Louisana, Here We Come!

We are leaving Austin today and heading for the Gulf Coast.  Our next mail stop will be:

Chris Childers
General Delivery
Lafayette LA 70501

Full post and pictures later.

Another Address to Send Us Goodies!

Brittany and I are in Marathon, TX, tired from our trip to Big Bend NP.  We'll be in Sanderson tomorrow, so if you want to send me stuff, I've got a new address for you:

Chris Childers
General Delivery
Austin TX 78710

We'll be leaving Austin either 1 or 2 Days after Christmas, you've got some time to make a good batch of cookies.

Its been uncharacteristically cold here, but it should be warming up by tomorrow.  We are well and having a blast.  New pics soon.

Phase Out

When I left New Jersey 3 months ago, I had a good idea how this whole bike touring thing would work, but I was completely unprepared for how it would unfold in real life.  People ask me if I'm getting sick of it yet, if I'm homesick or tired of sleeping on the ground.  In a way I am homesick a little.  T.S. Eliot said that that we'll never cease from traveling, and when we finally return home, we can really know the place for the first time.  One of the coolest things that this bike trip is giving me is context: context for what this country and my own home are and what they mean in the landscape, context for what and who I am in the world.

I am not getting sick of it.  Its really growing on me.  I am a little scared thinking about the fact that it must end some day.  Each day, traveling to a new place under my own power, I discover something new, something unique, something special about a new place or about myself.  I read somewhere that if more people knew the mental benefits to biking long distances, shrinks would go out of business.  The opportunities for self-analysis and thought are many.  There is nothing better to help you sort through your problems then a long day on the bike.

Another thing biking for this long does, especially with just one other person, is make you lose touch with reality.  If I were suddenly thrown back to New Jersey and my job, people would think I'm insane: we sing silly songs, burst into laughter and hysterics over street signs and say every single word in as many wrong ways as we can.  We have lost our marbles, but we couldn't be having more fun doing it.

So, just in the nick of time, Brittany has arrived to tell us just exactly how stupid we are acting.  She arrived yesterday and will bike with us into the indeterminate future, or until she loses her marbles, too.  For me, this marks the beginning of Phase 2.  The terrible trio will bike this next part of the country together and see if we can't drive each other nuts in the meantime.

It turns out, I have been riding for three months with an renowned author.  Ross, apparently, can not only write, but he writes whole books.  I can't imagine the number of made up words the he has now subjected the entire world to.  Be sure to check out his blog here.  You can also find a link to buy his picture book there.  As soon as I find a way to pirate it, I'll pass that along, too.

I want to thank everyone for the great packages and general support I have received from friends and family.  It means a lot to stay connected with home when you are effectively homeless.  For everybody who didn't get a chance the first time, I have another address where I'll be in a week or 2:

Chris Childers
General Delivery
Sanderson TX 79848

I found out you don't need to put the street address; the postal service knows where the post office is.

Another part of this blog post is some statistics.  Being the bike dork and general geek that I am, I've compiled some numbers and facts that offer some insight into Phase 1:

Days: 91
Traveling Days: 68
Rest/Tourist Days: 23
Zero Mile Days: 1
Nights in Houses: 40
Motels: 3
Distance: 4222 miles
Average Miles per  Day: 46
States: 7 (OR, CA, NV, UT, AZ, NM, TX)
Riding Partners: 7
Books read: 4
Flats: 0 (2 slow leaks, though)
National Parks/Rec Areas: 15 (Oregon Dunes, Redwoods, Yosemite, Death Valley, Redrock Canyon, Lake Mead, Zion, Grand Staircase, Lake Powell, Glen Canyon, Grand Canyon, Saguaro, White Sands, Carlsbad, Guadalupe Mtns)

I am working on catching up my map on the Where? page of this blog to give you a better idea of my route.  It'll take time.

We have entered the behemoth that is Texas.  Texans say it is its own country (but they disavow Dallas and Houston).  It is gorgeous.  I have really been looking forward to Texas, having no idea what I was in for.  Big Bend is on the horizon, then San Antonio, Austin, Galveston and New Orleans.  Coincidentally, we already quite a congregation meeting us in New Orleans around January 12, so if anybody else wants to join, come on down.

Until next time, po-tee-wheet?