Myths and Misconceptions About my Trip

Before my trip comes to an end, there are a few things I want to set straight.....some myth and misconceptions surrounding my trip. I have a list of memorable quotes from my trip that I will share at some point. They make for some great laughs! Other people are always fascinated to hear about my trip and the way they perceive what I'm doing fascinates me. They get fixated on details that I take for granted that don't seem to bother me, other times people's comments make me laugh, rarely do they offend me! However, before this trip comes to an end, I wanted to politely clarify and address some common myths and misconceptions regarding my trip.

You're really brave!....One tough young lady!

Brave, me?!?!? Growing up, I used to run down my hallway in socks passing all the enpty rooms on the way spooked that somebody or something would pop out at me. By the time I made it back to my room and returned to the family room, my heart was pounding and I was completely flustered. I don't consider myself brave at all, but I also don't like to live in fear! What fun is it to be afraid? I could easily spook myself out on this trip, camping alone in the forest, pitching my tent behind buildings not too far out of sight from people. Anyone could stop on the road in the middle of nowhere and do as they please with me. These thoughts have all crossed my mind of course, but briefly. Usually at the end of the day, I can hardly keep my eyes awake to look at the pictures I took that day, let alone worry about whether or not I hear an animal foraging in the bushes nearby. In fact, I'm no adamant on getting sleep, I wear ear plugs to bed at night. I don't want to know if something is going to come and get me, if they do, just let me sleep and rest until the very last moment possible, PLEASE!!!

Climbing a few of the rockies will help you get strong!

Instead of feeling scared and thinking that something could happen, I try to exude trust and respect to those around me and the people with whom I interact. I embrace an opportunity to meet new people, excited by what I might learn from them, gaining insight and perspective on life. Am I lucky that 99.9% of the people whom I've encountered on The Loong Way Home have been thoughtful, kind, and extremely generous? I don't think so! I give others the benefit of the doubt and think that other people naturally have good intentions. Am I innocent or naive?? Perhaps you might think so, how fun is it to live in a world filled with fear, threat, and suspicion?!?!

Sometimes you just gotta pretend to be tough!

Surely you must get lonely.....

Lonely? I don't have time to get lonely! Even on my longest days, after hours on end in the saddle pedaling I don't get bored. I never run out of things to think about or tired of sight seeing. My environment is constantly changing and so are my thoughts, which keep me stimulated and aware. I love being in motion! There is always something new and different to take in, observe, and reflect upon. Lots of times I think my brain is “off” and I look down at my bike computer and realize I've just gone 50 km without even realizing it! Do I remember what was going through my head? No! But just like that the time has gone by so quickly! When I stop for a break or to sight see, it's almost guaranteed that someone will approach me to ask a question and engage in conversation. In fact, I can almost predict who that someone will be and it happens in less than a minute out of the saddle. To tell you the truth, sometimes I could actually use a bit more alone time, which is why it is important to balance staying the night with a hosts and camping.

How many times was I the tourist attraction when I just wanted to see the real attraction like everyone else?

I really enjoy traveling on my own! At first, the idea of traveling solo made me feel foolish. Isn't there anyone who will go with me on my trip? But the deeper I got into the planning the more I realized that this was personal journey that I needed to do on my own. It was something intimate, my dream, my desires, and I wasn't going to let anyone stop me or change my course! At the end of this solo trip, I could easily see myself doing another trip similar to this, solo as well. If I find a partner in crime to join me, excellent, but I'm not going to stop doing what I love most just because no one will come with me! In fact, I would encourage everyone at some point in their life to travel solo. Do a weekend getaway alone, or an entire week-long trip, but take the time to be alone and get to know yourself. It's made me more confident, insightful, and happy.

One minute I'm eating my dumplings in peace, the next, there are people swarming asking me a million questions I can't understand!

You can't be over 30, right?

I think people assume I'm under thirty because of my “younger” looking appearance, my energy, and the fact that people over 30 surely don't quit their job to go bicycle around the world! When people want to know my age, I always preface my answer saying I look younger than I am. I'm flattered that I'm perceived to be youthful, really. In fact, I've even been called “kiddo” on this trip and not just once! My favorite comment about my age came from a bike mechanic back in Hobart, Tasmania. “What is this, like a gap year for you?” A gap year is what the Brits do after high school before entering university. I found his question to be quite funny, so I came up with an equally comical response. “I'd say it's more like a mid-life crisis without the husband, kids, car, or house!” Except, The Loong Way Home really ins't that either. I never had some big epiphany, nor did I wake up one morning and say, “That's it, I'm going to cycle around the world!” I knew I was getting really comfortable in Barcelona, which isn't a bad thing, but I felt like I was missing out on a world out there to explore and discover. I was itching for a change, trapped in my daily routine. I was antsy to do something drastically different. Surely people over the age of 30 are responsible and don't just quit their jobs?!?! I've always struggles with conforming to society's norm. I can only go with the flow so long before I have to break free. Does it make me irresponsible? Not really, it actually works in my favor, making people think I'm younger than I am. Thanks for the compliment!

And don't forget to  surround yourself by kids, they help keep you feeling young!

Ouch! Doesn't your bottom get sore?

Actually, no, not really! I have the most comfortable saddle in the world: a Brooks no less. They say there is a break in period with these leather beauties, but I bought mine, put it on, and cycled around Corsica, France for 10 days without having any problems. I've never really had any problems and the longer I sit on it the more comfy it becomes, my butt cheeks rest perfectly on the triangular shape. Sometimes I have to tighten the leather by turning an adjustment screw because it starts to sag over time, but my saddle is more comfortable than most chairs! I've never had saddle rash from my Brooks and only once do I remember a sore bum, but that was caused by a new pair of bike shorts rubbing rather than the seat. I sware by the Brooks saddle, it has been wonderful! Since it is leather, I protect it from the rain with a shower cap on top, that is the only real inconvenience I've experienced!

An up close look at my beautiful and comfy saddle!

I never understood those people who can just leave their job and go travel....Are you independently wealthy?

I love this comment and question! I take their comment with a grain of salt and respond jokingly saying that I work in an extremely lucrative profession, teaching! It's very fulfilling profession that doesn't necessarily fill the pocketbook. People make this comment almost with a bit of disgust or resentment. But as my Dad always says, life is a series of choices. You choose how to live your life and I enjoy simplicity and a minimalist style. I don't need any fancy amenities, travel and food are the extent of my purchases, that go above and beyond my basic needs. Before leaving on my trip, I was full time teaching putting in well over 40 hours a week at school plus working crazy hours teaching private classes before and after school. Thankfully I have a lot of energy and I could keep up this crazy schedule knowing that it was a means to an end to save as much as possible before I left. I don't have a car, no house, no debt, which makes dropping everything and leaving relatively easy. In the grand scheme of vacations and travel, bike touring is rather inexpensive. Other than plane tickets and bike mechanics, food was my greatest expense, but then again, I didn't want to survive off of bread and cheese pedaling around the world.

You must know a lot about bikes!

I wish!! If I did, wow, I'd be one hell of a bike tourer! Would you believe me if I told you I had never had a flat tire in my entire biking career before I set out for this trip? I've done gran fondos, half Ironmans, and Ironman always looking down at my tires, ing not to puncture! I practiced how to change a tire in my apartment, but that has nothing to do with being out on the road. The first time I got a flat tire, I was put to the test changing it in the middle of nowhere in China with no one to help me. Before I left for my trip, I had good intentions to learn the basics about bike mechanics. I became a member of a bike Co-Op in Barcelona, hoping that it would give me the practical knowledge I needed for my trip. However, at that time, I didn't have the interest or confidence that I needed to really get my hands dirty and dig in, I was intimidated and scared, too insecure to believe I could actually fix something on my bike. I counted on my nice character to help me out along the way. I'm great at diagnosing the problem, hearing a noise and finding where it comes from, but fixing it is a whole other story. However, in the last month, I've become much more confident and my skills have improved. Recently I changed out cables, a cassette, and my chain.

First flat tire of the trip

I met the most interesting mechanic the other day at a bike store in Olympia, Washington. He said, everyone is already 90% a bike mechanic, there is just another 10% you have to learn. I do understand what he means because tinkering with a bike is intuitive. It is all about creative problem solving, basic physics, and being a detective. But first, you have to want to learn. After pedaling 20,000 miles, I'm finally eager to take my bike apart and rebuild it, and learn all I can while adapting it just so to prepare it for another trip.

Are you doing this for a charity or to raise money or awareness?

Nope! I know that sounds selfish, right? That is exactly the point. I feel as if other people ask me trying to impose their opinion or make a statement that it isn't acceptable to do something just because it makes you feel good. Is it really that bad to put myself before others? Are they trying to make me feel guilty for not contributing or giving back to the bettering of a community?

Why do people think monetary donations are one of the only ways to give back to this world? Should I be riding for a cause or raising money for an organization? I got the charity question a lot in Australia and The United State and it made furious initially. When I said no, people looked at me with pity and sympathetically stated, “Oh, I see,....you are trying to find yourself!” I had to hold back my desire to laugh and instead I chuckled inside myself thinking, I found myself loong ago, don't you see? That's why I set out on my bike,.....because I do know myself well! I know what I like, what I enjoy doing, and I finally got the courage to just do it!

Specifically addressing the charity and fundraising issue, personally I think human interaction is priceless and many times more valuable than a monetary donation! You learn so much from other people and your contact with them. People I've met along the way say I'm an inspiration and admire me, which may be true, but the feeling is reciprocal. I can't even begin to tell you how I've changed and grown as a result of this trip and what I've learned from interacting with people from so many different countries and religions.

So you are going home right, settling down in Oregon? Or are you going back to Spain?

Where is the crystal ball?? I want to see what my future holds.....actually, I really don't, so please don't ask me! Even after 20,000 miles (30,000km) I still don't know where I'll end up! From the name of my trip it seems as though I would be going home and stay in Oregon. I call my trip The Loong Way Home so people automatically assume that I'm going home to be in Oregon when my trip finishes. Yes, I do want to spend some time at home visiting family and friends and enjoy some downtime, but I have a feeling after a few months I will be itching to set off again. Back to Barcelona? Barcelona actually feels more like home since I lived there for 11 years, but I also don't see myself staying there forever. I would love to use it as a home base before the following school year. Barcelona is an inviting place to be a tourist with sunny skies, delicious food, and an outdoor sport mecca. I could cycle to my heart's content, substitute teach, and visit friends, before going back to the “real world”. I warn you, don't take any of my plans for the near future seriously these days as my mind is scattered and all over the place as my trip winds down.

Starting to see signs for Oregon!!!!

Montana: The Name Says it All

Montana in a glimpse, the name says it all!

There was something oddly familiar about Montana from the moment I entered. The name, derived from the Latin word meaning “mountain” and this state’s nickname “The Big Sky State,”  there isn’t a better way to describe this state.  Like Colorado, every where you look in the western portion of the state, there are mountains galore!  The sky is a never ending sea of blue with traces of clouds that look like elongated cat whiskers blown in the wind.  There is an overwhelming sense of solitude in Montana; there should be considering the vast land expanse and diminutive population.  The state is the 4^th largest in the US in terms of land mass, but with a population slightly over a million people, it is ranked 44^th in population and 48^th in population density.

I love looking at maps, especially a vast state like Montana

Coming out of Yellowstone park on my way to Livingston, my first views of Montana were impressive

Upon arriving, Montana reminded me fondly of New Zealand, which also has a nickname regarding the sky, “The Land of the Long White Cloud.”  There is something about the sweeping white clouds in both Montana and New Zealand caught on the mountain peaks and the color of the bright vivid blue sky contrasted by the white clouds that make for a breath taking landscape.  Cycling surrounded by this grandiose natural paradise, you feel like an ant, a minute nothingness that is constantly looking up and around observing their environment in awe, admiration, and respect.

Nuri and Viçcens are in front of Flathead lake with a tyrpical Montana sky behind

Montana in a nut shell, river valleys tall mountains, blue skies with lots of white clouds

Mountains soar out of lakes, glaciers that formed many millions of years ago, still exist today, although they are few and far between!  Once again, The Rocky Mountains kept me company in Glacier National Park.  Looking at them, you can see the crevices  where water once flowed and carved out sides of rocks from mountains millions of years ago.  The melting snow and water flowed down to the river valleys, leaving the impressive landscape we see today.  The mountains look as though they are peaks draped in bed sheets, all different shades of green from vibrant fresh grass to a dark earthen blue. The clouds leave  even deeper green splotches on the mountains, shadows, almost black in color.  The Rockies are a massive solid wall in northern Montana that reminds me of the French Alps, or maybe even the Pyrenees.  I felt like I'd cycled here before.  Nuri, Vicens, and I took on Logan Pass, starting our ascent in 3.4C weather at 6:30 in the morning.  The climb wasn't that difficult, although it is 35 miles from West Glacier to the summit.  We stopped frequently taking pictures in awe of the landscape.  By the time we reach the top at 11 am, temperatures have gone up 25C.  No wonder they call this road :The Road to the Sun".  Glacier National Park is busy, but to avoid the crowds we did a full loop around to the south of the park to get a better idea of the massive size of the landscape.  

Every where you turned there were mountains in Glacier National Park, rugged and snow-capped

Too much gorgeous scenery to capture

The Glacier Rockies, reminiscent of the Alps, Pyrenees, or even the Dolomites

Logan Pass, quite an accomplishment on The Road to the Sun, Glacier National Park

Towns; there are plenty in Montana, big cities just don't exist.  My first visit to a civilized quaint community was in Bozeman, home to Montana State University (MSU), where I wanted to adopt the university slogan, Mountains & Minds.  It can't be put any more simply.  Caution!  A cluster of young ambitious curious minds in the mountains may be hazardous.  You never know what may happen when you combine free spirits and education with living harmoniously with fresh air, mountain scenery, and the wilderness surrounding you.  I can't believe I never considered going to school at MSU.  It is home to about 15,000 students, which makes for a lively little town with a decent sized campus.  Main street is cluttered with outdoors stores, one after the next interspersed with brewpubs, bars, and delicious eateries.  I arrived for the county fair and what is known as “Crazy Days,” where vendors line the streets trying to get rid of their summer inventory.  I never shop for anything on my trip, but I did find a bright orange long sleeve Merino wool shirt, ideal for cycling in Northern Canada and Alaska.  Bozeman also has trails galore around the city, which made for two nice days of marathon training.  I must say, Bozeman gives Fort Collins a run for it’s money as a close 1^st place town on my list of places I could live in The United States.        

My host in Bozeman, John, was the son of one of my followers, Barabara Faunce, who I’ve actually never met.  However, being from Eugene, and an avid outdoors man and cyclist himself, I knew he take good care of me! Barbara somehow failed to mention that John is also the creative type and runs a clothing company called Phar North that specializes in unique graphic prints on all American-made apparel.  I got to visit his studio/shop in town and drooled while he explained to me how they go about designing and making all their garments.  My creative juices started flowing, but for now, the only way they can express themselves is in the kitchen if people let me go all out and cook!  For two of the three nights I visited, I went wild making some delicious meals including collaborating on an enormous BBQ and making a typical Catalan sausage and bean dinner.                        .

I was in heaven at Phar North, printmaking galore with design transfers

John Faunce's clothing company, Phar North, based in Bozeman, MT

After Bozeman I visited Helena the capital of Montana, which was a pleasant, quaint town.  It has a nice historic downtown and lots of eateries and shops, as well as pedestrian streets.  Houses resemble those out east and in the older neighborhoods of Portland and Seattle.  Unlike a lot of capitals in the United States, Helena was a lively place, especailly the local ice cream shop I visited with my host!
    

You can always tell a good town by it's local ice cream shop!

Helena is a quaint capital

Missoula was the next "big" town I visited, home to Adventure Cycling Association (ACA), America’s bicycle travel experts with an established cycling route network with 42,180 miles of routes throughout North America.  Missoula was a bit out of my way and the folks back in Bozeman would be upset to know that I went to their rival town, but, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to visit the organization that has so greatly impacted my life and inspired me to travel by bike.  All the tour cyclists that pass through Missoula get their picture taken and added to the wall of visitors.  Plus you can use their free Internet, eat free ice cream, drink as many refreshments from their fridge, and if you are lucky like me, you get the leftovers from the lunch picnic they had for a tour group that passed through. All the employees ride touring bikes to work, and everything about the place alludes to passionate cyclists!

 

I've always wondered what the ACA offices were like in Missoula

From Missoula I headed up to north to western Montana with Nuri and Viçens.  We rode along Flathead Lake, the largest body of water in this landlocked state.  It was cherry and huckleberry season, which made it hard not to stop every 10 miles to sample or buy the fresh fruit and treats made with them. Cycling with Viçencs and Nuri, we had the lake or a river on our left and mountains to the east the entire ride.  There were a few small towns en route Glacier National Park, including Polson, Big Fork, and Columbia Falls, the latter being where we got to experience some amazing Montanan hospitality and culture, including a rodeo, lake riding and tubing on a platoon boat, and fire pits and delicious summer meals.  We went through Whitefish, a small resort town, and stopped and swam in a few lakes on our way to the Canadian border, again a serene environment.

We saw more than a half dozen different cherry varieties along Montana's roads

Tubing, we laughed harder than we've laughed ever before!  What a riot!

Plenty of mountains and plenty to do

Thunderstorms, typical in mountainous regions like western Montana

Montana, as I mentioned, shares a lot in common with New Zealand from a geographical perspective. However, the people in Montana reminded of my Australian friends.  Montanans, like Aussies, are humble and will never outrageously boast about their fabulous state.  It’s almost as if they keep their mouths closed on purpose, knowing that they live in one of the best-kept secrets states in The United States.  Their humble attitude keeps others from coming and spoiling their wonderful natural environment.  Montanans are pleasant, genuine, and peaceful outdoor enthusiasts.  Their are avid hunters, fishermen, cyclists, skiers, climbers, hikers, and everything in between.  Like in my own vocabulary, bored, is a word that is never used in Montana if you love the outdoors! 

One of the most pleasant country roads on my ride to Bozeman

This was the widest, cleanest shoulder we rode on in Montana

My only complaint about Montana are the roads; they leave little to be desired for a cyclist.  For being a state that strongly promotes tour cycling, I was surprised by the lack of shoulders, the treacherous road debris, and the absurd speed limits.  The state is so immense and sparsely populated, it is no surprise that there are also a lack of secondary roads, at least paved ones!  Montana may be a mountain biking paradise, but I feared for my life on the tarmac.  In fact, sadly, I felt the safest riding on Interstate 90, where the speed limit approaches 80 miles an hour, but a wide shoulder and minimal road debris makes for smooth, fast pedaling.  Rather than creating more national cycling routes, I would advise Adventure Cycling to advocate for a more bike friendly road network in Montana, starting with educating drivers regarding how to respect cyclists and  share the roads with them.  I'd love to come back and explore Montana further, but I doubt it will be on a touring bike!

From "Typical Espanish" to "Typical 'Merica"

When I first arrived in Spain, I kept hearing the phrase, It’s "typical Espanish" over and over again! The word Spanish is pronounced like Espanish by a native (since all of their words starting with "s" sound like es).  “Melissa, you have to try a paella, it is typical Espanish!” “Here in Espain, the stores close during the day so we can go home to eat lunch and take an afternoon siesta”.... “We have a Bermuth before lunch, it’s typical Espanish.”....... After all those years of learning about what is typical in Espain, I was so excited to show my friends what is typical in ‘Merica.  In the first few days of our trip, Nuri and Viçens have had a lot of different “typical American” experiences and tasted a bunch of different American foods.  In fact, it is a good thing we are biking with all we are consuming, not to mention, we are thankful for having a tail wind.  After eating all the eclectic flavors, it makes for some unsettled stomachs and more strenuous digestion, which leads to a bit of gas, if you know what I mean!

Photo shoot at Adventure Cycling Association in Missoula, MT

Upon the arrival of Nuri and Viçens, we were welcomed like rock starts to The Adventure Cycling Association with a big photo shoot.  Every cyclist that visits normally has mug shot snapped that goes on their wall of visitors. As foreigners, we got the red carpet treatment.  It’s not every day that someone cycles through Missoula coming from Spain.  Their photographer wanted to document this for one of their issues and he was even more thrilled to hear that I was awaiting the arrival of two Spanish cyclists who would accompany me for two weeks.  They arrived and surprised me with “designer” t-shirts, for our trip together, designed by Viçens and his sister.  We got our photos taken together and separately, and then participated in their ritual weigh in.  We had to guess the weight of our bikes before they were weighed.  Being the optimists that we are, all of our guesses were 20 pounds under their actual weight.  Nuri’s bike is the lightest at 40 lbs. (25kg.), Next comes Viçens at 85lbs. (37kg.), then me, with the heaviest bike of all at 90lbs. (40kg.).  Pretty impressive to think we carry all that weight around on two wheels!

Before getting changed, Nuri and Viçens were preparing dinner (for 10 people total)

From Missoula we went to Ronan, just south of Flathead Lake, where ironically the husband of our host couple, Tom and Annemarie, was a Spanish teacher. It was the perfect situation because all of us could communicate and Tom got to practice his Spanish, something he doesn’t have the opportunity to do much in rural Montana.  The Leafty family was numerous, like my own family, and it just so happened that 7 or 8 of them were visiting with their kids (5 of them staying at their house, along with two church missionaries, which made for one big crowd.  Since all their rooms were full, we had the choice of putting our tents in the back yard or sleeping in their pop-up camper.  Need I say which we chose?  For Nuri and Viçens, it was their first time sleeping in such a vehicle, “pop-up” campers don’t exist over in Europe, so this was a typical American camping experience for them.  For me, motor homes are becoming my second home!  

 

We all slept in a pop-up camper, a typical American camping vehicle

On a fire pit, Nuri and Viçens picked up on the art of a lightly toasted marshmallow right away

We made dinner for the Leafty family, a typical Espanish meal of oven roasted chicken and vegetables and they provided us with a typical American desert experience called s’mores.  For my non-American followers, s’mores are a desert here in the states associated with camping and camp fires.  There is an art involved with this desert from finding the perfect roasting stick to how to go about roasting your marshmallow just right and preparing the actual cookies/treat.  They had a fire pit in the backyard and we all sat around making S’mores.  Nuri and Viçens got the hang of it right away without even explaining how to get the best roasted marshmallow. Ironically, it was little Ms. I haven’t lived in the states for 10 years to practice, who repeatedly burned hers!  For me, it was more of a patience issue and the excitement to eat a roasted marshmallow than the lack of practice!

The native burnt hers, while Viçens had more patince

From Ronan we headed up to Columbia Falls where Teri Ann and Ron awaited our arrival.  They are friends my 49er host back on the Pacific Coast Highway in California, Murdock.  Prior to our visit I was corresponding with Teri Ann via email and something told me we were going to hit it off.  Shortly after arriving, she had me painting my toe nails, sampling different body lotions, and even had her mom give me a hair cut!  These seem like petty little details, of little interest to Nuri and Viçens, but when you’ve been out on the road for 11 months, the smallest of treats such as this, makes a world of a difference!

The ladies had a blast getting dressed up for the rodeo

A rodeo was one of the events I wanted to make sure I hit up while in the Montana

You can’t visit the Wild West without going to a rodeo, typical ‘Merica.  None of us three had been to a rodeo before, and it is actually one of the three things left on my list of attractions and things to do while riding my bike around the world.  Luckily there happened to be a rodeo on Friday night in Columbia Falls.  Teri Ann, of course had cowgirl attire, so we dressed up, traded our two wheels for four, and hit the rodeo!  We had a grand time watching the different events.  One could equate it to running of the bulls or bull fighting, typical Espanish, but neither are customs in Catalonia.  Our favorite was the bareback riding and bull riding!  The announcer was so excited to welcome all the tourists visiting, I made sure they gave Viçens and Nuri a special welcome, as you can hear in the video below!

These were our wheels for the night.  What fun it was to drive!

Never knew there were so many events at a rodeo........

The stands were full at The Blue Moon Rodeo in Columbia Falls

The following day, we made the most of our Saturday before hitting the road.  We took Teri Ann and Ron’s platoon to Hungry Horse reservoir and spent the day tubing, soaking up the sun, and had a BBQ on the lake. My family grew up water skiing in the summer, so it felt very familiar to be back on the water.  With five kids, water skiing was always great entertainment with lots of laughing.  Nothing had changed since I last went, except perhaps the shape of the inner tube, which could fit all three of us.  We had Viçens strategically placed in the middle and a lady in each side.  Like the white water rafting, which I discovered was just slightly out of my comfort zone for thrills, tubing is a lot scarier as an adult than an adolescent. 

We fit so snuggly on the tube, thank goodness, because with more weight, the less likely you are to fall off!

While Nuri smiled and laughed almost the entire time letting out a few shrieks, Viçens held on to the middle handles grips with a giant grin on his face, completely silent with his legs bouncing everywhere.  I on the other hand held on to the tube for my dear life, shrieking at the top of my lungs, making some of my typical, ridiculous faces.  We all had hoarse voices that night and sore biceps from using all our strength to hold on to the tube trying not to tip over.  We laughed so hard during those two five minute sessions of tubing our stomachs hurt so badly we felt like we’d done a major abdominal workout!  In fact, we were still laughing the next day thinking about our experience!  What a riot, definitely a typical American experience none of us will forget!

The facial expressions are back!

1, 2, 3, jump! We do everything together and coordinated, we even have the same tan lines, imagine that!

Ron hooked us up with delicious burgers on the boat

That evening we pedaled 20 miles up the road to Glacier Park, where our hosts Jamie and Brad, who work seasonally in Glacier National Park, lived.   They invited us to go huckleberry picking with them, a hard offer to turn down.  Spaniards typically do a lot of picking of wild vegetables such as garlic and mushrooms, but berries are hard to come by there, the tradition just doesn’t exist like it does in the States.  My Oregon summers for me were filled with picking wild berries along the bike path in Eugene.  My mom also had at least 3 or 4 loyal strawberry pickers during the summer and we would fill up flats after flats so she could make jams we could enjoy all year long with peanut butter for our sack lunches at school.  In West Glacier, the five of us set out to pick huckleberries, each with our own container.  It was reminiscent of my childhood, yet Jamie brought bear spray with her just in case, although I think our chatting that deterred them.  For this harvest, it was a win-win situation! We could eat the huckleberries as we picked and the ones we collected were eaten when we got home, immediately, with milk and sugar, a typical Pritchard dessert!

Tubers by day, an afternoon bike ride, and hucleberry pickers by night!

As for typical American food, well, Nuri and Viçens are trying it all!  I don’t think they’ve refused one things so far, although peanut butter isn't a particular favorite.  They love the snack items from chips and dips to the crackers varieties and have tried a new cereal almost every morning.  Beef jerky, of course, was a total hit, and so are the different pastries at the local supermarket bakeries.  There was a care package waiting for me TeriAnn from Murdock filled with lots of candies among other items, which was also a big hit!  TeriAnn had a create-your-own pizza party for us, and Viçens got to try his first American hamburger on the boat that Ron barbequed for us.  On our second day in Glacier National Park, our hosts in East Glacier made us a an enormous dinner including potato salad and corn on the cob, typical American summer foods. Breakfast the next morning included blueberry waffles with fresh fruit and syrup, along with turkey sausage.  We stuffed ourselves so full of waffles that we hardly made it up the 10 mile hill first thing that morning! 

Teri Ann prepared one heck of a pizza party for us!

Best "Make-Your-Own Pizza" party I've ever been to!

That was a typical American breakfast

Thankfully we have about 10 days left on the road and are soon to hit another country, Canada, so now we will go from typical American culture to discover the Canadian culture.  We are all excited to see what sort of fun and unique experiences and flavors in store for us!  

What Happened to Common Sense?

Welcome to Arizona

I should preface this blog entry by saying that I have dear friends from Arizona and I love my aunt to death who lives in the Phoenix area, but I seriously don't get this state.  The Grand Canyon better be pretty spectacular after what I’ve put up with to get here.

The scenery is amazing in Arizona, if only the roads were just as nice.....

My first impression of Arizona was fabulous.  I crossed the border at Hoover Dam and had some great scenery riding along the Colorado River with all sorts of mountains and canyons around me.  The wind was strong, but not unbearable.  The road was a busy interstate, but it had an okay shoulder, or so it appeared. 

A typical interstate in Arizona where cyclists are permitted and forced to ride due to a lack of altrenate routes

It took a total of about 30 miles to realize that Arizona was not a very cycle friendly state. There are a lot of interstates in Arizona, but few back roads in order to avoid these major arteries.  I had to do a massive detour the second day in Arizona, 100 miles with a strong head wind, just to keep off a section of the interstate that was about 30 miles without a shoulder.  Trucks were hauling down the road going at least 75 mph, and I was getting honked at, even though it is legal for cyclists to ride on the interstate. 

Duh!!!!

After riding the Arizona roads for a couple of days, I started to doubt the common sense of the average driver on the road after observing some of their road signs.  Take for instance the sign, “Do not enter when flooded.”  Arizona doesn’t get a lot of rain, so I’m sure when it does rain, there are a lot of areas that flood.  Who would think of driving their car through a road that is flooded,….. that just doesn’t make sense, it’s common sense, right? However, just about every section of a road that dips here warns drivers to not enter if flooded.  Obviously there is a story behind these signs,….I don’t dare ask what happened! 

Notice the passing indicators on the road as well, a double whammy: DON'T PASS!

Here is another sign that seems pretty ridiculous, “Hill blocks view.”  Duh!!!! Don’t we all know that when you are going up a hill you can’t see what is on the other side? Common sense tells you that you don’t pass cars going uphill.  In fact, I think it is the second or third question on the driving test when we get our license.  You have zero visibility going up a hill, that is why there isn’t ever a passing lane on an uphill grade.  Is it really necessary to remind drivers that their vision is blocked on a hill? Isn't that just common sense…..?

Another sign here in Arizona that makes me wonder about people’s common sense warns people that hunting is prohibited in a national park.  I saw this sign right after crossing the border into The Grand Canyon National Park.  Wow,….I’d love to see the person who tries to hunt an elk crossing the road in the park! That is like fishing at a fish hatchery, it’s just WRONG- common sense ought to tell you that!

Common sense, especially on an interstate with a 75mph speed limit

With all these signs that reiterate what I consider “common sense” it makes me start to feel a little uncomfortable pedaling on Arizona roads.  I was hoping I would see a sign warning drivers that cyclists share the roads, however, I guess that isn’t common sense, considering that most places in the world don’t allow cyclist on major interstates, let alone an interstate where the speed limit is 75 mph rather than 65mph.  That just seems crazy to me, but in Arizona it is allowed!  The only sign that appears on the interstate is for the cyclists.  It states, “Cyclists must use shoulders”.  Gosh, I’m so glad they reminded me to stay as far over to the right as possible. I was seriously considering taking on the semi truck to try to pass it on the left!

Excuse me, that is my shoulder

Common sense (or the lack of) failed me once again when I was riding in a construction zone.  On my way to the Grand Canyon, a road, I remind you that millions of tourists take each year, I found myself in the middle of a 20-mile section of road construction on the interstate.  The construction alternated between the left and right lane, meaning that at different intervals, one lane was closed while the other was open.  Yes, they had signs posted warning drivers of the closures and to reduce their speed, but wouldn’t you know they were right in the middle of the shoulder of the road…..the shoulder where I was suppose to be riding?!?  It isn’t easy to dodge a huge posted road sign in the middle of a meter and a half shoulder when cars are whizzing by on your left at 75 mph.  Again, I was outraged. I saw a police in the median with his window down and expressed my frustration. I put my right hand up in the air and shouted, “This is ridiculous!  This is suicide!”  I wasn’t trying to get his attention, rather just venting my frustration.  To my surprise he came driving up next to me to let me know he was going to escort me through the worst parts of the construction for 5 miles.  Boy was I lucky!  If they are going to make cyclists use an interstate even under road construction, then a police escort through is the best use of tax payer’s money to make sure we are safe!  Thank you!

There goes my police escort.  I wish I could have thanked him in person

The sign that really blew me away were the ones that clarified the law here in Arizona (which isn’t common sense) that reminds people where they are and aren’t allowed to carry firearms.  My second day in Arizona I stopped the cashier in the middle of a sentence when my eyes made contact with his pistol. It was in a holster on his hip fully loaded.  I had never seen an ordinary person carrying a weapon around openly in my life, so I asked him if it was real.  “Of course it is!” he replied, as if it was common sense!  I was in shock, disbelief, disgusted, scared......Then he showed me the sign.  His establishment openly stated that firearms were permitted. 

I just can't get over the pistol.....it makes me mad

I didn’t share my opinion about this firearm law until the next day when I arrived at a gas station for my afternoon break.  I plopped myself down at the counter of an A & W Root Beer to enjoy a cold drink. Two guys next to me started asking me about my trip and I told them I was shocked to learn about the gun law in Arizona.  Boy, was this a mistake!  I explained to them my experience the day before at the convenience store and they responded by saying, “Yeah, in places like California I guess you can’t do that!”....Well hello,….Isn’t it common sense to expect that ordinary people don’t carry firearms?  “Why do you need to carry a loaded firearm?” I asked out load, not necessarily expecting an answer.  The lady behind the counter piped up and boldly stated, “Everyone ought to carry a gun!”

This sign was on the door of a restaurant.  I'm used to seeing "No shirts, no shoes, no service!",  not this!

“Excuse me?” I gasped in disbelief. “What did you just say?”  She repeated the same statement again, only this time she added, “The world would be a better place if everyone carried a gun!” I probably should have kept my mouth shut, but I couldn’t resist; I was appalled.  I couldn’t refrain from sharing my opinion now that I had heard hers! After all, people talk to me about random and crazy stuff all the time and give me their opinions so I figured I was entitled to state my opinion on the gun topic.  Call me innocent, but I think it is common sense to have a little faith in humankind and trust others.  If people think they need to carry a gun around to protect themselves, there is a fundamental problem,…one that is rooted in the education system (or lack of) and the morals and beliefs of a society.  People are lacking basic values and beliefs that are established over time with education.  Carrying a gun as a form of self-protection is a band-aid or “quick fix” to a larger problem. The real problem lies deeply rooted in the culture.  People need to be educated on how to treat and respect others and interact with the world around them.  I guess my opinion was a bit too radical for the people at A & W Root Beer (although, again, it seems like common sense to me) because that was the end of our conversation.  After stating my opinion on guns, I got that alone time I was craving, because no one talked to me from then on out!

It’s interesting to me that what seems like common sense to one person is far from rational thinking for another, or so I’m learning here in Arizona!  It’s scary and sad really…..Scary, because the same people that lack common sense are allowed to carry a firearm, not to mention they pass me all day long on the roads driving.  I hope I don’t frustrate them to the point they pull out their gun.  Maybe there should be a sign that says, “Please don’t use your gun while driving”.  I don’t want to loose faith in the people, but it makes me sad to know that carrying a firearm makes people more secure and that it has become a valid and real solution to problems in life.  Common sense tells me, something isn’t right here!