Day 17 (May 12) - Ames, IA - PART I

Chapter One (Carson) >> This is a preliminary post for the day coming at you live via iPhone from the side of the road 62 miles from Ames, IA. More will come later, but for this moment I am waiting on Eric to drive by and pick me up to carry me about 20 miles down the road where presumably the Big Rig traffic will not be as heavy. A few minutes ago, I was hugging my narrow white line on this middle of nowhere country road (I could seriously bike a tightrope at this point) when a tractor trailor driver decided it a good idea to not move over and lay on his airhorn. A little rattled, I pressed on. Several miles later, it happened again - that time the truck giving me about 6 inches "wiggle" room. Not 10 seconds later another 18- wheeler coming towards me blew me off the road into the gravel excuse for a shoulder with its high speed vortex trailing behind. With that, I've decided to give up on this section of road, not risk life and limb anymore, and sit down in the high grasses, high winds, and low temperatures of central IA. I just recorded some related video I'll try to post later. This is the ugly head of the romantic bike trip many have been emailing me about, wishing they were on it. I wish things were more like you imagine. Will check in from Ames - Eric just texted and will be here shortly,.......

Chapter Two (Theresa) >> Carson just emailed me to say he was “airhorned again.” Then he was pretty much blown off the road by a truck a few minutes later. Got me thinking that for all of our progress – in transportation and other areas- the US is still behind the curve when it comes to mobility. I only read a few parts of Bill Bryson’s “A Walk in the Woods,” but he mentioned being in areas where, as a pedestrian, he was literally not able to travel safely. Seems that Carson is facing some of these same challenges now – his chosen mode is incompatible with the tractor-trailers, and more likely, with the drivers who are confused, annoyed, or just unable to deal with a cyclist on their road. These Midwestern “county roads” are turning out to be more dangerous than the bad neighborhood in Worcester where Carson found himself in March (a little lost, but at least not ‘airhorned’). Smart boy is taking a break, waiting for Eric to pick him up. (The little Scion with Mass. plates is still probably no match for the semis; ah, Iowa!)

Chapter Three (Eric) >> First of all, let it be said that no matter its plates, the little Scion is more than a match for any other vehicle... as long as I'm driving. Carson, who I know has never been thrilled about the idea of me driving his car, was forced to admit that I must be doing something right when we looked at the gas receipts and realized that the Scion was getting the highest mileage of its career. (Carson: first time the car has been driven on non-city streets).

Second of all, while Carson was loading his bike on the car to escape the Highway of Death (en Espanol: La Ruta de la Muerte), we were treated to the spectacle of a tractor-trailer passing another tractor-trailer. In a no-passing zone. Uphill. In high crosswinds. Driver on a cell phone. Unbelievable. (Carson: you can't make that stuff up.)

Third of all, there was a dead snake on the shoulder. And a fox. Wasn't there a fable about a snake and a fox?

And now we head into downtown Ames, if there is a downtown Ames, to explore.

Day 16 - Second Rest Day

Happy Mother's Day!

The 2nd rest day finds us in Cedar Rapids, IA, home of Quaker Oats' birthplace and largest cereal mill, the utopian Amana Colony, and the mysterious and enviable Fifth Season.

Eric and I drove with the 40 mph north winds (thank goodness no cycling today!) to visit the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library and Museum in West Branch, IA, President Hoover's hometown. By the time we reached the part of the museum reflecting on his career as a president, it seemed only natural that he would eventually assume that position. Eric says the same thing about bike trip - that the Pacific is 'inevitable.' I'm not as sure, and we are already planning some creative by-passing of certain sections (western Nebraska?) to avoid extreme distances between lodgings and so that we can experience the trip more enjoyably as a vacation and less as some ridiculous endurance feat (which, I must say, after two weeks is not near the top of list of physically demanding extracurriculars I've pursued).

In any case, there will be new videos soon. Until then, Happy Mothers Day to all the mothers out there. Our appreciation extends beyond today!

Day 15 (May 10) - Cedar Rapids, IA

Eric blogging. When there's a brisk east wind, that's great for Carson, because it can push him along for 80 or 90 or 127+ miles. Of course, it means that when I turn around in the morning, after going the first nine or ten miles with Carson, it's a bit of a challenge for me. As I fought to get back to the frightening Motel 6 in Clinton, Iowa, I thought, "How has Carson managed to do this day after day?"

Fortunately, today was a comparatively fast day, partially thanks to the wind, and a relative lack of tractor-trailer traffic on US-30. Heading into Cedar Rapids, Carson was even able to spend the last 12 miles or so on side streets, far more pleasant than the main ways. "I raced some trains," Carson said. "They won."

We're now ensconced at the hotel in Cedar Rapids, in a two-room suite with a full kitchen, perfect for preparing an MRC or two -- a good place to spend our second rest day tomorrow. On the Internet again. Maybe we'll see if there's a minor-league ballclub in town, as we did last night in Clinton, when we took in a LumberKings game. For just a little while, as the sun drifted down, and the bats cracked, and the kids with hot dogs cheered, all was right (Carson: Check out that cinnamon-sugar funnel cake).

Day 14 (May 9) - Clinton, IA

The controversial torch relay apparently made it up the North Col of Everest. In less dramatic fashion, we made it to Iowa. Two observations: (1) 18-wheelers dominate the nations roads - even the 'country' ones; (2) states should consider stopping new road construction and instead repair existing ones - many are in a sad, sad state.

Day 13 (May 8) - Peru, IL

First things first: Happy 24th Birthday to my sister!

I kept expecting to see an umbrella overhead with Julie Andrews hanging beneath. With an improbable, overnight shift in the winds, these sails were bodied enough to travel a miraculous 127.4 miles in less than 8 hours. I'm shaking my head too. Amazing. Thanks to Eric for early morning ride and all around support, and thanks to Theresa for finding a safe, paved, low-traffic, as-short-as-possible-but-still-127.4-mile route on the outskirts of the Windy City. Big dinner tonight!

(ps - happy birthday to my sister)

Day 12 (May 7) - Hamlet, IN

Historic Lincoln Highway should be re-paved. Request change.
Demanding day cut a bit short due to relentless wind, driving rain, and the intersection of the bike route with a highway. Leaving from Valparaiso bright and early, Central Time.

Day 11 (May 6) - Fort Wayne, IN

104 miles - 7 hrs 2 min.
Update, as promised... Eric here. Part of Indiana, I think, is in a different time zone, but here in Fort Wayne it is a little after 8:30, and we are watching Wolf Blitzer and the rest of the nattering nabobs pontificate about poll results that aren’t yet in. Hillary? Obama? Hillary?!? OBAMA?!?!?!!!

I biked 25 miles today. Carson did more than four times that, yet he is... well, “growing stronger” isn’t quite right, because he’s a tank as always, but I see that gleam in his eyes: Oregon! (Carson: it’s delirium.)

So far on the trip, there have been two flat tires and a broken spoke. Fortunately, all of this has happened to me (and, embarrassingly, only one incident – a flat – took place as I was actually riding!). I was just at a bike shop here in Fort Wayne having the spoke fixed just before closing time at Summit City Bicycles and Fitness (they were awesome to me – props, jets, and rockets to Tim Wegner for performing the emergency surgery!), and I explained this part of my role on the trip as grappling with bad karma, negative spirits, and evildoers, to leave Carson free to concentrate on the journey itself, stretching that thin blue line on Google rapidly westward. I continue to shake my head in amazement.

With any luck, in defiance of the forecast, there will be a huge thunderstorm overnight, and then cyclonic tailwinds from the east tomorrow, for our usual 6:30 start.

Notice! Carson added photos to some of the earlier blog entries. Scroll down. Now!

Day 10 (May 5)- Tiffin, OH

Today, I decided to ride the Guru Cron-Alu time trial bike today since the weather was supposed to be supreme and the terrain favorable. It was a good thing I did and could ride in a more aerodynamic position, because the wind bearing directly down on me for the 2nd half of the day (a recurring theme) was immense. 103 miles in 6 hrs and 59 minutes.

An elderly woman in a McDonald's parking lot asked me if I was Italian.

Day 9 (May 4) - First Rest Day

On this day of nesting down in northeastern Ohio, we invite those of you with a baby or expecting one to visit Nesting For Baby. While you are doing that, Eric and I are
(1) Visiting Mentor, OH - home of We Add Up. Check out the latest trip videos;
(2) Visiting Cleveland where we might see an Indians game;
(3) Visiting Cuyahoga Falls National Park; and,
(4) Resting, naturally.
Stay tuned for updates on Day 10 - a day that weather.com suggests you should use to "Take a Scenic Drive."

Day 8 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH

Today's route had us meandering from Meadville, PA to Cuyahoga Falls, OH - a distance of round about 86 miles. After an hour of cycling, we had covered 8.21 miles. You do the math! My legs were in a bad state. I sent the following text: "I've cracked." A reassuring voice informed me that as I inched closer to the Ohio border, the terrain would indeed change and that I would "soon be loving life." Sure enough, as true as the WELCOME TO OHIO sign welcomed me to Ohio, the undulating pavements no longer undulated. I don't know if it was the topographical change or the body chemistry change (the advil kicking), but something clicked. I found my legs and began hammering like I think I should. Cruising along at about 22 mph, I took a lefthand turn onto SR Ohio 5 to find what??????? A de-paved road. Is this what it is called? It was a road that had been paved, still had asphalt, but that was not smooth.....sort of primed for paving, I suppose....Only it lasted 7 miles! My 22 mph quickly became an hour of bone-jarring, teeth-rattling, hand and butt-numbing barely-riding. As soon as that ended, the flat, smooth, great ride returned......until the dreaded super-highway (Thanks again, Google!). I called Eric...hopped in the car and decided to start tomorrow's scheduled rest day 2 hours early. So at the end of the day, I had ridden 48 of 86 planned miles for a grand total of about 710 in the first 8 days. REST tomorrow! Indians game???

In the meantime, check out our second WE ADD UP VIDEO. Also: PHOTOS are now posted (as well as embedded in the route tracker).

ps - As has been mostly typical of the trip thus far, we got a free upgrade to the king suite of an already free (reduced point usage) hotel. The kitchen is already in order.