If things fall into place this morning I’ll be honored to talk to a special audience. Becky’s working to arrange a speaking event for the Re-Entry Center of Ocala. It’s a program designed to help men emerging from the department of corrections break the cycle of addiction, crime, and incarceration. I’ve spoken to similar groups […]

We had a great ride today, but had to stop about two miles from the hotel. The town of Spring Hill literally has NO bike lanes or sidewalks on major streets, and we (well, Becky) decided two more miles wasn’t worth the risk. So we stopped to get off the bike and a lady came […]

Note to the touring cyclist: if you’re going to use Google Maps for directions, make sure you enter the correct address for your starting point. The day’s ride doesn’t begin well when you get lost at the very first turn out of the hotel parking lot. On the other hand, Lakeland is a cool place […]

A few days ago we were unloading in a hotel room. I flipped on the TV to whatever channel appeared, and in the background I heard this comment: “I hope they pick me. It would change my life.” That caught my attention. Turns out it was some sort of cooking contest—this young woman worked for […]

For some reason, the start of week #4 of the Florida tour has me thinking about my best friend Wayne. Wayne was the first person I told about the dream of a cross-country ride. He always encouraged me to go for it. I’m sorry he didn’t live to see it happen—it would have brought him […]

Just a quick update because it’s Sunday. Saturday brought our first in-progress rainout of the tour. We started in beautiful, cool, sunny weather in Bradenton, but as we headed north the wind kicked up. At about 25 miles I stopped for what cyclists call a “natural break” and when I came outside a rainstorm had […]

Kris Volpone, the volunteer coordinator for the Fort Meyers Salvation Army, did an amazing job facilitating our meeting with their various client groups. She also offered an interesting observation. “I was interested in how you invited the clients to encourage each other. We talk to them so much about being self-reliant and leaning on God, […]

…a story. I think we all know that, but this tour of Florida has impressed upon me two realities about many of those stories. Many stories remain untold for a lot of reasons. Some hide their stories out of fear or guilt over past mistakes. Others believe they’re unworthy, that their stories don’t matter. I’ve […]

I’m not sure I can recall a twenty-four hour period that’s been so packed, blessed, and so much a roller-coaster of experiences. Tuesday evening we met with a group of inpatient clients in the detox unit at David Lawrence Treatment Center in Naples. They’re in the midst of a difficult process, trying to rid themselves […]

Today’s blog is short. That’s because yesterday was a great day. First, we completed our crossing of the Tamiami Trail—minus the stretch where someone decided they needed rumble strips every ten feet or so on the shoulder. I tried dodging around them, but the traffic had other ideas. So we’re now 474 miles along and […]