Yesterday (7/3) was Day 4 of the trip. I biked 21 miles, half of it in rain. Yesterday, unlike the day before, I was better prepared with rain gear, complete with rain pants that started to get caught in my chain until I wrapped a bungee cord around my right ankle to keep things from…

At 6:30 p.m., I ended up in Rockland, a little over 40 miles from last night’s stop in Belfast. Both cities lie along the southern coast of Maine. It was a difficult day. My route took me through rock formations that probably account for the name of this town, Rockland, as well as the next…

I got started at 8:30 this morning, a couple hours earlier than yesterday, and despite similar challenges with hills throughout the day, managed to double yesterday’s mileage. If I continue to double my mileage every day, I will reach my destination in record time! Being on a bike allows me the chance to see some…

At 10:30 a.m. this morning, I rode to the pier at the end of Main St. in Bar Harbor for the start of my journey. Bikers completing these cross-country trips traditionally dip a tire in the ocean as they depart, and then again as they arrive on the other side of the continent. Some say…

We arrived in Bar Harbor last night after a 3-hour drive from Portland. Today we visited the Bar Harbor Bike Shop and picked up my bike. After a couple trips back for minor adjustments and some additional supplies, the bike is now ready for action and the plan is to leave tomorrow morning. Trudi will…

When we arrived at the airport in Portland, Maine, I noticed something interesting in the gate area–a jigsaw puzzle table set up with a partially-completed puzzle on it and a sign inviting passengers to enjoy working on a puzzle while waiting for a flight. The gate area was crowded and lots of people were walking…

You may be wondering why I am taking a trip like this. I am still answering that question for myself, but at this point, I have the following “top five” reasons: 5. Something to Write About. I just finished reading Mark Twain’s Innocents Abroad, a travel book he wrote early in his career, in 1867.…

Like other authors, I must tell you that if this trip is a success, it will be due to the enormous contributions of many important advisors. If it is a failure, it will no doubt be due to my own incompetence. (Many authors say this, but of course if their book is a success, they…

I will be riding a road bike I purchased about 25 years ago for about $800 when I was commuting by bike to downtown Minneapolis. It is a Trek Lemond Tourmalet. It has a steel frame and is not particularly light, but it is sturdy. The bike was shipped to a bike shop in Bar…

I am opening a blog site with help from our son Joe so that I can keep in touch with family and friends when I start my cross-country bike adventure in about ten days. Stay tuned for more!