Right, this final all-in-one summary post is taking far too long. There are so many interesting, distracting things out there on the internet already what's the need for another story about someone cycling across a continent. It may get there at some point, and It's nice returning to look at my pictures and stories. But in the mean time this is here as a kind of index to all my P2P posts, which kind of have enough narrative in themselves.
Main focus is to have a printable book with pictures and stuff for me by Christmas, and hopefully there'll be other adventures along the way, and maybe time to squeeze another anecdote or two out of the portion of 2013 I spent cycling across America with my good P2P buddies.
Arriving in Portland[LHR-PDX].and exploration[Portland Exploration, Portland Day Four], a little leg stretch out to famous Astoria [Portland to Astoria].
First day out of Portland Portland to Hood River and Hood River to Biggs Junction weaving between Washington & Oregon states Biggs Junction to Umatilla. then onto Idaho Umatilla - Walla Walla - Lewiston, ID.
My Birthday (34) at Ryan's Wilderness Inn in Lowell. and our first rest day. Up the Losksha River, over the pass Lowell to Missoula and another bonus rest day in Missoula. The start of Montana. Helena - Three Forks - Big Timber, Big skies, blazing sun, and roads stretching as far as the eye can see.
Wyoming, Buffalo to Gillette coal mines and accidents and golf ball sized hail. Gillette to Sundance, Sundance to Deadwood, and we're in South Dakota.
Deadwood rest day then Deadwood to Keystone and Mount Rushmore. Keystone to the Badlands, I wrote a South Dakota Summary when we were barely half way through the state, it certainly left it's mark on the psyche of P2P. Highmore to Huron, Huron to Watertown (where there was apparently a town architect called Maurice Hockman) Watertown to Montevideo where we enjoyed pizza and beer after an incredible ride through the storm, and we're into Minnesota.
Montevideo to Hutchinson with mayors and sushi... how cosmopolitan, Minneapolis (A frikkin CITY, with beer and baseball) Minnesota to Wisconsin crossing more state lines and more hello's and goodbye's Le Crosse to Richland Centre where we got to the first motel/hotel with a bar in, that was a happy sight after unleashing everything I had on the ride in, and then the lovely compliments about my hair at the bar, hahaha. Research starts ramping up as we head Through Madison, WI and onto Madison, Milwaukee & Racine (apart from the Johnson Wax factory Racine was a hole and one of my true lows of the trip, which of course was also to do with other much more serious thoughts).
Racine to Chicago arrival to Chicago blues festival and Chicago Rest Day like Buller. More team changes, new members join, old member leave (not meant in an age way!).
Into Indiana, it's getting hotter in the mid-west, and more populous and as we look at maps and recount the journey so far to strangers we're gaining more attention Lafayette to Columbus, IN with architecture and air con.
From Indiana to Ohio, and skipping across the rust belt into Pennsylvania. Breezewood to Harrisburg, getting closer to home and trying to put it all in perspective Harrisburg to Philly, the land of Rocky & Hoagies, both of which have been nicknames for me one way or another over the years.
New Jersey with the harshest welcome to a state and the massive jumble of emotions as we ride into New York and I complete my coast to coast journey from Astoria to Coney Island.
I hung out in New York and rejoined the gang on the Severn Bridge outside Bristol then to Oxford and ride the Last day to London.
There that was easy.
Here are all the places I stayed:
Main focus is to have a printable book with pictures and stuff for me by Christmas, and hopefully there'll be other adventures along the way, and maybe time to squeeze another anecdote or two out of the portion of 2013 I spent cycling across America with my good P2P buddies.
Arriving in Portland[LHR-PDX].and exploration[Portland Exploration, Portland Day Four], a little leg stretch out to famous Astoria [Portland to Astoria].
First day out of Portland Portland to Hood River and Hood River to Biggs Junction weaving between Washington & Oregon states Biggs Junction to Umatilla. then onto Idaho Umatilla - Walla Walla - Lewiston, ID.
My Birthday (34) at Ryan's Wilderness Inn in Lowell. and our first rest day. Up the Losksha River, over the pass Lowell to Missoula and another bonus rest day in Missoula. The start of Montana. Helena - Three Forks - Big Timber, Big skies, blazing sun, and roads stretching as far as the eye can see.
Wyoming, Buffalo to Gillette coal mines and accidents and golf ball sized hail. Gillette to Sundance, Sundance to Deadwood, and we're in South Dakota.
Deadwood rest day then Deadwood to Keystone and Mount Rushmore. Keystone to the Badlands, I wrote a South Dakota Summary when we were barely half way through the state, it certainly left it's mark on the psyche of P2P. Highmore to Huron, Huron to Watertown (where there was apparently a town architect called Maurice Hockman) Watertown to Montevideo where we enjoyed pizza and beer after an incredible ride through the storm, and we're into Minnesota.
Montevideo to Hutchinson with mayors and sushi... how cosmopolitan, Minneapolis (A frikkin CITY, with beer and baseball) Minnesota to Wisconsin crossing more state lines and more hello's and goodbye's Le Crosse to Richland Centre where we got to the first motel/hotel with a bar in, that was a happy sight after unleashing everything I had on the ride in, and then the lovely compliments about my hair at the bar, hahaha. Research starts ramping up as we head Through Madison, WI and onto Madison, Milwaukee & Racine (apart from the Johnson Wax factory Racine was a hole and one of my true lows of the trip, which of course was also to do with other much more serious thoughts).
Racine to Chicago arrival to Chicago blues festival and Chicago Rest Day like Buller. More team changes, new members join, old member leave (not meant in an age way!).
Into Indiana, it's getting hotter in the mid-west, and more populous and as we look at maps and recount the journey so far to strangers we're gaining more attention Lafayette to Columbus, IN with architecture and air con.
From Indiana to Ohio, and skipping across the rust belt into Pennsylvania. Breezewood to Harrisburg, getting closer to home and trying to put it all in perspective Harrisburg to Philly, the land of Rocky & Hoagies, both of which have been nicknames for me one way or another over the years.
New Jersey with the harshest welcome to a state and the massive jumble of emotions as we ride into New York and I complete my coast to coast journey from Astoria to Coney Island.
I hung out in New York and rejoined the gang on the Severn Bridge outside Bristol then to Oxford and ride the Last day to London.
There that was easy.
Here are all the places I stayed:
- Portland, OR
- Hood River, OR
- Biggs Junction, OR
- Umatilla, OR
- Walla Walla, WA
- Lewiston, ID
- Orofino, ID
- Lowell, ID (R)
- Lolo Hot Springs, MT
- Missoula, (R)
- Ovando
- Helena
- Three Forks (R)
- Big Timber
- Laurel
- Greybull, WY
- Ten Sleep
- Buffalo
- Gillette
- Sundance
- Deadwood, SD (R)
- Keystone
- Interior
- Murdo
- Pierre
- Highmore
- Huron
- Watertown
- Montevideo, MN
- Hutchinson
- Minneapolis (R)
- Red Wing
- Wabasha
- La Crosse, WI
- Richland Centre
- Madison
- Milwaukee
- Racine
- Chicago, IL (RR)
- Merriville, IN
- Lafayette
- Indianapolis
- Columbus
- Cincinnati
- Xenia
- Columbus
- Zanesville
- Stubenville
- Pittsburgh, PA (R)
- Confluence
- Breezewood
- Harrisburg
- Ephrata
- Philadelphia (R)
- Princeton, NJ
- New York, NY (RRRRR)
- Bristol
- Oxford
- Windsor
- London
I kinda miss motels after hating them so much towards the end of the trip. Not as much as I miss my bike since some dickhead pulled out in front of me cracking the frame! On Brixton road! I cycle 4,000 miles across America and my sturdy steel framed Surly gives way less than 3 miles from my front door!
I've also been compiling an endless thank you list to my co-riders, sponsors, family, friends, home support team and the many generous hosts all along the route. I'm so very grateful, and thankful to have such good memories all along the way.
After returning we released our first research output. and there was a bit more reflection, but that's pretty much it for now, well at least as a little bookmarker for all the stories in one handy compendium.
If you are reading this for any reason whatsoever, and decide to delve deeper and read the story in depth would love to hear any feedback (and I will try and adjust some of the grammar if and when I re-visit the actual stories in time, but it was all very on the hoof, so my apologies).
OK, I can't leave without a few pictures, here's 5 of my personal favourites.
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