The road headed West : America coast to coast : a cycling odyssey

Terrified of the prospect of a life spent behind a desk, without challenge or excitement, Leon takes off to cross America on an overloaded bicycle packed with everything but common sense.;The leaving of it all -- Melancholy -- New York blues -- Wanderlust -- The plan -- Bridge to the other side -- The Empire State -- Mon-tah-sell-oh -- A man's best friend -- An Irishman abroad -- Monsters -- Friends and miles -- Susie from the Solomon Islands -- The falls -- O Canada -- Down in the dumps -- The seat by the door -- The Great Lakes State -- Handsome Jack -- The Badger State -- The Hawkeye State -- Between a rock and a hard place -- The morning after the night before -- Boxcar hobo -- The Mount Rushmore State -- Where nobody knows my name -- A million miles of cycling -- Kindred spirits -- To share the road -- A change in scenery -- 'Three million?' -- Transitions -- A work that's open to the sky -- The Cowboy State -- Higher than the clouds -- Buffalo Bill country -- Riding across a supervolcano -- The Treasure state -- Drifting -- A river runs through it -- Idaho and Washington -- The final hurdle -- Seattle -- One step north, two steps south -- South -- Keep Portland weird -- To sleep in the trees -- My witness is the empty sky -- The Golden state -- Carried away -- Then land of milk and honey -- The end of the beginning. "What happens when you swap the nine-to-five for two wheels and a journey of a lifetime? Terrified of the prospect of a life spent behind a desk, without challenge or excitement, Leon takes off to cross America on an overloaded bicycle packed with everything but common sense. Over five months and 6000 miles, he cycled from New York to Seattle and then on to the Mexican border, facing tornados, swollen river crossings, wild roaming buffalo and one hungry black bear along the way. But he also met kind strangers, who offered their food, wisdom, hospitality and even the occasional local history lesson, and learned what happens when you take a chance and follow the scent of adventure. With a sharp eye and a genuine go-where-the-wind-takes-me attitude, McCarron makes for an ideal guide on this cycling adventure. He passes through small towns, rolls up and flies down the winding roads of the Blacks Hills is taken in and fed by strangers, all on a quest to discover the 'real' America, and in the process, learn a little about himself. Funny, insightful, and full of life, The Road Headed West will inspire readers to chase their dreams and go off in search of adventure"-- "Terrified of the prospect of a life spent behind a desk, without challenge or excitement, Leon takes off to cross America on an overloaded bicycle packed with everything but common sense. Over five months and 6000 miles, he cycled from New York to Seattle and then on to the Mexican border, facing tornados, swollen river crossings, wild roaming buffalo and one hungry black bear along the way. But he also met kind strangers, who offered their food, wisdom, hospitality and even the occasional local history lesson, and learned what happens when you take a chance and follow the scent of adventure. With a sharp eye and a genuine go-where-the-wind-takes-me attitude, McCarron makes for an ideal guide on this cycling adventure. He passes through small towns, rolls up and flies down the winding roads of the Blacks Hills is taken in and fed by strangers, all on a quest to discover the 'real' America, and in the process, learn a little about himself. Funny, insightful, and full of life, The Road Headed West will inspire readers to chase their dreams and go off in search of adventure"-- Author's Note Prologue Map Part One: Beginnings The Leaving of It All Melancholy New York Blues Wanderlust The Plan Bridge to the Other Side The Empire State Mon-Tah-Sell-Oh A Man's Best Friend An Irishman Abroad Monsters Friends and Miles Susie from the Solomon Islands The Falls O Canada Down in the Dumps The Seat by the Door The Great Lakes State Handsome Jack Part Two: The Middle The Badger State The Hawkeye State Between a Rock and a Hard Place The Morning After the Night Before Boxcar Hobo The Mount Rushmore State Where Nobody Knows My Name A Million Miles of Cycling Kindred Spirits To Share the Road A Change in Scenery "Three Million?" Transitions A Work That's Open to the Sky Part Three: Into the Mountains The Cowboy State Higher Than the Clouds Buffalo Bill Country Riding Across a Supervolcano The Treasure State Drifting A River Runs Through It Idaho and Washington The Final Hurdle Part Four: South Seattle One Step North, Two Steps South South Keep Portland Weird To Sleep in the Trees My Witness Is the Empty Sky The Golden State Carried Away The Land of Milk and Honey The End of the Beginning Epilogue Cycle Touring : A How-to of Bicycle Travel Additional Resources My Kit List About the Author. What happens when you swap the nine-to-five for two wheels and a journey of a lifetime? Terrified of the prospect of a life spent behind a desk, without challenge or excitement, Leon takes off to cross America on an overloaded bicycle packed with everything but common sense. Over five months and 6000 miles, he cycled from New York to Seattle and then on to the Mexican border, facing tornados, swollen river crossings, wild roaming buffalo and one hungry black bear along the way. But he also met kind strangers, who offered their food, wisdom, hospitality and even the occasional local history lesson, and learned what happens when you take a chance and follow the scent of adventure. With a sharp eye and a genuine go-where-the-wind-takes-me attitude, McCarron makes for an ideal guide on this cycling adventure. He passes through small towns, rolls up and flies down the winding roads of the Blacks Hills is taken in and fed by strangers, all on a quest to discover the #147;real" America, and in the process, learn a little about himself. Funny, insightful, and full of life, The Road Headed West will inspire readers to chase their dreams and go off in search of adventure ‘It seemed a terrible shame to meet my end in Iowa; I couldn't imagine anywhere more disappointing to die. If I were a betting man I'd have reckoned on the most dangerous thing in this state being sheer boredom. The scenery hadn't changed for weeks and I was slowly dissolving into stimulation-deprived madness. My current predicament, then – attempting to escape through cornfields from a gun-toting alcohol-soaked rancher – was not something I expected.'Just months after graduating from university, Leon received disastrous news: he had been offered a job. Terrified at the prospect of a life spent behind a desk, without challenge or adventure, he took off to cross America on an overloaded bicycle packed with everything but common sense. Over five months and 6,000 miles, Leon cycled from New York to Seattle and then on to the Mexican border, facing tornados, swollen river crossings and one hungry black bear along the way. But he also met kind strangers who offered their food, wisdom, hospitality and even the occasional local history lesson, and learned what happens when you take a chance and follow the scent of adventure. IT SEEMED A TERRIBLE SHAME TO MEET MY END IN IOWA; I couldnt imagine anywhere more disappointing to die. If I were a betting man Id have reckoned on the most dangerous thing in this state being sheer boredom. The scenery hadnt changed for weeks and I was slowly dissolving into stimulation-deprived madness. My current predicament, then attempting to escape through cornfields from a gun-toting alcohol-soaked rancher was not something I expected. Just months after graduating from university, Leon received disastrous news: he had been offered a job. Terrified at the prospect of a life spent behind a desk, without challenge or adventure, he took off to cross America on an overloaded bicycle packed with everything but common sense. Over five months and 6,000 miles, Leon cycled from New York to Seattle and then on to the Mexican border, facing tornados, swollen river crossings and one hungry black bear along the way. But he also met kind strangers who offered their food, wisdom, hospitality and even the occasional local history lesson, and learned what happens when you take a chance and follow the scent of adventure. Just months after graduating, and terrified at the prospect of a life spent behind a desk, Leon took off to cycle across America. Over five months and 6,000 miles, he faced tornados, swollen river crossings and one hungry black bear. But he also met kind strangers and learned what happens when you take a chance and follow the scent of adventure.