They're In MIAMI!

Don't worry.  They're not grossly off course.  They're in Miami, OK.  Today's weather was great.  It remained comfortable in the upper 70s.  They're close to the Missouri line and will definitely be crossing over tomorrow.  There were not as many hills today as yesterday, so the riding was a lot easier.  

After 75 miles of riding today, they found a hotel with a hot tub.  It's been awhile since they've been in a hot tub, so it was a nice treat.  Once they got to town tonight, they had to walk a mile or two to find a place to eat, but I'm sure it's nice to get up and stretch the muscles after being on a bike for so long.  

Tomorrow they are hoping to ride a little on Route 66.  Maybe they'll get to stop in a diner along the way.  They're a little more than halfway home.  Before we know it, our two friends will be back in PA awaiting their next adventure.

Still Pedaling Through Oklahoma...(Tuesday)

This post is for Tuesday:
Karl and Mo's odometers now read 1650 miles. Wow! 1650 miles since the start of this journey. They are still in Oklahoma for at least a day or so. They traveled 72 miles Tuesday from Ponca City, OK to Bartlesville, OK.

They arrived about 230pm and just missed the last guided tour of Price Tower. Price Tower is a "sky scraper" built by Frank Lloyd Wright. Click HERE for more information. Even though they missed the guided tour, they did get to check out the art museum there that was exhibiting artwork from the American World Fairs.

The weather was great today. The winds were out of the south, so there was a cross wind, but it was not enough to be an annoyance. On their ride today , they spoke to a woman who said it had rained 22 days in a row and had just stopped right before Karl and Mo came into town. If they're not careful, they may be mistaken for Apollo and Helios: Greek Gods of the Sun!

They did do some climbing today. Although the climbs were not as steep as they have experienced so far, they were very long. Karl and Mo will still be traveling in Oklahoma on Wednesday. If all goes well, they'll be in Missouri by Thursday.

A Visit to Marland Mansion (Monday)

Sorry, this post is late.  I'm still having computer "issues".  I spoke to Karl last night and they had arrived in Ponca City, OK after about 70 miles.  They rode another 5 miles or so around town to get supplies and do laundry.  The awoke yesterday morning (Monday) to a brisk 54 degrees.  The weather was beautiful.  There was no headwind, only a crosswind.  But, that didn't hold our friends back.  They arrived into town at about 2 or 2:30pm yesterday, had some dinner,  went into town to get supplies from Wal-mart and do some laundry. 

They also got to visit Marland Mansion.  

No, Not Marilyn Manson:

 

That would've been pretty scary.  

But Marland Mansion.  

Marland Mansion was built in the 20's by an Oil Tycoon from...Pittsburgh.  You can get some more information on the Mansion HERE.  They had gotten to the mansion a little late and were walking around the grounds at about 430pm.  A groundskeeper who was securing everything (because they close at 5pm) saw them and asked if they wanted a personal tour of the carriage house.  Again, NICE PERSON ALERT!!

They got to stay in a hotel again last night to prepare for another 70 mile ride today.  Hopefully, I'll get to post again tonight if my computer cooperates.  And, hopefully, you'll all be back to read some more of Karl and Mo's adventure... if I didn't scare you with the Marilyn Manson picture above.  :-)  Until the next time....

Hear Ye, Hear Ye: Friendly People in Oklahoma!

I spoke to Karl last night and got an update on yesterdays travels, but I was experiencing computer difficulties so I couldn't post until this morning.

Yesterday, our two friends woke up to a chilly 37 degrees.  It did warm up later as they were riding and the sun was shining.  They traveled 80 miles to Jet, OK with no problems.  

They stopped for dinner at the Last Chance Cafe and met a man named Benjamin.  They had great conversation about their trip across the country.  Benjamin told them he was a Hunting Consultant specializing in African hunts.  Check out his website at huntlikeyoumeanit.com.  

When I say that there are nice people in Oklahoma, I mean it!  Before Benjamin left he paid for Karl and Mo's dinner.  How nice is that?!?!  Karl and Mo had no idea until the waitress came over and picked up the bill she had left on the table and said that Benjamin had paid for their meal.  

Benjamin, if you happen to read this, Karl and Mo really appreciate your kind gesture and your friendly conversation.

Karl said that they have not been in short supply of nice people.  In San Diego, Mo's friend Scott shuttled them all over Southern California.  In Arizona, a woman at a cafe told them how to avoid the mountains.  In Texas, on many occasions, people would go out of their way to see if they needed any help.  The other night a man stopped by the campground to see if they needed a ride into town to get supplies.  And the list goes on, and on.  I just hope they experience friendly people the closer they get to the east coast.  We all know how cranky we can be in MD and PA. Ok, maybe not in PA, but I'm cranky here in MD.  :-)

The odometer on the bike was just over 1500 miles last night.  These fellows are bustin' butt to get across the US.  I'm sure they'll sleep for a month when they get back.  I did suggest to Karl that when he's done the US, he should start with the other 6 continents.  So, for all of you who missed out on this one, I think the next one will be Australia.

Rest, Relaxation and a Little Blue Grass Gospel Music

Well, the boys made it to Boiling Springs today after a fight with a nasty headwind. Thankfully, though, the weather was nice.  It stayed in the 60's all day.  They rode a total of 45 miles to the campground.  While they were walking around the park, they checked out Boiling Springs, which wasn't what they were expecting and was quite a let down.  If they had traveled out of their way to get there, they would've been sorely disappointed.  But, since it was on their path, it was nice to at least say they had seen it.  

As they were traveling this morning, they stopped at a store and were talking to a woman that worked there.  They explained that they were riding across the US and they were heading to Boiling Springs State Park.  She said that her brother was an avid cyclist.  Later, this afternoon, her brother found them at the park and asked if they needed a ride into town to get supplies.  It's great to see that there are still nice people in the world. :-)

Later this evening as they were wandering around the park, they stopped and listened to a Blue Grass Gospel Band.  There were about 11 members in the band and Karl said they were excellent.  What an  enjoyable end to a hard day.  

Oklahoma!!!

I spoke to Karl last night and he said they had arrived in Oklahoma.  Yesterday was a great day of riding because of the tail wind most of the way.  It's amazing how it can be a strong head wind one day and a tail wind the next.  They traveled 90 miles from Pampa, TX to Arnett, OK.  

After leaving Pampa, they decided to take a road less traveled, and it ended up being one of the most scenic routes they've had so far.  Karl said that there were awesome views of canyons and valleys and they stopped often to look and take pictures.  At about lunch time yesterday they had arrived in a town named Canadian after about 50 miles of riding.  They couldn't find a room there and had asked around if there were any hotels traveling east.  The locals told them the next stop would be Arnett, about 40 more miles away.  Since it was early, they decided to go ahead and make the trip.  Once they got to the hotel Karl realized that he had a flat tire.  So, as the flat tire race continues, Karl and Mo are tied with 6 flat tires each.  They are now into their 5th state since starting this journey 3 weeks ago.  Total mileage so far: 1380.  Pretty soon they'll be half way across the US on this Big Adventure!

Oh, one more thing I almost forgot.  When Karl and Mo arrived at the hotel last night, the person at the front desk told them that Guy and Evan had just been there last night.  So, they're only a day behind them.  

Today (Saturday), Karl and Mo are going to try to make it to Boiling Springs State Park.  They'll probably camp there tonight or stay in one of the cabins on the campground.    Click HERE for more information on the park.  Apparently the springs bubble up at a rate of 200 gallons per minute.  Sounds pretty cool!

I'll Huff and Puff and Blow Your Bikes Down

Today Karl and Mo traveled from Conway to Pampa for a total of 40 miles.  They would've liked to have gone farther, but the wind was horrible today.  They had a headwind of about 20 mph for almost the entire trip.  The nice thing was that the mosquitos weren't biting today.  I don't know what the top speed was for today, but Karl said that at some points they were only going about 8 miles an hour.  Yikes!  They're relaxing tonight in a hotel and they hope that tomorrow the wind will be friendlier.