The End Is Nigh!

Drinking: Chocolate milk by the gallon

So the last significant post was back in Indianapolis where I'd covered 2500 miles and reached 14 State capitals. I've been slack in keeping up with the blog and taking photos, but I've not been slack on the bike. I've now got 15 State capitals and 3000 miles under me belt, and also crossed a timezone somewhere (I'm entirely confused this morning).

Welcome to Michigan - A Meth Watch Community

Cycling up from Indianapolis towards Lansing, there really isn't much to say. It's all flat and there's nothing but corn fields. Everything looks the same from the west side of Ohio, through Indiana and into Michigan. On me travels I've seen a number of different communities such as the neighborhood watch community, the bike friendly community (usually just as the hard shoulder ends forcing you into the traffic), even a golf cart friendly community. As I entered Michigan I was assured that I was entering a meth watch community which tells you a little of the area.

State Capitol, Lansing MI

Despite Michigan being full of 'chemists' I've met some amazing people and had a great time starting off with lunch in a really small place in Albion, The Red Lunch Box Cafe. Just a shoebox of a building, painted red, but run by a family and with most of the family there. I usually end up in a Subway or something as most towns seem to have only 'bar & grills' and nowhere that looks intriguing or enticing. Meeting a group of people who are friendly, welcoming and interested in who you are and what you're doing just makes for a better experience.

And so began a long weekend of CouchSurfing and drinking, starting off in Eaton Rapids (20 miles outside Lansing) where I stayed with Karen. Myself, Karen, and her son, Tom went into Lansing to visit the Michigan Brewing Company for a flight of beers and some food. Other than that, it was just a relaxed evening watching TV and fussing over the dog.

My first night in Lansing was nice and quiet drinking homebrew with Kuba, his girlfriend Sara, and their housemate Ben. I had the same conversation with each of them about how little stuff I have with me, but it was a much needed evening of just sitting down and doing nothing and throwing a screaming toy monkey with a cape into a ceiling fan. If you've ever done something similar and felt like you've wasted an evening, you're wrong.

Breakdancing at Vacant Lansing

Next day it was off to meet my second host, Pam. We went down to the market for some food, wine tasting (5 free samples, or 10 if you're me), and a basil plant, before going to an old outdoor swimming pool in the shadow of a power plant. Once more of Pam's friends turned up to sort out specifics for a wedding, Pam and I went to Vacant Lansing (expect nothing). The organisers had sent out a couple of clues as to the theme  and a Google reference for the location, but that was it. One of the big attractions of this event is that no-one knows what will be involved until you turn up. They take over a vacant building for one night and explore how the space can be used to draw attention to the area and hopefully begin regeneration while raising funds for a worthy charity at the same time. We had a 90s theme with beat-box and break-dancing, arcade machines (I suck at Pacman) and some painting things going on. After that, more relaxing and drinking the wine bought at the market earlier and making Smores (Smores and wine is not a classic combination).

Drinking day number 4 began with breakfast followed by ruthlessly decimating the wedding playlist that had been worked on the day before. Seriously, no wedding playlist is complete without the half past 10 Chesney Hawkes, Jon Bon Jovi, Bryan Adams combination of cheese. Things got a bit complicated then as a number of plans varied and intertwined as I was supposed to be cooking for Kuba and playing kickball, but got an offer of frisbee and volleyball at the lake with Pam. I forsook the cooking and kickball in favour of frisbee, volleyball and a pint before heading back to Kuba's for a friend's birthday and much more drinking.

I can confirm that drinking does very little to prepare you for a 65 mile ride on a really crappy road in ridiculous heat. I was in agony when I reached Grand Rapids, but I had somewhere to stay as one of Pam's friends, Jeff, had agreed to host me. With another of his friends, we went for a tour of the local breweries to complete the 5 day drinkathon.

Meeting and staying with people is amazing and makes for a much more interesting and fun time, however it is pretty tiring and I wouldn't have made it anywhere near as far as I have done. Think I'd still be languishing in New York or Pennsylvania if I'd have been CouchSurfing the whole time.

Warren Dunes State Park, Lake Michigan, MI

Since the Lansing drinkathon, I've made it to Lake Michigan which I'm following round to my final cycling destination - Chicago - the end is nigh!

IN Indy

Listening to: Human Fly performed by Brown Bottle Flu

State Capitol, Indianapolis IN

Three achievements to report here: 14 State capitals, 2500 miles and 3 months in the States. From here on in, I'm making use of the B2 visa.

Following on from things going randomly right in Richmond, my public request for a couch in Indianapolis was answered by a teacher called Brandon who has an entire summer off with nothing to do other than party. Events were started with a trip to a brewery where they do tastings much the same as they do in wineries. Great concept, but a fair amount of beer to get through in one go and by the time you get to the last beer you can't taste anything nearly as well as when you started.

Original LOVE sculpture, Indianapolis Museum of Art

Another day, and another art museum - the Indianapolis Museum of Art. Decent collection of art, and home of the first 'LOVE' sculpture, but not as good as the Columbus Museum of Art. The IMA has a better collection but just doesn't inspire the same connection with the art. There are some good quality gardens that are well worth the look around though. The best thing to cure a day of culture? A bar where you turn up with your own giant goblets for cheap beer (cheap crappy beer anyway).

Canal District, Indianapolis IN

After a little confusion I met up with my second CouchSurfing host, Becs, and do I fancy going to see a band? Of course I do! We were driven down to Bloomington IN by one of Becs' friends after we picked up her previous CouchSurfer, a crazy German guy by the name of Axel. Arrived at the venue and nothing. Band haven't shown up. Bit of berating on Facebook over dinner and the gig's back on! First time I've seen a 3 piece punk band play with only 3 bass strings, playing to an audience you could count on your fingers, but quality version of Human Fly. The guitarist and bassist were both in separate bands in a battle of the bands playing across town. We did the groupie thing and headed over where there was a crowd so big you'd have to take at least one of your socks off to count the number of people. 1 beer, 1 hairy bear, 1 share of a fishbowl, 5 bands and home at half 3 - decent evening.

I think I now know what my next plans are. I've been cycling for 3 months and I've covered a significant distance, but if I carried on cycling I'd have to really bump up the distance cycled per day and I'd still miss a lot of sights. The massive three people who answered my question on Facebook have confirmed that stopping cycling and doing a bit of sightseeing is the right thing to do. The plan then is simple: cycle to Lansing MI for capital number 15 and follow the lake round to Chicago IL. Sell / give away / abandon the bike and continue the journey by train or bus most likely in some kind of loop going to Seattle, San Fransisco, Utah, New Orleans and work my way back to New York to fly home again. If anyone has any suggestions for places to visit then leave comments, send messages, Skype, email, etc. etc.

Stu - 0, Gravel - 1

Blue Ridge Mountain Pennsylvania

Yesterday was a pretty rough day. Started off with things being overcast and kind of cool. As I started climbing and turned round a corner the clouds suddenly cleared and the temperature just soared. I climbed from 600 feet to 2123 feet, and then did it again, and again. Severely dehydrated I went looking for some water.

Turned into a picnic area and stacked the bike bad. I was on a gravel path and some stone lifted and turned me front wheel so it wasn't straight when it landed. I went arse over tit and landed on me face. Picked meself up to find blood pouring from me face. A guy with a three year old daughter at the picnic area called us an ambulance and I got a trip to hospital to get cleaned up properly. I was only in there for a few hours before I got a lift back to me bike. I even got picked up by a Belgian while walking down the hill to find a motel for a couple of nights. Wounds include the odd scrape and cut on me limbs, but the worst injuries were to me face. I ate a load of gravel and shredded me bottom lip. Me top lip has been badly bruised so both lips are twice the size they should be which makes eating and drinking not as easy as it should be. I lost some skin from my nose, but the worst was the chunk of skin I lost from underneath my nose. Think Freddy Kruger but on a very small scale. I lost a portion of mustache so this may be the end of me beard. I was hoping to have a handlebar mustache once home, but now it'll just look ridiculous.

In hospital, Bedford PA

Finally, two milestones have been reached. My unintentional and failed acrobatics happened near enough on the 2000 mile mark. Also, many thanks to the Tilbrooks for taking the fundraising total past the £500 mark.

The 10 Capital, 1000 Mile Spectacular!!!

State house, Montpelier VT

When considering the trip I was thinking that I'd be pretty pleased with myself once I made it into double figures with State capitals. Yesterday I achieved that by reaching Montpelier VT. Around the same time I also passed the 1000 mile mark. For any Daily Mail readers that's 192000 double decker buses, 15304 football pitches, or going from Land's End to John O'Groats and making it over half way back again.

Got to say, I like Montpelier. It's a very small place, but seems to have a lot of life there. It seems to be a place that draws people into the centre of town as opposed to many other places in the States where anything of value or interest is custom built outside of town leaving the centre a bit desolate. They also have a quality pub - The Three Penny Taproom which I can confirm sells many excellent beers and I'm sure sells many many more that I didn't try. I also have to thank the good people at Econolodge for the following exchange:

Me: Hi, how much for a room for the evening?

Econolodge: $69 plus tax.

Me: Is there any way that can go lower?

Econolodge: I can do $65, plus tax.

Econolodge: $60 plus tax?

Me: Yeah that sounds good.

Econolodge: OK, I need some ID blah blah blah. What brings you to Montpelier?

Me: I'm trying to cycle to as many State capitals as I can and this is number 10.

Econolodge: On  a bike? A bicycle? Wow! No charge for your room. You can stay as our guest, and I'll see if we can get you some publicity in the paper.

As I said, I like Montpelier, and Vermont as a whole. It kind of feels like a mix of New Hampshire, the way you're pressed into the forest, and Maine with it's mountains and general atmosphere of vastness. When you can see anything from the road all you see is forest disappearing into the distance, up the mountains in the midground and then up the mountains in the background. And today I was following the Mad River along the edge of the Green Mountain National Forest which is just incredible.

Mad River, Vermont

Tonight I'm at a bed and breakfast, kind of in the middle of nowhere, but they had a massive sign promising the best breakfast in Vermont and it was raining and I was knackered so a good place to stop. Had a really nice evening eating with the family who live here and another cheap night as they can't do breakfast for us. Works for me though.

May The Forth Be With You

Song running though head: The Proclaimers, 500 miles

Happy Star Wars day people!

Today (or fairly recently - difficult to know for certain) I passed the 500 mile mark. I've also arrived in my 6th State Capital: Providence RI.

I'm staying with a second guy from warmshowers called Dan, who lives in a commercial studio space, but we don't talk about that.

For anyone wondering, vegan baked goods are made with witchcraft and rug hair apparently.