Cycling 4 Scholarships: Leroy pedals Coast 2 Coast

Home Again!!

2008-10-28T08:36:00.000-07:00

Having left Sunnyside on September 2 in the heat of summer, we returned home on Monday, October 27 . It was a welcome sight. The flowers are blooming and the fall colors are still showing their splendor.

The drive from Missoula, Montana to Sunnyside was spectacular. The weather was sunny, crisp, and gorgeous through Idaho on Highway 12 over Lolo Pass. The road skirts the Lochna River through the Bitteroot and Clearwater Mountains. Just gorgeous fall colors among the evergreens with the Tamarack trees changing their colors and losing their needles, as well as a few deciduous trees.

We made very few stops. Clarkston, Washington was a must as we were so happy to be back on Washington soil and needed to stretch our legs. The hills after harvest looked good to us. The wheat farmers were all busy discing, plowing and planting their winter wheat.

The harvest is over and so is this odyssey. It has been an adventure across the United States and back again, seeing sights we have not had the privilege to view previously. The weather for our entire two months away was lovely and we would recommend traveling in September or October to anyone. With the exception of a prevailing East wind on Leroy's bicycling days and two days of rain, we could not have asked for better weather. We did take note many times from Mississippi all the way to Washington that now the wind was blowing from West to East!

Thanks to each and everyone of you for being supportive, reading our blog, and holding us in your prayers for the past two months. We could not have accomplished this without you.

Last Bit of Trivia = Total Miles Traveled in my Honda Civic = 11,024

Total States Traveled Through by Bicycle = 9

Total States Traveled Through by Car = 18

God Bless You

Libby and Leroy Werkhoven

Wyoming to Big Sky

2008-10-26T20:32:00.000-07:00

WYOMING -- Saturday, October 25

After spending the night in Scottsbluff, Nebraska and waking up to 27-degree temperatures; we continued on through “amber waves of grain”; however this time it was miles and miles of corn. Winter wheat has been planted and already greening up the rolling hills.

It wasn’t long before we reached Wyoming the land of open range, cattle, miles of hay fields and trains. Don’t let anyone lead you to believe that the railroads of America are dead. Already in Western Nebraska we began viewing 120+ car freight trains loaded with coal heading east. After seeing this for an entire day, I wonder if any of Wyoming will be left in a few years.

Immediately, we felt “home on the range – where the deer and antelope play.” At first the antelope were a pleasant surprise, but 50 miles later we were still seeing them in the fields, along the streams, in the campgrounds and even in some of the small towns we passed. Antelope dotted the hillsides and fields throughout our travels in Wyoming.

The signs for historical markers began appearing at regular intervals along the roadway. One that caught our attention was historical ruts of the Oregon Trail. The interstate on which we were traveling is located where several trails West traversed years before in the form of the Oregon Trail, the Mormon Trail, the Pony Express Trail and also the Lewis and Clark Trail. We stopped in the small town of Guernsey, Wyoming and took a country road out of town just a little over a mile and came to a nice pathway leading to some of the ruts that the wagons made between 1830-1880 on the Oregon Trail, which closely followed the North Platte River. As you can see from the pictures these ruts were so deep and made their mark in the sandstone along the riverbanks that they still exit. Another mile up the road brought us to the Register Cliffs where pioneers over the years carved their names and the year into the cliffs along the river. What a lasting monument to those who had traveled so far through much adversity and still had miles to go . . .

We traveled North from Casper to Sheridan, Wyoming where we spent a delightful evening visiting the Melius family. Stay tuned for more on our stay in Sheridan.

ANTELOPE TO BIG SKY COUNTRY -- Sunday, October 26

Doug, Robin and Jesse Melius gave us the grand tour of Sheridan, Wyoming upon our arrival on Saturday evening. Visiting with them was like a piece of home, as they had ministered to us in Wapato at Community Presbyterian Church. Doug fixed us a yummy lasagna dinner cooked in a Dutch oven heated with charcoal briquettes.

Sheridan is a neat Western town, which has kept its main street downtown in spite of expansion on the outskirts. Great school buildings, parks, a pathway through and around town, a community college, a revitalization of older downtown buildings and museums to enjoy. There are even buffalo and elk in a park in town for all to enjoy.

This morning we worshiped at First Presbyterian Church and thoroughly enjoyed hearing Doug preach on the first tablet of the Ten Commandments from Exodus as well as Robin lending her talents to the church choir. We left after church and drove west into the Big Sky Country of Montana.

We enjoyed viewing more antelope, deer, mining, horse ranches, ski resorts, fresh snow in the distant mountains, mining operations, beef ranching, hay fields, fall colors of the cottonwood trees, and beautiful sunny weather.

Just as with our trip East, we are ahead of schedule. Plans are to drive through Idaho into Clarkston, Washington and home ahead of schedule. Soon these travels will be over and it will be back to everyday life in Sunnyside.

Out of Oklahoma, Through Kansas and Into Nebraska

2008-10-24T18:50:00.000-07:00

We woke up this morning to ice on our windshield in Perry, OK, just North of Oklahoma City. Beginning early, we traveled in the dark North towards Wichita, Kansas. Driving on the Kansas Turnpike was probably the best road we have had the privilege to drive.

Once leaving the turnpike we continued North on an Interstate with the exception of a short five mile side trip to Lindsborg, Kansas. What a delightful small town capitalizing on their Swedish origins. Bethany College is also located in this community. Hopefully, the pictures will highlight their quaint main street.

Kansas lived up to its reputation of "amber waves of grain" but not wheat this time of year, but milo and soybeans. Many grain elevators and oil pumping rigs lined the skyline as well as a section of the new windmills producing electricity. Continuing North into Nebraska we noticed that it has rained recently; with one small town of Elwood, Nebraska having enough snow that it had been bladed; leaving small piles along the road. Sure glad we dug out the jeans and long sleeved shirts this morning.
The day was spent mostly driving North and West to reach Scottsbluff, Nebraska where we are staying tonight. A quick stop to view a Pony Express Station in Gothenburg, Nebraska was awesome. We enjoyed driving off the Interstate paralleling the North Platte River for most of the afternoon. As darkness approached we viewed Chimney Rock which served as a beacon of the plains to those traveling the Oregon Trail to a new life in the West. One forgets just how much history abounds all over these great United States.

Tomorrow we plan to push on through Wyoming, with a stay in Sheridan planned for Saturday night and Sunday.

Arkansas and Oklahoma

2008-10-23T17:57:00.000-07:00

After spending the night in Conway, Arkansas just North of Little Rock we traveled Northwest into Oklahoma and connected up with a section of Route 66. It was very picturesque and included a stop at this round barn which was totally restored by a group of volunteers -- all over the age of 65. It was interesting to tour and see how involved the restoration was for those folks.

Just a mile up the road was another attraction, but this one was very new and modern, called Pops. We stopped for lunch and marveled at the selection of pop flavors from all over the United States. Every flavor, color, and bottle shape imaginable were there for viewing or purchase. It is a restaurant, gas station, tourist attraction, park, picnic grounds, just a fun place to spend a little time.

On the outskirts of Oklahoma City we stopped to tour the National Cowboy Museum. It is a huge complex with historical displays and currently a display of American Crafts which was most impressive.

Following Route 66 into Oklahoma City, we managed to locate the memorial of the courthouse bombing that happened in 1995. A very fitting park and grounds have been erected to those who lost their lives in the bombing. The tree pictured survived the bombing. The chairs are arranged on the lawn according to how many died on each floor of the building, with the smaller chairs representing the children that died. Outside the entrance some of the temporary fencing has been left up so people can place items there in memory of those who died.

Tomorrow we will be continuing our travels North and West through Oklahoma, Kansas and Colorado.

Trivia = We purchased gas tonight in Guthrie, Oklahoma for $2.19. Of course there are oil wells pumping the oil out of the ground located just a mile from the gas station in all directions.

Traveling Through Alabama and Mississippi

2008-10-22T18:08:00.001-07:00

We spent the night in Florence, Alabama and spent yesterday morning touring Ivy Green which is the birthplace of Helen Keller. Behind this "Little House" where Helen lived with her teacher, Anne Sullivan; is the well where Helen learned her first word, "W-A-T-E-R". The other home is a Frank Lloyd Wright home in Florence that has been restored and is open to the public. It was awesome to be able to take a tour of it.

The drive down the Nachez Trace Parkway was just lovely and thoroughly enjoyable. It was the original pioneer trail of 475 miles, of which we drove only 50 miles. There is so much history with many stops at overlooks and displays. Driving across Mississippi was delightlful also. We drove for about 150 miles through flat Mississippi Delta farm land that was just beautiful.

Renewing acquaintances with Pat and John Stoltman and their two grown children Katie and Chris was wonderful. It has been about 30 years since we have seen them. We were able to tour Clarksdale, Mississippi, a nice town with lots of real Southern flavor with Pat. Chris works as a manager for a farm of about 10,000 acres where they raise sod, cotton, and soybeans predominately. He took us on a tour of the cotton and soybean harvest. Leroy was a "farmboy" again and delighted in a ride on a 6-row cotton harvester (John Deere of course)! Having had several textile classes as a Home Economics major in college, I especially enjoyed the tour of the cotton gin process.

Leaving the beautiful Mississippi Delta farmland, we drove to Little Rock, Arkansas and toured the Clinton Library at the end of the day. Very interesting and well presented. Tomorrow we hope to travel into Oklahoma and do some touring.

No miles traveled by bicycle.

Life After the RIDE

2008-10-20T17:35:00.000-07:00

These Blue Ridge Mountains in North Georgia depict the views we have so enjoyed throughout Georgia and Alabama since completing our bicycling odessey on October 11.

We experienced rain the day after the completion of our "ride" so after worshiping in a 150 year-old United Methodist Church in Savannah, GA; we drove up to the kids cabin in the Blue Ridge Mountains for a couple of days R & R and to celebrate Rinda's birthday there.

A midweek evening ride with Rinda and the grandkids. This is the Silver Comet Trail which is a rail trail that Leroy rode on Thursday to the Alabama border and back adding another 100 miles onto the seventeen the night before with the group. He also took in a twenty mile ride through Atlanta on the Freedom Trail ending at Stone Mountain Park. Included is a picture of the famed "kudzo" which was very prevalent along the Silver Comet Trail.

On Saturday we were priviledged to see both Liske and Anneke play in their soccer games. As a former kids soccer coach and referee, it was great to see them playing. Lena Jean is only a few steps behind them in everything they do even though she is only 19 months!

Here are the reasons we took a week of R & R in Atlanta after the ride. We had a great time in Atlanta seeing our kids and grandkids. Ballet, soccer, shopping, Stone Mountain, a picnic, building a loft library for the girls, building a butcher paper holder, cleaning a closet, bicycling on the Silver Comet Trail (see below for more miles Leroy has added) visiting their church, relatives, and friends; made for a quick week.

Meet our friends, Ausie and Beth Clement. We go back many years to Fort Dix, New Jersey Basic Training and Fort Benning Georgia pre-Viet Nam. It was a gorgeous drive North through Alabama to visit them in Athens, Alabama today. We have visited a few times with them over the years. The water tower just seemed to embrace the support for our troops all across the South.

When we left Atlanta on Sunday afternoon we had a great visit with Al and Pat VanderPol in Anniston, Alabama. They are friends we both grew up with in Mount Vernon Washington; also our paths crossed at Fort Dix, New Jersey and Fort Lewis, Washington during the Viet Nam era. We spent the night with Zeke and Linda Willis, Army friends from Fort Lewis who live in Birmingham, Alabama. It is such fun to just take up where we left off the last time we visited, even though many years may have passed in the meantime.

Miles Traveled during our week in Atlanta = 137

Total Miles Traveled = 2,871

Trivia = Stay tuned as we travel through more of the USA heading home to Sunnyside.

The Atlantic Ocean -- We Made It!!!!

2008-10-11T17:06:00.000-07:00

What will 32 days of pedaling a bike get you? -- from Santa Barbara, California to St. Augustine, Florida - - 2,734 miles or 85 miles a day. After riding 72 miles today, I was able to dip the front wheel of my bike into the Atlantic Ocean at about 1:00 PM. After the bike took a dip it was time to strip off the shoes and socks and take a swim. It has been 40 years since I was stationed in the area that I last took a dip in the Atlantic Ocean.

The trip this morning out of Palatka, Florida took us up and over the St. Johns River and then for 35+ miles north parallel to the river. This is a dammed river so in places it was well over 5 miles in width. The land was very rich sandy loom and one of the towns we rode through was named Spud, so it gives you some idea of what takes place as far as farming; in addition there were hundreds of acres dedicated to sod farming. Almost every home had a boat dock some of which had multiple boats moored by it. The ride was entirely flat with the exception of rises in the road that would take me over a drainage ditch.

We took several hours of time to tour St. Augustine following the ride and then started our trip up north toward Atlanta, Georgia. We will, however, do some additional sightseeing before we reach our destination. Tomorrow we plan to attend church in Savanna, Georgia; followed by some touring in that community.

For those of you that are concerned that I had promised 3,300 miles, well you’ll have to stay tuned to see how I will ride those miles. The first couple of hundred will be ridden on the Silver Comet Railway Trail that runs from Atlanta GA into Alabama. This is a beautiful railway that has been paved for at least 85 miles. This will also be the location that I will get to ride with my granddaughters who are very excited to demonstrate their long distance abilities.

Miles Traveled Today = 72
Total Miles Traveled = 2,734

Trivia = I thought I was just swerving to miss another piece of truck tire when the thing started to move to get out of the way. It was a good-sized snake!

I had a pickup stop along side me and ask if the road he was currently on was the fastest way to get to Jacksonville. I told him it wasn’t, but I was not sure how to get to the closest freeway that would bring him there. He asked where I was from and when I told him the State of Washington he just said S--t. Seems like he doubted me!

We paid $2.91 a gallon for gas when we entered Georgia. Why is gas so cheap here?

Oh yes, in recalculating the miles there was an addition error back about 21 days ago of 11 miles, therefore the corrected total is 2,734 = WE MADE IT

Palm Trees, Hibiscus, and Humidity

2008-10-10T14:28:00.000-07:00

Rode the first five miles out of Lake City on the sidewalks to avoid heavy traffic because of very foggy conditions. The next 25 miles was in dense fog through very marshy terrain. It was easy to imagine alligators crawling up out of the marshland to sample a bicyclist leg bone! When the fog did lift we found ourselves in Starke, Florida but the map showed it as Lincoln City. This town had a creek running through it named Alligator Creek.

It was an opportune time to stop for an early lunch break as I had my 13th flat tire. As we completed lunch and changed the tube, the sun was peaking through the fog layer. The afternoon was spent continuing on a road that was flat and straight for 35 miles. It was a very nice change of pace from up and down. However, not to be lulled to sleep, I suddenly found the seat leaning back like it has come loose. In checking I found the carbon fiber seat post had broken. Fortunately, Libby was only a mile ahead and a cell phone call sent her back to rescue me. The solution was that I moved the seat post from Libby’s bike to mine and it worked.

The remainder of the ride today was without incident, 83 miles after starting our day we found ourselves in Palatka, Florida.

Tomorrow is just a short 50-mile ride to our final destination, St. Augustine and the Atlantic Ocean, however, there is a scenic route I am considering along the St. John River -- what's another 20 miles?

Miles Traveled Today = 83
Total Miles Traveled = 2,651
Trivia = Windshield wipers on my glasses would have been a nice addition for the fog today. I had enough dew dripping off my mustache that I didn’t need much water for the first 25 miles.

75 Miles and Never Dry

2008-10-09T15:54:00.001-07:00

Today began with overcast skies so Libby and I took off driving from Oak Hill Ranch in Monticello where we stayed last night at about 7:15 a.m. We hadn’t driven but two miles and the rain began again, so we returned to our warm, dry “cabin” at the Bussells. Spent the time writing postcards and getting yesterday’s blog started. Tried again at 9:15 a.m. and sure enough it wasn’t raining anymore.

The temperature was 75 degrees and extremely humid with water on the roadway so that every time a car passed me I received a shower, and each time a truck passed me I received a bath!! This was road grime water to top it off. Libby kept close tabs on me all day because it rained intermittently, but I pedaled on. Made a stop in Madison, Florida for lunch at McDonalds and then pedaled almost to Lake City before getting caught in a torrential downpour. Fortunately, I had to tolerate it for less than a mile as my rescue angel was waiting for me. More ups and downs with longer stretches of flat today, entirely without wind. Praise the Lord for small favors.

Right now we are in a motel at Lake City and I am doing bicycle maintenance as the rain washed away the lubricants from my last maintenance on Sunday, and left my gear chain full of sand and road grit. Also, my back tire is disintegrating so it is time for a new tire. (Thank you Luke for sending me on my way with a spare.) In checking my liner, I discovered another piece of steel belted radial residue poking through. No flat tube, however.

The first community we came through after leaving Monticello was Greenville, Florida. Libby saw a nice community park so she checked it out and found this great bronze statue of Ray Charles. He called “Greensville” his home, as it was where he was raised, where he had the unfortunate accident that caused his blindness, and always where he returned to see his family and friends.

Each town continues with the fall decorations, which are unique and joyful to gaze upon along our travels.

Miles Traveled Today = 75
Total Miles Traveled = 2,568
Trivia = Amount of rainfall today = Seemed like four inches.
Passed an enormous peanut processing plant in Lee, Florida as well as a Pilgrim brand chicken processing plant.

Monticello, Florida

2008-10-09T08:53:00.000-07:00

October 8, 2008

We left Chattahoochee on Hwy 90 for just a couple of miles and then turned north to ride up into Georgia for a few miles before turning south again to join Hwy 90 in Quincy, Florida. We felt it was necessary to include Georgia in the ride since our daughter Rinda and her family live in Atlanta. From that point we continued on Hwy 90 for the rest of the day. There were many exciting times riding along 90 depending on whether there were shoulders or not along the road. In addition it had rained most of the night so the roads were wet and the frogs seemed to think the road was the stream. Hundreds of them had been run over by vehicles, which meant that the road surface was slick with frog innards. There are many times I need to ride the white line on the side of the road, but it too was very slick since water on paint is just like a lubricant. The last issue was that there may not be any mountains in North Florida, but don’t let anyone let you believe that it is flat. The ups and downs are not very deep, but they just never stop. This keeps me shifting gears between 6 mph and 20 mph all day long. In spite of the conditions, I was able to get in 82 miles before it started raining to hard to continue. About 3 miles short of Monticello, Libby came out and rescued me since it was raining fairly heavy which makes it difficult for drivers without their windshield wipers turned on to see this target.

The ride though Tallahassee put us right downtown along Florida State University and the Capital buildings as well. Since my brother Don attended FSU for graduate school while I was stationed at Fort Benning, Georgia; we had visited the area many times in 1969. I will have to admit that there was absolutely nothing I could say I remembered about the location. As with most large cities you have to ride through 3-4 miles of shopping centers before you reach the heart of the original community. The nice thing about the new parts of the city; they have created bike lanes in which to ride. In the older sections you are back to just the white line!!!

The thing I do remember most about Tallahassee were the big oak trees with all of the Spanish moss hanging in the trees. Many of the roads are lined with these oak trees as well as Myrtle trees. In addition throughout the entire state of Florida the sides of the roads are mowed just about as neatly as peoples lawns. So regardless of the terrain you are riding in beautiful surroundings.

Last night we had the pleasure of staying with Reese and Jerry Bussell in Monticello, Florida. We have mutual friends in Birmingham, Alabama and they so graciously offered to have us stay in their "cabin" as our travels brought us within a mile of their home. It was a great place to stay and we so enjoyed getting acquainted as well as a wonderful home-cooked meal. Visiting with the Bussell s was a great way to enjoy the thunder, lightening and pouring rain outside.

Miles Traveled Today = 82
Total Miles Traveled = 2,493

Chattahoochee

2008-10-08T03:58:00.000-07:00

Leroy crossed the Apalachicola River, viewed the George Woodruff Dam, with Lake Seminole backed up behind it only to discover that I was back five miles as there was no motel in Chattahoochee. He called and I picked him up. We are staying in Sneads, Florida which is in the Central time zone, but the Eastern time zone is just five miles down the road from here.

Today was his 28th day of riding. Today was pedaling into an East wind again, overcast with a light rainfall, warm and very humid. Even without rainfall when Leroy takes his gloves off at

the end of the day, they look as though they have been in dishwater all day. The bicycle spends the night in the motel room with us so the handlebar cushioning grips can dry somewhat.

Today is the first day we have viewed kudzu, which is a lush growing vine that grows very fast and covers everything in sight slowly killing any other growing plants and trees. The farther we travel into Florida the more Spanish moss we see hanging from trees. It is very pretty, but it also eventually kills the tree it is attached to. Cotton harvest is in full swing along the roads we traveled today. We also observed peanuts being harvested. Boiled peanuts are sold at every stand, mini mart and community grocery store along the way, as well as yummy fresh roasted and salted.

Miles Traveled Today = 88

Total Miles T raveled = 2,411

Trivia = Visited more scarecrows in the decorations of all these small towns than I have in my entire life. Fall decorations here are neat; businesses compete; towns compete; counties compete.

Pensacola to DeFuniak Spring Florida

2008-10-06T12:57:00.000-07:00

Today was warm and more humid than we have experienced elsewhere in the South. It was overcast all day, which seemed to make it worse. Leroy took off at about 7 a.m. this morning and I drove about ten miles up his route and found a bicycle trail called the Blackwater Trail in Milton, Florida. I rode it to the end and then it changed into the Old Military Trail which ended at the entrance gates to Navel Air Station Whiting Field.

The trail was great with many wild flowers blooming along the way. Most of the ones I saw were familiar ones to me. The goldenrod is blooming here as it is in Washington right now. There were wild honeysuckle, beautiful blue morning glory, and a couple I didn't recognize. The trail/road sign just had to be included for one of our donors.

Leroy's route was simple to follow as he was on the same road all day. The shoulders were good , but he battled that Easterly wind again all day. Compared to riding along the beach of the Gulf Coast it lacked some scenery. Three towns that he biked through were very historic with one town having 250 places on the National Historic Register. Beautiful old Victorian styled homes, original train depots, 1800's styled store fronts and very old churches were nice to view.

This is a White Top Pitcher Plant which I have never had the opportunity to see before.

We are staying in DeFuniak Springs, Florida tonight which is a very

historic town. The town is located on the shores of Lake DeFuniak said to be one of only two perfectly round lakes in the country, and this one is spring fed. The oldest continually operated library in the state is located here on the lake -- very neat building with leaded glass windows and doors.

Miles Traveled Today = 88

Total Miles Traveled = 2,323

Trivia = Gas prices have been a high of $4.06 in California at the start of our trip to a low today of $3.21 in Pensacola, Florida.

Today is October 6 - exactly one month since the start of this bicycling odyssey.

Sunday in Pensacola

2008-10-05T18:35:00.000-07:00

There are spectacular ocean beaches surrounding Pensacola, Florida with sugar-white sand.

How nice it is to have a day off! We actually slept in, something I seldom can accomplish. We enjoyed a waffle breakfast here at the hotel before we went to church. We noticed last night that a large Baptist Church was located about a block from the hotel. We normally do not attend churches that hold over 500 so were just a bit concerned what we might be getting into when considering this huge facility. Much to our surprise we were truly blessed by the entire worship service. The choir was 75 members strong, accompanied by a 25-piece orchestra and a praise team of ten outstanding singers. The music director was a very talented person in both his leadership and ability to lead the congregation in singing. The sermon was based on Isaiah 55, 1-7 entitled, The Great Invitation.

Following church we went for a short ride to view the sites of Pensacola and checked out the start of the ride for tomorrow towards De Funiak Springs.

This evening as we were headed out for a bite to eat before retiring, I noticed a person riding into the hotel parking lot with not only panniers hanging off the bike but he also had a tow behind trailer. I stopped him to inquire about his destination. Was I ever surprised when he told us he is on at least a two-year ride that will crisscross America, Canada and South America. He plans on pedaling about 40,000 miles. You can check out his blog at les3Ameriques.canalblog.com. This gentleman is loaded down with about 240lbs of gear plus himself. He generally camps out 3-4 days, then finds a hotel for a day and starts the cycle all over again. I know this is beyond my ability but I certainly admire somebody that can make progress each day pulling that kind of weight.

Florida and a small portion of Georgia to accomplish my goal of cycling across the USA!!!

Another Great Day Along the Gulf

2008-10-04T16:25:00.000-07:00

Since we stayed at a bed and breakfast place last night and breakfast was not served until 8 AM getting started was delayed today. We then needed to board a ferry off Dauphin Island, which did not leave until 9:30 AM. We reached the mainland of Alabama at 10 when I finally got to make some serious progress towards Pensacola. Since we were biking very close to the Gulf all day, I spent most of the day with a serious headwind. The great part of the trip, however, was all of the beautiful scenery of Gulf waters and sugar white sand along the way. Once again the only hills that I encountered today were bridges that went over various waterways that arc way up in the air to allow boats to pass under them without having to open the bridge. Most of the cities along the gulf have some very big time growth going on. I’m not talking about small homes; these are huge condo complexes that look to be at least 20 stories high. Millions upon millions of dollars are being spent on these very luxurious places.
Our ferry held a total of 18 cars and took us out past some off shore natural gas towers in Mobile Alabama Bay. We learned that this area happens to be the largest natural gas reserve in the United States. We were also very privileged to see many birds and they were very willing to pose for us. This area of Alabama is known for its many birds and it is migratory season now.

As usual each day we get to see some very unusual items along the way. Today we spotted a mailbox. When Libby stopped to take the picture, she discovered the individual had a whole yard full of very unusual creatures.

I suspect the most striking feature that really catches your eye is the mile upon mile of the white sand. Since each day is still in the high 80’s there are many people out swimming and enjoying the beaches. I will have to admit that since this has been a long tough week of riding there were times I gave serious thought to just calling it a day and joining them on the beach.

Miles Traveled Today = 72

Total Miles Traveled = 2,238
Trivia = Riding along the beach in Orange Beach, Alabama, I witnessed a young motorcycle rider do a block long wheelie not realizing two cars behind him was the local community police. The police must not have been as impressed as I was about his skill since his colored lights came on almost immediately.

Gulfport MS to Dauphin AL

2008-10-03T16:46:00.001-07:00

White sandy beaches that were already cleaned up after the last hurricane and some still in progress was the view for about twenty-five miles upon leaving Gulfport, Mississippi.
Highway 90 provided an excellent route as many parts of it were under construction leaving barriers for me to ride behind. After spending the day yesterday shifting gears every half mile, today the only time shifting was necessary was to cross bays and inlets via large arching bridges. The longest of the bridges was three miles to get onto Dauphin Island, Alabama where we are spending the night at a bed and breakfast. Not only was the land level but also the views of the Gulf of Mexico were spectacular (Gulfport, Ocean Springs, Biloxi Bay, Pascagoula Bay, Mississippi Sound and Mobile Bay).

Traveling along through Gulfport, we could view directly much of the damage still left from Hurricane Katrina, Hurricane Rita and now Ike. The many oak trees that were killed during Hurricane Katrina are still standing and are slowly being converted into carved works of art. Some that were just recently damaged by the surge of salt water from Ike will recover, we have been told. Houses that were torn off their foundations and pillars have been removed with only the base left standing on which to hopefully rebuild. There are numerous piers that only parts are left hanging out over the water as evidenced in the pictures.

Dauphin Island, Alabama is the first European colony founded in Alabama in 1559 and is very picturesque with much local history; such as the signing of the Louisiana Purchase being completed here. Also Fort Gaines built back in 1850 is located here, and in 1861 was seized by the Confederates but fell in 1864 to the Yankees in the Battle of Mobile.

One of the major problems following storms on the island is the white sand moving off the beaches and onto the island roads. As you can see from the picture it is plowed and piled up just like snow on the sides of the road. It all has to be removed and put back on the beaches.

Miles Traveled Today = 88
Total Miles Traveled = 2,166
Trivia = Was able to cover 17 miles in one hour with a slight wind at my back and flat terrain.
Flat number 12 occurred directly in front of the Hard Rock Casino, which is shown in a picture on yesterday’s blog.

Wondering Through the Woods

2008-10-02T18:11:00.000-07:00

It is amazing what one can learn when travelling through small town America by just reading the local water tower.

We left Bogalusa, Louisiana with a definite plan on how we were going to get to Gulfport Mississippi. Once we crossed the Pearl River that separates the two states we discovered the plan might not be the best idea. What had been a road with wonderful shoulders in Louisiana turned out to be a road with no shoulders whatsoever in Mississippi. After traveling 20 miles hugging the white line while being passed by logging trucks and pulp carrying trucks; we decided it was time for a new plan. This new plan put us on very rural roads weaving in and out of various draws for a very rough 35miles as well as too many hills to count. By the time we found a spot to eat, I had ridden 55 miles of very tough terrain. At this point it is always tempting to eat too much that makes the rest of the day uncomfortable. I have told Libby to make sure she really limits my mid-day eating since the price you pay after eating and riding hard is not worth the gratification of a big lunch.

The afternoon ride was a straight shot down Hwy 49 to Gulfport an additional 32 miles. It was rolling hills with a slight wind but the temperature was in the low 80’s so it was very pleasant. The last few miles into Gulfport was full of off and on ramps so my rescue angel hauled me in the last three miles.

After a shower and a short rest period we went down to the beach and drove some of the route I will ride tomorrow. We were told that there is still a lot of damage from hurricane Katrina and that some parts of Hwy 90 were closed. Much to our delight we found that the road is open, but there are many places that I will have to ride around short detours.

Much of Gulfport has been rebuilt, with the casinos being the first. Tourism is alive and well and going strong around all of the construction.

Miles Traveled Today = 87
Total Miles Traveled = 2,078
Trivia = I saw my first wild boar. It looked to be about 300 lbs and I was surprised by how fast it could move. The back rural roads were full of dogs but thankfully all they did was chase and bark.

Big City to Back Country

2008-10-01T15:36:00.000-07:00

Today our escape from Baton Rouge was on Hwy 16 through the suburbs of Denham Springs to the very rural areas of Northern Louisiana. On the way through Denham Springs one could not help but notice the numerous large churches of every faith. I suspect in a six-mile area I saw at least 15 churches that had multiple buildings and it looked as though most of them could seat at least a 1,000 individuals for a service. In most cases you could tell by the reader boards that they had a minimum of three worship services on Sunday morning.

Since I spent most of the morning riding mostly north I found myself gain elevation up and out of the bayous and into the rolling hills. The country was as scenic as any that we have viewed on this trip. Lots of gentleman farms as we left the suburbs of Denham Springs which then turned into legitimate farms of various types. About 20 miles out of town I actually rode past a very large dairy. By the number of cow shades I would estimate it to be a 2,000-cow dairy. Later in the day we passed a couple of more dairies but they didn’t seem quite as large.

In traveling through Louisiana, we can't get over the number of cemeteries, many times located next to or part of a local church. Gravestone monument businesses in every town have replaced the taxidermys of Texas towns. The cemeteries are all very large with mostly above ground crypts and large monuments.

Many of the 87 miles were rolling country through tree farms that feed the large pulp mill here in Bogalusa, La. I suspect if I could have kept track of vertical gain today that I climbed well over 4,000 ft. Instead of riding my normal 12-13mph I spent 8 hours and 15 minutes going the 87 miles. The weather remains absolutely perfect as far as temperature, but a little less in-your-face wind would be appreciated. One sight that caught our attention was a beautiful horse ranch with a sign that reminded us of our dutch heritage out here in the middle of Louisiana!

As I venture through small towns I enjoy asking people for best routes to the next community. Today I had the choice of two routes for the last 24 miles of the trip. When I asked a mechanic at a local shop what route he would take if he was riding a bike his response was prefaced with, “First that would never happen, Second you would be a total fool to take the one route since at least 12 trucks would run you over before you reached your destination.” I took his advice and here I am able to share this story with you.

Miles Traveled Today = 87
Total Miles Traveled = 1,191
Trivia = La. must be fox country, I saw four foxes today, three of them had made bad choices as to when they were going to cross the road and the fourth one was checking out his friend after he made the bad choice. He didn’t stick around long when he spotted me.

More Trivia = Home-grown-moving job. Saw a lamp with the shade attached fly out of the back of a pick up as they were traveling down the road. They didn’t bother to stop and pick up the multiple pieces.

Forests to Rice Fields

2008-09-30T15:13:00.000-07:00

For the past several days, we have been riding through forest farms owned by agencies such as Boise and Georgia Pacific. Leaving Oberlin, LA this morning I suddenly broke out into open areas with 45 continuous miles of flat land mostly used to produce rice and yams. At one point I thought I had returned to Viet Nam except I didn't see any water buffalos. The fields were beautiful in the morning light with the humidity rising off the fields. It looked like fog except it was warm to ride through. LA 104 East followed the contours of the various farms. In places the road was like riding on glass and in other places the roughness of the roadway bounced and vibrated the bike like no other roads have up to this point.

Our 11 a.m. lunch break was in Opelousas, Louisiana where we rejoined highway 190 East. Opelousas was a very old town with plantation type houses and is known as the birthplace of Jim Bowie and his discovery of the Bowie knife. Opelousas was even the capitol of LA during the Civil War, and is currently known as the "Yam Capitol" of the South. We recognized on the map that one section of 190 was not recommended for bike riding. Libby went ahead and checked it out. It was a 3.5 mile section of viaduct over swampy land with no shoulders, so she hauled me and the bike across.

That still allowed 40 miles of riding before reaching the Mississippi River at Baton Rouge. Again, there was no lane for bikes, so I was not able to ride the bike up and over the Mighty Mississippi.

The bridge was quite old with the railroad crossing inbetween East and Westbound lanes of traffic.

Having already ridden a total of 98 miles we decided to call it a day and find a motel. We are on the outskirts of Baton Rouge and I will leave from here tomorrow morning.

Miles Traveled Today = 98

Total Miles Traveled = 1,904

Trivia = Lots of water opportunities, but the water did not look inviting enough to dip my head in it. With my luck there would probably be an alligator waiting to take it off.

Chased Out of Texas

2008-09-29T17:23:00.000-07:00

Today was full of surprises! I was riding along this morning at about 8:30 AM just thinking about how nice it was going to be to finally be out of Texas. Suddenly from behind me came a female voice saying, “I was really looking good.” After getting over the initial shock I realized I recognized the voice. It belonged to Jeannie Cassatt who with her husband, Jim, a couple of our good friends from the Yakima area. After pulling off the road, we decided to get together about 11 miles down the road at the last community in Texas on Hwy 190, Bon Weir. So at 9:30 Libby joined us, and we all had a short breakfast together for about 30 minutes. Jim and Jeannie were in Texas to visit a cousin of hers and Jim will be attending a Colt gun show in Houston. We knew they were going to be in Texas, but certainly didn’t expect them to check on us in Eastern Texas.

Later in the day, after having lunch in De Ridder LA, I was riding along a rural road that had some fairly tall grass growing right next to the shoulder. A raccoon suddenly appeared on the road right in front of me. As soon as he saw me he jumped straight up in the air made a quick turn and exited off into the bushes. I don’t think I missed him by more than two feet.

Another very unusual site was seeing well over a thousand “FEMA” homes on wheels in De Ridder LA. They were parked at the local airport and you could see them lined up as far as the eye could see.

With the exception of two hills just before leaving Texas, the rest of the day was spent on very flat Louisiana land. Almost the entire day was spent riding through forested areas. There were several large pulp mills along the way. I was able to travel 91 miles today in 7 hours of biking averaging 13 mph. It was 57 degrees when I started at 7 AM and 86 when I finished at 3:30. We are currently in Oberlin LA, and I hope to reach Baton Rouge tomorrow.

Miles Traveled Today = 91
Total Miles Traveled = 1,806
Trivia = We have been introduced to a new bug. They call them Honeymoon bugs or Love bugs. You never see one, they always travel by twos; and they are joined together. You need to ride with your mouth closed. The front of the cars around here are covered with the black twosomes!!!

Jasper, Texas (not Wyoming)

2008-09-28T14:58:00.000-07:00

Before church this morning we went for a ride west of town to the Martin Dies Jr. State Park and Steinhagen Lake. Viewed more fallen trees from Ike damage. Very picturesque lake with much wildlife. Couldn't resist snapping a picture of this sign which is certainly something one would not see in Washington!

Jasper is known as the "Jewel of the Forest". There are two national forests just north of town and beautiful Lake Sam Rayburn Area with 550 miles of shoreline, making it the largest man-made lake fully located in the State of Texas. We enjoyed touring around it this afternoon. Yesterday, Leroy rode through part of what is known as Big Thicket Trail. This entire area is forested with pine and oak trees, very attractive to ride through.

We attended the First Presbyterian Church this morning in Jasper, Texas. It was an uplifting service, just what we both needed with many friendly folks. Last night we enjoyed a Cajun shrimp buffet at the Lone Star Buffet. Lots of different types of shrimp and local catfish as well.

Some of the local scenery included seeing many Dodge/Chevy/Ford dualie, diesel, pickups pulling a trailer holding a camouflaged quad runner and/or deer blind. Guess it is the first weekend of bow hunting season here. Also saw boats of all sizes, shapes, and colors headed to the local lakes for fishing. A group of six were parked at our motel last night.

Tomorrow will be our last day in Texas. Leroy hopes to ride into Louisiana by mid-morning.

Thanks for all of you who have stayed in touch with us through email, reading our blog, commenting on the blog site, phone calls, and holding us up in your prayers.

Fallen Timber and Blue Tarps

2008-09-27T17:35:00.000-07:00

These morning glories were blooming here and there along the route both yesterday and today. Even these blooms are "Texas BIG" compared to the wild ones we are used to seeing.

Today was a daylong ride through areas that suffered much wind damage from hurricane Ike. First you need to understand that the area is forested with pine and oak trees. So when the wind came through it blew trees over the power lines and in many cases blew the power lines themselves over. In some of the smaller communities or strip type malls, they were still using generators to provide minimal lighting and services. I don’t believe there is any way I could have counted the roofs that had blue tarps over part or the entire roof. Most of the trees that had fallen across the roads had been cut up and shoved over to the side of the road. We had an ice-cream cone in a Diary Queen that still had plywood over a couple of their windows. I would have loved to have a trailer along and pick up some of the oak logs lying along the road to use later in furniture building.

Today was a wonderful riding day as far as weather and terrain. It was 57 degrees when I started at 7 a.m. and 85 when I finished at 3 p.m. I rode 87 miles and only had to use 6 gears to cover the terrain (slowest speed 10 mph, fastest 18 mph). For the past several days as I have climbed in and out of “draws” I have used at least 15-20 of the available 27 gears on my bike. There was very little wind and there was one stretch of the road that was 15 miles in length with no turns and was perfectly flat as well as lined on both sides with tall timber to keep the wind away from the road. It may not have been the most interesting road, but after the hills and wind it was a very nice change. On this stretch of the road 24 logging trucks and 18 wood chip trucks that were all headed to a plant in Silsbee, Texas passed me.

As we completed the ride at 3:00 PM and started looking for a hotel we soon discovered that there was no room in the inn, or that the hotels were closed because of damage. Most were still filled with Ike evacuees. We ended up driving north to Jasper, Texas, which at this point I know little about except that there is a large lake near by. Tomorrow is a day off to rest, relax, tour, worship, and regroup.

Miles Traveled Today = 87

Total Miles Traveled = 1,715

Trivia = Experienced changing the 11th flat tire today

Pastureland to National Forest

2008-09-26T13:50:00.000-07:00

Arrived in Conroe, Texas after 78 miles of more uphills and into the East Texas wind. The shoulders along Highway 105 were smooth and wide for the most part. The morning was through dairy country with Jersey cows whose milk goes into some the finest Texas made ice cream called Blue Bell. The farms appeared to be predominately owned by folks of German descent. Libby toured the creamery in the morning before meeting up with me for lunch. It was a 100 year old creamery which is still a thriving local business in Brenham, Texas.

These wind mills are for sale at most feed, hardware and WalMart stores bordering Highway 105 also known as Texas Independence Trail. Don't have to wonder why there are so many windmills for sale!!!

The surprise today was beautiful Lake Conroe. Here were the first signs of damage from Hurricane Ike. There were trees down, many billboards in piles, and a boat dock that had flipped over and was laying on top of a roof with the pontoons sticking in the air.

The good news today was from the Treasurer of Dollars for Scholars, Kit Brown, that funds continue to come in and we are currently very close to reaching 60% of the $100,000 goal. We were contacted by the local KNDO TV in Yakima and there will be an update on our progress on the news tonight.

The temperature remains cool and agreeable, starting at about 60 degrees in the morning and ending at 85 in the afternoon. The humidity is hardly noticeable because of the wind.

Miles Traveled Today = 78

Total Miles Traveled = 1,629

Trivia = Ate lunch at a gas station/restaurant/mini mart/insurance office/liquor store that had four mounted wild boer heads on the walls -- we were sure thankful we ordered a chicken sandwich instead of pork.

Austin to Brenham

2008-09-25T17:02:00.000-07:00

Today started off with 17 miles of perfect riding conditions. Nice broad shoulders on the road, with some rolling hills and a perfect 66 degrees for nice cool riding. However, after 17 miles the shoulders disappeared, and I found myself riding on 6 to 8 inches of shoulder along a four-lane road. I am very thankful for the respect that the vast majority of vehicle drivers give me as I ride along these sections of roads. At the 20 mile point the good old wind out of the East began to blow causing the forward progress to get tough. We stopped in Giddings for lunch and then continued on to Brenham. Had there not been a slight directional change of the road so that I was not pedaling directly into the wind, I’m not sure I could have made the total distance today.

The farther we went east the greener it got. The ponds along the road were full of water, and all of the fields looked like we are driving in the Skagit Valley of Washington. Brenham is a community of about 15,000 and is known for all of the antique shops. We are driving Libby’s Honda Civic so there is no risk that we have room to pick up any goodies as we cross the country. All of the storefronts seem to be full so it looks like things are relatively healthy in the area. We have been through many communities that have had more than half of the storefronts boarded up.

Rode past some new oil wells in the Giddings area, more and more cows in the fields, and lovely green fields. Also saw a prefab housing business that built small cabins that could be added on to with the same design two or more times. Looked interesting and a very good idea.

Texans are proud of Texas and it shows in many subtle and obvious ways. Texas flags fly from most businesses and the entrances to the bigger ranches. Libby had the occasion to use a rest room at the McDonalds in Elgin, Texas this morning (home of George Bush, Sr.) that had a Texas shaped washbasin in the bathroom. A few days ago at the breakfast buffet in our motel, we had Texas shaped waffles for breakfast. She also had the car serviced after lunch at Wal-Mart in Giddings, and the paper laid on the floor was Texas shaped. Dairy Queen in really big across the middle of Texas where we have traveled and the outline of the state of Texas is in the middle of the DQ logo.

Miles Traveled Today = 81

Total Miles Traveled = 1,551

Trivia = Six dead racoons. Thousands of singing blackbirds lined the wires overhead for miles on end.

From Hill Country to City

2008-09-24T14:00:00.000-07:00

At 7 a.m. this morning I headed out of Fredericksburg on this road. The day began with 21 miles of beautiful farming countryside; peach orchards, grape vineyards, hay fields, cattle ranches and pickup trucks pulling livestock trailers to the nearest auction, which turned out to be a huge newly constructed yard along the highway.

One community I passed through celebrated their cattle ranching with all of these painted cattle along the road. There were many of them and were fun to view.

Once I reached Johnson City, home of LBJ, it was a return to the up and down draws with rough shoulders to ride on until reaching Austin. We had lunch at Dripping Springs which is a fast growing community. I did manage to get in about 50 miles of riding before the wind picked up. Each community has their own unique water towers. Libby has taken pictures of many of them.

As I rode through the countryside, I was impressed with the many grand entrances of the area ranches. Each was unique and displayed varied craftsmanship using native rock, metalwork and carved signage.

Upon reaching Austin, an attempt was made to negotiate the many on and off ramps of converging freeways. I decided that life was more precious than trying to ride through the metropolitan area, thus a call was made and my SAG wagon picked me up and we drove through the city and landed in Manor, Texas (just on the outskirts of Austin).

Since spending three days in the Texas Hill Country, I certainly have a better understanding why Lance Armstrong has such strong abilities to climb mountains. However, I am looking forward to the time when the terrain flattens out.

Miles Traveled Today = 82

Total Miles Traveled = 1,470

Trivia = Saw my first albino skunk

Crossed 17 creek beds with no water in any of them.

Junction to Fredericksburg (TX)

2008-09-23T17:22:00.000-07:00

This was another day of climbing hills and facing the wind in West Texas. A major change after 430 miles of riding on I-10, we left at milepost 477 to continue riding hills on Highway 290 to Fredericksburg.

Another discovery after leaving the freeway was that the shoulders became to rough to ride or disappeared entirely. Because of sparse traffic I found myself most of the day riding on one of the lanes of the 4-lane highway. Today was the first day since El Paso that I have viewed cultivated fields, even though it was quite marginal.

This area is mainly cattle, sheep and goat ranching along with private hunting ranches. This is BIG hunting country -- deer, wild turkeys, and wild birds. One of the most unique things that we see at all the local lumber and hardware stores are feeders for wild game, and blinds to sit in and shoot the wild game (as seen below). Every community also sports at least one taxidermy and game processing place of business. An amazing discovery is that even during the actual hunting season it is permissible to feed the game, which is also where the blinds are located.

We are staying in Fredericksburg, Texas a good-sized city that is a major tourist attraction. It hosts much German culture as they settled in this area over a hundred years ago. The town in very unique with shops, bakeries, restaurants and literally hundreds of B & B's in the old homes. They have maintained the originally architecture of the area using local stone for most of the buildings.

After a stop at the local bicycle shop to purchase more inner tubes and supplies, we were informed that after about 100 more miles of hill country Texas would flatten out. It is my hope that my legs will sustain me for another 100 miles of uphill into the wind.

Miles Traveled Today = 71 miles

Total Miles Traveled = 1,388

Are these buzzards waiting for a tasty Washington cyclist?

Trivia = Dead buzzards exceeded all other dead critters along the road. Spotted my first armadillo!