Day 1 I'm Hungry

I will eat these snacks in less than two days

Day 1 History

Day 1 The Bungee

Bungee

When I started, my map case on the handle bar  bag kept blowing up. I thought I wish "I had a 6-inch  bungee." Then I saw a large red barn with three white crosses painted on it. I thought that is an interesting picture. Then a older white truck in oncoming traffic slows to a stop across the road. A women never looking at me rolls the driver window down, holds a yellow sign out with the word "Pray" painted in black. She never looked at me. I said "oh". I start thinking about it, look down and I see a 6-inch bungee on the road.

Day 1 Plantations and Cemeteries

Plantation Cemetery

There are many magnifance plantations. Also there are many cemeteries. I went down a dirt road trying to get a better view of President Tyler's Sherwood Forest Plantation and saw this cemetery for children.

Day 1 About the People

I met wonderful people today. I saw David and Diane on a tandem bike. I was looking for the Memorial. David said "up the hill" then "catch up with us". I did catch up later as they took a break. They were going to ride for four months. They had no destination but rather how far. John and Mary took the picture of me at the windmill. They are from Roanoke. I later would draft off of them as John took the lead. I made good time. John pumped up my tires because they were soft. They were happy their third child just graduated from college. Dan and Briane I saw often. They were wonderful. Dan gave up his job for a bike ride across America. They took there two children and a dog and left Nebraska. Each day Briane waits for Dan to finish. Amy was lost when I met her. I spent the first night at the same place with her. She was from Indiana. She was traveling from Yorktown to Florence Oregon. She had a young family at home.

Day 1 New Friends

David and Diane

Dan, Briane, Conor, Aaron

John and Mary

Day 1 The Windmill

Heading out of Yorktown

Day 1 The Atlantic

I'm Ready

Day 1 The Monument

Victory Monument

This is where it starts. Read the words on the monument.

Travel Day

Michel from Haiti

Long day. The flight was all night. I had a nice family with a woman and little baby sitting next to me. The baby kept kicking me as it nursed,  but that didn't bother me. The Mom felt bad. At the Airport, a nice taxi driver befriended me. He wasn't a yellow taxi, he was a green taxi. He was upset because the Hotel did not pick me up. They were suppose to send me a yellow taxi. Two hours and I didn't have a ride. I saw orange taxis and yellow taxis zip by. I almost walked. None of the taxi drivers wanted to lose their spot in line at the airport for a short ride. He called the Hotel and complained. His name was Michel, like my twin Sister spelled different.  I guessed he was Jamaican by his accent. I said "you have an accent, Jamaican?" He laughed and said he would bet me two dollars I couldn't guess where he was from. I would guess from a list of three countries. He opened his wallet and placed the money in my hand.  I wouldn't bet but said I would give him a buck. My first guess was Cameroon just because i know a person from Cameroon. Way off,  He smiled. He told me he was from Haiti and I gave him a dollar. I got to the Hotel in Newport News, VA. My bike was there. I put the bike still in the box in the room and decided I would assemble it in the morning.

Update

Sorry I haven't updated. I have great pictures, met wonderful people, and have  good stories, however, due to only having a cell phone and limited signal, I haven't posted. Doing well.

Ready to Travel

Today is Friday. I packed today in a few hours. Flying all night. My plan was to put the bike back together tomorrow and start riding on Sunday. Hope I have it all. Last I checked my bike was in Maryland and won't arrive in Virginia until late Monday. That is a little setback. I planned on starting the ride on Sunday. Blog you later from the East side.

In the Beginning

Biking 1972

Grade School Days, taking the long way home.

Big Bike Little Box

Bike out of the Box

Bike in the Box

I managed to fit this big new bike in that box. Ready to ship.

Ready to Ship

The Bike is packed.

Seeing Green

Follow the sign

I can follow this sign through Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, and Kansas.

Reliving History

40th Anniversary

Bikecentennial was launched in 1976 to celebrate the bicycle and America’s Bicentennial. During that summer, 2,000 cyclist rode the 82-day, 4,250-mile TransAmerica Bicycle Trail from Astoria, Oregon to Yorktown, Virginia, the biggest bicycle-touring event in U. S. history. I will attempt this route opposite direction in 71-days.

Sleeping Giant

Lahar Alley

Standing tall at 14,411 ft Mt. Rainier is considered one of the most dangerous volcanoes in the world. If it blows, a massive lahar (mudflow) would fill the valley. This is where I ride.

Mt Rainier

Seeing Yellow

Wild Flowers

Spring is here.

Record Rain

Puddle or a Lake?

Riding in the rain. Thanks to months of endless soggy weather, Seattle had the wettest winter on record  with 24.63” of rain.  Secret-Sealskinz Brand waterproof socks.

Getting Heavy

Customized Jeremiah

Still training on Jeremiah. I added sand bags for April to to build leg strength. There is a small tan bag of sand on the front, and two larger bags in the rear basket. The heavier the better. You ask "where is the new bike?" Soon...

Delorme GPS

Delorme inReach SE

I will be carrying this GPS tracking device. Many times I will be out of cell phone signal area.  This tracker will "ping" the GPS satellites every 10 minutes represented by a blue dot on the map. I can also send messages. Click "Track Me" under Links to find me.