Goodbye Oregon, Hello Virginia Beach
Oregon will be remembered for their great state campgrounds, the high desert, Hells Canyon Scenic Byway, a run in with a deer, ghost towns, national forests, John Day Fossil Beds, volcanic fields of McKenzie pass, devasted town of McKenzie Bridge, rocky coastline, and foggy finish in Astoria. My first day in Oregon involved riding along the Snake River with a brief stop to do some kayaking in the river surrounded by mountains. The next few days were spent riding in the high desert with smoky cloud cover and intermittent drizzling rain from the… Continue reading Goodbye Oregon, Hello Virginia Beach
Goodby Idaho, hello Oregon
Idaho will be remembered as the shortest distance covered in a state, more forest fires, truck accident seconds before me, long days with few places to stop, golden mountains, beautiful rivers, bike issues, Hells Canyon, and the river town of Riggins. I entered Idaho after a long climb up Lolo pass with poor air quality and limited views because of the smoke. Every few hours I would pass staging areas for the rural fire teams and be grateful they were there to keep the roads open and me safe. At the top of… Continue reading Goodby Idaho, hello Oregon
Goodbye Montana, Hello Idaho!
Montana will be remembered for it’s smoke filled days, rock formations, cowboy wedding, fly fishing, side by side ride, Adventure Cycling headquarters, and Glacier National Park . I started off riding by beautiful Hebgen and Earthquake Lake, formed when a 7.5 magnitude earthquake devastated the area in 1959. One of the highlights of the state was staying in the quaint western town of Ennis and learning to fly fish on the Madison river, a fly fishing mecca. Another highlight was attending a western wedding in Jackson, a small western town that was overtaken… Continue reading Goodbye Montana, Hello Idaho!
Good by Wyoming, hello Montana!
Wyoming will be remembered for my unique lodging, ghost towns, taxidermy, friendly hosts, wildlife, beautiful national parks, Indian reservations, and continental divide crossings. My first city in Wyoming was Saratoga where I soaked in the beautiful Hot Springs and stayed in a retro camper. Next off was Jefferson City, a ghost town that was 6000 people strong in the 70s with a big Uranium mine. Now only 50 people remain to carry-on the history of the abandoned town and buildings. The charming western town of Lander was my next stop where I stayed… Continue reading Good by Wyoming, hello Montana!
Goodbye Colorado, hello Montana
Colorado will be remembered for the halfway point of my journey, Rocky Mountains, welcoming fire stations, colorful murals and neon alley and Riverwalk of Pueblo, breathtaking gorges and mountain passes, mountain goats, moose, rocky mountain oysters, forest fires, snow capped mountains, hail storms, quirky town of Guffey, Breckenridge breweries, and small-town parades and rodeos. The first major town I entered in Colorado was Pueblo where I sought refuge camping behind a fire station that took me under their wing. Pueblo is a beautiful town with a hip neon alley, interesting architecture, clean and… Continue reading Goodbye Colorado, hello Montana
Goodby Kansas, hello Colorado
Kansas will be remembered for it’s vast prairies, horseflies, golden wheat fields, wind turbines, cattle, strong headwinds, record breaking heat, Brahm’s ice cream, and welcoming churches. I should’ve known it was going to be a challenging state when I crossed the border and there was no “welcome to Kansas” sign but in the reverse there was a “leaving Kansas, come again” sign. Kansas was experiencing record breaking heat in the triple digits while I was there, leading to challenging days due to the long distance between towns and lack of water and shade… Continue reading Goodby Kansas, hello Colorado
Goodbye Illinois and Missouri
My first day in Illinois was spent going off my regular route to Garden of the Gods which had breathtaking views and rock formations created by millions of years of nature’s weathering forces. It was well worth the extra 15 miles to go off course. Unfortunately, the next two days in Illinois I spent in on and off torrential downpours. Despite the rain, highlights included riding along the Mississippi River Levee Road with all of the coal terminals and flour mills. And who could forget a visit to Chester, Illinois, home of the… Continue reading Goodbye Illinois and Missouri
Goodbye Kentucky
As I sit on the banks of the Ohio River in Illinois reflecting on my travels through Kentucky, many wonderful memories come to mind. First and foremost are the wonderful people of Kentucky. I have never met such a transparent and welcoming group of people, telling their stories of hardship in one breath while expressing their pride in their community and state in the next. From the grocery store cashier telling her story of lost love ones to Covid when I asked about her still wearing a mask, to Angie in Elkhorn city… Continue reading Goodbye Kentucky
LET THE ADVENTURES BEGIN
First off, thank you for all of your donations and words of support over the last two weeks. With your generosity, over $8,000 has already been raised for CWA. After dipping my wheel in the Chesapeake Bay, I was on my way to Jamestown. The best part of the day was the beautiful Elizabeth River Trail, 10.5 miles through Norfolk, showcasing many sites including the Hermitage Museum on the shores of the Lafayette River, Old Dominion University, Fort Norfolk, the Pagoda and Oriental Gardens, Battleship Wisconsin, Nauticus, and Town Point Park to name… Continue reading LET THE ADVENTURES BEGIN
ABOUT DIANE HAUPT
WHO – Recently retired Physical Therapist of 30 years and owner of Dynamic Health Services. Previously competitive triathlete and runner. Loves traveling and insatiably curious about other countries and cultures and has a heart for serving others. WHAT – Unsupported bicycle ride across country to raise funds for a local chapter of Cycling Without Age. WHERE – 4,300 miles following the TransAmerican Bicycle Trail https://www.adventurecycling.org/routes-and-maps/adventure-cycling-route-network/transamerica-trail/ starting with a wheel dip in the Atlantic Ocean in Virginia Beach, VA and ending with a wheel dip in the Pacific Ocean in Oregon. The local Cycling… Continue reading ABOUT DIANE HAUPT