Intermission - and now a word from our sponsors...

I am currently... at home.  So current location is our house on Big Tree Rd. in Neptune Beach.

I took some time on my rest day in Cape Girardeau to plan out the rest of my trip from there to home.  I figured it wold take me no more than 21 days to complete the ride.  Given the high heat and humidity I knew I would need to stay inside air conditioned spaces each night.  The route I was following did not go through populated areas so finding AC wold be hit or miss, mostly miss for the first week after MO.  I also will not rely on warm showers to provide a host when I would like one.  I actually had a potential host reply to me three weeks after I asked him and through our follow on message exchanges he essentially said he doesn't read email, and it was my fault I didn't contact him because I didn't text him.  He then had the temerity to ask me to do a review of him and include in my review his preferences for contacting him.  I will do the review but I need to write it and let it sit a few times because right now I am finding it challenging to be neutral.  Anyway, lesson learned that WS hosts can be wonderful people but the system itself is not reliable enough to plan a ride around.

The long range weather forecasts of apparent, real-feel temperatures being above 110 degrees, the paucity of places to stay, the lack of food sources along the way, and the continuing hilly terrain (the route did not follow the Mississippi River flood plain but instead went through hilly terrain like the Nachez Trace) all combined to let me know my ride was over for the summer.  Amy had the correct question for me, "will you regret not doing this all at once" and the answer has been a resounding No.  I can always go finish the ride when it cools down (current plan is to do so in October after I speak at a shipmates retirement ceremony), but it would be impossible to finish it if I suffered heat stroke along the way and passed out on some remote road with no shoulders and often drunk traffic.  The route maps I am following repeatedly described the routes with positive virtues like "limited services," "dogs frequently chase bicyclists," "remote roads with no shoulders, poor conditions, and blind hills and corners."  I got used to all of that, under the premise that I could find food and water and a place to get some AC at night.  Take away the AC and food and water and the ride becomes less appealing.  Unless you like real-feel temps of 110 degrees for days on end.  I do not.

So the current plan is to keep an eye on the long range forecasts and hurricane season and complete the ride when it makes sense to do so.  I started ridiculously early, a month by the comments of most everyone I met, so I could avoid the heat of summer.  To a person those I spoke about the weather with from ID to MO all said the same thing.  They went from winter to summer with no spring.  I am not complaining about it, it is just a fact and I adjusted my ride to match the facts.  If I were doing this for some more noble cause than my own selfish reasons I suppose I might think differently.  Like I said before, this really is a rather extreme or extravagant form of leisure time activity.

I must also apologize for an unintended gender stereotyping in a previous post.  When I commented about Mercury Marquis drivers I specifically commented on old men.  They day of and after I did that post two elderly women took it upon themselves to show me the error of my assumptions by doing the exact same kinds of things the men had done, buzz me at close distances and make it very clear I had no business being on their driving roads.  I am pleased to report that the gender of the driver for these kinds of cars is not the determinant, the fact any of them drive these cars is the prime factor.  I would also like to make it clear that these comments do not apply to the Mercury Marauder drivers.  That is a muscle car which appeals to a different driver.  I have had no issues with Marauder drivers. 

I do seriously appreciate all of the amazing comments and tremendous support.  I cleaned and serviced the Surly today so it will be ready when the weather cools down.  I am eager to get back out there and meet more of the people who celebrate our nation's birthday with good food with friends and family, a cool beverage of THEIR choice, and just maybe a couple of explosive devices - homemade or purchased. 

Be safe this week.  Now, I need to go write a warm showers host review...

Thank you, Ryan

This photo is of my brother and I as we were riding out of Jefferson City.  We are in front of the Lewis and Clark Core of Discovery monument.  I'm the old guy with the beard.

Family, Navy Family, and goodbye Missouri River

I've ridden 3,048 miles to arrive in Cape Girardeau, MO. After the Katy Trail the riding has continued to be filled with hills, intense heat and humidity, and dogs off leashes. No dog bites thus far thankfully.

My brother Mike did meet me in Jefferson City and we rode a little over 120 miles together along the quite fabulous Katy Trail, an old RR track converted into the longest rails to trails route in the US. As much as cities like Seattle and San Francisco like to tout their green-ness they can't hold a candle to this 200 mile plus long trail. It is smoothly paved in decomposed granite, and quite well maintained by local public and private groups. It is a destination trail for hundreds of cyclists, and well used by many of the local cities along the way to anchor local tourist spots.

Mike did a great job riding, considering he does not like road cycling as he currently lives in Denver and much prefers that area's exceptional downhill cycling options. Seeing his suffering reminded me of my first days, or weeks along the trail. It was wonderful to have someone to ride with though and we had time to talk about a host of issues. Considering how little we've seen each other since I graduated from high school it was a lot of conversational ground to cover. As different as we are, say like night and day, yin and yang, or anchovies and chocolate, we are family and it truly was great to see him.

The day before I arrived in Jeff City to meet my brother I got a call and text from a navy friend of mine, Carl who is going to pilot school in St. Louis. He and I met in Millington but served together in Bahrain and became good friends. He offered to put Mike and I up for the night so we rode a little beyond St. Charles and stayed with him. Mike got a room at a different hotel but it all worked out well as the hotels were adjacent to the airport Mike needed to fly out of. Mike left Monday and I rode on for a couple more days to Cape Girardeau to stay with the in laws of an officer I worked with at Fourth Fleet. The Herzbergers were a godsend after two more days of really intense heat and humidity, and hills. I had already planned a rest day with them and it was much needed. The forecast ahead is for many more days of heat and humidity combining to make temps feel like 110 degrees plus. Not exactly great riding weather for a guy prone to heat induced angioedema (my face and throat swell uncomfortably), and heat stress and heat stroke. The good news is I know when it is getting really dangerous as my heart rate rises to 250 plus (where my HR monitor would stop measuring) and I get dizzy. Both indications perfectly suited to riding along narrow, hilly roads without shoulders, and no cities of any substance.

The Herzbergers are gracious hosts and Paul can cook quite well. Carol introduced me to fresh Missouri peaches and I am afraid I must agree they were better than any Georgia peach I've had. The generally cooler weather in Missouri, than GA, tends to produce a more flavorful fruit. I realize this will cause some consternation amongst Georgia peach fans but if you haven't tried a Missouri peach you should.

The fourth of July is this week. If you have the time, I recommend taking a look at one of the founding documents this holiday is based on. Reading the Declaration is a good reminder of what the purpose was. As I catch more snippets of the news and see a congressperson recommending open harassment of public servants she disagrees with I am struck by the base level to which we have all allowed our discourse with others to fall to. I have been privileged to talk to people all across the political spectrum and I continually find our commonalities are much larger than our differences. Every time one group has demonized another during human history it has resulted in bloodshed on a grand scale. We can choose to be better than this.

I posited three purposes for this ride in my first post: determine what or who I am separate from the navy, and by extension what I should do after the navy; meet America's people, and the third which I did not state was to decide if the 29 years I served this country and her people was with it. Was it worth not being there for my family when they needed me, not being there for much of my daughter's life. The answer is a resounding yes. It is not, on the surface the same place it was when I joined but it is still the brightest beacon to freedom the world has ever known. I have regrettably met people along the way who believed in their hearts America is among the worst nations in the world. To them I simply offer you the freedom this country gave you too leave, right now, and go to whatever you think the better country is. Don't be a coward and condemn us all with your words only, take action and get out. We don't need you and I wish you every happiness. But, don't chickenshit it. Denounce your citizenship and go. I will hold the door for you.

For the rest of you, thank you for being American, whatever that means to you.