My Cross-Country Bike Tour

The End

So this is it. No more camping out in the Colorado woods alone, no more getting caught in the rain in 40-degree weather, no more meeting wacky strangers on the side of the road. Sometimes I thought that I’d never make it, but I’m finally done. My cross-country excursion is complete.

 

I finished up the last 13 miles of the TransAmerica Trail at Yorktown. A group of cyclists from a local bike club in Williamsburg escorted me to the Yorktown Victory Monument, where members of The Arc of Greater Williamsburg presented me with a cake and gave me the opportunity to meet in person some of the people they supported. Joanne Hansinger, Laura Hart, and Martha Hulse and her son Warren drove all the way down from The Arc’s national office in DC to meet me at the end of my trip. Martha had generously offered to let me stay in her house with Warren and her husband Bruce while I prepared for my return flight. During my stay, I was able to visit The Arc’s DC office before leaving for home.

 

I’m headed off for my second year of college and soon I’ll be back in the paces of ordinary life. As I look back on my trip, I can’t honestly say that I’ve changed much. No strikingly profound epiphanies concerning life or human nature revealed themselves to me en route. I didn’t find spiritual enlightenment atop snow-covered mountains. The secrets of the universe weren’t etched into the sky for my edification. I still feel like the same old kid. In that sense, my journey’s end had a disappointingly anticlimactic feel to it. However, I did have the time and space for a great deal of personal reflection and I explored parts of the country I had never seen before and met people I would never have had the opportunity to interact with on a daily basis. In that regard, this trip was quite the adventure. It forced me to drop my usual routine and focus on simple survival. I focused on two major things each day: what I planned to eat and where I was going to sleep that night. And there are so many interesting facets to this country—the mountains, the clouds, the people, anything and everything under the sun—that were brought to me in a new light. I remember spreading out on the ground after a hard day’s ride and plugging into my MP3 player. I’d look up at the stars, thoughts and memories streaming through my head to the beat of the music. Have you ever tried that? I won’t ever think of those songs in the same way again. But I still can’t seem to draw an underlying theme to tie it all together. I suppose that the fog will clear in a few years and I’ll be able to extract more meaning from this trip from a distance. Right now I just feel like sleeping for several days in a row.

 

But before I do, a few words of thanks first:

 

First of all, my biggest thanks go to my parents. Without them this entire trip would not have been possible. Right from the start, both of them could have refused permission for me to go, but they stood by me from start to finish. From helping me pack to driving hours to see me to arranging for whatever I needed, they were there. My parents were always ready to offer words of encouragement to pull me through the darkest days. This trip would have failed on Day 1 without them. Mom and Dad, here’s to you!

 

I would like to thank Shashir Reddy, a fellow student and friend of mine at the University of Michigan who has been tirelessly working behind-the-scenes on this entire website. Shashir put up with my late night phone calls while I was still three time zones away in the western states and he has spent a great deal of time editing and posting content for everyone to see. You wouldn’t be looking at this website if it weren’t for his hard work!

 

Thanks to the folks at The Arc of Greater Williamsburg and The Arc of the United States for such a warm reception in Yorktown. You should all be proud of your mission to help others. I am honored to have been able to help support a part of that. You guys rock!

 

I’d like to thank Joanne Hansinger in particular, one of my earliest contacts at The Arc, for her unwavering support and concern for my wellbeing throughout my trip. I’d also like to thank Laura Hart for publicizing my trip and giving me the opportunity to speak with my home state’s senators and representatives while I was in DC. Special thanks to Martha Hulse, her husband Bruce, and her son Warren for welcoming me into their home and showing me around town and taking care of me until I left for home. Thanks also to Bruce and his friend Tom for helping me pack and ship my bike home.

 

Thanks to the cyclists of Williamsburg for keeping me company for the last stretches of the trip and to the city and county officials of Yorktown for taking time out of their busy schedules to welcome me at the end.

 

I would also like to thank Joel Gallant, a friend and former classmate back home, who helped me publicize my trip to many of our friends back home, and also to Theresa Hogue of the Corvallis, Oregon, Gazette-Times for spreading the word to so many community members in my hometown.

 

I would like to thank everyone who contributed to The Arc via the Firstgiving page and to my friends and family and readers (just like you) who showed their support along the way. Your comments and support of my endeavor meant a great deal to me. I couldn’t have done it without you.

 

There were so many kind people that helped me on my way across the country as well. I was a stranger to these individuals and businesses and they were under no obligation to help me. Their generosity is truly inspirational and I would like to express my gratitude to the listed names below, arranged in geographical order. Please accept my most sincere apologies if I omitted a deserving name.

 

Oregon

 

• Mike, from Vida, OR

• The Lakeshore RV Park near Prineville, OR

• Glen Anderson and his family, who I met near Prineville, OR

• Debbie, from JD’s Mercantile in Richland, OR

• Steve, from the Eagle Valley RV Park in Richland, OR

• Paula, from the public library in Richland, OR

 

Idaho

 

• The biker I met in Riggins, ID

• The First Presbyterian Church in Kooskia, ID

 

Montana

 

• Mel, from Missoula, MT

• The KOA in Missoula, MT

• The Open Road Bicycles and Nordic Equipment bike shop in Missoula, MT

• Tim and the owners of The Angler’s Roost RV Park in Hamilton, MT

• Randy, who I met in Wisdom, MT

• The Sundowner Motel in Dillon, MT

• Jesse and his family, from Ennis, MT

• The Madison Hotel in West Yellowstone, MT

• The Freeheel and Wheel bike shop in West Yellowstone, MT

 

Wyoming

 

• Sarah and Chris from the Old Faithful Inn in Yellowstone National Park

• David and his wife, who I met in Yellowstone National Park

• The Sleeping Bear RV Park in Lander, WY

• The caretakers of the Sixth Crossing Mormon establishment in Sweetwater Station, WY

• The gas station at Muddy Gap Junction in Wyoming

• The Quality Inn in Rawlins, WY

• Terri, who I met in Rawlins, WY

• The Lazy Acres RV Park in Riverside, WY

• The Old Homestead RV Park in Rand, WY

 

Colorado

 

• The Red Mountain RV Park in Kremmling, CO

• Pam from the Breck Inn in Breckenridge, CO

• The Yogi Bear Royal Gorge Jellystone Camp Resort near Canon City, CO

• The Quality Inn in Pueblo, CO

• The Pueblo Inn and Conference Center in Pueblo, CO

• The Hotel Ordway in Ordway, CO

• Ken, who I met in Ordway, CO

 

Kansas

 

• The Trails End Motel in Tribune, KS

• Pastor Warren of the Holy Cross Lutheran Church in Scott City, KS

• Elaine of Elaine’s Bicycle Oasis in Bazine, KS

• The Travelodge in Great Bend, KS

• “Beaver” Delgado of Delgado’s Mexican Restaurant in Great Bend, KS

• The Zion Lutheran Church in Hutchinson, KS

• Chuck, Schari, and Blasi Porter, from Buhler, KS

• The AmericInn in Hesston, KS

• The Prince of Peace Pentecostal Holiness Church in Eureka, KS

• The Eureka Police Department

• Sam, from the Holiday Park Inn 4 Less in Chanute, KS

• The Comfort Inn in Pittsburg, KS

 

Missouri

 

• Bill, from the Running Spring Farm Hunting Preserve in Everton, MO

• The RV Express RV park in Marshfield, MO

• The Houston Motel in Houston, MO

• The Family Youth Center in Summersville, MO

• The Centerville sheriff’s office

• The Grubbs, from St. Joe State Park in Missouri

• The Tradition Inn in Farmington, MO

 

Illinois

 

• Jon, from The Bike Surgeon bike shop in Carbondale, IL

 

Kentucky

 

• Bob and Violet, from the First Baptist Church in Sebree, KY

• The Days Inn in Berea, KY

• Jenny, from Booneville, KY

• Sister Marge, from Booneville, KY

• John Gross, from near Chavies, KY

• The Hazard Hotel in Hazard, KY

• Jerry, from near Hindman, KY

• The managers of the Elkhorn City swimming pool and their friends in Elkhorn City, KY

 

Virginia

 

• The Elk Garden United Methodist Church in Rosedale, VA

• Dave and Sheila, from the Collins House Inn in Marion, VA

• The Churches of Christiansburg, VA

• The Christiansburg Police Department

• The Country Inn & Suites in Lexington, VA

• Kent, Susan, and their grandchildren, from Kents Store, VA

• Mike, from the Wal-Mart in Mechanicsville, VA

 

I hope you’ve enjoyed keeping up with me on this website. Thanks for reading!

 

-Xiaoyu Shi

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