Charity Collection (Finally!)

Hey everyone,

It's long past time that I collect your charitable pledges but hopefully you're still game (I only kind of understand if you're not). This time of the year can be tricky for people getting together some extra money, but it's also the time of year to remember those organizations that can use any help they can get.

I've updated the Challenge spreadsheet so please check out your total and review the "Evidence" pics if you disagree. I continued some of the challenges during the drive back but I understand if that was not your intent and you just want to stick to those completed on the ride over.

To actually get the money to me you CAN use the "Donate" button on the Charity page, but PayPal charges a fee so the best way would be to PayPal the money to my profile's email address as a gift so there's no fee, or write me a check if you'll see me or know my address. 

OR, you can go ahead and donate the money to the charity yourself, either way they're getting a great Christmas gift. Thanks for sticking with this, your challenges were a lot of fun to try over the trip!!

Smangin' Follow-up

Hey everyone, thanks again for tuning in and giving me so much support along the way. I've been back a couple months but probably no more than two days goes by before I think of some scene or glorious memory of some stage of the adventure. I'm working on getting a few more pictures and videos together to summarize the trip. Check out my Smangin' USA Playlist on YouTube for some of the videos! I'll add more later when I'm able to edit them but there are some here that give you a different experience of the trip than just reading the posts.

And a quick life update:
I still have the damn Corolla! I drove it 4604 miles down the East Coast, South, Southwest, and Pacific Coast and now I can't sell it. It has no plates, doesn't pass CA smog requirements, and I'll probably sell it to a Pick n' Pull scrapyard next week.
Steph and I moved in together with our lease starting October 1st in San Francisco. We have a great place and I've been spending much of my stationary unemployment cleaning and unpacking, and now it's home.
I'm still unemployed but I've been interviewing and things are looking good for starting up again soon. It's been mostly nice but now I'd like to start adding to my savings account rather than withdrawing. Also, now that I'm done moving I'll be getting a little stir-crazy at home so it's time to get working!

Tomorrow is the Wednesday before Thanksgiving and I'm planning my first significant ride since I said farewell to Babe on 8/11. I'll be riding from SF to home in Forestville which should be about 80 miles. If you caught one of the very first blog posts here, I rode home for Thanksgiving last year for my first trial run and stayed out two nights so I'm excited to come full circle and do it again. This year's change will be that I'm going to do the ride in one day, sunrise to sunset, rather than stretch it into some nights. I haven't gone on a long ride in awhile so we'll see how it goes.

Hopefully you all have a marvelous holiday season!

Goin' Back to Cali

I'll start this off with a quick apology since it's now been 2 months since I've been home and I'm finally getting to the last day.

After leaving Vegas I drove back into CA for the first time in over three months. The drive was a little hot but overall not a big deal. The only minor hang-up was at a gas station about half way when the car wouldn't start. This happened a couple times on the drive back so far but after waiting a little and a few more clicks it would fire up, which is how I kept going this time too.

I finally got to my cousin Daniel and his girlfriend Rosette's place in LA around 7pm and he and I went out for tacos and a pile of frozen yogurt. It was great to see them since it had been awhile and we watched some pretty entertaining videos before I passed out on their couch. Daniel made some pancakes that night which we ate in the morning with some coffee before I left. I thanked him for the accommodations and waking up to see me off and headed out the door.

I had about 20 minutes until the parking restrictions took effect on the block I was parked. I sat down, inserted the key, and listened to a frustrating lack of spark under the hood. Thinking about the last couple times it didn't start, I waited a minute and tried it again, still with no luck. Off and on for 15 minutes I kept trying and getting more and more frustrated at the lack of response. Could I really have driven this car more than 4000 miles only to have it stop working on my last day? I just wanted to be home and this expletive-ing expletive car was being a pain. Regretfully I called Daniel who had gone back to bed and he came over. When he was en route I realized that when there was no click at all, none of the accessories worked either which seemed like the battery simply wasn't connected.

As soon as Daniel arrived I popped the hood and tugged on a wire a little that was patched into the battery terminal. That seemed to tighten the terminal screw a little so maybe the connection was just loose. Sure enough, the next time I tried the key the Corolla fired right up. I looked a little sheepishly at Daniel and thanked him for coming over regardless, then headed straight over to AutoZone to have the battery tested. Everything checked out fine, it was just a loose screw so I jumped on the freeway and began the last day of my journey.

I pretty much took 101 up to San Luis Obispo where I went to college and stopped at Firestone's Grill for lunch and a beer. It was a very familiar sports bar back in the college days and is still going strong. I also stopped at Central Coast Brewing to buy a couple favorite 22 oz beers to bring home. I hadn't been back to SLO in a couple years and it was great to visit, so many fun memories in that city.

From SLO I took the Pacific Coast Highway, Hwy 1, up along the coast and through beautiful Big Sur. The ride was stunning as expected and I came through Monterrey and Santa Cruz, finally finishing my East of Eden "book on tape" in San Jose, perfect timing! I then turned off the radio and drove for a bit reflecting on the entire journey. I'm sure you can understand the shedding of a few tears after finally returning home. After spending no more than 5 days in a single place for the past four months, I was cruising back to familiarity with a lifetime's worth of experiences.

I pit-stopped at my apartment in San Mateo to shower and get some clothes, then just kept going over to Berkeley to meet up with Steph and some friends. It was of course great to see her after a couple weeks and I was so content to have some food and drink with good friends. I was back in the Bay and couldn't be happier!

Vegas Bachelor Party!

C'mon, do you really expect me to write the details about a bachelor party in Sin City?! Let's just say there were no pictures take for good reason. We certainly enjoyed the city and most of what it has to offer. We were there Friday night through Sunday night and I left around noon on Monday, back to my home state.

Crater and Dam, Hello Vegas

I had gone to sleep in the Walmart parking lot at 2:30 am and was hoping to sleep in a little later. Unfortunately, when the sun comes up and you're in a car with windows, it's hard to sleep much past dawn. I pulled a shirt over my face and squeezed out another 45 minutes of sleep before getting up a little groggy. After a caffeinated revival at the local coffee shop I hit the road for the Meteor Crater outside Winslow. I had been to the crater before as a little kid but I wanted to check it out with adult eyes.

The crater is privately owned but they've done a really good job with the museum there. It's the best preserved meteor crater in the world, partly due to the low moisture of the Arizona desert not eroding the sides, as well being relatively young at "only" 50,000 years old. It's an incredibly massive landmark and you can see how much the rim arose from the flat desert as you drive up the side to the parking lot. They even have a real piece of the meteor our on display for you to touch. It was cool to touch it but also reminded me of stalactites and stalagmites in caves where they used to let tourists touch and break off pieces. Hopefully one day the park service will get a hand on it and be able to preserve it because already many of the features on the top of this meteorite are smoothed down from people touching it. I watched the movie, walked with the tour down to the observation deck a short distance within the crater, and was awed by its size. The crater has been used by NASA for moon walk equipment tests and several other experiments and the history of these outings was fun to see in the museum.

 After a bit I got a sandwich and hit the road, encountering a quick but exciting rain storm that did a good job of washing off the car. Several uneventful hours passed as I continued to get deeper into Steinbeck's East of Eden, which by now had become one of my favorite books ever. Eventually I got to the Arizona - Nevada state line and crossed the Mike O'Callaghan-Pat Tillman Memorial Bridge. It was completed in 2010 and caused me to completely pass by Hoover Dam without realizing it, since the concrete sidewalls are tall to block the speedy winds coming down the canyon.

I pulled over and walked out on the bridge which provided a spectacular view of Hoover Dam. Then on my return took the last unique state sign picture of the trip. I drove down to the Dam and across it, parking on the other side to get out and walk across it as well. The dam is enormous and looking down the face of it was a bit daunting. It's been described as one of the engineering marvels of the world and I have to agree. Did you know the concrete at the center is still hardening and there's enough of it to pave a two-lane highway from San Francisco to New York? Yes, it's pretty impressive.

I walked back and hopped in the car, Vegas bound. Once I got there I picked up the bachelor, Adrian, and another friend Chris and we went to the hotel. I'll leave the rest for another post...

Aliens and Native American Art

Waking up in the morning was nice and I used up the last of my eggs with another chip/egg/bell pepper/salsa scramble. Pretty soon I was back on the road after what was probably my last night of camping for the trip.

The quick drive up to Roswell resulted in a stop at the International UFO Museum. I've heard the story of the Roswell Incident many times so the idea wasn't new to me. They did have a ton of material there, but most of it was further "he said, she said, he knew someone who said, she heard of someone who knew someone who said..." so there wasn't much that was actually informative for me but it was a fun stop nonetheless. I watched a few minutes of a movie there, checked out the gift shop, and was back on the road for Santa Fe.

 Arriving in the New Mexico capital the scenery started to change. The flat desert faded away and mountains began to rise signaling the beginning of the legendary Rockies. I hadn't seen the Rockies since Montana and they were much different up there but it was still a welcome sight to be back with some trees and vistas. I believe I've shared this quote before but it hit home again and provided some comfort:

"...for going to the mountains is like going home." - John Muir

Santa Fe was everything I expected it to be. Most of the buildings were designed in the pueblo style with adobe and dark exposed beams and the art scene was phenomenal. Along the square were dozens of vendors and the city had a partnership with local Native Americans for them to be able to sit on one of the wide sidewalks and sell their art. I've never seen so much beautiful jewelry in one place! I got a turquoise pendant for Steph since it was nearing a year since we first started dating, and continued to check out the rugs, pottery, and leather works in the shops.

Unfortunately I wasn't able to stay as long as I would have liked. Being that I was going to Vegas and I had just recently found out about it, I didn't have any clothes that would be appropriate for the club scene. I did some shopping there in Santa Fe and got a few items that would work for the weekend but also that I liked and wear out after as well. After some rushed shopping I was back on the road, eventually cruising through Albuquerque at sunset.

I stopped at a Denny's for a real meal since snacking on carrots and chips and salsa all day was not working so well for my stomach. I downed some coffee and got back on the road, trying to make it a long night so my next day into Vegas would be a little shorter. I took a side road near the Arizona border to try and get a state sign picture but there wasn't one. I did play around with the long exposure a bit more and came up with a couple interesting pics of the night sky with a full moon and the interstate close by. I also succeeded in getting my state sign picture near the Arizona Welcome Center. It's by far the weirdest state sign picture given that it's at night and I decided to wear the Sleep No More mask from NY that Steph and I got. The end of the night, which happened to be after 2 am, found me at a Walmart just inside Arizona where I had a few companions and tried to get some shut-eye before Vegas tomorrow!

Speeding Through the Southwest

After leaving Austin I had a long day of driving to get to New Mexico. The driving started early at around 8 am so that I could hopefully make it to Carlsbad Caverns before they closed at 3:30 pm. The road was loooong, hot, and severely boring. Thankfully I had been convinced the night before by Al's friend Kendall to utilize books on tape and that it was the only way to drive long stretches. Remembering my sister's recommendation of Steinbeck's East of Eden, I spent most of the drive through the rest of Texas engrossed in literature centered in the Central Valley of CA. Although this made me zone out and pass by scenery even more than before, I did pause the story for a bit to reflect on how miserable bike touring through this area would be. The distances between towns were days long via bike and it was hot with no stops to refuel water. Aside from merciful traffic you were on your own out here and I reflected on the relative fortunes of my Northern, more populated route.

Eventually I made it into New Mexico and finally to Carlsbad. I would have been late if not for the hour I gained when entering Mountain Time Zone since even with the change I made it with 5 minutes to spare. I got the last ticket into the natural entrance to the caves and started making my way down the trail. The switchbacks down into the mouth of the cave were a bit ominous with the darkness gradually swallowing me from the openness of the afternoon sun. As I walked further down the temperature dropped and I took my sunglasses off.

I had gone to Lewis and Clark Caverns in Montana just a couple months ago but Carlsbad is completely different. The size itself is inspiring and was made even more present by the quiet engulfing me. Down in the earth I was the only sound besides some water drops, especially since I was the last person allowed into the natural entrance. The trail was perfectly lit, enough to see your way and the notable features but not more light than was absolutely necessary to achieve those goals. I played around with some long exposure pictures with my simple point-and-shoot camera and had a great time exploring.

It took me a little over an hour to reach the Big Room and once there I joined several other people who had been able to take the elevator down to just explore that room. This area was even more impressive than the rooms and features along the descent and I was struck by just how fast and ongoing it was. It's not one single enormous room but rather a series of rooms and areas connected by large corridors so each turn you take reveals more. To give you a sense of the size, the walk around the perimeter of the Big Room took me just over an hour and I was keeping a decent pace.

Once back on top I continued to Brantley Lake State Park where I was the only person in the Primitive Campground. I set up the tent without the fly, excited to finally have a cool, dry night and camping with a clear night sky. Dinner was a medley of chips, bell pepper, eggs, and salsa and I experimented more with the camera and the nearly full moon, yielding this pic of me at camp with the Corolla and three stars of the Big Dipper in the background. I'm excited for Santa Fe tomorrow and to see more of the Southwest.

 

Time in Tejas

After dropping Ariel off at the airport I tried to get to the Tabasco factory but they were closed. The plant and the ecological preserve on Avery Island seemed well worth a stop so I'll add it the the massive list of things to see for next time I'm crossing the country. I continued through Louisiana and into Texas where, given my strong aversion to setting up a tent in the dark that night, I found a rest area outside of Houston and hunkered down in the car. You can imagine it's not the most comfortable sleep to be in the passenger seat of a vehicle on a balmy Texas night so I woke up a few times throughout the night. Each time I was surprised how many people were either resting as well or had stopped for a bathroom break. Families and and all sorts of people were busy at 1 am, 3 am, and 7 am when I got started and left for Austin.

Austin turned out to be the fun city it's advertised as. I met my sister's friend Natalia for lunch when I got in town and she recommended Barton Springs so after some food I checked it out, hoping to beat the heat. The $3 entrance fee was well worth it and I enjoyed swimming and wading in the cool water of the springs that have been corralled into a nice public pool. People were doing flips off the diving board and laughing, all around it was a great time. I then drove over to Natalia's and showered before heading back out to explore the town. We met up again for pizza and some local brews and she gave me a few directions to wander such as Sixth Street which is the main attraction and it has a few different elements. There are sports bars and live music clubs and venues near the downtown, and then some hipster bars and interesting eateries on the east side of the interstate. It was still a little early in the night so most music hadn't gotten started so I pretty much just wandered.

After doing a little Facebook browsing I found out that Al from NOLA was having a "hurrication" here in Austin with a couple of her friends to avoid Hurricane Isaac which was supposed to touch down that night. I sent her a message and the four of us met up at a bar with a couple others. It was nice to see a couple familiar faces since my hostess for the evening was busy in band practice, and we had a couple beers and chatted.

Later on in the night the music picked up and I was pretty thrilled with the overall scene. It's called the "Live Music Capital of the World" and I can now see why. I'm not sure I could live in Austin for the lack of recreation outside the city and the stifling heat, but it sure was fun to spend some time in such a vibrant night scene.

 

Fantastically Hedonistic New Orleans

Ariel and I spent three nights and close to three days in the Mardi Gras capital and I'll preface the story of our time with the fact that in New Orleans it's legal to have an open alcoholic beverage in public. For those of us used to the customs of normal states this news came as a bit of a shock and we were certain to take full advantage of the liberties given in this city.

We got in a little late but after meeting our hostesses Dani and Allyson we went out to Frenchman St. This area was described to us as the "Bourbon St for locals." We got a couple drinks and listened to a funky, jazzy brass band. Then we simply walked outside with our drinks and down to the next bar with live music! All down the street was live music, cheap drinks, and people having fun in the sticky warm nighttime air. The music scene here was thrilling and I couldn't get enough of it. We would be watching a band and in the middle of an instrumental jam some seemingly random guy would walk in with a trumpet or sax or trombone and start jamming with them. These gypsy musicians typically had just left their own band's gig down the street and popped in to jam while walking by. I could've stayed at these bars all night and day for the whole weekend but we had much to see.

The next morning we got brunch at a cafe and ordered Bloody Marys from the bar next door. The food was delicious, especially the grits, and when we left we got another Bloody for the road. We just couldn't believe it was legal to walk down the street with a cocktail in hand and made the most of it. Although legal, we did find out that people find it odd when you do this in a residential neighborhood on a Saturday morning, as evidenced by the hair dressers in a salon laughing as they saw us strolling by.

We explored the river front and Audubon Park and returned to the apartment to get ready for Midsummer Mardi Gras which just happened to fall on this Saturday that we were here. Dani has a great costume trunk and Ariel and I were able to pull together some killer outfits before heading out. We got to the parade beginning and joined the roughly thousand other people with daiquiris in hand. There were some hilarious costumes and floats, like Bar-2-D2 which rolled by with drinks. We paraded for a bit and ended in a park with everyone else where we enjoyed hanging out and garrulously chatting with others until we stumbled back home for the night.

Sunday we ventured out for another brunch which was of course delicious. Then, feeling the richness of the food wearing on us, we went for a run down the streetcar tracks as many do. It was hot and absurdly humid and when we returned from our several mile jaunt and stopped creating our own breeze, starting sweating profusely. Ariel showered first and I just stood in the kitchen over the floor mat so as not to create a flood on the hardwood. I don't think I've ever sweat as much, I was completely soaked as if I'd fallen in a pool and then when I got out a pool had fallen on me. There was no end, even after I showered, and both of us ended up laying on the bed under the ceiling fan for awhile to cool down.

Once we had gathered ourselves we ventured out to check out Bourbon Street and the French Quarter. The area was really fun and we saw some live music at House of Blues and wandered the Quarter. There were many street artists and cute storefronts, and we did some souvenir shopping along with Cafe Au Lait and beignets at Cafe Du Monde and then searched out some oysters. Everyone had recommended Acme Oyster House but there was a line and we had a show to go to soon. The decision to go across the street to Felix's was a great one and the guy behind the oyster bar immediately shucked us 7 oysters each even though we were only ordering a dozen. He showed us how to efficiently and safely shuck oysters and we enjoyed the low key nature of the guy and place. The Po' Boys were good and the guy even gave us a couple pieces of the slice of cake he had been given by the kitchen.

We paid and hustled off to a show that Steph had helped us find after fruitlessly searching on our phones. What she came up with was a Mario Brothers themed burlesque show! It was the last night they were performing so we took this once in a lifetime opportunity. This was my first burlesque show and it was a mixture of hilarious and sexy, with emphasis on the former. They got the crowd into it and we were all laughing throughout the hour. After the show we walked back to Bourbon Street and got a beer at Lafitte's, the oldest bar in America having been founded 15 years before our country. It doesn't seem to get too crazy since it's at the end of Bourbon but it has a great atmosphere. We were stunned by all the activity on Bourbon on a Sunday night and the live music was great.

Monday morning was our last and we started it with a swamp tour. The Louisiana swamp was stunning and wild and we saw upwards of a dozen alligators which the guide coaxed right next to the boat with the promise of hot dogs. We learned some local history, saw turtles, herons, and miles of Spanish moss. Afterwards we returned to NOLA and had a luxurious yet good priced lunch at Commander's Palace which, during weekday lunches, can be accompanied by tasty 25 cent martinis! Being the driver I only had one but since Ariel would soon be hopping on a plane he was good about consuming a dollars worth. The mood about the place was interesting since Hurricane Isaac was nearing and most businesses had their windows boarded up. It was fortunate that Ariel's flight was today because tomorrow the storm would touch land and all flights were cancelled. But unfortunately the coming of a hurricane prompted many to voluntarily evacuate and it took us and hour and a half to drive the 15 miles to the airport. He left his luggage with me to avoid the time to check a bag and I dropped him off with less than an hour until takeoff, thankfully he made the flight.

I've been fortunate to have friends and loved ones who have met me along the way on this long journey and Ariel's company through the past week was the best way to drive a couple thousand miles. We had some boring stretches but overall the music was thumping and we had a fantastic time seeing the South and nearly literally drinking in New Orleans.

Across the South

Ariel and I had the grand goal of waking up to be able to see the sun rise over the ocean instead of always seeing it set over water back home. We got up in time, drove to the beach, and found that the sky was too cloudy to actually see the sun. A little disappointed, we went for a run down the beach, came back and packed up, and headed for Atlanta. The Outer Banks were a lot of fun, even for just a night, and I'm sure I'll make it back here for longer to have fun with their many recreational opportunities like kayaking, surfing, parasailing, and just swimming in the relatively warm waters of the Atlantic.

The driving was scenic and we couldn't believe just how lush and green the scenery was in the Carolinas. Just before exiting the freeway we got pulled over again and got the same response. You can't drive without registration. Wow that's an amazing story. Expect to get pulled over again. At this point I started a contest with friends on Facebook, the prize being a beer on me, to correctly guess how many time I get pulled over on the 4000 miles of driving back to home. I got some good guesses and now I won't be blogging about being pulled over until I get back.

We stopped for lunch with a friend in Raleigh, South Carolina where we had some really delicious BBQ. Liz is a friend of Steph's that Ariel knew as well so it was fun to meet her. Raleigh also seemed like a cool town but we wanted to reach Atlanta so we hopped back on the road and pushed on to Georgia.

We arrived at our friend Amanda's place just outside Atlanta and it was great to catch up with her after several years and have a couple beers. It was also awesome of her to wait up so late and have an air mattress ready! To top it off, her boyfriend James made us breakfast in the morning! This trip has been full of nice people, strangers and friends alike, and it's never lost on me when someone helps me out so much. Thanks guys!

After breakfast and goodbyes Ariel and I drove into town and stopped at the Coca Cola museum. I'm not much of a soda drinker, let alone Coke, but we wanted to see it after hearing it was interesting. After videos, a little bit of history, and tons of lights, cheery people, and visual/audio stimulation we left completely overwhelmed. The entire thing was like a giant ad to buy more Coke, which I shouldn't have been surprised about since their main strength as a company is their marketing. Some of the old ads and merchandise they had were interesting, and it was fun to taste some of the international soda brands they own and some different flavors like apple soda from Mexico and pineapple kiwi soda from South America, but overall it was kinda crazy to have all these exhibits and features and entertainment for just a soda.

We continued on with New Orleans as the destination for the night. Alabama and Mississippi went by quickly and we only stopped for gas and a bite to eat before entering Louisiana and finally NOLA where we would be staying at a friend of my sister's for the next three nights before Ariel flies back and I finish this journey.

Showtime in DC, on to the Outer Banks

Our first day of driving together started off with a quick succession of new states, all of which needed pictures with jorts. We dipped into Delaware quickly, then Maryland and finally DC. We first stopped at Bob and Sharon's, Steph's great uncle and aunt with whom we'd be staying for the night. They had a lunch spread ready for us and it was great to meet them. We eventually took the subway into town and stopped first at the Air and Space Museum. It was really amazing to see all the aircraft and spacecraft, especially the Wright Brothers exhibit.

A couple ridiculous, and by that I mean awesome, pictures were taken on the Mall and we headed to Dupont Circle to meet a friend for dinner. We killed time walking down Embassy Row which was really interesting to see so many countries represented and their flags. We had some good sushi then headed over to Hank's Oyster Bar for oyster happy hour where they were 50 cents each! Another drink and we caught the last subway back to Bob and Sharon's.

The next morning we made them breakfast in appreciation of their hospitality and headed back to the Mall for some more sightseeing. We were decked out in all patriotic gear and it was humbling and inspiring to see the Lincoln Memorial, Washington Monument, WWII Memorial, and the sculpture garden. I wasn't surprised when the car with no plates that we were driving around the country's center of power was pulled over. The first officer gave me a bit of a hard time about driving an unregistered vehicle, but while he ran some checks his partner got the story of my trip and we had a great conversation including the story of his dad riding a fixed gear bike from Boston to Pennsylvania when he was 11 1/2. This cop understood the journey and was excited for me. I'm not sure if that had any bearing on the outcome but the first officer came back with only a warning ticket and told me to expect to get pulled over again before I got home. I said thanks and we moved on, amused because it was obvious that he thought it had to be illegal somehow but hadn't gotten any clarity from dispatch and really wasn't sure what to do so the warning sufficed.

After having our fill of monument and police, Ariel and I drove past the ominously massive Pentagon on the way out of town and entered Virginia. Our destination was the Outer Banks in North Carolina and we made it just barely before dark. The whole area was really pretty and we enjoyed a good meal and beers at the local brewery. On the way back to our campsite we came across one of the coolest stores I've seen all trip, the Brew Thru. It's a gas station and market but you drive through the building and place your order from the car. The beer and wine are lined up against the driveway so you can see your choices and tell the cashier what you want, then they'll get it for you. Sure it's lazy but the idea of buying beer while still in the car is great and we got some fun souvenirs too.

Back at camp we settled down for what would be the first and last night camping with Ariel on the trip, and he was a little surprised at how small my tent was that we were sharing but we were roommates in college for four years so it was no big deal. We made the mistake of opening the tent flaps for a little bit too long to adjust the fly, and spent the next 30 minutes finding and killing the dozen or so mosquitoes that made their way into the tent before finally getting some sleep.

The Boys Meet in Philly

After getting mixed up on the NJ Turnpike a little I finally made it down to Philadelphia. A quick stop along the way provided me with a pair of gym shorts, a small cooler, and a Nalgene water bottle for the road. I picked up Ariel at Reading Terminal Market where he'd been waiting since arriving earlier in the morning. The first reaction was a solid bout of laughter at the car I rolled up in and we threw his luggage in the trunk. We had all day to hang out in Philly so we started off with a stop at the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Our Hall tour guide was an interesting character and provided some unintentional comedy to the historically informative tour. It was pretty inspiring to be in the same room that the country's founders sat in while they crafted documents of tyranny.

Next we met up with one of Steph's friends, Allan, at whose place we'd be sleeping that night. He gave us a spare key and some great recommendations so we set off back to Reading Terminal Market. We indulged in the mandatory cheesesteak which was fine but reminded me of how little I enjoy the taste of red meat on its own, especially when there's nothing else on the sandwich but some onions and mediocre cheese. A walk was necessary and the course of parks on the way to the Stallone Rocky statue and the Museum of Art provided a great relief from the cheesesteaks. We even got to see a grown man of questionable sanity playing in one of the fountains. He was obviously having a great time in his swim trunks, sticking his chest into the high velocity fountain jets and yelling at random people so we stayed to watch a few minutes.

We found our way to the subway and rode down to the Phillies ballpark where we had tickets for the game that night. The sports complex there is like nothing I've ever seen, with stadiums for baseball, basketball, football, and hockey all in one area with one of the biggest sports bars either of us had ever set foot in right in the middle of it all. The game was fun and the park was really nice but it's hard to cheer on a game when you don't care about either of the teams playing. But since I've been starved of Giant's games this season it's been great to be able to see a few games on the road. We hit up a pizza joint on the way back and then settled down for the night. Thanks again Allan for letting us crash in your room while at work overnight!

NYC, Act II

I met Armin and Steph at Armin's apartment since he was nice enough to carry my stuff from the Google office where it had been stored for the day. He shares a nice place in Lower Manhattan with a few guys and soon the three of us were heading out to dinner and drinks in the East Side with his friend Erica. It was a lot of fun to hang out in NYC with someone who really knows the place and we had a beer at a bar that caters to SF Bay Area sports teams and such so I got a taste of home. I also got a taste I wasn't expecting with the newly popular "pickleback" drink. It's a shot of whiskey followed by a shot of pickle juice. Certainly not conventional but I found it surprisingly enjoyable. We hopped to and through a couple bars before it started pouring, pushing us to catch a cab back. One last stop at the nearby dive bar resulted in a quick dance on the bar by one of us (I won't name names but with two guys and one girl you can probably guess who it was) and the free shots that were payment, then we called it a night.

Saturday started out with another delicious bagel and lox before we walked over the Brooklyn Bridge. Although the bridge was under construction it was still fun to see the iconic structure and turn back for a vista of the Manhattan skyline. Armin, Steph, and I walked around Brooklyn a little and then trained over to Williamsburg for some satisfying beers at Brooklyn Brewing Co. The destination in this area was the free concert at Williamsburg Park and we walked over to listen to Sharon Jones and the Dap Kings. I've loved her music for a few years now and was blown away by their live show. It was fantastic to share such fun music and dancing with Steph and Armin and we had a great time. After the show we got some amazing pizza at a hole in the wall place and headed back to sleep.

Sunday started off in the best way, with a mouth watering brunch at Chop House. The food and Bloody Marys were fantastic and the three of us enjoyed a walk along the gorgeous High Line and listened to a good jazz trio playing for tips. Steph and I checked into the luxurious Standard Hotel fornight the night and took their complimentary bikes out for a ride down the waterfront trail. We walked around Greenwich Village awhile and picked up some pizza and side dishes which we brought back to the room. A tasty but quiet meal with just the two of us was the perfect way to end a fantastic week together, especially when capped with cocktails and dessert from the room service menu.

The next day we said goodbye for a couple weeks and I made my way uptown to get the car. I found another "no plates" ticket but at least it started up again and soon I was on my way across the GW bridge to meet Ariel in Philly.

Romping Around NYC, Act I

We got into NYC a little later than expected which caused me to push back a lunch date with a friend. I met Ben for coffee later on and it was fun to catch up after nearly 6 years. I also walked the trail along the Hudson and around the World Financial Center and the Freedom Tower being built. This entire area was very impressive with all the global power that's concentrated here. I met Steph when she got off work and we hauled our bags through the pouring rain and thunder uptown to a friend Rachel's place. Although we arrived soaking she welcomed us in and proved to be a great host for the next two nights.

After drying off we ventured back out to meet one of my best friends Matt for Ethiopian food. Matt and I had our fair share of adventures in middle school and high school and it was really fun catching up with him over dinner and later drinks.

The next day I made myself busy with the following: eating an amazing bagel with lox, snacking at Chelsea Market, walking Central Park, and exploring the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Central Park was beautiful, perhaps the grandest city park I've ever seen, and the Met was so much fun to explore. I could have spent another several days there but just seeing what I did was enough to make me awe and also inspire me to try some new pottery ideas when I get back.

Steph had a surprise in store for us and she took me to the Frying Pan, a tasty restaurant on a barge docked in the Hudson. After dinner we went to Say No More, a kind of interactive play. I'll try not to give too much away but it was basically a modern rendition of Macbeth which is acted out throughout the many rooms of a mansion. While the actors are running around in their roles, you as an observer can rifle through the prop letters and rooms and follow the actors as they silently act out their parts, all while wearing an anonymous mask and saying nothing. It was a really interesting experience and we both had a lot of fun being a part of it.

Friday morning we went for a run which we both needed. A lot of eating and drinking can be exhausting, especially since I hadn't exercised for five days now. The run gave me a ton of energy but we had to make it quick since I had a meeting. I took the subway uptown to meet Marco and buy his car. I had looked around and decided that if I had to deal with the DMV and such it would be better to buy the car here in NYC when I had a couple days. The '95 Corolla isn't much to look at but after a test drive it seems to roll fine. It has several new components in the last two years and it's almost the same car I learned to drive a stick on so I'm really comfortable with it. We ended up settling at $1200 and I feel pretty good that this beast will get me home! The downside to buying a car here is that in NY the plates belong to the person not the car so Marco took them. Now I'm driving around in a car that has no license plates and it's sure to attract attention. Within the first hour of owning it I had parked in the wrong area and gotten a ticket for that as well as for having no plates. But on a positive note my insurance didn't increase one cent due to a multi car discount and low value, and my insurance lady informed me that since I'd be registering it in CA, which has a 30 day grace period after purchasing the vehicle, I wouldn't need to register the vehicle until I get back!

I was pretty excited and spent the next several hours checking out the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. It was really interesting to hear the audio tours about how the meaning of Lady Liberty has changed over the years and see the whole process of immigrants entering the USA. My great grandmother entered this country through Ellis Island and it was really exciting to see what she and millions others might have gone through. After this it was time to meet Steph and my friend Armin whose apartment we would be staying at, so I'll leave the coming adventurous nights for the second act.

Boston

If you're still checking the blog I apologize for the delay in posts. It's been a long week and a half of hanging out and exploring and admittedly it was a nice break from blogging. That said, I'll try and keep it updated more frequently from now to the end!

Steph and I explored Boston for three more days before leaving. On Sunday we checked out Harvard and I finally got the opportunity to shave my hideous beard. I didn't take a final measurement but my chin hair at the longest was less than 2 inches after three months of growing. I splurged on a shave and haircut at a barbershop and it was pretty nice. Hot shave, warm towel, shampoo and scalp rub, even a quick shoulder massage!

We met up with her cousins who let us stay at their place, and their daughter Becky and her boyfriend Lou at who's place we would be staying the rest of the time in Boston. Dinner was great and we settled in for the night.

Since Steph had to work that Monday and Tuesday I wandered around town myself. Having not used a kitchen in awhile I thoroughly enjoyed cooking Steph a swordfish, tomato salad, asparagus, and grilled peach dinner, followed by fruit salad and a breakfast sandwich the next morning. I made it clear that I'd be fine cooking good meals everyday for her if she brought home the bacon, we'll see if that works.

The next day I made a quick trip to Sam Adams and toured the brewery which resulted in several tasters and a fun walk back to the metro station. Later Steph and I met up with Thomas, the German I rode with in SD, and had dinner, a couple drinks, and a slice of Boston Cream Pie for good measure. It was fun to catch up with him about the rest of our respective trips and we wished each other well in future endeavors. Boston has been a really fun city to explore. It's not too big and not overwhelming but still has a lot going on and it's a beautiful city to walk around in.

The next morning Steph and I woke up damn early and caught the Greyhound down to New York where I'm excited to spend the next several days seeing friends and exploring one of the world's greatest cities.

Smangin' Stats

Now that the trip has come to an end I thought it would be interesting to sum it up with some stats. Some of these are conservative guesses, others are right on the money.

RIDING
92 total days
5432.0 total miles
109.44 miles: longest single day in mileage
7:33 longest day of riding in time
488.24 miles: longest 5 day stretch (Oacoma to Decorah)
14.1 mph: moving average over the whole trip
18.6 mph: fastest days average (Day 46)
49.9 mph: fastest speed (unless you count the computer glitch that showed me 65 one day)
190,000+ feet: total elevation gain
18 stationary days (5 consecutive was the longest stretch in Missoula)
73 average miles per day of actual riding, not including city exploring
17 days of consecutive riding without a full days rest (Missoula to Pierre)

WHAT I RODE THROUGH
2 countries
17 states/provinces
9 capitals
14 national parks/forests
30 state parks
45+ local parks
33+ significant bike trails
2 interstate highways (I-5 and I-90)
5 days of 100°+ temperatures

WHAT I DRANK
44 breweries/brewpubs visited
2 wineries visited
1 sake brewery visited
28 beer flights

ME
440,000 estimated calories burned while riding (from healthstatus.com calculator for ~240 lbs, 14.1 mph, 23,000 minutes riding)
8 lbs lost over entire trip (most dramatic measured was 6 lbs lost in first 10 days)
< 2 inches of beard growth
0 cases of foot fungus or other maladies (I was concerned since I haven't worn sandals in the showers the whole trip)

WHERE I STAYED
54 nights of legit camping, including 3 nights of stealth camping
7 hotels
29 nights with friends/family/friends of friends
1 night with a former stranger (you da man Raul!)

BIKE (what I replaced/fixed)
3 wheels
2 multitools
7 spokes
1 set of handlebar tape
13 flats
2 chains
4 sets of brake pads (2 front, 2 rear)
1 front rack

MISC
Over $750 dollars raised for charity
2 clogged toilets (think about the piles of food I ate, this is a pretty low number)
2 riders that accompanied me for a significant time (10 days total)
5 ferry rides
24 consecutive days of riding without a flat
4 consecutive days without a real shower
103 blog posts (including this one)
1 bee stuck between my cheek and helmet strap (got it out before being stung)
2 times I showered without bringing my towel (using a sock isn't so great)
1 bird pooping on me
1 time peeing on myself while trying to get some quick, desperate relief on a trail while still straddling the bike
13 lbs shed from gear over entire trip (67 down to 54)
2 times falling, both when coming to a stop and not clipping out soon enough
1 run-in with the law

Health Check: Mind, Body, and Bike After Crossing the USA

How about a final checkup after 92 days and 5400+ miles?

MIND
The last week or so was really great with the camping and generally easy pace. I was able to take things a little slower and enjoy the camping and riding for themselves and not as a means to an end. I'm more excited than ever to bike tour again after finding it to be a supremely enjoyable way to take in a new area. You may have been to or through and area in a car, but you haven't experienced that area until you sweat in the heat of an area, bask in the cool winds, hear the sounds of local birds, people, bustle or lack thereof, and smelled the thick sweetness that can only be acres of corn borne on the wind. I'm ever grateful for the experience and it's taught me a lot about how to take in a new environment or city.

BODY
I've been very comfortable on the bike and haven't had any recent issues other than a sore wrist from my last fall in Toronto. Some noticeable changes is my body over the whole trip are certainly my longer hair and what has unfortunately occurred on my face. I'm glad I didn't try to grow a beard while working because this thing is pretty bad, but it has been pretty hilarious to watch it grow. I have sharp tan lines on my ankles and the backs of my calves are probably more tan than anything else. I've also been riding shirtless a little, and my jerseys advertise an equivalent of SPF 50 so some light gets through, resulting in a fairly tan back. The tan lines on my arms and legs are certainly there but aren't distinct lines and all my arm and leg hair is blond.

Physiologically one of the biggest changes has been the growth of veins in my legs. I now have pretty sizable veins to carry more blood to my muscles, especially my calves. My arms and chest have shrunk since the beginning but have been at a steady state since about MT.

BIKE
The bike has certainly see the wear of 5400+ miles. The "new" wheel on the back has performed great since Ann Arbor and these fantastic tires held strong to the end, not having had a flat since Detroit. They have some micro cracks so I'll replace them when I get back but they have been pretty damn good over the whole run. The front rack is a POS and I arrived with it held together with plumbing pipe, zip ties, and a sock. Ever since the bike shop in Dexter, MI when the guy adjusted my rear derailler I haven't been able to keep the 11 (the smallest cog) from skipping so I haven't been using it. After tightening the cleat on my left shoe I haven't had anymore trouble uncoupling and both shoes and pedals have worked splendidly over the trip. The bottom bracket still clicks nut thankfully it was able to hold out until the end.

GEAR
After 92 days of use some of the gear has taken a beating but all has mostly survived very well. My sleeping pad has been completely flat upon waking for over half the trip now but it's helped me adapt to sleeping on harder surfaces which will aid my future backpacking. Its stuff sack is a sad scrap of fabric now and I can pull the pad out of the hole in the bottom. My cookset fared pretty well except the plastic lid which I slightly melted and warped on the gas grill in Iowa and then again melted while cooking in Ontario.
My phone's hard case cracked a couple weeks ago but it still fits and has protected the phone very well.
My camera has been amazing but did suffer a small chip out of the plastic corner, hopefully it's still waterproof.
The panniers and handlebar bag have been bombproof and will last me many more trips.
Both of my cycling shorts are starting to fray on the edges of the pad, one has a loose loop of thread that I'm amazed has lasted this long without tearing the whole pad apart so they won't be used for much longer.
Of the three pairs of socks I've been using only the pair I don't ride with has survived, the other two have lost all elasticity and are in a landfill somewhere on the East Coast.
I had to do some filing on the tent poles when they started to gall but other than that and the elastic replacement in WA the tent has been dependable and comfortable.
The sleeping bag has been great but the waterproof stuffsack has seen some wear. I've had the waterproof membrane facing out the front of the bike because it's bright orange but that probably wasn't the best idea since now the sun has degraded the fabric and that area of the sleeping bag has been damp after the past couple downpours.

GENERAL OBSERVATIONS
Upstate NY was beautiful and had wide shoulders on the roads but there was quite a bit of debris. I rode past thousands of small pieces of broken glass and was surprised to make it through the state without a flat. There were also more bugs here than anywhere else, especially small spider that like to get into everything.
VT and MA were the most beautiful since the West and had a lot of little state forests and parks.

Day 92: FINITO! (kind of)

Just a quick couple things:
Although I'm now finished, stay tuned for another day or so since I'm putting together a summary by numbers post of the entire trip.
Also, even though the biking is done I still have to get back to the Bay Area. I'll be hanging out in Boston until 8/15, then going to NYC with Steph and will be there until 8/20. Then I'll bus or train to Philly to meet mi amigo Ariel and the plan is for me to buy a cheap car. Ariel and I will then travel down the East Coast and down to New Orleans where he'll fly back and I'll continue back solo through the Southwest. I haven't decided how to document this but I'll keep the blog updated ever couple days or so with the adventures of the drive back.

Now to the finale of the biking trip:

Steph arrived around 8:30 in the morning and was completely surprised to see me. I caught her up on my scheming and what had actually happened over the past couple days and we had some food and relaxed. Since she took the red eye to get out here I let her nap for a bit while I caught up on some things and then we planned the day and figured out where I should go. I pulled on the jorts and rode the final 11 miles of this trip to the beach next to the University of Mass, Boston. I left the panniers off the bike for this final lap and it was amazing the speed I could make without all the weight.

Once at the beach I'll admit it was a little anti-climatic, especially after watching some Olympic glory recently. There was no great fanfare, no crowd of cheering onlookers, not even a big final push for the day. Without the panniers I looked like a regular bike rider out for a day's ride and didn't attract any conversation. It was just Steph and myself walking out to the water, but that was perfectly fine. I dipped my front tire, poured out the small bottle of Pacific Ocean water I had carried 5,432 miles since leaving, and we sat down on the sand. I shed several tears as we hugged and then shared a bottle of Korbel Champagne that Steph brought. Some people might have been let down by the seemingly lackluster finish, but it was great. This trip started with a small gathering at Goat Rock State Beach and then ended with a smaller gathering on the beach near Joe Moakley Park. But what really mattered was the all the miles, adventures, and challenges that occurred between these two oceans. It was a trip about the journey not the destination, and what a journey it was!

We left the beach and I ride to International Bicycle Center where Babe is now resting until Thursday when he'll be boxed up and shipped home!

One this is for sure, this trip has reinforced a sense of adventure in me and I'm excited for future tours, definitely some kayak/canoe camping, and exploring new places. Most of the time going forward I'll do this trips with friends to have that companionship and the fun that it brings. But I'm glad that this trip was mostly solo. Sure there were lonely times but I found that a single person tends to be more approachable by strangers than two or more. There is a sense of vulnerability in the solo adventurer that invites the charity of others which has been a fantastic element to this journey.

Throughout the entire trip some of the best memories I have are of the great people I met. Many helped me, some were simply very kind, and nearly all were supportive. However one thing I did come to notice which had been hidden from me before this trip is how many people are moving through their days in a blind haze which I came realize about half way through. It was easy to distinguish these people since I would be standing right next to them with a bike loaded down with God knows what, and not even a hint of recognition from their eyes as to the adventure that might be occurring right next to them. And I don't expect every single person to see me and start an enthusiastic conversation, I myself saw people who were obviously on an epic journey and elected to stay in my chair either for my own reasons or because they were clearly occupied with something else. But it became clear to me that so many people are moving through one errand or chore after another with their blinders on, like a plow horse doing its thing the going back to the stable.

In my riding I had to become more observant so I didn't miss street signs, get hit by cars, etc, and I think it helped see that in others as well. If you are awake to the liveliness around you and you interact with it as some people did with me I can guarantee it will make an impact on you, almost always positive. Each person who said hi or honked or gave me a beer or some charity made my travels that much better. As Michigan Dave said to me my first morning in NY, "My life is better for having met you." I believe this is one of the best compliments a person can receive as it shows you made a positive mark on someone else, and to all the people along the way who have shown me so much kindness, I am unequivocally better for having met you all. Also an enormous thanks to my family and friends who have helped and supported me along the way, beers on me when I return!

Day 91: Rainy Day in Mass.

The morning started slow and leisurely until the sky threatened me with a few drops. I scrambled to pack up the tent and then was on the road. I've always loved cranberry anything and was curious about the bogs they're supposedly grown in. Having a full day to ride only 45 miles to Newton I took a detour to the Carlisle Cranberry Bog. There aren't many in this area of the state and this one was part conservation land, part bog. I rode around a little but unbeknownst to me you won't see actual cranberries until September so they just looked like wetlands. I read some of the plaques and got back on the road to Chelmsford for lunch.

The sky has looked like a storm for the past couple days and now it decided to unleash. It was warm so I didn't get out my coat and instead enjoyed the downpour until I got to a sports bar and had some food and a couple beers while I waited it out. The next stretch was into Newton and I was able to take a couple bike trails but it was raining pretty much the entire 25 miles to Ben and Danielle's place. I could tell I must have been quite a site to many of these people in their vehicular cages. I was riding in pouring rain with a ton of stuff, and enjoying it! I was also reminisce They were already gone when I got there so I let myself in, dried off and cleaned up, and ordered some Chinese take-out. For some reason I had been craving it the past couple days and it was great to lounge in a warm house with good food and be able to watch some of the Olympics. You might think it would be hard to be so close, only 10 miles, to the finish and wait for a day until Steph gets here and it was. But it was hard because now I don't want the glory to end. I really do miss my family and friends and I'm extremely excited to hang out with them, but I'm also definitely going to miss the riding and exploring. I talked to Steph on the phone and it went very well, me choosing my words carefully about her going "there" in the morning and how will she get to "their" place from the airport. Surprises are exciting!