Food. So simple, yet so complicated. On this journey, we’re always thinking about food. Sometimes it’s as simple as daydreaming about our next meal or figuring out what to pick up at the market. Other times, we’re stressing about running out of food or lamenting the seeming lack of control over our daily intake or worrying about the sustainability of our eating habits.

The truth is, even after a year on the road, finding and eating food is still a complex and often-troubling issue. We have to consider portability and our lack of refrigeration, as well as all the facets of eating healthfully. And the further we travel and the more I think about the issue of food, the more I realize just how spoiled we were in Long Beach, with our daily farmers’ markets and whenever-we-wanted-it access to high-quality, organic ingredients.

Sometimes, I’ll be in a market, trying to figure out what to buy, and I’ll think about how different my purchases would be if I had daily access to a kitchen, especially a refrigerator. It’s a weird thing to think about, because I don’t actually want to own a refrigerator, I just miss the comforts one allows. Yogurt, fresh meat, ice… all luxuries that I never really thought about a year ago.

Then there’s the issue of storage. I don’t really want to lug around 40 pounds of food every day, so I choose to buy only what we’ll eat in a 1 or 2-day period. And, subsequently, put us at the mercy of what’s available on a day-to-day basis. Staples that we used to eat a lot in Long Beach (such as quinoa, lentils, fresh spinach) aren’t as readily available in small town markets.

Then there are issues of health, which are wide and deep. I think about the ways that I would choose to eat in a situation where I wasn’t moving constantly… and it involves a lot of fresh vegetables that don’t keep well in a food bag, whole grains that take a long time to cook, meat that doesn’t survive 90-degree days. Ironically, while I feel stronger than ever before, I don’t feel as healthy as I did a year ago, because I don’t have the same control over what I eat.

And don’t even get me started on issues of sustainability. I have been deeply schooled in the lesson of what passes for food in most of this country. Organic, locally-grown, ethically-raised… How about meat that’s not purple and vegetables that don’t come out of a can?

So how do I take all these many different thoughts and locate foods that meet all the above criteria, while maintaining enough nutritional calories and some semblance of my own food belief system, and not make myself totally crazy? The answer is… I don’t know, I’m still figuring it out. In the near future, when we cross the ocean to Asia or South America, I’ll figure it out all over again.

At the base of this dilemma, of course, are all of the concessions that I’ve made over the past year. In the name of being able to eat through the myriad small towns we’ve explored, I’ve had to set aside my personal food politics, and look to the grey areas. When a half-dozen bruised apples in a basket make up the whole produce selection, you can’t afford to choose ‘organic.’ And, really, when I want to meet people where they are and make connections, how can I possibly project my set of ideals onto a situation that has no chance of supporting them?

But when my stomach grumbles because it’s full of sugar and hasn’t seen a green vegetable in days, I realize that I have to find a grey area within the grey area. There has to be a solution somewhere, a way to eat from small town offerings that leaves me feeling energized and confident in my choices, a way to stop longing for the comforts of a built-in kitchen and make amazing meals from just what I can carry.

In a way, all of these challenges open up an opportunity to grow, to learn. Food choices no longer come easily, so I have to put on my thinking cap and re-educate myself about a subject I thought I knew perfectly. As we get ready to enter our second year on the road, it seems the right time to take stock and have “beginner’s mind” about what it could be like to eat while we travel. We’ll share our food changes as we figure them out. In the meantime, if you have ideas, feel free to share. Here’s to thinking more about food!

From Nashville, we headed east toward Percy Priest reservoir. Our plan was actually to get to Cedars of Lebanon State Park, but the day was hot and we were seduced by the idea of just camping by the reservoir. From Nashville, we followed the Greenway out of town. For miles and miles, we were able to ride along this beautiful, wooded multi-use path - and we enjoyed the shade and the quiet. The Greenway ends at the dam, and you climb a hill out of the parking lot. Directly across the street is a visitors center, where a lovely young ranger told us all about camping options on the reservoir. We ended up at the Anderson Road campground, just a few miles SE of the visitors center. The campground is rustic, but we found a delightful spot right on the water, where we enjoyed the sunset that night and the sunrise the next morning.

From Percy Priest, we headed south-ish, along Hwy 41, to Murfreesboro. For the most part, Hwy 41 is a perfectly fine road, and traffic only gets heavy and unwieldy as you get into town. But, we lucked out, and spotted another greenway on the right side of the road, so we hopped on it and enjoyed a quiet, shady ride into town. Actually, before we got into town, Russ indulged in some urban fishing, since the greenway follows several rivers and creeks. We puttered around Murfreesboro that afternoon, and decided to just stay in town that night.

The next morning, we continued down Hwy 41, which continued to be a fine travel road. Just north of Manchester, we turned into Old Stone Fort State Park. We wanted to get into the park early in the day, since it was Friday and we wanted to make sure we got a spot. And it turned out to be a good thing that we pedaled so quickly, because that afternoon and evening were full of rainstorms that pummeled the area. We strung up our tarp porch and sat underneath it, as the rain came down so hard and fast that it created rivers through the forest around the park. (If you don’t believe me that it was that crazy, check out this video.)

In the morning, we woke up to a soggy, humid campground, and decided to head down the road a few miles to Barton Spring campground on Normandy Lake. The manager at the campground promised to make space for us, even if all the sites were full, and Russ was itching to fish some more. The country roads out to the lake were fantastic riding and we soared up and down the hills. Camping at Barton Spring made us realize that it’s actually summer! The place was packed full with families, swimming, picnicking, boating. It was an experience we hadn’t had since last summer! While Russ caught and released tiny fish after tiny fish, I sat under a tree and read, and jumped in the water whenever I started to get too hot. That night, we walked around the park and mused about the sheer number of people and the variety of humanity that was camped there.

From Barton Spring, we meandered south through the town of Tullahoma. We passed the George Dickel distillery, but couldn’t get a tour since it was Sunday morning. We figured the nearby Jack Daniel distillery would be closed too, so we skipped it as well (although, we later found out that Jack is open on Sundays, go figure). We rolled into Tims Ford State Park around noon and stopped to rest and find out about camping in the area. When we discovered they have a small restaurant with ice cream at the marina in the park, we opted to just stop for the day and continue to enjoy the feeling of being on summer vacation. That afternoon, another storm blew through, so we tightened our tarp porch and kept our fingers crossed that our tent would continue to hold (which it did).

In the morning, as it continued to drizzle, we debated staying another night at the park. When I realized that we didn’t have enough food and the small restaurant was closed on Mondays, we decided to mosey down the road a bit. The constantly changing weather was also getting us sick, so we opted to ride into nearby Winchester and get a cheap motel room. While I rested and tried to get well, Russ set up the computer in the only space in the room with wifi… the bathroom sink.

From Winchester, we were determined to finally log some miles and get into Chattanooga. We headed east along Hwy 41, moving slowly (since I was still feeling sick). When we reached the small community of Sewanee, we stopped for a bit of a break. We chatted with the guys at Woody’s Bike Shop, and ate lunch at Julia’s. Then, as it started to rain again, we took Joe (one of the guys at the bike shop) up on his offer to stay the night in town. That afternoon, after the rain had subsided, Joe took us on a hike out to a hidden waterfall. And that evening, we ate dinner with Joe and his roommates, Jerre and Charles.

We lingered in Sewanee in the morning, stopping for coffee on campus. Then, we headed down Jump Off Road toward our last camping stop before Chattanooga. If you’re in these parts, we really recommend Jump Off Road. It’s heavily wooded, which provides delightful shade on a hot day, and the traffic volume is extremely light (just don’t take Snake Pond like Google Maps suggests). We chowed down on some burgers at a local (and left-over from the 60s) fast food joint in South Pittsburg, then continued down Hwy 156. We naively followed Google’s travel advice and discovered that you really can’t cross the Tennessee River along Hogjaw Road (it’s a dam that was closed to traffic following 9/11). So, we ended up putting in a few more miles getting to our destination that night, Marion County Park. This would be a wonderful campground (right along the water, beautiful views), if not for the fact that I-24 (and all its traffic) is only a few hundred yards away. We did our best to ignore the sounds of cars and trucks, and focused on the water and groups of geese wandering around.

From Marion County Park, we followed Hwy 64 around the peninsula by the river. Given that it looks like it’s right along the river, we thought it would be fairly flat. It is not. But the serious amount of climbing is truly worth the stunning views. The traffic volumes were also quite light along this road, and we always had two lanes in our direction or a wide shoulder whenever we had to climb. Hwy 64 brings you into Chattanooga from the West, where you skirt the edge of Lookout Mountain and the remnants of a 60s tourist culture. And before we knew it, we were in downtown Chattanooga, getting ready for our presentation that evening. Thanks to everyone for coming out and to Outdoor Chattanooga for hosting us! We’re now greatly looking forward to exploring the rest of the city!

Nashville… before we got in, all we knew about you was that you were at the northern end of the Natchez Trace. People said you and Austin were in competition for the title of best music city in the US. We were a bit nervous that we wouldn’t be able to escape a never-ending stream of country music (and all its accoutrements). But it seemed like you were a place we had to see and explore, so we decided to sink in a bit and find out a bit more. As it turns out, Nashville, you’re a lot less country than we expected, and lot cooler too (but maybe we shouldn’t let the cat out of the bag?).

We ended up spending three weeks in Nashville - resting, hiding from the heat, eating well, celebrating my birthday. We ate lots of amazing food (and especially enjoyed the fact that Nashville is big enough to also have non-Southern cuisine, such as Vietnamese and Indian) and we discovered lots of great new beers (a great big thanks to the servers at 12 South Taproom, who answered a gazillion questions for us during our several visits). We explored many of the neighborhoods in Nashville, which all have their own distinct feel and community. We wandered through the Frist Art Center and several local galleries. We met a lot of fantastic people and had some really wonderful conversations over coffee and beer.

And we felt like we discovered a city that’s beginning to shift and grow - a city that’s moving beyond its country music roots to attract a diversity of creative people - a city that’s just a few years from a major tipping point, when it will undoubtedly become more cyclist- and pedestrian-friendly.

Thanks Nashville - we really enjoyed our stay!

We had a great presentation at the Nashville Bicycle Lounge! And then got completely soaked in the storm that hit as we were riding back afterward - and marveled at how a cow ended up toppled over on the side of the Greenway.

We were invited to stay in a beautiful, newly-refurbished, sustainably-built guest house, soon to be LEED-certified. We enjoyed the opportunity to be a little bit domestic, and had a great time getting to know Jane and Rod (who put a tremendous amount of themselves into the building of this space!).

We stood in the lines, in the heat, at the Hot Chicken Festival - to experience what we’d been told is Nashville’s signature food. Think spicy fried chicken… and sho’ nuff, it was was good stuff!

Russ and Rich went out on the water at nearby Percy Priest reservoir, and Russ caught his biggest fish to date!

Laura met up with some fellow metalsmiths in town… Carrie and Amanda. And shared studio space and ideas with Lisa.

And we both worked a bit…

Laura sent some new headbadges off into the world.

Russ shot some great portraits (that’s Green Fleet Messengers above).

We’re only a few days out of Nashville, a few days from all the new friends we’ve met, the great meals we ate, the comfortable beds we slept in and it seems so distant – a dream. We are on the road again, the stunning Tennessee country side moving around us like a three dimensional postcard. We are moving, but moving slow, overcoming the inertia of being still.

Riding a bike all day affords you a lot of time to think, to solve the worlds problems in your head, to question the nature of space and time. One thing I am constantly struck with is the endless march of the present. Pleasure and pain is fleeting. The agony of a seemingly endless climb, the transcendent joy of late night conversations with new friends is equal in Time’s eyes. Neither lasts longer than it should or moves faster than it should and when it has passed, there is nothing left but ephemera, the photos, a journal entry, half remermbered dialogue in your head.

We are approaching a year of being on the road, a year of moving through this American landscape wide-eyed and hearts open. A few nights ago, as the rain was coming down hard against the tent I went flipping through the photos in my iPhone and was stunned to see all that we had experienced. Going through each photo, I feel momentarily transported back. We are on the Amtrak riding to Portland, we are in a pop-up tent on Orcas Island listening to horses run in the dark of night, we are eating the best hamburger ever in Seattle, we are cold and hungry in the desert….we are in this tent in middle of Tennessee and I am looking at my iPhone wondering where all that time went. I experience something like extreme nostalgia for the recent past, the futile gripping of thin air.

Time is a funny thing. Earlier today, we broke down camp and rode down some lovely country roads and stopped at a swimming area by a lake to have some tea. It was just perfect and I feel blessed to have done something as simple and beautiful as that. But that moment is over and has joined all the rest, the remnants of which exist on my iPhone.

Laura and I joke that we have traded in a “prime earning year” for a “prime living year.” We definitely have lived this year, maybe more this year than we have in the last five. And yet, the funny irony of it is that we really have nothing physical to show for it except for the strange tan lines on our feet. A few years living in town and you can amass roomfuls of stuff. A year on the road, living life as full as you know how and we have no trophies, no employee of the year plaque and by all accounts we probably have less than when we began.

A lifetime of memories for a shoeful of dust. In the end will it have been worth it?

We met a man while we were checking into camp the other day. He was older, round about the belly and looked like the farthest thing from a cyclist. The first words from his mouth were, “Is that a Brooks? I had one of those.” He goes on to tell us about a bike tour he did in ’79 in Germany with a twinkle in his eye. He tells us about how when he was at camp one night lightning struck a tree by his tent, it bursts into flames and it was the most scared he had ever been but by god it was the time of his life. Listening to him talk about the trip I can see the old age momentarily lift from his face and at that moment, I know that this trip, every painful and pleasurable moment will have been worth it.

We are about two days away from Chattanooga and maybe a week from Asheville, NC. If you’re from Chattanooga or Asheville and want to host us or set up a presentation, please email us. We’re really excited to visit these two cities, since we’ve heard that they are such great cycling towns! Send us suggestions of what to see and do while we are there!

Top 5 Public Campgrounds

1. Twanoh State Park – Hood Canal, Washington

We arrived at Twanoh State Park around noon, after only riding 12 or so miles. We
stopped to have lunch and look out over the water. After a relaxing hour-long break,
we decided it was just too amazing a location to pass up and we stayed the night.

Twanoh State Park is part of the Cascade Marine Trail, meaning that it has campsites
that are only available to people who arrive by human power. Given that we arrived by
bicycle (and, thus, human power), we were able to camp in a small space right on the
water’s edge in the day-use portion of the park. We were across the street from the main
campground, meaning that there were no other campers nearby. At dusk, the rangers
locked the gate, and the whole area on the water was left just for us. Waves lapping ten
feet from the picnic table and tent, a rocky beach to explore when the tide is low, a sky
full of stars at night – we felt like we had stumbled onto a little slice of heaven.

Twanoh is nestled amongst residences along the Hood Canal, meaning that it is relatively
quiet (there is only traffic noise, but it’s relatively light). There are no services nearby,
except for a few mini-marts within 10 miles in either direction (but these mini marts
have locally-caught smoked salmon!). Showers are available in the park, and there is a
small snackbar that’s open during the summer (we thoroughly enjoyed their fudge bars!).
Camping is $14 per night (primitive).

2. Picacho Peak State Park – Arizona

We pulled in to Picacho Peak State Park on our way south into Tucson. It is just off I-
10, to the west, but it is set in the hills several hundred feet above the freeway, making
it blissfully quiet and peaceful. When we first pulled in to the campground, we were
stunned by how beautiful it is and how surprisingly tucked-away you feel.

Picacho Peak is a small mountain in the middle of the desert, surrounded by cactus. It
has a beautiful and fascinating history, and there are hiking trails that criss-cross the area,
allowing you to climb up to stunning viewpoints. The campground, itself, is broken into
electric and non-electric sites, meaning that most generator-running RVs are in one area,
and tenters are able to separate themselves from the noise. We chose a spot up on the
hillside, which gave us an amazing view of the valley below and the stars at night. The
facilities at Picacho Peak are brand new, having been recently remodeled to be more
sustainable. The visitor’s center is LEED certified, and the restrooms in the campground
feel like a spa.

Picacho Peak was slated to be closed this spring, due to budgetary shortfalls. However,
I’m happy to say that it looks like a group of concerned Arizonans banded together and
saved the park, so it’s still open for others to enjoy! Camping is $15/night (non-electric),
plus $3 entry fee (if not in automobile).

3. Elk Prairie Campground – Prairie Creek Redwoods, California

The route to Elk Prairie Campground is a small two-lane road that winds through thick
redwood forest. If you’re coming from the North, you coast slowly downhill through the
trees, tucked in a pocket of magical silence. After several miles, the forest opens up to a
clearing – a prairie that is popular with the local elk herd, and a campground.

Elk Prairie Campground is right along the very-popular Pacific Coast Bike Route, so
it offers a spectacular hiker/biker camping area, set away from the RVs. It’s a bit of a
walk to the restrooms, but you get front-row seats to the elk that meander through the
prairie (and tussle with each other during Rut in the early fall). If you arrive on bike (or
foot), expect to meet lots of other like-minded travelers. At night, the area is fantastically
dark and quiet (unless the elk are in Rut, in which case you’ll hear them moan and knock
antlers in the dark). Because the campgrouns is located near the ocean (although you
forget because of the trees), fog drifts in and out of the area, making it feel even more
ethereal.

Bear boxes are provided to stash your food and keep the critters away. Showers are
available in the main part of the campground, and require quarters. Camping is $5 per
night person (for hiker/biker).

4. Enchanted Rock State Natural Area – Texas

When we left Austin and headed NW through Hill Country, everyone told us that we
simply had to go to Enchanted Rock State Park. Fine, fine, we said, and plotted our
course through the state park. When we got there, we were so charmed that we ended up
staying two nights, just to have more time to explore and enjoy.

Enchanted Rock State Park is set at the foot of Enchanted Rock, a single and enormous
rock that has been a magical and sacred spot for many. Camping is located at the base
of the rocky cliffs or in a grassy field (we recommend the ones by the rocks). Although
it’s not a long trek, each site is walk-in only (there are no RV hookups), making them feel
particularly secluded and private. Some sites have covered tables, which is great in times
of sun or rain. Water is located in the parking area, so bring some sort of container to
carry it back to your site. Firewood and showers are available, and WiFi can be accessed
at the ranger station.

While you’re there, make sure you carve out time to hike to the top of Enchanted Rock.
It’s a short, steep walk up the face of the rock, and the views from the top are incredible.
If you visit during the spring, you’ll also be treated to beautiful wildflower blooms.
Camping is $15 per night (non-peak times) and $17 per night (peak times), with $6 per
person per day entry fee.

5. Chisos Basin Campground – Big Bend National Park, Texas

Chisos Basin is located in the middle of a mountainous fortress. From the main road
through Big Bend National Park, you climb 5 miles up a steep and winding road, before
reaching the summit and heading1.5 miles down into the 5,400-feet-high valley. From
the campground, you are surrounded on all sides by mountain peaks, making sunset a
truly magical experience.

You have to work to get to Chisos Basin on a bike. You have to really want it. And
when you tip over the edge and soar into the campground, it will literally take your breath
away. This is one of the single most amazingly beautiful locations either of us has ever
been.

The campground is fairly small, and is predominantly full of people in tents, as many
RVs cannot make the drive. Restrooms and running water are available. There are no
showers, but we felt it was worth it to be dirty to see this place. A short half-mile hike up
the hill takes you to the lodge, visitors center and small store, where you can get a motel
room, eat in a restaurant, buy snacks, and learn about the area. Hikes are available in all
direction. Camping is $8 per night.

Top 5 Private Campgrounds

1. Fall Hollow Campground – Hohenwald, Tennessee (off Natchez Trace Parkway)

Nearing the end of our Natchez Trace adventure, we stumbled onto Fall Hollow
Campground. It was a hot afternoon and we were tired, so we very much enjoyed seeing
a bicycle hanging from the ‘campground open’ sign. Bill and Kathy enthusiastically
welcomed us, gave us some iced tea, and asked about our trip. We quickly became
enamored of this place.

Fall Hollow is a lovely campground. Nestled into the rolling green hills, with plenty
of trees and a creek winding along the back of the property. It’s quiet, relaxing, clean,
and friendly. Cyclists are definitely welcome here. On Thursday, Friday and Saturday
nights, Fall Hollow also operates a restaurant, open for dinner. The food is delicious and
well worth reconfiguring a trip to be sure to be there on one of those evenings. Showers
are available, although a dip in the cold-water creek may be more refreshing on a hot
afternoon.

Fall Hollow is extremely convenient if you’re cycling the Natchez Trace, and should be
a destination for all road-weary travelers (cyclists, make sure you add your name to the
map!). $5 per person per night.

2. Pleasure Point Marina – Lake Claiborne, Louisiana

Our stop at Pleasure Point Marina was complete coincidence and serendipity, as most
great things are. We met Russell (the owner) in the nearby town of Homer and he invited
us down for the weekend, instead of simply stopping at the state park. As we pitched our
tent just ten feet from the edge of the lake, we were thrilled by this change of plans.

Pleasure Point is mainly an RV camp, but tenters are also welcome. There are very
loose delineations between sites, so everyone is friendly with their neighbors, and we
enjoyed chatting with the guy camped next to us. The campground is located at the
end of a small point of land that juts out into Lake Claiborne. On a hot day, you can
sit under the shade of the big trees and enjoy the cool breeze that blows across the lake.
When it gets too hot, go inside the air-conditioned café for a cold drink. The café serves
some of the best hamburgers around, and now you can get a beer or a margarita with
it. We started dubbing Pleasure Point “summer camp for adults,” because it was such
a beautiful and relaxing spot, and because the drinks at the bar were so very enticing.

3. Las Ruinas Camping Hostel – Terlingua Ghost Town, Texas

When we rolled into the Terlingua-Study Butte area near Big Bend National Park, we
assumed that we would just stay in a cheap motel for the night, assuming that there were
no “official” camping options. Then we learned about Las Ruinas, and were delighted by
this brand new and absolutely wonderful spot.

Las Ruinas is a hostel, but they don’t offer beds for you to sleep in, you have to come
prepared to camp. If you don’t have your own tent, you can stay in one of their soft-
sided cabins, but there’s no furniture inside and they don’t provide sheets. If you do
have your own tent, you can pitch it in a little corner of the desert landscape. Las
Ruinas has WiFi, a shower and restrooms, an outdoor kitchen, and an old bus that
has been converted into a living room/game room/movie room. One of the greatest
assets of Las Ruinas is its location. It’s right in Terlingua Ghost Town, which is the
old mining camp that was abandoned and is now being revitalized. A five-minute
walk will take you to the Starlight Theatre for dinner. Then grab a beer and sit outside
on the long porch and watch the sunset and listen to the locals tell some wild stories.

The Big Bend region of Texas should be on everyone’s list of must-visit locations. And
when you come to Terlingua, stay here.

4. Rusty’s RV Ranch – Rodeo, New Mexico

When we headed east from Bisbee, Arizona, we knew that we wanted to stay as far
south as possible, so we chose Hwy 80 and Hwy 9, and we prepared ourselves for a very
empty length of road. Fortunately, at the junction of the two highways is the small town
of Rodeo, New Mexico. And a few years back, Rusty opened her RV Ranch, enticing
travelers to this beautifully empty desert scenery.

We arrived late in the afternoon, tired from a long day of riding into a headwind,
dreading the cold night ahead of us – and Rusty welcomed us with a smile. She opened
her RV Ranch just a few years ago, on a small plot of desert land, in the foothills
of the stunning Chiricahua Mountains. There is a small patch of grass behind the
office where she puts folks in tents (amazingly, we weren’t the first folks she’d seen
arrive on bicycles). The office also has WiFi and a restroom with a shower, so it’s a
wonderfully convenient space to camp out. Because the temperatures were supposed
to drop into the low 20s that night, Rusty moved her small portable heater into the
bathroom, so that we could shower in a warm room and have a place to take the chill off.

In the morning, we had our coffee and breakfast in the office and chatted with Rusty
and some other travelers. It was a wonderful gem of a place in the middle of nowhere.
Camping $24.

5. Manchester Beach KOA – Manchester Beach, California

Manchester Beach is along Hwy 1 on the Northern California coast. The area is beautiful
and rugged. The state parks, however, leave a lot to be desired. When we rolled into
Manchester Beach State Park, we discovered a bland campground with only pit toilets
and no other facilities. While we waited for the camp hosts to return to change our $20
bill, Russ rode back up the road a half mile to the KOA next door, to see if they had a
market with cold drinks. He discovered a beautiful campground with a great hiker/biker
deal.

The Manchester Beach KOA has to be the only KOA in the US that offers a hiker/
biker discount and one of the few that doesn’t completely rip you off. For $9 per night
per person, you have complete access to their wonderful facility – including a kitchen
with gas grills, hot showers, laundry, a pool and a hot tub (which my sore muscles were
extremely thankful for). More than all the above, because they offered a great hiker/biker
deal, all the bike tourists that were camping in that stretch of coastline that night were
set up at the KOA. We shared space with at least a half dozen other people and swapped
stories into the evening.

The difference between the KOA and the state park was so stark that it was an
instantaneous decision, and we felt it was well worth the extra few dollars. If you’re
planning a trip down this stretch of road, we highly suggest the KOA over the state park.

Jonathan Maus - BikePortland

BikePortland, to bikey folks, needs no introduction. While it remains solely focused on bike issues in Portland, its reach and influence easily spills across the country. We’ve spoken to many people interested in bike advocacy across the country and they all watch BikePortland like hawks for inspiration. We’ve crossed paths several times with Jonathan over the last few years. We first met briefly at the 2007 Tour de Fat. We met again a few years later in Long Beach, CA while he was visiting some family not too far away. During our current trip, Jonathan helped set up a presentation at Roots Brewing company. He is an all around great guy, and BikePortland is tireless in its dedication to keep watch on Portland’s bike scene. During our presentations, we talk a bit about BikePortland and how bike watchdog sites like that are absolutely essential in creating a bike community.

Jeff Mapes - Pedal Revolution

Not even two days into Portland, we got invited to help in a bike move. While there, we met Jeff Mapes, a journalist and author of Pedal Revolution. It was one of those strange moments, since we had been reading the book while on the Amtrak heading to Portland! Pedal Revolution has become required reading of sorts for people interested in bike advocacy. I know that, in Long Beach, the bike/ped coordinator handed out over 100 copies to some of the most influential people in town, to enlighten them about the possibilities of the bicycle. Jeff walks the walk. During the bike move, he rode his cargo bike, a Yuba Mundo, and pedaled along with everyone.

Todd and Martina - Clever Cycles

The word “bakfiets” was barely on the radar of cycling in the United States until Todd, Martina, Dean and their other partners began importing them for their store Clever Cycles in Portland. We had been huge fans of their store and always stopped by whenever we visited Portland. Todd gave us a rambling tour of his side of Portland, meandering through neighborhood streets, picking fruit from trees and riding up Mount Tabor. It was wonderful to watch him ride a bike because you could see him instantly transformed into someone with effortless grace on two wheels. We also spoke a lot to Martina, who was determined to expand cycling to families. She was appalled at some of the cheap low quality trailers and child seats that were made for bicycles and was adamant that if more families were to ride on bikes, manufacturers would have to create better products! I remember riding around town and I asked her how she felt when she saw a bakfiets on the streets of Portland. She was proud, and rightfully so, because without Clever Cycles the US would still be in the dark about the possibilities of utility cycling.

Kent Peterson

Kent “Mountain Turtle” Peterson is another prolific bike blogger. I’ve been reading his blog for some time and enjoyed his posts about his overnight bike camping trips in the outskirts of Seattle. He is also well known for his single speed exploits on the Great Divide. He competed this year in the Great Divide Tour but didn’t finish. In a poignant post he writes about why he ended the race and his realization that he was more tourist than racer. One of our favorite posts was what he wrote about how there is an inverse relationship between information and adventure. The more information you have, the less adventurous your journey feels. That one bit of insight really inspired us to leave ourselves open and let serendipity be our guide.

Martina - Swift Industries

We met Martina in Seattle, where she runs her business Swift Industries. Martina is strongly principled and does her best to run Swift sustainably and socially responsibly. We use her front panniers and are happy to know that we are supporting a great independent maker who is trying do right in the world through her products. Click here to see a multimedia story on Martina!

Shane MacRhodes - Eugene, OR Safe Routes to School

We had a beautiful homestay with Shane MacRhodes, father, cyclist and Safe Routes to School coordinator for Eugene. Shane and his wife Missy, did a trip very similar to ours a few years ago, and shared stories and knowledge from their experience. Shane is active in the community and is a LCI (League Certified Instructor), has sat on the bicycle advisory committee of Eugene and also founded the successful “kidical mass” ride in Eugene. He and Missy are the proud parents of three young kids (congratulations on your new twin boys!), and they are a great example of how cycling advocacy has to grow up beyond the angry young men of Critical Mass and encompass a wider scope of people to be truly effective.

Rivendell

This was one of the big highlights for me, being a big Rivendell fan for some time. We rolled into Walnut Creek during a storm and the Rivendell folks were kind enough to give us some shelter for a few hours and show us around the office. We got to meet Grant and talked to him about Etsy and photography. I also tried to get him to carry Opinel knives to no avail. : )

I snapped a rare photo of Robert (aka “Pineapple Bob”) the once reluctant Bridgestone model. We got to hang out with the guys in the shipping department who were having a great time.

We also met Rich, their wheelbuilder, who many weeks later would help me out of a jam by building a wheel and sending it via UPS overnight to our campsite! They are good guys and I was ecstatic to finally meet the folks behind this company that is shrouded around so much mystique.

Tammy and Logan

Sometimes you meet folks on the road and know that, given the opportunity, would be great friends and neighbors. Tammy (RowdyKittens.com) and her husband Logan are just good people. When we rolled into Sacramento, I was miserable, having just burnt my hand, and Laura was coming down with the flu. They were kind enough to take us in for a week and let us convalesce. Tammy and Logan are also into simple living and the tiny house movement. They had both reduced their personal belongings to just a handful of items but were richer for it, having more time to enjoy their lives, instead of trying to work like mad to maintain a lifestyle. They have since moved to Portland and Tammy has released an eBook called Simply CarFree that you all should read!

Jeff Boatman - Carousel Design Works

Jeff lives and works in a small house in the hills of California gold country that his grandfather owned. After a personal tragedy and a serious injury that had him laid up for two years, Jeff combined his love for ultralight backpacking and cycling and began Carousel Design Works. His frame bags are a true reflection of his stripped down back to basics lifestyle. We stayed one night at his house in the woods where we reflected deeply on the strange paths that life sometimes takes us down.

Mike McKisson - TucsonVelo

Mike is another person we talk about during our presentations. His life was transformed by the bicycle. One fateful day he rented a bicycle in San Diego. After having fun on the rental, he decided to try cycling in Tucson, AZ. From then on, cycling took hold of him and he lost over 100lbs in a year, began bike commuting and racing. While we were there we talked a lot about bike advocacy. Coincidentally, he had setup a webpage but it hadn’t been officially launched yet. At our presentation at BICAS, the local bike co-op, we plugged his new website TucsonVelo and from then on it has become the bike news/advocacy site of Tucson.

Ken Wallace - Bisbee Bicycle Brothel

Tucked in the hills of Southern Arizona, the Bisbee Bicycle Brothel is an unlikely gem in an unlikelier piece of rock. Ken Wallace, the proprietor of the Bike Brothel, let us stay at his place while a snow storm blew through the hills. His knowledge of cycling ephemera is encyclopedic and he was an absolutely fascinating person to talk to. If you are anywhere near Bisbee and like bikes, his shop/personal bike museum is an absolute MUST visit place.

Beth Nobles - Texas Mountain Trail
Beth Nobles of TexasMountainTrail is also an amazing woman we met along our journey. Responsible for promoting tourism in far West Texas, she is broadening her approach to promote cycling as well. During our travels through her region, she helped us connect with places to stay as well as suggested things to see. We recently got an email from her, telling us that she has been working with the city council of Valentine, TX (a super remote area in Texas) to allow cyclists to stay at the Community Building! She has also been working with local hotels in Van Horn, to carry bicycle pumps and other tools for touring cyclists.

Keith Byrd and Elliot McFadden

Keith Byrd is the charismatic leader and organizer of immensely popular Thursday Night Social ride in Austin. While he didn’t start the ride, he has grown its popularity and has worked with local businesses to support it. While we were there, the rides easily numbered around 300 people. We’ve heard that it can get into the thousands on real popular nights. Elliot McFadden, is the webmaster of AustinOnTwoWheels, the BikePortland equivalent of Austin, covering news and events in Austin. While we were in Austin, we were lucky enough to attend their first Taste of Downtown ride, an attempt to take the Social Ride and turn it mainstream.

The ride took people to various restaurants in town that offered up drinks and snacks. Keith led the ride on a newly acquired bakfiets (courtesy of Clever Cycles…you see all the crazy little connections?). The sense of bike culture is thick in Austin and a lot of it has to do with Keith and Elliot.

Bernie and Bryan - Trinity Bicycles

Bernie and Bryan, the owners of Trinity Bicycles, hosted our most amazing presentation to date in Fort Worth. We got a crowd of over 100 people and it was evidence that Fort Worth and North Texas had a large latent bike culture. Trinity is the first commuter/touring focused shop in Fort Worth. Bernie specifically wanted a shop with showers that was close to transit lines so he could help serve commuters. Since our presentation many months ago, they have also led several bicycle rides and even an overnight bike camping trip! The shop was just barely painted when we had our presentation and now it is becoming ground zero for bicycling culture in Fort Worth.

Howard Draper - BikeFriendlyDenton

Howard Draper is the calm and persistent voice of cycling in the small North Texas town of Denton. Through his website, he has begun to find others in Denton that want to promote cycling. He has also made large strides in reaching out to the mayor, city council and businesses to think of transforming Denton in a pedestrian and bike friendly city.

Maurice - Bicycling Lawyer of Shreveport

Maurice, our host in Shreveport, Louisiana, is quite possibly the only lawyer that bike commutes in all of Shreveport. While not the leader of any organized group, he has provided a great example to others in the community. He is knowledgeable about bike laws and bike safety and played an instrumental role in getting a very anti-bike law struck down (there was a bill proposed to require cyclists to wear blinking lights at ALL TIMES). His continued personal advocacy will hopefully soon inspire some of the younger cyclists to step up to the plate and start a movement in Shreveport.

Jackson Bicycle Advocates

The words bicycling and Mississippi don’t usually go hand in hand unless its used in a disparaging sense. However, despite Mississippi not being historically known for being bike friendly, bike advocates are beginning to assemble in Jackson. A motley crew of bike commuters, planners, journalists and artists have come together to turn Jackson, Mississippi into a nicer place to get around by bike. While there is much work to be done, there is hope. At the very least is has been pleasantly surprising to find bicycling enthusiasts hidden in the Deep South, the very frontline of bicycling boundaries!

Dan Hensley

Nashville has the potential to be a great cycling city and Dan Hensley, the owner of Nashville Bicycle Lounge, is going to drag it kicking and screaming. He is admittedly brusque and is often ostracized for being vocal about cycling issues in Nashville, but he is passionate about getting folks on bikes and is one of the components in turning Nashville around. His shop, the Nashville Bicycle Lounge, is the only shop in town that directly caters to commuters and utility cycles. Just a few days ago, he received cargo trailers and is renting them to the people of Nashville with the hopes that when people see the trailers, they’ll realize the untapped utility of the bicycle.

After 7500 miles, we have met some amazing bike people, and are thrilled by each connection and conversation we’ve had. As our journey continues, we look forward to all the great bike people on the east coast and the middle of the US.

People began trickling in a few minutes before 5pm and by the time we started the presentation, there was a good crowd present with good energy. Yazoo, the local brewery, was kind enough to have some of their tasty beer preseent. Dan, the owner of Nashville Bicycle Lounge and ever vocal advocate, decided to do some fundraising at the event. He asked us to pick a charity and we chose World Bicycle Relief and he auctioned off the privilege of sitting in a big cushy chair in the front row to the highest bidder. Rich, one of our awesome blog readers and homestay host, stepped up to the plate and won the bidding. Thanks Rich!

As luck would have it, there were two other tourists at the presentation who were RIDING for World Bicycle Relief.

The presentation went well with a lot of enthusiasm from the crowd. The issue of bicycle advocacy came up a few times during the Q&A portion and we shared what we had seen in other cities and how they could apply to Nashville.

Having ridden around Nashville the last few weeks, we feel that it has all the potential of becoming a Portland or an Austin. It has all the disparate elements of a great bicycling city, an awesome greenway, access to a world class parkway at its doorstep (the Natchez Trace), a dense downtown and developing unique neighborhoods and a plethora of bicycle shops. Despite all this, there isn’t a sense of a real palpable UNIFIED bike community quite yet. There are certainly lots of folks riding bikes within their own spheres but there is no website or organization that has successfully unified all the voices. There is no BikePortland, TucsonVelo or AustinonTwoWheels that actively reports on bike events, bike news and bike issues that span beyond racing. There is no website that reports on new city projects (good and bad), on how people can get involved in advocacy, on bicycles as transportation, on bicycle friendly businesses. In short, there is a latent mass of cyclists that is still rather voiceless.

Despite this, we feel Nashville is near that critical mass. After our presentation, we were excited to hear that several attendees talked to Dan afterwards interested in future bike advocacy projects. Could Nashville be the Fort Worth of Tennessee - a city just waiting for the right elements to align before exploding with bikeyness? We hope so. Just as Trinity Bicycles in Fort Worth has become ground zero for bike commuting and touring in Fort Worth, we hope Nashville Bicycle Lounge will do the same for Nashville.

The inside of one of Nashville’s new and funky bike shops - Halcyon.

Halcyon has some communal bike stands on their exterior wall!

We meet Jeff and Carolyn, our first homestay hosts in town. Jeff, like myself, were bloggers for the wonderful BikeCommuters.com.

The folks at TenkaraUSA sent me one of their rods to try out on our trip. It’s lightweight and amazingly collapses into itself. I haven’t taken it through all its paces yet, but be sure a review is in the works.

We check out Nashville Bicycle Lounge and get acquainted with Dan, the owner.

Dan, aside from running the shop is also intensely passionate about bike advocacy in Nashville. We’re expecting great things from his shop in the future!

Our host and longtime reader, Rich, took us on a tour of downtown Nashville.

Laura interacts with some art.

I managed a little urban fly fishing and pulled out this beautiful longear from the Cumberland.

We also met up with Trisha from the wonderful and stylish bike blog - LetsGoRideABike.com.

We’re having a blast and are immensely enjoying some wonders of modern technology that we have not had access to, namely refrigeration (cold beer) and air-conditioning! There is still tons to explore and the more we poke around the more we are discovering the bike scene in Nashville that seems about ready to explode.

As a gentle reminder - our presentation at Nashville Bicycle Lounge is THIS Saturday at 5pm. Check out the Facebook Event Page and don’t forget to RSVP.

We ran into a blog reader at Halcyon (hey Kim!) yesterday and it dawned on us that we should mention we are in Nashville - NOW! We’re planning to take the next two weeks off to rest (and hopefully celebrate Laura’s birthday in town where there is ready access to good beer and food) and hopefully do some work to keep the trip going. So Nashville - we need your help!

A Place to Stay
We’re staying with some fine folks at the moment but don’t want to burn them (or any of our hosts out). So if you’ve got a spare room or a spare couch that we can stay for 2 or 3 nights - let us know! We’re super low maintenance and friendly - honest! Send us an email.

Put us to Work

Laura makes jewelry, custom headbadges and of course - the Bicycle Mustache. If you’re in need for some custom bling on your bike while we are in town, don’t hesitate to email her.

I’m a photographer and specialize in portraits and food. So if you need some new family portraits shot in a fun documentary style, or if you own a restaurant and want your menu and advertisements to pop - email me!

Come to our presentation!
We’re doing a presentation at Nashville Bicycle Lounge while we are in town. If you’re interested in what it takes to go on a bike tour or what its like to leave everything behind and vagabond for an indefinite amount of time - you should attend!

RSVP on Facebook.

Date: Saturday, June 26, 2010
Time: 5:00pm - 7:00pm
Location: Nashville Bicycle Lounge
Street: 961 Woodland Street
Nashville, TN