Raul and his family

Every day it has rained, and every day after the rain we have had no problem getting a free place to stay, from a red cross hospital, and a community center, to Raul's house in Tenpic.
Raul's house was great because it wasn't 5 minutes in Tenpic before Raul invited us to stay at his home. We scattered our gear out on the deck and slept on the concrete deck and made it home for the night.
Every time one of us would take a shower, Raul would have to empty the septic system with 5-gallon buckets into the street.

Mexico

From the time I stepped off of the ferry till now, Mexico has been nothing but pleasant — great people, great food, great prices, great landscapes. Mexico has been so good so far.

The Germans

I rode with these guys for a couple days and enjoyed every moment.
You know when your a little kid and you make one face a lot? Your parents will tell you not to and you keep doing it. So your parents tell you if you keep making that face your face will stay like that.

The Baja Ferry

The 5 days leading up to La Paz was a lot of work. I had a hard time though the Baja because the terrain was hard to find beautiful. The giant cacti were great and the Sea of Cortez was a sight for sore eyes. I peddled an average of 135 miles per day in painfully hot heat to move on to better things. Not to sound like the Baja was all bad but it was very, very arrid and the tourist tax overwhelmed me.

The town of La Paz was very good. I met up with some Germans who had the same idea of a bike journey and had left Fairbanks 2 days before I had. It was insane that we had met up. These guys are a riot and know the words to more English songs than I do.

Dennis, playing with snakes

This snake was wearing out its welcome around some kids so denis gently chased it away..
I am really lame with sarcasm, sorry.

Talking to kids is the best way to learn Spanish

These kids were great. They taught us some spanish on our level. I think Prefontaine on Luke's shirt was excited about it, also.

The "OCers"

This family fed us and fed us. I think they saw me and figured they had to help out my sleek stature.

San Antonio Del Mar

We hadn't seen the ocean in a couple days so Luke and I ventured down a very rough dirt road to a beach we didn't even know would be good. Twelve kilometers and the beach was pretty good looking for two dirtballs from Wisconsin.

The BAJJJAA

San Diego to La Paz

Dennis and Luke thought it was a good idea to ride with me from San Diego to just before Rosarito.....Besides for the heat, the traffic always cutting it close, and the arrid climate, I think they had a good time. It really meant a lot to me to know that if I hadn't been doing this trip Luke and Dennis would not have been driving themselves through hell. Thanks guys
ps. Luke knows how to party.

Hola, como estas

After several days of anxious emotions, we heard from the Quinnmeister tonight. He was about 50 miles south of Rosarito, Mx. Biking in 115 degree heat requires lots of stops to replenish the water jugs! He said good-bye to his companions this morning 8/22/06, and headed south solo. Quinn hopes to arrive in La Paz by the weekend. It's so fun to hear from him, he has so much excitement in his voice. When you hear comments like "Mom when I'm riding I look around and just can't get the smile off my face" This experience has been overwelming for all of us in many ways. It's been people like the Moores' in Washington State, Darcy & Yokum in Seattle, Dori in Coos Bay, Dennis in San Francisco, Matt Waller of L.A. Pat & Carolyn in San Diego, there are so many more people I could include here but we'll have to wait til Quinn publishes his Journal.

Immunization shots !

Not too many people are into getting a piece of sharp metal lodged into themselves, and I am one of those people. Every time I have an injection via syringe it's scary as hell. Although when Ruby from the San Diego Immunization Clinic gives you a shot you question if she had even given you the injections or perhaps just a placebo.
I bet she got a kick out of me taking a photo of her while she injected my arse with the Hep A shot.

Caroline and Patrick Moran's house

We arrived in San Diego on the 13th and have been enjoying the company of luke's Aunt and Uncle Moran. They live on the 20th floor of a condo in downtown San Diego.
Today I will meet up with Denis my cousin I stayed with in San Fran. He is planning on riding with me for a good amount of time into mexico.

Torrey Pines Beach

Washing cloths

Rest stop washing my cycling gloves I hound on the side of the road in whistler.

Hollywood

I met up with another freind from Wisconsin he had planned his trip with me 2 days before he flew to LA.
We stayed in North Hollywood with my freind Cherish. For lack of motivation to be a tourist we went to see the movie talidaga nights(spelling?), it was really stupid funny.
We set off the next day back through LA in the congested rush hour traffic. The roads in LA are worse than on the Dalton Hwy in north AK. I took my first fall of the trip and embeded two rocks 1/2 inch into my arm and bruised my hip. I sat on the side of Santa Monica Blvd. pulling rocks out of my arm and stretching my hip.

This is what I think of Hollywood

Las Angelas

In a town just out of tonpoc we pulled into a supermarket after running out of water many miles earlier. As we pulled into the parking lot I noticed a couple kids being kids, they where throwing beer bottles into the air and letting them smash. It looked like they had already gone through a case or so one by one. I tryed to barder with them to quit smashing bottles. I told them if I did a kickflip with cycling sandles they would have to stop smashing bottles. So after I did a kickflip they bombarded me with questions. Good kids ...

Guadalupe

Camp Cayucos

Struggling to find a camp spot in Cayucos we opted to ask a farmer for a place to camp. Not only did they give us a place to pitch a tent but they also gave us lunch for the road and a shower.

Cali Coast

Big Sur

Erl

I have alot in common with most bums(well, just being homeless)so I feel right at home making confersation.
This guy was shaking a cup with change, in order to draw pitty. I usually have sympathy for the homeless but there is a differense between a bum and a homeless person. A homeless person is simply one with no home or haven, and a bum is a lazy or shiftless person, especially one who seeks to live solely by the support of others.
I chated with Erl for a while one day trying to get some wild story out of him. I sat and brain stormed a way or a gimmick for erl to bring in more cash. While doing this I found out that Erl has a home payed for and also free food through government services. He told me that with the money he makes by begging he buys dvd's. Erl, I would call a bum, and I would call myself homeless.

Bradford Timothy Winkelman

Brad setting his bike up in Denises kitchen at 11:00 at night.



I grew up with brad in Wisconsin and havnt seen him in years. Brad is always smiling and looks as if his eyes are closed because his cheeks are in the way or something like that.

Estrella, Denis, and I

While in San Fran I stayed with my cousin Denis and his girlfreind Estrella.

Krissys Bike Rides On Rails

I hav'nt watched tv in a while to know if the old Rice-A-Roni commercial is still running but they claim "The San Francicso Treat". I remember this from when I was little and have always wondered why rice would be "The" San Francisco treat. This is what I found out.
The DeDomenico family all enjoyed an old Armenian dish consisting of rice, vermicelli pasta and chicken broth. The rice and pasta were sauteed in butter before the liquid was added, giving the dish its distinctive taste.
In 1958, Vince DeDomenico decided to take this recipe and produce it for sale in grocery stores. He placed the rice and pasta in a box, and added a dry seasoning mix in place of the liquid chicken broth. Because this product was made up of half rice and half pasta, he decided to call it RICE-A-RONI.
The Rice-A-Roni add would also have a catchy jingle that ended with a trolly car ringing its bell twice.
My good freind Krissy came to visit me in San Fran for the day.
While I learned alot about how Rice-A-Roni got its name, krissy learned how her bike tire fit perfectly into the trolly rails on the road.....
This photo was taken moments after krissy was tossed over her handlebars to the ground and I, following close, pulled a balancing act only to send my bike into a taxi. We were escaped unscathed, and sick of Rice-A-Roni.

The Tamale Lady of San Francisco

2 o'clock am in San Francicso eating a tamale from the famous tamale lady.

Francisco to Diego

Its a perfect place to rest.......

I met up with my cousin Denis here in San Fran. Its always really good to be around good people.
It felt like a dream when I peddaled into San Fran. It was 10 at night and the city lights radiated in the night sky. So many lights and so many people. I crossed the golden gate bridge for the first time not having to pay 5 dollars.
A man was digging through the garbage and I offered him 50 cents, if I could take a photo of him and my bike, but he declined.
I will be here until the 3rd resting and catching up with old and new freinds.

San Fransisco

I guess I was told if I was going to San Fransico to wear flowers in my hair.....Spandex shorts and flowers in my hair...
Spandex shorts on a skinny kid looks funny enough but to add flowers in my hair is in a whole other rank.