Days from Westbound

Just passed through Charleston, South Carolina. If you have never been there, it is very similar to New Orleans. I would like to include some pictures but I am once again at a public library so there is some difficulty in that department. I stayed with my aunt Patty and uncle Steve in nearby Summerville and had a blast for three days. I am noticing that the Saints don't bode well with my being on the road. I must return and bring some luck back to the Dome. Here is an article that appeared in the Charleston, SC newspaper:

http://www.charleston.net/news/2007/sep/26/new_orleans_bike_trip_makes_local_stop17137/

I pedalled south from Summerville to a small town called Kildare, GA. I met some folks at an antique shop who let me sleep in their poolhouse. They cooked me dinner and breakfast. It is always nice to get to know the people and the history of the area that you are passing through. I learned that the property had long ago been a turpentine farm. I had no idea turpentine came from trees. Ms. Caroline, one of my hosts, can never sit still. At the age of 73, she obtained a lifeguard certification so that she can run a summer camp to teach local children how to swim. She doesn't charge for the service. She makes trips into nearby Statesboro to continue her ongoing education in forestry. Pretty interesting folks.

I have noticed that each state has its own unique obstacles. The moment I arrived in Georgia, I think two lovebugs flew into my mouth within 40 minutes of passing across the border. Georgia - lovebugs. South Carolina - rain. North Carolina - headwind. Pennsylvania - hills. New Jersey - Newark.

The terrain is definitely changing as I go south. Live Oak trees covered in spanish moss are everywhere and the humidity is menacing. The heat gets a little worse by the day, but the daily change in latitude should come to an end in a few days. I turn to the west on Saturday afternoon when I get to Florida.

Anyone interested in riding the last leg with me, let me know. The more the merrier.

Questions Answered

I have found that most people whom I meet on the road ask a lot of the same questions about the trip. So I figured that most of you may have the same questions so I will try to answer as many of them that I can remember here.

1) How many miles do you ride per day on average?
-About 50 to 60. From here on out I need to ride 51.23 miles/day in order to make it to New Orleans for October 12th, the absolute latest day I can possibly arrive.

2) Where do you sleep?
-Wherever I can. I have a camping hammock and I most often sleep on the side of the road. Most often this comes with the permission of the landowner. But sometimes when it is getting dark I just have to set up on the side of the road out of sight. Other places I have slept are in a marina, the house of a people whom I met who were very nice, in a church, the houses of friends and family, the occasional hotel.

3) How long have you been planning this?
-About a year and a half.

4) How long is the entire trip and how far have you gone so far?
-About 2,000 miles total and I have gone 1,183 as of September 25, 2007.

5) How do you charge your cell phone?
-I charge the cell phone and GPS anywhere I can... usually at fast food restaurants while I grab a cup of coffee and read or write.

6) How do you let people know where you are?
-I send a text message with my GPS coordinates to my father when I go to sleep every night if I have to camp.

7) When did you leave?
-August 29th, 2007. The 2nd anniversary of the hurricane.


If anyone has any more questions, leave them as a comment on this post and I will try to answer them on this post.