Category: Notes From The Road

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 […]

My first day on the Tamiami Trail wasn’t what I expected. Fortunately, I’m slowly learning to write my expectations, along with my plans, in pencil. Life works better when you let it happen without comparing it to a set of preconceived notions. My wake-up call arrived courtesy of the guys from the morning drive show […]

Ever since I began mapping out the route for our Florida tour, I’ve looked forward to The Tamiami Trail. The Florida map doesn’t show many choices for crossing the southern part of the state. There’s Interstate 75, the tourist route known as “alligator alley,” and there’s The Tamiami Trail. Since bikes aren’t allowed on interstates, […]

We meet some of the most amazing, ordinary people on this journey. I can’t tell you about all of them, but I thought I’d take today to characterize a few. I hope you’ll get a sense of the incredible blessings we experience. # # # Saturday morning we were invited to meet with a group […]

We had a great event Thursday morning with kids at Morningside Christian Academy in Port St Lucie. These are our new friends Jason and Laura Dugmore, who arranged the event. Jason’s a fellow handcyclist. We “met” a couple of years ago through my blog–it was great to finally meet face-to-face. # # # I think […]

In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, Paul compares life to a race. Riding along a rare quiet road in Florida, I shared some thoughts about races. Come along for the ride. Can’t see the video? Click here. # # # After Wednesday’s 44 mile ride to Port St Lucie, we’re 329 miles front our blastoff in Jacksonville. […]