Epilogue: Random Thoughts and Observations

Now that we've completed our bicycle journey across the U.S., there are certain observations that I made during the course of this tour that I would like to share:

• The Phenomenon of the Alternating Aching Body Parts.  Oddly, only one particular body part would hurt me per day.  One day, it would be my ankle.  The next day, my knee.  Another day, my little toe.  Then, my shins would be sore, or maybe my hip.  The point being - it was never everything at once,  or even two things at a time.  Always (thankfully) just one.  In the morning, when I would start riding, it wouldn’t be long before I would figure out which body part was going to hurt that day.  Once I got that “memo,” I could relax, resign myself to the fact that my [x] was going to hurt that day, and proceed with the ride.

• The Great Shake Debate.  On a national basis, McDonalds makes the best chocolate shakes, however, they also rated highest on the "disappointment” scale, with the most incidents of their shake machines being broken.  Sonic, however, wins the Southern Tier competition, hands down.  Sonic shakes are awesome.  Notwithstanding, the absolute best chocolate shake I had during the tour came from the Burger King in Livingston, Alabama - where, instead of topping the shake with whipped cream, they topped it with a dollop of vanilla ice cream.  (I encountered no other Burger King that does this.)

• Quitting.  There are several food-related bad habits I have acquired during this tour that I need to break - one of which is the "daily chocolate shake" bad habit.

• Just a Number.  I love the fact that there is no “age“ on the bike.  There were so many exceptional riders in our group that were north of retirement age.  I can only hope to be riding as well as they are for the next 30 or more years.  

• Can't Explain It. The fact that I only had two flat tires this entire trip is nothing short of amazing.  Very unusual, especially in light of all the interstate riding we did.

• My Husband is Awesome:  A special shout out & thank you to my husband and all-around best buddy, Art.  He signed up for this adventure with me, even though we knew he had a prior obligation that would prevent him from completing the entire tour (he had to leave the tour at Day 19 to attend a work conference in Portland, Oregon).   Not only that - but he planned and endured an elaborate travel itinerary in order to stay on the tour with me as long as possible and get to Tybee Island to meet me at the finish (which required a red-eye flight from Portland).  Art - you are the BEST and I love you!         

• My sincere thanks to Our Lady of Ghisallo - the patron saint of cyclists - for keeping us all safe during this journey.

•  Life is good.  : )     

Hello Atlantic Ocean! (Mission Accomplished!)

Day 26 (the final day!)

Thursday, October 6, 2011
Metter, Georgia to Tybee Island, Georgia
87 miles
1,100 feet of climbing

Woke up to the realization that today we would complete our adventure across the U.S.  It’s hard to believe that such a long journey is almost at an end.  At breakfast, there was an air of excitement in the group as we ate and chatted about our plans for after the ride and the loved ones who would be meeting us at the finish.  Packed up our gear bags and loaded them into the trailer for the last time.  Although it was still darkish when we started riding at 7:30, it was a nice, easy ride as we rode out of Metter toward Savannah.  While I was riding, I reminisced about previous days of the ride.  It seemed almost hard to recall the earlier days.  Even the “desert” days - the days of intense heat during which I suffered the most - seemed so long ago.  It made me smile to recall all the towns we passed through and the funny/peculiar objects, characteristics or signs we saw along the way.   Today's first and second rest stops were nothing short of celebratory.  We had lunch at mile 52 at the Tom Triplet Community Park in Pooler, Georgia - just outside of Savannah.  From there, we rode to mile 83, where we would regroup at the “Welcome to Tybee Island” sign and ride to the Atlantic Ocean together as a group.  When everyone arrived, we lined up in two lines, side by side, and rode slowly in procession for the last four miles to the ocean.  When we arrived at the sandy beach, we took off our bike shoes and carried our bikes to the ocean’s shore, and dipped our wheels in the Atlantic to mark the official completion of our journey.  Photo opps abound!  Many of us, including myself, dipped our entire selves into the ocean (the water was fine!).  Family and friends were there to greet many in our group.  We took a group photo with our PAC Tour “Southern Transcontinental” banner.  It was a joyous end to an amazing and challenging adventure.

After our celebration at the shore, we proceeded with the business of gathering our belongings and packing up our bikes for the trip home.  We had a group dinner at 6:00 p.m.  in the shore-side restaurant of the Ocean Plaza Hotel.  After dinner, Lon & Susan presented each of us with a lovely photo-plaque commemorating our ride across the country.  Then they played a slide show of all the photos of our trip set to music.  It was a wonderful celebration.  Jonathan won the auction for our completed “Map” (all proceeds from the auction go to Lon’s charitable projects in Peru).  In true Jonathan style, Jonathan made a heartfelt and sincere statement about the meaningfulness of the map - how it represents our accomplishment, our ambition and even our fears.  With that, he awarded possession of the map to John, the youngest member of our group, to keep on behalf of all of us.  It was a lovely and generous gesture - one that we all appreciated.  


That night when I went to bed, it still had not really sunk in that I completed the ride. Although I felt glad that I finished it, I was not necessarily glad the ride was over.  This is not to say that this ride was easy or that I didn’t struggle at times, because I definitely did.  My emotions ran the gamut - everything from sheer elation and invincibility to self-doubt and, at times, dejection.  But, in spite of the emotional roller coaster, I absolutely had the time of my life.  I truly loved getting on my bike everyday.  I loved following the route sheet; riding to the next destination; experiencing the (sometimes adverse) elements.  I loved the people in our group and the PAC Tour crew.  I loved having my fellow riders pass me on the road and say, “Hi, Rose!”  I loved seeing these people everyday - they made me laugh and smile.  I felt like the member of a family - a big family that rides bicycles.  As Sid so eloquently said when he stopped on the Talimena Parkway to help Art & me with my dropped and jammed chain: “We’re all in this together.“  We certainly were.  We were all going toward the same goal, and we cheered each other on.  I couldn’t have chosen a better group of people with whom to share this adventure.  It was an honor to be part of this group and this tour.

Ron, me and Bob at the 2nd rest stop of the day

Art had to leave the tour at day 19 to attend
a work conference, but took a red-eye
flight to meet me at the finish!

 

Art, Lon & me at the Tybee Island "welcome" sign

Susan & me

The group "procession" to the shore

Brian & me - we made it!!

 

 

 

Sid & Karen - great riders and great friends!

Our Group

 

The map reflecting our completed journey - signed by all riders and crew.

Jonathan presenting the map to fellow rider John.  What a wonderful gift!

The Penultimate Ride: Getting Metter by the Day

Day 25

Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Perry, Georgia to Metter, Georgia
118 miles
3,135 feet of climbing

Hard to believe, but today is the 2nd to last day of our journey across the country.  As I headed out to the bike racks this morning, I could practically smell the ocean (OK, not really - but I could sense the nearness of the ocean).  This was our first morning in the eastern time zone, so the sun was still coming up when we started rolling at 7:30.  We headed to Metter (Georgia) today.  "Perry is nice, but Metter is better" is just one of the clever phrases we came up with at breakfast.  The morning temp was about 50 degrees, and stayed pleasantly cool throughout the morning.  The weather got better in Metter (another one!) - for the afternoon, it was a sunny 84ish degrees.  Today's ride consisted mostly of moderate rolling hills on quiet, low-traffic roads.  The terrain is becoming less hilly as we make our way toward the coast.  Fun and fast riding, for the most part.  For much of the the morning - up to the 2nd rest stop - I, along with a few others, caught the Lon & Susan tandem train, and the miles seemed to fly by.  It was another day of pure cycling bliss.  There's nothing like riding on country roads; it's peaceful and it makes me happy. : )  Know what else makes me happy?  Getting off my bike seat after 118 miles! : )

: )

A Page House in Dublin, Georgia

Lon & Susan on the tamdem.

Almost there!

Hello Georgia!

Day 24

Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Eufaula, Alabama to Perry, Georgia
112 miles
4,700 ft. of climbing

Instead of having Georgia on my mind, I now have Georgia under my bike wheels!  Crossed Lake Eufaula to enter Georgia today at mile 4.  Right before we got to the bridge, though, Brian and I got stuck at a railroad crossing as a train passed going about 3 miles per hour.  It was the slowest train I'd ever seen.  Thank heavens it was only 5 cars long (I had plenty of time to count and recount the cars).  After crossing the bridge, we were greeted by some big Georgia rollers - big, tall hills.  By our first rest stop at mile 28, we had over 2,000 feet of climbing.  It was a gorgeous, cool morning, and all of us were fortified by the hearty breakfast of waffles we had (the hotel had a self-serve wafflemaker and our group hit it - hard).  Again, the scenery today was spectacular.  Rode by Plains, Georgia - hometown of President Jimmy Carter.  The mega-rollers continued through mile 80, where we had our lunch stop in Andersonville, in the parking lot of the National Prisoner of War Museum.  We had time to tour the museum.  It was very sobering, but I'm glad I got a chance to see it.  From mile 80, we had the lion's share of our climbing done, and the rest of the ride consisted of mild rollers or flat terrain as we rode through the Georgia plains.  Rode by some beautiful pecan groves and farm fields.  When we arrived at our destination in Perry, Georgia, we had to switch from the Central time zone to Eastern, so we lost an hour.  That's OK, though, because I no longer need that hour to do laundry.  With only two days of riding left, I'm now collecting all my dirty clothes in a plastic bag in my dufffel, which is sure to be declared a toxic waste zone by the time I finish this ride.  I just hope Lon and Susan don't get ticketed for transporting hazardous materials without a permit!

Crossing the Lake Eufaula into Georgia

Me - finishing one of the morning climbs (one-handed!)

Serves as a memorial to all American Prisoners of War

      

I May Be a Fool, But I'm Headed to Georgia

Day 23

Monday, October 3, 2011
Greenville, Alabama to Eufaula, Alabama
111 miles
4,900 ft. of climbing

The most amazing thing I saw today?  Gas priced at $3.15 per gallon!  It's good to be on the bike, though, even with the availability of "cheap" gas.  Today was another extraordinarily stupendous day of cycling.  Cool morning (about 48 degrees) - clear, sunny and a very pleasant 80 degrees by the early afternoon.  Our route contained a fair amount of climbing, but it was pretty evenly distributed throughout the 111 miles.  Another day of rolling terrain; rollers of various sizes, heights and grades.  There were a couple of really big ones in the beginning of the ride - the kind where you look up the road and it looks like the road folds up into a wall.  But once you actually get on the climb, it's never as difficult or steep as it looks from a distance.  That's what the little chain ring is for, I always say.  As per usual, dog chases took place at various junctures.  For something completely different, however . . . I saw a cat today.  It did not chase me or acknowledge my presence in any way.  Stopped at a gas station/convenience store to use the facilities and had several local people ask about our ride.  I must have spent ten minutes answering questions about where we started, where we've been and how long we've been on the road.  People have been so friendly - genuine and kind.  The funniest quote of the day, though, goes to a man with whom one of my fellow riders, John, had a brief conversation.  John was riding by a house where an older (and incidentally, corpulent) man was sitting on the porch.  I assume this man had seen a few of us ride by and was curious.  As John rode by, the man asked him where he was going.  John enthusiastically replied, "Savannah!"  The man responded, incredulously, "That's in Georgia, fool!"  It's stuff like that which makes this ride so special.  The scenery today was, again, spectacular.  I'm doing my best to try to appreciate and remember every mile of this trip, because  . . . well, that's what it's all about!

Me - rolling into the first rest stop.  What a beautiful day!

Cows will look with curiosity, but will not chase

Paul & me at the last rest stop

Getting there!

If the Dogs Don't Get You, the Saddle Will!

Day 22

Sunday, October 2, 2011
Livingston, Alabama to Greenville, Alabama
128 miles
4,200 ft. of climbing

Weather-wise, today was a repeat of yesterday: cold in the morning (about 42 degrees), but warmed up comfortably to the mid-70's by noontime.  In lieu of an extra cup of hot tea with breakfast to stay warm in the morning, I opted for an extra layer under my jacket.  (It was nice not to have to stop every 15 minutes.)  A few rolling hills to start off with helped warm me up fairly quickly.  Sunny and clear, with just a little wind out of the northeast.  Today we had 4,200 feet of climbing, the majority of which was in the latter half of the ride.  Like yesterday, the route consisted of rolling hills - some big, some small, and a few of which were long and had some steep spots, especially the afternoon rollers.  Dogs chased, but none caught me.  We crossed the Alabama River, which is quite beautiful, and had lunch in a lovely park that borders the river.  After 128 miles, I was tired and exhilarated when I reached our destination in Greenville.  My saddle and my sit bones are having a contest to see which one can hurt me the most.  Advil to the rescue!  I'm not addicted to Advil.  I can quit anytime . . . just not until the end of this trip.  : )
Another "fantabulous" day on the bike.  Getting closer to our destination!

Me - layered up for the morning chill

The bridge across the Alabama River

Our lunch spot right next to the Alabama River

Hello Alabama!

Day 21

Saturday, October 1, 2011
Kosciusko, Mississippi to Livingston, Alabama
115 miles
5,500 ft. of climbing

It was very chilly morning - just 40 degrees when we started riding, but the crew lessened the chill by making us blueberry pancakes for breakfast.  Started out wearing my jacket, arm warmers and long-fingered gloves (plus, I had two big cups of hot tea with breakfast, which, in retrospect, was not a great strategy).  Today's route consisted entirely of rollers - medium to big rolling hills.  Thanks to the hills, I was warmed up by the first rest stop at mile 24 and was able to shed my chilly-weather gear.  By the early morning, we had 70ish temperatures with clear skies and sunshine.  Absolutely perfect biking weather.  Rode through some very pretty rural areas in Mississippi - Edinburg, Laurel Hill and Hope.  The only big town we rode through today was Philadelphia (to avoid confusion, I might suggest Mississippi follow Arkansas' lead and name the town "Missadelphia").  Our lunch stop was a nice little spot in DeKalb.  The temp warmed up to 74 degrees by the time I reached our lunch stop, just after noontime, but with the wind, I got a little chilled just sitting there.  Once I got back on the bike, I was warm again in no time.  Rode through many nice residential areas.  Saw many local people today out walking or in their front yards.  The dog-chasing situation remains the same, although I think I'm becoming desensitized to it (I'm now on the lookout for alligators).  Crossed into Alabama somewhere around mile 95.  In all, it was an another absolutely spectacular day of riding. 

The Yockanookany River

Me - after the morning warm-up

Lon with our map of progress

The Dogs (and Alligators) of Mississippi

Day 20

Friday, September 30, 2011
Indianola, Mississippi to Kosciusko, Mississippi
100 miles
2,040 ft. of climbing

Despite starting the day with the discovery that my rear tire had gone flat overnight, it was another glorious day on the bike.  A quick change of the tire (which I changed myself, with helpful coaching from Art), and I was on my way.  Today we would be heading to Kosciusko - a town named after the General Tadeusz Kosciuszko of the Revolutionary War.  (There is bridge on the I-87 north of Albany which is named after Gen. Kosciuszko).  For the first 23 miles of the ride, we had a strong tailwind as we headed mainly south from Indianola to Belzoni.  (Flat terrain + a tailwind = 22 m.p.h. average speed.  Some of the faster riders were averaging 26 m.p.h. for that 23-mile stretch.)  From there, we headed east and it became more of a crosswind, but it wasn't bad at all.  It was a gorgeous day - clear and sunny and about 76 degrees.  In Belzoni, once we made the turn and crossed the Yazoo River, the terrain changed from flat to rolling hills with beautiful rural scenery the entire day.  Rode by many cotton fields again today.  A few of my fellow riders spotted an alligator off the side of the road.  I did not see the alligator, but, in any event, I am glad the alligator was not into chasing people on bicycles, as are most of the dogs we've encountered on this trip.  Southern dogs seem to have way too much free time on their paws.  One dog chased me today for such a long time that another rider referred to the dog as my "escort."  The local people, however, have been wonderful to us - waving and greeting us as we pass by. 

 

The Yazoo River

Me - out of the saddle

Cotton fields

Hello Mississippi!

Day 19

Thursday, September 29, 2011
Monticello, Arkansas to Indianola, Mississippi
107 miles
688 ft. of climbing

Today was another milestone day - rode into a new state, Mississippi and we crossed the Mississippi River!  Out route was about as flat as could be.  Rode through the Mississippi Delta and many cotton and rice fields.  The weather was hotter and humid than we've had in the past few days, but still a beautiful day of riding.

Jerry, Art & Ron - before breakfast

Causeway over Lake Chicot

Me, Christopher and Gerhard

Me & Art - at the 2nd rest stop at mile 56

Art crossing the mighty Mississippi River

Cotton fields

"Logging" in the Miles in Arkansas

Day 18

Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Arkadelphia, Arkansas to Monticello, Arkansas
98 miles
2,600 feet of climbing

Another spectacular day of riding. We had a relatively easy day - only 98 miles and only 2,600 feet of vertical - most of which were rolling hills.  Saw several logging trucks.  Beautiful tree farms on either side of us as we rode.  Had lunch in a lovely shady park.  Reached our destination in Monticello by 2:30.  Had a nice relaxing evening and lots of time to rest our legs for tomorrow's ride.  : )

Art leading the pack

A beautiful spot for our lunch stop

Logging trucks - they were very kind to us
as they passed us on the narrow, two-lane roads

Bike - adelphia

Day 17

Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Queen Wilhelmina Lodge, Arkansas to Arkadelphia (Caddo Valley), Arkansas
101 miles
3,800 ft. of climbing

Today's destination is Arkadelphia, located at the foothills of Ouachita Mountains in Clark County.  I kept referring to it as "Philadephia" as a joke, but then I couldn't say it right, even if I tried.  That's what I get for being a wiseacre.  : )
We had a exquisite breakfast overlooking a gorgeous vista in the parking lot of the Queen Wilhelmina Lodge.  The crew outdid themselves and made us cooked-to-order omelets for breakfast.  The morning temp was a mild and comfortable 60 degrees.  For the first 12 miles of today's ride, we finished up riding the Talimena Scenic Drive, with a few more climbs and then a speedy and fun descent into Mena, Arkansas.  From there, we had beautifully scenic rolling terrain pretty much the entire day.   Much less intense than yesterday's ride.  We passed  many small towns with signs that indicated populations of less than 1,000 (e.g., Norman, Arkansas, pop. 423).  I was intrigued by a big sign that said "Redneck Smokehouse" next to a tiny house on a hill.  I wondered if they didn't have a television and therefore didn't know that people routinely make fun of rednecks in this day and age.  Today's weather was 84 degrees and sunny.   The dogs chase just as much in Arkansas as they do in Oklahoma, but none have caught us (yet).  We all really appreciate the perfect biking weather that we've been blessed with so far.  Feeling strong and having a great time.  It just doesn't get any better than that!

Breakfast at the Lodge: front row seats to a majestic view

Art riding by the DeGray Dam

Making progress every day!

 

Hello Arkansas!

Day 16

Monday, September 26, 2011
McAlester, Oklahoma to Queen Wilhelmina Lodge, Arkansas
100 miles
7,549 ft. of climbing

These past few days, I learned a couple of things about Oklahoma that contradict my prior assumptions: Oklahoma is neither flat nor boring.  Not even close.  In fact, Oklahoma is quite mountainous and scenic, and today's ride proved it.  I consider today's ride a great accomplishment; we biked the Talimena Scenic Drive - a 50-mile national scenic byway that stretches from Oklahoma to Arkansas, and consists of significant, steep climbing.    (Hint:  Anytime the word "scenic" is used to describe a road, that road is sure to be extremely hilly.)  Ever since Day 1 of the tour, there had been much chatter in our group about the "Talimena" day; that it would be the most difficult day of the tour.  (I will admit it was a difficult day of riding due to the degree of climbing and the many sections with steep grades.  But, in my opinion, the first day of riding through the desert was far more difficult.)  The first 50 miles of today's ride (before we hit the Talimena) consisted of big sweeping rollers - long, but not all that steep.  It was a good way to wake up our legs for what was ahead of us in the 2nd half of the ride.  We gained a few thousand feet of elevation before we made the turn-off to the Talimena at mile 58.  From there, the road immediately climbed steadily and steeply for several miles, reaching grades of 10 to 13%.  There were places where the road leveled off, which allowed for some rest for the legs.  The scenery was absolutely spectacular.  There were many marked vistas just off the road to pull into and take pictures or just take in the scenery (and rest your legs).  The traffic was very light - maybe a car or a motorcycle now and then, but for the most part, we had the road to ourselves as we climbed.  By the time we reached our lunch stop at mile 70, we had climbed 4,400 feet and still had quite a bit to go.  I've noticed I go through the same routine when when the road folds up into a 10% or higher grade and it feels like, all of the sudden, someone has just hitched a trailer to my bike.  First, I desperately look down at my rear cassette with faint but fruitless hope that maybe, just maybe, I still have a gear or two that I haven't used yet.  Regardless, I just keep the pedals going around, and eventually, I make it up and over that steep section, and I amaze myself.   As a reward, I take a bite out of the granola bar I have in my jersey pocket.  I repeated this routine numerous times today. : ) 
We ceremoniously crossed the border into Arkansas at mile 93.  (By "ceremonious," I mean I took a picture of the sign that said "Welcome to Arkansas.")  Our destination hotel was the Queen Wilhelmina Lodge in the Queen Wilhelmina State Park - a gorgeous lodge located right in the midst of the beautiful views of the Talimena.  We all had dinner together in the Lodge's dining room - an "all you can eat buffet" for $10, which included a dessert table.  I don't think the Lodge knew what it was getting into when it offered that deal to our group.  I believe we did as much damage to their revenue margin as we did to the dessert table.  We had another great day.  Today's ride was a beautiful ride - one that I will always remember for its majestic views and challenging climbs.

The steep and twisty Talimena Scenic Drive

Art helping me fix my dropped chain, which I somehow managed to jam between my cassette and frame.

Me & Art - all smiles, just a few miles from the end of the day's ride.

Still Rollin' OK in Oklahoma

Day 15

Sunday, September 25, 2011
Purcell, Oklahoma to McAlester, Oklahoma
111 miles
3,743 ft. of climbing

Today was a repeat of yesterday's rollers, only less of them.  It was another picture-perfect weather day.  Although it was cool and slightly overcast when we started riding in the morning, it soon turned bright and sunny and the temp never got much higher than the mid-70's. We had a strong crosswind for most of the day as we headed east.  After lunch, the crosswind became a headwind as our route curved to the northeast.  The good thing is that we all seem to be feeling stronger.  Our route brought us through several small towns and rural residential areas . . . with dogs . . . that like to chase bicycles.  This one dog & I were having a very nice conversation while he was chasing me, until Art yelled at him to leave us alone.  Based on my dog observations of the past few days, I've concluded that the smaller the dog, the more aggressive the chase.  To wit, a chihuahua will chase and bark up to 57% longer than a typical mixed-breed medium-sized canine.  Ergo, a really big dog, such as New Foundland, will just stand there and stare at you as you ride by.  So, there you have it.  Moving on . . . The local people we encountered were very nice - many would asked us about our ride.  There were numerous motorcycles on the road.  Many motorcyclists do not wear helmets here (its not required).  It seems so odd to see a person riding a motorcycle without a helmet.  I wouldn't dare get on my bicycle without a helmet, let alone my motorcycle - for the simple reason that your head is the one part of your body you'd miss the most.  Be that as it may, we had a nice early 3:40 p.m. arrival at our destination hotel in McAlester.  Even had time to do our laundry.  After dinner, we took a good walk to an ice cream shop.  What a great day.  : )

Charley & Art

Me - rollin' along

Art in Konawa, OK

More big rollers today