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Saturday, April 26, 2003 Tuesday, May 06, 2003 JOURNAL ENTRY 3 JOURNAL ENTRY 4 THURSDAY, MAY 8, 2003 Mileage: 50.58 Riding Time: 4 hrs. 13 mins. Avg. Speed 11.9 We traveled from Dickerson, Maryland to Williamsport/Hagerstown, Maryland today. We were on the road at 8:30 a.m. It was a pleasant morning. We rode about 8 miles to Rock Point and stopped for a "C" store breakfast of a ham/sausage/biscuit type thing. We decided to ride the roads today because the trail was very wet. It has been very rainy as you know from yesterday's report. The weather is not good and according to the weather reports we get, doesn't look like it will be good until the middle of next week. The rain began about 9:30 today and continued 'til noon. We got soaking wet. We were riding some serious hills . They weren't long but they were very steep grades as you find in the Appalachians. We stopped for lunch at a Chinese restaurant in Brunswick, MD. The weather cleared and after lunch we rode about 25 miles to Williamsport. It was a rolling hills, sunny, very nice afternoon. About 2 miles out of town however, my free wheel hub body failed and I was out of business, couldn't ride. A very nice guy in a pick-up truck picked me up and took me to a "C" store in town. There, a nice lady gave me information on a local bike shop. However, it was in Hagerstown, MD. A very nice fellow took me up to Hagerstown to the Hub City Sports Bike Shop. There, Brian L. and Chuck fixed my bike and put me back in business. It worked out well. I then rode 5 miles back to Williamsport and took a room in the Red Roof Inn, since it was 7:30. I had dinner from cans as it was easier and did my laundry. I will meet the others in the morning at 7:30 a.m. David JOURNAL ENTRY 5 FRIDAY, MAY 9, 2003 Mileage: 58.96 Riding Time: 5 hrs. 34 mins. Avg. Speed: 10.5 I met Chris and Steve at 7:30 a.m. for breakfast at the Waffle House. We were on the road at approximately 8:30. We proceeded on the C & O Canal Trail. We stopped at Fort Frederick as the rain began to fall. We waited about 2 hours there and the rain never stopped. Meanwhile, we chatted and drank coffee with a retired school teacher named Joyce who was the storekeeper at the Suttler's Store at Fort Frederick. We continued on to Hancock, Maryland on the rail trail in various amounts of rain….sometimes downpour, sometimes steady drizzle. We lunched at Weavers, a very well-known eating establishment in the little town of Hancock. Delicious food, including blackberry pie. We had quite a debate on what to do. Do we stay there or do we continue on? Finally it was decided to continue on the C & O Canal Tow Path to Paw Paw with Larry Brock, a friend of Chris'. The rain then stopped and we kept on to the Paw Paw Tunnel. It was quite a ride in the wet gravel and muddy conditions. We walked the 3,000 feet through the tunnel and rode on in to the Red Rooster Hostel in Paw Paw, West Virginia. I dined in the hostel out of cans. Our host, J.D., is a real nice guy. When we arrive here, we were muddy, grimy, tired, wet and very glad to be here. A hose to wash the gear, a shower to wash us, and a washing machine to wash our clothes. Life is good! So it goes. David JOURNAL ENTRY 6 SATURDAY, MAY 10, 2003 Mileage: 32.08 Riding Time: 2 hrs. 48 mins. Avg. Speed: 11.4 Miles To Date: 209.51 Up at 7:00 a.m. Big rain most of the morning. Breakfast of egg sandwiches at the general store. We then held an expectations meeting between the three of us at the Red Rooster Hostel to discuss what our various expectations are for the journey, while we waited out the weather. No luck! Finally at 11:30 a.m. we began riding towards Cumberland, Maryland, taking the roads due to deteriorating conditions on the C & O Canal Trail. There were some steep climbs but none very long. Good training fully loaded, both mentally and physically, for what lies ahead. We stopped for a rest during a heavy squall and then continued on, arriving at 2:00 p.m. Had lunch at Burger King, then Larry Brock showed us around his town, including the well-known "Boy and Tow Path Mule" bronze statue at the end of the C & O Canal Trail. The C & O Canal ended the first chapter of our expedition. We then rode on out to Larry's beautiful home where he and his wife Marilyn, daughter, son-in-law and grandbaby entertained us royally with a delicious dinner of bar-b-que chicken, corn on the cob, asparagus, hot rolls and cherry pie. Following a trip to a very poorly run Wal-Mart that would not off-load our digital photos while we waited, we headed back to the house to talk of Sunday's ride and hit the hay. Happy Mother's Day to all you mothers. So it goes. David JOURNAL ENTRY 7 SUNDAY, May 11, 2003 Mileage: 40.16, Riding Time: 4 hrs 33 mins, Avg. Speed: 8.7 We
began this morning in Cumberland, Maryland, ending this evening in Rockwood,
Pennsylvania. We were up at 6:00
a.m. and on the road at 7:30 a.m. Had
breakfast at Larry Brock's home. We
had a 1,500 feet climb in seven miles out of Cumberland up to Frostburg,
Maryland. We got on the Allegheny
Bike Trail (rails to trails) and rode along the high ridge of the old railroad
bed, crossing the Mason/Dixon Line into Pennsylvania. Along we rode through two tunnels, one a ½ mile long, the
Big Savage Tunnel. In the first
tunnel, I took a fall, slipping on the muddy, wet terrain in the dark.
Got VERY muddy but was OK otherwise.
The others had considerable amusement taking pictures of my muddy
backside. There's still a long way
to go and paybacks are tough. I was
able to wash much of the mud off in a very cold mountain steam. The weather
early this morning up to the Big Savage Tunnel was foggy and damp.
Upon emerging from the tunnel, the weather changed to windy, sunny and
warm. Almost a different climate
with the leaves not as developed as spring continues to push northward. We rode
on into Myersdale, Pennsylvania expecting to find complete services.
We found nothing. What a
dried-up, depressed little town. We
continued on to Rockwood, Pennsylvania where we found little more. We did, however, find a terrific couple, Paul and Jean
Hendershot who keep a bed and breakfast which is where we are staying tonight.
They even agreed to do our laundry, which in my case is quite a
commitment after the fall in the mud. Since
every restaurant was closed, they drove us 12 miles over to Somerset to an Eat
'N Park Restaurant for a buffet dinner.We're close to Shanksville where one of
the planes crashed on September 11, 2001. Also,
one of the miners rescued last summer from the mine shaft near here, lives down
the street from the bed and breakfast. Weather
forecast for tomorrow: rainy, cold
and windy. Will we every get to
camp? So it goes. MONDAY, MAY
12, 2003 Mileage:
75.88 Riding
Time: 6 hrs.
Avg. Speed: 12.5 Rockwood,
Pennsylvania to West Newton, Pennsylvania, overnight at the West Newton United
Presbyterian Church. Up
at 6:00 a.m. and enjoyed a home cooked breakfast by Paul and Jean Hendershot at
their bed and breakfast. On the
road at 8:00 a.m. Very windy with
temperatures in the 50’s. Once we
were back on the trail, rain began to fall.
Cold rain. Boy were we
happy! What would a day be without
rain; and to top things off, a cold raid with 25-30 mph winds.
Fortunately, the trees lining the trail, blocked 2/3 of the wind and
about ½ of the rain, but we still had all our cold weather gear on and were
saturated. We stopped in
Confluence, PA for a second breakfast at Sisters Café.
Very tasty. Then we
continued on the trail parallel to the Youghiogheny River to Ohiopyle State
Park. We visited the tourist center
and called ahead to West Newton to the UP Church.
Pastor Bill listened to my story and then said, “Come on”.
So we proceeded on approximately 40 more miles to West Newton and the
church. We had a
make shift WARM shower, did laundry up the street, had dinner at the Dairy Land
cooked by two young fellows, Ray and Chad.
They were blown away by the notion of our trip, so I gave them the web
address and feel sure they will be checking it out.
Thanks guys. We stopped at
the grocery and returned as the session meeting was adjourning.
The elders seemed thrilled to have us staying in the church tonight and
many stopped to introduce themselves and chat.
All in all, a good end to a cold, chilly, challenging day of riding.
Thanks to all who are helping us along, both physically and spiritually. So it goes. David TUESDAY, MAY
13, 2003 Mileage:
40.01
Riding Time: 4 hrs 1 min.
Avg. Speed: 9.8 We are
staying in McDonald, Pennsylvania and our overnight location is the Gladden
United Presbyterian Church in McDonald. We were up
at 6:00 a.m. and had breakfast at the church.
Chris made oatmeal. We had a
nice visit with Bill Sukolsky, pastor of West Newton UP Church.
He gave me the names of several Presbyterian pastors on down our trail
and we contacted the Gladden Presbyterian Church and Pastor Jonathan Cook Andres
invited us to stay here. We left the church at 9:40 a.m.
Pastor Bill prayed with us prior to our departure. We left town
on Pennsylvania state highways which were very hilly and made our way to
Monongahela and had lunch at Eat ‘N Park.
We proceeded on to library/Bethel Park, Pennsylvania where we managed to
get good and lost looking for the Montour Rail Trail. We finally found our way but not before going 6 miles out of
our way all up hill, steep, steep hills, arriving at Gladden UP Church at 4:30
p.m. Pastor Jonathan Cook Andres
met us and we walked to his home, the parsonage, to shower and have pizza. The session
meets here tonight and Sue, the clerk, brought several snacks for us.
We will sleep in the church. We
complete our first week today having yet to camp in our own tents due to the
lousy weather. The weather was cool and windy today. Fortunately no rain. Forecast
for tomorrow: sunny, windy, and
highs in the mid-60’s. So it
goes. David WEDNESDAY,
MAY 14, 2003 Mileage:
59.88
Riding Time: 4 hr. 54 min.
Avg. Speed: 12.1 McDonald,
Pennsylvania to East Palestine, Ohio Up at 6:00
a.m., breakfast at Gladden UP Church and on the road at 8:15 following a very
warm visit with Jonathan Cook Andres, pastor.
He said they were so happy and inspired by our visit and what we were
doing. We offered to pay for the
pizza dinner they provided the night before but he refused. He felt as though they had received more
from us than they had given. He
said our vision quest ideas would be in his Sunday sermon.
I wish I could hear it. The first
five miles of riding were so nice….hills and sunny cool weather (low 50’s),
then we rejoined the Montour Rail Trail to Corapolis, Pennsylvania.
We had lunch at a BP sub shop then rode down the rust belt of the Upper
Ohio River Valley. My first view of
the Ohio River since last September when I left for Florida.
We rode past one mill after another through Beaver, Pennsylvania and on
to East Palestine to the First United Presbyterian Church. East
Palestine is a nice little town that is very much open for business, unlike some
of the small Pennsylvania towns we visited.
The pastor, J. Ross Slaughter, made us welcome.
He drew free hand a professional quality map of town so that we could
find our way around. We took garden
hose showers out behind the church (brrrrrrrrrr) and walked to dinner at
Judy’s Café, very good. We
stopped at the grocery, laundromat and on the way back, spotted the Village
Bakery and Pie Factory which opens for breakfast at 5:30 a.m.
We will be there! Good day
riding. Good set up tonight.
Life is good. So it goes. David JOURNAL ENTRY 11THURSDAY,
MAY 15, 2003 Mileage:
82.16
Riding Time: 7 hr. 18 mins.
Avg. Speed: 11.2 East
Palestine, Ohio to Doylestown, Ohio Overnight
location: John and Sonja Brunk’s
home Up at 5:50
A.M. As rain fell outside the
church, we put on all our foul weather gear and walked over to the Pie Factory.
Corn meal pancakes and a veggie omelet and lots of coffee (black, thank
you) helped stoke the legs, lungs and heart we would need today. We were on
the road at 8:30 a.m. The rain had
stopped and we rode over to New Waterford, Ohio.
It soon became apparent that the hills in Columbiana County, Ohio were
formidable, especially with loaded touring bikes much to the surprise of Chris.
There’s an adage in bicycle touring, “When they say it’s flat, it
ain’t. When they say it’s dry,
it’s wet. And whey they say the
winds in the area are always at your back, they’re not”.
In any event, on this particular day, there was no rain and the clouds
began to break up. We proceeded on
through an area known as “Tea Garden” with its restored covered bridge to
North Georgetown where we had lunch in a tavern.
Then on through Maximo, Harrisburg, North Canton, Canal Fulton and
finally to my brother John’s home in Doylestown, Ohio where John, Sonja, and
their daughter Heidi greeted us. The
weather was beautiful, sunny and mild. The farm scenery was pastoral and the
route, over Columbus Outdoor Pursuits Cardinal Trail on county roads, the best
we had ridden so far. Not
withstanding the fine ride throughout the day, we experienced a frog-strangler
thunder storm at 7:00 p.m. We
pressed on through the storm the final 12 miles to John’s home, arriving wet,
tired and hungry. Following dinner
and a shower, we visited until
11:30 p.m. Friday we take our first
rest day. So it goes. David JOURNAL ENTRY 12FRIDAY, MAY
16, 2003 Doylestown,
Ohio – Off Day Overnight at
John and Sonja Brunks We
experienced our first day off in Doylestown with brother John.
We enjoyed breakfast at a local café where my big brother is one of the
regular “characters”. After a
good bit of kidding around with the restaurant staff, it was on to nearby Akron,
Ohio in John’s car to find a good bike shop (Eddie’s); outdoor store
(Dick’s); and photo shop (Van’s), to buy needed supplies.
Back home to John’s to give the grimy bikes a thorough cleaning.
Boy, what a gritty, filthy mess. Following
the afternoon of working on the bikes, we had dinner with John, Sonja, Heidi, my
wife Pam and mother-in-law June Benedict. Pam
and June drove from our summer home in Chesapeake, Ohio to pick me up so that we
could attend our youngest son Dean’s college graduation over the week-end.
More on that later. Following
dinner, we went back to the house where Steve, Chris, and I had a lengthy map
meeting discussing the anticipated time frame for our arrival at various points
along our route. Also, the specific
route we would follow from Doylestown to St. Louis, Missouri, were we plan to
pick up Adventure Cycling’s new Lewis and Clark Trail. I will take
three days off as mentioned to see son Dean graduate from Bucknell University in
Lewisburg, Pennsylvania and then rejoin the group near Xenia, Ohio on Monday
evening, May 19th. So it
goes. JOURNAL ENTRY 13MONDAY, MAY
19, 2003 Pam, June,
my daughter Daria and grandson Collin, son Dean and I all gathered on Saturday,
May 17th in Williamsport, Pennsylvania. The weather was gray, cloudy and cool. It felt more November like than May. We had dinner together as we anticipated Dean’s
commencement the following morning. Sunday
morning at 10:00 a.m., to the familiar sounds of “Pomp and Circumstance”,
the Bucknell Class of ’03 proceeded on, down through the assembled family and
friends, professors and administrators, to sit in front of the stage and listen
to the speeches. And, as is the custom on such occasions, to be charged, “to
go out and change the world”. All
of us in the family are justifiably proud of Dean’s accomplishments upon the
occasion of his graduation. The guest
speaker for the day was television journalist and personality Deborah Norville.
Dean remarked there was considerable amount of flap among the students
that an institution the stature of Bucknell would forego inviting to speak
Senator Windbag or some other notable for the likes of Ms. Norville and
her Inside Edition tabloid reputation. For
my part, I thought it was an excellent address.
She used a George Elliott quote, “It’s never too late to be what you
might have been”. This quote,
viewed through the vision quest theme of our sturdy little band of cyclists,
middle-aged men looking back at those very things this year’s grads are
looking forward to, realizing that in the day and time in which we now live life
is, God willing, but half over. Further
acknowledging the need to earn money to sustain life is now largely behind.
Ms. Norville’s address then, at least in this graying dad’s view, beg
the question, “What will captivate one’s imagination, will stimulate the
sense of wonder looking to the future and…how can that calling, whatever it
proves to be, add value to others, particularly those loved ones of the next
generation, Daria, Daniel (Doc) and Dean and their families as they move through
their lives? How will all of this
honor God and the gifts He has given me?”
It’s not the stuff of small talk over coffee, but very much possible as
I unplug from the standard operating procedure of American life and travel
deliberately and simply across our country.
A country whose founding documents recognize the need and right to
“pursue” answers to these questions and more. On the
practical side, it’s a bright blue sunny sky this a.m. as Pam and I drive to
Xenia, Ohio so I may rejoin the others. Despite
the sunny weather, leaving Pam is difficult.
So it goes. David JOURNAL ENTRY 14TUESDAY, MAY
20, 2003 Mileage:
59.06
Riding Time: 4 hr 25 min
Avg. Speed: 13.2 Xenia, Ohio
to New Miami, Ohio Overnight:
Salvation Army Rejoined the
guys in Xenia, Ohio following three days away for Dean’s college graduation.
Breakfast at 7:30 a.m. at Bob Evans.
Stopped at Xenia Chamber of Commerce and Denise made map copies for us
and helped us locate a place to stay in New Miami, Ohio.
We left on
the Little Miami Bike Trail at 9:40 a.m. The
weather was a warm 69° and cloudy. Thirty-five
miles down the trail we stopped in South Lebanon for lunch.
We left the trail and headed over county roads for New Miami.
The rain began to fall, soaking us through.
Twenty-three miles later, about 3:30, we arrived at New Miami Village
Hall to be greeted by Mayor Katherine Rump-Butler, a lovely lady 75 years of
age. She called a local news
reporter to come interview us. Took
us to the local Salvation Army Post for
showers and to set up for the night, then she and her husband, Ed Butler,
took us out to Golden Corral for dinner, where she picked up the tab.
Following all this, she took our dirty, grimy laundry home and washed it
herself. WOW!
I asked her if she did this because she was the mayor.
“No”, she said, “because I am a Christian.”
God Bless her. This spunky
lady of color, looking after three white guys on bikes, not because she’s
mayor, but because her faith told her she should.
So it goes. David JOURNAL ENTRY 15WEDNESDAY,
MAY 21, 2003 Mileage:
62.99
Riding Time: 4 hr 55 min
Avg. Speed: 12.6 New Miami,
Ohio to Batesville, Indiana Overnight:
Hampton Inn Up at 5:00
a.m. at the Salvation Army. A cool,
sunny morning. Breakfast at Red’s
Restaurant and on the road at 7:51 a.m. We
rode 18 miles into Oxford, Ohio and had a Starbucks coffee. Things are looking good!
Found a local bike shop, The Bike Center, at 11 W. Church Street, where
owner Marty Creech dropped his other work and took the time to do several needed
procedures to all our bikes. It’s
been tough running with the rain and the grime of the rail trails we used in the
East. He had the bikes running like
tops when he was finished. In
Oxford and the surrounding area, Marty’s the guy.
He understands touring cyclists needs.
We had lunch
at the Bagel Factory, very tasty, then rode on to Brookville, Indiana where we
had a snack. I checked in with my
office via cell phone and we proceeded on to Batesville, Indiana over beautiful,
hilly roads on a great sunny afternoon with a tail wind. Can’t beat it. Chris got in
a bit earlier than Steve and I, and since there was no camping available in
Batesville, he lined up a fine room at a GREAT price at the Hampton Inn. Dinner
at the Chinese restaurant across the street and laundry.
The end of a very good day. We’re
very glad to put the rain behind us if only for the day.
Forecast calls for sunshine the next two days. We can only hope. So
it goes. David JOURNAL ENTRY 16THURSDAY,
MAY 22, 2003 Mileage:
62.92
Riding Time: 4 hr 18 min
Avg. Speed: 14.6 Batesville,
Indiana to Seymour, Indiana Overnight
location: Hampton Inn Up at 5:30
a.m. Did not sleep much last night.
Breakfast at the Hampton Inn. On
the road at 7:00 a.m. Sunny and
cool. We rode over to Greensburg, Indiana and checked in at the
library for e-mails. The guys took
longer by far than I. We then had a
second breakfast at Stories, a local restaurant of some reputation. I was
getting impatient to get on down the road.
Put in some miles towards the west.
The guys seem to like meandering around country roads, getting miles but
not moving forward towards our goal. I
decided to leave and move on toward the Illinois line.
I will rejoin the guys in a couple of days. So I road on to Seymour and stopped at 3:00 p.m.
I took a motel and had a Burger King dinner as I am quite tired. I met
another cross-country cyclist going east on U.S. Rt. 50. His name was Warren Kirk from Harrison, Ohio.
He left San Francisco on Good Friday and expects to finish in Maryland on
June 2nd. He recently retired from Proctor and Gamble.
He said he was re-dedicating his life to the Lord.
I said it sounds something like a vision quest.
He agreed with me. We talked
some for about 15 minutes and proceeded on.
In 15 minutes we shared each others experiences and we knew that we
shared each others quest. It’s
funny how in a short period of time you can become not only friends of the road
but also friends of the heart. I
hope I sleep well tonight. So it
goes. David JOURNAL ENTRY 17FRIDAY, MAY
23, 2003 Mileage:
85.8
Riding Time: 6 hr 34 min
Avg. Speed: 12.9 Seymour,
Indiana to Black Oak , Indiana (near Washington) Up early,
had a hot buffet breakfast at the hotel and on the road at 6:51 a.m..
Rode 12 miles over to Brownstown, Indiana to meet the others.
I spoke with Steve and Chris and explained my desire to get some miles in
on these nice days. It was their
desire to continue on county roads, which can give you 80 miles of riding but
perhaps move you only 40 miles towards your destination.
I’ve become anxious to move on ahead.
So we shook hands and I left on my own heading west. Out on US
Rt. 50, the weather was sunny and mild with light traffic and a good shoulder to
Bedford, Indiana. Bedford modestly
proclaims themselves the “limestone capitol of the world”! I guess we all have to be big at something.
I stopped there after 37 miles for a snack and rest.
As I was enjoying my snack of pie
and coke in a small diner, an older couple at the next table struck up a
conversation with me. They were
quite excited about my adventure. The
man remarked he thought they were having a Lewis and Clark Reincarnation at
Vincennes this week-end if I was interested.
His wife remarked, “It’s not that.
It’s a rededication”. I
asked, “Could it be a re-enactment”? The
old man said, “There you go”. From
Bedford to Shoals, Indiana the terrain became hilly.
The shoulder disappeared when I hit Martin County, so I took to the back
roads from Shoals to Black Oak. The spring
grasses are causing my hay fever to act up so I stopped at 3:30 after 86 miles
to get indoors, shower and seek relief. This
is a small family owned motor court, circa 1950, last remodeled in 1970’s with
fine shag carpet. But all the light
bulbs are in, the water is hot, the air conditioning works and owner Robert
Lents is a nice guy. He even did my
laundry. When he saw
me ride up on the bike fully loaded, he asked how old I was, stating he was 43
and no way could he do that any more, having reached his advanced age.
I asked him, “How old do you think I am?”
He looked at me a moment and said, “Maybe 38”.
I liked that boy right away. In
addition to the quaint quarters, right next door is an Amish Buffet restaurant.
I enjoyed a hearty meal. While
enjoying my dinner and recounting the activities of the day, the music playing
in the background was a dulcimer version of the hymn Be Thou My Vision. That
music always touches my heart and it did again today. Good day. Good
miles. Good room.
Good dinner. Good life.
Thanks to our good God. This
is David. So it goes. David JOURNAL ENTRY 18SATURDAY,
MAY 24, 2003 Mileage:
60:39
Riding Time: 4 hr 34 min
Avg. Speed: 13.1 Black Oak,
Indiana to Olney, Illinois Overnight:
First Presbyterian Church, Olney Up at 5:00
a.m. and on the road at 6:34 a.m. after eating a breakfast of peanut butter and
bagel and an apple from my panniers. It
was a cool morning with partly cloudy skies and a north wind.
Though I was riding west, the wind was working against me.
I felt tired today following yesterday’s 85 miles, so the pleasure in
riding was minimal. I rode on to
Washington, Indiana and then on to Vincennes.
I had hoped to eat a full breakfast in Vincennes, but before I knew it, I
had ridden up on a by-pass and crossed the Wabash River into Illinois.
So I then rode seven more miles to Lawrenceville, Illinois, a total of 35
miles this morning before I had a proper breakfast of coffee and such.
That was too far and too long to ride before a complete breakfast.
Following an
excellent plate of pancakes and sausage and lots of coffee, I rode on to Olney,
arriving at 12:30 p.m. (Central Time). I
rode around town beginning to look for a place to stay.
I, through a serendipitous set of circumstances, called the interim
pastor of the First Presbyterian Church, Rev. Laura Reason, and she invited me
to stay here. Following a garden hose shower, washing out my clothes and lunch
from my panniers (peanut butter and bagel, Spaghetti O’s and an orange), I’m
going to rest and hope to feel stronger tomorrow.
This is David and so it goes. David JOURNAL ENTRY 19SUNDAY, MAY
25, 2003 Mileage:
40.93
Riding Time: 2 hr 53 min
Avg. Speed: 14.1 To drive
into Olney or Salem, Illinois in the automobile would be uneventful.
Small mid-western towns, heavily influenced by area agriculture with some
businesses that have closed and moved on, a certain tiredness to some of the
buildings, and in an automobile you’d buy your gas and a soft drink and be
gone without notice. But in self-contained bicycle touring, you look at the town
as a destination for the day. In my
case, because of spotty weather, I ride around the downtown area considering
what accommodations I might secure. I
have been staying in churches, not so much because the weather has been bad the
last few days, but because it’s been such a wonderful way to meet the salt of
the earth heartland people who I otherwise would not encounter.
To learn more of their local culture, customs and to share a sense of
community if only for a day. To
whit! In
Saturday’s journal I mentioned a serendipitous event…church offices are
typically not open for business on a Saturday afternoon, but
as I happened to be riding by Olney Presbyterian Church, I stopped to
rattle the door any way. It was
unlocked. I went in, found
the pastor’s phone number on the bulletin board, called to see if I might stay
in the church and was told, “Why not. If
you’re up to no good, you’re already in the building and certainly
wouldn’t call to report your presence”.
She did dispatch the chairman of the Property Committee to “check me
out” and he helped me find a garden hose next to the building with which to
shower. When she arrived back
in town about 6:00 p.m., she stopped by the church and took me out to a nice
Chinese buffet dinner. We had a
nice visit over dinner, learning about each other and our families. She said she’d take my laundry home with her and bring it
back in the morning. She
allowed me to use the church computer to check my e-mails and the Caloosa Riders
web site. Because rain was expected
in the morning hours of Sunday, I decided to stay and attend morning services to
avoid the rain. So when she arrived
to practice her sermon at about 6:30 a.m., she brought along a large coffee and
pancakes and sausage from McDonalds. Being
a cross country bicycle rider in a small town congregation on a Sunday morning
makes you something of a celebrity/oddity.
But the people embraced me warmly, from the Grumpy Old Men’s Sunday
School class which I attended because they had the coffee, to the children who
were fascinated by my bike and equipment. Following
morning worship, a group that always lunches together insisted I join them for a
hardy lunch and good conversation and fun for the next 90 minutes.
I finally got on the road at 1:30 to do my 40 miles for the day.
The sense of
love and community that you experience with people who were otherwise strangers
before your encounter, causes me to pause and consider why, because it seems to
happen over and over again. And it
occurs to me that most of us, muddling through the routine of our daily lives,
sometimes loose sight of the possibilities and wonder, we, as humans, have
available to us. And when someone
comes along who’s otherwise very much like them and engaged in what appears to
be a larger than life adventure, well, they just seem to want to get involved.
For my part, the touring cyclist, riding into a strange town with the
normal apprehensions of where will I stay and how can I see about my needs, the
willingness of these people to help offers continual hope.
That very
same afternoon, after grinding out nearly 41 miles in a head wind, I stopped in
the town of Salem, Illinois. Pastor
Laura from the Olney Presbyterian Church had arranged for me to call Ed Boyd,
Building and Grounds Superintendent of the Presbyterian Church in Salem.
I did and he came over. He opened the church for me to stay in, gave me a
quick tour, then whisk me away to his home for a shower.
Then it was off to his daughter and son-in-laws for a holiday meal with
his wife, Ida; Ed’s mother, BB; daughters
Amy and Sarah; son-in-law Doug and Amy and Doug’s
new little 10-month old daughter just adopted from Korea. Once again,
you feel part of family, and the sense of community is overwhelming.
So, if you ever have the chance to come into Olney or Salem, Illinois by
bicycle, the lights will be on and the latch string will be out and you’ll
know you’re home. This is David.
So it goes. JOURNAL ENTRY 20MONDAY, MAY
26, 2003 MEMORIAL DAY Mileage:
91.49
Riding Time: 6 hr 39 min
Avg. Speed: 13.6 Salem,
Illinois to Alton, Illinois (St Louis, Missouri area) Overnight
location: Super 8 Motel Up at 6:00
a.m. and left the church at 7:15 a.m. Made
a quick stop at Ed Boyd’s home to thank him and return the church keys to him.
I then rode three miles out US Highway 50 west to Five Brothers Café for
pancakes, sausage and coffee. At
8:20 a.m., I was finally on the road, a bright blue sky and light winds made for
a wonderful ride. The land was
mostly flat stretching out before me. I
passed many dairy farms with the sweet smell of feed mixed with the country
earthy smells of the cows. A very
pleasant ride with the winter wheat ripening in the Spring sun and from time to
time the fragrance of honeysuckle as I passed a hedge row. Then on an additional 25 miles to Lebanon, Illinois where I
had a peanut butter and bagel and a coke. From
Lebanon, I left Rt. 50, which had served me well the last several days, and
headed north to get above St. Louis and approach Hartford and Alton from a less
traffic clogged direction. Hartford is
home to the Lewis and Clark Trail Head. The
Lewis and Clark Center was closed today, the first day of the tourist season.
Go figure. So I rode on into
Alton and found the Super 8. I had
a very satisfying dinner at the Ponderosa next door.
Ashley, the young lady at the desk, was interested in my ride and agreed
to do my laundry in the motel laundry room even though she wasn’t supposed to.
I’ll take 1 or 2 days off here in the St. Louis area to look around,
check out the Lewis and Clark Center, visit the Gateway Arch and the
accompanying Museum of Westward Expansion before moving on.
I heard from Chris and Steve today.
They’re camping near Effingham, Illinois.
We might get back together as we begin the Lewis and Clark Trail.
This is David. So it goes. JOURNAL ENTRY 21TUESDAY, MAY
27, 2003 Off Day:
Alton, Illinois (St. Louis area) Lazy morning
at the hotel with breakfast provided. Cathy
Yeaman and Mary Lou, friends from Ft. Myers who live in Springfield, Illinois,
drove down and picked me up at the hotel about 10:00 a.m. and we headed out to
see Lewis and Clark sites in the St. Louis area. We stopped to get photos put on CD and then we went to the
Lewis and Clark Center and found out that it is closed on Monday and Tuesday.
Anyway, we drove up to an area of St. Louis known as “The Hill”, an
Italian area, and had a wonderful lunch at a great Italian restaurant.
Interesting new appetizer I discovered, flash fried spinach.
This was a long way from eating out of cans. Then it was on to the Gateway Arch where we watched the Lewis
and Clark film being shown there after which we toured the Museum of Westward
Expansion. It is neat to have
visited Monticello, Washington, DC, including the Jefferson Memorial, cross the
country to the Mississippi and visit the gateway to the west all on my bicycle
and in under 3 weeks. Add to that,
Dean’s graduation from college and I’ve been busy.
I’m now reviewing the Adventure Cycling Lewis and Clark maps and the
Todd Rodgers Lewis and Clark Trail Guide in preparation of beginning the Lewis
and Clark Trail. This is David.
So it goes. JOURNAL ENTRY 22WEDNESDAY,
MAY 28, 2003 Mileage:
31.92
Riding Time: 2 hr 27 min
Avg. Speed: 12.9 Alton,
Illinois to St. Charles, Missouri Overnight:
Hardy and Kathy Menees’ home, Kirkwood, Missouri Another lazy
morning in the hotel. Had a
continental breakfast in my room. I
left at 1:00 p.m. to ride to St. Charles to meet Chris and Steve. They were running late due to strong head winds from the
northwest. I too was affected by
the wind as I rode on the bike path up the Missouri River.
It reminded me very much of riding along the Ohio River from Proctorville
to Gallipolis, Ohio. I rode on to
Grafton, Illinois and took the Grafton Ferry across the Mississippi River into
Missouri, and then rode on into St. Charles where Maggie, Hardy Menees’
business manager, picked me up in her car and took me to Hardy’s home in
Kirkwood which is off the route. Hardy is an
attorney in the St. Louis area and an avid bicycle rider. He had seen our ad in the Adventure Cyclist for riders and
invited us to spend a few days with him in St. Louis as we passed through.
Another illustration of trail magic.
Once at his home, we met his wife Kathy, a school teacher, and daughter
Annie, a tennis player at Vanderbilt and several of his bicycle friends who came
over for a cook-out. We had a good time talking RAGBRI. He and his friends formed Team Harold and are regulars at the
great Iowa ride each summer. Fun
evening; short miles; good people. This
is David. So it goes. JOURNAL ENTRY 23THURSDAY,
MAY 29, 2003 OFFDAY at
home of Hardy and Kathy Menees, Kirkwood, Missouri Had
breakfast at IHOP then went once again to the Gateway Arch, this time with Chris
and Steve. In addition, we toured
the Museum of Westward Expansion and then we went over to the Old Courthouse,
another famous landmark in St. Louis. It
is where the Dread-Scott Decision was argued.
We had lunch at Max and Irma’s downtown then on to Hartford to tour the
Lewis and Clark Center. Finally!
If you recall, it was closed both Monday and Tuesday. Following
that, we drove back to Hardy’s to enjoy dinner with his family.
Later he took us to his office where he practices law.
A wonderful building which he has restored of which he is very proud. It was a very relaxing day with wonderful weather.
This is David. So it goes. JOURNAL ENTRY 24SATURDAY,
MAY 31, 2003 Mileage:
68.94
Riding Time: 5 hr 23 mins
Avg. Speed: 12.6 St. Charles,
Missouri to Hermann, Missouri Overnight
Location: City Park, Hermann There was no
report for yesterday, May 30th, as we were taking an off day and
there wasn’t anything to report. Today, we
were up at 5:15 a.m. Hardy Menees
drove us over to St. Charles. We
had breakfast at Denny’s….a Grand Slam.
We then took pictures of the Lewis and Clark statue that was just
dedicated a couple of weeks ago. Good
fun. We then said our good-byes and
great thank yous to Hardy. He and
his family were so gracious and so helpful to us for the past three nights. Off we went
on the Katy Trail, the rail trail that runs along the Missouri River.
One could feel the history as I thought of the Ken Burns film and the
book “Undaunted Courage” by
Stephen Ambrose. The thought of
riding, for us and for many people in our time, a bike across America seems to
be a great challenge and a great feat; and yet, when compared with the perils
and misery experienced by the original Corp of Discovery, it’s almost nothing.
The other side of the coin would be, if the soldiers who made up the Corp
of Discovery and Meriwether Lewis and William Clark could come back and
experience life as we know it today. They
would be sorely challenged to keep up with the multi-tasking and the various
things that make our lives so hectic. It
is interesting to think about as we ride along the Katy Trail. The weather
was cloudy and breezy but thankfully no rain.
We rode along with the smell of an occasional hog farm and scent of
honeysuckle, we saw Indigo Buntings and other interesting birds.
We lunched in Augusta from our panniers and then on to Marthasville,
McKittrick, and finally to Hermann.
A little town with a great German heritage. We are
camped at the City Park which is very comfortable…warm showers and adequate
toilet facilities, very grassy and tree studded campgrounds. There are a good
number of locals picnicking and enjoying a Saturday get together in the city
park. It appears we will be very
comfortable here. There is an
interesting assortment of restaurants to choose from and as of yet we have not
decided where we will eat tonight. So finally,
after five nights in the St. Louis area, we are back on the road and actually
beginning the Lewis and Clark Trail. This
is David. So it goes. JOURNAL ENTRY 25SUNDAY, JUNE
1, 2003 Mileage:
58.87
Riding Time: 4 hr 2 min
Avg. Speed: 14.5 Hermann,
Missouri to Jefferson City, Missouri Overnight
Location: Hotel Deville Up at 5:50
a.m. A neighbor at the campground
in Hermann who was intrigued by our little enterprise brought over a pot of
perked coffee which was very welcome. After
breaking camp, we rode our bikes into Hermann and had breakfast at a local
café. We were on the road by 8:30.
I rode Missouri Rt. 94 which runs pretty much parallel to the Katy Trail between
Hermann and Jefferson City. The
others rode the Katy Trail for reasons that I don’t quite understand. The road had very little traffic, was smooth, and I enjoyed
the pleasant views of the farm country. About 11:00
a.m., just 10 miles short of Jefferson City, I had the first flat of our tour.
I unloaded the bike and took the time to patch the tire and then rode on
into Jefferson City. I visited the State Capitol grounds then had lunch at the
Backyard Burger, some sort of regional burger chain. I then waited for the others.
They arrived about 3:00. Steve, one
of our group, had arranged for us to stay at the National Guard Headquarters for
the State of Missouri here in Jefferson City.
Some sort of snafu prevented this, so Roger Green, the Sargent Major of
the State of Missouri, arranged for rooms in a very nice hotel here in Jefferson
City. He then presented us with
medals of excellence. Not bad for
someone who never even had a physical during the draft.
This is called coining in National Guard parlance. We then went
out to dinner at a Chinese restaurant where my fortune told me “life to you is
a dashing and bold adventure”. Well,
I don’t know about that, but things are going pretty well in the Missouri
State Capitol. This is David.
So it goes. JOURNAL ENTRY 26MONDAY, JUNE
2, 2003 Off day due
to rain Overnight
Location: First United Presbyterian
Church, Jefferson City, Missouri Rain, rain,
go away! Owing to the rain today, I
decided to layover. I wanted to
visit my dad’s boyhood home in Elston, Missouri, nine miles out of Jefferson
City. As well as my grandparents
and great-grandparents graves which are there as well. A rainy day dampens ones enthusiasm for such adventures so I
decided to try and wait out the rain. Steve
stayed with me. Chris and his son,
Drew, who joined us in St. Charles to ride the Katy Trail, pressed on as Drew
must be back to work in Kansas City on Thursday. Following
breakfast this morning at the hotel with the Sargent Major, Roger Green, we
called the First United Presbyterian Church’s pastor Rudy Beard to arrange a
place to stay tonight. He
graciously invited us to stay here. It
was then on to visit the State Capitol building where we met Representative Bill
Deeken in the hall. He arranged for
his legislator assistant, Mary Beth Bruns, to give us a private tour of the
capitol grounds. This
included the Whisper Balcony at the top of the Rotunda with breath-taking
views below of the inside of the building and then the outside balcony at the
top of the dome with equally breath-taking views of Jefferson City, the Missouri
River and the surrounding country side. The
folks here in the “Show Me State” have been very gracious to us. I told Rep.
Deeken, who’s district includes my ancestral homeplace, that there are a
number of Brunks buried in the Elston Cemetery.
And, should a close election require their services, I’m sure they
would be glad to help out and give him a helping hand since he had been so
helpful to their descendent, me. This
is David. So it goes. JOURNAL ENTRY 27TUESDAY,
JUNE 3, 2003 Mileage:
51.79
Riding Time: 4 hr 21 min
Avg. Speed: 11.8 Jefferson
City, Missouri to Boonville, Missouri Up at 6:00
a.m. Breakfast at the Town Grille
then back to the church. The theme
for today’s activities could well be a quote from Hodding Carter, “There are
two lasting gifts we can give our children…the first is roots; the second,
wings”. Before
leaving the church, the director of the Vacation Bible School asked if we could
give a brief talk to the children about our trip.
Their Bible School theme this year is Lighthouse Kids.
I told the children we were traveling across America by bicycle.
There was a chorus of oohs and ahs.
I asked them if they could remember New Year’s Day 2003.
Many hands went in the air. I
then asked them if they could remember Easter 2003. More hands went up. I
told them it will take us about the same amount of time from New Years to Easter
for us to ride across the country on our bicycles.
More oohs and ahs and nodding of heads as the teachers looked at their
charges. I told them I knew they
were studying this week in their classes how church and God could be a
lighthouse. I said that even though
we aren’t sailing on the seas, we needed lighthouses also as we ride our
bikes, and here in Jefferson City, Missouri their church has been a lighthouse
for us. And there have been many
other lighthouse churches that have helped us and taken care of us as we have
proceeded on our journey. The
pastor, Rudy Beard, then thanked us for our visit, wished us well and had a
prayer with us and all the children. As we left,
there were hand shakes all around and well wishes from all of the staff and many
of the parents who were present. Rudy
recalled once a number of years ago worshipping in First Presbyterian Church,
Huntington, my home church, while on vacation.
He also told me Ernest Trice Thompson, Sr., the father of our former
pastor at First Church Huntington, was one of his seminary professors.
Small world. At 9:00 a.m.
we were out on the road in a misty London fog but thankfully no soaking rain.
It was eleven miles out to Elston, Missouri, over beautiful rolling
hills. Now, Elston is so small that
both city limit signs could be put on the same pole. But, if you are a Brunk
from this line of the Brunk family, it’s a big town, for it was there that my
great-grandfather moved from Ohio. It was there that my grandfather was born and my father was
born and where he lived until he was 12 years old.
It’s on the breasts of those Missouri hills that my great-grandparents,
George and Abby Austin Brunk, my grandparents, Roy and Mary Ellen Van Hooser
Brunk, as well as my Aunt Lorette are buried.
So any time I have a chance to visit the little cemetery next to the
country church in Elston, it’s special. But
in this time and place on a coast to coast bicycle trip, it was especially
meaningful. Then it was
on three more miles to the farmstead that was my forefathers home and livelyhood
and my father’s boyhood home from birth to age 12.
And, setting next to that farmstead, the one room school house Concord
School (now a Pentecostal church) that lived large in Brunk family lore.
My father had such a love and romance with this place of his birth and
boyhood that each of his children have a certain reverence for it all.
Talk about roots. And all of
this occurring in my own family along the trail first blazed by Lewis and Clark. Following
the visit to my roots, we proceeded on to Boonville, Missouri. The weather continued to be dreary and overcast but
thankfully it never rained. Once in
Boonville, we met First United Presbyterian Pastor Jeff Martin and his 5-year
old son Asher. We enjoyed a Chinese
buffet dinner and showered at theYMCA. Steve
took our dirty laundry to the Laundromat and here I am writing as I consider my
roots and what wind will lift my wings looking forward. This is David. So
it goes. JOURNAL ENTRY 28WEDNESDAY,
JUNE 4, 2003 Mileage:
70.89
Riding Time: 5 hr 22 min
Avg. Speed: 13.1 Boonville,
Missouri to Higginsville, Missouri Overnight
Location: Classic Motel (First
Presbyterian Church, Higginsville Hosts) Up at 5:45
a.m. Had a pot of coffee at the
Boonville Church. Walked to
breakfast at the Riverside Café. On
the road at 8:40 a.m. We rode on
about 20 miles to Arrow Rock on a beautiful mild sunny blue-skied day.
In route we overtook a retired couple, Bill and Jill, from Austin, Texas.
They have bicycled toured all over the world and were just beginning the
Lewis and Clark Trail. They were
riding their way into shape so they weren’t doing as many miles as we.
We hope to see them again down the road, but for now, we proceeded on. Following
our break at Arrow Rock, we rode on about 15 more miles to Marshall, Missouri,
were we had lunch at the Café and Grille, a very plain looking establishment
from the outside, but they served wonderful food and outstanding coconut cream
pie. The staff and patrons were all
very interested in the bicyclists and there was lots of good-natured chatter
going back and forth during the lunch hour.
Following lunch, the Missouri hills flattened out and Steve and I rode at
a very good clip with a nice tail wind the rest of the way into Higginsville,
Missouri. At our final
break at Alma, eleven miles out of Higginsville, Pam caught up with us in her
car. She had left the farm in
Chesapeake at 6:15 a.m. and driven 675 miles.
We were both thrilled to see each other and look forward to the next
several days together as she follows us before she returns to Ohio to ride GOBA
with some of our Florida friends. After arriving in Higginsville, we found the First Presbyterian Church. I had spoken with Erica Harley the pastor last night from Boonville. She invited us to stay but when we arrived she had made arrangements for us to have rooms in this near by motor court. We feel almost guilty accepting this level of hospitality but given the miles we put in today we didn’t protest too loudly. It’s most comfortable. We all look forward to |
