Biking the East Coast

A few years ago I got it into my head to take a little solo bike trip down the East Coast. I loved cycling and had always dreamed of taking an extended ride somewhere. I reasoned that, since I had several friends and family members whom I could visit in the South, it would be great way to spend a summer--just riding free down the open road, no worries, no responsibilities. So I pedaled from the Philadelphia suburbs down to Fort Lauderdale. I met scores of people along the way, getting invited into their homes and becoming a part of their lives for a brief time.

Triumphant finish in Fort Lauderdale.

It was such a profound experience that I decided to repeat it the following summer--again alone--by riding from Bangor, Maine, back to Philadelphia, thus completing the entire East Coast. (Read about this trip.)

To answer some common questions:

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• Yes it was tough. Yes it was scary sometimes. Yes it was lonely on occasion.
• No I didn't ride back from Florida. No I wasn't harassed by rednecks or police (much).
• No I didn't take I-95 (I took all back roads).

I slept in tents in the woods, in youth hostels, in friends' homes, at Scout camps and in churches when the ministers took a liking to me.

• Pennsylvania to Florida took 35 days, plus 10 rest days, for a 45-day total.
• Maine to Pennsylvania took 15 days, riding through the worst New England heat wave in history.

But it was absolutely worth the effort -- an experience I'll never forget, and one that I'm glad I had while I was still young and irresponsible. I've even written a book about it called Two Wheels and a Map. Here's a chapter from it. It describes one very eventful day in Connecticut. (And for those who have read the book, here is some information you'll find very interesting.)