Jon Lee's Big Bike Ride from New York to Seattle

Day 58 26/08/09 Skykomish > SEATTLE

2009-08-29T12:28:00.000-07:00

Left in good time today to arrive in time for Sanchez & Frankie to meet me downtown. Very warm day, wouldn't have seemed right had i ended on a tailwind so the strong headwind seemed fitting. Stopped in at a UPS store to check the cost of shipping my bike back home... around $600! Cycling into the city was a little strange after having been out in the sticks for the last month! Waited around for the others to arrive, ended up next to a little piano on the streets with some guy playing a welcoming John Lennons 'Imagine.' Arranaged a meeting point with the others then met them for clam chowder! Both Frankie & Sanchez were absolutely knackered from the flights but my excitement of finishing the trip made up for it!

The past two months have been supurb! Have met a mass of people and have seen a great variety of sights!

A huge THANK YOU to everyone who has helped me with the trip, especially to Mum & Dad for encouragement all accross the states, i am expecting a few more grey hairs on return!

Day 57 25/08/09 Cashmere > Skykomish

2009-08-29T12:24:00.000-07:00

The penultimate day! Last climb today (it was meant to be) of the trip to just over 4000ft from 700. Not as tough as the big horns! Beginning to get more and more excited as the day went on approaching the finish line. Stayed in a cheap lodge which was very sociable met a lovely dutch couple who had cycled coast to coast before.

Day 56 24/08/09 Othello > Cashmere

2009-08-29T12:18:00.000-07:00

Great day cycling with the wind! Very large mexican populations here - went in a restaurant where i was the only person who could speak english.. had to ask for 'agua' as they did not know what water was! 105mile day with a puncture on the last stretch! Cycled through lots of orchards. Decended to 700ft meaning a large climb the next day.. Fantastic 18oz steak in the evening made for a good ending! First mile marker for Seattle!

Day 55 23/08/09 Starbuck > Othello

2009-08-23T21:18:00.000-07:00

Carol cooked me up a wonderful breakfast this morning whilst Floyd gave me a hand planning my route to Seattle. Made the decision with my Dad to go north along the 2 rather than taking the freeway into Seattle. Although this means cycling an extra 40miles through mountains it is likely to be much more enjoyable! Slow going today into the wind in tough hills. Spent the night in a nice motel to sort out the blog and arrange a few things for seattle!

Day 54 22/08/09 Lewiston > Starbuck

2009-08-23T20:51:00.000-07:00

Thankfully the day started a bit later than planned! Had a fantastic day being taken around by andy. Took me out for breaky before going for a ride up river on his jet boat! Incredible scenery & wildlife up the Snake River and through Hells Canyon! Saw osprey, heron looking things, wild deer, wild turkeys amongst other things! The funny looking drawings ingraved in the rock are infact over 3000 years old and have been dated pre american indian! Had a few beerskies on the boat before heading back to get ready for the cycle! This had all taken alot longer than planned (definately worth it!) so Andy gave me a lift 20miles out of town so i could catch up with my mile count! Very desolate cycling rolling hills through prarie lands. Arrived at Starbuck where i had been told there was a motel.. there wasn't! There was however a booked up B&B, thankfully the owners Floyd & Carol were wonderful and let me pitch my tent up in their garden for free and use their showers!

Day 53 21/08/09 Kooskia > Lewiston

2009-08-23T19:36:00.000-07:00

Waved off Blake then i went back to sleep and watched a few episodes of fraiser! Fairly long hot cycle to Lewiston although nice scenery along the Snake River. Stopped off for lunch along the way and had another photo session with their local newspaper! Met Andy on the way to Lewiston at a gas station who gave me his number incase i had any problems. Couldn't find a place to stay when i arrived so gave him a ring! Took me out to dinner with his friends which was fantastic and then into town for a few beers before putting me up in his house. Annual Lewiston party tonight with a drive-thru parade which he snuck his into with a classic quote Security Guard 'I'll call the cops if you go through there...' 'Okay!, call them!' Spectators must have wondered what a honder accord was doing mixed up with the classics!

Day 52 20/08/09 Weir Creek > Kooskia

2009-08-23T19:24:00.000-07:00

Woke up feeling a little rough and went straight for a dip in the springs. Lovely and warm - felt instantly better! Left the others and cycled off for Kooskia. Warmed up pretty quickly & the hangover returned. Met Blake whilst waiting at a road construction - cycling from west virginia to portland! Cycled with him for the rest of the way & split the costs on a motel room. Had i think three shakes each in the evening! Shared alot of stories before grabbing a fairly early night.

Day 51 19/08/09 Missoula >Weir Creek

2009-08-23T19:12:00.000-07:00

Left the sofa by 7, had a quick fry up at the nearby diner then made my way out of town. Followed the scenic 12 to the Lola Pass. Long ascent although having left early meant i missed the heat. Fantastic descent along the river. Stopped off for lunch before parking my bike up and walking to the Jerry Johnson Hot Springs (natural). Had planned to camp nearby here but the site was shut. A guy i met at the springs recommended i find myself a spot in the woods 10miles down the road at weir creek which was not signposted.
Whilst trying to find weir creek i met a group also trying to do the same thing! We then ventured into the woods! Fantastic people same age as me, Matt, Greg & Kelsey from North Dakota ended up camping with them drinking their beer & cooking chicken on the campfire! Stayed up till late in the hot springs which was fantastic.

Day 50 Philipsburg > Missoula

2009-08-22T12:59:00.000-07:00

Left in good time this morning and had a lovely downhill tailwind for 20miles! Stopped for a quick shake and this however changed. Very strong headwind for the next 55miles made for an unpleasant afternoon! Ended up staying in a rather strange house managed by hippys that i think had lost touch with reality.. gave me a free place to kip tho so i couldn't really complain!

Day 49 17/08/09 Butte > Philipsburg

2009-08-21T12:30:00.000-07:00

After a nearly freezing (34degrees f.) night in the tipi it was a lovely morning prior to cycling! Didn't get off to a very good start today however. The road i cycled on turned to gravel after a distance. I carried on with Neville creaking and groaning away. Got fed up and turned back on myself.. then my pannier rack broke. Managed to fix that up. Wacked on a bit of Lily Allen and things got better! Had a nice chat to Bob & the parentals and had a beast of an ice cream from DQ then continued. At the top i met Jim who asked whether i knew of couchsurfing.. obviously i did! So, he kindly offered me a place to stay! Had a lovely time with Jim chatting till gone midnight about our experiences with CS and his travels in East Asia.

Day 48 16/08/09 West Yellowstone > Butte

2009-08-20T20:38:00.000-07:00

As a result of me making a massive detour to see mark i needed to make up some miles via hitching. Cycled 20miles out of the town and then hitched north to Bozeman with a road worker. Next lift was to Butte with a group of people who had been travelling the US for 5+years selling magazines! Driver smoking dope did not however fill me with confidence! After turning down a 'job' i continued cycling west until i found a campsite, in which i found my tipi for the night!

Day 46 Idaho Falls > Island Park

2009-08-19T12:45:00.000-07:00

Got a text from my dad when i woke up - mark had been in contact and wanted to meet up! Had a great cooked breakfast with dan before going to meet mark in town. Cycled with him EAST enjoying a tailwind! Shared loads of stories & chatted about both of his big tours. Great, down to earth guy as you would expect (for those uneducated folk out there.. mark broke the record last year for cycling around the world)! Had lunch on the BBC :) before answering a few questions on camera!
As I had made such detour (gone back on myself) i had to hitch back to west yellowstone! Ended up in the car of an ex female body builder! By the time i found a campsite (20miles south of west yellowstone) it was dark & windy. Heard bear noises during the night which didn't do my sleep any wonders! Ended up sleeping in a toilet block with a chair blocking the door. Nice.

Day 45 13/08/09 West Yellowstone > Idaho Falls

2009-08-19T12:21:00.000-07:00

Late start today was planning a semi rest day as i hadn't had one since minneapolis! Went to the library to check emails and my route and saw on facebook that Mark Beaumont was on his way to Idaho Falls which was 125miles south of where i was! I hastily sent him a message and hitched a lift down there with a cool guy called Brian!
After arriving in Idaho falls i realised i was on a wild goose chase as there were 3 exits off the road i figured mark would be on.. i waited anyway on the corner of a freeway exit for about 3hours. Got fed up with that grabbed an ice cream then ended up at a healthcare rally in town! A wide array of people! Met Dan and his family who took me out for dinner and put me up which was lovely! Was awoken in the night by their nutty puppy 'Pepper' who worked her way into my room whilst bringing down the blinds!

Day 44 12/09/09 Bridge Bay YNP > West Yellowstone

2009-08-17T12:42:00.000-07:00

Not a great nights sleep as the howling wolves kept waking me up. Was also dying for a piss but didn't dear exit the 'safety' of the tent for fear of being eaten by bears. Idiot. Very chilly in the morning. Left Seth & Nick and headed for old faithful. Fantastic sights shown in the photos. Had to wait just over an hour for the Old Faithful erruption. More interesting wildlife today - Bald eagles, bison, elk & woodpeckers. Bumped into some cyclist who i thought i would join but they suffered from personality defects! Got myself a motel in West Yellowstone as i was told the Police were very strict on illegal camping & the campsites in the town started at $30 a night!

Day 43 11/09/09 Cody > Bridge Bay Campground, Yellowstone NP

2009-08-17T12:25:00.001-07:00

Got an early start today as there were a lot of miles to do! Met fellow Brits Keith & Louise on the way who had been travelling in a campervan for best part of a year. After cycling through a LONG dark tunnel i came across a dam... Unfortunately i had not planned for a strong headwind today which meant i would not make the booked campsite on time so i hitched 25-30 miles to the entrance of Yellowstone - meant i didn't have to pay the $25 fee which was cool! Absolutely stunning cycling up into the park barely noticed the sharp incline! Met a few people .. a swiss guy cycling the country the other way.. and the Willis family from miami who were very concerned about me and put me on their prayer list at church!
Thought i saw a mountain sheep.. turned out to be a rock! Other wildlife spots today included a bat & deer.. a bear entered our campsite and was shot at by the ranger although i didn't get to see this - most definately heard it! Once camped up i tried to get a tour of the north of the park via hitching tho was told off as it is apparently illegal in the park..
Camped next to two awsome guys nick & seth who i will meet up with in San Fran! They had been travelling on the freight trains for a few weeks. Shared loads of stories & polished off a few beers & a bottle of whiskey!

..the goat!

Day 42 10/09/09 Greybull > Cody

2009-08-17T12:13:00.000-07:00

Ate breaky with Shannon in the morning as she left for the Big Horns which i did the other direction. Cycle to cody was desolate, hot, boring & uphill. Not fun! Few wild horses en route made it a little more interesting.. Cody is home of 'Buffalo Bill.' Camped down by a river after only a short days riding.

Day 41 09/08/09 Rochester > Greybull

2009-08-15T15:09:00.000-07:00

Today was the BIG HORN MOUNTAINS. Cloudy start going through a lot of drizzle. Was greeted at the top by a hail storm at well over 8000feet. Had to change into winter gear! 38miles in 6hours was pretty slow going to say the least! Good views of the plains at the top. 5miles of unpaved road didn’t make the journey any easier. ‘Moose Country.’ Fantastic ride down with a local cyclist stopping at some water falls on the way down. Awesome scenery riding through the canyon. Met Shannon in Greybull, a girl cycling from Seattle to Wisconsin alone with a lot less kit that me! Shared loads of stories and went out for a meal drank lots of dead men.

Day 40 08/08/09 Ucross > Rochester

2009-08-15T15:07:00.000-07:00

Good ride to Sheridan where I went to a bike shop to sort out my gearing before entering the mountains! Needed new cables as mine had frayed. Spend a long time in the shop trying to sell me a gps tracker as it had a great offer on it but after about 2hours we realised it would not apply as I was from the UK. Big headwind leaving Sheridan so made it to Rochester in the foothills of the Big Horn Mountains. Nowhere here that I could afford to eat so ended up with a pack of frosties!

Day 39 07/08/09 Gillette > Ucross

2009-08-15T15:05:00.000-07:00

Another day of headwind today & a pretty miserable uphill start. No proper starts along the way although I managed to grab a breakfast burrito in a food trailer that was parked up, surrounded by grasshoppers! Few hours later there was a bar.. with a lovely gentleman who had a huge dislike for England because of it’s muslim population. Nice. Was planning to get to Sheridan today (120miles) but pulled up at ‘The Ranch’ to check the weather. Turned out there had been flash flood warnings so I stopped here. Treated very well here (discounted rate) and was bought a wonderful dinner (buffet!) got my washing done to.

Day 38 06/08/09 Newcastle > Gillette

2009-08-15T15:03:00.000-07:00

The majority of today was fantastic making good progress until the wind changed direction and I was stuck with a killer headwind again. Not much in the way of scenery today, loads of freight trains tho. Had a lovely shake en route bit like a high quality mcflurry mixed with nesquik!? Gillette is the energy capital of the states with a lot of quarries, coal mines & oil.. things.! Cheap motel tonight.

Day 37 05/08/09 Rapid City > Newcastle

2009-08-15T15:01:00.000-07:00

Lovely day cycling through the black hills. Saw bison being farmed nearby. Again – loads of motorbikes! Lovely red landscape as I entered Wyoming. Very evident by the state of the trees that there had been recent forest fires. Had a very very reduced rate Italian meal, dessert and beer! Watched harry potter in the evening!

Day 36 04/08/09 Murdo > Rapid City

2009-08-15T14:04:00.000-07:00

Woke up very early to beat the heat again but found a broken spoke - far from ideal as i had to cycle through the desolate badlands. Hitched a ride to the nearest bike shop in rapid city. John took us via the badlands so i did not miss these or the famous 'wall drug.' Badlands were stunning! 5cent coffee in wall. Dropped me off in rapid city. I met up with chris from couchsurfing after being prayed for by a family whose son had walked across the states with this massive cross! Chris and three other couchsurfers from wisconsin did some graffiti in a back street whilst i sorted out my route. Chris & Kerry cooked dinner for us before we all went camping! Saw mount rushmore which was nothing special, as severe weather warnings were being announced on the radio! Chris nearly drove us off a cliff - the jeep hydroplaning right to the edge! Also gave me a quick night-time tour of the black hills showing me his local climbing spots. Met Neil, Tim & Kerry and did some cool photography accompanied with lots of beer!

Day 35 03/08/09 Chamberlain > Murdo

2009-08-15T13:53:00.000-07:00

Almost instantly got a puncture so fixed this and changed tyre as i had been using the same one all trip. Carried on and made excellent progress. The heat rose dramatically in the afternoon reaching the low 90's. Ran out of water again tho no one driving by with iced tea.. Motel tonight with a load of bikers who i chilled out with and had a bit of banter!

Day 34 Mitchell > Chamberlain

2009-08-15T13:44:00.000-07:00

Very early start today to beat the heat. Saw the corn palace (palace covered in corn) in mitchell. Flat day into the wind. LOADS of bikers today filling up the nearby interstate which meant alot of traffic filled up MY ROAD! Was donated a large bottle of iced tea before i arrived as i had run out of water and had no means of getting more! Arrived at sarah's house in the early afternoon. Stunning property that looks over the missouri river. Sarah and her family kept goats, dogs, cats, and a wide array of fruit and vegetables. Had a well needed shower and shave! Cooked a great dinner for me and another couchsurfer. Turns out she watches the BBC news as it is the only accurate one!

Day 33 Sioux Falls > Mitchell

2009-08-15T13:39:00.000-07:00

Rick took me out for a lovely buffet breakfast! Then showed me around the local zoo & butterfly museum. Bit of a late start to the riding meant a late finish. Had no joy in finding accomodation because of the 100s of bikers on their way to sturgis! Unfortunately fell off my bike here and bent my handlebars.. no bike shop that could help me for a LONG way. Camped in K's garden and had a few beers with her whilst her son's went out Cat fishing.

Day 32 31/07/09 Lakefield > Sioux Falls

2009-08-15T13:27:00.000-07:00

Chilled out with craig & co in the morning had a lovely quiche for breakfast! As i arrived at sioux falls clouds started to cover.. shortly followed by a thunderstorm! Had dinner in a diner whilst the weather cleared up then saw some of the National Softball Championships which were being held in town. Incredible the speed at which they throw the ball underarm! Stayed with Rick (from couchsurfing) - a thoroughly interesting guy who had a full career in the US Army.

saw a lot of this to...

2009-08-05T12:50:00.003-07:00

P1000508
Originally uploaded by leejon4

Nothingness - my view for a few days

2009-08-05T12:50:00.001-07:00

P1000507
Originally uploaded by leejon4

Michael (20dollar trip!)

2009-08-05T12:48:00.001-07:00

P1000504
Originally uploaded by leejon4

Day 31 30/07/09 Madelia > Lakefield 58miles

2009-08-05T12:42:00.000-07:00

Very strong headwind today with lots of roadworks which although left me a relatively car free road - had to walk parts of it due to large gaps! Met a guy who had cycled from new mexico on his way to lake superior with only 20dollars! Craig (from couchsurfing) met me and showed me to his house. A large array of cats and dogs! Cooked up a wonderful dinner and made me feel very welcome as did his wife elaina and granddaugher samantha. Watched transformers in the evening - cracking film!

Day 30 29/07/09 Cologne > Madelia 78miles

2009-08-02T17:09:00.000-07:00

Left fairly early as i was nearby to a busy road so no point trying to grab extra sleep! Not much en route, 7miles between each town - the distance old steam trains on the railroad had to fill up water with. Wrote a few postcards which i am yet to send.. and grabbed lunch in the town of gaylord - probably filled with a fair few homophobes! Carried on battling with the wind until i reached madelia. Very odd guy in the motel wouldnt let me stay for the night only for the week. Wierder thing was that he wouldnt let me pay for the week knowing that i only wanted one night. Not sure what planet he came from. Ended up paying for quite a nice place to stay as there were thunderstorms due!

Day 29 28/07/09 Minneapolis > Cologne 33miles.

2009-08-01T09:40:00.000-07:00

Woke up feeling rather worse for wear! Spent most of the morning watching tv & sleeping! Slowly got ready before leaving Bretts apartment. Plan was just to get out of the city & find a place to camp which was what happened. A few of the roads i was on ended up as gravel tracks - when they were sloped i couldnt cycle as my rear wheel would just spin so ended up having to walk for over a mile! Camped in someones garden and ate cans of soup on the floor of a nearby gas station!

Day 28 27/07/09 Minneapolis.

2009-07-29T10:16:00.000-07:00

Woke up on cycle timing which was a bit annoying although allowed me to update the blog! After sorting out a few things, Brett showed me around Minneapolis by bike! Went through some lovely parks & gardens as well as the downtown area. Had lunch in a cool restaurant nearby to the uni then went up the theater to get a good view of the river. Cycled back through the uni campus which was Huge! Got ready & watched a few episodes of the inbetweeners - glad its crossed the big pond :) Met up with the others and went out for a meal in an Ecuadorian restaurant before having a few shots at a friend of bretts and heading to a bar! Food was really good a bit like eating pancakes with meat (no cutlary!) Unfortunately i had not considered that cycling for a month & not drinking may somewhat reduce my alcohol tolerance.. bit embarrassing but a lesson learnt!

Day 27 26/07/09 Wabasha > Minneapolis. 95miles.

2009-07-27T15:34:00.000-07:00

Woke up Nick Connie & Amy and left Wabasha by half 7. Crossed over the bridge and cycled along the 35. All went pretty well cycling along the 35 one puncture along the way between the four of us. Stopped off at a nice coffee house & ice cream shop along the way. Really nice riding with other like minded people :) Got to Prescott around half one grabbed a bite to eat then went to find a 'ice cream social' at a nearby church. Turned out the church was infact 8 miles away but the people who directed us ended up going to a nearby shop to get us ice cream as we were sitting under their tree! Had our own mini ice cream social! Had a quick swim in the Mississippi before heading onto Minneapolis. Started off on quite a busy road but turned off it to find a nicer route into the city. Was quite sad to say goodbye to the others after a great couple of days but plan to see them tomorrow (today now). Took a long time to get across the city as it is pretty big (over 10miles wide) which began to be quite tiresome considering the length of time i had been riding. Lovely to arrive at Brett's apartment and go grab a few hot-dogs! Had a newcastle brown which was sorta homely tho unsurprisingly it was chilled!

Above: Puncture repair time!

Above: Ice cream time!

Above: THE MAN.

Above: Nick feeds the lama!

Above: Minneapolis from afar!

Above: (Left to right) Me, Nick, Connie & Amy.

Above: Sunset across the lake.

Day 26 25/07/09 La Crosse > Wabasha. 71miles.

2009-07-27T07:43:00.000-07:00

Left la crosse EARLY planning to make minneapolis (160miles). Followed the ACA route which took me right out into the middle of nowhere on disused roads one car every 20-30minutes! VERY hilly!! Bit of a close encounter with an eagle to! Saw it land in a tree in front of me low to the ground had to cycle past it which was quite intimidating considering its size! Would have taken a photo when i went past it had i not been scared! Cycling flattened out a bit as i left the ACA route to follow the Mississippi. Broke my front derailleur which was annoying as it meant i could not use my top end gears but managed to get hold of a new one 20miles on down the road. Stopped off at a real nice bakery. Whilst filling up my water bottles at a gas station i saw 3 people cycling past with panniers! Shouted and ran up to them excited at the thought they might be going the same way as me! They were (to minneapolis!) Joined Nick, Amy & Connie! Had a great time chatting to them about all sorts of stuff all had cycled new york > seattle the year before so had lots to tell me!
We watched a parade in wabasha before camping in a football field. Got woke up in the middle of the night by the police who warned us about some kids going around - didn't mind too much that we were camping where we were as long as we were gone in the morning.

Above: Crossing the Mississippi

Above: Scenery

Above: Eagle from 25metres back.. no way was i getting the camera out any closer!

Above: Nick's worn out shoe!

Above: Parade

Above: Dinner on the Mississippi

Day 25 24/07/09 Wildcat Mountain State Park > Le Crosse. 22miles.

2009-07-27T07:37:00.000-07:00

Very tired this morning because of the lack of sleep! Got another bird spot before heading off for breakfast. Only got 22miles done before thunderstorms came & didn't leave! Waited for 2hours under a roof before hitching a few 17-18miles down the road to le crosse where i checked in at a motel watched the weather which showed tornado warnings in the area! Slept all afternoon!

Above: Another bird spot

Day 24 23/07/09 Middleton, WI > Wildcat Mountain State Park, WI. 88miles.

2009-07-27T06:34:00.000-07:00

Left Eric's after coffee & a bit of bird watching! After about 5miles i had a few issues as my front pannier rack broke but i managed to fix it up with a larger washer. Nice cycling towards Sauk City along the cycle track. Carried on cycling got pretty hilly! Saw thunderstorms coming so found shelter and ended up sleeping under a church porch thing! Slept in a state park which was different! Eat pork with a family which was lovely before watching the sunset & trying to get some sleep. Problem was this wierd animal that was sniffing & snorting around my tent! Freaked me out a bit! Even stole my pears the cheeky thing! Most likely to be a racoon i am told.

Above: Eric

Above: Bird spot for mr. lee

Above: Wild turkeys

Above: Scenery

Above: Sunset at Wildcat Mtn State Park

Day 23 22/07/09 Lake Geneva, WI. > Middleton, WI. 91miles.

2009-07-27T06:07:00.000-07:00

Left Red's house and had a lovely fry up with 'english muffins' that turned out to be crumpets in Lake Geneva town. Finally got myself some headphones after trying LOADS of shops, felt really good to hear some music! Really nice cycling today along. Had lunch with some locals 10miles before hitting madison they were shocked at our lack of guns! Didn't understand how we protect ourselves! After narrowly avoiding a downpour i cycled into madison which is a really pretty college town. On the way in i bumped into a guy called Eric who was also cycling (without panniers). Eric showed me around the town (capital city of wisconsin) before kindly offering to let me stay at his house. Stunning condo in middleton that looked over a woodland with loads of wildlife. Took me out for a drive in his 1980 porsche 911 (could not stop smiling) and also taking me out for a meal followed by frozen custard - real good high fat ice cream (aka heaven). Chatted for a while about the trip and eric's really interesting swimming career & watched some of the tour de france. Had myself a really comfy kingsize bed to! Much appreciated!

Above: The way into Madison

Above: Sweaty me on the Lakeside.

Above: Me & the porsche

Day 22 21/07/09 Chicago, IL. > Lake Geneva, WI. 81miles.

2009-07-27T05:47:00.000-07:00

Left Keir, David and Sylvia very grudgingly! After imediately getting the really simple directions wrong... i left Chicago! The shit really hit the fan then as the road i was following became an interstate without any proper warning signs. Just before the turn off i was pulled over by a rather unhelpful policeman who thought i was having a bit of a laugh which i can assure you was not the case! After a few phone calls home mr lee sorted my head out and after an hour's break i carried on the road which was very busy so changed direction north to see what would happen! Went through lovely country roads before ending up on a cycle track! Much better!
Came off the track near the WI/IL border where i grabbed some food and met Tiffany, Tammy, Scott and Red, who kindly offered to put me up! Scott sorted me out with a really good route for the next few days!

Above: Departing Chicago

Above: On cycle route

Above: Me with the lovely Tiffany & Megan

Day 21 20/7/09 Chicago

2009-07-27T05:33:00.000-07:00

Packed up at Owens before heading downtown on the subway to watch BRUNO! haha bit cringey but funny none the less! Posted back a load of stuff i decided i didnt need to loose weight tho it was very expensive and not helped by the rude post staff apparently they are all like it! Went back to get our things after another cheeky Mexican then headed to david's, who had kindly offered to put us up. Arrived at his work shop - absutely stunning! Loads of vintage cars and bikes in superb condition that he had restored. Later arrived at his house which was beautiful & also very interesting. Had dinner with david and sylvia which was lovely before heading off to sleep.

Above: A selection of cars from the warehouse

Day 20 19/07/09 Chicago.

2009-07-20T07:37:00.000-07:00

After a long lie in till 10 woo! We had some homemade waffles with maple syrup and strawberries made by owen's girlfriend angela which was delicious.Yesterday whilst in Owen's bike shop I had noticed a flyer for bike polo which it turned out owen did often. So we all cycled out to it and me and jon watched on as they played the first couple of games before i had a go. Which was a lot of fun! me and then jon headed back and popped out to get some food from a local mexican restaurant and before we knew it it was almost 6! so we headed on back to the apartment before owen threw a bbq for us and their neighbours from downstairs (a classic quote from keith which included something about eating 15 year olds for breakfast) .it was lovely to have a laugh and eat great food and beer. Before sleeping like a baby.

Above: Bike polo times!

Above: Setting up the BBQ

Day 19 18/07/09 Granger, ID > Chicago, IL. 102miles.

2009-07-20T07:24:00.000-07:00

Not a great start to the day! Dark and raining when i woke up. Packed up a wet and gritty tent slowly before heading off. First 30miles were fairly trouble free then i had issues! Got a puncture on a fairly busy highway, which didn't please me too much. When replacing my tube i found that my pump had decided to give up the ghost. Good timing! Hobbled with my bike to the nearest restauant which was thankfully pretty close, asked around trying to hitch to the nearest town (Michagn city) with a bike shop. No joy on the hitching but one nice guy went back to his house and brought me a pump to use quickly! Carried along the highway before getting another puncture (i was on the way to the bike shop at this point!) thankfully it was a slow one and held out until i got there. Sat on their floor eating a gorgeous sandwich they had ordered for me before grudgingly continuing on the trip.
Next few hours went quickly averaging a good 16mph through nice quite roads. And then i entered Gary... this made harlem look like disneyland! I did however make it out alive for which i am grateful! Lots of steel & petroleum industries on the 15-20miles into Chicago.
A few hours on i met Keir on the Lakeside Drive cyclepath in Chicago which was really nice being out of traffic and by lake Michigan with good views of the city. Lovely to meet Keir aswell after a long day in the saddle!
Got to Owens apartment who kindly put us up for a few nights and took him out to a restaurant for dinner before flaking out!

Above: Views of the city taken from the cyclepath

Day 18 17/07/09 Montpellier, OH > Granger, ID. 95miles.

2009-07-20T07:06:00.000-07:00

So today was my first day riding on my own. Feeling pretty nervous when i woke up and unsure whether it was the right thing to do. Had breaky and a few cups of coffee and left the lovely holiday in by 7.15. Went north into Michigan then west to Indiana saw lots of wildlife on the way inc an awsome coloured red bird and a blue heron which i was about to take a picture of before it flew off. Cycled 52miles without stopping with no problems on the way except for the odd dog chase! Arrived in the bike shop i had planned in good timing where i stayed for a few hours relaxing. they also tought me how to fix chains & spokes, also giving my bike a thorough clean down for me! Sorted out a route on their computer into chicago & bought myself a new toy (gps) as i would no longer have keirs trusty navigation skills!
Found the nearest campsite which i wasn't too fond of, very commercial family campsite also very expensive. Chatted to a few travellers before going to dinner on my tod (violins enter here).

Above: Brighton & Howe

Above: Lovely 15miles of riding by riverside out of Bristol.

Above: Neville having a cheeky 30winks.

Above: One for Keir.

Day 17 16/07/2009 Montpelier

2009-07-19T10:05:00.000-07:00

21 today wooooo! it's like being 18 again. No joy on finding croissants for breakfast but did manage to find some scrumptious homemade cookies. Made a few phone calls before Keir treated us to a day and naughty night at the holiday inn as well as breakfast number 2!

After the morning relaxation we went down to the hospital to sort out Keir's infection and get some pills for me too as it was very infectious (thank you liz!) Keir had a full medical examination checking breathing heart rate blood pressure even before the doctor turned up! Dr. Luikens was a real nice guy who was actually born in Britain and gave us a prescription for the Meds. He offered to put keir up in toledo after a 60 mile ride before keir got a train to chicago. all sounded good. So we got our pills and went back to the hotel before repacking all of our bags and planning for the day tomorrow. Did a lot of washing and got ourselves some beer! and gigantic pizzas delivered to the room! nice..! before keir rang up Dr. Luiken who said that a newborn baby was at his house at the moment so probably wasnt a good idea to stay but he felt guilty so he would put keir up in a hotel in toledo.

Keir:

The trip so far had been an amazing experience and I have had a great time with Jon but combined with illness and a constant headwind which shows no sign of letting up. I simply wasn't enjoying the riding. As most people know riding is a large part of my life and I didn't want to get all the way to Vancouver and never want to get on a bike again, so I have taken the decision to stop in chicago with the coast to coast ride. My plans for the moment are to get a scenic train to Seattle, ride to Vancouver and do all the things i would like still cycling just less miles and more time for having a holiday. The plan will be then to meet Jon before the Rockies and share the most challenging part of the crossing together. I wish Jon all the best for the rest of the trip and hope he makes it to Vancouver!

Day 16 15/07/09 Woodvile, OH > Montpellier, OH. 88miles

2009-07-19T04:10:00.000-07:00

Today was a very very long day into a howling headwind (tho avoided the storm warnings)! Had a lovely breakfast cooked for us first tho! Found the cycle track we were told about, tho it was definitely not suited to our bikes! Like cycling through a long field. Had my first puncture of the trip! Saw a blue heron, also some sort of eagle/hawk thing chasing a much smaller bird for a few minutes - not sure what the outcome was!
Roads today were very hard to navigate around west north west south west north west south. must have cycled a good 15miles more than we needed to! Tried to make it to the indiana border, but with a wrong turning and Keir on the wrong side of an infection we stayed at montpellier . Found a disused campsite but in the end decided to stay in a motel!
Had myself the first shave for two weeks which felt goooood! No longer beardyman!
People in the petrol station were particularly unhelpful. whats there to do here? nothing. anywhere good to eat? no. is there a payphone nearby? no. is there any transport to chicago? no.
Cheery folk.

Above: 'Cycle track'

Above: Pizza pie - standard.

Day 15 14/07/09 Leamington, ON. > 3m NW of Woodvile, OH. 52miles

2009-07-16T18:53:00.000-07:00

A lovely day - probably the best day on the road yet! got off to an early start after a poor nights sleep - an irritating high pitched noise mixed with fork lift trucks did not provide good sleep.
Cycled quickly to Kingsvile to catch the ferry to Pellee Island - so early the ticket office was not due to open for another hour! Chilled out there dreaming of food whilst waiting for the ferry - good fry up!
After getting chatting to some canadians on the ferry we were sent in the direction for a nearby beach on the island. BLISS.washed in the water. wanted to stay there for days but alass we had to get the next ferry to sandusky, ohio. Doing this meant avoiding detroit which everyone had told us to avoid. On the 2nd of the two ferries we met Steve & Charlie - a couple from ohio who had doine a lot of bike touring. shared a lot of stories and they gave us loads of good advice especially on routes which we were very grateful of!
Immediately took their advice after going through the US's most relaxed customs! Wizzed along for 20 odd miles until we found the bike shop we were told about which pointed us the right way for the nearby cycle track, much like the bristol/bath one! sooo nice to be on this after 100s of miles of roads. Made it to the next shop where we searched for campsites (good old google). The closest was 34 miles away so we went for it! After a few miles we decided that was silly as it was getting late so pulled up to the nearest house!
Stayed with a lovely couple who put us up in the old dog house! Lots of chipmunks burrowing around but far better than a tent! Beautiful grounds to their house, 3acres of lawns and 20acres of forest! Their son jason showed us his quad bike - pretty beastly (can do 80mph!) before we headed off to bed.

Above: Whilst waiting for the ferry...

Above: Our swimspot!

Above: from the ferry

Above: Steve & Charlie

Above: The old dog house

Day 14 13/07/09 Tyrconnell > leamington (a deserted houses backyard) 71 miles

2009-07-16T17:07:00.000-07:00

Left in good time and did a quick 8 miles in 30 minutes to the neares food store which happened to do fry ups! Managed to keep the pace up for a while, 31 miles in 2 hours best of the trip so far though couldn't regain that after lunch.

Although cycling a little slower the next 30 odd miles were really enjoyable cycling along route 3 which runs along side lake erie. Fantastic views with clear blue skies saw a few oil plunger things (pictured) on our way into wheatley I was a bit confused as a truck with orange lights drove down the middle of the road this was followed by a police car I thought they were going to have a word with keir for taking his helmet off for what must have been 30 seconds (or the chickens he stole) next thing I knew I was side by side with a passing vehicle 15 foot wide and at least 60 foot long.

Got some food supplies in leamington before going to an interview cafe to update the blog and check emails. Owners of the cafe greg and kelly helped give advice on campsites before suggesting we stay in their family members disused home by the side of an industrial estate. Another free night! Get In! Woopty! Also another night without a shower!

Above: Brushing teeth on the road

Above: Oil thing on route 3

Above: A thumbs up to a free night!

Day 13 12/07/09 Simcoe > Tyrconnell, ON. 74 miles

2009-07-13T13:25:00.000-07:00

Met a french canadian who had twice cycled from Vancouver to Montreal (the right way!) and was on his way around the peninsula! Made really good timing in the morning having cycled 50miles before midday! Then... Another bike wheel disaster for Keir today with a further spoke breaking 5miles out of St. Thomas! Bit stressed out with the set back we hitched BACKWARDS to St. Thomas with a guy called Brian who dropped us at the bike shop. They sorted Keir out with some new wheels whilst we went for a burger and fries. standard!

In the rush of getting both of our bikes onto brians truck one of the bungee cords had got caught on a wheel and frayed, as well as loosing another that left us bungeeless! bodged a granny knot for the tent which lasted to the next petrol station down the road. Very friendly local adam helped us out with cord and chatted to us for a bit about the area & the way in which esso (booooo hissssssss) had treated him and other local station owners.

Carried on until got pretty tired and we pulled up to a nice house and asked to spend the night in their garden! Very unfriendly welcome by their dog frank before Kim showed us around and gave us a few packs of noodles! Two of her three kids hung around us for a bit, one (4 yrs old) very very very chatty - wore a little thin after an hour!

Above: A stressed Keir fiddling with bike on truck.

Above: A bit of scenery!

Above: Nice bendy roads

Above: Campsite in Kim's garden

Day 12 11/07/09 Niagara Falls > Simcoe, ON 68 miles

2009-07-13T13:00:00.000-07:00

So after the bliss that was the rest day in Niagara falls we made our way out of the city facing miles of flat roads. We knew we were going to have a headwind and the forecast didnt look good but we had no clue of what lay ahead. The day started overcast but dry and we made good time getting in 13 miles in under an hour. Then the thunderstorm hit, we donned our wet weather gear and headed into it. Made the decision to find cover as the lightning was coming our way and getting a little bit too close for our liking. By the time we were under the shelter off somones front porch the thunderstorm was right over us and a bolt of lightning hit a metal gate post about 20 metres away. SCARY BUSINESS! We let it pass got back on and rode. The headwind, rain and narrow yet busy roads really questioned our morale as we made our way west along the highway 3. At the end of the day we were exhauseted and wet so decided to get a motel for the evening and popped out to an italian/canadian restaurant to get some pasta! First pasta in ages. Lovely jubbly! Roll on tomorrow!

Day 11 10/07/09 Niagara Falls, ON.

2009-07-13T12:42:00.000-07:00

Met outside the hostel after a nice breaky provided by the hostel. Went with Vicky, a girl from Gloucester we met in the hostel who'd been traveling since February(!), to Niagara on the Lake to go on a jet boat ride! Great fun & very fast! Went in grade 5 rapids & around grade 6! Saying this - we were very safe as it was fairly touristy!

Tried to get Keir's bike wheels rebuilt in the local shop but they were useless!

Did the maid of the mist in the afternoon aswell as the cave walk! Maid of the mist was fantastic with great views of the falls!

Chilled out with Cheol Gi Lee (from S Korea) and packed in the evening. Bit too tired to go to the fireworks but we were told we didn't miss much!

Must recommend the hostel we stayed in to cyclists! www.allcanbb.com - very friendly, helpfull and well priced!

Jon

Above: The American Falls from maid of the mist

Above: Home of the Whopper

Above: Canadian Falls

Above: Cheol Gi Lee

Day 10 09/07/09 West Lima > Niagara falls, Canada. 83 miles.

2009-07-09T17:39:00.000-07:00

Left Motel in good time despite Jon's faffing. Made it to Batavia in less than two hours (30 miles) to get my wheel fixed for the second day running. Got some funny looks in the petrol station from some very 'local' american americans. More and more flags made it quite daunting going through some towns we felt like complete outsiders and were pretty much treated that way although there were of course some friendly people along the way too. First sign to Niagara was a great feeling but the last 10 miles dragged a lot. Crossed the border got our stamps and very welcoming smile! Great view of the falls from the border crossing bridge.

Found our hostel and checked in. Lovely guy called Patrick who owns the hostel and it is to be highly recommended. Patrick told us some hairy sounding stories about mooses in the rockies whci is something to look forward to there bigger than horses)

Got some grub from a mexican restaurant and had our first beers in nearly two weeks. Woo! Looking forward to the rest day tomorrow!

Above: Thrifty Salvos

Above: First sign to Niagara!

Above: Outside canadian hostel!

Day 9 08/07/09 Ithaca > West Lima, NY. 81miles

2009-07-09T16:47:00.000-07:00

So we struggled to leave the Ithaca motel but eventually got away about half 7. The fabled climb we had heard about wasnt quite as bad as everyone had said so we made good time making our way between the finger lakes at a good speed despite an increasing headwind and threatning looking clouds. We eventually reached Geneva after doing 44 miles and stopped to get ourselves a hotdog and some food for the trip. By this stage both me and jon had seized up! To put it mildly and were practically falling asleep. We followed to route 20 along for about 40 miles into a severe headwind. We ended up asking ourselves why we chose to cross America the 'wrong way'. On reaching Lima we felt good and were prepared to put in a few miles extra until lightning struck twice and I broke a spoke in my rear wheel. An angry conversation with my dad followed since he chose the wheels. We ended up staying in a pretty skank motel but tomorrows another day!

Above: Finger Lakes

Above: Fireworks from 4th July

Day 8 07/07/09 Hancock >Ithaca, NY. 89 Miles

2009-07-07T18:05:00.000-07:00

So today was one heck of a day. Bit easier than yesterday with fewer and less steep hills so it looks like we made it out of the Appalachians alive! We made good progress today making 46 miles by 10:30 after leaving the lovely Carol and Jon at Kingswood at about 6:30. We encountered two thunder storms today second of which we had to stop and take shelter due to the increasing size of the hailstones and the closeness of the lightning! Check the video out. Met a great guy called Kim organiser of saints2sinners.com who rode us into Ithaca for the last 7 miles or so and took us to the bikeshop for me to get my wheel fixed. Personally very relieved after cycling for 110 miles without one and an increasingly noisy wheel as Jon will testify. Treated ourselves to a motel in ithaca and we will press on tomorrow to lima!

Above: THE STORM

Above: Hill from a few days back - classic quote at the end!

Day 7 06/07/09 Howells > 5m North of Hancock, NY. 75 Miles

2009-07-06T18:01:00.000-07:00

Another very hectic day! Left campsite by 7.30 & headed toward Hancock. Went via ‘17’ a horrible highway, that cut out journey short by 20miles so it was worth it! Bit scary at one point as bike started making a load of noise – turned out a bit of shrapnel had got caught between my brake pad and rim. Got off that after 6-7 miles. VERY hard riding through mountains although beautiful scenery, couldn’t really stop for photos as didn’t want to stop momentum! Bit more bike damage this time Keir broke a spoke so have rejigged the route tomorrow to go via bike shop. Got called over by a very nice/strange Russian/polish couple who kindly topped up our water!

Four mile descent into Hancock where we had a bit of food before getting directions for a campsite up Sands Creek. Were told it was very steep – thankfully he was either lying, or exaggerating! Arrived at Kingswood campsite – felt like we’d walked into heaven! Lovely hosts Carol & Jon showed us around and to our room. Had showers & put our washing and relaxed on the sofa before eating wonderful food with Carol, Jon, Anna & Holly.

Day 6 05/07/09 NYC > Howells, NY. 87 Miles

2009-07-06T17:49:00.000-07:00

Wow! What a first days riding! Got up at 5.15 checked out etc, took a few photos then left. Cycled up over the George Washington Bridge via Harlem. Not the most glamorous of places! Had a strong feeling that someone was going to come up & pinch our bikes!

Getting over the bridge and into New Jersey was like arriving in a different country! Lovely green lawns & trees etc. 9W road was fairly gentle riding to! Few issues with my bike – front rack came loose as screws fell out but that was resolved. Met a nice bunch of cyclists on route 17 that helped us find a good route to Middletown. Doing well for timing until we hit the Appellation Mountains. Killer Hill – See video! Flattened out after 15miles or so going past really nice lakes and campgrounds. Next event of the day was me trying to get food out of my bag, knocking my milometer off, slowing, and falling into a bush whilst clipped into bike! After that episode we made it to Middletown. Half expected a sheriff to ride through the town on horseback & shoot some bank robbers!

Rang up campsite for directions no luck for a while – they even came out to find us! Anyway made it & had a lovely reception. Felt much better after a shower. Mr & Mrs Korn cooked us dinner& we ate with them! Lovely people as were their friends!

Day 5 04/07/09 NYC

2009-07-06T16:45:00.000-07:00

Relaxed morning & afternoon. Sorted out bikes. Went for a mexican in the evening.

Getting to the fireworks was a hassle to say the least! Ended up scrambling through a wasteland to get a good view only to be sent back by the police (lucky we didn't get seen a few moments earlier tho as not so sure we were meant to be there!). After working our way through the excessive crowd control measures we were a touch apprehensive! Fantastic display - 6 in sync barges for 20minutes! Some of the fireworks were shaped into smiley faces! Back home for a relatively early night for tomorrows first day of riding!

Jon

Day 4 03/07/09 NYC

2009-07-04T07:17:00.000-07:00

Laid back morning in the hostel & fitted Keirs milometer. Met up with Eric, Keirs friend from Nepal, who showed us around. Took us to a chineese restaurant in Chinatown - very interesting food & service including chickens feet and cow intestine mmm... This was followed by ice cream in little italy :) Went to the met museum.. paid one dime for the three of us! - voluntary contributions ;) Great view of central park from the roof terrace. Stayed in the park looking around at skating, vollleyball, rowing, tortoise, lawns, jazz, other types of music, statues, dancing.. reading.. list goes on!

Went to Greenwich village in the evening to Bistros Corner, pretty cool typical bar playing jazz with the baseball on screen!

4th July Today! Both really want to get pedalling and out of the city but are sticking around for the fireworks tonight! Panniers are all packed up! No joy with couchsurfing for the minute so the plan is to cycle 80miles then stop when we find somewhere cheap to stay.. fingers crossed! Next post should be from Canada!- unless we stumble accross an amazing campsite with swimming pools saunas internet etc!

Above: Chineese restaurant

Above: Roof terrace from met museum

Above: Central Park

Above: Our massive bedroom

Day 3 02/07/09 NYC

2009-07-03T07:19:00.000-07:00

Whos the boss? .. Daddy! ... No! whos the boss? ... Daddy.. No!, whos the boss?! .. Daddy! .. No! Mommys boss! Classic.

$32 dollar breakfast! Got the subway to Brooklyn. Walked around and saw the Borough Hall. Tried to give blood but we couldn't as we were at risk of CJD! Great view of manhattan and brooklyn bridge from the promenade tho again very murky. Walked through Chinatown & Little Italy. Lots of cheap shops & restaurants as you would expect - pretty handy as my shorts had been falling down for the past three days treated myself to a belt - same price as a bottle of water.

Walked to ground zero which was pretty odd seeing a massive gap in the skyline. Went inside the memorial centre which had lots of quotes from people pre and post september 11 also lots of artifacts i.e two melted police guns. Very difficult not to get emotional at times especially when looking at the wall of photos from 'missing' photos. Glad we went there tho.

Then the rain came - good timing for a walk around the park!

Yankees game in the evening . Bit of a polava getting in but we managed it after narrowly avoiding paying $80 and having to walk three blocks to store our bags and water bottles. Bought $20 tickets off a security guard that escorted us outside, bit dodge.. but it worked!

Great view from the seats! Stood up twice for the american national anthem! Few odd things about the game - people are more interested in seeing their faces on the board and doing mexican waves than watching the game! Lasted about 3 hours seattle mariners won 8 - 4. Stomach felt a bit wrong after two big 'mountain dews' three hot dogs and a disguting pretzel! No idea why people eat them! Like munching on a pot of mouldy salt! Atmosphere was great!

Sorted out a few nights couchsurfing before going to bed!

N.b. they throw the ball at 96mph!!!

Above: Views from Brooklyn

Above: Chinatown

Above: Views from the game

Day 2 01/07/09 NYC.

2009-07-02T12:29:00.000-07:00

Just discovered that Keir has very smelly feet.

Lost else happened today ! Got the subway down to lower east side where we tried to get a different front rack for my bike (to no avail). Found the Yaffa Cafe recommended by J - Good call! Lovely atmosphere with cool decor and quiet garden for eating.. cold (but very nice) soup!

Started to walk towards times square after doing a bit of route planning in the caf. Managed to hop on a tourist bus which took us to the Rockafella building for free. Fantastic views from the top tho very murky. Walked back through central park did a bit of bird spotting for dad! Stayed there watching baseball for a bit before heading back to the hostel where we all be it stressfully, sorted out the bikes! Keir nodded off & I went to check my uni results.. got a 2:1 !! VERY HAPPY! Think me jumping out of the seat may have surprised those in the lobby! Went off to east village to try and celebrate. No real pubs like England but managed to get an Irishman to buy me an illegal pint. Couldn't for the life of me understand what he was saying! Headed back after a hot dog. All in all, a jam packed day!

Ciao, Jon

Above: View from bedroom window.

Above: Keir in the Yaffa!

Above: Views from the Rockafella

Above: Central Park & bird for mr. lee

NY arrival!

2009-06-30T16:16:00.001-07:00

So the trip has begun we've got to new york all safe and sound bikes in tact and everything in order. Found some time to have a look round the city to get our bearings to : ) Both looking forward to getting out on the bikes and on our way.

Saw an INDOOR ferris wheel and a huge toy dinosaur.. I mean HUGE in the the toys r'us in times square,0 chilled out in starbucks and had a peeky at the UN centre then got absolutely soaked running through central park back to the hostel. Getting some grub then an early night as we're both totally shattered.

Above: Indoor Ferris Wheel

Above: Steam coming from the Sewers.. or subway?!

Keir Stone Brown is now an...

2009-06-29T07:57:00.000-07:00

IRONMAN!!!

Finished the monster of a race in 14 1/2 hours.. not bad for swimming 3.8km, cycling 180km followed by a 42.2km marathon..!

The Route

2009-06-23T11:51:00.000-07:00

Good Evening Ya'll ;)

This is a map of the route we are planning to take, click on "View Larger Map" to see it (takes a few seconds to load the detailed route).

Less than a week until we fly to New York now, we are staying there until the 5th of July so we enjoy the 4th July celebrations!

We are both well prepared for the trip now & very excited! Have packed everything i think i could need including plenty of tea bags, a pack of cards and a learn german book that is set to annoy Keir!

Planning to keep this blog updated with a few photos and info.

Cheers, Jon

View Larger Map