The Dogs are Getting OUT OF CONTROL!

As we ride deeper and deeper into Kentucky, the dogs are getting more and more out of control. Literally every house has a mass of vicious dogs, waiting for their moment to sprint. Any guilt we have previously felt about harming an animal has faded away. We have taken to riding as a tight pod of five, and are now armed to the hilt with every weapon we can conceive. The lead rider rarely has anything to worry about, as the dogs almost always chase the trailing rider. We've started to riding two-wide, thus one person can protect the back left of the group, and the other the back right, with one rider at "point" (front). Each of us has spray mace, and a box of "poppers." The latter of which are small paper-wrapped firecrackers that can be detonated by throwing them at the ground. With the lead rider screaming at the top of his/her lungs, and the trailers spraying and blowing up everything else, we have managed to avoid any bites. We're actually starting to have quite a time of it, and the constant distraction makes the miles melt away.

TODAY MARKS 2 MONTHS ON THE ROAD FOR JOHN AND I! HORRAY!

Kentucky! [This Post Written and Edited by Doug Lybeck]

July 23, 2009

We crossed into Kentucky this afternoon. The transition from Illinois was dramatic: strip malls to rolling hillsides. Each home tends to have an immaculate 4-5 acre lawn surrounding it. The amount of time Kentuckens spend mowing their lawns must be astonishing! The countryside accompanies the property very well, alternating between lush trees, hills, corn, soybean and tobacco crops.
Kentucky's residents LOVE their enormous, perfectly maintained lawns
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Me and my first Tobacco field.
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Other cyclists have been warning us for weeks about the dogs in Kentucky. They are NASTY! It seems like every other house has one or two BIG, MEAN dogs sitting on the property, ready and trained to attack cyclists. They often come out of nowhere, remaining silent until they are at full speed, right on your heels. We’ve tried a number of techniques to evade them, some with better success than others. John often tries to stop ahead of the dogs, resulting in them loosing interest and wandering off. I’ve tried the “pedal for dear life” approach, which is not really advisable because if they have already caught up to you they can easily outrun the bikes. Everyone is now carrying dog-mace or pepper spray which seems to be the most effective deterrent. We’ve only had to use it once thus far, and Heather relayed her experience as “turning a ferocious killing machine into a whining puppy” in a matter of seconds. I hope I don’t have to use the ¾ aluminum pipe I now carry on the bike, but I will if I have to.
One of the few ways to fend off attacking dogs.
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Churches continue to becone of our most reliable and welcoming places to camp. The Bob and his wife Violet took us in in Shawnee Kentucky, and treated us like royalty! Violet cooked us a wonderful southern style dinner of cornbread, beans + hamhock, salad, coleslaw and spiral cut ham. Showers, laundry and an air-conditioned place to sleep were greatly appreciated.

St Louis [This Post Written and Edited by Doug Lybeck]

July 21, 2009

We finished the Katy Trail in Missouri this afternoon in grand style. The trail technically ends in St Charles, but we decided to continue on into St Louis.

It’s been fascinating to watch the progression of real estate prices as we approached the city. Only 50 miles out, nice three bedroom homes can be had for as little as 20K! The small towns outside of the city are actually VERY nice. For some reason I had a bad image is Missouri in my head before I arrived, but I’ve been proven quite wrong.

John, Heather, Jackson, Dave and myself rode into the outer suburbs of St Louis, through Creve Coeur park and a series of interurban bike trails. Unfortunately the trails quickly ended and we found ourselves on packed city streets during rush hour. I’m used to city riding, but its significantly harder when fully loaded for touring, let alone with four other people trailing me. The others needed a Best Buy to find a new camera, so I decided to use the opportunity to sprint into downtown to see the arch! The tourist in me couldn’t resist. Downtown St Louis is very nice, much like most US cities. It had a slum period in the 70’s and 80’s, and has received a great deal of waterfront improvements over the last 20 years. The area directly downtown actually reminds me quite a bit of San Francisco.

Being an uber-tourist at the arch in St Louis
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We Got In The Newspaper!!

Amanda did an interview with the New Haven Register, and it looks like it got published!

New Haven Register - Connecticut

Katy Trail Update [This Post Written and Edited by Doug Lybeck]

July 19, 2009

Well we’ve had another hilarious and amazing day out on the Katy Trail out in Missouri. We’ve met back up with the Kiwi’s, Heather and Jackson, Dave (from Idaho), and a couple of new guys who are sponsored by the beer company that brews Fat Tire beer. The last two always seem to have plenty of free beer. :-)

This afternoon we only put down about 70 miles, and traveled from New Franklin to the small town of Tebbets, Missouri. We rolled into town and were greeted by the friendly locals, and were quickly directed to the “Turner Katy Trail Shelter,” which is a low cost hostel for bikers. It’s a HUGE converted house right in downtown which is now equipped with over 30 bunk beds, amazing hot showers, a kitchen, and a couple great porches on which to socialize with the DOZENS of other locals and travelers.

Turner Katy Trail Shelter.
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Within about a half hour, Jim, the local ‘retired’ bartender swooped around the corner in one of his four 1920’s vintage Ford Model T’s and offered each of us a ride around the small town. The model he had out today was the 1922, two seat convertible (Jim’s personal favorite). It seems his aim was to get everyone in town to come out to Karaoke at the bar with him. Jim is a character, and he’s hard to say no to. When we arrived at the bar later in the evening we were greeted with confederate flags, pictures of eagles, old beer posters, and even a full-size set of fake breasts which sang a country twang of “Titties and Beer.” This place was everything you imagine middle America to be. I cringed when I looked at a large bottle of Budweiser on the bar which had the following hand written label attached: “OBAMA Beer! Not to dark, not to light. Just right” Jim poured another beer and quickly reassured me that he had indeed voted for Obama, something I’m still not entirely convinced of.

Jim the bartender took us all for rides in his 1922 Ford Model T All Photos
It turns out that gag jokes are Jim’s amusement of choice, and walking into his bar is like stepping into his own little playhouse. In one corner he has an “electric chair” set up, which is essentially a full-sized “hand buzzer” joke. He delighted in making Heather squirm with discomfort as he tied her into the contraption. He ducks back behind the bar, and comes out moments later dressed as Mickey Mouse, simply to prove the point that he hasn’t the slightest clue what he is talking about. The jokes continued seemingly indefinitely until we decided to head back over to catch some sleep for tomorrows ride. This place will certainly be memorable.
Heather in the Faux Electric Chair. Jim's Bar, Tebbets MO. All Photos





A dog jumped in front of my bike, causing me to endo and break my trailer. 2 hours to fix. :-(
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Sad Day........ [This Post Written and Edited by Doug Lybeck]

Sad Day........
Unfortunately Nick and Amanda have decided to part ways and take a different route home to the Northeast. School is a high priority in their lives, and both need to get home in time to prepare for senior projects, and classes. Their parting was sudden, so I'm not 100% sure what route they will be taking or when or where they will be home. It's been a fun 3000 + miles of pedaling, and I'll remember you guys forever! I wish you well!

And then there were two......... John and I (Doug) have decided to continue along the TransAmerica trail to our original destination: Yorktown Virginia. The trip is coming to a very rapid close; our expected arrival date is floating around August 8-10. My excitement grows each day with anticipation for the East Coast!

Nick and Amanda are Headin Home.... :-( It Was a Fun Trip! Good Luck in School!
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Katy Trail Update [This Post Written and Edited by Doug Lybeck]

Our journey off-route to the Katy Trail has been absolutely worth the trip! The trail actually turned out to be incredibly well maintained, and covers almost half the state of Missouri. Its actually a part of the Missouri State Park system.

As we ride down the abandoned railway right-of-way, I have the feeling of being removed from time, as though it could be 100 or more years ago. Much of the path is shrouded by a series of wonderful deciduous trees which guard us not only from the sun, but the wind as well. Many of the historical rail features remain, including dilapidated locomotive turnabouts, signal indicators, and old tunnels. The wildlife here is incredibly abundant! Frogs and toads dart left and right as we ride along, hares and small rabbits are copious, and we even saw what appeared to be a juvenile turkey vulture sitting on the side of the path!

Juvenile Turkey Vulture? Katy Trail, Missouri.
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Katy Trail, Missouri. Remnants of the Old Railway Remain Everywhere.
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New Trail [This Post Written and Edited by Doug Lybeck]

Today I find myself in the back of a U-Haul trailer, trucking North across the Kansas countryside. Usually such a break from riding would be a gross misstep in the Transamerica trail, but we have managed to justify it. We’re heading off route (we’ve left the Adventure Cycling map), to find a path known as the “Katy Trail.” Its been talked about much by other cyclists who have ridden it, and comes highly recommended. It’s a 225 mile, hard-pack gravel trail built on an old rail right-of-way. We feel OK about taking the U-haul because the path is 100 miles exactly north of where we left the Transamerica trail. Technically we are still riding the full coast-to-coast trail, just at a different latitude. We’re traveling with our New Zealand buddies Jackson and Heather. There’s a total of 6 of us in a truck built for two. John, Amanda, Nick and myself are stuffed in the back with all the bikes and gear. It’s a stuffy, airless 87 degrees in the enclosed truck bed. We’ve noticed the temperature rises 1 degree every ten minutes, and we have a two hour drive ahead of us – UH OH! I know the temporary discomfort will be worth it.

John Gets Comfy in the Back of the UHaul
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Amanda, Nick and Doug - Two Hours Into a Ride in the Back of the UHaul
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The bleak Kansas countryside is finally giving way to a much more hospitable Missouri hillscape. We just stopped the U-Haul for a quick pee-break and were amazed by the greenery and water! We’ll be getting into the Ozark mountain range shortly, which is supposed to be some of the prettiest scenery on the trip.

Kansas [This Post Written and Edited by Doug Lybeck]

July 11, 2009


For the duration of the trip we have been attempting to meet up with one of Amanda’s friends, Bob Lorence, who has wanted to join our journey from the very beginning. He’s a 24 year old long haul trucker who drives 18 wheelers for a living. He also unicycles on the side! We’d initially planned to meet him in Oregon, then Montana, Wyoming, and Colorado, but each time his company dispatched him out on a new job. At long last he was sent out to Denver, a short two hour drive from where we were riding. After parking his rig in Denver he rented a U-Haul and drove his bike down to Scott City Kansas, where he met us in the sweltering Great Plains heat.

Bob rides an AWESOME “Longbike Sidewinder.” It’s a very modern recumbent, with under-seat steering. As we toil along in awkward positions on our standard bikes, Bob reclines as though lounging at the pool. It’s a SWEET bike, and after riding it around Scott City for a few minutes, I may very well be converted to this new style of riding. We’re back up to five riders, and having a GREAT time.

Bob's New "LongBike Sidewinder" Recumbent.
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Kansas has been entirely different than we expected. There is a great deal of repetition here. Each town is 15-20 miles apart, and each is an almost identical 10 by 10 block copy of the last. The roads do not turn. Swimming pools are not a luxury here, they are an expected commodity which each town is very proud to build and maintain. As cyclists, we are often invited to swim free of charge, by locals who are reliably enthusiastic about our journey. We’re already 1/3 across Kansas, and we have only been in the state for 2 days! The heat is intense; every day is over 100 degrees. We've taken to riding in the morning, taking a four hour lunch break from 2pm to 6pm, and finishing up the ride in the evening. 64 oz slurpees are one of the few things keeping us sane after a 7 hour ride in the beating sun.


Staying Cool With 64 Oz Slurpees in EVERY Town.
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Eads Colorado - A Step Back in Time [This Post Written and Edited by Doug Lybeck]

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July 8, 2009 –

Well we finally bid goodbye to the Rockies yesterday, and they went out in as dramatic a fashion as they came in. Almost instantly after passing our last and highest Rocky Mountain pass (Hoosier, 11,500 feet), we dive-bombed down into the eastern Colorado flats. It was stunning to see the change in terrain. We’ve been out in the flats for three days now, and we’re beginning to get a taste of what Kansas and the next three weeks may feel like. There is truly NOTHING out here. I never thought I’d be so excited to see a grain silo, but out here it’s one of the few things that keeps me going. The roads are so long and SO straight that you can actually see a town 15-20 miles before you arrive at it. The grain silos make for a good checkpoint in your day, but when you only pass two in an 80 mile ride, it takes a lot to stay focused. Today I downloaded George Orwell’s “1984” on my IPOD to keep my mind from wandering.

Last night we pulled into Eads, Colorado. It’s likely the biggest city w have seen in 4 days at 1500 people. We’re lucky to be arriving right as the summer wheat harvest is coming in. This otherwise sleepy town is now bustling with commotion and machinery. Combines and harvest trucks crowd the roads, as farmers rush their crops to the downtown grain silo. We are camped out right at the base of the silo, in the midst of the tumultuous activity. Semi trucks come in and drop multi-ton loads off, which are then augured up into the silo and stored for about a week. This Wednesday night turned out to be the evening when they dumped the entire stock into a freight train for transport elsewhere. This whole event took place not 100 feet from our camping spot in the city park. It’s all quite noisy, but it’s so fun to watch you can hardly complain.

As the sun set on the workers at the silo, a BUNCH of kids came out in their cars and started looping the main street of town. Round and round they go on the ½ mile main strip. At one point there were at least 20 vehicles of all makes and models making the loop. I finally went over and yelled out “WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?” A young girl yelled back “WERE CRUSIN!!” I was floored! It was literally a modern day reincarnation of “American Graffiti;” 1950’s style youth amusement. All we need now is a milkshake-diner and roller skates. This town feels like we have stepped back in time 60 years, and I LOVE IT!










The Bustling Grain Silo in Eads Colorado.
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Happy July 4th! [This Post Written and Edited by Doug lybeck]

July 4, 2009 [This Post Written and Edited by Doug lybeck]

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY!!

Well we have finally arrived in the legendary Brekenridge/Vail/Aspen resort area, and so far it has left nothing to be desired. After a LONG haul through the rest of Wyoming, we entered Colorado from the north. Instantly the terrain was transformed from the low-lying scrub brush of the previous state, to grandiose mountains of epic proportions. We joked that Wyoming drew the short straw when it came to picking state lines, but its really true. We have completely fallen in love with the small lakeside town of Frisco, Colorado. It’s like the unknown little brother to Brekenridge, but has just as much charm. A couple of days before we had arrived, we had intended to take a day off, and it turned out to be a GREAT choice. Although this entire area is VERY touristy, it is flanked by some of the most stunning scenery we’ve come across yet. I can see why Colorado has become a place of vacation lore.
Of course we arrived to find the campgrounds completely full for the holiday weekend. Thousands of tourists from throughout the country had packed the dusty, boring, overpriced campgrounds days before we had arrived. Generally we are allowed to camp in a “hiker/ biker” section because we do not travel with a vehicle, but not here! Campground hosts scoffed, as though the very thought that we might stay without a 6 month reservation was simply too much for them to comprehend. We grew tired of their lack of hospitality and decided to instead to camp out on the shores of lake Dillon, not a half mile from the campground. It turned out to be one of our favorite sites yet. Our small peninsula overlooks the beautiful Frisco Marina, and is directly across from where the town fires off their fireworks! We awoke to an especially grand, golden sunrise, accompanied by a glass-like lake covered in a mysterious mist. We saved $17 and had a great time of it.
Amanda and I decided that the mountains were simply too stunning not to climb, and took off early in the morning to explore. We hiked about 15 miles in the backcountry around lake Dillon, and were rewarded with a great deal of dynamic and impressive alpine scenery. We’ve both decided that if there were ever a place to rip-up-roots and move to, this would be it!


Entering Colorado - SWEET SIGN
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Questionable Gas Station Naming in the Midwest.......
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