Little Rock City not Horse Pens 40

So, I've decided after pushing through the first five hundred mile week that to keep up the pace I'd need more than just willpower. I'm sure I'd have to call upon the powers that be to hold back the weather and give me the strength to endure such a grueling pace. I wasn't allowing myself adequate rest periods during the day, nor was I taking any days off. I'm sure if I'd have continued you would've seen merely a shadow of the man you used to know, if I even made it there. Now I plan on meeting you all at Little Rock City instead.

The mileage I mentioned before brought me to the doorstep of New York City. Having decided to take some time off and recover from the last push all I needed to do was find lodging. Before my legs could even cool down the rumble of a Harley Davidson was drawing my attention. The steel horse's pilot was a strong accented Cuban man with a parrot on his shoulder as co-pilot ( not kidding ). Before introductions he complimented me on my bike setup and aggressively asked where I was staying. When I told him I hadn't a clue his response was: "You got it,need a shower? You got it, food? You got it!" In a thick New York / Cuban tongue. And that was it, I followed Carlos back to his pad overlooking the Hudson River and sprawled my things out in my own bedroom. I spent the next few days getting to know him and his seven birds ( four parakeets, two parrots, and a macaw ).

Of course I went into the city. I spent all the money I had with me every time I went. There are too many things to tell you about, but I can sum it all up by saying WOW. It was huge, and noisy, and dirty, and in a strange way beautiful. I met up with my buddy Mills and had a blast getting tanked then roaming all over the south side via taxi. I wandered around Times Square at peak hour on a Friday afternoon. Took subways and trains in and out of the city. All in all it was a great experience. And strangely enough now that I'm out and back on the road I miss it. I wish I could spend more time there but in this case money buys time, and I'm trying to be conservative.

I want to say thank you to Mills and Carlos for helping me have a great time in the 'Big Apple'. I'm sure that I would've just passed it by if you hadn't have extended your helping hand. I know for a fact I will return, for as much as I saw there's alot more to be seen. Next time though I'll come with a bigger budget.

Knocking out the miles !

Hello again to all of ya'll. I've been back on the road after Acadia for about four days now pushing headlong into a headwind. At times the wind has been strong enough to bring my morale and forward progression to all time lows. But never fear! Revival is merely a thought away. My main motivation now is seeing the A-town crew at Horse Pens 40 in Alabama and nip'n on a jar of shine around the campfire. Ah, the memories that are conjured up doing exactly that...I miss you guys. I'm dead set on making it there though it requires 1600 miles worth of pedaling in 25 days, yikes. I've afforded myself five days of rest as long as I can complete eighty miles a day. So do an interpretive dance for me to ward off the rain and cast out the wind and I'll do my best to keep up the pace. ( And when I see you we'll have a "interpretive dance-off", and yes the winner gets a prize.) I think my favorite and most repeated line I've heard so far has been, "Your heading south? Don't worry it's all downhill." Which leaves me hopeful that eventually I will find the proof of this widespread theory, though I haven't had any luck yet.
While out on the road today riding south on U.S. Highway 1 I bumped into a fellow rider, a local to the area. He not only showed me a shortcut bike path which cut out a major portion of city traffic, but also put me up for the night in an apartment adjoining his house just outside of Portland, Maine. The property is beautiful and has a seventeenth century farm feel with the history to go along with it. It's bound to rain tonight and tomorrow morning so I'll be sure to enjoy sleeping in a bed for a change. Also today I discovered that I'd cracked a weld loose on my bike frame. A trip to an auto-body shop, some MiG welding, small talk, and ten dollars later put me back in business. Sometimes it pays off to have a steel frame bike ( take that you ultra light bike nuts ).

Oh and don't get too excited, I did not get another camera. You're lucky I've got a backlog of photos that haven't been seen yet. Although they're a little generic I think it adds to the verbal flavor of the blog to keep posting them. I like the idea of getting a new camera contributed for the duration of my adventure ( stroking my beard ) now where would I get one of those...

The story of David

I would like to tell you the story of David Phillip McKinley. David was 19 years old and anxious to be on his own. One day he had the notion to leave the comforts of his hometown and travel abroad. His travels eventually led him to Acadia National Park, a place filled with beautiful ocean side cliffs and stunning vistas. Impressed with the overall impact of such an awesome wilderness preserve he set out to do his best at having a fulfilling experience and began to check off " to do's " on his list. Climb a mountain and post up base camp, check. Watch the sunrise as one of the first to do so in the United States, check. Have invigorating night hikes along steep trails, check. It seemed David was doing just fine on his trip, but one item on the list nagged at him. Climbing the rocks in the morning along the crashing shoreline.

The morning of October third was the day, it had to be. The full moon was only one evening away which left the entire island a virtual playground both night and day. After such a quiet and brisk night it made sense to head out to the cliffs at dawn to soak in the warmth of a new day. When David reached the shoreline the sun was in full force and so was the surf. He traversed along the rocks and admired the beauty of the stagnant pools of seawater that were so abundant with life. Most of the 'climbing' he was doing would prove to be some of the most memorable and fun of his life. He breathed in the salty spray and danced with the rising tide climbing fluidly and without contemplation. This truly would be a day worth noting in his journal, if he were able to.

As the young explorer flirted with the foaming ocean crust he neglected to realize that just below it's surface were the rip tides of despair. He had heard stories of others being swept off the rocks and disappearing, but surely this couldn't happen to him. On a day like today it seems impossible to fathom such a cruel demise. He left behind his fear and continued on underneath a outcropping which placed him completely exposed above the depths. Because there could be no fault in his perceived invincibility he never once turned around to notice the swell racing toward him. In the next few seconds all of his previously nullified doubts would become terribly real.

The swell of the rising tide pulled David from the rock with a force that cannot be reckoned with. He kicked and scraped at the rock face he'd just been ripped from with wild eyed frenzy. His body was being churned and slammed into the rocks by the same water he thought was harmless. Over and over again he would claw at the nothingness of a shear cliff face with no success. His efforts never ceased, however his thoughts turned to the people he loved who would have no idea what had happened to him. He began to wish he had the chance to tell them all how much of an impact on his life they've made. He felt sorry for having forsaken such love to be selfishly trekking around solo. He began to wish there was someone there to save him. No one ever came.

I was fortunate enough to make it out of the water. It was a hell of an experience. David never made it, I found the plaque commemorating his existence near where mine had almost ended. I want you all to know I'm fine, just a little banged up and I'll never do anything that stupid again. Unfortunately I was climbing with my satchel on and my camera and mp3 player have bit the dust. Up above are the last two pictures I took before being pulled aside by mother nature and given a good scolding. I hope you all know how much it will mean to me when I get to see your smiling faces again. I'm glad I'll have the chance.

2...1...3...Acadia!!!!

Hey there everyone! Wow, it's been a crazy week full of big hill climbs and stunning vistas. I found a good enough window in the New England weather to push for a solid week. I made the 360 miles from Burlington to Acadia National Park and only had to endure one rain day. I didn't give myself very much time for exploring New Hampshire or central Maine, but I got to see plenty of it as I passed. I'm glad I stopped at the Great Vermont Corn Maze along the way. It's a small family run operation and put together very well. I had a great time navigating the maze, it took me two hours to get out and when I did I was offered a place to stay for the night, thankfully out of the wind. I'm running out of time on this computer, I have quite a bit to tell ya'll about. I'm posted up here for a week so I'll get a chance to add more to the blog, but for now you should know that I'm doing well and having fun. Enjoy the pictures.