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So...I left Harrison, Ar Saturday morning and rode towards Branson, Mo. I made it to Hollister and waited there for my parents so I wouldn't have to ride into Branson. They came and picked me up and we headed to Joplin for a friend's, Mike Higgins', UNO football game. They beat MSSU at MSSU's homecoming. We came back home on Sunday and now I am working to get into the doctor and hope to get an all clear and maybe a prescription for some rest, and then be back on the road in a week or two. In the meantime I will send out some job apps and get some things done around here and to my gear.

Decision Time

I left JBU yesterday morning and headed in the direction of Harrison, Ar. I rode to Springdale and took a break and then headed on. I got a flat as I left town. I fixed it and headed on and then a few miles later I got another flat. I found out my rim tape is starting to move so I taped it back in place. As I was trying to pump, my pump broke and I reverted to the hand pump. As I pumped with that I broke the tube at the valve stem. Things were not going my way. While all this was happening, my side pain had also been strong. My parents are coming to visit and they gave me the option of taking a two week break to rest my side and see what's up with it back home. I have to decide this and today made me think stronger about taking it. Also as I was fixing my bike a guy pulled up in his truck to see if I needed help. He offered me a ride and said I looked like I was having a rough time. He also said I looked harmless enough and took me all the way to Harrison. That gave me a chance to rest more and spend more time seeing what I should do.

New Medical Findings

So...last week sometime I started having a pain in my lower right abdomen. I didn't think much of it but over the last week it has been getting worse. I went to the doctor today and he said it is most likely a mild hernia. He gave me an anti-inflammatory to help with the pain, but if it gets much worse I will have to visit a general surgeon and verify that it is a hernia and see where to go from there. He said the best thing for it is rest, but realizing I am on my ride he gave me the prescription and then said that for the most part it will just cause discomfort but I shouldn't make it any worse by what I am doing. We'll see what happens.

1/10 down

I am now in Siloam Springs, Ar, home of John Brown University where I went to college. I am going to be here a couple days visiting and taking a break. I am now between 1400 and 1500 miles and on state number 5. I have a new pair of tires coming here in the next day or two to hopefully fix whatever is wrong with the current ones. I rode 250 miles without a flat after Wichita and was very excited, only to get another one, but only one. I beat a major storm into town last night and pulled in right as the lightning started. Then I went and ate and while I was eating it started to dump and when I was ready to leave, the streets were flooded. My friends, the Carrolls, who owned the restaraunt gave me a ride to my friend Jon Lintz's place and stored my bike at the dairyette. The rain continued to at least after midnight.

My ride from Wichita was very quick. I was planning on meeting a friend from Norman, Ok in Tulsa on Saturday. Brian Fischer gave me a ride to the southwest portion of town to make it easier for me to catch 81 south, which probably saved at least a couple hrs of riding. I then headed to Ponca City, Ok, 95 miles away. The ride was fairly normal except when I got the the junction of I35 and hwy 177, where I found 177 was closed a couple miles ahead. I called the DOT and found I could navigate around the construction and avoid the interstate. This detour added about 6 miles of gravel to ride and push through, but ended up giving me a tailwind into ponca instead of a crosswind. My mom had found the only campground in ponca and I had to try finding it on poor directions and poorer signs, but eventually made it. I then called Nathan Cozart in Tulsa and double checked my stay there and found out where they lived.

I got up early the next day because the ride would be at least 100 miles if I went to Tulsa. I wasn't sure if I could make it after the previous days ride. In Pawhuska there was a biker gathering and when I went through a few people gave me a look like: "Are you lost? That's the wrong kind of bike." It was rather funny, but most of the bikers waved and admired my rig. I was going to stop and chat a bit, but I was wanting to still hit Tulsa if I could and I had a ways to go, so I pressed on. The map said the next road would be nice and wide. It was not super nice and there was no shoulder. It was a very scenic ride, but I had to pay careful attention to what I was doing with traffic, so I couldn't fully enjoy it. I eventually made it to Tulsa at rush hour and drove down a main street, but the traffic was respectful and made the ride fairly peaceful. I pulled into Nathan and Valerie's drive at 5:30, showered, and then we went downtown with another friend. We ate at Joe Mama's and the waiter was great, which made the experience enjoyable and had us taking one of every course.

Saturday I hung out with my friend John Stewart in the morning and then took it easy in the afternoon. Nathan and Valerie had some friends over later and we ended up playing Monopoly. The next day I went to church with them and then we worked on their flowerbed in front of their house. Then we went and ran for an hour with another one of their friends cuz they were training for a run. After that we took the day easy.

Every time I stop and visit friends I get the urge to stop and settle down for awhile. Sometimes it takes some good effort to leave. I enjoy the road, but after so much time alone on the road and in Wyoming the last year, I feel like stopping. I'm sure as the trip goes on this urge will not be as strong, but right now it's fairly apparent.

some pics finally

cunningham, ks

Dodge City, Ks

Sweet chair in Dodge City, Ks

Front Street at Boot Hill

Dodge City, Ks

Boot Hill, Dodge City, Ks

So how do you have fun?

Where's the wind?

View as I left Colorado Springs, Co

Roadside Scenery


World's Largest Swing, Ne

Why Wichita?

I am now in Wichita, Kansas, a place I was trying to avoid. I started getting flats again and was running on all patches. I was hoping to find a new set of tires to fit my bike, but they would have to have them ordered, so I got some tubes and will call specialized and have them send some new tires to Arkansas. The bike shop said sometimes things get imbedded that you can't see and you just have to replace the tires. I have run these tires on three other bikes and have never had problems, so something is up.

Anyway, I decided to stay in Dodge City again on Sunday and just relaxed all day and let my body recuperate from the long rides out of Colorado. Also, this would place me in Tulsa over the weekend, allowing me to see some friends. I was hoping to leave early on Monday, but when I went to leave I had a flat on the front tire. I replaced it and then went to Wal-mart and bought a pump that would be easier to use, then I bought a souvenir and headed out. 20 miles out I got a flat on the rear and replaced it. I then rode to Greensburg and ended up getting another flat. This was very frustrating but specialized is going to help me out and hopefully fix this pesky problem that is making me learn patience in ever greater quantities. Greensburg was pretty much wiped out a couple of years ago by a tornado and most of the city is still being rebuilt. I talked to a leathertramp who has been through here a couple of times and he said the politics are making the rebuild process fall apart. He had some good stories and has been all over, working here and there.

At Greensburg I decided I would have to head to Wichita so I planned out my route and decided to stop just west of Kingman at a state fishing lake with free camping. It was beautiful and peaceful with huge old oak trees and sunflowers on the bank and a decent sized lake with cranes, turtles, and fish. I passed through the small town of Cunningham, Kansas today and of course took some pics.

I then came into Wichita and struggled to find a way past the interstate when I finally found I had to do some backtracking and get to Central, as it was the only road that crosses and then found West street and the bike shop. They were very helpful. Then I had some lunch, called my friend Brian Fischer and found out where he lived and then headed that way. Riding through downtown I found another cyclist and she told me I was on the one halfway bike friendly street in Wichita and then invited me to a couple of rides this weekend, which I have to miss in order to make Tulsa. She confirmed how poor cycling in Wichita is and then gave me some decent directions to where I needed to go. I got a flat after I was almost to Brian's, but he was on his way home from work and I was nearby, so he came and picked me up and then we headed back to his place. He offered to drop me off on the south side of Wichita tomorrow so I wouldn't have to deal with traffic, so I may take him up on that. We'll see. So far...always an adventure.

Oh yeah, and the wind was blowing from the perfect direction today...for tomorrow's ride.

Back in Kansas

I am now in Dodge City, Ks. I made it to Kansas yesterday and stayed at a campground south of Lakin, ks. I met a trucker there who has done some touring in the past and we shared stories. His name was Steve and in the morning he saw me leaving in the thick fog and offered to drive me to town and buy me breakfast. By the time we finished breakfast the fog had cleared enough to ride safely. I only had to ride to Ingalls today because my mom had a cousin in the area who offered to take me to his house after he got off work. I arrived a little before he went through so I grabbed a bite at the cafe and then we went home. He ended up having a funeral come up so they took me out to eat in Dodge and then helped me find a hotel. I am now just under 1000 miles into my trip so I will do some basic maintenance and cleaning as well as spread out for a couple days. I am going to check out the town tomorrow and then get some stuff fixed.

Looking to Kansas Again, Toto

I am going to be entering Kansas today. After leaving Denver I climbed 2000 more feet in elevation and stayed at some friends house in Monument. It was a short 45 mile day to start getting my legs back. I then went 84 miles to Punkin Center, which ended up being a house and a couple trailer houses at the intersection of two highways. I was working to beat out a storm that was building to the north of me and made it a little before the storm kicked in. The people with the house had a couple acres and it looked like they had garden tours, so I asked if I could stay. They weren't super inviting, but they let me stay under the covered picnic area and fill up my water outside. I wasn't sure how long I was allowed to stay so I took off at 6:30 the next morning. I made Eads by 12:30, which was my destination for the day, so I figured I'd head on to Lamar, making my day 110 miles. Just outside of Eads I crossed paths with a biker from the UK going from Boston to San Francisco piecing together various ACA maps. We talked for a bit but the semis were a little too loud, so we said goodbye and headed on. At Lamar I went to the visitors booth and asked for a place to camp. They thought for a bit and then suggested walmart and then remembered a little park I could go to. I headed to the park and set up, though I wasn't sure I could, and then at 2 and 4 in the morning the sprinkler system turns on. This was annoying, but the worst part was I left part of my rainfly open to help with ventilation and before I got it closed a little water came in and got some of my stuff wet. However, it could have been worse as I thought about sleeping on a picnic table, which also ended up getting wet. So thankfully I avoided an unwanted midnight bath, though I could use a shower.

The Reason

There is an author named Squire Rushnell who wrote a book called "Godwinks" (he also created the cartoon School House Rock). It tells of different stories of what some call coincidence and says those are really times when God is winking at us, saying " everything is okay and I got you.". I saw and read a lot of this book at the church in Last Chance. I have seen a few of those on this trip which tell me I'm on the right path and doing what I'm supposed to.

The Anton Food Store in the middle of nowhere; the Methodist minister being in last chance when I arrived (he was gone both shortly before and shortly after); stopping in front of Mason's house and getting a ride; and many more. These are little encouragements that let me know I'm on the right path.

I am also reading a book by John Eldredge entitled "Walking with God.". It talks of how we are meant to actually hear God, though not always through verbal communication. This book confirms something I already knew and have personally experienced. When people ask me why I am doing this trip I often say "to meet people; see the country; I think it would be fun; etc." while those reasons are true, I often find myself discouraged to say the real reason because it might be construed as crazy. John's book confirms this reason and encourages me: I heard God telling me to do it and these Godwinks are confirming it.

Three years ago I was not into road cycling and believed I never would be. Then I moved to Texas and was 70 miles from town and trying to do as much as possible. Where I lived is the area Lance Armstrong trains often. My parents had an old road bike that didn't really fit, but I decided to try it anyway, since I like free. I ended up liking it and shortly thereafter did a tour from Daytona to Baton Rouge for 1000 miles. I enjoyed it. From that experience, however, I would not have dreamed I would ever think of going for 49 states on a bike.

Now I am attempting a ride through the 48 contiguous states. The great part about it is I'm not worried about finishing. Sure I'd like to say I did it, but I am willing to stop any time I believe I am supposed to. I still don't know the full reason for this trip and that's part of what makes it so fun: "what's in store for me next and what am I to do about it.""

For Every Uphill There is an Equal and Opposite Downhill...c

I just might not ride it. The world may be round, but it's all uphill to me as I travel from the plains to Denver. I got into Denver last night after riding nearly 80 miles. I am staying in Aurora, so I didn't have to navigate too much city traffic.

My last few days have been fun. From Atwood I headed on 36 west to Denver. The map showed a handful of towns along that route, so I figured I would be able to get what I needed along the way. I arrived in Idalia, Co with a leak in my rear tire at the end of the day and found a village with a motel that looked abandoned and only two blocks of paved road from the highway to the k-12 school. I had spotted ballfield lights from the highway so I headed to the school. It was just after four and there were only a couple coaches and teams around practicing. I talked to the coaches and they said I could stay on the field, so I camped at the school for a night.

The next day I was in need of some snacks and eventually water, but all the "towns" had nothing. I finally rounded a bend after leaving only a couple sips of hot water and there, standing all by itself, was the Anton food store. I had to buy water, but it was worth the dollar for a gallon.

I then proceeded to Last Chance and found it to be inhabited by 8 1/2 people. The minister of the church lived in Denver half the week, but when I arrived he was there. He came out and greeted me and then proceeded to open the church up for me and let me use the restroom and kitchen and even let me sleep inside as it was about to storm. The church has 80 full-time members and is very well off. The next morning I left at 6:30 to get to Denver, hopefully before rush hour, which ended up happening

In Denver, Jim and Rachel Mattson opened up there home to me. A friend of mine rents from them as she works with Operation Christmas Child in the Denver area. I am hanging out here for a couple days and then it's on the road again.

I am going to leave some things here in Denver with my cousin to help cut down the load and hopefully reduce flats. It ends up being about five pounds saved.