And the bags come off....

Today I learned the same lesson as the buxom woman who runs a marathon: It's good to be supported. Today was my first day without my bags and I had close to a 18 MPH average. However, I only biked a little over 40 miles. After lunch Mom and I decided to head up to Mount Rushmore. I know Nebraska is famous for its corn, but seriously at one point we had corn for at least five miles in every direction. It was one of those sights that make you feel insignificant; like standing at the bottom of a skyscraper or on the floor of the Grand Canyon. We made it as far as North Platte, before stopping for dinner and a place to stay for the night. By some strange alignment of the cosmos, we found Penny's Diner to eat tonight (For those of you who don't know, my mother's name is Penny). Tomorrow, we cross into the Mountain Timezone and on to South Dakota to see some really big presidents. Until then.....

PS: I have been taking pictures, however, I am having issues finding the cord to transfer them from the camera to the computer, I will add in the pictures to old posts when I find the cord.

A Kansas State of Mind....

After meeting up with mother last night, we headed on to Wichita and the Wichita Art Museum. They had an interesting exhibit on Meso-American civilizations, however since they only allowed sketches (And I am no Picasso) no pictures from the museum. After that we tried to add me as an authorized driver on her rental car, however due to the bass-ackward practices of Dollar rental car, it would have been cheaper to rent an entirely new car for me than to add me to the exhisting contract. After that we decided to head closer to the trail and for us that meant Hutchinson, KS. We decided to go see a movie, ironically, this movie is about a blogger named Julie. She works her way through Julia Childs' cookbook and in the process improved her life. Watching the movie inspired me to finish this journey of which I am halfway through. Tomorrow I am trying to push some extreme miles, so we shall see how it goes. Until then...

Kansas...A lot of pastures

For the past two days I have been rolling through the rolling plains
of Kansas. There is really not much to see however I find riding
through this land very enjoyable. However even though I have taken pictures of this, I think this is an experience that "is better felt than telt". Tonight I stopped in Eureka, KS to wait for my support driver, and she finally arrived. She is known by many names but I call her: Mommy. Tomorrow we drive to Wichita to enjoy some of the big city
culture after that we push on with the biking.

Across State Lines...

After waking up and checking the weather, it looked like I would once again be riding through a downpour. However luckily I only went through about 20 minutes of moderate rain. One thing I did encounter today something new, unpaved roads. Google maps apparently doesn't take these mundane things into account. However I did learn that dirt roads are much worse than gravel for bike riding. I did manage to avoid the worse of the two. Gravel does manage to make pedaling much harder. After passing into Kansas I was able to stay on paved roads the whole time. While I was stopped at a gas station, a Jehovah's Witness came and had a chat with me, I swear, I go halfway across the country and they still manage to find me. For my first day back I think I managed to do pretty well. Although I am wiped, I think I am still a little run down from yesterday. I think it is time to get some rest and try this all again tomorrow; until then....

I am really getting sick of Kansas City....

Or I guess the true phrase would be "I am really getting sick IN Kansas City". I don't know what I ate or when I ate it, but something hit me hard. I am leary about being stranded out in the sticks on my bike without provisions within reach. So in the interest of self-preservation I have rented my motel room for another day. My new found friend Pepto and I are going to spend an intimate day together. Luckily a bike trip lends itself to this kind of to recouperation, gallons of Gatorade, a box of saltines, a warm bed, and a TV. Anyways, I have returned my car, so I am going to be within 300 yds of this bed all day. Until tomorrow....

On the Road Again.....

I can't wait to get on the road again. Well during my week at the Jersey shore, I spent time with my family and friends relaxing. During our two trips to Atlantic City I saw two comedy shows with comedians including Jeff Dunham, Dom Irrera et al. After the week down the shore I heading to the wedding of my friend Traci. The wedding and the bride were both beautiful, and I ended up having more fun at this event than I ever thought possible. And then a mere twenty-four hours later I am sitting again in Kansas City getting ready to take on the world once again. Today is going to be a series of logistical events. First and foremost, picking up a car and grabbing my bike. After that it is time to deal with my COBRA benefits, because as the letter dated August 14th informed me, my insurance lapsed on July 31st. Then a drive south to get back on the trail. In an exciting bit of news, I will be joined by a support car in about a week. The identity of this mystery driver will be revealed in the next few days.

The Ol' Kansas City Shuffle...

(Yeah that guy was staring me down as I rode by) Well after another short day of biking (about 40 miles) I called Enterprise to work out how I was going to get to my flight on Friday to make it home for the wedding and Jeff Dunham show I found out that if I didn't take possession of a car post haste, I would be stuck about 200 miles away from the airport. So I rented a car and drove up to Kansas City. Got here about 11:15 PM CST last night. After waking up this morning, I headed to the Nelson-Atkins Museum of Art. After browsing through the collection I wandered outside where I saw the most recognizable item of the day, Rodin's "The Thinker". Wanting to compare St. Louis BBQ to Kansas City I asked the locals where to go. The unanimous recommendation was Oklahoma Joe's. So I made a quick trip across state lines to give it a try. If the line out the door was any kind of indication, I was in the right place. As the line wrapped around this convience store/gas station (no joke), I read some of the multiple accolades of the store. June 2009 Men's Health ranked it in its list of 13 places to eat before you die. So with that and Katz's deli in NYC I have at least 2 down. Well the wait was worth it as the meat litterally peeled right off the bone, and the sauces were delicious. After that it was on to the library of the 33rd President of the United States of America (Harry S. Truman). Relaxing before dinner. Talk to you all later.

It's too darned hot!

Well I am back on the bike and stopped for lunch. I have gone about 30
miles but I have already gone through a gallon of liquids. With the
thermometer consistantly reading above 100 I think that might be it
for the day. It just isn't any fun biking when it is so incredibly hot
out.
Update: Went out to dinner and saw the same couple I met in VA a week and a half ago. It was nice to see a "familiar" face. We exchanged war stories and plans for the upcoming weeks (The dogs liked him too!)

Another Day at the Top of the World...

As I stood on top of Gateway Arch, and gazed out upon St. Louis I tried to envision what this countryside must have look like to Lewis & Clark at the start of their journey to find the source of the Missouri River and the Pacific beyond it. As I read excerpts from their diaries in the museum far below I realized that if I were born in a different time I could see myself being part of their expedition. However at the same time I also realized that seeing this city to which I would have missed otherwise is a great highlight of my trip. And so I have decided to take at least one more of these side trips to the Black Rock Hills of South Dakota to see Mount Rushmore. For now though it is back to the edge of Kentucky to push on with the two wheeled portion of the adventure. For today however I am going to see one more museum before I head back to rustic life on the road. And then on to Paducah, KY...Until then.

Traveler's Log Part 2:

After a quick rest I walked a few miles to try the BBQ that everyone had been raving about, Pappy's Smokehouse. I may go back tomorrow. Now I walked down to the railroad tracks to listen to some blues. It is everything a blues bar should be, good music, good whiskey, desolate neighborhood, freight trains rolling by to the beat. I'll be hear for a few more hours just taking it all in. Until tomorrow...

The Tourist's Log Part One...

After meeting some of the locals last night, I got the recommendations on what I should see today. Combining that with the literature in my room I came up with a plan of action. After leaving the hotel I headed to the Garden of Eden and toured the source of ambrosia. Or in reality I headed to the Anheuser-Busch brewery for a tour of their St. Louis headquarters. I saw the Clydesdale's and their stable, and if PETA ever says they are mistreated I will smack them silly. The stables were immaculate. They must muck out the stalls and wash the horses twice daily because it didn't even smell like a stable just cedar chips and a faint smell of horses. By the way for those of you who are interested the dalmatian was added to the hitch to guard the beer while the deliveries were being made (A good idea in my estimation). Also, I know that it is a factory that produces food so it has to be kept clean, but besides being clean it was the, for lack or need of a better word, prettiest factory I have ever seen. And then once the tour was finished they gave me beer and the day was just beginning. After leaving heaven I headed to Forest Park where I toured the Missouri History Museum as well as the St. Louis Art Museum to view some interesting and beautiful piece of art and learn about Lindbergh and the World's Fair. Now I am back at the hotel taking a rest and washing up before part two of my day. I will let you know how the rest goes....

You can find me in St. Louis.....

After waking up in Louisville, I took the car and headed to the Mammoth Caves in the middle of Kentucky. Now I realize that this blog was originally dedicated to my bike trip across the US and I will eventually get back to it, however, I have decided to make the most out of having the car to see some things that I would have otherwise missed. One theme behind this trip the entire time has been to fly by the seat of my pants and go with every whim that comes to me. So far it has been working out pretty well. Now the Mammoth Caves were very cool, however, I think some of the manmade improvements like handrails and pathways really detract from the overall natural beauty. I would have liked to do some of the more physical tours of the caves, however the all start early in the morning and I had places to be. After exiting the cave there was a strange incendescent sphere in the sky. I asked one of my fellow spelunkers what it was and the said it was "The Sun". The term seemed vaguely familiar like I had once heard about it long ago, but its memory had long been forgotten. Its warming glow brought cheer to all who encountered it. Then came the long drive to St. Louis. After nearly running out of gas and a few leg cramps I made it to St. Louis a little after 9 PM. Lucked out on a hotel 100 yds from the arch and even have a view of it from the room. Today out doing touristy things again...

West to Louisville...

After waking up in Lexington, I took a quick trip to the University of Kentucky. After a quick trip to their bookstore it was on to Louisville. Keeping with the theme of this trip it was pouring rain most of the day. However I didn't let this stop my day today. After dropping the bike off at the shop I found a small diner to eat lunch in, turns out that diner is famous for their "Sweet Daddy Burger", the guy that runs it was even on Letterman to serve it up. I didn't try that burger but the one I did try was HUGE (but I demolished it!). After that I headed to Main St. to check out a few of the things their including the Muhammad Ali museum as well as the Louisville Slugger factory. The only thing about the city is that it seems like a ghost town. I realize that today saw some of the worst storms the city has ever seen, however I still expected more than the 50 or so people I saw out tonight, it was eerie. Hopefully tomorrow will bring some better weather for travelling.

Ghost Update

I didn't see/hear any ghosts. Nor did any of the LOCAL residents of
the motel mention anything about it. Although they did talk about
anything and everything else ad infinitum.

The Detour Begins....

After a few hours of talking with the mountain people of Kentucky, I found the Enterprise in Hazard, KY. These people were very helpful when it came to getting me a car to use. So I drove up to Lexington to check out the "city". I admit that I didn't check it all out, but it seems like a series of mini malls and suburbs stretched out over a large area, however some of it is very pretty. After some sushi, I found a place to stay. The plan for tomorrow is to wake up, check out Lexington for an hour then drive to Louisville and spend my day getting my bike fixed and taking in the sights. What started out to be a disaster has actually turned into a nice little adventure. Goodnight you Princes of Maine, you Kings of New England.

Catastrophic Mission Failure....

A cracked gasket caused a large explosion when the O2 tanks were stirred causing a venting of usable oxygen..oh wait wrong mission. I was going up a hill when the screw holding the left front rack sheared and the rack went into the wheel. One spoke broken and at least 2 bent possibly beyond repair. I am ok, I kept the bike upright, it was just a good thing this happened going uphill because if I was going downhill at 30-40 MPH it could have been a disaster. I am in the process of renting a car and getting to a bike shop in Lexington to get it fixed. I know that isn't the closest bike shop, however if I am going to be stuck losing a day or two, I might as well get some sightseeing out of it. I will keep you all updated.

Into Kentucky...

Ride Time: 6:09:20 Distance: 71.90 MilesAverage Speed: 11.2 MPH Max Speed: 36.6 MPH Average Temperature 83 Degrees
It was the day that wouldn't end, no it went on and on my friend. Well I am finally into Kentucky. And what a day it has been. I believe Kentucky is the patron state of loose dogs. Most of them only want to run along side the bike and bark a lot, however I am pretty sure one or two wanted to take a chunk out of my calf. But that is just the beginning of my day. My goal for today was Pippa Passes, KY and the hostel that is located there. Only problem is when I got there, the hostel was closed. No problem, I can push on 8 miles to Hindman and the two hotels there. When I got to Hindman, it turns out that the one hotel has closed and the other is 3 miles outside of town. Well I didn't really have a choice now, so on to the Motel 80. 411 couldn't find a number so I just got directions from the locals and off I went. Only problem is when I showed up no one is in the office. After about 30 minutes talking to the residents of the hotel, the owners nephew (I think) got me into a room and I paid him in cash. But I am in a room, and have a bed, so that is all that matters to me at the moment. A long, but satisfying day. Until tomorrow....

To the end of VA....

Ride Time: 5:47:42 Ride Distance: 69.69 MilesAverage Speed: 11.7 MPH Max Speed: 41.6 MPH High Temperature: 93
Finally a day where I went over 65 miles (Almost 70!). I made it to Breaks, VA, right on the Kentucky border. It was a very long day, but satisfying. I went over 3 more mountains and flew down the other side. I also had my first real bike malfunction today. My rear rack broke when I lost the two screws on the left side. Luckily I found one and took the other from a 3rd possible water bottle holder. That took about 15 minutes to fix, however it seems to have done the trick. Tomorrow I will try to push on Pippa Pass, KY...FINALLY leaving Virginia. Until then.....