Recently, I've begun talking aloud about my plans to do a Cross-Country Bicycle Tour in 2022. It would be a notable adventure to attempt at the beginning of my seventh decade! I'd begin the ride next year in early May. So I thought it good to start putting down thoughts and specific planning ideas and sharing it with friends.
I've thought of the ride commencing from the Boston Common. In this way I would link this to my New England Ancestors who landed in Massachusetts (most likely Boston) in the early 1640s. (a while after the Mayflower group). After a while in eastern Massachusetts, they traveled down to the Rhode Island Colony and dwelt there. Later, my notorious great grandmother, Herodias Gardner, returned by foot to Boston to testify in Quaker Fashion. She came with a nursing baby at her breast. This uninvited preaching was not appreciated by the Puritans. They stripped and whipped her for her troubles and then banished her. She made her way back to Rhode Island and eventually ended up in Kingston The Gardiners were a prominent family there for a long time after. There is more info on the Quakers and Boston Puritans here: Boston Quaker Martyrs
In addition to articles about her in Wikipedia
Alternatively, it might be better from a logistical point of view to start in Kingston RI, where Herodias's home was, and then trace her path up to Boston. Then I could pivot west and go in a more-or-less direct path to what might be my next goal of Windham New York (north of Albany) where my great grandfather Alfred Gardner spent time as a minister in the early 1820s. I might find his parents graves (Thankful and Elisha). This ride would not have as a main theme family history. But I do like to incorporate interesting points when I can. These personal points of interest, when I can get them, give my travels more meaning. Ideas that I can chew on.
From Windham, I could head west across upstate New York. I might follow the Eire Canal/Mohawk River Valley. Upon hitting Lake Erie I could turn south and move down into Ohio and cross the Old Northwest Territory.
For the last decade, I've been recording my notable bicycle tours on Crazyguyonabike.com . I'll probably continue to do this, at least in parallel with this Blog. The one problem for me with Crazyguy is that I'm limited to bicycle touring themes. That's Neil's prerogative. But I'm thinking of adding an additional platform where I can include other forms of exploration and experience.
I have done a lot of road trips with my minivans over the several decades. In addition, last year I purchased a pickup truck and added a pop-up camper to it. I've have started using that for winter explorations, with more explorations to follow. So, to share these types of trips, I'm going to attempt using this Blogger site, along with continuing to post on Crazyguy my bike tours.
Hi Steve, I read with interest your journal on CGOAB about your trip and High School reunion. I am five years younger (graduated in 1974)and thinking about if I will attend my 50th. There is actually no plan that I am aware of if there will even be one. They had a 40th, I did not attend. My story is a bit different that my Dad was transferred for his job and our family moved from Denver to Kansas City in my Junior year of High School. My new school was huge with 850 or so in my graduating class. I was pretty invisible for that year and a half. Anyway I like your philosophy on touring. I agree with you on the cranking out of miles for no purpose except miles. I want to know something about the area I am traveling. I've been doing the summer vacation tours these last twelve years or so. It is frustrating to have to get from point A to B, so you can get to point C the next day so you can finish the tour and get back to work on a certain day. I long for an open ended tour time wise and with retirement looming I'll do just that. When I started doing this touring thing again I thought the dream was to ride one of the Adventure Cycling tiers across the country but now I don't think so. Those long boring days across the Wyoming Basin or across Kansas just to say you did it does not appeal to me anymore. I want to see areas of historical interest. I've done both self-supported tours and a few supported tours. I like both as they give you a different type of ride. Summer of 2022 I'm planning on riding the Erie Canal on New York State supported tour. That is how I rode The Katy trail, on a supported ride. I rode GAP/C&O self supported and I'll do that again with some more days worked in for historical visits.
ReplyDeleteWow, long comment here. I am just interested because we share the same age and views on cycle touring. I look forward to reading your posts here on Blogger. I'll go back and read your other tours on CGOAB. I've never posted there as I have a blog here that I used to post on. I've gotten away from that. I've been posting my rides on a Facebook cycling group but I think I'll return to this venue. They save here much better to go back and re-read. It is called "Keep walking even if it's Steep" if you want to look at it.
Hey! Thanks for sharing your rides and good luck!!
Jim Bangs
Thanks Jim!
ReplyDeleteYour school experience sounded a bit more fractured, coming in at the last year and a half. Have you ever considered going to the Denver area school reunion? You might actually have more durable memories from that group. I've another friend, Connie. She was an "Army Brat". Her father was in the Air Force. She went to much of her high school at a base in England while daddy was the commander there. Most of the kids were American. Not sure if they had a reunion. In the postwar years, Corporations were always transferring men around the country. It was hard on families. At one time it seemed that every third house in Park Forest was for sale. Not because of a bad economy but because of transfers (probably promotion opportunities).
Like I mentioned in the travelogue, I didn't know any of the kids from the towns of Crete nor Monee. My grade school was at a parochial school and had been horrible. Very Dickensian. Crete-Monee was no garden of Eden but after the grade school experience I was able to start a road to recovery from that earlier trauma. Sports was a great way to burn off a lot of angst.
I've a good friend, Roger, who came into the Crete-Monee High School System the same time as I. He was from Chicago Heights. We were both new to the system but stayed for those 4 years.
Regarding crossing long stretches of many days on the Plains... Yes, it makes me want to ride with others just to distract me from the boredom. I'll probably have an Audio Book with me to help get me across. War and Peace?
In 2017 I nibbled at the Great Plains when I rode in Nebraska and Kansas, doing a 700 mile loop: http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/TheBorderlandsofBleedingKansas2017 Well over 400 miles of the grassland steppes.
Please feel free to contact me anytime: stevorke at gmail.com if you've got any specific questions. I'm always glad to chat!!
Steve
Hi Steve, I just finished reading your CGOAB journals. First your ride of GAP/C&O and then your interesting ride of Borderlands of Bleeding Kansas. My goodness, your historical examination of this area of the country was very interesting. You caught my eye in one of those first days with the artwork of John Brown storming across the Kansas plains. That art was used as a cover of the first or second album of the rock group Kansas, one of my favorites! If I remember someone telling me it is not an exact replica of the original. The record company was uncomfortable with the confederate flag being on the record cover. I think the original painting hangs in the Kansas State Capital. Then I moved on to your GAP ride because I rode that ride myself and was interested in your historical take. I am going back sometime and ride that again with more time to experience some history. When I rode it I had a time limit so I could keep my plane reservation back to Denver. I started with the Amtrak ride DC to Pittsburgh and rode back to DC. You were a bit faster than I was. My overnights was camping in Connelsville, Camping at Rockwood, camping just south of Cumberland on C&O, B&B in Hancock, and then the last night camping on C&O near Antietam. I really wanted to visit there but I figured the ride over there plus the riding about the site and the ride back, that would have been another full day. Main reason I'll go back. Plus I missed the Paw Paw tunnel, it was closed for maintenance and I had to negotiate the hike-a-bike trail up over the ridge. Anyway you have inspired me to get some research done about my ride this next summer for the Erie Canal. A lot of different history tied up with that engineering marvel. Be well
ReplyDeleteJim