Across the Middle and Down

Perry Winkle · 03-03-2007, 06:33 PM

So my departure date is set!

03/31/07: Get a ride to Yorktown, VA
04/01/07: Start pedalling!

First the TransAmerican Trail, East to West from Yorktown, VA to Astoria, OR:
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And part of the Pacific Coast Route, North to South from Astoria, OR to San Diego, CA:
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More to come!

Undertoad · 03-04-2007, 09:17 AM

Wowee wow wow!

It's cute how it carefully avoids West Virginia and Indiana. There'll be this big stretch of boring in the middle, and then you've got to do the Rockies. Wowee wow wow.

Perry Winkle · 03-04-2007, 12:31 PM

Dude, it's gonna be fun! I'm so pumped it's not even funny.

This doesn't belong anywhere, but it made me giggle:
"The eating method of cyclists...: a) Press food against face, b) suck, c) keep fingers out of the way, d) repeat." from here.

lumberjim · 03-04-2007, 01:08 PM

going solo? how long do you expect it to take you?

take your camera

Perry Winkle · 03-04-2007, 02:04 PM

Yeah, I'm going solo. But there are always other folks out touring, so I'm sure to run into some of them. It should take about 90 days, plus whatever time I stop off in St. Louis and Kansas City to see family (two weeks or so).

I've got my camera all lined up. I'm going to take crap-tons of pictures. I'll try and upload them along the way at public libraries (I'm still looking for a reasonable solution to this problem).

I'm going to be posting some pictures of equipment and load-out here in a week or two. Probably a list of links to my favorite touring journals, too.

Perry Winkle · 03-04-2007, 02:16 PM

Uh, to clarify: 90 days for the VA to OR leg and 25-30 for OR to San Diego, CA.

So with family and friend stops I would say 4.5-5 months. Unless money runs out.

I kind of left that second leg out above...

lumberjim · 03-04-2007, 06:24 PM

how much do you plan to spend? where will you be sleeping at night? In 1991, we made $1200 last 3.5 months, but we had camping gear, and a van/car to sleep in. and it was late summer/early fall, and we stayed mainly in the south.......

Perry Winkle · 03-04-2007, 07:08 PM

I'll have a little over $4k, but it'd be nice to have some left at the end so I can fly home if I want to. And not be totally broke at the end of the road.

I plan to free-camp as much as possible. I need to get better at having spontaneous conversations that end positively, so I'm going to try and talk likely-looking folk into letting me camp in their yards or wherever. Some town parks let you camp for free, and I have a golden access pass for the National Park System, so I get great deals there (it's my Dad's). If worse comes to worst I'll stealth camp.

I'm also going to take my St. Christopher-on-a-chain with me so I can convince churches to make exceptions for me a bit easier.

I'm also going to look into using hospitality services* like WarmShowers and Servas.

Depending on how well I take to sleeping outdoors every night I might get a motel from time to time.

I plan to cook my own meals, but I'm sure that I'll stop for a restaurant meal occasionally (it's hard to do sausage, pancakes and french toast, etc. on a backpacking stove; though I'll probably give it a shot).

It'll be kind of chilly for the first month or so, though by high summer I should be getting into higher elevations and the northwest...

* These services connect cyclists/hikers with volunteer hosts that are willing to provide a meal or a place to sleep/camp.

xoxoxoBruce · 03-04-2007, 08:45 PM

Ha, I knew you were a slut. Peddling your ass all over the country, you'll break your sainted mother's heart.

Griff · 03-05-2007, 06:31 AM

Awesome Grant! I recently tricked lil' Pete into agreeing to do the Trans Am when she graduates from high school.

Perry Winkle · 03-05-2007, 08:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xoxoxoBruce

Ha, I knew you were a slut. Peddling your ass all over the country, you'll break your sainted mother's heart.

I'm not telling if you're not.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Griff

Awesome Grant! I recently tricked lil' Pete into agreeing to do the Trans Am when she graduates from high school.

That'll be awesome! How long does she have to forget about ever having made this promise?

Griff · 03-05-2007, 09:15 AM

5 years but maybe every time I buy her a new fencing weapon I'll bring it up.

barefoot serpent · 03-05-2007, 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by grant

I stop off in St. Louis and Kansas City to see family (two weeks or so).

I was going to offer a place here in Lawrence, but I see you've got a stop in KC.

And just a note: you do realize that the prevailing winds -- especially across the plains -- are W to SW? If I was going to do it, I'd most likely go from W to E.

Griff · 03-05-2007, 10:02 AM

Kansas wind is supposed to be relentless.

BigV · 03-05-2007, 10:57 AM

Call in advance.

03-03-2007, 06:33 PM	#1
Perry Winkle Esnohplad Semaj Ton Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: A little south of sanity Posts: 2,259	Across the Middle and Down So my departure date is set! 03/31/07: Get a ride to Yorktown, VA 04/01/07: Start pedalling! First the TransAmerican Trail, East to West from Yorktown, VA to Astoria, OR: And part of the Pacific Coast Route, North to South from Astoria, OR to San Diego, CA: More to come!

03-04-2007, 01:08 PM	#4
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	going solo? how long do you expect it to take you? take your camera __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

03-04-2007, 06:24 PM	#7
lumberjim I can hear my ears Join Date: Oct 2003 Posts: 25,571	how much do you plan to spend? where will you be sleeping at night? In 1991, we made $1200 last 3.5 months, but we had camping gear, and a van/car to sleep in. and it was late summer/early fall, and we stayed mainly in the south....... __________________ This body holding me reminds me of my own mortality Embrace this moment, remember We are eternal, all this pain is an illusion ~MJKeenan

03-04-2007, 08:45 PM	#9
xoxoxoBruce The future is unwritten Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 71,105	Ha, I knew you were a slut. Peddling your ass all over the country, you'll break your sainted mother's heart. __________________ The descent of man ~ Nixon, Friedman, Reagan, Trump.

03-05-2007, 06:31 AM	#10
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	Awesome Grant! I recently tricked lil' Pete into agreeing to do the Trans Am when she graduates from high school. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

03-04-2007, 09:17 AM	#2
Undertoad Radical Centrist Join Date: Jan 2001 Location: Cottage of Prussia Posts: 31,423	Wowee wow wow! It's cute how it carefully avoids West Virginia and Indiana. There'll be this big stretch of boring in the middle, and then you've got to do the Rockies. Wowee wow wow.

03-04-2007, 12:31 PM	#3
Perry Winkle Esnohplad Semaj Ton Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: A little south of sanity Posts: 2,259	Dude, it's gonna be fun! I'm so pumped it's not even funny. This doesn't belong anywhere, but it made me giggle: "The eating method of cyclists...: a) Press food against face, b) suck, c) keep fingers out of the way, d) repeat." from here.

03-04-2007, 02:04 PM	#5
Perry Winkle Esnohplad Semaj Ton Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: A little south of sanity Posts: 2,259	Yeah, I'm going solo. But there are always other folks out touring, so I'm sure to run into some of them. It should take about 90 days, plus whatever time I stop off in St. Louis and Kansas City to see family (two weeks or so). I've got my camera all lined up. I'm going to take crap-tons of pictures. I'll try and upload them along the way at public libraries (I'm still looking for a reasonable solution to this problem). I'm going to be posting some pictures of equipment and load-out here in a week or two. Probably a list of links to my favorite touring journals, too.

03-04-2007, 02:16 PM	#6
Perry Winkle Esnohplad Semaj Ton Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: A little south of sanity Posts: 2,259	Uh, to clarify: 90 days for the VA to OR leg and 25-30 for OR to San Diego, CA. So with family and friend stops I would say 4.5-5 months. Unless money runs out. I kind of left that second leg out above...

03-04-2007, 07:08 PM	#8
Perry Winkle Esnohplad Semaj Ton Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: A little south of sanity Posts: 2,259	I'll have a little over $4k, but it'd be nice to have some left at the end so I can fly home if I want to. And not be totally broke at the end of the road. I plan to free-camp as much as possible. I need to get better at having spontaneous conversations that end positively, so I'm going to try and talk likely-looking folk into letting me camp in their yards or wherever. Some town parks let you camp for free, and I have a golden access pass for the National Park System, so I get great deals there (it's my Dad's). If worse comes to worst I'll stealth camp. I'm also going to take my St. Christopher-on-a-chain with me so I can convince churches to make exceptions for me a bit easier. I'm also going to look into using hospitality services* like WarmShowers and Servas. Depending on how well I take to sleeping outdoors every night I might get a motel from time to time. I plan to cook my own meals, but I'm sure that I'll stop for a restaurant meal occasionally (it's hard to do sausage, pancakes and french toast, etc. on a backpacking stove; though I'll probably give it a shot). It'll be kind of chilly for the first month or so, though by high summer I should be getting into higher elevations and the northwest... * These services connect cyclists/hikers with volunteer hosts that are willing to provide a meal or a place to sleep/camp.

03-05-2007, 09:15 AM	#12
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	5 years but maybe every time I buy her a new fencing weapon I'll bring it up. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

03-05-2007, 10:02 AM	#14
Griff still says videotape Join Date: Feb 2001 Posts: 26,813	Kansas wind is supposed to be relentless. __________________ If you would only recognize that life is hard, things would be so much easier for you. - Louis D. Brandeis

03-05-2007, 10:57 AM	#15
BigV Goon Squad Leader Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Seattle Posts: 27,063	Call in advance. Attached Images __________________ Be Just and Fear Not.

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