Some people still can't fathom that I--or anyone else, for that matter--pedal from our homes to the next county or state. They express wonderment or disbelief when I tell them I've essentially lived on my bike in Europe or that I pedaled up and down mountains in Vermont, upstate New York, California, Nevada, France, Switzerland, Italy and Spain.
I have to chuckle. After all, my exploits pale in comparison to those of folks like John Rakowski, who spent three years cycling around the world in the 1970s--or Greg and June Sipel who, around the same time, rode their laden bikes from Anchorage, Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, at the tip of South America.
Now Chris and Sophie Haag plan to take a similar journey. Come late June, they will take a ferry from Bellingham, Washington to Homer, Alaska. Then, on 2 July, they plan to pedal north and cross the Canadian border. From there, they will bike south, through western Canada and the United States to Central America. From there, they expect to follow the Pan-American Highway into South America.
They anticipate spending two years on the road--about the same amount of time the Sippels took.
Even if they have studied what the Sippels did, the Haags probably don't know what the most difficult part of their journey will be. But they know what has been the most difficult part of their planning: finding someone to take care of their pets. Fortunately for them, some friends in their hometown of St. George, Utah, have agreed to take on the task.
If Marlee were to ask me, "Where have you been for the past two years?", what would I tell her?
I have to chuckle. After all, my exploits pale in comparison to those of folks like John Rakowski, who spent three years cycling around the world in the 1970s--or Greg and June Sipel who, around the same time, rode their laden bikes from Anchorage, Alaska to Tierra del Fuego, at the tip of South America.
Now Chris and Sophie Haag plan to take a similar journey. Come late June, they will take a ferry from Bellingham, Washington to Homer, Alaska. Then, on 2 July, they plan to pedal north and cross the Canadian border. From there, they will bike south, through western Canada and the United States to Central America. From there, they expect to follow the Pan-American Highway into South America.
They anticipate spending two years on the road--about the same amount of time the Sippels took.
Even if they have studied what the Sippels did, the Haags probably don't know what the most difficult part of their journey will be. But they know what has been the most difficult part of their planning: finding someone to take care of their pets. Fortunately for them, some friends in their hometown of St. George, Utah, have agreed to take on the task.
If Marlee were to ask me, "Where have you been for the past two years?", what would I tell her?
