WE MADE IT!

Looks like we made it into the paper again:

Another 'crazy guy on a bike'

Aug. 8, 2009

Lots of new photos: ALL PHOTOS

We walked onto the beach at the Atlantic ocean on August 8th! The name "Yorktown" has been so imprinted into my mind over the course of the trip that when I finally saw it printed on a road sign, I almost did a double take.

This has been an overwhelmingly fulfilling journey. I walk away with a renewed sense of faith in the goodness of people.

My journey will continue up the coast to NYC and beyond!

COOKIE LADY!

I finally had the exceptional honor of meeting the esteemed "Cookie Lady," June Curry. The Cookie Lady has reached a level of lore on the TransAmerica that is difficult to be matched by anything else. We started hearing stories of her home and her kind deeds as far back as the Oregon coast, and were pleased to find them all to be true!

June is a kindly older lady who lives in a proper three story brick house perched near the top of a steep hill above the town of Afton Virginia. She has lived in the same home since her birth, and for that reason history runs DEEP in her home. She has dedicated one of the buildings on her property as "The Bike House" (or bike 'who-ose' as she pronounces it). The building is filled top to bottom, wall to wall with bicycle memorabilia from the last 35 years. June's health is ailing, but her mind is filled with hundreds of stories that she loves to recount at a moments notice. She apologizes that she is often unable to remember all of the bicyclists she has taken in, as it has now been over 14,000! (yes, fourteen thousand!) She meticulously photographs each group who comes through her home, and catalog's them into a binder for year.

June is now recognized by the Adventure Cycling organization as a "Trail Angel" - or someone who has gone above and beyond to help cyclists on their way. My time at June's house was wonderful, and I feel like a better person to have had the opportunity to meet her. Thanks Cookie Lady!

June Curry - "The Cookie Lady" with Jackson and Heather. All Photos.

Leaving my little piece of memorabilia at The Bike House. All Photos.

Our Polaroid for the Cookie Lady's Records. All Photos.

Bicycle Memrobelia in "The Bike House" at the Cookie Lady's. All Photos.

5 Days Left!

Our voyage across the country is quickly coming to a close. It seems that every day we ride more than we had expected, resulting in an end date that was originally August 30th, then 20th, the 10th, and now the 8th!

The feel of the communities we are traveling through has been rapidly changing again. Gone are the Deliverance-esk scenes of rural Kentucky. We've had our fill of ratty trailers and even dirtier dogs. Crossing the state line into Virginia was like a breath of fresh air. In this dignified land, lawns were mowed, houses were firmly attached to their foundations, and the locals speak in a distinguished southern drawl. Today I had the pleasure of shopping at an all-organic market, and reading the Wall Street Journal for the first time in nearly 2 months! The biting smell of bulk flax seed and oats at the market instantly brought me back to grocery shopping at home in San Francisco. I miss good food!

The Appalachian mountains are turning out to be a BRUTAL ride. It seems whoever laid out the road system here decided to go straight over the mountains instead of following riverbeds and ridges, as is the style in the west. It seems there is never a break; we're either going straight up or straight down, there is no in between.

Yesterday our path crossed with the Appalachian Trail. This 2200 mile hiking trail runs through the mountain range running north-south. We had the opportunity to meet with a couple of hikers who had been out on the trail for 75 days. As bicyclists we are used to being on the bottom of the transportation totem pole. When we found out they had only managed to cover only 700 miles in that many days, we started to feel pretty good about our progress. :-) They were funny guys who obviously enjoyed a little (a lot) of herb on their trip. They had taken to wearing Hawaiian Sarongs, or skirts as they were calling them. It was a funny interaction, as these guys had obviously been on the road for a LONG time.

Finding Our Way. All Photos.


Following the "76" bike route across Virginia. Same route as the "BikeCentennial" in 1976! Left to right: John, Doug, Heather, Jackson, Dave. All Photos.

John in the Rolling Virginia Countryside. All Photos.

Either the Baptists have a REALLY good sense of humor, or they are completely oblivious. All Photos.