Denise Goldberg's blog

Boston to Oregon, a cross-country celebration
It's time to live my dream of riding my bicycle across the country

Friday, September 13, 2002

And a thank you too...

As I look back on my trip, I just want to say thank you to a few people:

To my family and friends, for enjoying my trip along with me even though some of you would have preferred that I stayed home!

To my neighbors, for looking after my place and picking up my mail!

To all the new friends I met on the road, for taking time out of your day to chat with me, and for supplying me with conversation, water, ice, rides, etc.

To all the folks I met through crazyguyonabike.com, for reading my journal, sharing my experience, and providing feedback.

To the folks at Bike Friday, who were happy to lend me support along the way.

It's been a fabulous experience, and I'm glad that you all came along with me. Some of you told me you were riding along in my trailer or on my shoulder, in spirit at least. I was happy to have your good thoughts along with me, and I hope that you'll join me again in the future!

Thursday, September 12, 2002

What's next?

More biking, of course!

Although I'd love to say I'll be doing another long trip next year, it's likely that won't be possible. I'm headed back to work soon, and it's just not feasible to get several months off while working at a full-time job - especially when the company is a start-up. But - I do plan to continue touring, probably with one- to four-week trips, and I'll do another long trip when it becomes possible. My fellow crazyguyonabike.com authors have shown me that short trips can be fun too!

I actually thought I'd be doing another short tour before I start my new job - but although I have the time to do one, I've found that I'm a bit burnt out on travel for now. I was planning a 4 to 5 day trip in Maine, but when it came time to get myself on the road I found that I'm at a stage where I prefer to be in my own bed at night. But - I still want to do some riding along the coast of Maine, so I plan to do that in a couple of day trips. Maybe I'll write it up and post it as a photo journal, even though in the strictest sense it's not a tour!

Looking to the future though - there are quite a few places I'd like to visit on my bike. I want to spend more time wandering in the United States. I still have 5 states I haven't managed to set foot in yet, and it's quite possible that they will be the target for a future bike trip. I'd also (always) like to go back to Hawaii. I did a supported tour on the Big Island several years ago, and I'd love to repeat that as a self-supported tour, staying in B&Bs instead of the hotels I stayed in the last time. And I never seem to get enough of national parks, so that gives me quite a list of places to visit or re-visit. Other possibilities include Ireland, New Zealand, Canada (Vancouver Island and Nova Scotia are just two of the places I'd like to get to in Canada), repeat trips to some of our national parks, and who knows where else! I've had so much fun with my journal that I'm sure I'll be writing journals for my future trips, so keep an eye on my travel stories gallery or my blog for more on my trips.



Coastal Maine - a possible location for a future bike trip



Repeating a trip to the Big Island (Hawaii) is always a possibility --- but look at that wind!

Wednesday, September 11, 2002

An amazing experience

Things I learned (and re-learned)

What an amazing experience! At times it almost felt like I was living in a dream world. I guess you could call it that, because I'd been dreaming of taking a trip like this one for a long time. Living my dream was a good way to spend the summer, and I'd encourage any of you who have a dream like mine (bicycling or otherwise) to follow your dream where it leads you.

As I talked to people along the road, many of them told me that I was brave, or that they couldn't do a trip like mine. I never felt like I was doing something that required being brave - I was just following my heart!

My trip had both high and low points, and I wouldn't give any of them up. It confirmed my belief that most people are good - in spite of the warnings I kept getting from people about the 'next' town. It also enhanced my desire to continue traveling by bicycle. After 2 ½ months on the road, I'm still addicted to bicycle touring.

When I started out, I planned to use Adventure Cycling maps for most of my trip. That plan changed when I realized how far north the Northern Tier route took me on my way to Iowa, and how far south the Transamerica route really was. I abandoned my plans, and found my own way across Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri, joining the Transamerica route in southwestern (instead of southeastern) Missouri. This is the first self-contained tour I've done where I haven't depended on cycling maps for the entire trip - and it feels good to have moved on to other sources of routes. I like the Adventure Cycling maps because they include information on grocery stores, motels, and campgrounds. But - I learned that I can find my own way too. I spent time pouring over road maps, talked to locals, and even got some suggestions from my faithful journal readers. All sources of information were welcome, and all were used. The thing that made me the most nervous about striking out on my own was that I didn't know where the next food or shelter would be. I found that I could rely on locals for information like that - people generally know which of the next towns on the road have hotels, campgrounds, and food. What I didn't rely on locals for was information on the road. If they weren't cyclists, they tended to think that the road ahead was flat!

One of the things I knew from previous trips is that sometimes the Adventure Cycling route follows roads that are a bit too desolate for me - or routes that require too much attention and too many turns when there is a more straightforward road. This was true on this trip too. Once I hit Ohio I started carrying state road maps in addition to my Adventure Cycling maps. They allowed me to find occasional alternate routes. They also gave me a better sense of where I was, since the Adventure Cycling maps only cover a small distance on either side of the actual route. It was good to have both sets of maps. I picked up AAA maps a couple of times enroute, and I sent the maps home as I finished with them, so I was never carrying a full set of road maps + biking maps.

I feel incredibly lucky that I came home healthy and happy, and only 5 pounds lighter than when I started. I was really conscious of what (and how much) I was eating because I knew that in order to stay healthy I had to maintain my weight. Drinking lots of Gatorade and eating quantities of nuts (peanuts, cashews, and walnuts) helped me stay hydrated, fight off heat-related problems, and keep up my weight. I'd never used Gatorade like this before, and I found that it really helped. On those hot, hot days back in Kansas I could easily go through 6 to 8 20-ounce bottles of Gatorade in addition to my water. Wow! I guess it helped, and I'll continue to go down the Gatorade and nuts path. That's not to say that I didn't eat other things too - I just think those two items made a big contribution to keeping me healthy. And of course I was eating unhealthy things too. Somehow muffins and pastries tasted better than energy bars, and ice cream was a staple during those hot, hot weeks... I have to admit that I haven't totally figured out food and touring yet. I was trying to be careful, but I'd still have occasional days where I either didn't eat enough or didn't get enough of the right nutrients. I usually paid for that error the next day. One of my goals for my next trip is not to have any insufficient food days!

Another side effect of doing all of that riding along with hauling my gear is that my legs are absolutely solid muscle! Although I'm still a slow hill climber (one of the cyclists I met along the way told me that all touring cyclists are slow hill climbers!), I can pedal up hills more easily than I could when I started out. And of course that's a welcome change.

Wait, what about being exhausted? You're right, I came home tired too! It took me a while to get into the habit of taking regular rest days. I learned that taking one day a week wasn't always enough - especially if I used that one day to run errands. Since my bike was my only means of transportation (other than my feet, of course), I had a habit of riding on my days off, or running so many errands that I didn't get a rest. It's funny to think about, because this trip was a vacation. The physical exertion of riding 50 to 80 miles a day for weeks on end made it work too, and by the end of the trip I realized that I needed a vacation from my vacation. It wasn't until I hit Colorado that I started taking more than one rest day at a time. I should have figured that out earlier And of course the reason I took the second rest day in Pueblo was that I didn't get any rest at all on my first rest day! The next time I take an extended trip like this one I will plan for some 'vacation' time in the middle of the trip. I think that taking a week off in the middle of the trip would have been a smart thing to do. But - I didn't want to sit in a hotel room or a campground for a week. I need to find someplace where I'd be happy to sit still and relax for multiple days. What I plan to do before my next long trip is to find a place that interests me in the middle of the trip, then research places to stay before I leave home. I may look into becoming a Servas traveler as suggested by a cyclist I met from the Netherlands. He said that he had arranged a home stay about every 10 days on his trip. Or I may look into the Warm Showers List, contact someone in the local bike club, or try to find a reasonable place to stay by researching the area before I leave home. I don't want to lock myself into dates ahead of time, because that changes the spontaneity of the trip - but having the information in hand would be helpful. I could have happily spent days in the Old Faithful area of Yellowstone National Park just walking and watching the geysers (and people watching too). Unfortunately, spending days there would have meant getting reservations way in advance! I was lucky to get a one-night reservation at the Old Faithful Inn - and I loved the time I spent there. It just felt right

This trip solidified my trust in my own instincts for both simple and not so simple things. When I started feeling unhappy about my planned route, my instincts told me to change my plans. There wasn't anything magic about my initial route, and my new route served me quite well. When my instincts told me in Montana that it was time to come home - that was the right thing for me to do. (And that instinct or feeling had been building for a while; I just didn't pay attention at first.) I loved my trip, and I came home very happy with what I had accomplished. I didn't quite hit the Pacific Coast, but I found that I didn't need to get there to feel that I'd accomplished my goal of riding cross country.

I had a fabulous summer. I loved experiencing the vastness of our country, I loved meeting and talking to people along the way, and I loved sharing my experiences with friends, family and strangers via my journal. The feedback and encouragement that I received from everyone who followed me became an important part of my trip. As I mentioned in my journal entry the day I arrived at Old Faithful, Chuck just absolutely blew me away by recognizing me from my journal photos - and that experience just enhanced the fun!

I'm left with a love of touring by bicycle, and with the conviction that I can reach any goals that I strive for. I headed out on my trip with an open mind and the desire to meet new people and see new things and I came home happy with my experience. Maybe I'll see some of you out there on the road some day!

Monday, September 9, 2002

After thoughts on gear

...any way to lighten the load?

I kept looking through my stuff all summer, looking for more items to send home. I found a few, and as you'll see in my gear list I did send things home. Well, some things I sent home, and others I sent to my parents because I figured they'd send them back in a hurry if I changed my mind!

The one area that really sticks out is camping gear. When I started this trip I intended to camp, but that went away pretty quickly. I did send my cooking gear home, but I kept (and needed to keep) the tent, sleeping bag, and pad. My stuff is pretty new since I bought it for my first solo biking trip in 1998, but even camping gear has changed over the past few years. Before I do another trip like this one, I'll probably take a look at the latest camping gear to see if I can shave off some pounds. My sleeping bag is pretty light at 2 pounds 10 ounces, but I just found a bag that weighs 1 pound 5 ounces. My tent is good for a 2-man tent, but there are solo tents that weigh less. Ideally the next time I will either make more use of the camping gear or I will leave it home all together. It really depends on where I am touring.

Then there are the bicycle supplies. I started out with spare cables and spare brake pads, both of which I sent home. I also had a spare tire for both the bike and the trailer, and spare tubes. I wasn't comfortable sending the spare tires home. Both are odd sizes, and not something I could easily pick up in a bike shop. It's not likely that I'd need to replace a tire - more likely that I'd need tubes. But I've had a tire sliced by glass on a previous trip, so the spares made me happy. As for the tubes - maybe 4 spare tubes for the bike was a bit much. I had 3 flats, and was able to patch the tubes in two of the instances. The 3rd involved the valve stem separating from the tube - not something I could fix. I probably could drop down to 2 (that would probably make me nervous) or 3 (probably a realistic number!) spare tubes for the bike and have more shipped to me as needed.

Let's see, what about clothes? Believe it or not, I used all of the layers that I had with me. If I were on a shorter trip in a region with more consistent weather, I might have been able to leave some of the cold weather layers behind. On this trip, I needed them - so it was worth the weight. I was also happy to have 2 sets of off-the-bike clothing with me. My reason for carrying 2 pairs of shorts and 2 shirts was to have something to wear when I do the laundry. Even though I did most of the laundry a little at a time by hand, I still used the extra set for laundry days. Since I was using mostly synthetics (cool max, etc.), these clothes didn't contribute too much to the overall load.

I got used to the load very quickly, but it is always nice to lighten things up a bit!

Friday, September 6, 2002

The best

Bike shops, food, places to stay
Keep in mind that this page was written on September 6, 2002. The information was good as of then, but if you are reading this many years after my trip, the places I liked may or may not still exist. I'd encourage you to check...

I've gathered the names of a few restaurants, hotels, and bike shops that I frequented on my trip. These are what I consider to be the best, and I'd highly recommend them as stops to others who bike through the same towns as I did.

The best bike shops -
These shops welcomed me and my purple Air Glide. They provided great service, route suggestions (always welcome from local cyclists!), and conversation.
  • Great Divide Ski, Bike, & Hike, Pueblo, CO
  • Missoula Bicycle Works, Missoula, MT
  • Harley's Bicycles, Hutchinson, KS
  • Belmont Wheelworks, Belmont, MA - I have to include my (somewhat) local bike shop in my "best" list. These folks have always provided great support for supplies, cycling clothes, advice, and of course they have a fabulous staff of mechanics. I spent a bit of time in there before I took off, and my purple bike spent some time there too getting its pre-trip tune up.
Great pie -
The search for great pie continued across the country.
  • Pitkin's Restaurant, Schroon Lake, NY - the best banana cream pie
  • Cowboy Café, Dubois, WY - great cherry almond crunch pie, best selection
The best cookies
  • Fly by Night Cookie Company, Fair Haven, NY - Don't miss this one! It's off on a side road (not too far). Self-service, with tables and shelves loaded with a huge assortment of cookies and a jar to leave your payment in. I had a hard time choosing - I could have bought the whole place! I just discovered that they have a one-page web site, and it says to ask about their cookie mailing service. Hmmm... I could have their wonderful cookies every day!
The best cinnamon rolls
  • Ennis Café, Ennis, MT - _I had pancakes for breakfast and and ordered a cinnamon roll to go, a very good afternoon snack. Instead of putting the glaze on the roll (which would have turned into a gooey mess) they gave me a little tub of maple glaze that I could dip the roll into. Yum!
The best bakery
  • Le Petite Outre, Missoula, MT - great scones, shortbread, & bread
Great food
  • Tuscato, Frisco, CO - unbelievable eggplant parmesan
  • Tipu's, Missoula, MT - Indian food to die for
  • Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone National Park, WY - great breakfast buffet
  • Brown Bag Gourmet Deli, Poultney, VT - chicken parmesan pizza for lunch!
Great places to stay
  • Old Faithful Inn, Yellowstone National Park, WY - a fabulous old lodge
  • Hotel Ordway, Ordway, CO - charming, and inexpensive!
  • Shamrock Motel, Long Lake, NY - the best of the Mom & Pop places with the sweetest owners. They made sure I had heat in the room on a cold, rainy day, and told me to call the next day (and offered a ride) if I ran into trouble on the road

If you want to stay at one of the lodges at Old Faithful, keep calling central reservations. They recommend that you make reservations there 9 to 12 months in advance, but that's not possible when you're touring by bicycle. Or at least it's not possible for me - way too far in advance to know where I'd be on any given day. I called 2 days in advance, and was told that everything was full. There wasn't a waiting list, but the person I spoke to on the phone said that they have cancellations all the time. When I called back in a couple of hours I was lucky enough to get a room at the inn. So - keep trying!