Eleven hundred miles down...

So, the day has finally come. After 1,100 miles I was in need of an upgrade. Let us start at the beginning. I, with the help of some others, built the Rick that you have all come to know and love! It was a tank with Coop, myself, and all the gear weighing in at some 700 lbs. It only had three gears which meant at every uphill battle I would have to hop off to either push it up while walking along side it, or harness myself to the front so that I could pull it behind me. True to the definition of a Rickshaw; something pulled or pedaled! Before I peaced out of the NYC I was trying to line up some sponsorships that would aid in our completion of this monolithic journey. Surprisingly none were interested, so we've been doing it by ourselves. Just like every on of those uphill battles that are now behind us. Upon our arrival in Annapolis a friend of mine, Katzander, gave the heads up to a company in Colorado known as Main Street Pedicab. http://www.pedicab.com/ Getting to the phone I was able to reach them through a representative named Dan. He gave ear as I got him up to snuff about all that Cooper and I are setting out to do. I asked if he could help me out in any way. Now, don't get me wrong here. I'm happy with what I built. I'm proud of what I built. It's just that it weighs in at an amazing 700 lbs.! I'm not training for the worlds strongest man competition. I'm just trying to make it around the United States. So after giving ear, Dan told me that he would look into it and run it by the owner of the company. It didn't take long to hear from Main Street Pedicab. They offered up a used floor demo peditruck for a deposit and all I would have to cover is the shipping. They told me that once I was done with peditruck, upon returning, they would give me back my deposit. While talking to them over the phone I noticed that my head was nodding that it was good deal. The only thing was that the deposit was over a grand and the shipping cost to the east would be five hundred dollars... At that time my head was doing the numbers. I only had three hundred dollars to this name of mine. That's where the photo contest came into play. With that first place prize money and some big loving help from my parents- I was able to bring all of it together. I had the replacement in route being shipped to Wilington, NC. As I was heading to Wilington I posted an add on Craigslist to see if anyone was interested in my original Rickshaw. As it turns out one person was interested. His is name was Seth. He was looking forward to starting a new business in the downtown area, a delivery slash courier service. How surprised was he to see that his ideas were going to come to fruition. Now my Rickshaw, or rather his Rickshaw will be his main star vehicle. For over eight months I labored on that three wheeled notion sinking over a grand into its creation. Seth as a young business man was only able to afford a couple hundred, some dinner, crunchy dog food, and a comfortable spot to pitch my tent in his back yard. It was all good enough for me. The following morning I loaded all of my gear and my good buddy Coop into his truck so that we could head on over to the Two Wheeler Dealer where my enormous package would be awaiting us. Like most things there was a bit of a wait. I sat outside for a couple of hours with all my belongings and the memory of my original Rickshaw who helped me get this far. At ten, the doors opened up and an army of employees came outside one at a time to put out all the bikes for sale today. Coop went to each one of the employees to say his hellos. I was looking for Camron the receiving guy, but he wasn't in yet. Waiting for his arrival, I started fielding every ones questions about what it is that Cooper and I are doing. For the rest of the morning and early afternoon I chatted with employees and customers about our adventures and where it was that we were intending to head towards. Get this, a woman named Kim was so smitten over Cooper that she kept asking me if she could have him! At around two o'clock it arrived. One of those familiar looking delivery trucks pulled up to reveal an enormous wooden crate. I jumped up runningly to get to the busting of it open. The time had arrived! Busting it open I was amazed to see that it was fully assembled and ready to roll. After we got it down I gave it a good once over with the staff in tow. I loaded up my gear and got Coop situated as I said my goodbyes, hitting the pedals, and getting to what I have set out to accomplish- 10,000 miles, excuse me, now only a mere eight thousand nine hundred!

So, a little about the new one. It is bigger, but it is so much lighter. It isn't waterproof, but it can hold so much more. It's even aerodynamic. Coop is now fully contained which relieves a lot of unnecessary stress for me. The frame is less than 200lbs which makes it about 200 or more pounds lighter than the original. This new one has 21 gears! The old only had three. I'm over the pedals more versus the being behind them like the old one. It truly does give more leverage by being over them. All in all, it's an important upgrade. I only have two more days to go until Myrtle Beach, South Carolina! I'll be staying with an Army buddy for the whole Turkeyday Weekend. While there I plan on putting my own personal touch and style to the new ride. Till next time,

Love and Licks,

Sean and Coop!

FAQ

Q. Are you a trust fund or rich?
A. No not at all at this point just over 1 month in I only have $50 dollars to my name.

Q. What are you going to do when you run out of money?
A. Well being a chef and a pretty handy person I plan on getting a job doing whatever will pay. I hope to get some cooking work to learn some more. I have also realized that when I don't stress about the money than it seems to come my way.

Q. Why are you doing this, what is your cause?
A. My cause is because. I was living in NYC for the last 5 years and the concrete jungle got to me. And after hearing about my friend Pierre's trip from Las Vegas to Southern Mexico on a bike, that really got things going for me

Q. Are you going to shave or cut your hair.
A. No I don't plan on doing either until we get back to NYC. And then I'm going to rock a mullet for a wk or so!

Q. What is your route?
A. From NY I headed over to DC area and then headed southeast to the coast and plan on riding the coast south to Savannah GA. From there I would like to go to New Orleans for Christmas. I hope to make it there in time but with all this rain and having to stop for a week at a time is really slowing me down. From the Big Easy we are going to head West across TX, NM, and AZ up to Vegas then over to Cali. Up Cali and try to go as north as possible depending on the terrain then head east thru Montana ( one of the states I'm really looking forward to riding thru, Big Sky!!) Head into the Dakotas, stop off at my brothers in Sioux Falls. then hit up my home state of Iowa try to meet up with Ragbri. Hang with my folks for a week or so. And then haul butt to NYC.

Q. Where do you sleep?
A. Mostly it is off the road camping. Campgrounds and state parks run from $20-$30 a night But I can use the shower at a state park for free even if I don't camp there! Mostly when its about an hour before sunset I start looking for a quick easy pull off into some woods and try to set up as far away from the road as possible. Sometimes if its slim pickn's I'll chose a abandoned house or a church and sometimes a cemetery. If I know I'll be in the area more than a night I'll ask the local cops or sheriffs where I can camp and not be a problem. Sometimes they direct me to a common area and I have camped behind a cop shop and a fire department. Every once and awhile some great stranger will take us in to their home or let us camp on their land. Also as I have gone I have picked up places to stay from other people. Karma baby!

Q. How many miles and how long is this going to take you?
A. Its going to be over 10,000 miles and will take some where around a year or so.

Q. What did you do with all your stuff in NY?
A. A week before we left we became voluntarily unemployed and homeless. What I couldn't sell, or give to friends I pushed to the curb. What I carry with me on the Rick is what I own. Nothing more nothing less.

Q. What does your family think of this?
A. At first 8 months before I left when I told them of this idea they didn't get it and didn't approve of it at all. The second day on this trip they were all behind me!

Q. What do you want to gain from this trip?
A. I am challenging my mental, physical and emotional state. I hope to find kindness and unasked for hospitality. I would like to find a new place to live at the coolest chillest spot that I can ride thru.

Q. How far do you ride in a day?
A. We do any where from 30 to 45 miles a day. It all depends on the weather, wind, terrain, and my legs. Our average speed is about 9 miles a hour.

Q. Do you workout, are you in good shape?
A. Um, well, lets see I pedal everyday so yeah I guess so.

If there is a question that you have for us please feel free to leave it below.

OUTER BANKS

What a great couple of days. After hitting the road out of Hampton VA, I have had 3 flats, 2 hellish bridges, and a 40 mile day!

1st flat. Got it about 10 miles from Ennis house at the beginning of the James River Bridge. I had used my spare tube earlier and had to call a bike shop that was about 1.5 miles from the James River Bridge to come and bring me a couple tubes and a new pump mine had broken that day. The guy came and helped me change the tire out and I was on my way.
1st bridge. That was the James River Bridge. This Bridge is about 4.5 miles long about a mile in is a climb to the draw bridge part. I tried to inquire about a shuttle service or something along the lines as a friendly lift. None to be had. So we did what we always do just pedal our way over. About a half mile in a car came up behind us and told me I need to pull over to the side right before the draw and he was going to call me a tow. So I did as I was told and 15 min later there was a flatbed pulling up to give me a lift. All paid for by the great state of VA! After we unloaded the Rick and talked to a cop about what we where doing we where back to the push of the pedals.
After that we had good riding thru the rest of VA on our way to NC. Once we got past Suffolk VA, we where in some pretty big swampy area referred to as the Great Dismal Swamps. It is pretty dismal. Camping was a lot harder due to the fact that all the wooded area was mostly in the swamp so we found ourselves camping behind old rundown abandoned houses and one night slept next to a old gas station that was now a church. Price of gas was still on the sign at $1.73 a gallon but the sign on the building was for the church. The beginning of NC we had a couple nights of frost and developed a lot of condensation in the tent, luckily I got the tent and most of my supplies at REI and they sent me a new tent for free! Thanks REI for supporting people and their adventures.
After we got into NC, we got out second flat on the other back tire. We rode for about half a mile before I saw a car in a driveway and a lady working in the yard, I stopped to ask if I could use her car jack so I could change this back tire with ease. She said yes and kept Coop occupied while I changed the flat all done in less than 30 min. Back on the road.
As we neared the Outer Banks we got out of the swamps and closer to the shore. After the night outside the Church Gas Station we decided to do a 45 plus mile day. We hit the road bright and early and where making good time. Until...
...we hit the 2nd hellish bridge. This wasn't a long bridge but it was a big climb with no shoulder. I had taken pics of this bridge and decent but am unable to find the card. It took about 4 min for me to hike up this bridge and about 1 min to come down. After that we went about another 20 some miles before getting our third and final flat of this leg. Luckily we had been able to make a hook up thru Dolly for a surfer friend of hers that lived down in Nags. Luckily he had a big ol truck and was able to come and pick us up with his friend John and give us a lift the rest of the way in to his house. He and his girl have a guest cottage in the back that Coop and I had all to ourselves. The next day we woke up early and got to the beach.
I wanted to give surfing a try but the waves where a little to big for me so I stuck to body boarding. I only did it for about 30. min or so, the waves were really starting to pick up and I wanted to get some good pictures of the surfers.
The next hour or so I ran up and down the beach to different beach front houses to climb their multilevel decks to capture these great locals shredding and riding the barrels. I took over 1,200 pictures and they all turned out great. Afterward we ate some food and headed to another beach to do some more surfing and picture taking. It was a great day of great waves beautiful weather and new friends. Off to bed I luckily got some work the following day.
After finding Johns house I got to it doing some landscaping work he had a couple of paver paths that had become over grown with weeds and beach grass with sand burrs. It took a couple hours and when John got home we took the dogs to the beach and he grabbed his stand up paddle board. Raglan Johns black lab is a 2 yr old big goof ball. Cooper and him got along great, and gave me a lot of great shots. Watch John out on the calm water with the sun setting behind us was a great sight. I will be coming back here during the summer months once this trip is over. The rain started the next day. And hasn't stopped!
The beach across the street from where I am staying is rapidly getting eaten away from all the wind and water. I have never seen anything like this. I went out there last night during high tide and the stairs going down from the pier we were standing on where getting water up to the 3rd step or so and today when I went back over there during low tide the stairs where completely gone! Just a 15 foot drop to the beach. There was also a house not to far from here that the stilts got washed out from under it and it fell to the beach. Mother nature is a amazing bitch!
I want to leave Saturday but its looking like we won't taking off till Sunday there are some roads that have water or sand blocking them.


Till next time
Love and Licks from the road
Sean and Cooper.

Ol Army days

Here I sit in Hampton VA, at my friends house on Monday Nov 2nd I have been on this adventure for just over a month. Things have been great so far. Once I rolled out of Pipers house we made our way south east thru Maryland towards VA. The roads in MD had ample shoulders but lacked a steady water supply so I was having to stop wherever I could to ask for water.
One such place was New Life Wesleyan Church just outside La Plata MD. There I was given water, food, a shower and a place to sleep. These folks are big believers in JC and want to let you know he is there for you. One thing they did bring to my attention was a project that they are working on its called the Jericho Project www.theroadtojericho.com in coordination with Living Water they are trying to rebuild the community of Nanjamoy its about 45 min from our nations capital and it is a one of the worst areas of poverty that we have in this country. They have no running water, sewage, electricity, and very substandard housing. You don't have to go to a foreign land to find people to help.

After a delicious homemade breakfast Coop and I headed out to make our way to the Harry Nice bridge. This bridge is a toll bridge that is a massive climb and fast decent. Luckily the great state of MD gave us a lift over the bridge so as not to cause problems with ourselves and other motorist. Once over we had to get some more help from the road crew from MD to get some extra bolts for the freewheel gear in the back, after that we were on our way. Pedaling in VA is a little different than MD they have this thing they like to do. I call it the Disappearing Shoulder Act one minute I'm cruising down the state highway on a 4 foot wide shoulder then it goes down to about 6 inches. I know your worried family but this is all part of the journey some days are going to be easier traveling than others. We'll be fine. Anyway we didn't have any real problems until we hit the Downing bridge right outside Tappahonnock VA. This bridge is over a mile long and has no shoulder at all we got to highway 360 with a 2 mile ride to the bridge which also had no shoulder to speak of. This had to be the scariest part so far on this trip. I talked it over with Coop and we decided lets do it we can't have anything getting in our way, all a bridge is is a road over the water and since we own all roads then this was also ours. So Coop laid down and I hit the pedals with a furry. The first 1/2 mile of this bridge is a flat shot out over the water than shoots up at about a 45 degree angle for the next 1/4 mile before coming down at a 30 degree angle when we hit the up hill I had to jump off and start the uphill push to get us to the peak before I could hop on for the free ride down. The whole time I'm pushing I keep looking back at Coop and he just has is eyes locked on me saying "keep going bud you can do it" his tail was on the wag, he was really enjoying it to bad the huge line of cars behind us wasn't. Once we got to the end of this thing I fell to the ground in a parking lot to catch my breath and Coop hopped down to give me a face full of approving licks! Then we heading over to the local sheriffs office to inquire about a good safe spot for us to camp that night and the following day there was a big rain storm moving in and we didn't want to move in the rain if we didn't have to. They directed us over to the cemetery with a picnic area, we set up had some dinner and crashed out for the night. The next day was filled with light showers on and off and while sitting there reading a car pulls up to ask about us. Come to find out she had done the TransAm, that's Yorktown, VA to Astoria, OR. 4,200 miles, back in 76. And her daughter Dolly had just done it this last summer, www.dollybikes.wordpress.com. She called Dolly and a couple hours later she was pulling up to see this rig and talk to us. It was good to swap stories with another traveler of the bike world and get some good tips. She and Coop hit it off and she told me she was going to be moving to NYC with her boyfriend in a couple weeks. Small world! Check out her web page got some really great stories and she put up some stuff about us.
The next day we hit the road it took a couple days for us to make our way down to the Hampton Roads area. Once we got to Yorktown we pulled into a bike shop Back Alley Bikes to get some much needed rubber. My tires were pretty worn and I was getting really worried about getting a flat. They hooked us up with some new tires, a used cushy seat for my tushy, and some new bike shorts. I left the Rick there and Staci came and picked up Coop and I and all our gear we returned the next day to pick it up. She took us back to her house where I was greeted by my extended family. Ennis, I was in the Army with him, Jermain 15, Ennis V 9, Will 8, and Maya 5. Got cleaned up and caught up with everyone. These kids are so big now. I am Ennis and Wills godfather and unfortunately haven't been able to see them very much over the past 8 years. My friend Nick and I came down here about 3 years ago for Thanksgiving. Coop and I have spent the last week resting up, and spending time with this great family. Cooper has become apart of this family more than me. He sleeps with Will every night and comes to their rescue whenever anyone plays rough with them! Halloween day we watched them dominate on the soccer fields and that night having fun trick or treating. Its been all to good to be here but once again its time to get back on the road.
One last thing. I am really trying to work on how I word these post. I am not very good at the writing part of communications. I wish I could talk to you all on the phone it would be more entertaining for you and easier for me! Also I am trying to free my mind completely for this trip but about a month before I left I met a unbelievable woman in NYC. We didn't plan on it really turning into anything but of course as it worked out I really developed some big feelings for this woman. For my own good I have had to cut off all communications with her until I can completely free my mind and heart. Hopefully that will be very soon I would love to talk to her again and continue on our friendship.

Until next time,
love and licks from the road
Sean and Cooper

Rain Rain go away

Finally the sun is out. Here it is Monday Oct 19th, and the sun is shining finally and things are starting to dry up after the 5 days of continual rain that the greater DC area has gotten. I arrived at my friend Pipers house last Tue the 13th and was immediately one of the family. Her and her folks live at the end of a cul-de-sak with a huge backyard and woods that Cooper claimed as his own. Her folks let me store the Rick in the garage to prevent anymore rust from getting to this thing. I was able to go thru all my stuff to try to figure out what to get rid of and what to keep. I need to lighten this thing up a bit 700lbs is just to much weight to be moving around. Started some laundry and gave Coop a bath. After I showered and had a beer we sat down to the first of many delicious dinners. Her family is very laid back and was happy that Coop and I made ourselves at home. That night I slept like a baby in the nice soft bed that they had waiting for me. The next couple of days consisted of resting, eating and spending time with this great family. I have been able to do more research for the trip and get into contact with some old friends down in VA. I will be leaving first thing tomorrow morning and heading south. My next destination is Hampton VA. Where I will meet up with an old friend and rest my head for a couple of days before moving more south. I have had a great time I have learned a lot about cycling and photography from Piper. And helped her dad become a better cook. I doesn't even feel like I am on bike tour at all. I feel that I am getting comfy here and that means its time to go. Its been a great week to rest up and prepare for more and couldn't ask for a better house and family to wait out the rain with. Thanks again Piper, Red, Mark and Susan. You have made us feel like one of the family and I hope that we can come back thru again on our way back. Till next time love and licks from the road, Sean and Cooper.

PICTURE TIME

OUTSIDE TRENTON UNDER THE I95 UNDERPASS

FARMERS MARKET GOODIES !

IN TRENTON REAL GRITTY PLACE, BUT HAS A LOT OF HEART

COOKING UP DINNER OFF OF HIGHWAY 70 IN NJ

ONE OF THE MANY

RICKSHAW ON WATER NJ TO DE

REALLY WINDY IN DELAWARE

OK so here I am pushing thru DE, windy is an understatement for what its like here! Gail force winds!! Not a very eventful night at the church camp good thing I ended up getting a killer

migraine headache. Went to bed at 7 and slept the night. Got up to more wind and a little bit of rain. Broke down camp and got to it went about 10 miles and had to pull the Rick and Coop into a gazebo in Ellendale DE. Waited about an hour for the rain to pass and got back to it. Went about a mile down the road and saw a veg stand. Came to a stop and got an apple and inquired about boiled peanuts. One thing led to another and I had a plate of meatballs, mac and cheese and wings in my lap and hungry dog at my feet. Turns out I stopped right in front of Ronald Whites place (pictured above). This man is know thru out these parts as a man of charity and good ol BBQ. He has organized and hosted many local and national organizations. He is also involved in the fight against lupus which his wife of 20 years suffers from. I just happened to pull up on the 1 year celebration of one of his grandsons. I was shown great hospitality and Coop got lots of attention from young and old. Its been an amazing trip so far. I have met so many great people, to the folks I met on the ferry from NJ to De to the biker I shared a campsite with to the folks I met outside the grocery store earlier. And to my gracious host Ron White, thank you sir and I look forward to steak and eggs with potatoes in the morning.

Till next time! Love and licks from the road!

Sean and Cooper.

Somewhere in Delaware

Met these folks outside Trenton. Been cool meeting people. Camped out in Delaware last night split the site with a Harley Man on his way to Mass to Key West. Cool dude. Cooper really softened him up. Peoples guards tend to drop with Coop so I get to really talk to these people. Really windy today only did 15 miles . Camping tonight at a Zion church camp ground. Close to the highway 1 and hway 16 in Delaware. Didn't charge me for the site should be a interesting fri night at church camp! Heading to Annapolis east of DC. Should get there on tue. Taking it slow. There is a Bike ride in DC next sat that my friend Piper got Coop and I in. Should be a lot of fun. Don't want to stay at Pipers to long she's not going to ride out until the spring she's getting photo work right now so she's hanging back. She said I could stay for a whole wk but I'll get stir crazy. Gonna roll out of there next sun. If anyone wants to send me anything I'll give u her address. Looking forward to heading south. Nice weather here but really windy. 82 today. Will gotta set up the tent and take a shower. One love from the road. I miss you all.
Sean and Coop.

Last few days

Trenton to South Jersey

Day 4 began with us heading south towards Trenton on the lookout for a vet. Came across a group of people out and about. Stopped and talked and they snapped some pics (still waiting on those to be emailed to me!). Asked about a vet and they directed me a couple miles back where I just came from to a vet that was open on Sat and not to expensive. They even threw us some green backs to help with the bill. Rode back and checked in with them. While waiting outside the couple who had donated money to our adventure stopped in to see how everything was going, we started talking pizza and they told me about a spot in NJ that grows most there own stuff on ground. Nice people. I'm really liking this part, meeting all these nice strangers they believe in what I'm doing. They might not understand but they believe. For me this trip is about the challenge of doing what I'm doing physically but also the random encounters I have with people something good always comes out of it. It may be kind words, a little bit of cash, some food or a place to stay its all good. People love Cooper and they love the fact that I am talking my dog around the US in style, not to many dogs have had it as good as him. After the vet had checked out Coop the staff all came outside to check us out. Took some group photos and they gave Coop some canned dog food. Thanks West Trenton Animal Hospital.

Got back on the road and made it across Trenton. Lots of horse ranches around. Horses love the Rick they come running up and stare and follow us down the fence. Coop used to bark at them but now he doesn't care. Stopped to ask a lady for water. Just to make sure everyone under stands how I'm doing this. The only two things I will ask for is Money and drugs. Kidding. Its Directions or Water. That's it I don't beg for money or food. If its offered I usually don't refuse. Its kindness I'm after. So Lisa filled me up on water and asked where I sleep told her I sleep off the road mostly. She said I could sleep on her property if I wanted I got directions and headed that way took longer then expected and I had to ride for a bit after sun down. Scary but wide shoulders. Not trying to make a habit of it. When I got there I was able to use the grill to cook up some grub. Pitched my tent next to the barn and got some zzzs.

Next morning woke up to a heavy fog. Slept good knowing I wasn't trespassing. Lisa sent us on our way with some doggie treats. Thanks Lisa for the spot in the lawn. Rode a couple miles and stopped off at the WaWa for a sunday morning coffee. Sat there sipping my joe and all sorts of people where coming up talking to us giving us good lucks and God bless. Some gave us the thumbs up and some gave us some dollars. Everyone loved Cooper. Honestly if it wasn't for him no one would talk to me. Everyone loves them some Coop. Got back on the rode kinda windy today so wasn't able to move to fast. Stopped for an orange break and a cop rolls up. I was worried because I don't have the best conversations with cops but Officer Chuck with the Manchester Sheriffs department proved me wrong he was very interested in our adventure and gave up a couple bottles of water and apple and some cheddar. Thanks Chuck for the gifts. Ended up camping by this small lake off the side of the rode there was a path that went to the backside. Its been pretty easy to spot the good camping situations. Set up a fire listened to some football on my little AM FM radio and did some cosmetic work to the Rick. Gotta keep up on maintenance if this thing is gonna run right. Made a good meal of rice veg and sausage over the fire. Took some nice pics of the full moon and just relaxed. Coops paw is much better tonight he was running around trying his hardest to catch some rabbits. They smoke him every time.

Got up with the sun tried to make some eggs over the fire but they stuck to my pot. So when we got to the WaWa. I asked if I could wash my pot in there sink. Nice people let me so I washed the couple dishes and pans they had back there. Karma! On our way out a lady stopped us to give us some dog treats I think her name was Deborah Thanks. Got to moving. My legs are feeling good and we put the boots on Cooper he looks like a new born deer trying to walk but once we start moving he gets to going. Did close to 37 miles today the flat roads and Coopers 76 lbs on the ground part of the time helped. Lots of cranberry fields down here one field just got picked and there was some stray crans floating on the edge right next to the road so I stopped to have a snack. Coop doesn't like them at all I think he was a little mad at me for trying. Big wind come off those fields I couldn't image trying to do this with the original Rick I would of been blown over. Hard finding camping due to the fact so close to sea level everything is swampy. And the camp grounds they do have are RV and closed so I found one and rode all the way in the back onto a service road and set up camp made some great sauce and pasta dish. Good night

Woke up had some fruit for breakfast. And hit the rode. about a mile out something went wrong. My pedals were moving but the wheels weren't turning. Tried taking a look at it but its all internal system made some phone calls and the closest place was 16 miles south so I walked and walked and walked came across a road crew asked a dude how far to Tuckahoe and he said about 7 miles. Then he gave me a Turkey sandwich a bunch of fruit and a coke. Thanks Jose. Good food. Then I walked and walked and walked. Finally I pulled up to the Tuckahoe bike shop and had some words with Al the man in charge. He told me we had to get the axel off so I had to take this thing back down to the frame everything out cover off box off wheel off axel off free spin gear off replace and repeat. This part is only for bikes with two side by side wheels or axle bikes. Coop and Al got along great and Al sent us on our way with a no charge. Thanks Al your a good man and you helped me back up onto my pedals. Set up camp not to far away under a telephone tower. Not to bad of a first wk only 51 more to go. !

Trenton, NJ is so beautiful this time of year.

Day 1
Carlos and Nick dropped me off in the parking lot of the first of what I'm sure will be several strip malls so I could load up all my gear. Somehow everything fit in the back of the rickshaw, and I rolled out of South Plainfield, New Jersey at around 1:15. Got a little turned around at first, but eventually found my way again. So far there seems to be much fewer hills than I've been used to in NYC. No one has talked to us yet, but I expect that will change soon. It's my first day out here, and I've already had my first big test: the chain fell off the rickshaw. In times like these it's good to have friends, as my good buddy Katzander hooked me up with some knowledge over the phone, helping me to replace the chain and get back out there. Wasn't sure exactly where I was when it started to get dark. Eventually I pulled off onto a dirt road and set up illegally next to the Raritan River near South Branch. I figured I had gone about 20 miles. Made pasta for dinner. The combination of first-day nerves and Cooper's monstrous snoring prevented me from getting a decent sleep.

Day 2
Got up with the sunrise and broke down camp while making oatmeal. After I dumped the oatmeal in the pot I forgot to turn down the flame, so everything boiled over and soaked my burner before the oatmeal was finished. Two years of fancy culinary education in New York and there I was, eating undercooked oats. Today's ride saw many more hills and fewer buildings. The recession doesn't seem to be affecting many of the nice homes I saw where lots of remodeling is taking place. Besides that, lots of stables and cornfields. Pulled into New Hope, PA, where I stopped at a farmer's market for some fruits and vegetables. I met Susan, the lady running the market, who graciously invited me to stay on her couch. The directions she gave me showed that her home was off my path, but I was grateful for this first offer of kindness. Most of the way there was uphill. My body was getting tired and I wasn't making good time at all. About 10 minutes from her place I stopped for an apple and met a guynamed Eddie who liked my ride and invited me to his place only a mile away. He also offered to help me with a few mechanical problems I was having with the rickshaw, so I took him up on it. The night turned into a welcome surprise of poker and beer with Eddie and a big group of his friends (an eclectic mix of teachers, masonry workers, and even a statistician), and the hot shower in the morning was definitely much needed. His next door neighbor, a German gentleman named Klaus, noticed the rickshaw and got really excited. He even gave me a few bucks and some joint oil for my aching knees. Danke schön, Klaus!

Day 3
Eddie and the boys turned me on to a more level route than what I had planned, so I backtracked past New Hope and down to the Tow Path, which is an old Donkey trail from the early 20th century that runs along the Delaware River. The nice thing about this path for me is that it's strictly for bikes and pedestrians, so no cars to deal with. Cooper had a limp in the morning, so I took him to a vet. His paw is sore, probably due to a sticker or something. They gave me some antibiotics for him to prevent any infection. Cooper being on the DL means that he has to ride in the seat all day, so it was a good thing my new route is all flat. So far the ride is nice as I roll into Trenton to get him looked at further if necessary. I set up camp off the trail next to the river, made a small fire, and cooked up some rice, vegetables, and potatoes. Good eats, and this time no water boiling over!

HERE IT IS!!!

Well after many hours of sweat, blood and lots of swearing, I am proud to present my Rickshaw. The cover is cut glued and is attached with Velcro, the seat cushions are foam with a waterproof fabric. and the whole set up is sitting on 4 large springs. It seems lighter than the original set up, and has a bunch more storage. The interior in completely water-resistant. My friend Mia has helped me so much with the fabrication and assembly of this box, Thank You Mia! I owe you big time. We are only 11 days out, I'm getting nervous but still very excited. I'll write more later after I have rode this thing some more.

UPDATE!!!

So I built the frame for the box over the holiday weekend and made up the mock cover. I just got the cover material, and the springs for the suspension in the mail today. So we will be putting that together this weekend. The box is solid but not pretty, luckily I have a friend Mia who is helping me construct the cover! The material is more like plastic but it is completely waterproof. We'll have to work on the seat cushions for Coop.

I put up the address for mail and care packages to be sent to. It is my friend Nicks place he is going to receive all of them and then put together packs to send me on the road. There is a couple of Jr. High school classes that are going to be following us, and are going to be sending packages and emails for us. Some stuff we would like is baked goods, wool socks, and pet store gift cards for Coop so we can get him food, treats, and toys.

After it is all built I'll throw up some pics. 21 days. later

34 and counting!

This is not my age but how many days I have left before I embark on this adventure. It’s been 8 months in the making and it’s all falling into place.

I have made some big changes.

Unfortunately my good friend LaRo will not be going with Coop and I.

He has been on the road for the past couple of years and needs to get back to the grind he can only find in NYC. Before he left on the Appalachion Trail, I told him if he finds what he is looking for or decides not to go it is fine by me. When I first came up with this idea it was just for Coop and me, so now we are right where it first started: a man and his dog on a Rickshaw.

Due to the fact that I have lost a traveling partner and my camera man I will be doing all of the filming myself. So instead of it being me and Coop traveling around this country of ours it will be “where is Cooper now”. I think it will be good. Less dialogue, but good.

Because I am filming this all myself I have decided to change the design of the Rick. All the white fiberglass shell is now gone. I have built a frame out of plywood and 2x2 and 2x4. I will then cover it with either Plexiglas or a ploy-canvass; this will house all of our gear and give Cooper a larger seat. It is going to be a little heavier but it will be more practical. The top portion is going to be framed out with PVC piping and covered with a removable tinted vinyl that will be in sections so we can have the top on and not the sides and front and back and so on. With the PVC piping I’ll be able to set up the camera with the clamp and mount anywhere and on the frame of the bike.

I still plan on talking to people and filming it. I’m not going to go and chase people down, I feel that people will be drawn to us. It's not everyday you see something like this. Basically I'm just going to find out peoples opinions of this country of ours, i.e... War, money, politics. Blah blah blah.

The route I am taking is one that a friend recommended. It is from the Adventure Cycling Association, www.adventurecycling.org these guys have been mapping out the US for the past 30 years and have done close to 40,000 miles. It will take me thru a lot of the back roads that don't have a lot of traffic. Due to the fact that these maps have been going people on bikes are welcomed and taken care. It will be nice to ride thru 'real America' as my grandpa used to call it. The maps are great. They are in sections, so for me to get from NY to GA it is 3 different maps. They are made of thin plastic so they are weather resistant and they tell you where bike shops are and where there is free camping and so on. My friend who showed me the light with these maps is Piper Watson www.piperwatson.com . She is an amazing photographer and she lives right outside of DC. We met at the 5 boro and exchanged info. She is very experienced in biking long distances. She calls or sends emails letting me know what to checkout to help me. In one of our first conversations she told me that she was planning a similar trip down the east coast to Houston TX this fall. And it has worked out that she plans on leaving DC around the same time that I will be riding through there in mid-Oct. She is also taking her dog but has opted for a trailer made for dogs to be pulled behind her bike. We have decided we will try to travel together as much as possible. Her mission is to go to non-kill animal shelters and train the staff for free how to take better pictures of the animals to increase the chances of adoption. I am sure she will be moving at a quicker pace than me but from my experience it all evens out in the long run.

As far as supplies go we are doing alright. All I really need for surivial is a tent, but that will be coming from LaRo when he gets back. As far as film/photo gear we have 1 mini DV camcorder that Sunnie is letting me use, LaRos camera is dead. and for digital camara I have a older Sony Cybershot. I’m sure as we get closer I will have to buy a few things, like extra batteries, and chargers and a ton of the mini DV tapes. As far as sponsorships go there are none. I am currently trying to work with AT&T on my phone but that is still up in the air. So it looks like we will be rolling out with a couple grand that should last us until January. I’m honestly not to worried about anything. Things have really fallen into place over the last 8 months and I’m sure they will continue to do so for the next 13. Til next time, Peace Out.

The Coon-Bear...

...is alive and thriving in the woods of Pennsylvania. Carlos and I headed out to PA to meet up with Gnarly and his hiking buddy Blue-Eyes for a couple nights of camping and relaxing.

These two thru-hikers met right out side Blacksburg VA, where Blue-eyes is from, and Gnarly ended up hanging with him and his family for a couple days of food, booze, and shotguns. When we picked them up in Slateington PA they had walked 1,300 miles and have 900 ahead. The first night we sat around nursing a 1/2 gal. of Jameson and talking of adventures on the trail, and how kind people are to travelers. Gnarly ashured me that America is a caring and giving nation.

The next day we went over to the disc golf course to throw some plastic. It was C-los, Gnarly, and Blue-eyes first time at the sport. The course up there is great, front 9 big open bombers with a couple of deep woods, over the creek type shots and the back 9 is all deep woods, and button hooks. Everyone did really good and Coop ran around like a lion on the hunt.

After that we headed over to Hickory Run Lake, it's a huge lake and we were the only ones out there. There is a stone dam that Cooper plopped down in to cool off, it was such a good idea we decided to do the same that was refreshing!

Then we headed up to Boulder Field to go toss some rocks. This place is awsome, millions of years ago it was a solid slab of rock and over time with all the freezing and thawing of the glacier boulders formed of all different sizes. Its as large of two football fields. We made a rock tower so if you go out there see if it still stands.

We had some good grub I know the hikers liked it, better than soup and noodles! It was good to sit and relax in the big woods and talk to the guys. We played Hearts and Cribage, and drank a lot.

After we broke down camp we drove the hikers back to Slatington, PA so they could start up where they left off. No shortcuts or skiped miles with these guys! They are going to be at Bear Mountin in upstate NY in a week or so, when they get there I'm going to go and pick them up and bring them back to Queens for a couple days. Blue-eyes has never been to the city so on one of the days we are going to take a bike ride around and thru NYC. We are going to go over the Brooklyn Bridge into the city and ride free thru the streets of the Zoo York. Of course Coop and I will be on the Rickshaw filming and taking pics so check back in a couple of weeks.

Flushing Meadows Corona Park

Coop and I took a ride today over to Flushing Meadows Corona Park. It was about 6 miles from my house so this was a nice light ride. Really nice over there.

Can't wait to go over here for the U.S. Open .

The only problem I had with it was there was no Corona. I was thirsty.

VIDEO

So I finally got the footage from the 5 Boro up. Couple of things. Carlos did the filming and we weren't able to get him a pass to ride in the event so he was stuck on the sidelines, so therefor there is not a lot of me at all in this. But there is a lot of great footage and it was hard to decide what to keep. So we sped everything up and put it all on there to the Beastie Boys, An Open Letter to NYC off of their The 5 Boroughs CD. And as of right now if you click on the video it well come up as an error. If you click on the You Tube logo at the bottom of the strip of clips you can watch directly on my channel on You Tube. So please enjoy and don't watch over and over because it might make you throw up.

Sean

P.S. Thanks C-Los for putting this all together for me.

June 13-14

I brought the Rickshaw into the city via C-los's truck to check out the Subway Series (go Yankees), and cruised around 161st and River avenue, talking to various people along the way. I had a small setback when I broke a pedal on the McCombs Dam Bridge, which subsequently forced me to walk the Rickshaw to the doorstep of the new Yankee Stadium. To deal with my broken pedal, I was forced to pull the Rickshaw up on the curb and onto the sidewalk, in order to not block road traffic. I talked to a group of interested police officers, who reacted in amazement as I explained the plans for my journey. Our conversation was then broken up by a hard nosed commander, who went berserk, that the men in his command had not given me a ticket for having the Rickshaw parked on the sidewalk. He ORDERED one of his men to give me a ticket. I argued and pleaded my case, explaining that I had to deal with the broken pedal, and didn't want to block traffic, but none of it impressed the commander, who continued to shout at everything around him. As the officer wrote me the ticket, I could tell on his face, that he thought it was bullshit, but he was just following orders. I guess the city really needs my 35$! I was able to procure another pedal from a bike shop about five blocks away, and was back on the road in no time, but my time at the Stadium was done. I rode back into the city and made my way uptown, where I found a garage that let me put the Rickshaw to bed for the night.

The next day, I took the Shaw down to the "Big Apple BBQ," at Madison Square Park, I rode around awhile, but the long lines prevented me from trying any of the food (epic fail!)

So then we scrambled over to Pinch & S'mac, this was the last spot that I was a Chef at. I love this food. If your in the city or here on a visit this is a place to go. Its on 81st and Columbus.

I then made my way to the Bike Path that runs along the West Side, and I was smooth sailing along the "bicycle super highway", as I cruised uptown, I was joined by a fellow Rickshaw operator that was out for a nice Sunday ride. His name is J.C and he works the downtown circuit.

While we were riding and talking I really didn't focus on the road ahead and was surprised how easy it was to go up the hills on the west side when not thinking about them, I'm glad I'll have a traveling partner to ride with to make the time go by.

I could sense an approaching tide, that grew as the streets went from double digits, to triple digits. The music blared louder and louder, as massive throngs of Puerto Ricans partied and danced by the Hudson River, boys chasing girls, men chasing women, all happening as I weaved slowly through the crowds of celebrating Puerto Ricans. They were most certainly in charge here! Celebrating in the shadows of the George Washington Bridge.

The weekend trip turned out to be a

successful one, the Yankees won the series (Thanks Castillo), I'm learning more and more about my Rickshaw, and most importantly, I didn't get arrested.

FROM KRISTIN

I recived this the other day. It makes me feel great that I have inspired someone like this. I hope I have inspired all of you in one way or another. Everyone should have an adventure no matter how big or small. You have to have love to do what you want. Go out and get it no matter what, I am.

I wanted to write and say thanks.

Back in March you were at Piper's Kilt for St. Patrick's Day
The bar was packed
We were three, drinking some Guinness
As we were talking a hand nudged it's way into our conversation, slowly pushing a piece of paper.
We took the paper and read it.
Rickshaw what?
America huh?
Then we met you. When we asked you why you said,
"In this economy, might as well have some fun."

What you may not have realized was 5 minutes prior to your marketing campaign I had been crying. Stupidly... uncontrollably..embarrassingly in a bar...over a beer. I was planning a big change in my life and I was confused and scared. Your comment, in that moment, fit so perfectly with what my friends and I were talking about that a part of my decision crystallized and came clear...a sign I guess...that my decisions were good.

It's funny the way our lives work. We make decisions and go with them and trust and pray that they are good and hopefully beautiful. But I think it's important to thank the people that help us along the way. Our friends, our families, our students, and teachers, and even strangers.

So thanks Sean - for sharing a bit of your light in a bar over a beer

Kristin

So busy

Well, here it is: a short run down of what's happened since the last post.
LaRo hit the trail on Easter weekend. I haven't heard from him, but I have faith he is fine and loving it all. I sent a couple of disposable cameras with him in hopes that he will capture the beauty of the hills.
Cooper and I rode in the Five Boro Bike Tour at the beginning of May. It rained pretty much all day and I didn't get a chance to cover the top, so we were pretty soaked. My friend and producer Carlos (a.k.a. C-Los) helped me out a lot that weekend getting everything loaded up in my neighbor's truck, filming, and all sorts of stuff. It was a great ride. Cooper ran over half of it that day. The tour itself is 44 miles through all five boroughs, but because of where we parked the truck we did 51 miles. Cooper is a trooper; he had a blast. There are a couple of people I would like to thank: Leon, my neighbor, for letting me use his pickup; C-Los for his help with everything that day and everything else for this project; the man who gave me a windbreaker on the BQE when I was feeling very defeated and ready to call it quits, but the dry, warm windbreaker helped a lot; the nice ladies who gave me water and chocolate, much needed and much thanks; and to everyone out there that day riding or watching. The words of encouragement and all the "how cools" really made our legs move. Oh, and don't worry about Cooper. He is in better shape than most of you, and he gets plenty of rest.
I went home for a week in the middle of May for my niece's high school graduation. It was amazing to see because it seems like just yesterday when my mom was pulling me out of my 6th grade class to go see her at the hospital. It was nice to see all my family and really talk to them about my adventure. It was clear to them that I am serious about this. I feel they can see the change in me from last year when they saw me, and I think it all has something to do with having Cooper now. My sister even said if I would have gotten a dog a long time ago I probably would have saved myself a couple of marriages. Thanks, Nessa.


At the end of May I was flown down to Texas by C-Los' family. C-Los got a beautiful Ford F-150 extended cab pickup truck from his folks, and they wanted me to help him drive it up to the city. I flew into San Antonio on Saturday afternoon and slept in the backseat while C-Los and his dad drove us back to Corpus Christi where they are from. Took a shower, then jumped in the truck and swung by K-Rod's (C-Los' girl) folks' place to pick her up. Sat by the pool, sipping on cervezas and eating nachos.

Then we rolled over to the island to hit up Sushi Bar (http://www.sushibar.tv/). Holy shit, this place was amazing. The food was great and the people that work there were great. This place needs to be in the LES within a year because it is hot. Hip-hop lil' homies comic book sushi joint. After a killer meal we went out to a couple bars and did so many big TX shots that I blacked out! Yikes! The next morning C-Los' madre hooked us up with some fresh tortillas and barbacoa tacos. So good, and just what I needed.

After breakfast we went to the beach with K-Rod and her friend, Leslie. It was great to play in the waves in the Gulf of Mexico, which was a first for me. The sand was so nice and soft, the water was really warm, and you could walk out at least 50 yards.

After the beach we headed back to the Rodriguez family home for a BBQ pool party. "Papa Rod" has a restaurant-style smoker, so this is really TX-style BBQ: four big beef ribs and three pork ribs smoked f

or more than three hours. There was also potatoe salad two ways, bean and chorizo soup,and lots more. While the ribs were cooking we had shrimp and avocado dip, pico, mango salsa, fajitas, and lots of beer. Mix in a pool with music and you have an authentic TX-style BBQ party. People came and went, and the party went on. Any chance I got to talk about the adventure, I took it. I've gotten into the habit of carrying around a pocket full of flyers and handing them out to anyone. People in TX are excited to see us this winter. As the party died down around midnight I decided I was going to sleep poolside in the hammock for the night. It was a good sleep other than getting eaten alive by mosquitoes.
After returning to C-Los' house we showered and got packed up to hit the road. C-Los started out and drove us out of TX. Once we were in Louisiana I started to drive. I have never driven in LA and it was cool driving through the swamps on the elevated roads for miles and miles. We took turns throughout the day and night, and after 30-plus hours of driving we arrived back in Zoo York City.

Since then I've been riding and going through all the pics that I've taken over the past couple months. Now we are having camera problems—we have hours of footage, but are lacking the means of loading them onto the computer. My brother John is working on logos of some companies that I would like to ask for sponsorship. It's getting done, but there is still a long road ahead.

Because it takes me about 3 days to put one of these post together things change. I talk to LaRo yesterday. He is in VA "having a good ol time" he plans on being in PA in a couple weeks and wants us to go out and see him and camp with him for a couple days.