Category: 2006 Cycling Across America

  • We did it!

    As you all know by now, Chelsea and I (mom and daughter) set out on June 4th, 2006, to ride our bicycles across the United States, with Alex – my youngest son and Chelsea’s younger brother – as a support team member. We were intending to cover 4280 miles and cross 13 states. We intended to cross the Peace, the Mississippi, the Ohio and the Colorado Rivers, along with riding through the Appalachian foothills, the Ozarks, the Rockies, the unnamed mountain ranges in Utah and Nevada, and Carson Pass in the Sierras. We planned on ending in San Francisco at the Golden Gate Bridge.

    Fifteen life-changing weeks later, we accomplished our goals. On September 15th, 2006, we finished our bicycling part of the trip by riding across the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, California. Not only did we see the things we intended to see, we saw Baton Rouge LA, the French Quarter in New Orleans, St. Louis MO, Wichita KS, Denver CO, Grand Junction CO, Telluride CO, and Salt Lake City UT.

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  • Wichita KS

    I am writing today from Wichita KS, currently from a McDonald’s fast food place. Having been rained out yesterday, we were up and ready to go again today, but realized as we left that our tension levels are pretty high, as a result of being so out of touch, and not having Internet for two weeks now. We have bills to pay, we haven’t been able to check email for two weeks, and we feel so disconnected. Ralph – Chelsea and Alex’s dad, and a great supporter of our trip – told them that Wichita has Verizon access, but it doesn’t look like we’ll have it again until we reach Denver – which is over another week. So today has been a much needed but very mundane day getting the bikes fixed, and doing the blogs, checkbooks, etc. I am about to send off all this to Evelyn so she can post it, but I may not be able to send any more until we reach Denver (actually Pueblo CO, but we are taking a side trip up to Denver). Alex’s friend Kevin is joining us there in Denver, so we need to be there for sure next Friday.
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  • Newton KS – City Athletic Park

    August 2nd & 3rd, 2008

    Chelsea and I got up earlier than usual to get a good head start on the day, after how gruesome it was yesterday, with the heat and the wind and the trucks. We made it to Toronto itself, a good hilly 8 miles, and we stopped to take pictures, preparing to head out onto busy Hwy 54. Chelsea took a few pictures, and then we started off, but when I stopped quickly to point out another building I wanted to her to get, she crashed right into me, hard. We both went down, and I got the worst of the deal, which really wasn’t too bad – just a sore backside and a very sore knee. The knee swelled up immediately – it looked like I had a grapefruit under the skin (!) – so she ran and got ice for me from a nearby café (the ONLY thing in town that was open!).

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  • Toronto KS, Cross Timbers Campground

    August 1st, 2006

    Absolutely grueling ride, and some amazing local color – and took a side trip to Eureka for swimming and food…stay tuned for more information…

  • Erie KS

    July 31st, 2006

    Very fun experience – we really liked it

  • Pittsburgh KS

    July 30th, 2006

    Hot, hot, hot – over 111 degrees…

  • Ash Grove MO

    July 29th, 2006

    Absolutely wonderful experience…we felt like visiting royalty…

  • Marshfield MO City Park

    July 28th, 2006

    Our first experience with city parks – a totally new concept to us

  • The Tent

    We can’t go any longer on this trip without talking about our tent. As you know, Peter Glenn of Vermont is one of our trip sponsors, and we have blessed them so many times, I can’t even count. They donated a Columbia Raptor (actually it’s the Cougar Flats model) – which must be the king and queen of tents. It’s actually a two-room tent – I kid you not – and it has been our home for many, many nights now. It’s incredibly easy to set up – it takes us only about 10-15 minutes to get it all set up, including the rain fly. It has two large doors, one picture window, two bay windows, and two other large windows. It’s even tall enough for Alex, at 6’2”, to stand up fully in, and would sleep 8 in a pinch, or 6 comfortably. Alex has his own “room” and Chelsea and I have our own. It even has two small zipper sections to let the air flow in and out so that condensation doesn’t build up inside the tent.

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  • Bendavis MO

    July 27th, 2006

    Today was a new twist on things. Chelsea and I were so exhausted after yesterday that we couldn’t even move this morning. We woke up, and went right back to sleep. After talking about it, we decided to have Alex take us to the next stop, and give ourselves a recovery day. We had great fun – stopped to see Alley Spring, MO, a natural spring that pumps out 81 million gallons of water a day! It was well worth taking the time to see it – just gorgeous and very tranquil. They had historical exhibits and a history of the Ozarks – really interesting. We managed to find a Wal-Mart along the way in Houston, to replenish our water supply, and then continued on to Bendavis.

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