Category Uncategorized

6/2/2011

Five AM wake up call. Oh man, despite soft grass, sleeping without an air matress or a pillow can be rough. Cleaning up in a park bathroom doesn’t quite leave you feeling ready to take on the day either. I’m not complaining though. In fact I continue to count myself blessed. I was sitting around and charging my phone and doing some writing when Frank pulled up and brought me a soda, a bottle of water and an oatmeal bar for the road. These gestures mean the world to me.

Two days removed from St. Louis and it felt like another world. I was just informed St. Louis is the third most dangerous city in the United States. I didn’t even realize it when I was running through the projects...

6/1/2011

One day can take you from the fantastic to the dreary back to the fantastic. I couldn’t even begin to make up the scenarios that happen to me on a daily basis. This morning seemed like it was going to be one of the more standard cut and dry days. The weather was perfect and a long bikeway was before my feet. I left the Super 8 hotel of Collinsville with plenty of sleep and fresh feet. The next destination was thirty miles away.

My legs were on autopilot and I was at cruising speed. The greenery was beautiful. The land was flat. And I came across many friendly animals. I made short work of the first ten miles. I found myself standing in Edwardsville thinking I should eat something. The only problem was I hadn’t developed an appetite yet. I settled on having a sandwich...

5/31/2011

I’m on a roller coaster ride. I’m up, I’m down, and I just don’t know where I’m going to land. Last night was super creepy. I didn’t really get a chance to see the rangers lock the gates but I was definitely locked in the park. I did know of two escape routes through some bushes though. I found them when I saw a kid pop up out of nowhere.

Pitching a tent in a place where I wouldn’t be seen was not a problem. Five minutes set up time and I had instant lodging. What I lacked was my coveted bathtub. I had to use wet wipes to clean myself. To put it mildly, I didn’t like my own scent. Unfortunately, I couldn’t wash my clothes either. The humidity in the air kept me sweating for a little bit but at least the the tent provided shelter from the mosquitoes.

Before too long, the night ...