Onion's Bike Tour 2006

Re: WELCOME BACK ONION - FRIDAY OCTOBER 20

2006-10-16T07:36:00.000-07:00

Okay everybody the party is going to be at my house, after dinner on Friday night (8:30 or later) . . . come on by and say hi to Onion and hear some of his Tall Tales from the Road.

1116 barkdull st (2 blocks west of montrose, 3 blocks north of bissonnet)

also, please invite any other friends of Onion who aren't on this list . . .

On 10/4/06, Jeremy Radcliffe <jradbo@gmail.com> wrote:

Hold the date people, we are going to get together and welcome onion back to town and view pictures and hear stories and drink beer and soda and just have a lot of fun on FRIDAY OCTOBER 20 in the evening (after dinner, say). It will either be at my house (1116 barkdull st) or my mother's house (1213 berthea), to be determined. It doesn't really matter for your purposes since they're about 3 blocks away from one another. The important thing to do is to note on your calendar that after dinner on Friday night you should plan on hanging out with Onion.

(a few) details to follow . . .

JR

On 9/24/06, Onion < dannythefish@gmail.com> wrote:

I rode into St. George, UT on Monday morning and was traveling via automobile by 12:30. With four stops for gas and a four hour nap in a roadside rest stop, I made the 1400 mile journey in about 28 hours. The speed limit on interstates in Arizona and New Mexico is 75 mph. I traveled for about eight hours down I-40 from Flagstaff to Amarillo with my cruise control set at what I considered to be a conservative 80 mph, because I'm cautious like that, and was not passed by one single vehicle the entire time. I think that's kind of weird. On the radio, I heard Golden Earring's entire catalogue twice. That is, I heard 'Radar Love' two times and 'Twilight Zone' two times. I heard 'Born To Be Wild' about a dozen times, and as I got into Texas I started to hear a ZZ Top or Stevie Ray Vaughn song about every thirty minutes while flipping across the dial. I've missed ZZ Top on the radio. I was so glad to be home, it brought joy to my heart to see Dallas rising on the horizon. An hour later I was even happier to leave Dallas in the rearview mirror, as I always have been.

So, I'm back. If you would like to speak with me, I can be reached at 832-866-2017. Feel free to call 24/7...I'm unemployed.

Here are some numbers and some lists...

8,271 Miles - Final Odometer Reading (This total includes days off when I rode seventy miles, ten mile round

                trips from camp to the nearest store and back, and wrong turns that added thirty miles to my

                day. It does not include a couple of days when my odometer ran out of batteries, or was not

                working due to a frayed wire, miles that I rode through construction in the back of a truck, or the

                distance between where Jamie met me and where she dropped me off when she came to visit.)

18 - States Visited

3 - Canadian Provinces Visited

178 - Days on the Road

9,666 Feet - Highest Elevation (Powder River Pass, Bighorn Mountains, WY)

66 - Showers (Including Lakes, Streams, and Rivers)

133 Miles - Longest Daily Distance (Selkirk PP, Ontario to Pinery PP, Ontario, 5/3/2006)

476 Ounces - Peanut Butter Consumed (By Weight)(Add three kilograms. I don't know how many ounces

                that is, but it's a lot.)

14.75 Miles - Longest Coast "No Pedaling" (Near Gladstone PP, BC)

43 MPH - Top Speed (Near Gladstone PP, BC)

4 - Times Across The Continental Divide

5 - Time Zone Changes

12 - Tunnels

1 Mile - Longest Tunnel

500 Yards - Longest Tunnel I Didn't Hitch A Ride Through

0 - Encounters With Jerks

Things Broke or Wore Out...

12 - Flats(Including one double flat in Salt Lake City, UT)

1 - Front Derailleur(I left home with an antique derailleur on my bike. Good one.)

1 - Tent Pole(Long)(Snapped about a week out)

1 - Batting Gloves

3 - Rear Spoke

1 - Rear Rim

1 - Chain

3 - Rear Tire

1 - Bike Shorts

1 - Cycling Socks

1 - Lighter(Bic)

1 - Derailleur Cable(Rear)

1 - Ballpoint Pen

4,600 Miles - Rear Hub Serviced(Jackson, WY)

I intended to make a list of strange things that I saw on the side of the road, but much to my shame and surprise, I did not see many strange things, or much trash of any kind on the side of the road once I left The South. Booo!

I will have the reading list out sometime in the next week.

Peace!

--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.12.8/455 - Release Date: 9/22/2006

--
"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." Benjamin Franklin, 1759.

--
"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." Benjamin Franklin, 1759.

RE: WELCOME BACK ONION - DFW RECEPTION

2006-10-04T14:12:00.000-07:00

Tall boys?

From: Seth M. Anderson [mailto:Seth@StephensAnderson.com]
Sent: Wednesday, October 04, 2006 2:40 PM
To: jradbo@gmail.com; 'Onion'
Cc: 'Wes Davis'; 'Adam Thomas'; 'Amy(Biker)'; 'Ann Readcliffe'; 'Ben Hart'; 'Ben Hurst'; 'Blog'; 'Brian Thorp'; Britain@comic.com; 'Bryan Galligan'; 'Carey Ford'; 'Chad Shimaitis'; 'Charles Hurst'; 'Chipman Earle'; 'Chris Hogan'; 'Chris Watham'; 'Da Kid'; 'Devin Cox'; 'Dominic B. Mandola'; 'Dublin'; 'Eliot Edmunds'; 'Gary Bergstrand'; Hrncir, Gustav/DEN; 'Hilary Glassman'; 'Jake Radcliffe'; 'James Sivco'; 'Jamie Farr'; 'Jamie Knight'; 'JASON ADAME'; 'Jeff Leva'; 'Jim Curl'; 'Jody Rupp'; 'John Hempfling'; 'Jonathon Jackson'; 'Karen Looney'; 'Kevin Reagin'; 'Kris Looney'; 'Lawyer's Filing & Delivery'; 'Linda Farr'; 'Mandy(Biker)'; 'Matt Crowley'; 'Matt Mallay'; 'Matthew Newtown'; 'Micah Antill'; 'Michael Meagher'; 'Miguel Grillo'; 'Patsy Huett'; 'Rob Neff'; 'Robbie Siefert'; 'Robert Gleason'; 'Rory Walker'; 'Ryan Ford'; 'Ryan Hoag'; 'Ryan Shultz'; 'Scott Thrash'; 'Steve Jones'; 'Steve Jones'; 'Trey Looney'; 'John Rittman'
Subject: RE: WELCOME BACK ONION - DFW RECEPTION

If Onion will agree to pedal his ass up to the DFW area, Ryan Shultz and I will host a reception (Keystone Light on a wooden deck) up here.

Seth M. Anderson

Stephens & Anderson, L.L.P.

4200 West Vickery Blvd.

Fort Worth, TX 76107

Phone: 817-920-9000

Fax: 817-920-9016

Seth@StephensAnderson.com

www.StephensAnderson.com

From: Jeremy Radcliffe [mailto:jradbo@gmail.com]
Sent: Wednesday, October 04, 2006 3:29 PM
To: Onion
Cc: Wes Davis; Adam Thomas; Amy(Biker); Ann Readcliffe; Ben Hart; Ben Hurst; Blog; Brian Thorp; Britain@comic.com; Bryan Galligan; Carey Ford; Chad Shimaitis; Charles Hurst; Chipman Earle; Chris Hogan; Chris Watham; Da Kid; Devin Cox; Dominic B. Mandola; Dublin; Eliot Edmunds; Gary Bergstrand; Gus Hrincir; Hilary Glassman; Jake Radcliffe; James Sivco; Jamie Farr; Jamie Knight; JASON ADAME; Jeff Leva; Jim Curl; Jody Rupp; John Hempfling; Jonathon Jackson; Karen Looney; Kevin Reagin; Kris Looney; Lawyer's Filing & Delivery; Linda Farr; Mandy(Biker); Matt Crowley; Matt Mallay; Matthew Newtown; Micah Antill; Michael Meagher; Miguel Grillo; Patsy Huett; Rob Neff; Robbie Siefert; Robert Gleason; Rory Walker; Ryan Ford; Ryan Hoag; Ryan Shultz; Scott Thrash; Seth Anderson; Steve Jones; Steve Jones; Trey Looney; John Rittman
Subject: WELCOME BACK ONION - FRIDAY OCTOBER 20

Hold the date people, we are going to get together and welcome onion back to town and view pictures and hear stories and drink beer and soda and just have a lot of fun on FRIDAY OCTOBER 20 in the evening (after dinner, say). It will either be at my house (1116 barkdull st) or my mother's house (1213 berthea), to be determined. It doesn't really matter for your purposes since they're about 3 blocks away from one another. The important thing to do is to note on your calendar that after dinner on Friday night you should plan on hanging out with Onion.

(a few) details to follow . . .

On 9/24/06, Onion <dannythefish@gmail.com> wrote:

I rode into St. George, UT on Monday morning and was traveling via automobile by 12:30. With four stops for gas and a four hour nap in a roadside rest stop, I made the 1400 mile journey in about 28 hours. The speed limit on interstates in Arizona and New Mexico is 75 mph. I traveled for about eight hours down I-40 from Flagstaff to Amarillo with my cruise control set at what I considered to be a conservative 80 mph, because I'm cautious like that, and was not passed by one single vehicle the entire time. I think that's kind of weird. On the radio, I heard Golden Earring's entire catalogue twice. That is, I heard 'Radar Love' two times and 'Twilight Zone' two times. I heard 'Born To Be Wild' about a dozen times, and as I got into Texas I started to hear a ZZ Top or Stevie Ray Vaughn song about every thirty minutes while flipping across the dial. I've missed ZZ Top on the radio. I was so glad to be home, it brought joy to my heart to see Dallas rising on the horizon. An hour later I was even happier to leave Dallas in the rearview mirror, as I always have been.

So, I'm back. If you would like to speak with me, I can be reached at 832-866-2017. Feel free to call 24/7...I'm unemployed.

Here are some numbers and some lists...

8,271 Miles - Final Odometer Reading (This total includes days off when I rode seventy miles, ten mile round

trips from camp to the nearest store and back, and wrong turns that added thirty miles to my

day. It does not include a couple of days when my odometer ran out of batteries, or was not

working due to a frayed wire, miles that I rode through construction in the back of a truck, or the

distance between where Jamie met me and where she dropped me off when she came to visit.)

18 - States Visited

3 - Canadian Provinces Visited

178 - Days on the Road

9,666 Feet - Highest Elevation (Powder River Pass, Bighorn Mountains, WY)

66 - Showers (Including Lakes, Streams, and Rivers)

133 Miles - Longest Daily Distance (Selkirk PP, Ontario to Pinery PP, Ontario, 5/3/2006)

476 Ounces - Peanut Butter Consumed (By Weight)(Add three kilograms. I don't know how many ounces

that is, but it's a lot.)

14.75 Miles - Longest Coast "No Pedaling" (Near Gladstone PP, BC)

43 MPH - Top Speed (Near Gladstone PP, BC)

4 - Times Across The Continental Divide

5 - Time Zone Changes

12 - Tunnels

1 Mile - Longest Tunnel

500 Yards - Longest Tunnel I Didn't Hitch A Ride Through

0 - Encounters With Jerks

Things Broke or Wore Out...

12 - Flats(Including one double flat in Salt Lake City, UT)

1 - Front Derailleur(I left home with an antique derailleur on my bike. Good one.)

1 - Tent Pole(Long)(Snapped about a week out)

1 - Batting Gloves

3 - Rear Spoke

1 - Rear Rim

1 - Chain

3 - Rear Tire

1 - Bike Shorts

1 - Cycling Socks

1 - Lighter(Bic)

1 - Derailleur Cable(Rear)

1 - Ballpoint Pen

4,600 Miles - Rear Hub Serviced(Jackson, WY)

I intended to make a list of strange things that I saw on the side of the road, but much to my shame and surprise, I did not see many strange things, or much trash of any kind on the side of the road once I left The South. Booo!

I will have the reading list out sometime in the next week.

Peace!

--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.12.8/455 - Release Date: 9/22/2006

--
"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." Benjamin Franklin, 1759.

RE: WELCOME BACK ONION - DFW RECEPTION

2006-10-04T14:10:00.000-07:00

If Onion will agree to pedal his ass up to the DFW area, Ryan Shultz and I will host a reception (Keystone Light on a wooden deck) up here.

Seth M. Anderson

Stephens & Anderson, L.L.P.

4200 West Vickery Blvd.

Fort Worth, TX 76107

Phone: 817-920-9000

Fax: 817-920-9016

Seth@StephensAnderson.com

www.StephensAnderson.com

(a few) details to follow . . .

On 9/24/06, Onion <dannythefish@gmail.com> wrote:

So, I'm back. If you would like to speak with me, I can be reached at 832-866-2017. Feel free to call 24/7...I'm unemployed.

Here are some numbers and some lists...

8,271 Miles - Final Odometer Reading (This total includes days off when I rode seventy miles, ten mile round

trips from camp to the nearest store and back, and wrong turns that added thirty miles to my

day. It does not include a couple of days when my odometer ran out of batteries, or was not

working due to a frayed wire, miles that I rode through construction in the back of a truck, or the

distance between where Jamie met me and where she dropped me off when she came to visit.)

18 - States Visited

3 - Canadian Provinces Visited

178 - Days on the Road

9,666 Feet - Highest Elevation (Powder River Pass, Bighorn Mountains, WY)

66 - Showers (Including Lakes, Streams, and Rivers)

133 Miles - Longest Daily Distance (Selkirk PP, Ontario to Pinery PP, Ontario, 5/3/2006)

476 Ounces - Peanut Butter Consumed (By Weight)(Add three kilograms. I don't know how many ounces

that is, but it's a lot.)

14.75 Miles - Longest Coast "No Pedaling" (Near Gladstone PP, BC)

43 MPH - Top Speed (Near Gladstone PP, BC)

4 - Times Across The Continental Divide

5 - Time Zone Changes

12 - Tunnels

1 Mile - Longest Tunnel

500 Yards - Longest Tunnel I Didn't Hitch A Ride Through

0 - Encounters With Jerks

Things Broke or Wore Out...

12 - Flats(Including one double flat in Salt Lake City, UT)

1 - Front Derailleur(I left home with an antique derailleur on my bike. Good one.)

1 - Tent Pole(Long)(Snapped about a week out)

1 - Batting Gloves

3 - Rear Spoke

1 - Rear Rim

1 - Chain

3 - Rear Tire

1 - Bike Shorts

1 - Cycling Socks

1 - Lighter(Bic)

1 - Derailleur Cable(Rear)

1 - Ballpoint Pen

4,600 Miles - Rear Hub Serviced(Jackson, WY)

I will have the reading list out sometime in the next week.

Peace!

--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.12.8/455 - Release Date: 9/22/2006

--
"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." Benjamin Franklin, 1759.

WELCOME BACK ONION - FRIDAY OCTOBER 20

2006-10-04T13:35:00.000-07:00

(a few) details to follow . . .

On 9/24/06, Onion <dannythefish@gmail.com> wrote:

I rode into St. George, UT on Monday morning and was traveling via automobile by 12:30. With four stops for gas and a four hour nap in a roadside rest stop, I made the 1400 mile journey in about 28 hours. The speed limit on interstates in Arizona and New Mexico is 75 mph. I traveled for about eight hours down I-40 from Flagstaff to Amarillo with my cruise control set at what I considered to be a conservative 80 mph, because I'm cautious like that, and was not passed by one single vehicle the entire time. I think that's kind of weird. On the radio, I heard Golden Earring's entire catalogue twice. That is, I heard 'Radar Love' two times and 'Twilight Zone' two times. I heard 'Born To Be Wild' about a dozen times, and as I got into Texas I started to hear a ZZ Top or Stevie Ray Vaughn song about every thirty minutes while flipping across the dial. I've missed ZZ Top on the radio. I was so glad to be home, it brought joy to my heart to see Dallas rising on the horizon. An hour later I was even happier to leave Dallas in the rearview mirror, as I always have been.

So, I'm back. If you would like to speak with me, I can be reached at 832-866-2017. Feel free to call 24/7...I'm unemployed.

Here are some numbers and some lists...

8,271 Miles - Final Odometer Reading (This total includes days off when I rode seventy miles, ten mile round

                trips from camp to the nearest store and back, and wrong turns that added thirty miles to my

                day. It does not include a couple of days when my odometer ran out of batteries, or was not

                working due to a frayed wire, miles that I rode through construction in the back of a truck, or the

                distance between where Jamie met me and where she dropped me off when she came to visit.)

18 - States Visited

3 - Canadian Provinces Visited

178 - Days on the Road

9,666 Feet - Highest Elevation (Powder River Pass, Bighorn Mountains, WY)

66 - Showers (Including Lakes, Streams, and Rivers)

133 Miles - Longest Daily Distance (Selkirk PP, Ontario to Pinery PP, Ontario, 5/3/2006)

476 Ounces - Peanut Butter Consumed (By Weight)(Add three kilograms. I don't know how many ounces

                that is, but it's a lot.)

14.75 Miles - Longest Coast "No Pedaling" (Near Gladstone PP, BC)

43 MPH - Top Speed (Near Gladstone PP, BC)

4 - Times Across The Continental Divide

5 - Time Zone Changes

12 - Tunnels

1 Mile - Longest Tunnel

500 Yards - Longest Tunnel I Didn't Hitch A Ride Through

0 - Encounters With Jerks

Things Broke or Wore Out...

12 - Flats(Including one double flat in Salt Lake City, UT)

1 - Front Derailleur(I left home with an antique derailleur on my bike. Good one.)

1 - Tent Pole(Long)(Snapped about a week out)

1 - Batting Gloves

3 - Rear Spoke

1 - Rear Rim

1 - Chain

3 - Rear Tire

1 - Bike Shorts

1 - Cycling Socks

1 - Lighter(Bic)

1 - Derailleur Cable(Rear)

1 - Ballpoint Pen

4,600 Miles - Rear Hub Serviced(Jackson, WY)

I intended to make a list of strange things that I saw on the side of the road, but much to my shame and surprise, I did not see many strange things, or much trash of any kind on the side of the road once I left The South. Booo!

I will have the reading list out sometime in the next week.

Peace!

--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.405 / Virus Database: 268.12.8/455 - Release Date: 9/22/2006

--
"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." Benjamin Franklin, 1759.

Greetings From H-Town - Part II

2006-09-28T07:40:00.000-07:00

As promised, here is my reading list from the trip. It is in approximate chronological order. There were long periods during my absence when I did no reading. At the beginning, it was due to the fear that a few pounds would be the difference between success and failure. Later, it was because I passed through wide swaths of the country where people apparently don't have much respect for the written word, regardless of what the girls at the chamber of commerce say.

The Week Before I Left:

Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance - Robert M Pirsig

I received this book as a gift right before I left. It was an appropriate read before I began my journey.

On the road, I saw it in the philosophy section of a bookstore. I'd call it literature. I recommend it.

Kentucky:

Walden and Civil Disobedience - Henry David Thoreau

I bought this book and the following one at the Morehead State University bookstore. Walden is

something I have always wanted to read, and I picked the perfect time and place to do it. Not what

I thought, it is an ode to self-sufficiency and reflection on the beauty of nature. Civil Disobedience is

something that every taxpayer should read...very timely. This was probably the book that meant the

most to me on the trip.

Ohio:

What The Buddha Taught - Walpola Rahula

I didn't know much about Buddhism, and the selection at the college bookstore was pretty weak. It

seems like a pretty good one as far as religions go.

Something Happened - Joseph Heller

Entertaining, but Catch 22 it isn't.

Michigan:

All The King's Men - Robert Penn Warren

This book came highly recommended by people I respect. Alas, it wasn't all I thought it would be.

But don't take my word for it. I've been hearing good things about it for so long that it's likely you will

enjoy it more than I did.

South Dakota:

Mostly Harmless - Douglas Adams

I bought this book at the Walmart in Pierre, SD. It's not exactly what I am into these days, but I

enjoyed Adams' Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy series as a youth. Douglas Adams is witty

and hilarious.

Ulysses - James Joyce

I don't know why did this to myself. I guess so I could say I read it. I did have some idea what

was going on in the second 400 pages of the book and the ending was quite powerful. Don't try

to read this book without an English dictionary, a Latin dictionary, and a history of Ireland close

at hand for reference.

Wyoming:

Light In August - William Faulkner

This is the first of three Faulkner books I read on the trip. Granted, I did not start with the easiest

of his works, but I was reading my third of his books before I really got the gist of any of them. Since

then, they have been better and better. If you are a new reader, this is a good one to start with.

Good story and easy to follow.

Montana:

Travels With Charlie(In Search Of America) - Ernest Hemingway

I bought this book on the recommendation of a friend. I have never been a big Hemingway fan, but

since someone took the time to tell me to read it, I was happy to oblige. It is a travelogue, written

late in the author's life. Many of his experiences were analogous to ones of my own on the road, so

I liked it a lot. Give it a read.

The Prince - Niccolo Machiavelli

Another timely one. At only 100 pages, you can't go wrong. It is written by a famous courtesan and

political advisor from medieval Italy. It has long been considered the handbook for how to acquire and

hold a empire. Hitler was a big fan. Though the ends to which this how-to book leads are ignoble,

and most certainly barbaric, it is interesting to compare its' suggestions with the actions America

has taken in its' current imperial adventure...someone should have read Machiavelli.

Alberta:

Brave New World - Aldous Huxley

This book was written as a warning against what the author saw as a creeping totalitarianism in

post-war England and America. I thought it was a pretty good book. An easy and entertaining read.

British Columbia:

Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov

I stick with my original review. The funniest book about a pedophile I have ever read. Read this and

you can be entertained and seem intellectual at the same time.

His Majesty's Dragon - Naomi Kline

This book was given to me by a fellow traveler...the only book I have ever thrown away after reading.

Joseph Andrews - Henry Fielding

This book is just as funny as Tom Jones, but only about one third as long. So if you are afraid of

commitment, but still want to be familiar with the height of 18th century English wit, this is the book

for you.

The Unvanquished - William Faulkner

Greetings From H-Town!

2006-09-24T12:57:00.000-07:00

So, I'm back. If you would like to speak with me, I can be reached at 832-866-2017. Feel free to call 24/7...I'm unemployed.

Here are some numbers and some lists...

8,271 Miles - Final Odometer Reading (This total includes days off when I rode seventy miles, ten mile round

trips from camp to the nearest store and back, and wrong turns that added thirty miles to my

day. It does not include a couple of days when my odometer ran out of batteries, or was not

working due to a frayed wire, miles that I rode through construction in the back of a truck, or the

distance between where Jamie met me and where she dropped me off when she came to visit.)

18 - States Visited

3 - Canadian Provinces Visited

178 - Days on the Road

9,666 Feet - Highest Elevation (Powder River Pass, Bighorn Mountains, WY)

66 - Showers (Including Lakes, Streams, and Rivers)

133 Miles - Longest Daily Distance (Selkirk PP, Ontario to Pinery PP, Ontario, 5/3/2006)

476 Ounces - Peanut Butter Consumed (By Weight)(Add three kilograms. I don't know how many ounces

that is, but it's a lot.)

14.75 Miles - Longest Coast "No Pedaling" (Near Gladstone PP, BC)

43 MPH - Top Speed (Near Gladstone PP, BC)

4 - Times Across The Continental Divide

5 - Time Zone Changes

12 - Tunnels

1 Mile - Longest Tunnel

500 Yards - Longest Tunnel I Didn't Hitch A Ride Through

0 - Encounters With Jerks

Things Broke or Wore Out...

12 - Flats(Including one double flat in Salt Lake City, UT)

1 - Front Derailleur(I left home with an antique derailleur on my bike. Good one.)

1 - Tent Pole(Long)(Snapped about a week out)

1 - Batting Gloves

3 - Rear Spoke

1 - Rear Rim

1 - Chain

3 - Rear Tire

1 - Bike Shorts

1 - Cycling Socks

1 - Lighter(Bic)

1 - Derailleur Cable(Rear)

1 - Ballpoint Pen

4,600 Miles - Rear Hub Serviced(Jackson, WY)

I will have the reading list out sometime in the next week.

Peace!

Greetings From Utah - Part II

2006-09-17T17:19:00.000-07:00

I am camped tonight in Zion National Park. No one tell the IDF that Zion is in Utah. They'll start dropping cluster bombs on Salt Lake City and herd all of the surviving Mormons into refugee camps on the salt flats. The next thing you know, there will be settlements all the way to El Paso and the United States government will label Texas a terrorist state.

Kidding aside, Zion is the most amazing place I have ever seen in my life. I am glad it is the last stop on my trip instead of the first. The last six months would have been filled with expectation and disappointment. As it is, I seem to have saved the best for last. Tomorrow I am going to ride a quick fifty miles to St. George, UT, rent a car, and come home.

The peoole of Utah have become more normal and friendly as I have moved away from their urban areas. I haven't seen that far out, half-crazed look for a week now. I am assuming that that was the look of religious zealotry, and I guess it's to be expected at the epicenter of one of the world's fastest growing religions. I imagine that you would see the same look in the eyes of the citizens of Mecca, or of those lurking around The Vatican. It's probably not uncommon around Greenway Plaza these days, now that I think about it.

I saw Devil's Kitchen this week, finishing off the trifecta that started with Devil's Tower and Hell's Canyon. In all my travels, I never saw any heavenly-themed attractions. When I was visiting Devil's Tower, I did have the good fortune to hear a man tell a park ranger that he was offended by the name "Devil's Tower", and then asked what it would take to change the name to "God's Tower". The ranger was truly lucky that day, because he got to answer honestly, and with a straight face, that to change the name of a national monument would take...an act of congress.

I wish I could sum up everything I have seen, and felt, and learned on this trip, and present it, for your enjoyment and digestion, in a few simple sentences. I can't. I can say that I am looking forward to challenges, which I have avoided for twenty years, and trying, which I have failed to do for at least as long, and reaching goals, which I have never before even set. My thoughts on society, politics, and philosophy have been myriad and constant since I have been on the road. I have tried not to share to many of these thoughts here because they require a dialogue, not a pulpit, just like any thoughts that concern people. I look forward to a dialogue with each and every one of you. It has been too long.

Two more things bear mentioning here. First, I have found the American people, in general, to be woefully ignorant about many things, and that they harbor factual misconceptions about things that directly effect their lives. Second, the American people are kind, friendly, peaceful, and generous. At least everyone that I met in six months and over 8,000 miles was.

Expect a couple more updates. One will include a final tally of vital statistics. One will include a trip reading list, with reviews, per request.

Don't take any wooden nickels.

Peace!
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless handheld.

Greetings From Utah!

2006-09-11T12:09:00.000-07:00

I write this afternoon from Uinta National Forest. I'm not sure how to pronounce Uinta, I have only read the name on maps, and now on signs. I have finally reacged the wilderness after traversing the endless urban sprawl that is the Salt Lake City metroplex.

I rolled out of the desert and into Brigham City on Thursday. At 2:00 in the afternoon, they were clearing the streets and people were setting up chairs by the roadside in anticipation of the Peach Days parade. I would have loitered to see what all of the fuss was about, but I figured I would only be disappointed after having witnessed the spectacle of Mule Day some months ago.

I proceeded to Willard Bay State Park, picked a site by the water, and scooped up a handful of murky liquid for a taste test. The water was nasty, but it was not salty. I knew The Great Salt Lake was a hoax. A few minutes later I read the park brochure and discovered that Willard Bay is a freshwater reservoir dammed off from the main body of the lake. Not to be foiled so easily, I woke Friday morning and headed to Antelope Island, which is surrounded by the lake on all sides.

The Great Salt Lake is not easy to reach by bicycle. You have to cross 100 miles of desert, take the interstate, travel many hours through urban and industrial areas, or some combination of the above. After being misdirected three times and crossing a ten mile causeway, I reached the island. The Great Salt lake is smelly, gross, and indeed very salty. Yes, there are antelope on the island. I saw four.

Yesterday I rode back across the causeway and then 65 miles from the north end of Salt Lake City to the south. I saw the state capitol and stopped at Temple Square to inspect the tabernacle. They have clean, spacious restrooms. All day long, from one end of the city to the other was like rush hour. Imagine riding a bicycle down Westheimer from Highway 6 to downtown and then back with five o'clock traffic the entire time and you'll have an idea of what my Saturday was like...plus three flats.

This morning I rode through Orem and Provo and then finally reached a rural area again after three days and 150 or so miles. This morning's ride was great, though. The streets and highways were completely deserted and most everything but gas stations was closed. I realized why yesterday was so crazy. Mormons respect the Sabbath.

And speaking of Mormons, I have never seen so many churches in my life. I probably passed 1,000 in the past three days, no fooling. I was able to spot five withib one block at one intersection. And every one I saw was Mormon except for one. It was a Lutheran church in a fairly new 3,000 square foot brick building.

I can tell that school is back in session. People are still enjoying the beautiful weather on the weekends, but I have the campgrounds pretty much to myself during the week.

My reading has slowed to a crawl in the past week for a couple of reasons. The days are getting noticeably shorter. A few weeks ago I was waking up with the sun at five. Now I am waking up with the sun around seven. This usually puts me into camp around mid-afternoon rather than early afternoon. Alsp, my mileage estimates since I hit Idaho have been way off, almost every day, sometimes by as much as 60%. I don't know what I was thinking when I made these estimates. Today, for instance, I am camped at ab altitude of nearly 8,000 feet, the third highest elevation of my trip, and this morning I didn't even know that there would be a hill. Luckily, I am pretty much a cyborg by this point, so I'm not overtaxed physically. I'm just spending a lot more time in the saddle than anticipated.

Many people I have spoken with in Utah have a funny look in their eye. They seem to be looking at you, but their eyes are focused at a point way beyond your head, possibly beyond the atmosphere. It's as if it is hard for them to hold a conversation because they are too busy listening to the voices in their head.

Peace!
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Greetings From Idaho - Part III

2006-09-05T21:44:00.000-07:00

Happy Labor Day! I write tonight from the barren and unearthly landscape of Craters of the Moon National Monument. Who knew that there were volcanos in Idaho? I am continuing to enjoy my time here. The scenery is constantly changing and always gorgeous. The Payette River is probably the most beautiful and violent river I have seen in my life. I saw a group of mule deer yesterday evening that could only be described as a herd.

Jamie and her mother flew into Boise this weekend and picked me up in Stanley to spend a couple of days with some family of their's in Challis. I came away overfed and overrelaxed. I must say I have never felt so welcome or so comfortable in the home of complete strangers. Thank you.

Just so you don't get the impression that Idaho is perfect, I have been trying to find fault with this state for the past week. I have come to a conclusion. Idaho state parks are stingy with their electricity. To date, I have stayed at plenty of campgrounds out in the woods with no electricity anywhere. They are remote, peaceful, and beautiful, and this is accepted and appreciated. But, for the first five months of this trip, I found that if there were power lines running into a campground, that icould find an outlet to charge my phone, camera, or iPod. This is usually as easy as walking into the bathroom and looking above the sink, though sometimes it requires walking around the outer perimeter of the building, or even scouring the grounds for a maintainence shed. Not so in Idaho. The bathrooms have electric lights, but not an outlet to be found anywhere. I've searched every state park I have visited here high and low and have yet to find an unguarded outlet. As that ia the worst I can say of this place, I suggest you come visit as soon as possible.

While on the subject, you can locate an open outlet along the front wall of any grocery store, anywhere, no matter how large or small. I don't know why, but thankfully, they are there.

I would now like to speak about the typos, misspellings, and grammatical errors with which these updates are rife. I belong to the rectal school of thought regarding excuses. That is, everyone has them, and they all stink. Yet, here is mine. I type these dispatches with a 1.5" screen and a 1.5" keyboard, often in poor light. I work without the benefit of a dictionary, or a spell checker. Though I feel like I proofread my words before I broadcast them, I often go back later to find ridiculous and glaring errors. Thia causes me no small amount of embarrassment, being the type who at home will spend fifteen minutes writing and rewriting a three sentence email. I see myself as striving for perfection. Jamie says I am being ridiculous, and that everyone understands my circumstances and the resulting imperfections in my output. She is probably right. I just want to state for the record that I take spelling, usage, and punctuation very seriously. That's how I was taught.

Tomorrow I get to see a nuclear reactor. I should see Utah by the end of the week.

Peace!
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Greetings From Idaho - Part II

2006-08-27T14:05:00.000-07:00

Udaho is a beautiful and rugged state. All of my impressions after five (eight if you count my first two forays) days here are good. There are thirty or more forest fires burning in the state right now, but I have not encountered anything more than a bit of haze here and there. At an altitude of around 5,000 feet, the nightly lows for the past three days have been around forty degrees. I don't know if that is unseasonable or not, but it seems like a pretty cold August to me.

In terms of chatter, the squirrels here put our Texas squirrels to shame. Their cries are much louder, longer, and more frequent. They start griping and bickering right after dawn, and create a constant din until the sun goes down. They are pretty puny, though.

I can't really describe the peoole here, and that soeaks well of them. Thet look at me qithout suspicion, surprise, or even curiosity. All are polite, no one overly friendly. Not that they are dull, it just seems that everyone here goes about their own business without disturbing others, or paying much heed to things that don't concern them. Everyone seems at ease, perhaps due to an awareness that they live in a beautiful and bountiful land.

A couple of nights ago, I overheard a group of my neighbors discussing the relative goods and evils of Walmart. This turned to a conversation on the inversely changing relationship of the taxes they pay to their standard of living. The debate was friendly, not particularly well-informed, judging by only the bits and pieces that drifted my way, but it was a conversation I seldom hear. That's a shame.

It might be the common line to avoid conversations about politics and religion, but I don't think that's right. I think discourse about these subjects, and economics, and societal ills, and morals, and justice should be the brunt of our dialogue with our friends, families, and neighbors, and in our offices, dining rooms, and classrooms. Respectful disagreemebt and rational argument were the modes of communication preferred bt our forefathers. Lack of respect for differing opinions, ignorance of reason, and violent disagreement were the communicative methods of their forefathers...the apes. Anyway, the people of Idaho seem to be living right, and I suspect they might be thinking right as well.

My appetite for books has become voracious. I am burning through a couple of hundred pages most days. I have been asjed to compile a list of books I read on my trip and where I read them. I will do so when I get home. Let me know if you want to see it. I have been fortunate for the last couple of months in that most towns of 5,000 or more people across Canada and the Western states have a bookstore of some kind. That has been refreshing after the Western Minnesota/South Dakota drought.

I will be home in about a month, and none too soon. I believe I am getting a bit too used to life on the road. I drink out of creeks without filtering the water. I often don't shower, even when the option is available. I have no nerves riding in conditions and traffic that I know should be terrifying. I might be a tad bit feral upon my return. Please bear with me!

Peace!
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Greetings From Oregon!

2006-08-21T07:29:00.000-07:00

I crossed into Oregon this morning and am going to spend three days cutting through the far Northeast corner of this state before entering Idaho for the third and final time on my trip. I am happy to be among trees again after over a week in Southeastern Washington.

It is harvest time in the Eastern portion of that state. I understand that the farmers there are gathering the fruits of their labor a bit early this year due to a prolonged drought. Whatever the reason, I have encountered new and exciting hazards on the road as a result.

I have been familiar with a few kinds of moving commodities and their effects on a cyclist for a while. The logging truck is the worst. These guys drive like bats out of hell. I understand they get paid by the log. When you see them coming, you better get out of the way. On the upside, they leave behind a wonderful aroma of fresh pine or cedar. Trucks full of cows are not particularly dangerous, but they are the worst smelling things on the road. It's not a manure smell, either. I might actually find that kind of pleasant. I don't know why a cow in a truck smells so much worse than a cow in a field, but it does. Then there are the milk tankers...I have no quarrel with them.

So this week, I met the hay truck. As it passes, it fills the air with thousands of straw arrows. They stab you in your neck and your thigh. Then, as the projectiles lose steam, you are left with a quarter mile of choking dust to ride through. I am also now familiar with the wheat truck, which leaves a similar cloud in its' wake, only instead of pelting you with arrows, you are showered with tiny pieces of grain, like a huge volley of bb's moving at 70 mph and bouncing off of your arms, legs, and face. Is that a green tornado I see in my rearview mirror? No, it's just the corn truck approaching. He passes, leaving me in a whirlwind of fresh corn husks slapping me across the mouth and getting stuck in my spokes. I can't imagine that these trucks have anything left in them when they reach their destination.

Washington roads are probably the best I have encountered. I surveyed about 600 miles of them and all had wide, smooth shoulders. All Washington state parks have hot showers, though you must pay 50 cents for each three minutes. Cold showers are free.

Washington has a signifigant latino population. Until I reached Vancouver, I hadn't seen anything but white people for four months. As someone who often feels out of place among what I am told is my own kind, I like to see different kinds of people. Plus, they remind me of home. Latinas still seem to be pretty rare, but it's a start.

Don't see many cats, though I have seen a few at campgrounds, leashed, tied to RV's, and hating it.

Peace!
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Greetings From Washington - Part II

2006-08-15T07:27:00.000-07:00

I have spent the last week travelling through Washington at a leisurely pace, and am now smack-dab in the middle of the state.

Monday I left The Pacific Coast and headed down U.S. 20 towards The Cascades spending the night in Rockport State Park.

Tuesday I began to enter the mountains and spent the night in North Cascades National Park.

Wednesday, I went over the mountains. My morning and early afternoon consisted of a 4,400 foot climb stretching over 30 miles. That doesn't make for a very significant grade, and the road was never very steep, but neither did it ever level out, or descend at any point. It was tough. I spoke to a guy a couple of nights ago who lives on the West side of the pass and he said he won't drive the road, too hard on his truck. On the East side of the mountains, there is an abrupt and prounounced change in climate and terrain. That night I camped in a dusty, barren wasteland of a national forest at the same altitude I started that morning. It was hard to believe that I was still only 150 miles from the coast and the dense, dark forests I had always associated with the entire Northwest were only twenty miles behind me.

Thursday I had my first encounter with forest fire. It was my intent to stay in Pearrygin State Park, but when I arrived at the town of Winthrop, just two miles Southwest of my destination, I found the entire village enveloped in smoke. Since everyone there was advised to stay indoors or leave, and I posess no doors, I left. I followed The Methow River Valley through rocky gorges and expansive orchards to its' meeting with The Columbia. As in the dry parts of Wyoming, they seem to irrigate wherever they can here. I spent the night at Alta Lake State Park, qhich is at the top of one of the steepest hills I have climbed during my trip.

On Friday, I took a day off and spent it reading and hiking. That evening, Ranger Loumis was kind enough to drop off some fresh fruit, trail mix, and homemade granola bars. He and his wife hiked The Pacific Crest Trail, so he is sympathetic to the travails of a monotonous diet.

Saturday morning, I hit the road on my way to Daroga State Park, following the path of The Columbia. More desert canyons. More orchards. Through most of Washington, The Columbia River is dammed about every twenty miles. I was expecting a wild, rushing torrent. I have seen a bunch of man-made lakes.

This morning I left the river's path and headed East. I was expecting a climb of about 500 feet as I left the river gorge. It turned out to be about 2,000 feet. I came out among rolling hills and wheat fields. This evening I am camped at Sun Lakes State Park, five miles from Coulee City. When planning my trip, I was under the impression that the town moniker was some sort of misspelled racial slur. It turns out that a coulee is a deep canyon without a river running through it. It's a long geological story that took millions of years to unfold. I don't have the time to explain here, but I will bring a brochure home and it will be available for viewing. I'm camped right in the middle of a coulee now and it's pretty cool...ee.

To summarize the past week, I learned a lot about the geographic diversity of Washington State and I didn't think of anything funny or clever to say about it.

Peace!
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Greetings From Washington!

2006-08-06T18:52:00.000-07:00

I write tonight from Larrabee State Park, just South of Bellingham, WA. My odometer reads 6,251 miles. I returned to America at around noon today after having been in Canada for three weeks, almost to the hour. I spent an appealing weekend in Vancouver with a roving gang of naer-do-wells dressed in banana suits. H-Town was well represented in Vancouver this weekend and I don't think that city will soon forget how we roll. Furthermore, I was well represented this weekend and that means even more being so far away from home. You bananas were a bunch of fun.

During my last week in Canada I got to see something I enjoyed. I was camped about 50 yards from a small playground. It had several swings and several see-saws. You no longer see see-saws in playgrounds where I live, and I know why. So, while I usually have no interest in sitting and watching young children play, and iactually actively avoid giving the slightest appearance of paying any attention whatsoever to the children around me, being a man travelling alone, lookibg unwasged and wild, camping among families with young, nervous mothers all about, I kept an eye out for playground activity as I sat and read my book.

Tuesday night I was alone in the campground. It was quiet and beautiful. I remained camped there the next day as I waited for the appointed date and time of my weekend rendezvous in Vancouver. My layover proved fortunate. Wednesday afternoon the families started streaming in. Before long two boys started playing on the see-saw and when a third, younger one joined them I knew the payoff was soon to come. As expected, in about two minutes one of the boys jumped off of the see-saw leaving the one on the far end to crash to the ground, and the one standing near the middle to brain himself in an apparently painful and tediously protracted fall. None of the children heard my uproarious laughter, one being too busy crying, two being too busy looking for a hiding place from the swift hand of justice they felt sure to come.

The point of this story is not that I'm a dick. Many of you know that already and accept me with my faults, and it is something I will eventually have to own to anyone who gets to know me well. I share this experience becausr I think it's good for a kid to get whacked on the head with a plank. Experiences both good and bad help us to cope calmly, rationally, and effectively with life's pitfalls. This is illustrated by what can be the pitiful sight of a 30 year old man breaking a finger or toe for the first time. And who knows, perhaps the empathy-equipped child that knows the pain that is plank to the head might be less likely to take a plank to someone else's head.

In Canada, the smallest folding money they have is a $5 bill. They supplement their change-making with $1 and $2 coins, The Loonie and The Twonie. I think that's an awesome system and would like to see it implemented here. You know who else I bet thinks it's awesome? Canadian waiters and panhandlers.

Canadian road signs are crazy. I'm not even going to give an example. Go see for yourself.

Peace!
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Greetings From British Columbia - Part II

2006-07-30T16:10:00.000-07:00

This afternoon I am huddled in my tent about 100 miles East of Vancouver, BC. I encountered rain today for the first time since I was in Michigan, and it looks to remain cool and wet for the rest of the day. My progress across Canada for the past week has continued to be slow, only I have been going over every hill and mountain that comes in my way rather than around. I have been travelling along Highway 3 almost my entire time here, and though the terrain has been rough at times, there has also been a Provincial Park about every 20 miles or so along the length of my route. British Columbia is a hospitable place to the weary traveller.

In Nelson, BC I met Bubbles The Clown who is a self-appointed greeter and booster of the area. She shared witg me some of the rich history of the town and the landscape. It is indeed a beautiful and friendly place if you ever get the chance to go there.

I have not yet received any feedback regarding the possible or actual causes of high food prices in Canada, but I have been carefully observing my surroundings and the people around me. There are definitely far fewer stores, and in particular, restaurants here. I assume that the high tax burden coupled with higher prices result in a somewhat lower standard of living here in Canada than we enjoy in The United States. This is strictly speaking economically. I would like to argue that the Canadian family that stops at a roadside park to eat a homemade picnic lunch and enjoy a swim in a nearby stream is enjoying a drastically higher standard of living than the American family that stops only long enough to get something from the drive-through which is tossed to the kids in the backseat who never remove their headphones or take their eyes from the overhead DVD. That's how I see it, at least.

I can't say what the future benrfits or penalties of thus trip may be, but I can already enjoy one positive effect. I am no longer afraid of spiders. Being almost constantly in their presence, and in frequent physical contact with them has completely desensitized me. Hardly a day has gone by that I have not encountered a new kind of spider. There has been one living in my tent for a month or so. I have even had a couple of them live on my bicycle for a week at a time. So, I've got that going for me.

Peace!
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MORE PICS!

2006-07-17T19:30:00.000-07:00

PHOTOS FROM ONION, VIA JAMIE!

2006-07-17T19:23:00.000-07:00

Greetings From Alberta!

2006-07-17T09:03:00.000-07:00

First, some last thoughts on Montana. In Montana, most every restaurant is also a casino. In Montana, they define casino as a place with some video poker and slot machines.

In Montana, I came across probably half a dozen 10 to 20 mile long, paved, bike paths, running alongside the highway, and connecting two small communities, or a small community to a larger one. I was happy to find them, but surprised to find them in Montana.

In Montana, those little white crosses that are planted along the roadside at the approximate location of highway fatalities are everywhere. I saw several of them per mile of highway all the way across the state. There are many, many more than I have seen in Texas or anywhere else in my travels. What makes this truly bizarre is that the state of Montana only has a population of 900,000. Either the people here are amazingly careless drivers or or extremely consciencious about erecting those little markers.

Second, some first thoughts on Alberta. Canada is like The Martian Chronicles. It looks like home, and often feels like home, but something's not right.
Example 1: I pull into my campsite this afternoon. Next to me is camped a family wuth three generations represented. Everything looks normal, then I hear and see among them a guy my age sitting and gently strumming a full-suzed harp.
Example 2: I am walking through the tiny resort town of Waterton this afternoon. I see three young men cross the street in front of me. They are wearing cowboy boots, tight Wrangler jeans, tucked in tee shirts, and baseball caps. I can see from behind that they have been in the sun as they get into their large pickup truck. As I get closer, I realize that they are speaking French.
That sums up my first four hours in Alberta.

I am travelling a bit lighter this week. I took a day off in Kalispell, MT last Wednesday to have my left rear molar extracted. I left home knowing I had a problem and thinking that it would be okay for six months. Oops! On the upside, it's nice not to live with constant pain, and occasional unbearable agony. Now that that obstacle is removed, no pun intended, and I have proved myself as a mountain climber, I feel pretty much unstoppable. I try to remain wary of hubris.

I've been doing some reading. The more Faulkner I read, the more I like him. The Prince, by Machiavelli, is only 100 pages long, and well worth a couple hours of your time. It is timely as well, seeing as how we live in a growing empire. Near the beginning of my trip, someone suggested to me that I read Steinbeck's Travels With Charlie. I didn't think it would be my cup of tea, but I bought it, and read it, and loved it. Seth, I'm sorry I doubted you. I am now just about through reading Lolita. It,s a book that's long been on my list simply because it's taboo. Only recently did I realize that the book is set in 1950's America and involves a road trip. I figured now would be the time to read it, and I must say that it is the funniest book about a pedophile that I have ever read.

Peace!
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Greetings From Montana!

2006-07-11T13:13:00.000-07:00

I am obliged to share the road with many types of vehicles. Cars are a mixed bag. RV's tend to err on the side of caution. Motorcyclists seem to come in two types. Those riders who are self-assured are glad to see me. They smile and wave. It feels good to get a thumbs up from a line of twenty bikers passing you as you're humping it up a five mile incline. Those riders who bought a motorcycle to try to prove something are a different story. They have a look of disdain as they pass staring straight ahead. They don't look quite so cool, or anything like tough with me in the scene. It can't help their attitude that whatever is on the back of the bike almost breaks its' neck trying to get abetter look at what they're trying to ignore. I have been surprised at the reactions of two other types of vehicles. Truckers are never happy to see me, even when I am way out of their way. I guess I wouldn't be happy to have someone cacationing in my office either. It still surprises me that farmers driving tractors down the road almost always have a friendly greeting for me. I suppose a farmer appreciates independence in wgatever form it takes. After over 4,000 miles, my route is starting to follow short bits of the Trans-America Route. That means I am finally seeing other cyclists on the road on a pretty regular basis. It feels good.

Before I left home, I was told by someone who has spent a fair amount of time here in Montana that it is beautiful country, but the people are kind of rough. I would say that is an accurate assessment of this place. I'm fitting in just fine, though, because I'm pretty rough myself about this time. I know I must be looking it. I have been fed by kind and generous neighbors at camp four out of the last six nights, something that has happened less until now than I thought it might. Maybe it's just the time of year, or maybe Montana has a heart of gold underneath its' rough exterior.

The terrain here is challenging as well as beautiful. I am now in the middle of The Rocky Mountains. Rather than the slow approach I made to the Bighorn and Teton ranges, I am now going past, around, and sometimes over several smaller mountain ranges each day. It's a lot for a lifelong flatlander such as myself to take in. I have crossed the continental divide twice more since last I wrote, once at 6,880 feet and yesterday at 6,130 feet. This zig-zagging makes for great scenery and big calves. I am now at the Big Larch campground of Lolo National Forest...Big Larch. I am going to stay here until Tuesday, when I will continue my approach to Glacier National Park.

There are buga here as well as rough terrain. Wednesday and Thursday I was plagued by moaquitos. Yesterday it was biting flies. There are no parasites attacking me now, that I know of, but it is early in the afternoon and there is no way of knowing what The Big Larch holds in store.

Perhaps this is common knowledge, but I have been surprised to learn that seagulls live everywhere there is any kind of body of water. I was always under the assumption that they were a coastal bird. When I saw them in Kentucky I thought, "My, you're a bit off track." When I saw them in Ohio, I was baffled at first. Then I thought, "Ah, they have been blown off of The Great Lakes." But, when I saw them in South Dakota and Wyoming I finally realized that they were home. Only I was a bit off course. Who'd a'thunk it?

Peace!
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Greetings From Idaho!

2006-07-04T19:38:00.000-07:00

I got back on the road yesterday. After 10 days of rest, it feels like I've never ridden a bucycle before, much less a 65 pound bicycle. I will only be in Idaho for two days this time as I head North to Montana. Idaho is the only state that am visiting more than once, and I plan on entering and leaving the state three times.

My Yellowstone layover marked the halfway point tumewise, and the end of leg two of my trip. Here are some more numbers for y'all:

Leg 2 - Niagara Falls to Jackson, WY

Days-52
Campgrounds-41
Motels-2
Showers-18.5(I bathed in two lakes without soap. I counted these as full showers. I bathed in one river without soap or submerging myself. I counted this as half a shower.)
Tunnels-3
Across Continental Divide-1

Cumulative Totals

Odometer-4608 miles
Peanut Butter Consumed-420 ounces
Longest Coast(No pedaling)-11.5 miles(Tensleep Canyon, WY)
Longest Daily Distance-133 miles(Selkirk PP, Ontario to Pinery PP, Ontario 5/3)
Longest Distance Before Noon-85 miles(From Gillette, WY 6/13)
Highest Elevation-9666 feet(Powder River Pass, WY)

While driving around the parks this past week, Jamie and I got to listen to quite a bit of Jackson, WY radio. That was alternately a treat and a trial. The highlights included a lost dog announcement during every commercial break for about four hours one afternoon and the broadcast of music by Morphine and String Cheese Incident. The low points included news, talk and commercials for maybe 40 minutes of every hour on every station and a classic rock station that played Creed, Cheryl Crow, and Men Without Hats.

Happy Fourth of July!
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Greetings From Wyoming - Part III

2006-06-26T21:38:00.000-07:00

I am now beginning my third week in the state of Wyoming. Jamie and I are enjoying day three of a 10 day respite in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks.

To sum up the previous week as briefly as possible:
I learned Jackson, WY is home to many cool people.
I've been within 15 feet of a marmot, buffalo, muledeer, and bull moose in the last seven days.
Grand Teton takes the cake for natural beauty.
Yellowstone has so many features that you would have to spend a month of intense touristing to say you'd seen a lot of them.
Snow-fed rivers are amazingly clear and very cold.

Please excuse me. I must return to my vacation from my vacation. More next week.

Peace!
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Greetings From Wyoming - Part II

2006-06-18T16:28:00.000-07:00

Since last we spoke, I have traversed most of the state of Wyoming from Easy to West. After much ado, I avoided any interstate travel. On Monday I avoided it by chance. On Tuesday I avoided it by caution, turning an 85 mile ride into a 115 mile ride, the last 14 miles of which consisted of a 3,300 foot climb. That was rough.

There is lots of highway construction in Wyoming this time of year. On Tuesday, I was loaded, along with my bike, onto a fllatbed trailer to cros a cycle-impassable stretch of torn-up highway. As I waited on the trailer for the one way traffic to pass, the flagman complained loudly to no one in particular that Hilary Clinton was going to be in The White House come 2009 and then the bastards would get what they deserved. I think thia outburst might have been for my benefit, but as I wasn't sure, I neglected to interject that Hilary is as much of a warmonger and corporate whore as the rest, so it probably wouldn't be much od a change. For the record, the best Democratic ticket I can think of would be headed by a Zombie Paul Wellstone. Wgen 2008 rolls around, please remember that the lesser of two evils is not a choice at all. You deserve better.

On the lighter side, road construction crews in Wyoming are heavily populated with teenage girls and young women, which is bizarre...and pleasant. I have not yet determined if this phenomenon us the result of a shortage of jobs or a shortage of labor.

In Wyoming, cattle gaurds are everywhere. It is a dry place, and much of the country is desert-like. They do know a thing or two about irrigation here, though. In the midst of the desert, there is farmland stretching out for half a mile in all directions from any lake, stream, river, creek, or body of water of any kind. They don't talk like I thought they might in Wyoming. Everyone looks like a cowboy and talks like a Midwesterner.

The terrain here continues to baffle my perspective, but in another dimension. On a daily basis, I can stand at a point in space, turn 360 degrees, and swear that I am about to go down a hill. But when I get on my bike and start pedalling, my legs and my altimeter tell me that I am going up one. It's weird, I tell you!

On Thursday, I reached an altitude of nearly 10,000 feet, played in the snow a while, and gave myself a high five. I hope no one saw that last part. For better or for worse, I was able to process both thin and smoke-filled air without issue.

I see lots of retired couples on the road and in camp. Often, I see one getting out to sightsee and take pictures while the other sits in the vehicle frowning. In the evenings, one will be out enjoying the sunset, while the other will never emerge from the RV. I have been surprised to see a fair amount of older gay couples on the road, both men and women. They are almost always walking together, laughing, and having a good time. It seems that they are more of one mind in their old age, which makes a lot of sense if you think about it.

Some of you may hace noticed that I have not been reporting road conditions for the last several states. At this point in my journey, most roads I ride on are closer to the median than to either end of the spectrum. When I turn onto a narrow, potholed, two lane road with no shoulder I think, "I've seen worse." when I encounter a brand new stretch of blacktop with a 10 foot, debris-free shoulder I think, "I've seen this with shade trees." Some days are smooth and some days are bumpy. I don't give it much thought anymore. I just keep putting one foot in front of the other.

Today, in one of the most scenic rides of my trip, I followed Wind River 88 miles and 2,000 feet up to Dubois, WY, yet another home of The Jackalope. I got a quart of the coldest milk I ever drank in my life in Crowheart.

Peace!
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless handheld.

Greetinhs From Wyoming!

2006-06-12T12:42:00.000-07:00

I'm through with bucycle shorts! Before embarking on this trip, I had never put on a pair. As far as I knew, bike shorts were worn to ease discomfort on a bicycle. I've never really been uncomfortable on a bicycle, and if I was, I adjusted my seat. But, I figured that if I was going to spend day after day riding a bike, that I would get a pair. Every other cyclist I know wears them, how could I do without? I have been experiencing a great deal of pain for some time now. First, I thought it was my seat, then the sheer number of hours spent riding, then the warm weather. But no, it was the bike shorts. I discarded them about a week ago abd my wounds are healing up nicely, even riding every day. Call me weird, but I don't want anything but a thin pair of nylon shorts between me and my bike seat.

So, Summer has begun and I no longer have the parks, forests, and campgrounds of this great nation all to myself. The kids are out of schooll, and gas prices be damned, the road-trippers are out in force. Last week, I passed through The Black Hills, which were very crowded. The good news is I experienced no shortness of breath clumbing to an altitude of 6,500 feet. The bad news is that at same altitude I still lit a cigarette as soon as I got off of my bike. This week, I hooe to cross The Bighorn Mountains via Powder River Pass. I will report back on my respiratory function at 9,666 feet.

In Rapid City, SD, population 60,000, I walked into City Hall and asked if they had a bookstore in their fair hamlet. I was directed to the local library, where a kindly librarian got out the phonebook and gave me the address of a local used bookseller. I arrived to find what I deemed a wonderful selection of reading material. I stepped up to the counter and ordered 2 lbs of James Joyce, 1 lb of The Audobon Society, and 1/2 lb of William Faulkner. That's a tall order, I know, for someone who is about to start climbing mountains, but I didn't want to get caught with my pants down again. And, by the looks of it so far, books may be hard to come by in Wyoming also.

Wyoming has been beautiful so far. I saw Devil's Tower today, which was much cooler than I expected. I met a family from Minnesota there, and they lived up to their reputation, spreading friendliness, even 500 miles beyond their borders. This afternoon, I saw 20 antelope and another 20 deer on the way to Keyhole State Park.

For the next two days, I will be travelling on the interstate. It is the only time that I should gave to do this, and though it is illegal for bicycles to travel on these roads, there is no other practical way. There just aren't that many roads in Wyoming. Buy, interstates are generally smooth, straight, and flat so my pace should be quick, and hopefully I will avoid any confrontations with "The Man". If I should meet this "Man", I gues I'll just ask him or her for a ride, because as Richard Gere said, "I've got no place else to go!!"

Peace!
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless handheld.

Greetings From South Dakota!

2006-06-05T05:52:00.000-07:00

It is windy here, and hot, but South Dakota is a great place. As I rolled across the prarie into South Dakota, I was greeted with a much greener, wetter environment than I anticipated. There are extensive wetlands in the Eastern part of the state and I have encountered more wildlife here than any other place I have visited, and more birds than I have seen in my life. There are partridge and pheasant everywhere and I saw a whole flock of white pelicans yesterday, even as I traveled through a very arid part of the state.

Travel here is a constant challenge to perspective. You can see forever. A town will seem just ahead. You can pick out every building and swear it's right down the road, and then ride ten miles before you reach it. Other times, things seem far awqy and then you're upon them. The locals are accustomed to the space. A waitress told me she visited North Carolina and it drove her crazy. "Nothing but mountains and trees!", she said.

People are still very friendly. Wednesday, a farmer pulled over by a culvert just ahead of me and flagged me down waving a bottle of water and a Diet Pepsi. I stopped to take drink with him and the first thing he told me was that he was out spreading feed corn in his corn fields so the pheasants wouldn't eat his corn, so he could sell his corn to the pheasant hunters. I believe the absurdity of this had been eating at him for some time. He told me the names of a bunch of birds I described to him and offered me a drink for the road. He also informed me that Pierre is pronounced pier. He said that if I said Pi-erre0folk would know I'm not from around here. I have blended seamlessly ever since.

On Thursday I entered The West. There was no sign posted, and I noticed no physical boundary, but I walked into a restaurant in Highmore, SD and there were saddles hanging from the rafters and brands on the wood panelled walls. During the rest of the day, I passed, or was passed by probably twenty folks wearing cowboy hats. It was the first time I had seen a cowboy hat since the rodeo. Then, to remove all doubt, I was riding down the road yesterday and a tumbleweed rolled across the highway right in front of me. It was my first time to see a tumbleweed, and it made me laugh out loud. Why in the hell should a stick need to go anywhere?

Thursday and Friday night I tented in Pierre, capitol of South Dakota. The population of Pierre is around 15,000, which must make it one of the smallest state capitols. In Pierre, I was happy to find that they have probablt 100 miles of bike trails and everyone rides. I was disappointed to find that they have no bookstore. It is true, I have not been able to locate a bookstore in any city or town since Duluth. I went to the Pierre Chamber of Commerce to inquire about this apparent deficiency. I was told that the sole Pierre bookstore went out of business, but another is opening soon. The girl there also told me that they are not ignorant in South Dakota, and they do read books. I told her that made me feel a lot better about South Dakota. I'm not sure I believe her, though. So, feeling desperate, I went to Walmart.

Walmart had a good selection of self-help books and numerous romance novels, as well as titles by Anne Rice, Michael Crichton, that guy who writes books about lawyers that they keep making movies out of, and the eponymous Stephen King. They also had quite a few jingoistic, xenophobic spy thrillers. On the bottomm shelf, with the clearance items, I found Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams. I figured, I enjoyed his Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series when I was 13. Beggars can't be choosers.

I am spending tonight and tomorrow night in Badlands National Park, which is the most visually stunning thing I have seen. Tuesday I am off to Rapid City in search of adventure and the written word.

Word!
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless handheld.

Greetings From Minnesota-Part II

2006-05-29T05:05:00.000-07:00

We have a new leader! When I passed through Ohio, I thought that I had found the friendliest place on earth. But after the past week, I believe Minnesota is even friendlier. I do not wish to find a place where people are more friendly still, because that would be too friendly, and kind of creepy. In Minnesota, all you have to do is stand on the curb, looking as if you want to cross the street, and before long traffic will stop and wait for you to pass. I found it difficult to get back on the road after pit stops in several towns, because every single passer-by wanted to hear my story, shake my hand, and wish me well. On the highways, not even the cops speed.

I had a great time with Jamie in Duluth last weekend. We stayed on Lake Superior, visited some cool parks with awesome waterfalls, saw the Frank Lloyd Wright gas station, and visited the Lake Superior Zoo, where I was attacked by a Canadian Goose. We did not capture any images of the incident, but I refrained from screaming as I fled in terror and I'm happy with that.

On Monday, I was back on the road. Most of the parks I visited this week are geared toward fishing and boating, and since I am travelling without a boat or fishing rod they haven't had a lot to offer. But, the wildflowers are in bloom here and I saw lots of geese and ducks with their progeny, as well as a blue heron and a couple of loons. I also got to experience the phenomenon that is mayflies. Imagine millions of flying insects covering every surface everywhere you look for as far as you can see, swarms of them flying everywhere you look, and hundreds of them landing on you at a time only to fly away when they realize that you are not a mayfly. It was a truly unique experience.

On Wednesday, I passed through Little Falls, crossing the Mississippi River for the second time. It is a large river even 100 miles from its' headwaters. Thursday, I found myself 10 miles from Sauk Centre, birthplace of Sinclair Lewis, probably my favorite American author. If you haven't read Sinclair Lewis, you should. Elmer Gantry is my personal favorite, but all of his books are great. It Can't Happen Here is especially relevant right now, if you are looking for something timely. On Friday, I took a day off from travel and made the trip into Sauk Centre to get a good breakfast and find a book to read, having just finished Something Happened by Joaeph Heller. I was disappointed to find there is no bookstore in Sauk Centre. A lady I asked on the street said, "I guess we're kind of poor that way." I guess she's right.

Last night I met a really great couple in camp who shared their vegetarian shish-kebobs with me and provided great company. Today I battled a 25 mph headwind and 90 degree temperatures to reach Lacqui Parle State Park. Tomorrow, South Dakota.

In Minnesota, they call camping tenting. If you order a hamburger, it is served with a side of cole slaw and your topping options are fried onions, raw onions, or no onions. There are supposed to be 10,000 lakes here, but I have only counted 41 so far. My survey of the state is admittedly incomplete.

Happy Memorial Day!
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless handheld.

Greetings From Minnesota!

2006-05-19T17:34:00.000-07:00

Good evening. I write to you tonight from beautiful Duluth, MN. At the moment, I am sitting in a whirlpool bath and looking across Lake Superior to the state of Wisconsin. If you find that an unusual place for me to be, then you might have already guessed that I am also waiting for Jamie to arrive from Houston. We had such a great time in Niagara Falls that she is making an unscheduled visit this weekend to The Northshore to join me while I take in my didth Great Lake in three weeks.

Now some of you might be thinking to yourselves, or out loud, "Don't try to change the subject! What are you doing in a whirlpool bath, you pansy?" Well, all I can say is that it feels good. I even took a shower in preperation for my bath. It was my first shower, excluding rain showers (Which, when cycling, leave you dirtier than you began), since May 9. After I get out of the bath, I am going to take another shower. Please understand that it is not disinterest in hygiene that has kept me dirty, though I must confess to that at times, but only a lack of opportunity.

In the past few days I have reached a milestone I have been considering for some time. I call it The Critical Mass of Filth or Fahrenfilth 451. When I began my trip, I had clean clothes in which to ride, clean clothes to wear in camp, and a clean sleeping bag in which to sleep. My riding clothes got dirty immediately, but each day I could look forward to getting to camp, taking a shower, and putting on my clean camp clothes. But then, there were no showers in some places. Other days I got dirty in camp, building a fire or whatnot. So my camp clothes, too, got dirtier, but at least they took some of the dirt off of me and I was able to climb into a nice, clean sleeping bag every night. Well, that lasted for a while, until no matter my state of uncleanliness, I was always cleaner than any of my clothes. Predictably, my sleeping bag was the next victim and the point of no return was achieved. I now get dirty merely by wearing clothes or sleeping.

So, I would like to say I'm sorry to the folks at Twin Ports Cyclery in Duluth, who had to put up with my unwashed self today. I would also like to say thank you to all of them. After 3,000 miles, I rolled into their store this morning with a rear rim on its' very last legs and they replaced it, lacing it to my hub, while I waited. They provided great service and great company. Thanks y'all!

I was only in Wisconsin for four days. The highways I travelled were deserted, almost creepily so. Their county highways are lettered, not numbered. It had snowed there two days before I arrived. They like the Packers a lot. It was pretty good.

After nearly 3,000 miles, I got my first flat on Monday. I got my second flat on Wednesday. I am expecting another one soon, because we all know that 3 is the magic number. I am sorry that this item was conspicuously missing from my first leg statistics. I am equally sorry that I have completely ignored any and all emails inquiring as to how many flats I have gotten. Please understand that I have been trying desperately to avoid The Jinx.

Peace!
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless handheld.

Greetings from Michigan - Part II

2006-05-17T07:44:00.000-07:00

Hello all! It has been a week since last I wrote, but I am still in the state of Michigan. I am wrapping up day 11 here, and though there have been ups and downs, I must say I am quite fond of the place.My first obstacle in Michigan was entry. When I reached the bridge connecting Sarnia, ON and Port Huron, MI I was sad to learn that no bikes or pedestrians are allowed on the bridge. I went to a substation of Ontario's version of state troopers, or The O.P.P., looking for suggestions on how to gain passage home. I was answered with laughter and the suggestion that I call a cab. So I did. After tipping my grateful driver with all of my remaining Canadian money, I made the short jaunt to Lakeport State Park where I walked on a sandy beach and looked out over Lake Huron. That was day 1.
Day 2. Sunny skies. High of 75. 20 mph tailwind. Awesome!
Day 3. Sunny skies. High of 75. 20 mph tailwind. Camped on Saginaw Bay(for you Merle Haggard fans). Bllackberry loses signal.
Day 4. Sunny skies. High of 75. 20 mph tailwind.
Day 5. Sunny skies. High of 75. 20 mph tailwind.
Day 6. Sunny skies. High of 65. 20 mph tailwind. Cross world's longest suspension bridge to reach Michigan's upper penninsula, or The U.P. To those in the know. There are no bikes or pedestrians allowed on this bridge either, but there is a call box where you can speak to an operator who will send a Bridge Authority employee to come pick you up and drive you across. No foolin'! Skies darken and the wind shifts as I set up camp overlooking the bridge, Lake Huron, and Lake Michigan.
Day 7. Dense fog until 1:30. Visibility 50 to 100 feet. Rain after 1:30. High of 50.
Day 8. Wait until 11:00 to break camp because of rain. Rain stops only long enough for me to get on the road. 15 mph headwind, gusting to 25. High of 50.
Day 9. Day off from travel spent in my tent, in the rain, in beautiful Hiawatha National Forest. High of 50.
Day 10. Rain all day. High of 60. Camp in Copper Country State Forest. Learn from some birders that the area has just received some sort of record May rainfall and the little biting bugs that plague me every time there is any sort of break in the rain are Midges.
Day 11(Today). Dense fog until noon, then rain, with sun showing for the first time in 5 days just a few minutes ago. High of 60. Still no Blackberry signal.So that's Michigan so far. The roads are great, the people are friendly, the forests are gorgeous, and the lakes are crystal clear. If it wasn't for the foul stretch of weather, I'd have no complaints. Oh yeah, the midges.
Moving on. I have not been taking pictures of every funny sign I see, but my most recent favorite is "Birdbath & Beyond" which eclipses a bicycle shop in NY called "Mud, Sweat & Gears". Also, I neglected to mention in either of my last two updates that pepper spray is a prohibited weapon in Canada, and mine was confiscated upon entry to Niagara Falls. Now my wits are my only defense against dogs, bears, or any other would-be attackers, and I've only a half-ration of those.Peace!Sent from my BlackBerry wireless handheld

Greetings from Michigan!

2006-05-17T07:42:00.000-07:00

I have returned to The Fatherland...err, Homeland after a brief sabbatical in Ontario. My weekend with Jamie was wonderful; sleeping in a bed is awesome. Niagara Falls is crazy. Apparently, people come from all over the world to see the falls. This takes about ten minutes. So, the entire city is filled with all sorts of pseudo-attractions where bitter breadwinners and their families can spend the rest of their time and money before going home. Jamie and I had a great time, but I am sure lots of folks leave feeling cheated.Tuesday morning I was back on the road. The path from Niagara Falls to Michigan is flat and mostly farmland. The farms run right up to the edges of Lakes Erie and Huron, which was weird to me, having grown up on a coastal plain. I have never been through Americas Breadbasket, but these farms are huge. They are lije nothing I've seen in Texas or on the path of my trip so far. From what I could tell, the main crops in the areas I passed are corn and tobacco.The roads I was on in Ontario were all terrible, but riding a bicycle on them was only hazardous because of the potholes. Every driver that passed me, be they trucker, commuter, teenager, or old woman acted like it was perfectly normal to see a cyclist on the highway. If they had room, they would swing wide. If there was oncoming traffic, they would just pass you. It was as if they actually had a sense of how much room their vehicles took up in the lane!From what I can tell, they don't sell whole milk in Ontario. I didn't question any Canadians about this, hoping to avoid any sort of international incident. I'm not sure it's something I can discuss in a calm and rational manner.On my last night in Canada, I encountered the most tenacious racoon. It would take far too many words to describe the encounter accurately, but let me just say that I had to physically restrain him in order to keep him from taking my dinner while I was eating it, and then he kept me up all night trying to get into my bags, which contained no food. I believe he did this out of spite.On the reading list this week is "All the King's Men" by Robert Penn Warren. It's another that's been on my list for years and I am enjoying it immensely. Michigan is really great so far. I will sing its' praises next week.Peace!Sent from my BlackBerry wireless handheld.

Jamie: ONION IS OFF THE GRID AND LOVING IT

2006-05-12T08:23:00.000-07:00

The latest from Onion via Ms. Farr:

I spoke with Onion today, again, from a payphone. He is still ahead of schedule and will be in Little Lake tonight. Of course he had already thought of and tried to scan any available networks but to no avail. He is out in the middle of no where but he said it is beautiful. He has typed up an update email or two but due to no coverage, they have not yet gone out.

Bike Thief Hits Long Distance Biker

2006-05-11T16:01:00.000-07:00

No, not Onion . . . SuperOnion, across the pond in England!

May 11, 2006
Theft Delays Worldwide Cyclist After 44 Years and 335,000 Miles
By ALAN COWELL
LONDON, May 10 — He had been shot at in Zambia, stung by bees in Gambia. There had been volcanoes, arrests and accidents. But when the round-the-world cyclist Heinz Stücke reached Britain, he suffered the cruelest cut of all: his bike was stolen.
It is moot whether the theft made the headlines because of the appeal of his story or as yet one more bit of evidence that — even as politicians debate a wave of serious crime in Britain — a lesser tide of pilfering washes the nation's shores.
Mr. Stücke has been pedaling, on and off — but always on the same bicycle — since 1962, when he left Hövelhof, in western Germany, at 22 rather than contemplate a lifetime as a tool-and-die maker.
Since then he has pedaled an estimated 335,000 miles across 211 countries and territories. In long-range cycling circles he is something of a celebrity, a kind of two-wheeled Forrest Gump who never decided he had said all he had to say about cycling.
From 1995 through 1999 the Guinness Book of Records listed him as the world's most traveled man. Friends and supporters had donated cash to keep him going. Even Haile Selassie, the longtime emperor of Ethiopia who died in 1975 — "whom I had the honor to meet" — was listed as a donor of $500.
In recent years, though, Mr. Stücke has been obliged to look for ever more remote places to visit as he has filled his wish list. So he decided to head from Le Havre, France, to Greenland, via Britain.
On Monday he landed in Portsmouth, England, pitched his tent and tethered his ancient bike with string, canvas and bungee cords outside. "I even left my door open so that I could see it, but when I awoke at 3 a.m., it had gone," The Times of London quoted him as saying.
In these days of multispeed, titanium-framed, shock-absorbing mountain bikes, his had a modest three speeds and a hub brake. It weighed 56 pounds because its frame had been reinforced against fractures, and its spokes had been thickened for the rugged terrain, said a Web posting by Mr. Stücke (http://bikechina.com/ct-heinzstucke1z.html).
It had an extra set of handlebars so he could modify his riding position to ease shoulder pain. It had crossed the Syrian desert to set a personal record of around 200 miles in 12 hours "with the help of strong tailwinds." It had been to high altitudes in India and Tibet, across Afghanistan (in 1978) and above the snow line in Lesotho, a mountainous nation in southern Africa. "All that matters to me is traveling on my bike," Mr. Stücke, 66, told the BBC. "That bike has sentimental value. In the past I have cycled up to 100 kilometers a day on it," or 62 miles.
He did not lose hope that his trusty two-wheeler would be returned, and it was. An unidentified person found it abandoned in a park, and the police returned it Wednesday.
"Hallelujah, praise the Lord — I have got my beautiful bike back," Mr. Stücke said. "Now I can rejoice and my journey can continue."
"I will be locking it up for at least the next few years," he added. It was not the first crime he had experienced. An unidentified trickster offered him a lift near New York as he struggled to return to Costa Rica, where he had left his bicycle in safekeeping, he wrote in a Web posting.
"After some time," Mr. Stücke wrote, "he stopped in front of a drugstore in a shopping center, gave me 30 cents and said, 'Would you be so kind as to jump out and get me two cigars, Dutch Master blond?' I said, 'Sure.' By the time I came out, he had driven away with all my belongings," he wrote.
"At such a time I remembered my motto: Every blow that does not kill me only makes me stronger."

The press takes note...

2006-05-07T13:37:00.000-07:00

Click on the picture to read the article

From: Jeremy Radcliffe
Sent: Thursday, May 04, 2006 1:15 PM
To: dannythefish@gmail.com
Subject: Re: Greetings From The Great White North!

OK Jamie was kind enough to send me a copy of the article she received in the mail from the Cadiz, Ohio newspaper that interviewed Onion, and I scanned it and attached it to this message so everybody could enjoy our national media sensation and his affect on the communities through which he rolls . . . what a great quote to close the article - I won't spoil it for you, got to read it yourselves.

update: I just failed Onion in his first request for assistance because i was out of the office and unable to help him locate a taxi to drive him across the bridge from Ontario to Michigan (no walking or biking allowed) - the good news is that he found one himself (or got someone else to help) and he is probably back in the U.S. of A. right . . . . NOW
JR

Greetings from the Great White North 4/28/06

2006-05-07T13:32:00.000-07:00

I write to you this evening from Niagara Falls, ON, CA. I am looking out a window at The Niagara River Gorge, about a mile downstream from Horseshoe Falls. Of all the exotic locales I have on my agenda to visit, this is perhaps the one that will be most foreign to me. Jamie is coming to visit me this weekend, and I am here, awaiting her arrival, at a bed & breakfast. Now I have heard of bed & breakfasts, and I have seen them, and I have certainly poked fun at those I have known to stay at them, but I can not say that I have ever darkened the door of one. I can say one thing, and laugh if you will. I am damned glad to be here!

My arrival here in Canada marks the completion of the first leg of my journey. I know in this digital age that some of you find more meaning in numbers than you do in words, so here are some stats for all of you bankers, accountants, IT guys, and financiers out there:

Days on the road: 34
Odometer: 1737 miles
States visited: 7
Campgrounds visited: 29
Motels visited: 2
Highest elevation: 2375' (Tracy Ridge, PA)
Top speed: 42 mph (Cave Run Lake, KY)
Peanut butter consumed(by weight): 196 ounces
Avg. Plates per restaurant visit: 3
Showers: 15
Tunnels: 1 (900')
Different kinds of spiders encountered: 40 (approx.)
Lowest temp: 25 degrees (Allegany State Park, NY 4/25)
Most exotic roadkill: Badger(Large)(Warren Co., PA)
Most frequent roadkill: Possum (Maybe 1000, and good riddance!)

All day long, I have been trying to figure out if I have just spent the longest 34 days of my life or the shortest. I still can't say. Each day I wake up with a goal. I look at a little piece of a map and go my 50, 75, or sometimes 100 miles. It's been challenging at times, but never overwhelming. But, when I see a map of the United States, and see how far I've come, I'm amazed. I'm not filled with a sense of achievement so much as a sense of awe. It's like taking a jar of change to the bank. How could it add up to so much? One thing I do know. In the last five weeks, I have spent less time thinking about yesterday or tomorrow than at any time since I grasped the concept of mortality. Preliminary findings indicate a positive result. Enough of that, though. This is supposed to be amusing, not a musing.

Allegheny National Forest is vast and gorgeous. While I was there the weather varied between really wet & colld or really cold & wet, but it's that time of year. I hear they are expecting a lot of flowers in May. Entering PA was like crossing an aural Mason-Dixon Line. The rural restaurants and stores no longer play country music, but classic rock or oldies. Advantage...North. Everyone I meet continues to be very friendly, regardless of their regional affiliation. There was one guy in Buffalo, NY who drove by and yelled what might have been "Sidewalk!". However, I think it's possible that he yelled "Good Luck!", so I still have zero confirmed encounters with jerks. Along the same stretch of road, I was accosted by a carload of curious teenagers who were very excited to hear that getting drunk was indeed one of my options upon reaching Canada. I was not so cruel as to inform them that the chances of my exercising this option were close to nil, they being so thrilled at the possibility of my inebriation. If you are in Buffalo, go eat at John & Mary's A-Bomb Subs.

Correction: One of my new friends in Ohio writes to tell me that Ohioans(?) are Yankees and that ingenuity is a characteristic trait of his people.

From Canada,
Take Off, Eh?! You Hosers!

Sent from my BlackBerry wireless handheld.

Greetings from Pennsylvania 4/23/06

2006-05-07T13:31:00.000-07:00

It rained on me at some point during 5 of the 6 days I was in Ohio, so my memory of the place is somewhat clouded. The parks that I visited were large, clean, and well laid out, but were nothing to write home about. I do hear that they have some pretty cool caves in other parts of the state. The roads, while by design can easily accomodate both cyclists and automobiles, were in a poor state of repair which made their wide shoulders at many times unusable. Without a doubt, the standout feature of Ohio was its' people. Not a day passed there that someone didn't go out of their way to do something nice for me. Fellow Texans, the bar has been raised. We must put our nose to the grindstone if we are to remain "The Friendly State". I am now in the state of Pennsylvania. I am told that this is one of the places that Yankees come from. But, this is home of The Quakers, who are not only a Christian sect, but work toward justice and equality and practice pacifism, as taught by Jesus. This is also the birthplace of my father and James Sivco. To top it all off, they know on which side the "In" door goes. So all things considered, PA is ok with me.

I carry water with me everywhere I go, so I am constantly in search of potable water. If you should find yourself in the same situation, I suggest that you carry containers that are opaque and dark in color. I have found that if the water is funky enough that it is undrinkable, you will be able to regognize it in any container. Otherwise it's best not to see just how potability is defined wherever you may be.

Tonight I am spending my third of dour nights in Alleghany National Forest. It is wild, wet, and beautiful.

Peace!

Sent from my BlackBerry wireless handheld.

Greetings from Ohio 4/16/06

2006-05-07T13:27:00.000-07:00

On Kentucky: The roads there are unsuitable for cycling, but the people are friendly and the parts that aren't jam-packed with mobile homes are beautiful.
I have now left The South and find myself in what I believe to be considered The Midwest. I can't tell for certain. I have bot yet seen anyone in midwesternwear. I continue to earn the respect of both the staff and patrona of eateries along my route as I order much more food than one skinny white boy can eat and then clean my plates, one by one. For those of you familiar with my milk habit, most mornings I pick up a quart of chocolate milk 30 minutes to an hour into my ride and slam it in the parking lot...another crowd pleaser.

I started my journey without a book. I don't know what I was thinking. But before leaving KY, I stopped at the Morehead State U bookstore and picked up a couple. I have always meant to read Walden by Thoreau, but never have. I am in the midst of it now and I must say this is the perfect place and time for it. If any of you would like to get in my head right now, pick up a copy. If you have read it, read it again. It will be more relevant to you now that you are older.
After a short period of normalcy in KY, the "In" doors are once again on the left. Peace!

Sent from my BlackBerry wireless handheld.

Greetings from Kentucky 4/9/06

2006-05-07T13:25:00.000-07:00

Before I begin, two things about TN:
1. You can smoke anywhere(Yes, even the grocery store) 2. The "In" door is on the left I found myself leavin' Tennessee just before the deadly storms there, but was greeted by the cold Kentucky rain as I crossed the border. In my first 3 days here I have learned that my rain clothes keep me warm & dry, my tent is deluge-proof, and it is not afraid to freeze here in early April. All good to know. So far, KY has been endless rural blight, punctuated by great natural beauty. Tonight, I am in the Coomer Ridge Campground of Daniel Boone Natinal Forest, near Red River Gorge. I am looking forward to my first day off tomorrow. I plan on spending it eating and hiking to see what this gorge is all about. Peace!
Sent from my BlackBerry wireless handheld.

Posting from the road 4/2/06

2006-05-07T13:23:00.000-07:00

Whew! What a week. I've covered about 500 miles since Sunday...and boy are my legs tired. The people have been great and the weathee almost peefect. The country is getting prettier & prettier. Tonight I find myself in Henry Horton State Park near Chapel Hill, TN, watching a wild turkey wander down the bank of Duck River. Look out! Today 33 stumbled upon Mule Day in Columbia, TN. It's a celebration of mules and all things mule. If you're ever in central TN the first weekend of April, check it out. Too absurd to do it justice here, but thousands were on hand and I have the pictures to prove it. Peace! - Onion Sent from my BlackBerry wireless handheld.

The Master Plan

2006-05-07T13:00:00.001-07:00

From: Kris Looney
Sent: Wednesday, March 01, 2006 3:59 PM
To: dannythefish@gmail.com
Subject: RE: Bon Voyage, Le Onion!

Hey man, I won’t be able to make it in for the party, but tell me about the trip!

When exactly do you leave? Will there be any way to contact you while you are out there? Where are you going?

What about your dog and other affairs here? How long will you be gone?

Man, this is exciting shit.

I hope all is going well--- let me know all of the above if/when you get a chance!

Thanks, buddy,
Kris

From: Onion [mailto:dannythefish@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, March 02, 2006 9:31 PM
To: Kris Looney
Subject: RE: Bon Voyage, Le Onion!

Well... I am leaving on Sunday, March 26 from Kisatchie National Forest in Louisiana. After mapping seven thousand or so miles of biking, the ride out Hwy 90 leaving Texas was still the most treacherous part of my trip. I am going to go camping with my girlfriend an a few others for the weekend and then get up and leave Sunday morning. I am taking a Blackberry with me so I will be able to receive email and I will forward that phone number before I leave. Hopefully my lines of communication won't be cut by the pending litigation.

Basically, my route will take me from my starting point, just North of Alexandria, LA to Natchez MS, from where I will follow the Natchez-Trace Parkway to just short of its' terminus in Nashville, TN. From there, I will travel Northeast through Tennessee, Kentucky, Eastern Ohio, Northwestern Pennsylvania, and up through Western New York to Niagara Falls. At Niagara Falls, I will spend a relaxing weekend with my girlfriend and enjoy the luxuries of hot water, deodorant, and her company. My target date for this location is the last weekend of April...still pretty cold. From there, I am crossing into Canada for several days and into Michigan. I will travel into northern Michigan and then West into Minnesota. From Minnesota, I am going to go towards the Southwest into South Dakota where I will cross Badlands National Park and then on to the Black Hills to see Mount Rushmore and the work in progress that is the Crazy Horse Monument. I continue to travel West through Wyoming and into the Rockies. In Western Montana, I am going to spend ten days between Grand Tetons National Park and Yellowstone. From Yellowstone, I am going to head North, into Montana and through Glacier National Park into Canada. Once again in Canada, I am going to travel west through Alberta and British Columbia until I reach Vancouver for another weekend with my girlfriend. From Vancouver, I am going to head down into Washington and then after a couple of days cutting through the corner of Oregon, I will head into Idaho. I am going to zigzag through Idaho, stopping to visit Atomic City and the nuclear reactor and USAF test range there and then into Utah where I will see Salt Lake City, Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, and finally the motel and Greyhound bus stop in St. George Utah. It's a two day bus ride home from there. I was planning on coming to Houston, but the last couple of days, I have been considering a possible stop in Austin and then a victory lap by bike into H-Town. I have 147 stops mapped out and weather will allow around six months to complete the trek. I plan on being back around the end of September.

I moved out of Radcliffe's house last weekend. I have been staying there since I sold my house. Most of my belongings are in storage, Rico and all of my clothing are at my Dad's and I am staying with my girlfriend. My last day of work is tomorrow. I have attached a spreadsheet with my itinerary for your viewing pleasure and distribution as you see fit. Take a look at it and let me know if you would like to come meet me somewhere. I am going to be seeing some beautiful stuff and I would love to see you when I am on the road.

Word!

-Onion

Bon Voyage, Le Onion!

2006-05-07T12:58:00.000-07:00

Answer: It will span eight calendar months, two countries, eighteen states, three provinces and more national parks than you thought existed, all on two wheels powered by one man.

Question: What is Onion's Great Bike Trip of Aught-Six?

Please join Jamie and Megan and Jeremy to show Onion one last time how we roll before he . . . shows us how he rolls.

Saturday, March 18, 8 pm or later, 1116 Barkdull St

Hosts will supply libations and shelter, you're on your own for everything else including food . . . no need to RSVP and feel free to bring other Friends of Onion who have been overlooked or whose email addresses are unknown to sender

--

"Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." Benjamin Franklin, 1759.