Introduction
Hooked!
Over forty years ago after driving all night to see my first national park, I was stunned to find cars lined up outside of The Great Smoky Mountains National Park. It was an eerie site, almost as if the park was closed. Well, the park was not closed, but it was full. Everyone was waiting for campsites to become available. Several hours would pass before I could finally enter the park, pitch my tent, and succumb to the tantalizing call of my sleeping bag.
After a quick nap, I finally got my chance to explore the park. Naturally, the first stop was the Visitor Center. It was a gold mine of information. There were maps and guides, that in those pre-Internet days, could not be found anywhere else. Then somehow, I can’t explain why, my attention was drawn to a room where a lonely ranger stood behind a counter. The sign above the doorway read “Backcountry Office”. The ranger proceeded to explain the National Park Backcountry system to me, and it was a real eye opener! There was a backcountry campground not much more than a mile or two away. It was available, and all I had to do was walk back to it. After waiting all morning lined up outside the park, this was an unbelievably appealing option. It was a world I never knew existed. I was hooked, and over the next forty years, I ended up hiking and backpacking in many of the National Parks in the contiguous 48 states.
Hooked Again!
Several years ago, at work, we were encouraged to join a corporate organization as part of our personal development goals. There certainly was an organization for everyone, but as this deadline approached, I found myself struggling with this decision. Then somehow, I can’t explain why, I remembered the company had a bicycling group. I got on their mailing list, and soon I was going on fascinating rides in urban and rural areas.
These rides reminded me of my backpacking trips. The pace was slow enough that you could appreciate the beauty around you. Yet, the faster pace of cycling really fed my spirit of exploration. I couldn’t wait to see what was around the next bend, and over the next hill. I wanted to see more! It was on these rides that I started to think about what it would be like to travel from Key West to Seattle. But, unlike my visit to the national park visitor center over forty years ago, this is the age of the Internet. So, I searched for information on bicycle trips from Key West to Seattle, and the result was an eye opener, similar to wandering into the Backcountry Office forty years ago.
My Internet search pulled up several amazing journals posted by touring cyclists sharing their adventures. I learned about the Adventure Cycling Association and their routes spanning the US. It was a world I never knew existed. After all these years, I was hooked again!