In July, 2008, I embarked on a year-long bicycle ride to celebrate my fiftieth birthday. I wanted to accomplish as many goals as possible in that one year. The backbone of the adventure was to be a 13,000-mile self-supported bicycle tour around the perimeter of the United States. Along the way I planned to stand at the southernmost point of the country, climb to three state high points, touch all four coasts (the north coast is along the Great Lakes), and visit five National Parks. I would meet everyday people in American small towns and play the tourist at numerous quirky roadside attractions. Over the winter I considered trying to backpack the 1400-mile Florida Trail. I planned the trip to end in July, 2009, when I would bicycle into my Ohio hometown on my fiftieth birthday.
Things did not come together as well as I�d hoped, and as my departure day loomed ever closer, I found that the funds available for the trip fell far short of the estimated amount required. I�d been planning this party for a long time, so instead of giving it all up for lack of funds, I decided to just start riding and see how far I could get.
These pages present the background leading to the trip, my daily journal entries, and my post-trip observations. |
