Closing Statements…

I’ve been back in Portland for 5 days as I write this entry.  I had three days to visit friends and have lots of fun! I’ve worked three shifts at my old job at The US Outdoor Store.  Still trying to get my room cleaned and organized.  Shirley the Surly Long Haul Trucker is in the basement all overhauled but in need of a new chain.  This weekend I might go for a long ride with some friends.  I’ve been riding my fixie, an old raleigh 12 speed from the 80′s the I converted… I’ll post a picture soon.  Its a bad ass.

Well.  What do I have to say for myself…

When I was planning this trip I was playing with the idea of not bringing an iPod.  Without an iPod I would be forced to be with Me.  That’s hard.  Thats something foreign, for I have been raised in a world of distractions.   I dibble in meditation, something that I’m growing into and becoming more and more interested in.   I also thought this trip would answer those “questions” in my life and head.  Maybe I would “Find Myself”?  

I used the iPod often.  It actually saved me from utter boredom.  It tuned out the sound of the highway when I was restricted to days of highway riding(huge shoulders).  I also listened to inspirational speakers and comedy.  I was able to do a lot of thinking and soul searching though.  I discovered even more “questions” and to say that I “found myself”?… Nope. 

Overall, this trip was a true Life Changing Experience.  After all, I am about to turn 28 years old and in astrological theories I’m entering into my Saturn Return where I’m going to change and re-arrange my life.  That sounds cool, eh?  Maybe college?  Maybe I’ll become a successful photographer?  Maybe I’ll continue traveling?

Whatever I do, I don’t have to figure it out today.  Whatever I do, I am still going to be living an amazing life and build amazing friendships.  Whatever I do, hopefully I will do it with a huge smile on my face.

The most recurring thought during my trip was to quit photography and go to college.  Nursing school.  Or just a bachelor degree in general.  I have lost the inspiration to take pictures and market myself.  I mustn’t give up so easily is the realization I came to.  I’m talented and love photography.  Love it!  So, I am re-committing myself to my trade.  Please check out my photography and in 6 months, hopefully I will have some new work to show.

Hello and thanks to all that I met on my trip, the wonderfuls I rode with, the hospitable who hosted and fed me, the ones who are continuing further south and to the Spirits and Gods and Goddesses who kept me safe, healthy and happy along the way.  Thank you.

To everyone who followed my on my journey via this blog, thank you!  In the last 5 days I have realized that many more people viewed my blog than I thought.  And thanks to my wonderful sister who commented almost every one of my entries and acted as my personal cheerleader.  

Peace.

Tijuana

I’m on the trolley back to downtown San diego, just left the mexican border.

I would have gone to tijuana but I promised my mom I wouldn’t. It’s rather rough for a gringo in Tijuana, specially a nice looking gringo in spandex.

2080 miles, 55 days away from home, 41 riding days…

I’ll write more when I get to a computer…

135 miles!

Wow!  I rode my bike from West Hollywood to San Diego!  135 miles!  Started at 6:30am and arrived at 6:30pm, and guess what-  I can still walk!  I guess I was feeling it yesterday.  I had 4-5 fast food meals throughout the day and lots of water.  My tan is impeccable.

Today I’m going to Amtrak to change my ticket for tommorrow morning, riding to the Mexican border (20 miles) and buying a cardboard bike box.  My train leaves at 6:10 am and i’m going to check the bike and my luggage tonight. 

The picture is the sunset I saw last night just south of Del Mar.  Amazing with the moon and all.  I also saw a rainbow land.

I’m staying at the Lucky D hostel above the Lucky D bar in downtown SD.  Its rather nice and people here are so friendly.  They have free stuff too!  Unlike most hostels, they don’t charge for towels, internet usage, and have free breakfast- waffles on weekends.  Art is all over the walls.  20 bucks too.  If you are ever here,  you should stay here!

 

Strong Tailwinds to Los Angeles

I left San Luis Obispo on wednesday morning.  I caught a city bus to Santa Maria, 40 miles south and it cost me only 2 bucks.  Then I sailed south averaging speeds over 20 miles per hour in some parts.  I made it to a camp site by 2:30 and decided to ride 25 more to Santa Barbara for the night.  In total I rode 80 miles, with the help of local transit, I covered 120 miles!  Even without the bus it was the longest day on this trip!  

I stayed at a nice little hostel and in the morning watched the sun come up at the beach, 3 blocks away.  Thursday morning I rode to Ventura and visited with a friend from Portland.  I also mailed a package to myself- stuff I don’t need.  Not sure why I did it so late in the trip, with less than 200 miles to go.  It felt great though with less gear.  On the way to Ventura I stopped in Carpenteria for lunch at a mexican bakery.  I smelled goodness from the street and my nose lead me to this pearl.  All kinds of fresh doughnuts, Mexican sweet breads, and tamales..  I had two amazing hot tamales and 2 apple fritters.  

I left Ventura with the intentions of riding about 5 miles to McGrath state park to tent for the night.  I got a flat on the way, fixed it, then stopped by a bike shop on the way out of town to buy an extra tube, just in case.  By the time I got to the camp the sun had set and I unfortunately found it closed due to flooding.  I rode around the gates to check it out…  It smelled like sewage and there definitely was water everywhere and no people.   Closest city with out backtracking against the wind to Ventura, in the dark, was Oxnard.  So I continued on for another 10 miles.  I met some cool people and they new someone who would let me post my tent on their property.  I didn’t want to spend 70 bucks on a hotel and they didn’t have a hostel.  Turns out this guy owns an old motel in a seedy part of town that he’s turned into an apartement complex.  I got to camp behind the school bus.  I was so excited to be quasi “stealth” camping.  (Info on Stealth Camping click here.)  The owner of the place new I was camping there, but his tenants were not forewarned.  I pictured scenarios of tenants approaching my tent in slippers and a frying pan…

I was in bed by 8 and up by 5, at McDonalds for a big breakfast by 6 and in Los Angeles by 11am.  I arrived with a really awesome tan and poked around Santa Monica until my friend Ashley came to pick me up.  Ashley is an actress here in Los Angeles.  I met her in New York through a friend from Memphis about 3 years ago when i was there to photograph a wedding.  She’s also a photographer – click here. I’m going to spend the rest of today here and then finish the trip.  I have about 3 days of riding left.

Anthony Jumping

Just wanted to share these two shots with you.  When I get back to Portland I’m going to take more pictures.  I’ll be blogging fun pics often too.  These were shot with my little Canon Powershot SD1000.  I’m laying on the ground and the camera is in the grass pointed up.  Makes him look like he is jumping really high.  The fact that he is tucking his legs helps too.  I love the lighting!

“In The Year 2000″….

I covered 120 miles! Since I spent a whole day in San Luis Obispo and have only 1 or two more days to spend off the bike, I thought I would cover some ground today. The day started with a regional city bus ride from San Luos to Santa Maria. That knocked out 40 miles and then I rode 80 miles. Amazing day, extra stiff tailwinds,

Raw Vegan/San Luis Obispo

I can’t seem to get very far.  My daily riding average since San Francisco hasn’t gone over 30..  After leaving Anthony and Sandra’s hosue I got discracted by hubbub in San Luis Obispo and found myself magically swept into a world of openness, smiles and holistic mojo.  I call it Woo Woo.  As a kid my mom went on a quest to find herself.  Home with Ma has always been colorful and joyous, with healing circles, taroh cards and the most jovial dinner parties.  Full of spice, flavor and love.  Being exposed to such goodness i’ve grown up always down to expose my tastebuds and other senses to new foods, ideas and environments.

Its called Smiling Dog Cafe, adjacent to Smiling Dog Yoga in San Luis Obispo, CA.  I met an angel named Amy at the local bike shop, who invited me to check out a “live food” cafe she co-creates at.  I asked her silly questions like “Are you good at baking?” and she replied with “Well, I’m really good at dehydrating”…  I didn’t get this till later.  So I went to check it out, still thinking it was a regular cafe with pastries, soups and sandwiches.  Another silly question- “Where are your ovens?”  -Raw Vegan!  All food from the earth, no meat, eggs, or dairy.  Nothing has been exposed to temperatures above 120 deg.  A food processer, blender, juicer, dehydrater, and other tools are replacements for the oven/range/microwave.

Last night went as follows:

Very engaging conversation about meditation practices, yoga, healing, food and more food.  I also was invited as the guest of a guest yoga instructor from San Francisco.  The class started with a meditation followed with mantras and ohm’s.  Very new to me and I loved it!!  I got my butt kicked in this class.  After the class I made my way over to Brandie’s (owner of cafe) house where Amy fed me the most palatable plate of raw goodness ever!  I’m in.  Where do I sign up!?

Last nights menu-

burgers made with walnuts, mushrooms, pumpkin and sunflower seeds and fresh herbs (served over delicious onion bread)

Homemade kimchee with caraway seeds, ginger and garlic

Kale chips (kale marinated with creamy lemon cashew dressing, then dehydrated)

Tomato basil crackers with flax seeds and fresh herbs

Live sprouted quinoa

Hand peeled almond butter

Check out Smiling Dog Yoga/Cafe here..

I won’t even go into the wonderful creations that have been witnessed and tasted all day today…  This is a blog about cycling… (wink wink)

Today is election day.  I’m very glad that I’m going to be in a town and not at a camp ground.  We are planning to go to a pub and watch the pandemonium live.  On this trip I’ve collected two campaign pieces, a button pinned to my handlebar bag and a spoke card that is pinned between two spokes.

I may never leave California! (note to employer-  Not serious…)

Morro Bay

Except for today, riding conditions for the last 3 days have been (insert bad words here)…  Andrew and I left Monterey and battled fierce headwinds up and down hills.  I would have to say that out of all weather conditions to ride in, wind is the worst.  It gets into your head and destroys any sort of positive thinking about the day you might have.  It sucks the life right out of you.  Thats what the last 3 days were like.  It finally rained yesterday, right before we reached our campground.  The skies gave us enough time to set up our tents and have some tea.  All night we were slammed by rain.  One good thing is that the sound of the rain washed out any sounds of what may be lurking outside the tent.  I sleep best with my trusty earplugs my sister gave me. 

We met a couple a few nights ago who were equipped with a brand new tent and some pellet (hand)guns.  In the middle of the night a raccoon had chewed through their tent and the guy was playing tug of war with the critter.  Then he had to throw stones at the hungry family of coons to finally get them to go a way.  He duct taped the tent up and they went back to sleep.  

One more incident and I’ll stop with the Raccoon phobia…  The night before last Andrew and I were at Kirk Creek camp ground and as we were reading we kept hearing a snarling/snorting noise..  I swear it sounds like a wild boar!  If you remember the movie “Princess Bride”?  Well, there was this big nasty boar the size of a VW beetle and had tusks and snorted the same exact way!  It was probably a raccoon with a sinus blockage.  Or the spawn of Satan.  I don’t know.  I can’t wait to sleep in my bed in NE Portland.

On the first day of windy riding, which was the worst, I pulled over a couple times and stuck out the thumb when a pickup truck drove by.  The second day I was ready to catch a local bus to San Luis Obispo…  It was also discouraging to get to a grocery mart to find that they have doubled their prices!  Restaurants were outrageous too!  I had a craving for some hot chocolate and one place was $4.50!  I found out later that we were riding through the most expensive part of the coast.  

Today’s riding was amazing.  Sun, no wind.  Smiles all the way!  We made it to Morro Bay and spotted a burrito place with lots of customers, so we stopped for lunch.  I said hello to a patron with monster sideburns.  We exchanged comments about bikes and touring and over the next few minutes he offered us a place to stay, a shower, laundry and homemade apple cobbler~!  Andrew and I were sold at “homemade”…

Anthony and his wife Sandra and their boys Hank and Isaiah(not pictured).  

Tonight’s menu- 

Sweet Potato and black bean burritos w/ onions and guacamole

My odometer is at 1700 miles and have about 350 to go.

Strawberries!

Andrew and I rode from Santa Cruz to Monterey today.  45 miles.  On the way we rode through endless strawberry fields covering the coast, they smelled and looked delicous!  We couldn’t find a place to purchase some so we settle for the next best option:  in a ditch not to far away, were some fresh strawberries that appeared to have freshly fallen off a truck on the way to the grocer.   So we filled a gallon sized ziplock bag, rescuing them from the deadly sun and eventual rot.

I have never been so full of strawberries!  We just got done making a couple manly sized strawberry milkshakes.  Time for bed.  Maybe I’ll have dreams of skyscraper sized strawberries chasing me down the streets of Los Angeles, the side of the strawberry facing the smoggy sun rotting off….

Monterey is very pretty.

Oh yeah, we had really good tacos today!  YUM! 4 for 4 bucks!

Santa Cruz, Tacos and Brad Pitt

I finally left San Francisco!  I was almost ready to stay for the rest of my life!  I had so much fun, at lots of great food and met tons of very interesting people.  I could see myself living there…

Yesterday I covered 30 miles from Haight-Ashbury District to Half Moon Bay Beach State Park.  Had a nice evening, conversed with a couple guys cycling from San Fran to San Diego, where they live.  This was their first trip and they looked at me and my set-up and assumed I was a veteran with wisdom to share.  All I really had to share was my stories of rowdy raccoons and ice cream.  Speaking of ice cream, I’m on my second bowl of the evening.

I got a call from Andrew, the guy I started this trip with over a month ago in Vancouver, he invited me to come stay with his new friends he’s couchsurfing with.  I’m crashing in the back yard in my tent.  They have a sweet Jack Russel named Cloe.  Owners of nice dog- Dustin and Melissa – bakers of most excellent cookies and banana bread. 

Tonight we saw a movie called “Burn After Reading”, a Cohen brothers film with George Clooney, Frances McDormand, and Brad Pitt.  Amazingly funny!  Clever and I shoudn’t quit my day job to be a movie critic..

Andrew and I are going to book it all the way to Monterey Bay and tour around for the day.  Maybe start looking for a halloween costume..  Unfortunatly I won’t be in a large city for spooky festivities.  Probably in some little coastal town.  Maybe that could be quite fun too!

Andrew has decided to keep going after he reaches San Diego.  He might continue another 1000 miles.  Brave soul!  I wish I had more time.  Need to get back to life and the world of retail outdoors!  If you didn’t know I sell clothing at The US Outdoor Store, downtown portland (Shout out to my co workers!!!  Miss you!!)  I actually am looking forward to getting back to my life, I miss Portland and my bed.  I guess thats what you get with a vaction- a better appreciation of home.

Pictures!

Check out my flickr.com pictures- Click Here!

Hills Hills Hills!

So i’ve been travelling with Caleb and April for the last 7 days.  Pretty much since Arcata.  I’m so glad too.  I set out to do this trip alone, braving such a feat solo, being alone in my head to work out those “life questions’…  I’m really grateful for all the wonderful cyclists i’ve been in contact with.  I think I would have gone crazy or lost interest!  Speaking of losing interest, I was having serious thoughts of calling it quits once I got to San Francisco.  I was afraid of running low on money and returning to Portland broke.  But, hey, I’ll live and am very resourceful.  I could sell blood or teeth.  Just kidding…  I’m going on till the end!  Only 12 days of riding to San Diego, which would be 600 miles.

Back to Caleb and April-  They are awesome.  They really suprised me when I asked how old they were.  Caleb- 20, April- 22.  I though they were my age.  What I love about them is their views on life and their mess kit.  They value eating very much, an attitute I can really get along with.  From them I learned you can never have enough butter, carry lots of spices and you can mix Quinoa with just about anything!  I was astonished when Caleb was scooping dollops of peanut butter into the last bit of his Quinoa.  I have yet to try it.

They are from Madison, Wisconsin and started in Seattle, headed to southern California.  They are’nt sure where they are going to end up.  Might look for a diesel car or truck to convert to run of vegetable oil.  Among many of their interests, a very big one would be farming.  They were able to spot wild grapes and apple trees where I would have zoomed right on by.  Two days ago we were filling our bags with apples that were’nt pretty, but were very tasty.  I tended to ride a bit behind them and when I would catch up, sometimes they were stopped at a nice field or hill or cliff to have some lunch.

One day we saw from our lunch time spot several stingrays, a school of jelly fish and white pelicans.  The weather has been rediculous!  Nothing but sun and more sun!  In total for my trip I’ve had maybe 2 hours of rain(except nighttime showers).  I’m really lucky!

Yesterday we decided to combine a full day with a half day to get to the Marin Headlands which are right at the base of the Golden Gate Bridge, on the north side.  I called up the visitors center to reserve a campsite, they mentioned it was free and since free is an amazing phenomenon I love to enjoy, we decided to push it.  We rode a whopping 70 miles!  I have an awesome tan and really tired legs.  The difficult part was the last 20 miles of fancy, super rich suburbs.  On the way up to the campground over the Marin Headland hills we got the most amazing view of San Fran and the bridge.  Then down the hill to the campground.  I got there first and started to get freaked out.  There were warning signs of coyotes and big viscous cats and how if you run into one, just act crazy and be very loud and definatly don’t run.  That freaked me out and I decided I had had enough camping.  I called the hostel that was just down the street and reserved a bed.  I said goodby to Caleb and April and headed for what I though was going to be a quiet relaxing night…  Nope.  The hostel was almost at capacity with middle school kids from the city, on a field trip I guess.  I was one of them once….

If you are reading this and saying to yourself “Man, All Kellen talks about is food!”, well, too bad.  Also I’m very tired and have had too much sushi and sugar, so I might be blabbing on and on.  Again, oh well!

In fact I think I’m going to lay down.  I’ll continue this tomorrow- pictures and all!

San Francisco!!!

I’m in San Francisco right now at this very moment!!  I have been trying to find a library to update blog for last week!  My iPhone has had little to no reception and have on several occasions tried to update a little snippet here and there…  To no avail…

Tonight:  BIG UPDATE

I’ll tell you all about the space ships and 10 legged elephant when I get back from dinner!!

Humbolt County

Today has been a day of rest. Sort of. I went to an “Eco-friendly” laundromat and used friendly soap and stain removal goo too! Had a super burrito that was the size of a baby seal. Mailed of my sleeping pad for a hopeful warranty replacement. Bought a new one. Mailed post cards I bought 4 weeks ago in Canada. Ran into Caleb and April from Wisconsin, whom I met at last campsite. They are travelling the coast too. Ran into them at one of the many bike shops here in Arcata(forgot to mention what town I’m in), he was buying 40 new spokes to later rebuild his rear wheel. His bike is an old Raleigh touring bike, an amzimg find, wish I had one. His original spokes are old and with the weight of his gear was breaking spokes left and right. I asked him if he’d ever built a wheel, he said no… So I offered to show him how. We went to a nice park in the sun at the base of the redwoods and tore up the old wheel and started lacing up the new spokes. It was quite a feat. I had doubts we would succeed without the help of a trying stand and a pro bike mechanic, but after 2 hours we had a split wheel.
I’ll post pics soon… Then we went and celebrelated with pizza! Garlic lovers!

I finished the day at the community pool, the second of my trip, last one was in Victoria, BC. I got to soak in the hot tub and sweat in the sauna… I feel good!

I’m staying at my friend Amber’s house, whom I haven’t seen for almost 10 years! We knew each other back in my Alaska days. I drove the coast almost two years ago and visited Arcata, even stayed in her house, only she wasn’t here. So finally we meet again! Her roommates are super cool too! The live in “The Sunset House”, which is the grooviest house ever. I really dig arcata! They have Finnish Country cedar soaking tubs, lots of video stores and lots of bikes… Oh yeah, and Martin Short is doing a stand up routine at humboldt state. Yes!

Yesterdays 40 miles were slow and tiresome, probably because I knew I was going to have a place to rest. I didn’t get to see the ocean very much because of the heavy blanket of fog. Hopefully it clears up soon. I should be making it to San Fran by next Friday.

Oh yes, the maps…

From eh! To hola!

I am sitting at a cool cafe in Crescent City, CA, eating a huge scramble, preparing myself for 2-3 consecutive climbs. One has a summit of 1200 feet. I started in Brookings, OR which is 5 miles from the California border. I ran into Paul from Halifax at the brookings bike shop, he offered space on his motel floor, I accepted. We ate lots of food and worked on the bikes. I rotated my tires and Paul had to buy a new front wheel, which had a broken spoke. His bike is too fancy for small towns like these. His spokes are flat and probably won’t see them for another 400 miles. We started out riding together but I lagged behind and am taking a break.

My guide book said that Cali is foggy and just as we crossed the border it was like a big wet blanket!

I just passes 1000 miles! Halfway there!

The holes in by sleeping pad seem to have multiplied, I found 5 more last night when I dumped it in the bathtub. During the night it was still leaking, very slowly though. Aaaarrrggh!

Gotta go, still have 40 to go. Then 40 the next day to Arcata where I get to spend a day of rest!!!

North Bend

The weather has been amazing! But COLD!!! Last night it got down to 35 deg! My sleeping bag isn’t warm enough, but it sure is high tech and super lightweight.. Hehe. I have to sleep in almost all my clothes, reducing the amount I have available to stuff into my stuffsack/pillow. My sleeping pad had a little tiny hole in it, letting out enough air so that I wake up several times each night to re-inflate it. Everyone is like “Just submerge it under water”.. Hmm, let me just go to my bathtub… Last night I inflated it and dunked it in a lake and couldn’t find the hole. Today I took it to a Les Schwabe and asked to borrow a squirt bottle filled with soapy water. I found the hole!!! Its almost as if someone took a hypodermic needle and punctured it. It was quite invisible!! I got the hole patched up and will give the acid test tonight.

2 days ago I left Newport with Paul, but I only ended up about 22 miles further south.  Paul was really “feeling it” and I felt like taking it easy.  He kept on and I took my time to Beachside State Park.  On the way I got my second flat, luckily it had stopped raining and I was right in front of a park by a river.  I set up shop on a park bench, laid out the tool kit and got to work.  This perticular set of tires have had about 5 flats, 3 of which have been nails, the other two have been little peices of glass that have worked their way through the kevlar…  They have all been on the rear tire.  I might swap the tires, front to back.  Only two flats, I guess that’s pretty good!

I took a nice long walk down the beach and watched the clouds do the most amazing things.  The birds were playing and almost no one was around.  I had the whole beach to myself!  I cooked a great dinner and slept.  The next morning I awoke and rode about 35 miles finishing up in Jessie M. Honeyman Memorial State Park.  I set up camp and headed to see the sand dunes.  They seemed to go on and on, leading out to the ocean.  I walked around and got bored of them real quick.  Maybe if I was on a dune buggy or a ATV it may be more fun.  My guide book says you can have fun with them for hours, have lunch on them, watch the sunset on them.  I don’t see it.  I set up camp in the Hiker/Biker section, which is terribly far from anything, especially the showers.  I thought I was the only cyclist but later realized that other cyclists were present.  They were camping in normal spots.  So I visited with them for a while and slept.  I still see eyes in the woods and hear noises.  I’m getting alittle less scared of the coons…

I got a real early start today and decided it was cold enough to warrant a nice breakfast.  I backtracked about 2 miles to a country restaurant and had 6 pieces of french toast and 2 eggs.  Today has been a nice cold ride.  I made it across the Coos Bay bridge.  Huge!  Windy!  and I’ve been forewarned that if you don’t walk your bike across the bridge, the locals will honk and yell at you.  I walked the bike.  Once on the other side I stopped at Moe’s Bike Shop and he said the cycling community prefers people to ride their bikes, walking the bikes just gets in the way of commuting cyclists.  I controversy!

I’m at the public library right now, still have 10 miles to go to camp.  2 more days to the California border!  Then I’ll be halfway done!

Oh, I almost forgot!  I’m giving a huge shout out to my Memphis family!  Miss you and love you!

Here’s some pictures!

Newport

Oh Newport, Oh Newport… A town with the most cycle tourist oriented setup I’ve ever seen! Bike Newport. They have a tourist lounge with Internet access, laundry, showers, comfy couch and cable tv! The staff are ridiculously friendly and helpful… Check them out if you ride through town!

The last two days have been amazing! Sunny with a soft of tailwind… I rode from nehalem state park, met Paul, who is riding from Calgary to San Fran. We rode the rest of the day stopping at the famous Tillamook cheese factory. Free samples lead to purchase of yummy cheese curds, sausage, and a double scoop of the best ice cream ever! Paul ended up taking a shortcut while I stayed in route, tackling some tough bit worth it hills around the Three Capes scenic route. I spent a few minutes at cape Meares and learned about history of lighthouses.

I made it to Cape Lookout state park, with hiker biker sites a stones throw from the ocean. There were a record number(for me) of cyclists staying here-9… A couple from Bellingham,WA riding on a tandem all the way down to Tierra Del Fuego… 12,000 miles! They will do it in one year. I’ll post pics soon…

Yesterday Paul and I hammered out 60 miles into Newport, sharing a tiny motel room with another cyclist, Eric. We crammed ourselves, bikes and gear and crashed. Today we had delicious breakfast burritos and are currently chilling at the bike shop staying dry trying to decide what to do next.

I’m trying not to thing about the economy.

Scary morning

My wonderful sis drove me back out yesterday. On way to hostel in Astoria I was informed by my friend andrew not to stay at this hostel. Said there were lots of children and families staying there. Sounded like a hassle, so I had Jen drop me off at Fort Stevens state park… A dream come true! They had actual “hiker/biker” campsites that cost $4 and free hot showers! In Washington they were charging $12-19 and showers, if they worked, took coins…

5:30 am pitch black:

I woke to scary scratching and snorting noises. There was a light on in the parking lot across the camp that was casting shadows of the little beasts scurrying around. After failed attemps of yelling them away, I finally mustered the courage to get outside the tent. My food bag had been pulled from under the vestibule! Then I looked around with my headlamp… In the bushes I saw about 6 sets of green eyes reflecting back at me, I yelled more and the wouldn’t go away. So packed up as fast as I could.

Racoons! They ruined my bananas and some other goodies. I was talking to a park ranger and he said campers in the summer feed them, then they are super aggressive in the winter. Now I’m very jumpy in my new campgrounds.

Today I rode through Seaside and Cannon Beach, having lunch in seaside. I met a couple, Spencer and Allison who are cycling the Oregon coast. We continued on together to Nehalem Bay state park, battling some amazing winds, bridges, tunnels
and hills. They invited me to dinner- cheesy Alfredo and vegetables… They are river guides and live in tents every summer. They are ski bums in the winter.

Right now it’s raining hard. I spoke to Olivier, who spent last 3 days stuck in his tent. He’s a day ahead of me.

Maps attached….

Back on the road…

After a nice 3 day rest in my apartment, in my bed, in my town, I’m finally headed back out.  My sister is going to drive me back out there!  What a sis!  

Yesterday I rode 30 miles round trip to pick up replacement poles for my tent.  I left them at a campsite in Washington.  I also got to sing some Karaoke!

OK Bye now

Changed my mind,..

I just arrived in Portland and will rest. Movie madness and lots of naps. Will make some changes to my gear and re-up on supplies.

Storm’s a comin’

It looks like a major storm is coming to visit the coast. Wind around 60 mph, lots of rain too. Expected to last for next 4 days… Olivier and I are planning on heading down the coast in morning, packing extra food and supplies, just in case we have to wait out the storm in out tents… If it’s too tough, maybe I’ll come back to Portland for a couple days to wait it out, as my sister Jen might come out to visit.

Wish me luck, eh?

Astoria!!! The Goonies!

Last January on a business trip turned pleasure I drove from Portland up to Seattle and then down the coast to Los Angeles, photographing a wedding in Carmel-By-The-Sea.  I got to see Astoria in nasty, cold weather.  I even saw the Goonies house from the movie.  Now I’m here in a motel.  Well, actually in a tanning salon with a computer for rent.  Tomorrow I’m taking a full rest day.  My sister is coming to visit for a couple hours and bring me stuff and pick up things I don’t need- like my spare helmet and the Thermarest camping pad I found on the side of the road.

This post is going to be short, I’m mostly dumping some pictures on you… Hoorraay!

Electronics are a hassle

Being able to pinpoint my location on this planet with my phone, google an odd fact to win an argument, show people my photography, listen to music, and of course add entries to this blog is an amazing tool for this trip. However, I left my charger in Canada. I purchased a new no-name, 3rd party charger at a drug store and have been trying to charge my phone fully for the past week. I have become very good at spotting free electricity. So far I have charged the phone in tthree or four state park bathrooms(sometimes overnight), on the side of small town food markets- while eating delicious cream, and even in the laundry room of a KOA campgrounds. That brings us to right now, this very moment. I might actually get a full charge. I have only been able to get a couple minutes of electricity at a time.

Olivier and I have been traveling together for 6 days now. We are trying to decide what happens next, do we go our seperate ways or keep on together.

I started this trip with the intentions of riding alone and meeting lots of people along the way… Hoping to answer some of those questions floating around in my head, becoming ok with me, and other esoteric stuff. Here comes Olivier who set out to accomplish the same and after 4 months of solitary touring, finds himself still having questions unanswered, even though he has learned a tremendous amount.

We have a great time riding together, I make lots of jokes and he talks about whiney Americans and food. We talk about geeky camera/photography stuff, what crazy adventures we are planning, equipment and gear and of course: where the next place to buy food.

Right now we are in Bay Center, on Willapa Bay, just north of Astoria. I’ve done some laundry, eaten a huge dinner, have an electrical outlet all to myself and a strong wireless signal. What more could I ask for?

We spy birds if all kinds, snakes on shoulder of road, lots and lots of garbage, smashed cell phones, silverware, deer, tourists, Obama signs, McCain ones too(boo), huge RVs, logging trucks with and without a load, clearcut, new growth, dilapidated homes, mountains of oyster shells, chainsaw wood carvings of fishermen, did I mention RVs?

We have been so lucky with the weather! I expected to endure through torrential rains through Washington… Let’s hope for the same luck in Oregon!
It’s also been very nice to have all the campgrounds mostly to ourselves, but late at night it’s scary when walking to the bathroom.

My longest day- 72 miles, shortest- 18. Started tour 12 days ago. Have 1400 miles left. Becoming a cycling machine!

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Olivier

Two days ago I was laying in tent writing a new blog entry, which was very well written and quite witty, and accidentally deleted it. So here’s a quick version, Readers Digest version.

Bobby and I caught ferry from Victoria to Port Angeles, met another cyclist on boat named Olivier from Montreal. Just Olivier, not Olivier from Montreal. He joined us to to next camp. I didn’t get to go soak in hot springs after all. Next morning Bobby decided to head back to Vancouver and fly back to Scotland, realized he didnt have the right equipment for camping.

Olivier and I rode 57 miles two days ago, 64 yesterday and 45 today. We have been doing a lot of talking, riding and eating. His appetite surpasses mine! I eat an enourmous bowl of oatmeal in morning with raisins, walnuts, peanut butter and honey. We stop for a mid morning snack, have a giant lunch( meat cheese apple bread and more). Then stop for ice cream… Afternoon snack and after setting up camp- dinner! We tend to start soup and finish with some sort if entrée. Ok, enough talk about food, makin me hungry…

Olivier has been traveling on his bike for 4 months already. Has logged 6000 kilometers! He started in Whitehorse, Yukon Canada, rode all over Alaska, Yukon and British Columbia. While in bear country, he carried a bear keg, to keep his food stores safe from animals, bear bangers(anti-bear flares) and the strongest bear spray on the market. He’s traveling on a super burley mountain bike loaded with over 120 lbs of equipment! Almost 3 times what i’m carrying! He has also cycles the circumference of Iceland, solo. He has lots more awesome adventures ahead if him.,.

It has been a wonderful experience getting to know Olivier, I hope to visit him in Montreal soon. We have agreed to make it to Astoria together, then maybe go alone from there, who knows.

Right now we are at Ocean City state park, had a shower, cooked dinner, watched amazing sunset, found tons of sand dollars in tide, kept only one. We should be in Astoria tuesday or wed. If you live in Portland and want to come have lunch or camp out with me for a night, let me know! I’ll be near soon.

So far I’ve traveled 450 miles, am 25 percent done and have been having the most amazing time of my life! (minus the saddle sores)

Night

Maps

Here is the map for the Washington portion of trip… I’ve decided to take the Peninsula Route, starting here in Victoria, catching a ferry to Port Angeles and going west.  I may stop in Olympic Hot Springs for a night.  Its 18 miles SW of Port Angeles.  Hot Springs, AAAAHHHHHH!

And heres tomorrows leg- (you can click on it to enlarge it, also North is to the left of Map)

Victoria

Didn’t sleep a wink last night.  The hostel is located accross the street from a crazy damned bar.  The hostel male dorms are set up with about 30+ beds in one room.  People were coming in past lights out and were taking showers and making lots of noise.  I got maybe one hour of sleep.

Met another cyclist today named Rob, from Portland, OR, super cool dude, traveling the islands for a week, then back home.  We rode around town and saw an IMAX movie in order to get out of the dreary rain.  We saw The Alps.  When it ended about 1 hour and 10 minutes too soon, I was disappointed.  I didn’t know IMAX experiences were only 45 minutes long.  It was quite breathtaking though.

We went to the nicest grocery store I’ve ever been to and I got lots of food.  Some smoked tempeh, more pita bread, bulk nuts and fruits, bananas, tuna and kippered snacks, and really really good hot cocoa.  Food food food!  Tonight I’m couchsurfing with some really awesome newlyweds- Renee and Mike.  They live just on the edge of downtown Victoria, have a really cool dog named Alaska and are into cycling.  Mike and I walked the grocery store and picked up some tofu, baby bok choy, corn on the cob and cheese.  Amazing dinner we created…  (pic)  I get my own bedroom with a comfy looking bed.

I’m trying to decide if I want to stay in Victoria for another day or head over to Port Angeles and start the Washington portion of my trip…  I’m leaning toward getting leaving tomorrow.

270 Miles down!

Right now I’m in Victoria, BC at an internet/gaming cafe. I’m staying in a Hostels International. I’m travelling with a Scot. We covered 70 miles today. I am constantly hungry and have food to eat.

Last night when I got into Nanaimo I went to what I heard was the nicest hostel ever, the Painted Turtle. They were booked. On my way in I briefly met a Scotish guy who was traveling by bike also. We went our seperate ways. This morning, after sleeping on the most comfortable-uncomfortable couch ever, I said goodbye to my new friends and was on the road by 8am. It was brisk and partly cloudy. As I was leaving town, the Scotish guy caught up to me and we rode together the whole day.

Bobby, 50 years old, father and husband, decided to ride a bike down the pacific coast. Telling me his story, I learned he read an article 3 years ago about people touring the Pacific Coast by bicycle. It was on his mind since. A printer by trade, working big contracts for the Scotland government, was in between contracts and had some time to kill. His wife asked him “What are you going to do with yourself?”, he showed her the article clipping and she said “Go for it”.

He flew to Vancouver, bought a bike and is traveling with a duffle bag bungeed to the rack. Very minimaslistic! He’s also traveled to many other countries and is an avid hiker. Today was amazing! We covered 70 miles like it was butter. Having someone to talk to makes time go by lots quicker. =

I had a hard time deciding whether I wanted to revisit the San Juan Islands or hang out in Victoria for a couple days. There used to be a ferry that traveled from Victoria/Sidney to San Juans and Anacortes, WA. Now you have to ferry to Anacortes before heading to the San Juans. More time and more money. I decided I could visit San Juans on a later trip. I want to experience the Captiol of BC.

We arrived today and got cleaned up, I cooked some dinner- Quinoa, lentils and canned Sockeye salmon I purchased from some dude along the way. (please contact me with tips on how to cook lentils??) Then off to McDonalds to get a milkshake. I have never been so hungry in my life. I can’t stop eating!!! And I love it! Bobby thinks I might have a tape worm. My parent thought I had one when I was young. They also thought I had a hollow leg. Bobby wonders where I put it.

I’m going to post random pictures from the last several day.

Including the 35 miles in Seattle and 40 miles in Vancouver Andrew and I rode, prior the the start of my journey, I have logged 270 miles so far. When I leave Victoria I will be starting the Washington part of the trip. There are two options for Washington – Inland and Peninsula Route. The inland route- through San Juans to Anacortes, then to Port Townsend and then south. The Peninsula Route- from Victoria to Port Angeles and west to the coast and then south. *Olympic Hot Springs is on latter route… According to my book the inland route is easier and there are more bakeries, ice cream shops, grocery stores and convienience. The Peninsula route has less services, but more scenic, perhaps harder, and definatly more rain. I’m a glutton for punishment, eh?

Nanaimo

It started to rain pretty hard on last part of ride last night, had to put on the rain suit. I was auprizingly dry and comfortable. I took the ferry from Buckley bay to Denman island to camp at Filongley provincial park. I got off ferry and came across the steepest hill! So steep I had to walk the bike. I got to the park and set up camp. The park was right on the beach, which had thousands of half oyster shells all over. The park manager, wife and two boys were making the rounds collecting 19.00 from every camper. I asked him why I had to pay so much, all I have is a bike and a tent, no monster RV machine or car. He said that’s the rule. Then we got to talking about bikes and Portland and he said to go camp on beach. So I set up my tent just a few feet from the beach. An amazing view and nice sound of ocean to sleep to.

I got up today and rode about 55 miles, longest day so far. I had a real nice time hanging out with some friends of Bill W. here. Got hooked up with a shower and comfy couch.

Tomorrow I’m going to try to make it to Sydney, try to make it to San Juan islands for the night. I want to visit Doe Bay resort andbsit in their soaking tubs and sauna. The over to victoria for a couple days.

I have a new favorite food for this trip…. Anything I can eat! I’m always so hungry! I had a huge scoop of delicious chocolate ice cream and wanted another right after. Didn’t though, a bit sugareduip today.

Gnight. Super tired

Evil Man Eating Creature

Yesterdays 40 miles were long and vey hilly. Getting used to 4-5mph up and 30 down. We stayed in beautiful Saltery Bay, everything was locked up, shut down for winter. We talked with a couple who were in an RV, they said camping was FREE!!! Andrew and I were overjoyed… Andrew went to find pit toilet and I took bath in really quaint creek maiden with little waterfalls, called mermaid creek.., So fresh and so clean and so cold! When I got out I looked at my bike and decided to name my bike…. “Shirley The Mermaid”.

We cooked dinner on Mermaid Cove- cous cous and canned tuna with chalula hot sauce… Amazing. Canadian really love canned fish, they have a sign directing you to it at the market. I had some tomato and basil tuna.

Were in bed by 8:30, woke up around 9:30 by a really big dog barking at us. Must have been 3 feet from my tent and very cliose to Andrews. Scared the living daylights out of me!!! I yelled it away and it’s owners were calling.

This morning I got up by 6 and was on road by 7. Had oatmeal and said goodbye to Andrew. He’s taking a eat day and I’m going to attempt todays 74 mile leg. Might have to cut it in half, missed the early ferry from powell river to Comox. Thinking about splurging to a big breakfast.

Cheers!

First night…

First day of journey, 38 miles, lots of hills, ran into andrew at horseshoe bay ferry terminal and joined forces the rest of way up to Roberts creek. Campgrounds were full. Rode 7.7 more miles to Porpoise bay camp. Amazing camping! Clean. Right on water. Cooked amazing dinner. Was in bed by 9.. Slept ok with little bad dreams. Heard animals outside tent. Rained hard in middle of night.

Today, ate mcdonalds breakfast, Canadian style. Headed out now. Attached is map of today journey…

What a city!

Today I woke up very early, had three packets of instant oatmeal, a cup of white pomegranate tea and a shower. Then I met up with Andrew and we set off around the city. It was overcast and chilly, but felt good the the bike. I brought the wool knickers I bought in seattle to a tailor and the are currently cutting them to fit my chicken legs. We then rode around Stanley Park, hit up some bike shops and MEC (Mountain Equipment Co-Op), and had some terrific Pho. Then we rod west to UBC, University of British Columbia to meet up with my friend from long ago, Dayna Briemon. Dayna is in Med school UBC, Go Dr. Dayna!

I think I’ve decided to leave a day early, cutting my time in Vancouver short. I spent a day extra in Seattle and need to get on it if I want to spend time exploring! I can visit Van anyday, eh? Here’s a map of the British Columbia part of the journey, followed by the first leg of trip… Vancouver to Roberts Creek Provincial Park – 41.5 miles. Andrew is leaving tomorrow and if he gets my emails, we might ride together, otherwise i’ll see him on the road or meet him at the campgrounds.

I have learned that I can use my wi-fi feature on my iphone and not get charged anything. Send me emails, don’t call me. I’ll be updating the blog as often as possible!

Vancouver! (day 1/2)

Ingrid dropped Andrew and I off about 2 miles out of the city at his Couchsurfing host’s address.  We parted and I rode straight down E. Hastings street.  If you’ve never heard of Hastings street, its where you don’t take your children, even in the day time…  I loved it!  It was quite a sight!  Wish I would have got pictures of it.

My couchsurfing host Hanna, from Finland and her friends Carmela and Chris and I had some delicious Japanese food, watched an awesome comedy show at Yuk Yuk’s Vancouver, and sang the night away at Karaoke (in a gay bar)… Quite a fun night, eh?

Today I’m meeting up with Andrew and we are going to tour around the city.  After 4 i’m meeting up with an old friend from Whitehorse, Yukon Territories, Dayna, who is living here for a little for med school requirements.  Then back to Victoria.  We haven’t seen each other for 10 years!!!

My iPhone is very expensive to use here.  .59 cents per minute and probably .01 cent per KB of media.  I will use sparingly.  And I thought I was so cool with my techy stuff. I won’t be updating blog as much.  Bummer!

I’ll be starting trip Saturday I think.

Vancouver!!!!

Onward! (to Canada)

I need the learn the Canadian anthem, so I can run(or ride) down the streets of Vancouver, joyously singing, with a beaming smile on my wanderlusty eyes. Vancouver, you are a sight for sore eyes!

Currently we are in 15 person super extended dodge van, bikes and gear in stow. Ingrid, our craigslist.org rideshare had problems with title of car she was importing, didn’t need us to drive second car but still is giving us a ride.

She wouldn’t teach me the Canadian Anthem.

Seattle Day 2

Met new friend and fellow cycle tourist, Andrew from Oklahoma City.  He’s decided to take 2 years off of work and travel around.  Starting with a 2k mile bike trip like myself.  An amazing chap- the longest distance he’s gone on 2 wheels is 15 miles.  He’s a courageous dude.  Has a nice bike too!  Same as mine!

We met up at his bus stop and I helped him with his luggage containing his gear for the trip.  Then we had some pancakes cooked by our Couchsurfing host Eric.  I ate some left over drunken noodles from last night.  Amanda, Bill and I ate Thai food last night, my treat(I found money…), they messed up our order and let us keep the mistake, which made a delicious breakfast.

Andrew and I bombed down Denny ave to Seattle center/space needle.  we reached 39 mph!  We tried to sneak our way up the space needle.  I heard all you need to do is make a reservation to eat in the restaurant up top, buy dessert and check the view.  Otherwise its about 16 bucks per person.  We walked in like we owned the place and asked for a table.  She said there was a 25 dollar minimum and we said no thanks and decided to head on our merry way.  We checked out a really neat fountain (pic) and headed up to Queen Anne.  My sister Jen is good friends with the Owner of Counterbalance Bicycle, Adam and he hooked me up with some small parts for the bike and gave me a fat discount on some wool knee warmers.

We rode down Alaskan Way along the pier, crossed the West Seattle bridge and headed along the Alki Bike Trail to Fauntleroy ferry station to ride over to Vashon Island.  I’ve included a picture of “Alki Tavern” for some select wonderful friends (wink wink).  One the way we stopped by a wonderful sandy beach and I jumped in the cold salty water.  I met a real nice lady who lived on the island, mentioned that 20 minutes that way would bring us into town.  We headed “that way” which was a mega hill, made it up, and decided to head back, didn’t want to miss the last “passenger only” direct ferry back to Seattle.  On our way back we bombed the hill and made it to 46 miles per hour!  My personal record land speed. 

We got back and hit up a grocery store purchased provisions for dinner.  I cooked a feast, Cannenelli Bean pasta with tomatoes, sauteed mushrooms and baby bok choy(with lots of garlic) over pasta, topped with lots of delicious fresh parmesan.  Eric bought some artisan bread with olive oil, balsamic vinegar and fresh basil leaves.  YUM!!!

Today was amazing and warm and sunny!  I’m so grateful I get to experience so much and am healthy and happy!

If you notice, i’ve added a “flickr.com” sidebar widget that shows the latest 3 pictures i’ve uploaded on to my flickr page.  I have been taking pictures with these green glasses f

or about 3 years now.  I bring them on my adventures and have a collection of over 1300 pictures.  Some day I will upload them to my website and make them into a cool youtube video for the world to see.  You’ll see!  Mua hahaha!

Blackberries!

We were riding on Vashon island and picked blackberries on side of road, just wanted to show you pictures and tell you how yummu and free they were!

Found Money…

I just found a $100.00 bill in Gasworks park in Seattle! I called my moral adviser and asked if I should keep it, he said “put it in your pocket, it was probably a drug dealers”. Lucky day!

Seattle Day 1

I woke up and was out of the house by 10:30- early bird! Had $5 breakfast with my good friend Amanda, who I visit and eat with when in town. We met back in 99 at the Art Institute of Seattle… Last night we had some crazy French charcuterie(sp?), fries and falafel- amazing! Then we walked to book store to buy travel size copy of Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance, a book given to her then recommended to me. Found copy for $1.36! She lives with her boyfriend Bill and is a teriffic artist( pic attached)

After breakfast I biked around Seattle, saw volunteer park, climbed up to top of water tower, saw conservatory(amazing orchids), shopped at discount grocery and am now sitting on grass by Washington lake front.. Enjoying trail mix and sunny vitamin D.

My couchsurfing.com host, Eric Smiley, with whom i’ve surfed with twice before demonstrated his mad skills of tearing a phone book in half… (pic).

If you’ve never heard of couchsurfing.com- check it out!

I lived here for a little over a year back at the turn of the century and was on food and limited bus. Now on a bike, I feel like in this one day, I’ve seen and experienced more cool stuff!

Tomorrow I’m meeting up with another solo cyclist from Oklahoma city who’s doing same route as me. We are also looking for ride up to Canada. He read my posts on craigslist for rideshare prospects and asked if we could in a way join forces. He found a lady from Vancouver who, on wednesday, is buying a car just north of city, needs someone to drive it up. There’s room in her van for both of our bikes and gear, also no charge!

Tomorrow we are going on an adventure, perhaps a ferry to vashin island… There is so much to do and see here!

Observation: Seattle has far less bike racks. Decent bike lanes. Excellent off street bike paths. Really good food. Very big city!

Tonight we are cooking salmon dinner at Amanda and Bills….

And He’s Off!

Was up till 1:30 am scanning maps outof my guide book to load into my iPhone, now I’ll be able to post a map of each day’s route…

Roommate said going to sell my stuff and let some hot chicks move in.. ??

I’m on the train right now! My sister came down to wish me good luck and hugs, but must have missed me by just a couple minutes…

Fully loaded my bike weighs over 80 lbs, it’s a lot more work to manuvuer and get up to speed.

I’m going to spend a day or two in Seattle, then head up to Canada, eh?

iPhone/blogging app

I just downloaded a really cool aplication for my iPhone… Now I can do short updates from my phone with pictures even!!! How cool is that!

Tomoroow I catch a train to Seattle to hang out for a couple days, then buss to Vancouver, bC… I’m heading to shoot my last wedding of the season, then to come home and pack…

Yeah!

Final Thoughts and Preparation

I get asked questions like:

Won’t you get lonely?  Why are you doing this?  Where will you stay?  Is it safe?  Are you crazy?  Are you going to bring an iPod?  How do you say hot dog in Japanese?

Well, I will try to shine some light upon these and maybe more questions in this preparatory blog-e-hoo-whats-it.

I put lots of effort into avoiding “boredom” at all costs.  It seems I require an iPod or visual stimulation to survive.  I crave social interaction, approval and attention from peers, something “to do” at all times.  This trip will hopefully allow me to be ok with just sitting in my tent all day, reading a book.  No communications to the outside world, not flipping through my iPhone looking for people to call, to tell them “This trip is amazing!  Wish you were here”…  The growth that might come from pushing through the uncomfortable feelings of being with Kellen Kjera, with no others to distract me, would sculpt something “Mo-Betta”.

I got into bikes three summers ago in Memphis, TN through a community bicycle program called Revolutions Bicycle Co-Op http://www.revolutionsmemphis.com.  Ran by volunteer mechanics they teach people how to work on their bikes.  I built up a fancy fixed-gear bike- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fixed-gear_bicycle…  A friend had a touring bike and was leaving for a trip across the states with some friends.  That planted the seed.  Then I moved here to Portland, bike central.  Bike this, bike that, bike shop here, bike shop there…  I built up a Surly Long Haul trucker to my finite specifications.  And have been dreaming of a long tour.

My friend Jessica has loaned me a great book called Bicycling the Pacific Coast.  It is laid out into 42 days/legs, ranging from 28-74 miles in one day, 2000 miles, starting in Vancouver, BC taking the 101 all the way down to the Mexico border.  The days will begin at a campground and end at a campground.  The majority of them are “Hiker/biker sites”, where the fee is nominal and campsites are more primitive.  I’ve been told by many that there is a sort of fellowship and community among the cycle-tourists.  

I hope to spend extra time in Vancouver, BC, The San Juan Islands, Arcata, CA, San Francisco, Monterey Bay…  The book says it will take 42 days to finish as books says, I’ll be giving myself 56 days to complete it..

I’ll have my iPhone with me and will be updating as often as possible..

I’ve taken a picture of my gear and made little notes on Flickr.com  Click Here to see….

 

 

Tired.  Going to bed.

Map of my Journey

I just purchased my return ticket from San Diego back to Portland.  The ride goes as follows:

November 11th, Leave San Diego @ 6am.  2 hours to Los Angeles, 2 hour layover.  Then a 36 hour train ride home to Portland.  I may need some entertainment.

Here’s a map of my trip I just scanned.

Possum Rescue Attempt

I went on a ride a couple friends today.  I would have taken more pictures but it died during second shot, which was of a distressed/injured Possum hanging on the edge of the St. Johns Bridge.  The Possum was literally hanging on the edge about to fall 200+ feet to his/her/its death.

I was trailing behind my friends Mike and Aiden at the tail end of our ride and out of the corner of my eye I noticed at possum.  I have seen several possums on my long rides.  The first gave me a start, creeped me out really…  A mother with all her babies on her back laying in the middle of the street hissed at me.  At first I didn’t know what it was, at first glance my brain recognized it as a oozing glob of ickyness.  Then I saw mouths and eyes and a wide open mouth.  (looks like picture in gallery)

Today was different.  Was this possum about to commit suicide?  Injured by a car?  Or just liked to draw attention to itself. 

We called Humane Society, who doesn’t deal with wild animals, they referred us to the Audubon Society.  They were unable, by oregon state law to deal with Possums because they are non-native to Oregon, “They were introduced..”  So we decided to try to scoop the critter into my roommates waterp

roof pannier, hoping it doesn’t run off the edge to a nasty death.  Then a guy walked by and said, “You know, Possums can get quite rabid”…  That ended that.  We just let it go.  Mike went his way and later we got a phone call reporting that when he called Multnomah county Animal Control, they cut him off when he began to explain the situation, they already had a guy out there dealing with it…

Poor Possum.

Our ride today consisted of backroads and hills.  Oh, for the hills!  It was quite wonderful, what comes up must come down!  My bike is a tank and kicks the asses of those hills.  The topic of wild, pesky dogs chasing you while you are touring back roads, any roads for that matter.  I have yet to be chased by a dog, not looking forward to it in any way.  When I was a little annoying, messy, hyper child(not much has changed) I got bit in the behind by a big black dog while I was riding the bike.  Left a mark ..

Tonight:  I’m going to pack and weigh my gear, make todo lists, update my life insurance policy ( just kidding), and sleep well.

First Loaded Trip

Aiden, my roommate and I went on our first bike-camping trip over labor day weekend.  We hit the pavement by 8:30 am Sunday morning, headed east on hwy 26 toward Mt. Hood.  Took a left on Lolo Pass road and ventured 5 miles up to camp by Sandy River.  In the town of Sandy it started to rain as I was enjoying a delicious breakfast burrito with Aiden.  Then we hit a thrift store while it rained super hard, giving us time to relax, digest and rain proof our setup.  (i’ve included pics of our route and of the bikes…)

 

Our campsite was amazing and free!!  Soft lush padding, near the river, and quiet.  It rained most of the night and I cooked some mac and cheese with chicken, followed by several games of Gin.  I slept ok, woke up, shook off the rainfly, which was covered in condensation.  We ate some oatmeal, drank crappy instant coffee, did a couple yoga poses and were on our way.  Most of the ride home was downhill, yeah!

We stopped and had doughnuts and coffee…  About 10 miles into the ride a giant nail rain through my tire, puncturing twice and tearing up my fender a bit.  I changed it the tire and were on our way.  My bike,  40 lbs(estimate) of gear, and myself totaling 250 lbs is something i’m going to have to get accustomed to…  I really had to pace myself.  Plus my knees are giving me some troubles, getting worse.  Tommorrow i’m going to schedule a professional bike fitting.  I’ve been told that there should be no pain in the knees while riding a bike, that it’s all about bike position…

This was a very successful first test run!  I experienced a heavy downpour, setup and strike a campsite and got a major flat.  Two weeks until my trip!

 

Aiden, my roommate

The Boat

The Man!

Aiden

Camp

Mr. Nail

The route…

My bike obsession…

I just made an official count.  I own 6 bicycles.  10 months ago I had only 1.  Total count for house- 11 bikes!!  There are bikes everywhere!  Yesterday my housemate Aiden and I were riding home from the bike shop and I saw a junky old 10 speed leaning against a tree, I asked the people who lived there what they were doing with it, they give it me…   My next project, maybe a single speed or maybe a 1×9 speed.. Who knowS!

The day before I made a spontaneous Goodwill stop and my eyes quickly focused on a bike in the corner…  (I hear stories of people finding amazing bikes for super cheap at places like goodwill)  There was a guy looking at it and the second he walked away I picked it up, inspected it and paid 50 bucks and was out the door.  My prize is a GT Rage aluminum road bike with Shimano 105 components and STI shifters.  Most amazing deal!  I brought it home, spit-shine’d it, and turned some screws-  Like new!  I could sell it on craigslist for 300 smackers tomorrow!  

I also have my touring bike, fixed gear, old trek mountain bike (15.00 at garage sale), and an old Schwinn Typhoon in pieces my roommate gave me…  One day I was at a burrito shop on NW 21st and the bike shop next door had all their garbage out, they were throwing away a bunch of wheels, grabbed them and now have a pile of good and bad.  I guess I’m starting my own bike shop in the basement.  I’m fixing every and all bike I can get my hands on…  

Thumbtack in Tire

I went on a bike ride with my friend Jeff to Multnomah Falls, 35 miles outside of Portland and got a thumbtack in my front tire.  A while back my friend told me to be careful, there was a guy in the Corbett area who doesn’t like cyclists on their roads, so he tosses out thumbtacks on the shoulder of the road.  Multnomah county supposedly drives these roads with big magnets picking up his malicious attempts to teach cyclists a lesson.  I must have come before the magnet.

I rode as far as I could with the tack in my tire, allowing it keep a seal.  I made it to the Vista House at Crown Point and just as I pulled up it quickly deflated…  I didn’t ruin my day, just gave me something to blog about.  Another cyclist I talked to on the ride later talked with a friend in the county commissioners office and they are looking into it…

On the way back my friend and I dipped out feet and heads into the sandy river… Quite refreshing!

 

I’m going to look at some “Blogging for Dummies” books and hopefully spruce up this page…  :)

2000 Mile Bike Tour

Its been 8 months since my last post.  On September 15th I’m going to hop on my bike and ride from Vancouver, BC to Tijauana, Mexico.  I borrowed a guide book from a friend that divides the 2000 mile coastal tour into 42 days, averaging 50 miles per day.  The days range from 28 to 74 miles per day, beginning and ending at state-run campsites.  Some days I’ll ride longer, doubling up on mileage.  Some days I’ll just lay around and read.  I’m giving myself 45 days to complete the journey.  

Once in San Diego, I’ll catch the trolly to the border, walk across and head back to catch the Amtrak back to Portland.  I hope to visit some friends along the way, if you’ll be around, let me know!  I’ll be posting on here as often as possible, as I will be computer-free.  I’ll have some more info soon!

 

Kellen

Here's my bike:

Saving the World of Catering

Last Tuesday I was feeling down and out. I met with some friends and I was complaining that I couldn’t find a job and I was bored and depressed. A friend who didn’t take pity on me ordered to me to go out the next day and apply for 10 different jobs. What a concept! The next day I got up at 8am and hit the streets. I turned in resumes and filled out applications. The day after that I did the same thing, but I mostly targeted upscale restaurants….

I got my foot in the door at Red Star Bar and Tavern, an upscale steakhouse in the heart of downtown Portland. They called me in for an interview on Saturday and offered me the job on the spot. I’ll be serving lunch a 3-4 days a week and cocktailing on some evenings. I’m also working for a catering company called Food in Bloom, very nice!

Saturday evening was my first catering shift, which was a 180 person sit down dinner affair. The food looked wonderful but the coffee was embarrassing to serve. It looked like weak black tea and had a faint taste of coffee. It was cold. Worst of all, all we served was decaf. I made a pretty good impression on my first shift. When it came time to run out the entrees one of the servers was elected to organize the food in table order and communicate between the chefs and servers so the food would go out right. She was having some difficulties, gave up. I stepped in and took charge, saving the day. Afterwards a couple cooks were like “dude, what’s your name, man? That was awesome dude!” The feeling of saving the world of catering was fleeting and soon lost when I realized I still had about 4 hours to go.

So, now I have a job. Something to do and occupy my time. I was going rather crazy with so much time on my hand. Life was so easy when I was traveling across the states, loose agenda, just drive and hang out with my cat Barney. Now I have to face the bills, the city, and the roommates. But, that’s life and I’m glad to be living it.

no pictures today.

Job Search…

Well, its been a few days since my last blog.  I’ll have to get better at that, or I will get the flu.  Maybe I’ll get a flu shot and a prostate inspection.  I am getting gray.I’ve been taking the whole job search rather lightly these days, hoping to get by on my good looks and boyish charm.  The world is my puppet.  Shit, I’m close to broke! 

Today I cooked a felt inspired to cook a turkey stew.  I called my mom and my friend Mac in Memphis for tips.  3 huge turkey legs, veggies, and patience.  Turned out pretty good.  Now i’ll be fed for about  a week.    Next culinary exploration/experiment – gumbo.  Maybe not.

Tomorrow I’m going to hit the pavement in search of a job.  I’ll wash dishes if need be, just as long as I can go to Minnesota for Christmas.  I was offered a job at FedEx handling boxes and loading trucks.  I turned it down.  Maybe a bad idea?  Maybe not.  I was told about 20 times during the interview that they have a 124% turn over rate and most people quit on the second shift.

Saturday night I’m playing bartender at my roommate’s friend’s birthday party.  A little cash in my pocket and a chance to poison people into a stupor sounds great! Oh yeah, Thanksgiving was wonderful at my sister’s house, there were about 5 dogs mostly of black looks.  One of white looks.  Oyster stuffing and my cat.  Not cooked though. Here are some pictures as usual…

I found some tow truck chains after getting “Lei’d” while singing Karaoke.. Very diverse…

Here’s my sister Jen – “The Professional”

Here’s my new friend- Guidance Counselor…

Rain, Cheap Rain Pants and Hijiki

Its been raining a little, or a lot. I got really soaked a couple days ago on my cycle, so I purchased some $10 rain pants(bright yellow to match my yellow rain jacket). Today, they kept me dry, got a flat tire and when i got low to the ground to change it, they split in the crotch. Speaking of that region- I visited a room for rent situation, nice girl. Works as a massage therapist and part time at “The Factory”, where they manufacture a “DIY vibrating dildo kit”. I’ve attached a picture. You can create a replica of your or your loved/hated one’s unit. As we were sitting there, “The Piano” was playing on the tube and then Harvey Keitel’s(sp?) most excellent sex scene came on. Interesting visit.

Yesterday, my car battery died. I had some tire chains I purchased back in January when I drove the coast of Oregon and California. When I was in Grant’s Pass, I got some non-returnable chains and never got to use them. I’ve had them in my car since. I only had 40.00 cash on me, new battery was 80.00. The nice lady traded the chains in and gave me an additional 10.00 for my old battery, so I got the new batt for only 30.00. That left me 10.00 for the most wonderful cheap sushi ever! Sushi Takahashi, where sushi is $1.00 to $2.50. They had a childhood favorite- Hijiki! (the most delicous edible seaweed) Come visit me and we’ll dine there.

A friend I met when I first got here might have a room for rent in his house. He owns an awesome duplex, lives upstairs and his dad lives upstairs. He has a roommate, very cool guy. He said he’ll move into the basement and let me take his attic room. I’ve included a picture. Its the most perfect situation. They are both in the program and I can keep my room as clean or messy as I want- noone will go up there.

This thursday my sis and her hubby are going to cook the most excellent turkey day dinner ever. The last time I had t-day dinner with jen was 8 years ago when I was in Seattle. I took a greyhound bus here, drank lots of beer and ate lots of delicous food. I’m so excited.

I guess I’m rambling. Bye

A wonderous night in the Community of Bikes

Last night I participated in the See and Be Seen Night Parade in Downtown Portland. It was terrific! Then I followed some people to a restaurant called “The Lucky Labrador” for a Hand Made Oregon Bicycle show. There were lots of handmade vendors and crafts people who created bike hats, clothing, bags and other wares. There were about 200+ people there and I met and mingled with lots. I ran into an old friend from Memphis, Richie Longoria, who lives here now and is working at Rite Aid as a Pharmacist. It was quite a reunion.

Today i’m checking out a couple more rooms for rent and a couple more over the weekend. Tonight I’m attending a birthday party of my friend Brandon Hafer, with whom I attended high school with in Anchorage, then a young people’s meeting, then a movie called “No Country for Old Men”, I heard its great. I’m sold.

Its raining today and I’m driving the car, battery is dying. Damn Walmart. Its probably because during my 4000 mile road trip I used a power inverter to charge my ipod. My cigarette lighter is not made for any use other than lighting cigarettes. Oh shit.

See and Be Seen

Tonight I’m participating in “See and Be Seen”, a community awareness bike ride in downtown Portland. Its a night ride where everyone uses their nifty little LED bike lights to spread awareness about night riding safety.

Today I checked out some more places. Got a call from one of the girls at the house I checked out yesterday, she said they have to disqualify me for living there. Then, after a moment of hesitation, she said “We can’t let you live here because I’m attracted to you.” So, tomorrow, we have a date to get some lunch. Funny how things work.

First Post

I’m in Portland, OR sitting at my new favorite spot called Tea Chai Te’… Excellent tea and wireless internet. I’ve been here for 3 days, met lots of new friends and put about 40 miles on my bike.

I’m living with my sister Jen and her husband Scott and their two big black labs, Jackson and Hook (brothers) and of course Barney, my Alaskan Cat.
I’ve been looking for a room for rent for the last 2 days, checked out about 4 places. Number 2 and 3 were shitholes- of the worst kind. The one where you don’t want to get to know your roommates, just come and go. Number 1 was ok. But number 4 was perfect, great location, nice size room, and great price. I’ll worry about a job soon.

Portland is the coolest place I’ve ever lived. Maybe because i’m present to enjoy and experience it. Maybe it’s the bike lanes – Portland, OR – (Bike City USA)

I’ll keep updating this as best as I can.