with a good morning. Even funnier was when I walked back into the woods and came out with a bike and trailer. I pedaled off and left all three of them scratching their heads.
After this I rode through eastern CT ad went by some very nice towns that I never even knew existed (common theme on this trip). I met up with a women in NY shortly after crossing the border (on a backroad without a Welcome to NY sign, damn I hate when that happens) and she asked me the normal were to/were from question. I had to laugh when I told her I was going to Key West, FL she responded with, "Oh, I'm going to my mother-in-law's house." We rode for a few miles and she asked me if I was going up "The Hill." I've seen every hill name their is out there at this point but a hill that is known as The Hill, this is not good!! So I told her about all the hills I've been on and she just nodded, not the response I wanted. When people are quiet in situations like that then it means the can back up their claim... and she did. This was the mother hill. I've been on 12% grade before for a small stretch and this was 10% for some long stretches.
I'm going to finish this story later b/c my battery is dying. More to come later today.
5/14 Continuation of previous post.
I have a lot of catching up to do here. So after I nearly passed out from riding up that hill I had the pleasure of riding down it. I was told that maybe I shouldn't mention speeds because it may make some people worry, but it was fast.
Now, here we are in NY and I'm making my way to Poughkeepsie to meet up with Jennifer for dinner. I was very, very happy to see Riley and Jenni when they pulled in to meet me at Starbucks. I also have a confession to make.....I didn't ride from Poughkeepsie to New Paltz. They were calling for rain Sunday night and I wanted no part of setting up in that so I got a room at a hotel in New Paltz. Jen and I had an awesome dinner at a New Paltz brewpub called The Gilded Otter. We said our goodbyes (again) and I turned in for the night.
I'm going to speed this up a little and maybe add more detail later. The next day was the day that I rode my first 100 miles. I rode through the Shawnagunk mountain region in NY, into Middletown, NY and on and on. In Middletown I met George who rode his horse from NY to TX and back. George had a great story about rescuing the horse and giving it a good life. I rode through a lot of small towns with blocked cars and lawn ornaments before crossing into NJ. This next portion of the ride took me into the DE Water Gap area. Despite the dreary day and the threat of rain around every corner, this area was beautiful. I saw turkeys, deer, an artist workshop site in the middle of nowhere, and great scenery all around. That night I met Ron and Barry. More on them later, time for sleep.
After this I rode through eastern CT ad went by some very nice towns that I never even knew existed (common theme on this trip). I met up with a women in NY shortly after crossing the border (on a backroad without a Welcome to NY sign, damn I hate when that happens) and she asked me the normal were to/were from question. I had to laugh when I told her I was going to Key West, FL she responded with, "Oh, I'm going to my mother-in-law's house." We rode for a few miles and she asked me if I was going up "The Hill." I've seen every hill name their is out there at this point but a hill that is known as The Hill, this is not good!! So I told her about all the hills I've been on and she just nodded, not the response I wanted. When people are quiet in situations like that then it means the can back up their claim... and she did. This was the mother hill. I've been on 12% grade before for a small stretch and this was 10% for some long stretches.
I'm going to finish this story later b/c my battery is dying. More to come later today.
5/14 Continuation of previous post.
I have a lot of catching up to do here. So after I nearly passed out from riding up that hill I had the pleasure of riding down it. I was told that maybe I shouldn't mention speeds because it may make some people worry, but it was fast.
Now, here we are in NY and I'm making my way to Poughkeepsie to meet up with Jennifer for dinner. I was very, very happy to see Riley and Jenni when they pulled in to meet me at Starbucks. I also have a confession to make.....I didn't ride from Poughkeepsie to New Paltz. They were calling for rain Sunday night and I wanted no part of setting up in that so I got a room at a hotel in New Paltz. Jen and I had an awesome dinner at a New Paltz brewpub called The Gilded Otter. We said our goodbyes (again) and I turned in for the night.
I'm going to speed this up a little and maybe add more detail later. The next day was the day that I rode my first 100 miles. I rode through the Shawnagunk mountain region in NY, into Middletown, NY and on and on. In Middletown I met George who rode his horse from NY to TX and back. George had a great story about rescuing the horse and giving it a good life. I rode through a lot of small towns with blocked cars and lawn ornaments before crossing into NJ. This next portion of the ride took me into the DE Water Gap area. Despite the dreary day and the threat of rain around every corner, this area was beautiful. I saw turkeys, deer, an artist workshop site in the middle of nowhere, and great scenery all around. That night I met Ron and Barry. More on them later, time for sleep.
Saturday, May 10, 2008
On the Road Again!!!!
Back at it again today and feeling good. After two days of R&R at my sisters house in Niantic I'm ready to go. I left a little bit later then I intended on leaving today (around 11am), but I think I can make up some miles later in the trip.
I hit a couple of monster hills today, definitely the biggest and steepest on the trip so far. I'm happy to say that I stood at the junction of two "Hill" Roads, pounded my chest, let out a primal roar and tore up the pavement!!! Or maybe I sat there for a minute, took a picture of a couple Canadian Geese walking their single gosseling across the road and then spun up the hill at about 4-6mph. You pick what story you like better.
I rode with a guy today who wouldn't tell me where he lived or what he does. When I asked him where he lives he replied, "Depends on who wants to know." I obviously wasn't important enough because when I told him it was me he decided to turn into the local market. Initially when I rode up next to him he said, "Damn man, I need a new bike. You guys ride right up next to me and then blow right on by like I'm standing still." Funny Dude!!
It was a nice stop off in CT. Scotland, Cameron and I made pizza and chocolate chip cookies, I was able to listen to Taylor sing a solo that she's going to perform very soon, and I was the show and tell feature in Scotland's first grade class. Really, the knee injury was well worth it.
Time to down this 20 oz coffee and put in some more miles. It's about 6pm and I have two more hours of ride time before I need to setup camp.
Thanks to everybody who is posting. The encouragement and comments are awesome.
Until next time, may the people you meet be just a little outside of ordinary and hopefully the next coffee shop serves a 20 ouncer.
I hit a couple of monster hills today, definitely the biggest and steepest on the trip so far. I'm happy to say that I stood at the junction of two "Hill" Roads, pounded my chest, let out a primal roar and tore up the pavement!!! Or maybe I sat there for a minute, took a picture of a couple Canadian Geese walking their single gosseling across the road and then spun up the hill at about 4-6mph. You pick what story you like better.
I rode with a guy today who wouldn't tell me where he lived or what he does. When I asked him where he lives he replied, "Depends on who wants to know." I obviously wasn't important enough because when I told him it was me he decided to turn into the local market. Initially when I rode up next to him he said, "Damn man, I need a new bike. You guys ride right up next to me and then blow right on by like I'm standing still." Funny Dude!!
It was a nice stop off in CT. Scotland, Cameron and I made pizza and chocolate chip cookies, I was able to listen to Taylor sing a solo that she's going to perform very soon, and I was the show and tell feature in Scotland's first grade class. Really, the knee injury was well worth it.
Time to down this 20 oz coffee and put in some more miles. It's about 6pm and I have two more hours of ride time before I need to setup camp.
Thanks to everybody who is posting. The encouragement and comments are awesome.
Until next time, may the people you meet be just a little outside of ordinary and hopefully the next coffee shop serves a 20 ouncer.
Friday, May 9, 2008
Sidelined!!!!
Wednesday was a difficult day. I kept icing my knee and working out the kinks only to find 2, 3, and 4 mile climbs ahead of me. Finally, after a big climb about 2 miles from the Connecticut border, I threw in the towel. I got off the bike to look at some maps and when I got back I realized that this just isn't going to work without some time off. It was a real kick in the pants to realize that I've only been riding for four days and something is going wrong. I've pushed through just about everything before without any sustained problems but this one is different. So, after being mad at myself for about 15 minutes I sucked it up and started figuring out a plan. I called my sister in Niantic, CT and will spend 2 days here icing my leg, stretching and visiting my neices who I haven't spent any substantial time with in years. I'm also going to rip apart everything that I'm carrying and scale down to just the bare essentials. Most of the food is going to go, two cycling jersey's are going, one pair of cycling shorts, a few spare parts, the journal (only wrote in that once so far), bunge cords are being replaced by rope, no more air mattress (I'll use my fleece and other clothing underneath my sleeping bag), and a few other items will probably be left behind too.
One thing to remember is that this is an adventure....to quote a famous cycling book, "It's Not about the Bike." Wednesday night I grabbed some chicken wings and a beer at the only bar in Quinebaug, CT. I talked to about 10 different people who all had different stories. One guy was retired from designing kitchens and he told me all about his daughter going to school. Another woman trained horses and she explained to me everything there is to know about ethanol, hay prices and the grain industry. I realized she really didn't want to have a conversation about this as much as she wanted to tell me everything she knew. Good enough, hit me with another Sam Adams barkeep.
The owner of the restaurant found me a bed and breakfast to stay in called The Bird Song Inn (http://www.bird-song-inn.net/index.htm). The owner was a German woman who kept the place up very, very well and was extremely kind. She made me a breakfast of coffee, juice, blackberries and cream, sausage, a tomato/mushroom/cheese omelet and fresh blueberry pancakes. One thing I've decided, camping is highly over-rated.
So, today is Friday and this morning I was show and tell at my neice's first grade classroom. It really puts the pressure on when you have a bunch of first graders who want to track your progress all the way to Florida. I'll be sure to send them a couple postcards along the way.
Lastly, if all is well, then tomorrow morning I get back on the road. I need to find a path that will bring me back to the main route but that shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Until next time, may the weatherman be wrong and the sun be shining tomorrow am.
One thing to remember is that this is an adventure....to quote a famous cycling book, "It's Not about the Bike." Wednesday night I grabbed some chicken wings and a beer at the only bar in Quinebaug, CT. I talked to about 10 different people who all had different stories. One guy was retired from designing kitchens and he told me all about his daughter going to school. Another woman trained horses and she explained to me everything there is to know about ethanol, hay prices and the grain industry. I realized she really didn't want to have a conversation about this as much as she wanted to tell me everything she knew. Good enough, hit me with another Sam Adams barkeep.
The owner of the restaurant found me a bed and breakfast to stay in called The Bird Song Inn (http://www.bird-song-inn.net/index.htm). The owner was a German woman who kept the place up very, very well and was extremely kind. She made me a breakfast of coffee, juice, blackberries and cream, sausage, a tomato/mushroom/cheese omelet and fresh blueberry pancakes. One thing I've decided, camping is highly over-rated.
So, today is Friday and this morning I was show and tell at my neice's first grade classroom. It really puts the pressure on when you have a bunch of first graders who want to track your progress all the way to Florida. I'll be sure to send them a couple postcards along the way.
Lastly, if all is well, then tomorrow morning I get back on the road. I need to find a path that will bring me back to the main route but that shouldn't be too much of a problem.
Until next time, may the weatherman be wrong and the sun be shining tomorrow am.
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
The Forest is Loud
I nursed the knee for about 65 miles yesterday with many stops for ice. Right now I'm at a Dunkin Donuts (again) with ice on my knees. One way to strengthen your left leg really quickly is to hurt the right one. If I can make it to some flats then I'm sure everything will be fine but right now I'm averaging 10.5 mph with 4-5 mph through the mountains. My guess is that 80% of that power is coming from the left leg. At this point, I'm thinking of a backup plan just in case I don't hit some level grade soon.
Onto the camping. I think I intruded on a deer's territory last night. At about 4am I heard some snorting and blowing that make Riley's sneezes sound like a whisper. In my head I was rethinking all the deer stories that I've heard over the years trying to recall if they've ever charged something. Sounds silly but when you're laying in a hammock with a rain fly obstructing any view of what's going on on there you're mind starts creating images. I think something did come up close to me at some point in the night too. I just rember trying to move but not being able to because I was still sleeping. It was like your mind knows something is happening but your body doesn't want to help out. The sensation that something was there could have been a dream, but it sure seemed real to me.
It's much different putting up a camp, going to sleep by yourself, not talking to others and waking up without anybody else around you. Just one night of that makes me really appreciate my friends and family a lot more. One of the reasons I set out on this trip is because life just seems very full at times. It's not that it's too full, it just seems as though you forget to appreciate it all when it screams by. No screaming here though, slow and steady is the pace.
Until next time, may the woods be free of bears and the next gas staion with a public bathroom be right around that corner!
Onto the camping. I think I intruded on a deer's territory last night. At about 4am I heard some snorting and blowing that make Riley's sneezes sound like a whisper. In my head I was rethinking all the deer stories that I've heard over the years trying to recall if they've ever charged something. Sounds silly but when you're laying in a hammock with a rain fly obstructing any view of what's going on on there you're mind starts creating images. I think something did come up close to me at some point in the night too. I just rember trying to move but not being able to because I was still sleeping. It was like your mind knows something is happening but your body doesn't want to help out. The sensation that something was there could have been a dream, but it sure seemed real to me.
It's much different putting up a camp, going to sleep by yourself, not talking to others and waking up without anybody else around you. Just one night of that makes me really appreciate my friends and family a lot more. One of the reasons I set out on this trip is because life just seems very full at times. It's not that it's too full, it just seems as though you forget to appreciate it all when it screams by. No screaming here though, slow and steady is the pace.
Until next time, may the woods be free of bears and the next gas staion with a public bathroom be right around that corner!
Tuesday, May 6, 2008
The Bad Thing About Downhills
Everybody loves a good downhill. All the speed, no pedaling, wind in your face to cool you down. What's not to love? The dirty secret about downhills is that the more of them you hit, the more uphill grinding you need to participate in. Add in the trailer attached to the bike and I begin to feel like the guy on the cover of Atlas Shrugged. I love a good hillclimb, but some of this is ridiculous. Names like Sawyer Hill Rd and Lappi Hill Rd just keep popping up all over the place. How come they never name one of these "hill" roads a street or a drive? It's like little green label telling you, "Hey buddy, if you're making a right you're going straight up, and by the way, I'm a road so I hope you're in this for the long haul!"
On to the trip. Yesterday I rode with Nick and we went off route to meet up with a fellow SAE Brother. It was a shorter day (maybe 65 miles) but I pushed a little to hard in some spots and the outer side of my right knee is killing me. Today I've slowed the pace drastically in an attempt to recoup the knee over the next two or three days. One thing I' be learned about the trailer is that over a long distance that extra weight kills you joints way before your legs burn out. Slow and steady for the next few days.
Weather is perfect today and the scenery in NH and MA are great. Lots of back country road without much traffic. Tonight will be the first night of camping and I'm already spotting some great locations.
Until next time, may the path be smooth and the roads be flat.
On to the trip. Yesterday I rode with Nick and we went off route to meet up with a fellow SAE Brother. It was a shorter day (maybe 65 miles) but I pushed a little to hard in some spots and the outer side of my right knee is killing me. Today I've slowed the pace drastically in an attempt to recoup the knee over the next two or three days. One thing I' be learned about the trailer is that over a long distance that extra weight kills you joints way before your legs burn out. Slow and steady for the next few days.
Weather is perfect today and the scenery in NH and MA are great. Lots of back country road without much traffic. Tonight will be the first night of camping and I'm already spotting some great locations.
Until next time, may the path be smooth and the roads be flat.
Sunday, May 4, 2008
Some things we do just because we have too.
Many different events have taken place since I last wrote a post. I've been running around like crazy in an attempt to remember everything that I could possibly need on this trip but still managed to forget my sunglasses. Ahh yes, sunglasses...probably the last possible item that I needed in my bag of tricks today. Rain slicker, poncho, body suit made of that durable, frozen zip-lock bag material are all possible items I could have used but sunglasses, not-so-much. Under normal circumstances there is no possible way that I would ride for 2 hours in the driving rain covered in road spray and mud. As I was told by two guys who just finished an unproductive fishing trip on the Kennebunk River, I'm not normal which probably means that my circumstances aren't normal either.
Skipping back a day, Jennifer, Riley and I all drove up to Portland, ME yesterday to spend our last day together for the next month. Riley didn't think to much of this trip because he had to find a way to lay down on what he would probably describe as a postage stamp sized portion of the back seat. Once we arrived in Portland we had a fantastic dinner at Walter's on Exchange Street. Jen and I both had a vegetarian dish. She ordered a Fettuccine Pasta with olives, dried tomatoes, camembert cheese (sp?), and a white wine oil sauce that was unbelievable. I ordered a whole wheat pasta that was covered in a wild mushroom ragout and some sort of a sherry reduction sauce. My descriptions probably don't do the dishes justice but I'm sure we'll be heading back to Walters again whenever we're in that area.
So, on to the first day of riding. As I mentioned, it was wet. The initial excitement of starting the trip is what really got me through the first few hours. After that I spent a good deal of my trip along the Maine coast which was beautiful, NE scenery accompanied by that ocean scent that reminds you to keep looking left and take in the views while they're there. If this were anyplace other then beach area and I smelled that scent then I would probably be saying, "My God, what is that nasty smell of salt and rotten seaweed?" But it is and I'm not. The ride really was amazing. My legs are sore, my back is tired, and my neck feels like I just took a nap in a small cardboard box (now I know how Riley feels) but it was all worth it. If I wasn't able to end this day at Nick's house where a hot shower and comfortable couch was waiting for me then I might not have the same attitude as I do right now. Speaking of that couch, I think it's calling my name. Until I get the next chance to write I'll leave some facts about the start of the trip. First day weight was 183 lbs, mileage was 75 miles, ride time was about 5 hours, total time from start to finish including breaks was about 7 hours and I saw 1 grey herring, 5 goats and about a half dozen Maine surfers (yes they were surfing).
Skipping back a day, Jennifer, Riley and I all drove up to Portland, ME yesterday to spend our last day together for the next month. Riley didn't think to much of this trip because he had to find a way to lay down on what he would probably describe as a postage stamp sized portion of the back seat. Once we arrived in Portland we had a fantastic dinner at Walter's on Exchange Street. Jen and I both had a vegetarian dish. She ordered a Fettuccine Pasta with olives, dried tomatoes, camembert cheese (sp?), and a white wine oil sauce that was unbelievable. I ordered a whole wheat pasta that was covered in a wild mushroom ragout and some sort of a sherry reduction sauce. My descriptions probably don't do the dishes justice but I'm sure we'll be heading back to Walters again whenever we're in that area.
So, on to the first day of riding. As I mentioned, it was wet. The initial excitement of starting the trip is what really got me through the first few hours. After that I spent a good deal of my trip along the Maine coast which was beautiful, NE scenery accompanied by that ocean scent that reminds you to keep looking left and take in the views while they're there. If this were anyplace other then beach area and I smelled that scent then I would probably be saying, "My God, what is that nasty smell of salt and rotten seaweed?" But it is and I'm not. The ride really was amazing. My legs are sore, my back is tired, and my neck feels like I just took a nap in a small cardboard box (now I know how Riley feels) but it was all worth it. If I wasn't able to end this day at Nick's house where a hot shower and comfortable couch was waiting for me then I might not have the same attitude as I do right now. Speaking of that couch, I think it's calling my name. Until I get the next chance to write I'll leave some facts about the start of the trip. First day weight was 183 lbs, mileage was 75 miles, ride time was about 5 hours, total time from start to finish including breaks was about 7 hours and I saw 1 grey herring, 5 goats and about a half dozen Maine surfers (yes they were surfing).
Thursday, May 1, 2008
iPhone post
I hope this is going to work. The normal method of posting was not available on the iPhone so I may need to figure out another way. One thing is for certain though, you can type really fast with an iPhone once you get used to it.
Changes and last minute planning
I've decided to change the starting point of the trip to Portland, ME. Jen's mother and stepfather invited us to Portland with them a couple summers ago and we really enjoyed the area. It will also be easier for Jennifer to drive back to NY on Sunday and it gives me some time to ease into the days. I'm a little worried about overuse injuries, worried about what happens if I don't make it the whole way or if I need to stop mid trip. Not pedaling the whole way to Key West just isn't an option at this point.
Both yesterday and today has been a flurry of bike shops, outdoor stores and researching gear. I've picked up everything from bandages to spokes and reflectors to triscuits. Rigging up a system for making sure that the fenders stay on is a real pain. I've cut, bent, ground and zip tied just about every piece of the front fender but it's not looking good. Worse case scenario, I'm out $25 and I'm dirty for 30 days.
I thought I'd post more info, more pictures and have more frequent updates then I do right now but there just isn't enough time to get everything done. Right now my first priority is to have everything packed and ready to go by Sunday morning. The rest is secondary.
Both yesterday and today has been a flurry of bike shops, outdoor stores and researching gear. I've picked up everything from bandages to spokes and reflectors to triscuits. Rigging up a system for making sure that the fenders stay on is a real pain. I've cut, bent, ground and zip tied just about every piece of the front fender but it's not looking good. Worse case scenario, I'm out $25 and I'm dirty for 30 days.
I thought I'd post more info, more pictures and have more frequent updates then I do right now but there just isn't enough time to get everything done. Right now my first priority is to have everything packed and ready to go by Sunday morning. The rest is secondary.
Wednesday, April 30, 2008
4 Days and Counting
I spent the weekend in Virginia with Jennifer and family so the blogging has been a little light, or nonexistent. I did ride in Virginia and I think it was probably one of the best rides I've ever been on. Rolling farm hills dotted with pasture raised cows and low clinging fog in the background. I ended up riding on miles of dirt roads, almost wiping out because of the skinny tires, fording a small river, and just having a great time. It was more of an adventure then my everyday rides where I pick the smoothest roads with the fastest access points.
I really need to refine my packing list now. Gear testing has started and last night I think it took me atleast an hour to get into the hammock, inflate an air mattress, get into the sleeping back and try to line my body up in the right position. I probably wasted more energy trying to go to sleep then I would have biking for an extra hour.
Some more essential items that I've been reading about:
Loc-Tite for bolts that loosen up on long trips
Camo Tarp for covering the bike and trailer
Bear Bag for hanging food
This is the first day that I've awoke in my own bed, in NY, on a weekday and didn't have a job to go to. I feel a little bad about that because if you don't have a job then people think you're not working hard enough or maybe you're cheating them of something by not contributing to the tax base. I'm not sure why that is but I know that when I saw Jen go to work this morning I felt a little guilty. Either way, I'm sure it's a fleeting emotion.
Time for an AM bike ride.
I really need to refine my packing list now. Gear testing has started and last night I think it took me atleast an hour to get into the hammock, inflate an air mattress, get into the sleeping back and try to line my body up in the right position. I probably wasted more energy trying to go to sleep then I would have biking for an extra hour.
Some more essential items that I've been reading about:
Loc-Tite for bolts that loosen up on long trips
Camo Tarp for covering the bike and trailer
Bear Bag for hanging food
This is the first day that I've awoke in my own bed, in NY, on a weekday and didn't have a job to go to. I feel a little bad about that because if you don't have a job then people think you're not working hard enough or maybe you're cheating them of something by not contributing to the tax base. I'm not sure why that is but I know that when I saw Jen go to work this morning I felt a little guilty. Either way, I'm sure it's a fleeting emotion.
Time for an AM bike ride.
Tuesday, April 22, 2008
Hennessey Hammock is here!!!!
Today I received the Hennessey Hammock that I ordered as my main shelter when I can't find another place to crash, http://www.hennessyhammock.com/specs-ul-asym.html . Jenni and I put up the hammock and then we each took a turn laying in it. It's a pretty sweet piece of equipment. I've found a couple parts of the system that I'll need to tweak but overall it's very, very nice. Light, comfortable and easy to put up/take down. Unlike the conventional hammock that is uncomfortable after an hour, the Hennessey Hammock advises you to lay diagonally to the main axis of the hammock which straightens out your back and allows you to sleep on your back or on your side.
I didn't ride today but yesterday was another 28 miles on the ride home from work. Hopefully I'll be able to put in some more time tomorrow.
I didn't ride today but yesterday was another 28 miles on the ride home from work. Hopefully I'll be able to put in some more time tomorrow.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Training Days
I'm really happy about the recent weather pattern. Thursday I put in 30 miles on the bike, another 30 on Friday and then Nick and I rode 40 miles on Saturday morning. The Saturday ride was up Lake Desolation Hill Rd. in Middle Grove which is a killer. The really unfortunate part is that Nick and I ride at about the same level. This means that neither of us give in and we just keep pushing the whole time. Near the end of the ride I think he one-upped me on a hillclimb and the 20 foot gap between us was my way of saying nice job...atleast that's what I tell myself.
Yesterday I rode the regular 16 mile loop around Ballston Lake just to spin the soreness out of the legs. With another nice day today I think I'm going to leave work around 3:00 pm and ride home to Charlton.
Buying gear is getting to be a little stressful. I want to make just one order but there is so much to think of that I'm sure something will be forgotten. I need to get everything shipped soon or else it won't ship in time. Hopefully I'll get this done soon and update the packing list when it's finalized.
In the future I'm going to edit the posts and add some links to places I'm going, gear I'm taking and other goodies.
Yesterday I rode the regular 16 mile loop around Ballston Lake just to spin the soreness out of the legs. With another nice day today I think I'm going to leave work around 3:00 pm and ride home to Charlton.
Buying gear is getting to be a little stressful. I want to make just one order but there is so much to think of that I'm sure something will be forgotten. I need to get everything shipped soon or else it won't ship in time. Hopefully I'll get this done soon and update the packing list when it's finalized.
In the future I'm going to edit the posts and add some links to places I'm going, gear I'm taking and other goodies.
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Laying out the $$$
Quick update....I just bought my return ticket from Key West, FL to Albany, NY. I leave Key West on June 10th, 2008 so hopefully I make it down there by June 9th. The flight leaves at around 7am on the 10th so I could end up riding to the bike shop that is going to pack my bike on the 9th, grabbing a couple well deserved beers on Duval St. and then hopping in a taxi cab to the airport to spend the night at the terminal. I would love to walk around Key West and maybe find a spot to pitch the hammock but only time will tell if that is in the cards.
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Packing List
First things first. What the hell am I going to want on this trip that is going to be so damn useful I'm willing to put it in a 13 lb trailer and tow it from Maine to Florida? Here we are:
Bike
Bike Trailer
Bike Trailer Flag
Bike Lock
Maps
Sunglasses
Helmet
Handlebar Bag
Bike Maintenance Gear:
Multi-Tool
Leatherman Micro (with knife, can opener, pliers)
Patchkit
Tire Levers
Spokes
Tubes
Tire
Pump
BOB Trailer Tube
Spare chain links
Wire
Duct Tape
Electrical Tape
Brake Pads
Spare brake and shifter cables
Reflectors
Rear Light for Trailer
Rear Light for Helmet
Rear Light for bike
Front Light
Spare Seat Bolt?
Clothing:
Rain Jacket
Reflector Vest
3 pair biking shorts
3 short sleeve jerseys
3 pair bike socks
1 pair neoprene overshoes
1 fleece pullover
1 long sleeve polypro shirt
1 pair jeans
2 pair boxer briefs
1 pair socks
1 t-shirt
1 buttondown shirt
1 sweater
1 pair fleece pants
1 pair polypro long underwear
Full Finger Gloves
Bike Gloves
Wash Cloth
Food, Drink, Calories
Peanut Butter
Bread
Jelly
Granola
Clif Bars
Nalgene Bottle
2 Bike Bottles
MSR Water Reservoir
MSR Water Filtration System
Sleeping Stuff
Hennessey Hammock
Sleeping Bag
Liner
Sleeping Pad
Safety Blanket
Storage (Bags/Trailer)
Ziplocks
Trailer Drybag
Nylon Ties
Cargo Straps
Extras/Essentials
Camera
Iphone
Ipod Nano
Solar Charger with Ipod/Iphone attachment
Toilet Paper
Gauze
Neosporin
Medical Tape
Sunblock
Castile Soap
Toothpaste
Rope
4 Clothes Pins
Pen/Hi-Lighter
Book
More to come
Bike
Bike Trailer
Bike Trailer Flag
Bike Lock
Maps
Sunglasses
Helmet
Handlebar Bag
Bike Maintenance Gear:
Multi-Tool
Leatherman Micro (with knife, can opener, pliers)
Patchkit
Tire Levers
Spokes
Tubes
Tire
Pump
BOB Trailer Tube
Spare chain links
Wire
Duct Tape
Electrical Tape
Brake Pads
Spare brake and shifter cables
Reflectors
Rear Light for Trailer
Rear Light for Helmet
Rear Light for bike
Front Light
Spare Seat Bolt?
Clothing:
Rain Jacket
Reflector Vest
3 pair biking shorts
3 short sleeve jerseys
3 pair bike socks
1 pair neoprene overshoes
1 fleece pullover
1 long sleeve polypro shirt
1 pair jeans
2 pair boxer briefs
1 pair socks
1 t-shirt
1 buttondown shirt
1 sweater
1 pair fleece pants
1 pair polypro long underwear
Full Finger Gloves
Bike Gloves
Wash Cloth
Food, Drink, Calories
Peanut Butter
Bread
Jelly
Granola
Clif Bars
Nalgene Bottle
2 Bike Bottles
MSR Water Reservoir
MSR Water Filtration System
Sleeping Stuff
Hennessey Hammock
Sleeping Bag
Liner
Sleeping Pad
Safety Blanket
Storage (Bags/Trailer)
Ziplocks
Trailer Drybag
Nylon Ties
Cargo Straps
Extras/Essentials
Camera
Iphone
Ipod Nano
Solar Charger with Ipod/Iphone attachment
Toilet Paper
Gauze
Neosporin
Medical Tape
Sunblock
Castile Soap
Toothpaste
Rope
4 Clothes Pins
Pen/Hi-Lighter
Book
More to come
The Leap
I've taken the leap, left my job and decided it's time to do something big. I don't think I've ever known anybody to say I make quick decisions and this one was no different, it has been a long time coming.
So, what does one do after they leave a perfectly good job right before getting married while paying for two houses that both need a ton of work??? Hey, why not go for a really long bike ride. So long in fact that you'll need to buy all the gear, do all the research and train to ride 2600 miles in two weeks.
I've always wanted to ride across country but I'm willing to take that dream, twist it slightly, cut it by a third and turn it into an Atlantic Coast ride. This ride will begin on or about May 3rd in Bar Harbor, ME and end around June 6th, 2008 in Key West, FL. I've told enough people about it that I'm totally and completely commited to doing this. Hopefully I can pull it off.
So, what does one do after they leave a perfectly good job right before getting married while paying for two houses that both need a ton of work??? Hey, why not go for a really long bike ride. So long in fact that you'll need to buy all the gear, do all the research and train to ride 2600 miles in two weeks.
I've always wanted to ride across country but I'm willing to take that dream, twist it slightly, cut it by a third and turn it into an Atlantic Coast ride. This ride will begin on or about May 3rd in Bar Harbor, ME and end around June 6th, 2008 in Key West, FL. I've told enough people about it that I'm totally and completely commited to doing this. Hopefully I can pull it off.
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