Cross Country Bicycle Trek | Tour

Thursday May 22

Travelogue | Notes...

Route 23 in Lancaster. It was very windy and the road had lots of fast moving cars and 18-wheelers.

Average Speed: 7.9 mph
Max Speed: 37.7 mph
Total Riding Time: 5:55:46
Trip Mileage: 47:09
Total Mileage to Date: 188
Wake Up Time: 6:15am
Leave Time: 8:30am

Wrote 7:07am...
Chilly morning and I haven't even gone outside my tent. Been listening to Howard Stern-good thing. Laughed at Ponce de la Phone's phoney phone calls.

I think I've found a new way to get to Route 23 west into Lancaster, Pennsylvania. Hopefully I won't run into any huge hills.

Wrote 7:58pm...
I'm at a camp in New Holland, Pennsylvania called Spring Gultch on Route 897. I will have to say that this was by far the worst day. Between heavy winds (especially on Route 23 west), very narrow roads with no shoulders and/or cracked/potholed roadway edges and now my left knee hurting from fighting the winds and hills, I felt like I was going to die.

I was constantly stopping to rest, but more to walk/push the bike up the hills. In the morning around 10:30 I passed through a wretched town called Phoenixville. When it's going to rise from it's ashes I'll never know, but it was ugly and most businesses were closed down. I saw an old diner at the intersection of Route 113 and 23 called "Rio..." Went inside for breakfast and ordered two pancakes with two strip of bacon. It was very good, but everyone seemed strange and no one was friendly. Matched Phoenixville to a tee.

A bunch of vintage Volkswagens on the side of the road.

Continued on and was happy when I saw the sign for Lancaster County. I'd reached my goal, but the unbearable wind... put a damper on it. Stopped at a tourist info center, which was a former little red school house. The old man inside was very nice and even came out to see the bicycle and all the camping gear. Bought some Amish postcards from him and asked to use the restroom. Well, it was an outhouse in the back with two toilets side-by-side with no divider??? Must be a his and hers... "Honey, pass me the toilet paper please!!!"

Anyway, finally made it to the campsite, but it's a rip-off at $15.00. Let's see what tomorrow holds.

At this point I wonder, "What the fuck possessed me to do this bike trip?" I now wonder if I can finish this bike trek. I intend to, but after today...

I'm going to write some postcards so I can mail them out tomorrow. Would like to call my Mom and friends and tell them were I am. maybe tomorrow.

.
Forgot to mention that at a lunch stop before the town of Warwick, Pennsylvania, a man gave me his card so that I could mail his eleven year-old daughter (Jill) a postcard when I got to the midway point of the trip. He explained that his young daughter has a dream of traveling cross-country when she gets older-pretty neat. He even wanted to give me $20.00 for postage and lunch. That was definitely the high point of my day. Of course I didn't accept the money.

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