We are now halfway through the release of our four part video series – Cycling the Great American Roadtrip. This is our first video series from the road in over two years and it’s been so satisfying to share these again, after such a long hiatus. This is a perfect opportunity to watch and learn about the route before signing up to be part of the second edition of TDA’s Great American Roadtrip scheduled to start March 2023.

You can watch Part 1 & 2 below. To be the first to see Parts 3 and 4, sign up to our monthly newsletter. Part 3 comes out at the end of this month and Part 4 at the end of April.

Videographer Coby Werlin on the Video Making Process During TDA’s Great American Roadtrip

I sent Coby a few questions about his experiences on this project. This was his third assignment with TDA – his first was filming in Europe on the 2019 The Odyssey and his second was while tagging along on the 2019 North American Epic.

What did you think this would be like when you started filming in Santa Monica?

“Well, there was definitely one part of me that wasn’t sure if the tour would run, let alone finish. The other part of me wanted this video series to be a real, in-depth look at riders as they re-engaged with the world after so much time spent in lockdown.”

“Thankfully, we didn’t have any Covid cases, and so not only did the ride finish, but it was a very positive experience to film overall, which is not to say that it was an easy experience. There was a large sense of gratitude throughout the entire crew about being back out on tour, and it was a rather palpable feeling that everyone shared, something that I hope comes through in the video series.”

What were the biggest challenges and surprises?

“One of my biggest challenges in documenting any TDA ride is how to pull out a story, rather than just creating a montage of bicycles riding through scenic landscapes. Some of those shots are nice, but with this project I tried to find other aspects of life on tour to focus on. With this tour in particular, the riders and staff all had a lot of great things to say, including what brought them to sign on to this tour, and what lessons or experiences they were taking away from it. Those kinds of responses are always the ones that give me the most inspiration and direction to make a compelling video series.”

“I think when prospective riders watch a video series about a ride, they of course want to see it visually to know what they’d be in for, but to also understand some of the deeper reasons and satisfactions that bring people to TDA, and those explanations only surface when they are genuinely felt by the riders, so I was happily surprised to hear them on this ride.”

“From a technical standpoint, the weather seemed to keep getting in the way for me — my gear would overheat from the high temperatures of eastern California, or the rainstorms in Texas and Florida would dissuade me from pulling out my camera, but primarily the intensity of the wind we experienced from about Arizona to Texas made it really difficult to get good sound during interviews, on top of the fact that it tired out most of the riders so much so that they had no energy left at the end of the day for an interview anyway. My camera even took a tumble to the pavement during New Mexico’s powerful windstorms as I was shooting a time lapse of the mountains (I even caught the fall on camera), luckily it was minimal damage.”

What is your favourite memory from the tour? What did you learn?

“Well, it’s always the not-so-fun memories that feel the most poignant, and invoke the most growth, especially once you’ve moved past them and can reflect back. I’ll remember the 4 a.m. wake up call to pack bikes and make it through Joshua Tree National Park to beat the 104°F heat, or the spectacularly terrifying early morning thunderstorm that hit us just outside of Austin, TX, or the penultimate day of the tour when I accidentally chopped off the top bit of my thumb while slicing some Georgia peaches before dinner, and all the riders and staff made me feel so well taken care of (it’s healing very well). All of these instances stick out to me because they were moments of adversity that tested the entire group – riders and staff alike – to act as one, for the sake of the whole.”

“On a lighter, more concrete note, I was really happy to explore Louisiana as it was a part of my own country that I hadn’t yet explored, and was full of beauty and warmth and great seafood.”

RELATED
TOUR

“I loved setting off each morning in search of something new; and rarely was I disappointed. On top of all that I am outdoors, eating local food, enjoying local drinks whilst keeping fit. What is there not to love!” – Nicholas Beardow (UK)

After a successful running of TDA’s Great American Roadtrip (GART) last year, we are pleased to announce the next edition – scheduled to start March 2023.

>>Dates and details of the 2023 route found here

The first ever edition of GART, which began in Santa Monica, came to a successful close in Savannah, Georgia in mid-November 2021. There were many reasons we chose to create and run the tour, but definitely one of them was the fact that in our confusing travel world, at that particular point in time, a one-country tour in America, had the least chance of being disrupted compared to many other parts of the world. The honest truth is that we had not considered a coast-to-coast tour in America beforehand, and if not for a pandemic, we may never have.

“From the flat deserts of California, to the rolling hills of the Texas Hill Country, the tour showcased the variety of the American landscape.” – Mayumi Stroy (USA)

We are very happy that fate led us to running this fascinating tour. In fact, the positive nature of the group, and the amazing staff we had onboard, as well as the incredible scenery and diversity of the southern U.S. helped us to achieve one of our highest every client feedback scores on our post tour surveys.

“It was exhilarating testing one’s mettle against the backdrop going from the sublime vistas of the American west to the swamps and bayous of Louisiana and Mississippi and onto the hidden gems of the unknown Gulf Coast of Alabama and Florida to end up in the welcoming charms of old Savannah.” – Tom Perlmutter (Canada)

After assessing staff reports from the tour, as well as considering all our participant feedback, we have refined the tour further, and are very excited to announce this new running of the trip in the spring of 2023. We are hopeful that in addition to North Americans, this 2nd edition of the tour will attract many of our European followers, who were sadly not allowed into the U.S. at the time of the tour in 2021.

Part One of our Four-Part Video Series

Videographer Coby Werlin has just completed the editing and we are excited to release part one of Cycling the Great American Roadtrip.

After 18 months of waiting and planning and hoping and pivoting, we had high hopes for a successful first covid-era cycling tour. So who are the people that took the plunge with us and decided it was time to head back out into the world?

Tom from Toronto shares that “we’re grateful to be out. Is the community different simply because we have come out of a long period of being isolated?… Maybe. We won’t recognize it til later… part of the impetus has been that need to connect socially.”

RELATED
TOUR

The 2021 Great American Roadtrip was the second tour we had run since the pandemic began and it turned out to be a complete success thanks to our talented and hard-working staff and the amazing group of riders who decided to join us! Here is what some of the participants had to say about their experience.

“A TDA Tour is a wonderful way to see the world and to experience the culture of a country. I loved setting off each morning in search of something new; and rarely was I disappointed. On top of all that I am outdoors, eating local food, enjoying local drinks whilst keeping fit. What is there not to love!” – Nicolas Beardow (UK)

“The Great American Roadtrip represented an excellent opportunity to challenge myself physically and to visit parts of the United States that I hadn’t previously explored. I would highly recommend it.” – Bill Wilson (Canada)

“The Great American Road Trip was great all around. Great route, great food and great support. From the flat deserts of California, to the rolling hills of the Texas Hill Country, the tour showcased the variety of the American landscape.” – Mayumi Stroy (USA)

“I cannot say enough about the excellent staff. Emily, the tour leader, set the tone. Competent, professional, yet thoroughly engaging and devastatingly funny. The entire staff worked as a team, kept it relaxed and fun, and never played favourites.” – Neil Slotnick (USA)

“Overall, a wonderful adventure – I was sad when it ended.” – Cheryl Yates (Canada)

“The tour was rigorous and challenging, particularly the first half, when we went from the blistering heat of southern California deserts to the steep climbing and gusting headwinds of Arizona and New Mexico. It was also exhilarating testing one’s mettle against the backdrop going from the sublime vistas of the American west to the swamps and bayous of Louisiana and Mississippi and onto the hidden gems of the unknown Gulf Coast of Alabama and Florida to end up in the welcoming charms of old Savannah.” – Tom Perlmutter (Canada)

“Quite an extraordinary chance to do something awesome during troubled times.” – Richard Morneau (Canada)

The 2021 Great American Roadtrip was a great success. The route was beautiful, the weather was fine and the riders and staff bonded together like a big happy family. We asked the cyclists to send us their favourite memories from this amazing journey.

“Pedalling across the American southwest we enjoyed these incredible ‘big sky’ landscapes with their spectacular sunrises and even more spectacular sunsets. The beginning and end of each day was a gift.” Brian McCloskey (USA)

“Cool mornings and chilled nightfall were softened by our resident Fire Starter, Richard. Huddling around those soothing flames with our gang of intrepid explorers was a wonderful way to start and finish each and every day.” Karen McCloskey (USA)

“We were coming out of our rest day in Truth or Consequences headed toward Aguirre Springs, just shy of 100 miles (158 kms). I was riding with Kate and Neil from Alaska, a hardy couple who knew how to keep a steady pace. We were riding through a country mixing old and new myths passing alongside the Rio Grande. On a service road running along the Interstate, lost in the detritus of the sprawling outskirts of American cities, we pass a sign marking the place where Pat Garrett was shot. Farther on we come to The Space Murals Museum with its odd collection of space exploration knick-knacks and oversize paintings of smiling astronauts. Then things took a turn as we headed into the Organ Mountains; 40 kms of climbing into the wind. As we turned off into the entrance to the Aguirre Spring Park, we thought we’d be close to the end. No. There was another 15 kms to camp on a narrow, winding road with gradients of up to 9%, The wind freshened into fierce gusts of up to 40-50 km/h. I put everything I had into fighting my way up the mountain, moving at a snail’s pace. But it was glorious to face the wind, to be alive in it, surrounded by spectacular cliffs hovering over us like ancient giants frozen in time.” – Tom Perlmutter (Canada)

“Actually my favourite part of this trip wasn’t the bicycling itself. It was the cold evening and morning campfires around which riders collected warmth, traded stories, and became the community we are today. Campfires and informal bistros were orchestrated by Richard Morneau. I consider him the rider with the greatest positive impact on our group’s morale and community spirit. Cheryl Yates was riders’ (and TDA staff) go-to informal nurse for injuries and ailments. I saw her drop everything to help someone in need. Every Roadtrip needs a Cheryl! During the second half of the Roadtrip, I feel Richard, Cheryl, and I evolved into a cycling trio, riding like goofy fun-loving teenagers. Usually we picked up different riders to join us before or after lunch. This made the rides so enjoyable.” –  John Karwoski (USA)

“In Truth or Consequences the Indian family that owned the Travel Lodge made us a traditional meal which was fabulous. I loved the nature campsites and climbs out west. Seeing the starlit sky every time I got up in the middle of the night to pee which felt like they were close enough to touch. Even freezing in my tent and wearing all my clothes in my sleeping bag was fabulous. And the campfires in the morning and evening to keep us warm while waiting for coffee or dinner was amazing. And the Bistros which we had on days in the hotel was a blast. People bought drinks and food and it was another great way to socialize. And to top it all off, we had a staff that can’t be beat.” – Rita Tellerman (USA)

“I enjoyed the cycling, the scenery, the stops for coffee and calories, the random conversations with people along the route, and the deeper conversations as I got acquainted with the other riders. When I think back to a moment where I felt really good, I remember our camp along the Nueces River by Camp Wood, Texas. We had a lovely day riding and set up camp along the river. It was a sunny warm day and it felt really luxurious to swim in the river, which had a mild current, enough deep water for a swim and a perfect temperature to cool off and relax those tired leg muscles.” – Peter Millikan (USA)

“One of my favourite memories was made while riding along one of the many beautiful farms in New Mexico. A couple of majestic horses spotted our bikes and decided to race along side us at a full gallop. Just beautiful. Just one moment from a long list of memorable moments on an exceptional bike ride across this beautiful country.” – Pixy Elliot (USA)

“The highlight of the trip for me was visiting the Carlsbad Caverns in New Mexico. Their World Heritage Site designation is well deserved. The Big Room cavern is mammoth, which I explored on a self guided tour, has many unique stalagmite and stalactite formations.” – Bill Wilson (Canada)

“Great people, cold mornings by Richard’s campfires, delicious food and good music from Yanez, beautiful scenery, oh, and did I mention the great people?” – Susan Rankin (USA)

All the riders wanted to extend their appreciation to the talented, hard-working staff on the Great American Roadtrip for making these special memories possible. (Below from left – Micah Markson, Yanez Novoa, Henry Gold, Emily Currie, Sheelagh Daly, Ryan Rice, Coby Werlin)

Great America Roadtrip staff

By Judith Gold

So after 20 years of planning, I finally got to ride on a TDA biking trip! Lest you think I am exaggerating, you should know that I am the younger sister of TDA’s founder, Henry Gold. So yes, 20 years is about right, as that is when he first conceived of Tour d’Afrique, and that is when I first started planning to join his trips.

Alas, the universe had conspired against me (not always in bad ways). Kids, work, husband, mother, were all reasons why I did not join a trip earlier. And then finally, about to retire, with kids out of the house, I signed up to bike Madagascar in 2020, this was going to be my first trip. Well, we all know how that turned out (COVID, need I say more?)!

Finally, despite lingering COVID, a trip was going, and yes, I was going to join the Great American Road Trip. But the universe had one more surprise for me. I broke my foot about two months before the trip was to start, not least, while walking with the one and only Henry Gold.

I got the boot off my foot at the end of August, and started training, hoping that I could get into decent enough shape, to join the trip. If not right at the start, sometime soon thereafter. However, after seeing the detailed plan, the number of daily kilometers to ride and meters to climb, I nearly backed out (yes, I am a coward, or you can say, I also know my limitations). Encouraged by Henry, I instead delayed joining till Roswell, New Mexico, where I thought I could manage the riding somewhat better.

a very tired rider waiting for a ride

So here I was, finally on one of TDA’s trips, yes, 20 years after I first wanted to ride on of them, but sadly, for no more than 3 weeks, and not in an exotic locale but mostly in Texas. Yes, my TDA ride was about 2/3rd in Texas, hardly my dream destination. But guess what, it was truly amazing!!!!

Ok, let me say it right away… I found the riding hard…, and I mean really hard! There were many moments, especially in the first week where I questioned my sanity, and notwithstanding loyalty to my brother, I thought of bailing out. I nearly broke several times; I will share two of these episodes.

The first was on entering the great state of Texas. Only on my second day of riding, I was getting intimately acquainted with Texan roads, that is ‘chip and seal’, which, if you did not know, can be excruciatingly difficult to bike. Especially when the wind is against you, and there is an ambitious climb involved. Somehow, I managed to complete the morning ride (about 82 km, lest you think I am just a total wimp), just to show my brother that I can do it, but I barely managed it. However, after I did, I started to feel a real sense of accomplishment, and I thought, I go this, I can do it!

But just a day later, the already strong wind picked up further, and I had a second breakdown. I planned to bike only in the afternoon, following my brother’s wise advice, and it was only 54 km to camp. But with the strong wind, I was barely moving 8 km an hour, and this even before the climbing began. But somehow, I stopped worrying how long it was going to take me (since there would always be a vehicle to pick me up) and started to look around, realizing that the part of Texas I was biking looked exactly like Namibia—a place where I lived for a year, and totally fell in love with. I was hooked. Every turn of the road was magical. I don’t know how, but I completed the ride, and even had time to visit a winery with one of my fellow riders, and it was one of my favorites riding days.

Texas or Namibia?

After these two days, I had an attitude adjustment. Yah, this was going to be hard, but so what, I was going to love it!

And I totally did! There was the constantly changing landscapes, the dramatic sunrises, and sunsets, some beautiful campgrounds, by rivers, or lakes, to swim in or canoe, idiosyncratic rest stops with always something special to find, but most of all, amazing riders and staff. I don’t know if this was a special group, or all of TDA riders and staff are so unique, but this group was especially fun, interesting, funny, lots of stories and endless things to discuss. I felt like I was back in my early twenties, having the time of my life, without a care, just having fun. Maybe it was the adrenalin, or the daily happy hour, but whatever it was, it was magical and just lots of fun.

It was with great sadness that I left the group just ahead of New Orleans, but with a new determination to do a full trip. Yah, I know it will be hard, and I will again have several breakdowns, but I also know that the trip will be everything I imagined it would be in the past twenty years and much more. And I do hope that I see my many new friends on other rides or just visits. Oh yah, it was also great to finally ride with my brother!!!

“You are my sunshine, my only sunshine. You make me happy, when skies are grey. You’ll never know dear, how much I love you. Please don’t take my sunshine away.” – Jimmie Davis, country music singer and former Governor of Louisiana

Since I penned my last GART blog from Texas (and I am still awaiting a call from any of the three Extra Terrestrials I have exposed!), we have continued our pedalling into Louisiana, a world like no other. This is how Encyclopedia Britannica describes the state. “The subtropical climate of the state has provided the magnificent brooding scenery of the coastal bayous, and the lush, dank vegetation of its shores conceals a wealth of petroleum and natural gas. The fertile soil covering much of the terrain made Louisiana a rich agricultural area by 1860, with flourishing sugar cane and cotton plantations.”

It is not only the scenery that makes the place so special. As with everywhere else in the world, it is really the people that make a place so extraordinary. First, there were the indigenous peoples who hunted and fished in the area. Then came the Spaniards, the French, Germans, Scots and the Acadians, the latter having been forcibly removed from British territories in the north. Another important group were the kidnapped and enslaved Africans, whose forced labour made the cotton and sugar plantations profitable. Additionally, New Orleans is the gateway, via the Mississippi/Missouri waterway system, to a large part of the North American continent. This brought trade, seafarers and immigrants from all around the world. All together this  has created the unique culture that is Louisiana.

No wonder that many of the riders have been saying that Louisiana has been their favourite place that we have cycled through. Since the moment they cycled from Texas into Louisiana they have been enjoying Étouffée (ey-too-fey), Gumbo (guhm-boh), Beignet (ben-yey), Jambalaya (juhm-buh-lahy-uh), Grillades (gri-yahdz) and Sazerac (saz-uh-rak), just to name a few culinary delights. While sipping Sazerac, they have been listening to such local musical favourites as the Neville Brothers – “I got swamp water runnin’ through my veins. The Mississippi River can’t be tamed. I pole my pirogue in the middle of the night. I’m an uptown ruler, I can do it right” – and Lucinda Williams – “He had a reason to get back to Lake Charles. He used to talk about it. He’d just go on and on. He always said Louisiana was where he felt at home.” Lucinda Williams is not the only one. Yesterday while walking the back streets of New Orleans and enjoying the small colourful homes of the inhabitants, I came across this quote (pictured on left) from a famous recent Nobel Price bard named Bob Dylan.

Talking about poets inspired by Louisiana, have you read this one by Walt Whitman?

I saw in Louisiana a live oak tree growing,
All alone stood it and the moss hung down from the branches,
Without any companion it grew there uttering joyous leaves of dark green,
And its look, rude, unbending, lusty, made me think of myself,
But I wonder’d how it could utter joyous leaves standing alone there without its friend near, for I knew I could not,
And I broke off a twig with a certain number of leaves upon it, and twined around it a little moss,
And brought it away, and I have placed it in sight in my room,
It is not needed to remind me as of my own dear friends,
(For I believe lately I think of little else than of them,) Yet it remains to me a curious token, it makes me think of manly love;
For all that, and though the live-oak glistens there in Louisiana solitary in a wide flat space,
Uttering joyous leaves all its life without a friend a lover near,
I know very well I could not.

We have left Louisiana and started the last section of TDA’s Great American Roadtrip. Soon enough, too soon, we will be coming to the end of our cycling adventure. But at this stage I do know one thing and that is that in a few weeks, when I am sitting in my comfortable sofa at home, I will be humming the Tim McGraw song – “But every night I close my eyes, and I go walking under that magnolia sky that I left it in Louisiana. Blowing in the wind, hiding in the Quarter. Gotta get back there again, to the sweet sounds of the bayou. Let it wash right over me, make me whole again. Bring back that missing piece, that I left in Louisiana.”

RELATED
TOUR

In the last few days GART – TDA’s Great American Roadtrip – has been cycling through some rather intriguing places – Roswell with its UFO museum, the town of Truth or Consequences, which is a short ride from Richard Branson’s Spaceport America and Van Horn, Texas, a place that hopes to cash in on nearby Blue Origin, Jeff Bezos’s launch site, from which a few days ago, a 90 year old William Shatner, better known as Captain James T. Kirk, was launched into space. Texas is also now the home base of another key space entrepreneur, the take-off and landing headquarters for the one and only, Mr. Elon Musk.

When you are cycling by yourself on a quiet road and all of a sudden you see one vehicle after another coming up a side road from the Blue Origin site, disturbing your contemplation of the universe, you may find yourself thinking of some peculiar ideas. I mean, is it a coincidence that, according to some, aliens crashed in this area and that now some of the most brilliant entrepreneurs on this planet are focusing their unlimited energies in the same area, not on fixing the world or saving our atmosphere or giving away their money to billions of hungry souls, but on going into space?

Continuing with this thought, we all know that all ET wanted to do was to go home. Now, is it possible that Bezos, Branson and Musk are actually aliens who have figured out that their only way to get home was to build their own spacecraft? Is it possible that they built their empires and accumulated zillions of dollars for one goal and one goal only – to go home? Now you could ask yourself, then why are they not cooperating amongst themselves? There are several possible hypotheses, including the simple fact that they may have come from different planets.

I mean, take a look at the background to the Blue Origin picture above. I ask you, does that not look like an extra-terrestrial? And do you recall what NASA recently said about Bozo, sorry I meant to say Bezos? Here is a quote from News Flash website – “Now, it’s revealed the US space agency believes Blue Origin seeks to ‘prioritize its own fortunes over that of NASA, the United States, and every person alive today’.”

To be frank, one must admit that building your own spacecraft to go home is a great idea and does makes a lot of sense. After all, there is no way NASA would spend all this money and, with its bureaucracy, ever approve a mission to go to some distant planet. Of course, Bezos, Musk and Branson would also risk public exposure by lobbying NASA. The bigger question is whether it makes sense for us earthlings to overspend on Amazon so that Bozo, sorry again, I meant Bezos, could go home. I mean, think of so many of the planet’s resources being used so that Bezos, Musk and Branson can go home. No wonder we have a climate problem.

So now that I have presented my ‘facts’, I ask you again, do you think it is possible that these three celebrated entrepreneurs are aliens wanting to go home and that only they know where that home is. There is a way to find out and that is, us, the public, demand a DNA test, though I admit that with their superior intelligence, they would find a way to hide their alien genes.

Readers of my past blogs will know that I am fascinated by space and even compared TDA long distance cycling tours to extended stints in space.  And since I have cycled most  of our company’s tours, I would imagine that I am very suitable candidate to join one of the crews now going into space and find out for myself whether Bezos, Branson or Musk are truly interested in exploring space or in simply finding a way to go home. I mean, I am only 69 years old and if William Shatner, whose most strenuous challenge was the special effects on Star Trek, then a mere youngster like me, with tours such as the Silk Route, South American Epic, Trans-Oceania and Tour d’Afrique under my belt, can confidently state that I am ready. Messieurs Bezos, Musk and Branson, I await your call.

At the age of 69, I am currently riding through California, Arizona and New Mexico and, in a sense, I am closing a circle. The circle started when I was maybe ten years old and I was imagining myself riding these grand vistas on a horse. Now, I am actually here on bicycle, when I am not in a ditch, but that is another story.

If you were not raised in Europe in the 60’s you have probably never heard of Karl May. He was born in Germany in 1842 and penned adventure stories for young people. He mainly wrote about American Indigenous peoples, though he never spent a single day in America. It is estimated that the circulation of his books reached 200 million copies and were translated into 40 languages including Slovak, my mother tongue. For comparison’s sake, J.R Rawlings Harry Potter books have sold 450 million copies and certainly everyone has heard about her.

In the 60’s, besides Beatlemania, there was another hugely popular happening in non-English speaking Europe and that was the  adaptation to the big screen of Karl May’s fictionalized stories of the young Apache chief, Winnetou, his white collaborator, Old Shatterhand, who became his blood brother and a band of iconoclastic white men who were fighting with Winnetou against the bad guys taking over Apache land.

Henry riding the Peavine Trail in Arizona

I, like many other kids, devoured the Winnetou novels and it was through them that my mind imagined one day riding a horse across the American Wild West. And here, five decades later, I am actually doing so – granted, not on a horse – and experiencing the real Apache territories. And what a land it is. Their original region ranged from western Arizona to Eastern Texas and from Northern Colorado to Mexico in the south. One could say we have now been cycling for a couple of weeks and will continue to do so for another couple of weeks, in areas not long ago roamed by the Apaches. If you enjoy wild open spaces with vistas that go on forever than cycling this area is for you.

I, for one, am immensely enjoying it, whether it is for the connection the area brings to my days of innocence or simply because of its raw beauty. I have also enjoyed learning more about the Apaches from my visit to the Geronimo Museum in a place called Truth or Consequences. Here, I learned the fascinating story of a real Apache warrior, Geronimo, who was probably one of the inspirations for the Karl May novels. Here is a wonderful quote from Geronimo, a brave warrior, medicine man, spiritual leader and the last significant Apache warrior to surrender to the US army. “There is one God looking down on us all. We are all the children of one God. The sun, the darkness, the winds are all listening to what we have to say.”

And what do we, the riders of TDA’s Great American Roadtrip, say? A couple of days ago, we camped in a wonderful spot, Aguirre Springs in the Organ Mountains Desert Peaks National Monument. Getting there included a tough climb with strong head winds. After a very long day in the saddle, I was elated upon reaching the campsite and enjoying being up on the mountain. The next morning the wind didn’t go away, in fact, it got stronger. That didn’t bother me because I realized that once I descended from the mountain and reached the main road, the wind would be at my back – every cyclist’s wish – especially when one has a long cycling day coming up. I was also excited because I was planning to visit another spectacular site on our route. White Sand National Park is a natural wonder, a huge area of white sand dunes and a region recently in the news as the place where human footprints from 22,000 years ago were discovered. That now pushes back the date when humans first walked the Americas.

After a half mile long steep climb, I made it onto the freeway. Making a right hand turn, the wind was now at my back and in front of me was a terrific descent. All my hard work would now be rewarded. Within seconds, I was speeding down the hill. Suddenly, a strong wind gust from the side hit me and I was quickly on my way into a ditch and then a few minutes later, on my way to the hospital. An MRI and X-rays fortunately showed nothing serious had been damaged but, as such incidents tend to do, with bruises and pain all over  your body, one appreciates life more and focuses one’s mind. To use Geronimo’s words, “What we have to say” to the winds in this short life.

When I think of Winnetou’s books that I read as a child, the one thing that sticks in my mind was the way the young Apache chief and his blood brother behaved. It was fiction, but it was a fiction with lessons for life. I have come on the Great American Roadtrip to cycle and enjoy the beauty of the land but, as always, the cycling is just a means to bigger lessons about life.

RELATED
TOUR

It was 4 degrees Celsius when we woke up. There we all stood, shivering in a nondescript Super 8 parking lot in Flagstaff, Arizona at the end of the first section of the Great American Roadtrip (known as Riders of the Purple Sage). The riders were getting a quick briefing before they set out onto isolated roads for a 7 day stretch of riding. This, after a single day’s rest following an incredibly difficult start with heat and hills and adversity galore.

As I looked around, however, all I saw were smiling faces and a lot of laughter. Tour leader Emily was cracking jokes with riders who laughed and dished it back in equal measure. What a group! What a strange collection of adventurers who had chosen to ride their bikes and expand their world again after 18 months of living smaller. Now, I’m no rookie and I know there has been (and will be) much adversity and moments of frustration and disappointment on the road to Savannah, but it sure was great to see this resilient group getting out into the world and eager to take on the challenges that lay ahead of them.

We had warned everyone that this – our first of two tours during COVID – was not a return to normal. COVID-19 is still here and we should be prepared for disruptions to our cycling plans. But on this particular morning, the mood felt buoyant and what more could we ask for after the times we have all been through – some happy moments, some oatmeal and a destination to pedal towards.

From  Santa Monica, we changed the route for the first four stages as our original route had been closed as a precaution due high risk of wild fires. Our staff pulled a new plan together within days through enormous effort and with a bit of luck. The route initially took us  through communities that were part of the greater Los Angeles sprawl, I suppose, but pleasant places all the same – Pasadena and San Bernardino amongst others. We carried on southeast to Palm Springs where bike lanes doubled as golf cart lanes. From there, we had the unexpected treat of a ride through Joshua Tree National Park with its iconic trees and rock formations. These first stages saw intense heat, above 40 degrees Celsius for consecutive days. The desert camps were hot and sticky with warnings to beware or scorpions, rattlesnakes and tarantulas – which many of us saw on the roads as we pedalled along. From our rest day in Twentynine Palms we crossed into Arizona where we headed northeast, gaining elevation and seeing temperatures dropping. The climbs were tough but the new landscapes in places like Sedona were spectacular. The cooler temperatures were a pleasant respite but several riders decided to stock up on thermal layers for the colder camps that lay ahead.

As I write this, the group is resting at the end of the second section – Truth, Consequences & UFOs – and I am back in Toronto getting TDA ready for more tours coming up this December and early in 2022. The excitement is growing as it seems that the future of cycle touring is bright. While laughter isn’t the cure, it appears to be a pretty good treatment in these times we find ourselves in. Thanks to all the riders and staff who made my time on the tour a great adventure with lots of laughs.

RELATED
TOUR

“On the road again
Just can’t wait to get on the road again
The life I love is makin’ music with my friends
And I can’t wait to get on the road again

On the road again
Goin’ places that I’ve never been
Seein’ things that I may never see again
And I can’t wait to get on the road again

On the road again
Like a band of gypsies, we go down the highway
We’re the best of friends
Insisting that the world be turnin’ our way
And our way”

– Willie Nelson, ‘On The Road Again’

Willie Nelson sure captured the sensation of being ‘On the road again’ that participants on our Great American Roadtrip are experiencing. After 18 months of being lost in the middle of the forest, we are ‘like a band of gypsies, we go down the highway.’ Well, preferably not down the highway but on a quiet country road. We have already become ‘the best of friends, Insisting that the world be turnin’ our way’.

At the start

A few days ago, we started the Great American Roadtrip at the end of Route 66 at the pier in Santa Monica, a few of the riders even dipping their tires in the Pacific. Now, after cycling through the many suburbs of Los Angeles, catching a glimpse of Hollywood, the gigantic Church of Scientology and finishing with a ride through Joshua Tree National Park, we are rehydrating at the Best Western in Twentynine Palms.

With sincere apologies to the Church of Scientology, I have to say that cycling Joshua Tree National Park was the highlight. No wonder Bono was inspired in 1987 to create an album called The Joshua Tree that has become one of the bestselling albums of all time. Interestingly, and something that is very appropriate to our cross-country tour, according to Wikipedia that album inspired U2 with a  “fascination with the country, its open spaces, freedoms, and ideals”.

I must admit that the original plan was not to cycle through Joshua Tree National Park but rather to pedal through the Los Angeles and San Bernardino National Forests, a much more challenging route. But as the old saying goes, ‘Man plans and God Laughs.’ Due to an intense fire season and a decision by the authorities to close the forests, we were forced to do what we often do, make new plans on the fly. After all, we are an expedition company, and expeditions, by definition, rarely go according to plan. And I don’t mind saying it, is there a better way to get back to what we were doing 18 months ago, than to jump back into a pressure cooker, restart what we were doing so well before and move on with life? To quote Emily, our tour leader, at our first lunch spot, “it felt so natural, so at home to be doing this again.”

And so, we are here in Twentynine Palms, a place not without its charms. I mean there must be something about a place that inspired a song like, ‘The Lady from 29 Palms’, that even Frank Sinatra, ‘Ol’ Blue Eyes’, sang:

“She left twenty-nine broken hearts
Broken in twenty-nine parts
Now there are twenty-nine fellas complainin’ to their moms
About the lady from 29 Palms
She got twenty-nine Cadillacs
Twenty-nine sables from Sak’s
They came from twenty-nine fellas who never had their arms
Around the lady from 29 Palms
She’s a yip-yip-yippy-eyed dolly
A new kinda gal of the west And yip-yip-yippy by-golly
Whatever she does, she does her best
She rides twenty-nine trails to bliss
Knows twenty-nine ways how to kiss
She is a gal that you dream of, you’d love to have your arms
Around the lady from 29 Palms”

And it is not just musical artists that the town has inspired. Twentynine Palms is also featured in several movies like, ‘A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World’, ‘Kiss Me Stupid’ and even a horror flick called, what else, ‘Twentynine Palms’.

There is more. There is a novel based on a true story about a native from Twentynine Palms, ‘Willie Boy: A Desert Manhunt’ and a subsequent movie based on the book called, ‘Tell Them Willie Boy is Here’. Not to be overlooked is a series of 26 outdoor murals painted on local buildings featuring various aspects of desert life and history. This afternoon, I went on a five mile (that is 8 km) walk to view them all. I could have cycled but tomorrow is another day on the road. To quote another talented songwriter Max Weber:

“On the road confirms something about myself
Confirms something about my storm –
Some say it needs freedom
Freedom some say
Is After the storm”

RELATED
TOUR

Less than two months from now, TDA Global Cycling will run its inaugural Southern USA cycling tour – TDA’s Great American Roadtrip. In normal times we would run a scouting trip well before the tour is planned but, as we all know too well, these are not normal times. The trips are done to verify the choices we have made, to see if there are unexpected surprises that do not show up on maps, the internet or travel guides, to check on hotels, campsites and, most importantly, to find ways to improve the tours, to find hidden gems off the beaten track and get a sense of what the ride will be like. After all, TDA is known as the leading long distance cycling operator and that means that we strive to create adventures that are unique.

Sunset in the Angeles National Forest

If you have already signed up for TDA’s Great American Road Trip, or as we now call it ‘GART’, you will know that we will be cycling over the Rockies. That means some great views, for which you will have to work hard, very hard, starting on the first day out of Santa Monica. I suggest that you begin that day riding slowly and enjoy the views as you cycle through Beverly Hills, past Rodeo Drive and out of greater Los Angeles. Soon enough you will be puffing hard, making your way to our first campsite.

Chicot State Park campsite, Louisiana

On the subject of campsites, we will have three less than we originally planned for, as those will now be replaced by hotels. In these campsites as you can imagine, you will experience a whole cross section of styles and environments from desert types with limited water to luscious green and swampy parks with air-conditioned bathrooms, where there is an opportunity to canoe the bayou and maybe even catch a glimpse of an alligator. Those of you who know me understand that I have camped all over the world, but I will say that the bayou campsite must rank at the top of the list! Personally, I plan to be in camp early, so I can rent a canoe and paddle the swamps.

Overlooking the Mogollon Rim in Arizona

Talking about sites being on top of one’s list, if you decide that you are too tired on your rest day in Flagstaff and do not check out the Grand Canyon, do not despair. One day out of Flagstaff, as myself and my scouting colleague Andreas were checking the daily route, we spotted a dirt road and, on a hunch, decided to check it out. It turned out to be a spectacular dirt road with vistas of the Mogollon Rim that will leave you breathless, with the additional bonus of avoiding all motorized traffic.

White Sands National Park, New Mexico

Another stunning site to check out before risking a possible alien kidnaping in Roswell is White Sands National Park. The area is famous for a variety of reasons, including being the site of humankind’s first use of atomic power. White sand is visible from the road that you will be cycling, but it is better enjoyed if you choose to visit the White Sands National Park. The entrance is right on the road you will be cycling along. By the way, the park is completely surrounded by White Sands Missile Range so do watch out for nasty flying objects. Incidentally, the white sand which creates the spectacular dunes is not sand at all, but rather gypsum crystals left over from shallow sea that covered the area during Permian period.

I had never been to Texas before, so I must admit that when I thought of the state, many things came to mind, but never did I imagine a place such as the UNESCO biosphere reserve called the Big Thicket. Besides being a wonderful nature site where nine ecosystems converge, it also has a fascinating history, that begins with the indigenous peoples of the area, to the outlaws and Confederate deserters during the American Civil War. You may want to check out this video to whet your appetite for what is awaiting you if you choose to explore it.

French Quarter, New Orleans

After Texas comes Louisiana, the melting pot of Indigenous, African, Spanish, French, Acadian, Mexican and American cultures. Is it any wonder that this combination produces its signature cuisine and world renown music? It is for this and other attractions that we added a rest day in New Orleans, which will give riders the chance to explore and enjoy.

Along the Gulf Coast.

Continuing on, we come the beaches of the Gulf Coast. If the wind is on our side and, looking at the prevailing winds maps that could happen at times, the beaches and communities along the coast will be a joy to ride. And if the wind is not cooperating, the sites through which you will ride will raise your spirits. But when the winds do not cooperate you will have ‘Georgia on your mind’, the final state in our cycling odyssey.

On the road to Savannah

And, as we slowly make our way to our final destination, charming Savannah, we will start reminiscing about the places we have seen, the food we have tasted, the animals that have crossed our paths, but most importantly, the people we have met, the warm welcome we have received, the stories and anecdotes we have accumulated. For if there is one thing that the Southern USA is known for, it is its people and their hospitality. It is no wonder that cycling through southern USA is the preferred route to cross the country from coast to coast.

RELATED
TOUR

We recently wrote a blog on 10 Reasons to Cycle TDA’s Great American Roadtrip. It delved into the incredible highlights along the route that will make this such an unforgettable journey. We realized though, that for many of our followers who have never cycled with us before, and for which this tour may be their first experience with us, it’s important to outline why they should choose to cycle with TDA, an organization that has been described by New York Times as the ‘specialists in long distance trips.’

Cycling adventures all over the world!

The first place to start for those learning about our company is to read about our company history. The Why TDA? page explains the why as well as the how we have managed to excel as the world leader in long distance bicycle adventures for the last 20 years.

Interested riders can also explore the What to Expect page which explains our on-tour support systems, the riding style of the tours, the range of fellow cyclists they’ll get to meet, the pre-tour assistance we offer riders to help them to prepare, as well as the post tour alumni benefits they’ll receive. Our How to Prepare series is a great explanation of the kind of pre-tour support we provide.

As much as we can explain the benefits of joining us, sometimes it’s best to hear directly from our clients about their personal experience on our cycling adventures. You can see these on our Reviews page. We’re also happy to put interested people in contact with some of our alumni so they can speak to them directly about their time with us.

We go where other cycling companies do not

Another question we are often asked is, “Is this tour a good value, as I have seen tours across America for a lower dollar amount.”

Company founder Henry Gold explained recently that, “Our price reflects what it takes for us to run a tour, which includes a non-cycling tour leader, first aid trained staff, mechanic, chef, several vehicles, just about all the meals, and in this case 23 nights in hotels. Our route is also longer than most cross America tours, as we take in more highlights along the way, so while our full tour price may be higher due to length, our price per/day is often lower. Of course, we all make choices according to our needs and preferences. For example, there are some cross America tours that are at a lower cost, where you take part in preparing meals, which may not be something that many people want to do after a long cycling day, at least this is what I have been told by cyclists who have done such trips. Many participants now also come back on our trips because they appreciate our skills and experience and our approach to touring and cycling adventure.”

At the Grand Canyon

We are very excited for our Great American Roadtrip to get underway this September, very happy for the opportunity to get to know the riders during this journey and ready to answer any and all of the rider’s questions before the adventure begins.

RELATED
TOUR

This September, TDA’s Great American Roadtrip will allow riders to pedal across the USA: from the Pacific Ocean to the Atlantic, from California to Georgia. Over 2 months and 5800 kms, the riders will experience many unique and wonderful sights, sounds and tastes. Here are some of the most anticipated highlights along the way:

1. Mile Zero – the Santa Monica Pier

Santa Monica Pier At Night

We kick off our journey at the iconic Santa Monica Pier with Pacific Ocean waves crashing in the backdrop. The Pier and adjacent Boardwalk – both of which have featured in many movies and TV shows – provide entertaining insight into the cultural melting pot that is greater L.A. and its hedonistic cast of characters, from Muscle Beach-ers to Movie Star wannabes to thong clad roller bladers. After dipping your wheels in the water its time to start pedalling across the Hollywood Hills and into the great beyond.

2. Joshua Tree National Park

Joshua Tree National Park

The tour’s first rest day takes place here, where two distinct desert ecosystems, the Mojave and the Colorado, meet. A fascinating variety of plants and animals make their homes in a land sculpted by strong winds and occasional torrents of rain. The park’s namesake, the Joshua tree, or Yucca brevifolia, is a twisted spiky succulent member of the Agave family straight out of a Dr. Seuss book. An other worldly respite indeed before it is time to jump back in the saddle.

3. Arizon-ia

Sedona

…is a sun baked swath of the USA, whose many highlights include old wild west mining towns, psychedelic rock lands, and the 8th wonder of the world. Within a few days span you’ll explore the Red Rocks of Sedona, the Oak River Canyon, and Flagstaff, where a double rest day will provide lots of time for a side trip to and photographic extravaganza at the Grand Canyon itself.

4. Extraterrestrials

Roswell City Limits

A few days of spinning south-eastwards on secondary highways and remote forest roads with few human sightings and starry, starry nights might prove to be the catalyst for your very own ET encounter. After all, New Mexico is known as the Land of Enchantment. Your imagination will certainly roam at such eerie locales as Roswell, where “UFO-logy” reigns, and at Carlsbad Caverns which features North America’s largest cave. Any efforts to resist “capture” may have you facing the “Truth or Consequences”, in that non-descript town renamed after a TV game show in 1950.

>>: Related Blog – America, The Beautiful

5. Music City

Austin Venue Sign

Austin aka Music City, and the capital of the Lone Star state, is one place where you’ll truly want to “Mess with Texas”. Even its airport hosts 6 stages where bands – hip hop, indie, country, rock – play through your arrival or departure. Austin is home to a diverse population of cultures, and political leanings, proud of its unique heritage: “People hear the word Texas and they visualize a longhorn skull bleached by the sun, a spiny cactus and miles of sand. In Austin that couldn’t be further from the truth; only problem we have here is that we’re surrounded by Texas. There’s room for everyone so long as they obey the street signs to ‘drive (… or cycle …) friendly’.” (Source of quotes)

6. Southern Hospitality

Crawfish Étouffée

A long distance cycling trip wouldn’t be complete without some local culinary delights. Texas is renowned for its local takes on the American tradition that is barbecue. In neighbouring Louisiana cajun and creole cuisines reign supreme, featuring such specialities as blackened meats and poultry, jambalaya, gumbo, and grits. And along the Gulf coast, plump boiled white shrimp and oysters on the half shell are sure to delight the palate. Cyclists can stuff themselves with all these regional delicacies, as any excess consumed will burn off quickly when they are back on the road.

7. The Big Easy

Bourbon Street, New Orleans

Founded in 1718 astride the murky Mississippi river, New Orleans was the territorial capital of French Louisiana before being acquired by the US in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. The city’s festive spirit, dampened but not destroyed by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, is embodied by Mardi Gras, the annual carnival famed for raucous costumed parades and street parties. The historic heart of the cultural melting pot is the French Quarter, known for its architecture and anything goes nightlife along Bourbon St.

8. Gulf Coast National Seashore

Gulf Coast Beach

From N’awlins to Apalachicola Bay on the Florida Panhandle, the route hugs the Gulf Coast, spinning around lagoons and across a few of its Islands, avoiding the more built up areas, like Mobile Bay, whenever possible. A humid sub-tropical climate and white sand beaches make this prime vacation land for Americans during the spring and fall shadow seasons. It is an ideal place for our riders, nearing the end of their Great American Road Trip, to slow down and let the cares of the world pass by.

9. Destination Savannah

Savannah Waterfront

The port city of Savannah, Georgia is described by its tourist bureau as “a charming Southern escape where art, period architecture, trendy boutiques and ghost stories are all set under a veil of Spanish moss.” The stomping grounds of civil war General Sherman who recaptured Georgia and the Carolinas for the Union North, Savannah’s allure and former decadence were captured in the book and movie “Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.” Here our tour comes to a celebratory conclusion amidst its acclaimed historic district of cobblestone squares, antebellum houses, and horse drawn carriages. Be sure to dip your wheels in the Savannah river which empties into the Atlantic a few miles south, before heading out for a last supper of seafood platters and cocktails, and a morning after of Eggs Benedict and beignets at the River Street Inn.

10. Another TDA Route Less Travelled

West Texas Hill Country

While TDA’s Great American Road Trip visits many of the Southwestern and Southern USAs “must sees,” much of this journey is deliberately away from more beaten Trans-USA cycling tracks. By venturing through such remoter locales as New Mexico’s ponderosa pine plateau, the West Texas Hill Country, and the cotton fields and pecan tree plantations of rural south Georgia, we believe participants will gain more insight into the complexities of this fascinating corner of the world, its rich culture and history, and its seemingly incompatible obsessions with politeness and guns.

RELATED
TOUR

TDA Global Cycling is a Canadian company, but as with most Canadians, we have many connections to our giant neighbour to the south. With family and friends living there, past colleagues from across America, and our experiences traveling across it’s lands. As Canadians we also have a unique view of America; by being so close, and yet clearly separated, we perhaps see America with a clarity America’s self-directed gaze does not. Of course, for our American friends, we appreciate your unique perspective on our own landscape as well.

There is no shortness of fascination with America, here in Canada, and in many other parts of the globe. It is nothing if not newsworthy. The great stories born within its borders the last centuries, whether triumphant or tragic, have inspired many, towards imitation or aversion. Perhaps America’s greatest gift has been that of a nation of storytellers. Weaving individual tales against the immense and varied backdrop of its land.

It is with this fascination and knowledge of its enormous beauty, that we wanted to create TDA’s Great American Roadtrip. America is indeed not Canada, and we realized we had a great desire to explore, and share with you, our neighbour’s land, to delve into the mystery of what makes America tick, to delve into its strangest histories and distinct cultures, its music, art, food and ever-changing scenery. To set out on the open road and create our own American story.

RELATED
TOUR