Friday, January 11, 2008
Life's a beach
To hike on, that is. Florida has been treating me very well so far, with lots of press coverage (see below), healthy contributions from passersby and Rotary Clubs, great weather, easy hiking on or in full view of the beach, and fun new cities to explore (Jacksonville, St. Augustine, and tomorrow, Daytona Beach). Also, there's been great birding around here, with pelicans, hawks, terns, gannets, and shorebirds galore. All that is good news for Fisher House too, since a friend of mine, Jeff Hoppes, has made his pledge contingent upon the number of species I see along the way. Currently my tally is at 66 since starting off in Canada (other notable species include Bald Eagle, Red-Shouldered Hawk, Osprey, and numerous songbirds) but it should get close to 100 by the time I hit Key West. Also, there's a subspecies of (you guessed it) bunny named after Hugh Hefner that lives in the Florida Keys that I hope to see in a few weeks. In addition to lots of other cute bunnies on the beach, ha ha.
Sunday, January 6, 2008
The Beginning of the End
And so this week it came to pass that your correspondent entered the last new state of his hike: Florida. Still, almost six weeks remain before the final plunge into the Gulf of Mexico in Key West, so there will be plenty of blog entries before then. My pace in Florida will be a good deal more relaxed than in many states farther north, which will allow me to speak to more groups (especially Rotary Clubs and VFW posts), do some more sightseeing, and give my legs a break. Of course, I also just registered for the Miami Marathon later on this month, so I'm not being too easy on myself.
The weather was unseasonably cool this past week, with snow flurries being seen (though not by me) as far south as Daytona. Still, you will know for sure how bad the wind chill made it feel a few days ago, when I apprise you that I even forwent a trip to a Waffle House because I did not feel like hiking into a stiff 30 mile per hour wind with temps of about 30 degrees. Actually, pancakes have been more a part of my diet lately than waffles. Two nights ago I stayed with Heather Barnett (a couch surfee) and her housemates. They all worked at the Jacksonville Zoo, where Heather gave me a backstage tour after having whipped up a great helping of apple pancakes the night before. Then last night, I stayed with the Matthews family of Orange Park, who made me pancakes this morning and donated $400 worth of change (thankfully they didn't make me carry it all!) to the Fisher House Foundation. The Matthewses are friends of Lauren Hoffman, who lives across the street, and to whom I once gave a bike tour along with her friend Risa, when I was living in Berlin. Lauren's husband Karl saw an article (see link below) in the Florida Times Union about me this past week, and subsequently got in touch with me. Hence my spending dinner with them last night and my overnight stay at their friends across the street. Thanks to all and watch for a new post in about four days or so.
The weather was unseasonably cool this past week, with snow flurries being seen (though not by me) as far south as Daytona. Still, you will know for sure how bad the wind chill made it feel a few days ago, when I apprise you that I even forwent a trip to a Waffle House because I did not feel like hiking into a stiff 30 mile per hour wind with temps of about 30 degrees. Actually, pancakes have been more a part of my diet lately than waffles. Two nights ago I stayed with Heather Barnett (a couch surfee) and her housemates. They all worked at the Jacksonville Zoo, where Heather gave me a backstage tour after having whipped up a great helping of apple pancakes the night before. Then last night, I stayed with the Matthews family of Orange Park, who made me pancakes this morning and donated $400 worth of change (thankfully they didn't make me carry it all!) to the Fisher House Foundation. The Matthewses are friends of Lauren Hoffman, who lives across the street, and to whom I once gave a bike tour along with her friend Risa, when I was living in Berlin. Lauren's husband Karl saw an article (see link below) in the Florida Times Union about me this past week, and subsequently got in touch with me. Hence my spending dinner with them last night and my overnight stay at their friends across the street. Thanks to all and watch for a new post in about four days or so.
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Happy New Year
Well, suffice to say that I hope your New Year's Eve was better than mine- watching Law and Order reruns at a Days Inn off of I 95 while dealing with the cranky owners of the joint who refused to apologize for the moldy bathroom, broken door lock, or the fuzzy TV reception. At least the weather down here has been beautiful of late, albeit much colder than it had been previously. Yesterday night, my Mapquest directions also led me astray by three miles to the point that I needed to call a cab to get to my motel for the night. I'll take a cab back to where I left off once I get out of here- so no worries, I'm not cheating. In the next few days, I'll be in Jacksonville and then hit the beach for the first time since Massachusetts!
Friday, December 28, 2007
Marching Through Georgia
My new year's resolution is going to be to post more frequently, albeit with shorter updates each time. I'm back in Savannah, after a week-long Christmas interlude. The train back to Savannah was only two hours late, compared with the train to New Jersey, which arrived three and a half hours late. Sigh. I'm a huge fan of passenger rail travel, but I can't in good conscience recommend long-distance travel on Amtrak to anyone except the most die-hard rail fan.
So back to that more reliable mode of travel: feet. I've downloaded "Marchin' Through Georgia" onto my Ipod and am ready to go. I've also got a new set of trekking poles- my old ones were showing their age, and when a clerk at the Savannah Hampton Inn admired them nonetheless on the night before I left to go home for the holidays, I was more than ready to give her an early Christmas present. Look for my next update the next time I stay at a Hampton Inn, which will be New Year's Eve in Brunswick, GA. Promises to be a rip roaring time!
So back to that more reliable mode of travel: feet. I've downloaded "Marchin' Through Georgia" onto my Ipod and am ready to go. I've also got a new set of trekking poles- my old ones were showing their age, and when a clerk at the Savannah Hampton Inn admired them nonetheless on the night before I left to go home for the holidays, I was more than ready to give her an early Christmas present. Look for my next update the next time I stay at a Hampton Inn, which will be New Year's Eve in Brunswick, GA. Promises to be a rip roaring time!
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Merry Christmas!
From the USA Hiker, now safe at home in New Jersey. It only took 20 hours on Amtrak from Savannah to get to Newark- the engine broke down in Virginia, and we were stopped without power for three hours before they sent a new engine down from DC to rescue us. At times I was tempted to get out and start hiking...
When last I blogged I was on the cusp of South Carolina, and little did I know, on the cusp of yet more crazy adventures. Two experiences stand out in particular. First, a retired military intelligence officer named Paul Hickey, who helps out with the Fisher House in Augusta, GA went out of his way (literally, and more than once) to show me the best in southern hospitality. Paul had heard of my hike a few months ago, and wanted to meet me when I passed near to his neck of the woods. Little did I know then that Paul would plan a wonderful visit for me to Ft. Gordon in Augusta, GA, its Fisher House, and an adjacent hospital. Paul also had the guts to go table to table at a local restaurant one night, and (with the permission of the restaurant's owner) tell customers about the Fisher House Foundation, my hike on its behalf, and politely ask for donations. In practice, it was like my efforts trying to reach out to the opposite sex during my freshman year of college: the technique was unconventional, took a lot of guts, resulted in far more negative responses than positive ones- but still nonetheless worked. At the end of the night, we had raised $40 more for Fisher House than we would have had we politely kept to ourselves. Paul and his wife Ellen were also gracious enough to host me in their home for two nights, cook great meals, and shuttle me back and forth to where I had left off hiking. They deserve a round of applause and my utmost thanks. Also worthy of such honors were the soldiers I had a chance to meet at Ft. Gordon. It is impossible to meet members of the military today and not come away floored with their commitment and selfless sense of mission. Those whom I was fortunate enough to meet were not only full of enthusiasm for serving our country, but were also kind enough to pass around a hat with over $100 more in contributions for Fisher House. One soldier, meanwhile, who had himself suffered a brain injury in Iraq, gave $20 on the spot as well- completely unprompted. What can one say in response other than a polite thank you to such a magnanimous gesture?
My other South Carolina story of special interest was a stop at the Goodland Barbecue, a classic southern barbecue joint in the small town of Springfield, SC. Before I left after eating a delicious lunch there, the patrons had donated $105 to Fisher House. I also had the pleasure to meet two friendly locals, Boyce Akers and Kenny Kearse, who helped spread the word about what I was doing to the other patrons. Kenny also bailed me out later that afternoon by picking me up after a teeming rain cut short my hike, and then provided me with a place to stay that night. The next morning Kenny brought me back to where I had left off the previous night, and shortly thereafter, I paused that Sunday morning to attend the Christmas musical at the First Baptist Church in Blackville, SC. And wouldn't you know- the couple I sat next to in the pew had just returned from their home in Key West, where they spend most of their time, and encouraged me to contact them when I reached the final stop on my way. Coincidence- or perhaps Divine Providence...
When last I blogged I was on the cusp of South Carolina, and little did I know, on the cusp of yet more crazy adventures. Two experiences stand out in particular. First, a retired military intelligence officer named Paul Hickey, who helps out with the Fisher House in Augusta, GA went out of his way (literally, and more than once) to show me the best in southern hospitality. Paul had heard of my hike a few months ago, and wanted to meet me when I passed near to his neck of the woods. Little did I know then that Paul would plan a wonderful visit for me to Ft. Gordon in Augusta, GA, its Fisher House, and an adjacent hospital. Paul also had the guts to go table to table at a local restaurant one night, and (with the permission of the restaurant's owner) tell customers about the Fisher House Foundation, my hike on its behalf, and politely ask for donations. In practice, it was like my efforts trying to reach out to the opposite sex during my freshman year of college: the technique was unconventional, took a lot of guts, resulted in far more negative responses than positive ones- but still nonetheless worked. At the end of the night, we had raised $40 more for Fisher House than we would have had we politely kept to ourselves. Paul and his wife Ellen were also gracious enough to host me in their home for two nights, cook great meals, and shuttle me back and forth to where I had left off hiking. They deserve a round of applause and my utmost thanks. Also worthy of such honors were the soldiers I had a chance to meet at Ft. Gordon. It is impossible to meet members of the military today and not come away floored with their commitment and selfless sense of mission. Those whom I was fortunate enough to meet were not only full of enthusiasm for serving our country, but were also kind enough to pass around a hat with over $100 more in contributions for Fisher House. One soldier, meanwhile, who had himself suffered a brain injury in Iraq, gave $20 on the spot as well- completely unprompted. What can one say in response other than a polite thank you to such a magnanimous gesture?
My other South Carolina story of special interest was a stop at the Goodland Barbecue, a classic southern barbecue joint in the small town of Springfield, SC. Before I left after eating a delicious lunch there, the patrons had donated $105 to Fisher House. I also had the pleasure to meet two friendly locals, Boyce Akers and Kenny Kearse, who helped spread the word about what I was doing to the other patrons. Kenny also bailed me out later that afternoon by picking me up after a teeming rain cut short my hike, and then provided me with a place to stay that night. The next morning Kenny brought me back to where I had left off the previous night, and shortly thereafter, I paused that Sunday morning to attend the Christmas musical at the First Baptist Church in Blackville, SC. And wouldn't you know- the couple I sat next to in the pew had just returned from their home in Key West, where they spend most of their time, and encouraged me to contact them when I reached the final stop on my way. Coincidence- or perhaps Divine Providence...
Tuesday, December 4, 2007
Nothing Could be Finer than to Hike through Caroliner
Especially when the weather stays wonderfully cooperative. I read recently this has something to do with El Nino or La Nina or Global Warming or Al Gore's Nobel Prize or God having to pay too much attention to Britney Spears at the moment. Whatever- the next week looks like the same as the last two- sunny, dry, and comfortable temps for hiking. I'll take it. And with my much-heralded entrance into South Carolina tomorrow, I will have officially outhiked the worst of the winter weather.
People have often commented on how my hike was timed perfectly with the weather- yes, that was by design. Still, I had no right whatsoever to have encountered only about five rainy days on the whole hike to this point. There was one in Virginia, one in Maryland, one in Pennsylvania, and two in Maine. And that's been it. Sometimes you just luck out.
I also lucked out with the timing of a Teach for America interview which I took care of today in Charlotte, for those of you curious about what the future might hold for yours truly. As it was, the timing could not have been better: I needed an off day anyway, and today was the day I would have been in Charlotte, even had it not been for the interview. I was also fortunate to be able to meet a friend, Rebecca Wintsch for dinner tonight, get a cheap but nice hotel room within walking distance of the interview, and find a Fedex spot where I can ship my suit, good shoes, and most recently completed lecture course on Voltaire and the Triumph of the Enlightenment back home tomorrow. But then again, I'm probably the first person in history not only to have hiked through North Carolina with a pin-striped suit in his backpack. (For those who are scratching their heads, I picked it up in New Jersey during a brief stay at home two days before Thanksgiving via rental car. And yes, I marked a spot on the ground with my foot at the Enterprise outfit in Danville, VA where I stood before and after renting the car to maintain the legitimacy of the hike)
North Carolina went by in just one week, but it was fun, especially the warm welcome I received in Salisbury, including a photo on the front page of the paper, a complimentary dinner, and $60 worth of impromptu cash donations. Let's see what South Carolina holds- already a Couch Surf or two, a meeting with a Fisher House representative and sunny weather with highs in the low 70's are on the docket. Nothing could be finer indeed.
People have often commented on how my hike was timed perfectly with the weather- yes, that was by design. Still, I had no right whatsoever to have encountered only about five rainy days on the whole hike to this point. There was one in Virginia, one in Maryland, one in Pennsylvania, and two in Maine. And that's been it. Sometimes you just luck out.
I also lucked out with the timing of a Teach for America interview which I took care of today in Charlotte, for those of you curious about what the future might hold for yours truly. As it was, the timing could not have been better: I needed an off day anyway, and today was the day I would have been in Charlotte, even had it not been for the interview. I was also fortunate to be able to meet a friend, Rebecca Wintsch for dinner tonight, get a cheap but nice hotel room within walking distance of the interview, and find a Fedex spot where I can ship my suit, good shoes, and most recently completed lecture course on Voltaire and the Triumph of the Enlightenment back home tomorrow. But then again, I'm probably the first person in history not only to have hiked through North Carolina with a pin-striped suit in his backpack. (For those who are scratching their heads, I picked it up in New Jersey during a brief stay at home two days before Thanksgiving via rental car. And yes, I marked a spot on the ground with my foot at the Enterprise outfit in Danville, VA where I stood before and after renting the car to maintain the legitimacy of the hike)
North Carolina went by in just one week, but it was fun, especially the warm welcome I received in Salisbury, including a photo on the front page of the paper, a complimentary dinner, and $60 worth of impromptu cash donations. Let's see what South Carolina holds- already a Couch Surf or two, a meeting with a Fisher House representative and sunny weather with highs in the low 70's are on the docket. Nothing could be finer indeed.
Wednesday, November 28, 2007
On the road again...
If you think it's been awhile since I updated the blog, you're absolutely right. However, during the time since the last post I rented a car in southern Virginia, drove to NJ to surprise the family before spending last Wednesday driving to visit my friend Josh and his family in Atlanta for Thanksgiving, where I spent four days, before driving back to VA. So I've been busy. On Monday I picked up the hiking at the Enterprise where I dropped off the car, and then spent the day doing planning and catching my breath before the last two days.
Which have been the longest two day stretch of the hike. 27 miles yesterday, 26 today. Highlights included crossing into North Carolina, getting a photo tonight with five lovely Hooters waitresses, and the resumption of the great US-29 feather mystery. Second only to my blondeness in terms of weird things I've seen, for the past 200 miles along US-29 I have been hiking past feathers on the road shoulder. I had noticed this back in Virginia, where it went on for days on end, but it resumed again today once I came back to US-29. I can't imagine why this is happening, particularly since many of the feathers are rather large and they seem to be from sea gulls. They're far too big and too white to be chicken feathers, and their size somehow precludes my one hypothesis- that a truck somehow carrying pillows sprung a leak. If you have an explanation, I'd love to hear it, but for now I'm flabbergasted.
I also just realized that I had finished the last post with a teaser. The cool thing I referred to then was an interview I did inside Monticello with a camera crew sent from Jeopardy to interview me as part of a series they're doing on following up the goings on of past contestants. I don't know when it will air, although it might not be for almost a year. However, they're also putting together a 2 minute briefing to send to news stations in cities through which I'll be passing.
Like Greensboro, NC, where rather than using what Jeopardy put together, a camera crew came out to interview me today by the side of the road. After dashing out of Hooters and rushing to my favorite motel chain, Hampton Inn (they're the cheapest chain that has complementary internet access for guests) I arrived just in time to watch myself. The anchorwoman referred to me as "a familiar face" which made me chuckle, and hopefully some people will log on and donate after seeing the clip. A link to the story is found among the links at the bottom of this page. Meanwhile, a gang of teenagers listened to tales of my journey at dinner- and then gave me $25 for Fisher House. Coupled with a $20 bill I found on the side of the road, it made for a profitable as well as a productive day.
Which have been the longest two day stretch of the hike. 27 miles yesterday, 26 today. Highlights included crossing into North Carolina, getting a photo tonight with five lovely Hooters waitresses, and the resumption of the great US-29 feather mystery. Second only to my blondeness in terms of weird things I've seen, for the past 200 miles along US-29 I have been hiking past feathers on the road shoulder. I had noticed this back in Virginia, where it went on for days on end, but it resumed again today once I came back to US-29. I can't imagine why this is happening, particularly since many of the feathers are rather large and they seem to be from sea gulls. They're far too big and too white to be chicken feathers, and their size somehow precludes my one hypothesis- that a truck somehow carrying pillows sprung a leak. If you have an explanation, I'd love to hear it, but for now I'm flabbergasted.
I also just realized that I had finished the last post with a teaser. The cool thing I referred to then was an interview I did inside Monticello with a camera crew sent from Jeopardy to interview me as part of a series they're doing on following up the goings on of past contestants. I don't know when it will air, although it might not be for almost a year. However, they're also putting together a 2 minute briefing to send to news stations in cities through which I'll be passing.
Like Greensboro, NC, where rather than using what Jeopardy put together, a camera crew came out to interview me today by the side of the road. After dashing out of Hooters and rushing to my favorite motel chain, Hampton Inn (they're the cheapest chain that has complementary internet access for guests) I arrived just in time to watch myself. The anchorwoman referred to me as "a familiar face" which made me chuckle, and hopefully some people will log on and donate after seeing the clip. A link to the story is found among the links at the bottom of this page. Meanwhile, a gang of teenagers listened to tales of my journey at dinner- and then gave me $25 for Fisher House. Coupled with a $20 bill I found on the side of the road, it made for a profitable as well as a productive day.
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