Biking the
East Coast
From Bangor, Maine, to Fort
Lauderdale
|
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.)
If you're thinking about taking a trip like
this, or just want to know what it was like, be sure to read Two
Wheels and a Map, an exciting (and humorous) account of my
journey.
To answer some common questions:
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.)
Book
Excerpt | German Version | Maine
to Pennsylvania Trip