Day 73: Berryville, VA to FINISH LINE: Washington, DC

Today's Mileage: 69

FINAL TOTAL MILEAGE: 3737

The last day of my Big Bike Ride had arrived. I had mixed feelings as we left Berryville. I was excited to get to DC, but not looking forward to facing the "real world" again: job, rent, bills, ugh. Mostly, though, I was excited to finish the bike trip.

We rode in on the Washington & Old Dominion bike path from Purcellville, which was a nice change of pace from the highways we had been traveling. Laura had put up welcome signs along the way!


We crossed Key Bridge into Washington, DC and headed for the Thomspon Boat House on the Potomac River. But first -- the finish line!


I was really happy to see all kinds of friends and family had turned out to welcome me home.


Laura and baby Lionel were wearing special T-shirts for the event, including a map of my route and a list of cities I had toured through on the back!


I dipped my front tire in the Potomac, making my arrival by bike in DC official.


Ana Marisa carried our gear back to her house so the bikes were light for the final climb up Wisconsin Avenue to her house. It was a good thing I had all those balloons, because I didn't have a bike light!

The bike ride across the country was an amazing couple of months. I accomplished something big, and along the way pushed myself past my comfort zone more than a few times.

I was able to let go of a lot of frustration at the world and focus on the important things, like what kind of ice cream do I want right now? Being forced to live in a very physical realm, where my only real concerns were about shelter, food, body and bike performance allowed me unwind from the stress of my job and forget the sillier things that preoccupied me.

I got to see our beautiful country up-close at a slow speed. I already knew it was beautiful, but I feel that I know these places more intimately now: their roads, their roadkill, their hills.

Meeting great people along the way was one of the best things about the trip. Because we traveled mostly through small towns, we were always somewhat of a spectacle and people loved to stop and ask us questions. It will be strange being a "nobody" again after two months of virtual celebrity. The people we met were friendly and generous. Many times, we were fortunate to be offered food and lodging, and people were always helpful with information about the area.

Many thanks to all my companions on the trip: Wesley, Dave, Rosemary, Fox, Debbie, and Karin. You were always a ton of fun, and a source of inspiration and motivation when my legs didn't want to pedal anymore.

Day 72: Romney, WV to Berryville, VA

Today's Mileage: 53
Total Mileage: 3668

We woke up in Sherri's yurt and were treated to tarot card readings. It was a riot!

We headed out for a late breakfast, and didn't get on the road until 11 a.m.! There were a bunch of tough little hills, one after another, and the road curved dangerously with no shoulder. After a brief stop in Capon Bridge, we crossed into Virginia, the state where I went to college and lived on and off for a few years growing up. Getting closer and closer!

The rest of the ride into Winchester was easy, and the road opened up into a four-lane with a shoulder. We ate at a Thai restaurant and waited out the last of the afternoon heat in a coffee shop in historic downtown Winchester.

The evening ride into Berryville was beautiful, with rolling hills, the best kind that get you enough momentum to get back up the next one. The campground we had picked out ended up being further than we thought, and we wouldn't be able to get there before dark, so we decided to stay in town. The only lodging was the Battletown Inn, which was way out of our price range. The owner, James, was so impressed by our bike trip that he gave us a big discount and set us up in two adorable adjoining rooms. What a treat on the last night of the trip!

Day 71: Oakland, MD to Romney, WV

Today's Mileage: 49
Total Mileage: 3615

The morning was bright and clean on top of Backbone Mountain, and the air was cool. As we headed down, we ran into heavy, blinding fog as we re-entered West Virginia. Luckily, there was a restaurant open just on the other side of the state line, so we breakfasted there while the morning warmed up.

The first climb of the day was our last real big one in the Allegheny range, Mt. Storm. Because it was pretty easy, I wasn't sure if we had actually gotten to the top... but we were rewarded with a fun 5-mile downhill.

The rest of the day was a bunch of ups and downs through some of the prettiest country imaginable. The sun filtered through a leafy canopy over the road and the climbs were short, cutting between the hills instead of over them.

Once in Romney, we sat down for a late, well-deserved lunch at the only place open. The pizza was tasty, and we were exhausted. It was still somewhat early, and we considered riding further, but were discouraged to learn that there were no towns or places to camp for quite some distance East.

We decided to stay in Romney (which was our original plan anyway), and spent a couple hours resting in some grass by the gas station, hoping to meet a friendly local who would let us use their computer.

The computer was not to be, but we did meet Sherri and her dog Toby, who offered us a place to stay in their yurt. None of us had ever been inside a yurt before, so naturally, we accepted. The yurt was awesome - like being in a huge round tent, but homey and comfy like a house. Sherri had all kinds of neat stuff to look at and share with us.

Day 70: Belgium, WV to Oakland, MD

Today's Mileage: 49
Total Mileage: 3566

We woke up to the sound of rain beating down on Danny's tin roof and decided to sleep another half hour. Once on the road, we looked for a restaurant to have some warm breakfast, and ended up stopping at a little place where there was no food, but the people were friendly. Two ladies gave us coffee and lots of information about the road ahead. When a husband showed up with McDonald's, it turned out they had gotten some extra free food, so they offered it to us too. The ladies also gave a donation to the World Wildlife Fund, the organization Debbie and Karin have been raising money for.

We continued along Highway 50 in the cool morning air, enjoying the hills and the green forests surrounding us. Our first mountain was Thornton, which we climbed easily and in good spirits.
We stopped for lunch in Fellowsville, and got more tips from the waiter about what to expect ahead. After climbing Laurel Mountain (tougher than expected) we had an awesome, windy descent to the legendary Cool Springs, which we had been hearing about since the day before. Cool Springs boasted a park full of old rusty tractors, some burros, and a store FULL of tourist schtick.

Outside the store we met Carl, who we convinced to carry our gear up Cheat Mountain, the biggest climb of the day. He agreed to leave our panniers, etc. at the convenience store in Aurora, at the top of Cheat Mountain, and we headed out on our light, naked bikes. It was a long 9% grade on a road with no shoulder, but we conquered it easily.

Once in Aurora, we collected our gear and decided what to do. We learned of a cheap motel just a few miles up the road, and decided to go for it, since our camping option would have taken us several miles off-route.

Highway 50 took us into Maryland, and the last two miles were a climb to the top of Backbone Mountain, where the motel was. We laughed at how hard it had been to get up to 3095 feet, considering the huge mountains we had pedaled over in Colorado.

There was a bar across the street, and we chatted over beers with some of the locals before heading back to the room for showers.

Day 69: Mountwood Park, WV to Belgium, WV

Today's Mileage: 65
Total Mileage: 3517

The morning began gray and foggy, but we were in good spirits, because at least it wasn't raining. We set out from the Mountwood Park cabin in search of some breakfast at the reasonably early hour of 8:30. After a few miles we arrived in Ellenboro and ate omelets at the Log Cabin restaurant.

We stopped at every town that popped up along the way, which broke the ride up nicely. A few miles out of West Union, a car stopped to offer some cold drinks. We talked with Danny for a while, and learned that he had also done some cross-country bike touring. He was headed West, but gave us the key to his house so we could crash for the night.

We had a late lunch in Salem, then headed on to Clarksburg in search of a library. The sun had finally come out and the afternoon was considerably warmer than the morning. In Clarksburg, we found the Italian Festival, which had musical and dance performances, as well as tons of food and junk to buy.

After a quick trip to the library to use their computers, we decided to grab a bite to eat in Glen Elk, on the North end of town. We happened upon a cute little place, and ended up having a great meal with wine.

At that point, we left for Danny's house, but were annoyed to learn that bicycles were forbidden on that portion of Highway 50. We thumbed a ride to Bridgeport from Fred, Jason, and Dip. How we managed to fit all of our junk into Fred's Jeep was a miracle. In Bridgeport, we met Doug and Scott, who introduced us to their family and drove us the rest of the way to Danny's house. It was dark by the time we arrived, but we found our way in and were so happy to rest.

Danny's place was filled with his Indian crafts and artwork. Every inch of space was filled with something interesting, and we had the whole place to ourselves!

Day 68: Athens, OH to Mountwood Park, WV

Today's Mileage: 59
Total Mileage: 3452

We woke up at Scott's house to the smell of "garbage eggs," a delicious scramble he had whipped up. He took us to his workplace in Athens, a center that offers services for people dealing with mental illness. We had coffee and talked with some of the members of the Gathering Place before heading out on our way.

The day was as rainy as the day before, and we were thoroughly drenched by the time we reached Coolville for a snack. Luckily, there was a wide shoulder most of the way, so the riding was easy.

We crossed over the Ohio River into West Virginia! Our next stop was in Parkersburg for a (late) lunch. We were thrilled to find a Lebanese restaurant and ate heartily, much thanks to Rick, who comped our meal. Rick also called Roger, a reporter from the Parkersburg newspaper, who came to the restaurant and interviewed us about the ride. Even better, Roger gave us some good information about a cabin right on Route 50, so we didn't have to get off track and camp in the rain as we had planned.

See Roger's story at http://www.newsandsentinel.com/page/content.detail/id/508771.html

Day 67: Chillicothe, OH to Athens, OH

Today's Mileage: 60
Total Mileage: 3393

Our host Lee started our day with a light breakfast, and we headed out in search of coffee. The day began a little late, and we had to travel in the rain to McArthur. It was slow going, and the bumpy shoulder didn't help matters.

In McArthur, we lunched at a pizza place and I warmed up with some hot tea. It was hard to get back on the bike, but within a mile I caught a second wind and sped into Athens. The rain continued, but at least there was a decent shoulder, making the riding a lot less stressful.

We hung around a coffee shop in Athens for a while, staying out of the rain and hoping to make friends with somebody who would let us crash at their house. As friendly as we made ourselves appear, we didn't score a place to sleep so we headed out to find some dinner.

The restaurant where we ate had great ingredients and a decent beer list, and we started chatting people up at the bar. Soon enough, a nice guy named Scott offered us a place to stay... it didn't take much convincing when he mentioned he had a hot tub. We also enjoyed some lively conversation and shooting darts with Scott's blow gun.

Day 66: Hillsboro, OH to Chillicothe, OH

Today's Mileage: 36
Total Mileage: 3333

We awoke at dawn and it was very cold and hard to get out of bed. Karin decided she was sufficiently tired to sleep a few more hours, so Debbie and I decided to go on without her, taking advantage of the cool morning air. The morning air was actually pretty chilly, which made the uphills more enjoyable than the downs, because I could warm up a little.

I wasn't feeling great on the bike and was VERY ready for lunch and a rest by the time we arrived in Chillicothe. I had just had a bunch of work done on the bike the day before, but now there was some new obnoxious squeaking going on. My body felt stiff and my butt was sore.

Luckily, we were in Chillicothe (our intended midpoint) nice and early, and we were able to enjoy a leisurely lunch. The waiter even gave us some free buckeyes, which were neither nuts off a tree (as I had presumed) nor a deer's eyeballs (Debbie's literal interpretation) but tasty chocolate-covered peanut butter balls.

I spent a long time in the library trying to figure out a new plan. We had covered more miles than planned a couple days before, which had put us about a half-day ahead of schedule. Ideally, we could make up some more miles along the way and arrive in Washington, DC a day earlier than planned. Unfortunately, this was not to be. Sometimes, the geography and placement of towns decides your fate for you. There weren't enough camping and lodging options to cover a couple stretches over mountains, so we decided to revert to our original plan. This meant that we would stay the night in Chillicothe, making it a very short day. We napped for a while in the park, then approached a police officer about camping there. He wasn't sure what to tell us, but suggested that we might get away with camping in the woods at the edge of the park... would have to risk possible drug dealers and vagrants bothering us. We weren't thrilled, but decided we didn't have much of a choice.

Once Karin arrived, we did some laundry and I went back to the library for more internet time. Debbie roamed around town and found her way to a coffee shop. It turned out that Lee, our waiter from lunch at Grinders, also worked at the coffee shop. Fortunately for us, he offered to let us crash in his living room.
We ate dinner at a lively bar, and waited around for Lee to get off work. We arrived at his house, and were relieved to have a roof over our heads, as it was scheduled to rain overnight.

Day 65: Cincinnati, OH to Hillsboro, OH

Today's Mileage: 69
Total Mileage: 3297

We began our day a little later than usual, because all of us had enjoyed staying up to watch TV the night before, and we agreed to sleep in until 8 a.m. Continental breakfast at the Ramada was ritzier than we're used to, so we ate a bunch before heading out on our bikes.

The ride out of Cincinnati was sort of ugly and there was a ton of traffic. Even once we had found our way out of downtown, there were tons of cars on the road. We happened to see a bike shop, so Karin and I stopped in to get a few minor problems fixed. Smitty's Bike Shop turned out to be a real find, and the guys inside were so helpful and generous! I got my rear brake fixed, my rear wheel trued, my right hood back in place, a cable replaced and all my gears tuned up... as well as a free water bottle and socks! Thanks, Marty and Grant!

Karin and I set out for Skyline, one of the chains famous for Cincinnati Chili, which is a sort of a meat sauce served over spaghetti with a TON of cheese. By the time we were nice and full of chili, it was already 2:30, so we continued the ride to Hillsboro.

Highway 50 had no shoulder and a lot of traffic. Further complicating matters was the introduction of some hills, a land feature I had forgotten about since the Ozarks: argh!

We finally made it to the campground, just a few hilly miles East of Hillsboro, where Debbie was waiting. There was just enough time for a shower before it was dark and we crawled into our tents.

Day 64: North Vernon, IN to Cincinnati, OH

Today's Mileage: 77
Total Mileage: 3228

We began our day when it was still dark out, and headed to the motel to meet Karin and score some free breakfast. (Karin had gotten in late the night before, so she opted not to search through the dark woods for us and get some good bed rest after a crazy last night in Louisville).

The three of us headed back to Highway 50 and covered the first 45 miles quickly it was only 12:30, so we took a lunch break at a restaurant overlooking the Ohio River. We decided to go the rest of the way into Cincinnati, even though it meant we would have to splurge for a hotel room. We crossed into Ohio, and the ride took us along the river through a very industrial area and some light rain.

Day 63: Bloomington, IN to North Vernon, IN

Today's Mileage: 64
Total Mileage: 3151

It was hard to say good-bye to Andy and Victoria. We had such a good time in Bloomington that we didn't get on the road until almost 10 a.m.

The day started out overcast and humid, and soon turned to really hot and humid. Luckily, the ride was mellow except for a couple surprise hills that popped up out of nowhere. We were making good time, stopping only for a brief look around a flea market and lunch in Columbus. We had some delicious pasta salad and more of the birthday cake that Victoria had packed for us.

When we got to North Vernon, the campground wasn't where Google had said it would be, but a friendly local pointed us in the right direction. Muscatatuck County Park was a real gem. We were covered in sweat but felt a lot better after cool showers.

Debbie and I didn't feel like riding back into town to find food, because there was one REALLY steep hill into the campground and we didn't feel like getting sweaty and gross all over again. Fortunately for us, we lucked into a ride into Old Vernon from a nice guy in a Jeep. Dinner was at a cute log cabin restaurant, and by the time we were finished eating, the evening air had become cool and bearable. The mosquitoes, however, were neither cool nor bearable.

Days 59 - 62: Rest Days!

We spent several days in Bloomington, Indiana at the home of Andy and Victoria, friends of Debbie's from her days in New York. We rested a bunch and had a ton of fun. We visited Oliver Winery, ate Indian and Tibetan food, and enjoyed some incredible cooking, complete with home-made bread and home-grown tomatoes. I got hooked on a cartoon called Avatar: The Last Airbender, we went to a neighborhood pool with a really cool slide, and we walked around Indiana University.

I got to celebrate my birthday in Bloomington with an acupuncture treatment and had a great time singing karaoke, visiting a microbrewery, and eating a delicious chocolate cake made by Victoria. The best thing was borrowing all of her cute clothes and not having to wear those same tired rags I've been wearing for the past two months!

Day 58: Red Hills, IL to Bloomington, IN

Today's Mileage: 69
Total Mileage: 3087

We awoke unrested after a night of dealing with raccoons. The night before, Karin had tied a bag of fruit in a tree, but forgot the bag of nuts in her handlebar bag. And thinking that raccoons wouldn't be able to open zippers, Debbie left three sandwiches in her panniers. My tent was closest to the bikes, so I woke up every time the raccoons visited us and shined my light to scare them away. Karin was terrified, and there was a lot of screaming when she got out of her tent to put the food in the bathroom where it would be safe. All in all, the raccoons were pretty neat: the one sandwich and nuts they stole were taken cleanly, without any ripped packages or food bits left on the ground. The moral of the story is not to run over dead raccoons with your bike, or their families will wreak havoc on your camp in revenge.

We rode into Lawrenceville and found our detour on the old US Highway 50. This took us over the Wabash River and into Vincennes, Indiana. A couple of days before, I had been disappointed not to see an official "Welcome to Illinois" sign, but decided that crossing the Mississippi was good enough. Not to have a sign upon entering Indiana was just downright unwelcoming!

We did some laundry and had lunch in Vincennes. Then Debbie and I headed Northeast to Bloomington to see Andy and Victoria, friends of hers from New York, while Karin headed Southeast to Louisville, Kentucky to see another friend.

The ride to Bloomington was pleasant. The road conditions were pretty good, as was the weather. A stop in Bicknell to use the library took some extra time, so we ended up finishing our ride at night, enjoying a gorgeous sunset over cornfields and some cool fog that settled in the low spots.

We arrived in Bloomington at Andy and Victoria's place, an adorable country cottage with excellent decor.

Day 57: Carlyle, IL to Red Hills, IL

Today's Mileage: 92
Total Mileage: 3018!

We woke up and got an early start on the road, relishing the cool morning air. We stopped after about 15 miles for breakfast in Sandoval. We kept trucking and made it to Flora, where we had a late sit-down lunch, and talked to several nice people.

After lunch, we stretched out in the park while Karin fixed her flat. The owner of the local Dairy Queen heard about our story and came by to offer us gift certificates. Nobody can say no to free ice cream, so we made our way there and ate as much as we could manage after an already-filling lunch.

Needless to say, the flat tire and ice cream put us a little behind schedule, and it was after 4 p.m. By the time we left Flora.

When we reached Olney, we were pleased to learn that our campsite was 9 miles closer than we had anticipated. We weren't sure if there were showers, so we debated showering at a truck stop before continuing on. I decided to take a gamble and keep riding to the campground while there was still light out.

It was an easy ride, but pitch dark by the time I got to Red Hills State Park. Luckily, there were showers and I got ready for bed quickly. Karin and Debbie followed soon after. After hearing that they both ran over a dead raccoon in the road, I'm glad I was riding while there was still daylight!

Day 56: St. Louis, MO to Carlyle, IL

Today's Mileage: 46
Total Mileage: 2926

We began our morning with a calm, lovely ride into downtown St. Louis. The streets were tree-lined, the weather was cool, and the traffic was light.

We arrived at the St. Louis Arch and met up with Larry and Diana Tyler, who we had been staying with two nights before. They were very concerned about our route out of St. Louis because there was no way to avoid the sketchy neighborhoods on the East side of the river. We decided to cross the Mississippi River on bikes, then let the Tylers drive us a few miles farther into Illinois.

Our ride ended in Carlyle, where we found a nice Army Corps of Engineers campground with no available spots. Luckily, there was tons of open space so we set up in an unofficial campsite. We had a little run-in with the rangers, who weren't sure they could allow us to camp where we were, but it wasn't long before our girlish charm won them over. We even got one of them to give us a ride into town. After dinner, we ran into the ranger again at the gas station and convinced him to give us a lift back to the campground. Two other rangers stopped by to chat before we went to bed, and said they would try to get a story in their newspaper about the bike trip. Yay for the Army Corps of Engineers!

Day 55: Washington, MO to St. Louis, MO

Today's Mileage: 60
Total Mileage: 2880

Mmm! No better way to start a day than with a hot breakfast. After saying farewell to the Tylers, we were back on the Katy Trail and on our way to St. Charles. I had miscalculated the mileage, so we arrived before lunch and decided to continue on to St. Louis in the afternoon.

We had lunch at a brewery, then walked around historic downtown St. Charles. After some ice cream, we headed out for St. Louis. The route I had mapped out took us along a state highway, but it ended up being a HUGE freeway-style road, complete with fast cars and dangerous exit ramps, before it returned to a reasonable two-lane road. Luckily, we all made it safely into the city.

We headed for a motel near the airport with cheaper prices, and enjoyed some showers and relaxation before checking out the town. A hotel shuttle took us to the airport where we caught the Metro into Delmar Loop, a "happenin'" part of St. Louis. We ate dinner at an outdoor cafe that featured Belgian beers.

Day 54: Rest Day!

...And then there were three.

We woke up at the Tyler home in Washington, Missouri and said a sad farewell to Wesley. He has to return to California for school by August 24th and decided to bang out the last 900 miles in 9 days. We don't doubt that he'll do it, but we'll miss him. In any case, I'm glad to still be traveling with Karin and Debbie, especially now that Wesley is gone.

We spent the day exploring downtown Washington with Diana and Ian, including a delicious lunch overlooking the Missouri River, and then a follow-up chiropractic adjustment at Larry's office. We ate great barbecue and potato salad, and enjoyed the Tyler family's company.

A big treat for me was getting to see some of my family. It turned out that Aunt Nita and Allan were passing through the area with my Vovo, who they were helping to move into her new place in Branson, Missouri. I was thrilled to be able to receive them at the Tyler house and visit for a while.

New Photos Uploaded!

I finally managed to post some new pictures, most of them thanks to Debbie's excellent photo-documentation of the trip. For a special tan-line treat, check out my legs in Day 39.

I deleted one of my maps, because I'm re-routing a whole bunch... so stay tuned to see where we end up! (I'll post a new map once I have a good one worked out... look for me on Route 50).

Day 53: Tebbetts, MO to Washington, MO

Today's Mileage: 70
Total Mileage: 2820

We woke up nice and early at the bike hostel and got ready to ride some more on the Katy Trail. We were looking forward to riding without any cars, but this time in the daytime where we could enjoy the scenery a little more.

After some quick breakfast and trips to the post office, we were on our way. The day was great - cool air underneath the tree canopy, and lots of humidity made easy breathing. Plus, riding along the Missouri River meant no hills! I was happy, except for the annoyance of gravel getting stuck between my the top of my brake and my tire... the problem is that my bike wasn't made to fit my burly tires, so I have very little clearance and any small bit of debris makes my wheels drag. It sounds like I'm flying an airplane... but besides that, the riding conditions were great!

We stopped in Hermann for lunch, and wasted a bunch of time around town, fixing bike noises and eating chocolates. We finally got back on the trail and continued riding into the evening to arrive in Washington, where we would be staying with the Tylers, family of Sarah (Karin and Debbie's New York friend).

We crossed over the wide Missouri once again, enjoying the sunset on the silver water as fog covered the surrounding farmland. Once in Washington, a man in a pickup truck stopped us on the street... and it turned out he was Larry Tyler, there to drive us the last three miles to his house. As it was dark out by this point, we were grateful for the surprise and piled the bikes into his truck. The Tylers welcomed us with a glass of wine, a beautiful home, a warm shower, a chiropractic adjustment, and their excellent company.

Day 52: Eldon, MO to Tebbetts, MO

Today's Mileage: 51
Total Mileage: 2750

I woke up at 10 a.m. and was shocked that I had managed to sleep in so late, even though it was pitch black in the basement where I had spent the night. Oh well... I guess needed it. In any case, we had planned to spend the morning with the Pike family, so I wasn't late getting on the bike.

After some delicious pancakes and eggs, courtesy of Wesley, the activities began. We played with the goats, blew bubbles, rode bikes, and best of all, rode the horses. I got stuck with Mackenzie's horse Silky, who was high-spirited and kept trying to scrape me off on the fence. I had a great time, even though riding bareback was challenging and a little scary.

We said our good-byes and got on the road at 1:30. It was an easy 30 miles to Jefferson City. We visited J & D Bike Shop, where Wesley fixed a spoke and Debbie got her gears tuned up.

For dinner, we splurged a little and went to an Italian sit-down place and indulged in some wine, since we only had a few miles left for the evening, and it was all on a bike path.

Our ride out of Jefferson City took us across the Missouri River at sunset - quite a sight with the Capitol building in the background.

We were so excited to arrive at the Katy Trail, a bikes-only trail that crosses almost the entire state. The trail is made of crushed rock (white chert) and is well-maintained. Frogs were everywhere, and sadly, I'm pretty sure I ran over a couple slow ones by accident.

As night closed in around us, the trail got spooky. There were no lights but the the small lamps we had on our heads, and the trail was covered in cobwebs that stuck to us as we rolled by. Of course, our imaginations got the best of us and we started creating axe-murderer scenarios in our heads. We were riding fast, but not fast enough to beat the darkness. Luckily for us, the trail was smooth and we all stayed upright on the bikes.

We got to Tebbetts and started looking for the bike hostel. The key was hanging from a hook on a telephone pole, and we let ourselves in. I can't remember the last time I was so happy to see a long row of bunkbeds. This place was AWESOME! There were showers and a bike maintenance room, and we had it ALL to ourselves.

Day 51: Linn Creek, MO to Eldon, MO

Today's Mileage: 22(+)
Total Mileage: 2699

We began our day with a hike down a steep gravel road to the camp bathrooms, and talked a little with our friendly hosts before heading on our way. They were surprised to hear that we had been through Iola, Kansas, their old stomping grounds, and even gotten in the newspaper.

The first stop was in Osage Beach for a delicious breakfast. We headed for Pike Chiropractic, where we would meet our hostess for the night, the sister of Debbie and Karin's friend Scott in New York. After passing countless miniature golf courses, go-cart tracks, and other tourist attractions, we arrived at the Pikes' practice. We met Amy and Chuck, who graciously offered us a stay at their home in Eldon that night.

While Debbie used the computer at the chiropractic place, Wesley, Karin and I headed on to Lake Ozark in search of a bike shop. We were really pleased at the friendliness and great service we found at the Ozark Cyclery. Wesley had his bottom bracket fixed, and Karin managed to get rid of a bunch of excess baggage, fitting all of her necessary belongings in two small panniers and mailing the rest home. I had given up on my handlebar bag the day before because it was interfering with my shifting, but I broke down and bought a new, smaller one that I am very happy with.

We purchased a few spare tubes and were on our way to Eldon. Amy's instructions were to look for a billboard advertising knee replacement surgery after getting to the top of a big hill, and turn left into her driveway. Although a knee replacement is probably what I was thinking about after climbing this hill, I must have been distracted... I missed the billboard entirely and went another four miles before I sensed I had gone too far. After consulting with the others, who were already showered and lounging, I turned around and found the Pikes' driveway. I had NOT been warned about the insanely steep driveway, but was relieved to learn that all of us had been forced to walk our bikes up it.

Once at the house, I met three of the Pike girls, Carissa, Mackenzie, and Abigail, and visited with their lovely 80-year-old babysitter. The house was huge, comfortable and beautiful, and the girls were very gracious and welcoming. The Pike parents came home and we had a delicious family-style dinner, did some laundry, and watched the Olympics.

Day 50: Galmey, MO to Linn Creek, MO

Today's Mileage: 49
Total Mileage: 2677

We woke up nice and late, sleeping in until 7:30 after our evening out at the bar. Breakfast was short and sweet at the Triangle store, but we managed to meet a cool local guy who talked our ears off, even though, he assured us, he was the "quiet type."

A few more miles took us over the Pomme-de-Terre dam and back to our normal route. We stopped at a couple of gas stations for refreshments, but mostly just rode hard. Again, the hills were endless.

We were sad to say good-bye to Alpine Dave in Camdenton, where he parted ways with us. He managed to complete a grand total of 1500 miles on the trip, roughly halfway across the country, depending on how you slice it.

There was no camping to be had in Camdenton, so we continued on a few miles to Ozark Trails Campground in Linn Creek. We were excited to have a pool, showers, and a game room to hang out in, but the walk up a steep, gravel road to the campsite nearly killed us.

Day 49: Nevada, MO to Galmey, MO

Today's Mileage: 65
Total Mileage: 2628

The morning sky was covered with clouds, which cheered us, as we were hoping to avoid the heat. Before leaving the campground, Debbie checked her e-mail and learned that we had been featured in a front-page article of the Iola Register! "Brockway" was quoted extensively - man, he never shuts up! I checked out the article at http://www.iolaregister.com/ or you might still be able to get to it directly through JB's comment on yesterday's blog - thanks, JB!

We had a hearty breakfast at the nearest diner, which featured the old cloth roller towel in the bathroom (yuck). The reason this was funny, though, was the sign warning people not to hang from the towel!

We soon found out that Missouri is all hills: there isn't a single flat piece. And while the hills were small, they were endless. It was really hard going! I think my muscles were tired from the day before, because I had been pushing myself really hard. We stopped in Collins for lunch. In addition to the hot soup, we were lucky to have a great waitress who gave us lots of information about the area.

It turned out that Preston, our evening destination, was a tiny town where we wouldn't have any camping options. Instead, we turned off-route in Wheatland in search of Pomme-de-Terre Lake. The campground was great, and the lake was even better - the warmest water you can imagine!

After a swim and a shower, we stripped the gear off our bikes and headed up the steep hills back into town to go to a bar called the Mule Lip. We had been warned not to enter the bar without Dave or a tazer, but it turned out to be pretty mellow. After some nachos, beers, and dancing we raced over to catch the store before it closed. A nice local had given us money for ice cream. The single cones were HUGE! And best of all, they had my favorite flavor, Moose Tracks.

Day 48: Iola, KS to Nevada, MO

Today's Mileage: 60
Total Mileage: 2602

We started our day with breakfast at the gas station. While we were there, Debbie made friends with Bev, the nice lady who worked there. She was so excited to have cyclists passing through Iola that she contacted the newspaper to take some pictures and do a story on us.

We continued on our way, stopping at Uniontown for some ice cream. A few miles later, we arrived at Fort Scott, the site of a Civil War-era Union encampment (just South of Ft. Leavenworth). The town of Fort Scott was cute, but the cobbled streets were all torn up for repairs. We ate some lunch at a Mexican restaurant, which required at least an hour of lying around in the grass to digest.

The final twenty miles of the day took us over the state line to Missouri. The scenery changed abruptly: lots of lush green trees and LOTS of hills.

We made it into Nevada (believe it or not, pronounced Ne-VAY-da) in time to buy a ton of food, find a campground, and hop in the pool before it closed at dark. What followed was the biggest feeding frenzy I have seen so far on the trip. After dinner, we all repaired to our tents for some well-deserved rest.

Day 47: Eureka, KS to Iola, KS

Today's Mileage: 51
Total Mileage: 2542

We woke up to driving rain. The clothes we had put out to dry were newly drenched. The tents were wet too, and the rain showed no sign of letting up.

We took our time, hoping that things would dry out a little. Wesley and Dave were busy fashioning rain gear out of trash bags, while Debbie tried to make her green poncho more stylish, with the end result making her look like a little elf. (Wesley and Dave just looked silly).

We wasted a little more time eating a hot breakfast at the Copper Kettle, and headed on our way. A little after the rain had let up, I got a flat tire. It was just my luck, since the day before, Wesley, Karin, and Debbie had gotten about 8 flats between them.

Lunch was at the park in Yates Center. The flies were gross, but they were nothing compared to the scary bathroom, located under an old stone stadium. I avoided it, but Alpine, Wes, and Debbie were all scarred from the experience, saying that it was like peeing in the Blair Witch Project.

The afternoon ride was pleasant. We cruised into Iola to find a campground with showers AND laundry! We were so thrilled at the prospect that we were a little late heading into town for dinner, and we had only one option for food: Sonic.

Day 46: Park City, KS to Eureka, KS

Today's Mileage: 62
Total Mileage: 2491

We began the day with a continental breakfast. Wesley was harassed by the hotel staff because he did not look as though he belonged at the hotel breakfast. After confirming that he was a guest, the woman came back to apologize.

The morning was rainy, but we made it to El Dorado (pronounced El Do-RAY-do by the locals) for lunch at a cute little cafe. We were happy to find salad and soup, the two things we had been craving all day.

It started pouring during the second half of our ride. My rain gear was at the bottom of my panniers, so I kept riding. Needless to say, I was soaked to the bone when I reached Eureka.

We opted for some comfort food: a Chinese buffet. Let's just say that the restaurant probably lost money that night, because we gorged ourselves on plate after plate of warm food, and followed it up with seconds, thirds, and fourths of dessert.

We camped in a large neighborhood park. It had stopped raining, but all of our stuff was wet. Wesley and Karin even managed to sneak in the pool before the sheriff rolled around to check on us.

Day 45: Rest Day!

Today's Mileage: 20
Total Mileage: 2429

"Mileage?!" you say, "On a rest day?!"

Yes, it's true.

We were in the Southwest corner of Wichita to meet Alpine Dave, who flew in to ride with us for a week. In order to set ourselves up for a speedy getaway the next morning, we decided to head for the Northwest edge of town.

First, we stopped and had a Nu-Way, Wichita's own steamed-ground-beef-on-a-bun-sandwich. Then we headed to the bike shop. It turned out that my bike did NOT have a cricket problem, but DID need a new bottom bracket. I also splurged on some new shorts.

Then our ride took us along the scenic Arkansas River (again) and into a weird industrial train yard part of town. It was 106 degrees out, and the short ride was sapping us of energy. Finally, we stopped in Park City for the night and enjoyed a dip in the indoor pool, which was the perfect temperature.

Day 44: Hutchinson, KS to Wichita, KS

Today's Mileage: 46
Total Mileage: 2409

After hitting the snooze button WAY too many times, I got up and planned the route to Wichita. Although it was after 8 by the time I left, the day was still cool and fresh.

The ride to Wichita wasn't bad. The day started heating up, but the road was basically flat, and there were several stops for refreshments. As usual, the natives were curious about our trip, and many people stopped to ask questions.

The afternoon was spent lounging around. I indulged in a lot of mindless TV watching, which is about all my sore butt would allow.

Day 43: Rush Center, KS to Hutchinson, KS

Today's Mileage: 94
Total Mileage: 2363

The morning was lovely as the sun came up. The road ahead was empty of cars with softly rolling hills. It is amazing what a few hours of rest can do for your mood and morale.

I rolled into Great Bend and went in search of supplies. Most important was finding the right "butt grease." Since my Aquaphor had run out, I had returned to using the much inferior Chamois Cream on my rear end, and I was starting to feel it. After about five weeks in the saddle, it is still VERY important to take care of the tushie.

I continued on to Lyons, where my road turned South. The headwinds picked up, but what really sucked was the afternoon heat. Luckily, the adorable towns I passed through had places to get cold drinks, so I stayed hydrated and happy.

I rolled into Hutchinson and found a really cheap motel. I was SO excited to take a real shower and get some rest. I fell asleep without even eating dinner.

Day 42: Dighton, KS to Rush Center, KS

Today's Mileage: 66
Total Mileage: 2269

After sleeping a couple of hours in the grass by a museum, I got back on the bike and pushed on while it was still cool out.

I arrived in Ness City, a town that seemed to once upon a time have been something special, complete with cobbled brick streets ans some interesting old buildings. This Saturday, it was dead.

The kids at the pool let me take a shower, and I headed over to the laundromat. Luckily for me, the laundromat was carpeted - perfect for a catnap on the floor. Unfortunately, EVERYONE who came in wanted to chat, even though I had my map open over my face and was probably snoring too.

So I tried my luck at the park. For the first time since leaving the mountains, the flies weren't biting. I managed to get a couple hours of sleep, even though the baseball tournament announcer was really loud.

I had an excellent milkshake and waited around for the day to cool off. Around 9 p.m. I headed out on my bike. For whatever reason, the riding wasn't fun. I'm not normally afraid of the dark, but my mind was playing tricks on me and everything seemed to be moving around me. The night was loud with bugs, not like the night before. My butt was hurting, my legs didn't want to pedal, and I was NOT happy.

I managed to make it to Rush Center, where I "camped" beside the post office.

Overall, the day was a little bit of a let-down, both in terms of fun had and distance covered... but averaged with my miles from the previous day, I was still happy with my progress.

Day 41: Eads, CO to Dighton, KS

Today's Mileage: 125!!!
Total Mileage: 2203

We woke up super-early, and this time were able to beat some of the heat. It was so quiet as the sun came up, and I enjoyed watching the deer and jackrabbits on the prairie.

The road was bumpy and obnoxious in places, but the cool morning air kept my spirits high and I managed to ride at about 17 mph. It felt good to be cruising after so much slow, hot riding the day before. The ride was split up into manageable segments by the nicely spaced towns, and the people I met were great: helpful, friendly small-town folks eager to chat and give out free food.

After crossing into Kansas, I also crossed into Central Time, and suddenly the day felt a lot hotter. I decided to spend the afternoon lounging around Leoti before continuing on in the cool of the evening. Even lying in the shade, I was sweating, and the biting flies were eating me alive, so I didn't get much sleep.

Leoti was having their county fair, with 25-cent rides, so I rode the ferris wheel and "merry mixer" before deciding I was too dizzy for more.

Finally leaving town around 10 p.m., the road was empty and quiet. There were a million stars out, and I saw at least six shooting across the sky. Jackrabbits peered through glowing eyes before scampering off into the grass, and I tried not to think of the chupacabras. The best part was the night air at my back, cooling me and gently pushing me East. (I would say that the silence was lovely, but it was punctuated by the new cricket sound my bike makes when I pedal in certain gears - gotta look into this).

At 3 a.m. I arrived in Dighton and slept for a couple hours. I was so excited to have completed my first century ride!* I was so tired I barely even felt my sore butt and knees.

*And to any nay-sayers, I'm counting ALL 125 miles as my first century because they ocurred within one 24-hour period, even if I did take a long break in there!)

Day 40: Ordway, CO to Eads, CO

Today's Mileage: 63
Total Mileage: 2078

Once again, we attempted an early start to beat the heat. The cafe opened late, and our breakfast took a while, so we weren't on the road until after 8 a.m. The first few miles were cool and pleasant.

The winds kicked in strong, but they were mostly crosswinds. Nonetheless, our progress East was slow and grueling. We finally reached Haswell, the 2/3 rest point of our ride, where we were fortunate to find the propane shop open. The propane guy sold us tons of cold drinks and snacks, and after a couple hours of rest (me sleeping under a tree outside, Karin and Debbie watching TV on the couch inside), we were ready to finish the ride. It was somewhat cooler after 5 p.m. and the sun was at our backs, so we continued without too much suffering.

A few miles out of Eads, I remarked to myself how much the prairie dogs sounded like cats meowing. I was surprised to hear the sound still so close, and I turned around to look. Sure enough, it was following me! Only, it wasn't a prairie dog, but a tiny kitten racing down the highway behind me at full speed, and bawling at the top of his lungs.

Now, I'm not much of a cat person, but this little guy was too cute not to stop. Debbie and I figured he was an unwanted kitten left on the side of the road to die. He was so affectionate and starved for attention that we decided to take him into town, where he might have better luck. He wouldn't cooperate when we tried to balance him on top of our things, so we let him run alongside the bikes for a while. Then Debbie wrapped him in a towel and put him in her handlebar bag, where he sat calmly. We pulled into town and saw some children selling rocks, and the kitten jumped off the bike and ran to the arms of a little boy. I love happy endings. I'm sure that little boy's parents do too ;)

Wesley had managed to finagle a free all-you-can-eat dinner at the high school, but our cat-saving got us there too late to partake. We ate at a cafe and opted for a motel, since we were all badly in need of showers.

Day 39: Pueblo, CO to Ordway, CO

Today's Mileage: 58
Total Mileage: 2015

We awoke refreshed and rejuvenated at Aunt Irene's house. Wesley cooked up some eggs, and we lounged around for way too long before hitting the road. We didn't get off until 9:30 and it was already hot.

The ride out of Pueblo was fun, and we were excited to finally be on the official TransAmerica trail heading East.

The ride was mellow and flat. We stopped for lunch in Boone, and were happy to see a sign in the grocery store welcoming cyclists to the Prairie Horizon Trail. Bill was inside, and he offered us a map and lots of useful information about the area... such as, DON'T talk to the town pervert, a local con-artist who tricks children, senior citizens, and apparently cyclists into his lurid games. Sure enough, when we passed his house we saw a sign welcoming Adventure Cyclists into his lair.

The flat, mellow ride continued along happily. We found a restaurant open in Olney Springs, and stopped for a cold drink. This place also made a point of welcoming us to the Prairie Horizons Trail, and asked us to sign the log. They also tipped us off to a special treat 11 miles down the road in Ordway: the spray-park.

We arrived at our destination to find Wesley at a park, jumping around in a fountain. We changed into our bathing suits and joined him - what a great thing to find on a hot day like today! (It was also good, because it substituted for the shower we wouldn't be getting in the evening).

We ate an an excellent little cafe and headed off to the park to camp. I fixed a flat tire while some local guys tried to scare us. The high school was showing Spiderman on the football field, and kids were everywhere. The town park was apparently also the local "cruising" scene, so we listened to lots of carrying on while we tried to fall asleep. The dogs were barking, and there was a horrible poo smell that kept wafting in our tents, probably from a nearby farm... or perhaps from the park's porta-potty.

Day 38: Cotopaxi, CO to Pueblo, CO

Today's Mileage: 73
Total Mileage: 1957

We awoke with plans of getting an early start to avoid the heat of the day. My rain fly was still wet, and though the sun was up, it hadn't risen enough over the walls of the Arkansas River canyon to dry anything out.

Before leaving, a nice family brought us over some sausage-egg casserole and canteloupe, so we had a good breakfast base to ride on.

The leg by the Arkansas River was beautiful in the morning light. We arrived at our only real climb for the day, up and out of the Royal Gorge. A few more miles downhill put us in Canon City, where we had a bountiful picnic in the park.

The day wasn't getting any cooler, and we still had a lot of ground to cover, so we headed out. We had been deliberating back and forth on which way to go. After much map talk and consultations with locals, we decided on the straight route via Highway 50, even though it would be less scenic and more trafficky.

We had been told that Pueblo was basically downhill, save for a few rolling hills. It turned out to be ALL rolling hills, but unfortunately not the kind where your momentum gets you up the next one. In fact, we were facing HOT headwinds that had us pedaling the entire time. But luckily, we were all in good spirits and pressed on.

The day Karin and Debbie left on their trip, they had stopped at REI for some last-minute gear. The attendant there was a nice guy named Zachary, who told them he had an aunt in Pueblo. To make a long story short, we decided to stay with Aunt Irene, a woman we neither knew nor had any real connection to.

Boy, were we lucky! Aunt Irene had a beautiful home stocked with clean towels, an excellent showerhead, comfy beds, washer and dryer, and internet access... and tons of food! We were thrilled and went to bed happy. Aunt Irene was the best!