In Memory of Warmer Summers

Cave in Rock, IL to Goreville, IL

Miles: 62

Total so far: 1,536

Today during our morning ride, Sallie commented, “It’s hard to believe we’ve ridden all the way to Illinois.” In some ways it is. Maybe it was the day off, but it seems like the days we’ve spent on the road have flown by in a blur and I hope the rest of the trip does not give the same impression. I trust it won’t – maybe Kansas may put that to rest.

Souther Illinois - the green is on, the hay is deep

I’ve also considered, with some reservation, that we are somewhere near one-third of the way through the journey. The raw map mileage for our route works out to somewhere around 4, 500 miles. That’s without detours and we’ve had, and will have, plenty of those. Something tells me not to mark off progress like that. I’m inclined to think that is not wise, but it’s certainly on my mind, especially because we’ve now joined the venerable Trans-Am route.

Sallie helpsa turtle cross the road - good karma

The Trans America route I’ve been referring to runs from Yorktown, Virginia to Astoria, Oregon. It was established and first promoted in 1976 for the Bicentennial celebration, and was at the time operated by a group that called themselves Bikecentennial. They’ve since become the Adventure Cycling Association (ACA), a non-profit operating in Missoula, Montana. ACA supplies the maps we use and keeps tabs of updates and road closures with the help of the hundreds of cyclists out on their routes. They have guided tours of all kinds too.

Saratoga, Wyoming is on the Trams Am. Thirty five years ago I was living in Saratoga and the Bikecentennial riders came through town all summer long and the subsequent summers after that. It made an impression on me that still lingers, but at the time I’d have rapidly denied it if someone were to tell me that I would attempt that ride someday.

There is a little bit of magic for me as I now join that route. I have some sort of impression going on that the Trans-Am is a bit like the famous yellow brick road. Riding today turned out just to be another day of cycling, nothing too special, but there is power in knowing those individuals that precede me have done so over these same roads. I’ve read some of their journals. I am inspired. I guess there is enough magic in that. Besides, we’ve ridden all the way to Illinois!

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Tomorrow’s ride is dedicated to Kayla Elizabeth Bain

Kayla Elizabeth Bain

Kayla was a 19 yr old aspiring chef college student attending her second yr of Baking & Pastries at Johnson & Wales university in North Miami Florida. From a small local town in Fort Ann NY Kayla always wanted to live in Florida & be a chef at the young age of 19 how she got what she wanted in life. But on Jan 2, 2011 her life along with 2 others was taken by a drunk driver they were killed on impact many families & friends lives never to be the same.