Tired of I.T! » United States of America

The adventure continues..

Dave — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 22:26:20 +0000

The adventure continues..
Posted on: Wednesday, September 7th, 2011 at 3:26pm

Who would have thought that even though I didn’t make it into the Live@YVR finals that I wouldn’t get a chance to live inside of an airport for an extended period of time? I’m writing this from Milwaukee, Wisconsin where I have been for the past 8 hours waiting for another plane to connect me to my destination, New York City – for the third time of 2011, making it a trifecta of unintentional Big Apple Visits. Running on no more than 4 hours of sleep in the past 48 hours (and who knows in the past 7 days leading up to it) and carrying nothing but a laptop, a few credit cards, a toothbrush, 2 pairs of socks, 2 shirts and the pants I am wearing it’s surely been a different way of travel. Since 5am on September 6th I have been in an Airport or Airplane – Dude, where’s my bike? Enjoy some run on sentences and sleep deprived quality wording below:

The day before I headed over to the Burningman Festival I stopped in Fernley, NV to take up an offer for a free nights stay in the biggest, newest hotel in the city – A fantastic way to rest and shop for groceries for the next week, as you may recall that the Burningman Festival requires radical self reliance – meaning you need to bring in whatever you need to survive for the week (among other things). The intended ‘rest’ night had me up until 3am helping people on the east coast of the United States who had the rug pulled out from underneath them due to the imminent hurricane (Irene) set to destroy their areas shutting down airports, and cancelling their flights. I had an abnormal amount of air miles that I wasn’t using and decided that I was donate them to these people finding alternate routes for them to get down to Black Rock City, NV on time. They all had to drive considerable amounts of time, and board multiple planes to get to their destinations but made it on time to the festival weary but excited that they could make it. I burned through all of my remaining air miles for this, feeling good that I could help fellow travelers out reach their destinations. Due to this late night I didn’t get the sleep that I desired and awoke early in the day intending splitting the final 150km trek into 2 days. Leaving at 10:30am I rode up a very familiar route that I have travelled in the past reminiscing of the laughter that was shared with the various car guests, the music soundtracks that were played, and remembering the excitement and energy we had after long 30 hour drives from Winnipeg, MB Canada. While my journey has been a bit longer than the 30 hours, I spent the time smiling, stopping at many areas I normally wouldn’t be able to stop at in a car, and listened a fantastic selection of “greatest hits’ from years past. I stopped where I usually would stop at the gas stations and markets and talked to many other travelers and employees, before finding out that there was another cyclist about 20 miles ahead of me from Kentucky. Knowing I wouldn’t catch up to him I took my time over the hilly state route 447 before being flagged down by a bunch of smiling travelers having roadside tacos. They bought me a taco as I explained some of my story to which they replied that they were the friends (and partner) of the other cyclist up ahead, too coincidental. I had past the point of no return and forced myself to push all the way into the festival grounds due to good weather conditions, minimal wind, and some spare reserves of energy – likely adrenaline at this stage however I couldn’t maintain a constant speed due to the fact that I was constantly being stopped by other travelers (not complaining, really!). Some times I was even stopped by friends of mine from Vancouver and we shared brief reunions on the side of the road while large RV’s and cars passed by with people complimenting us with honks and cheers.

By the time I made it to the gate it was full on dark, and I missed out on some of my many signs that string along the 5 mile entrance to the city, yet noticed two moving silhouettes in the distance – 2 more bicycle tourists! Brad was the cyclist from Kentucky, leaving July 30th and pedaling across the Rocky Mountains nearly non stop (save for a few days where his ass said otherwise) and Alexandra who came in from California (but who was a Canadian resident!). We laughed for a while and I left them behind as I had early access privileges and their story of biking didn’t seem to please the gate attendants forcing them to turn around for a few days in the closest city of Gerlach with the rest of the early birds.

I won’t go into much detail of the festival itself – but throughout my time on the Playa I managed to: not run into anyone who I expected to meet up with, gave away free tickets at the front gates after spending 2.5 hours of dark times listening to some obviously fake stories, and some sad stories in between – the smiles and hugs I received when I gave the gift tickets over weren’t worth the lead up in my mind as it set me on a dark path for one day, inhaled who knows amount of playa dust, experienced near freezing conditions in the evening – some of the coolest temperatures I’ve ever seen on the Playa at this time, met a bunch of new friends, interacted with all different forms of art, and made sure I got enough sleep each night. In fact, not once did I stay up all night to watch sunrise! I came close though, but the experience was a different one as I opted to stay conscious of my mind throughout the week instead of pulverizing it with random chemicals or adulterants. The city was nearly double from when I last visited and struggled with 6 years of huge changes to the city as opposed to dealing with them incrementally year by year. Nice touches is the fact is that they Alphabeticalized the street names for easier navigation, the bathrooms were in ok shape for the entire week (yet still the residents of the city need to learn some lessons about cleaning up and not leaving garbage/messes inside of them). I couldn’t help but wonder about the new younger crowd that has appeared to see if they would be able to start stepping up and contributing to the art movement, as I noticed a definite lack of creativity in some of their camps, and certainly no addition to the mutant vehicles – Although they seemed to be all filled with smiles, and a lot less jaded than us crusty old timers

On the day that the man burned, I had hit my saturation point and was looking for my time to end at the festival – too many people, my feet had erupted in blisters all at once the night before causing extreme discomfort. I started thinking of ideas on what I should do, as my ride heading back to Vancouver wasn’t leaving until Monday afternoon. Instead, I devised a plan with a new friend who I had been spending an awful lot of time with throughout the week to go for a road trip back to their house in Los Angeles. There was a little bit of a meltdown with their passenger and I offered to ride along as navigator and chaperone finding the passenger an alternate ride home. Emotions can run high on the playa, and this was purely damage control. I left my bicycle, all of my possessions with my Vancouver contactknowing that whatever happened everything would work out and we set off on Sunday morning heading out of the festival grounds stopping in Reno at the Peppermill Casino/Hotel. I never mentioned this before in the past, but when I was in Eureka I started communicating with a real friendly person who I had assumed was from Reno. He had mentioned that he wanted to help me out with some of my bicycle parts that I was looking for, and I declined, simply looking for a proper mailing address to send stuff to. It turns out he lived in Las Vegas, 450 miles away which would have been an awful long drive either in a car, or ride on a bicycle. Cliff, is a hard-core IT guy as well who went out of his way and ordered all the parts I was looking for, not to mention a nights stay in the hotel, much welcome after 10 days of living in the desert without proper showers, malnutrition and hard-core sunburns. I also was able to pick up replacement tires from Schwalbe as we finally closed the door in my warranty claims – both front and rear tires were replaces and I ordered a few more spares for the Africa trip at wholesale cost. The generosity of people, random strangers, and kindred spirits still never amazes me – I’m in love with you all in the world, keep staying positive and cool!

We left the Peppermill at 10am in Reno and made our way over to Los Angeles, spent the next 12 hours sharing stories of our past, joking around, and sharing different types of music that we had loaded on our IPods, and found they were quite in sync (really, this is a rare occasion fro the nonsense that I listen to). I had intended on catching a flight out of Los Angeles back to Reno to catch a ride back to Vancouver, but somewhere along the lines we came up with the idea that I should fly to New York City to spend additional time together! My friend left Tuesday morning at 6am on a direct flight, yet I was stuck with dealing with a last minute flight that had me jump through 4 different Airports to make it to NYC. Once I arrive there we’ll figure out how we’ll deal with getting me some clothes as it’s pretty poor weather compared to what is going on in the west coast. I’ve never really done anything like this in my life, but not too worried in the slightest, living in the now, and enjoying every minute of this new change in plans. I still have to make it back to Vancouver for the wedding in the next few weeks, but already plans are falling into place for further airline travels a few days afterword’s. It certainly solves the problem that I have no where to live in Vancouver!

Oh yes – I should probably write that I now have booked a flight to Africa, October 17th I’ll fly from Vancouver BC to Frankfurt, Germany to Lagos Nigeria then over to Johannesburg, South Africa reaching the final destination of Cape Town, South Africa. I’ve spent more time in airports in the past 2 days than that little set of flights will consist of, but look forward to it as I managed to find 1st class tickets the whole way with air miles. As mentioned before I eliminated any other air miles that I had in my possession helping other people make it to Burningman Festival so getting “home” when I hit my biking saturation point might be a bit weird, but what else is new? Chaos!

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USA Statistics

Dave — Wed, 07 Sep 2011 03:55:19 +0000

USA Statistics
Posted on: Tuesday, September 6th, 2011 at 8:55pm

My route while traveling through..

Information

Info:
Formed: 1776
Population: 308,745,538 people
Area: 9,826,675 sq/ kilometres
Languages Spoken: English, Spanish
Currency: USD Dollar (One United States Dollar equals 1 CAD)

The United States of America (also referred to as the United States, the U.S., the USA, or America) is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its forty-eight contiguous states and Washington, D.C., the capital district, lie between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, bordered by Canada to the north and Mexico to the south. The state of Alaska is in the northwest of the continent, with Canada to the east and Russia to the west across the Bering Strait. The state of Hawaii is an archipelago in the mid-Pacific. The country also possesses several territories in the Caribbean and Pacific.

The coastal plain of the Atlantic seaboard gives way further inland to deciduous forests and the rolling hills of the Piedmont. The Appalachian Mountains divide the eastern seaboard from the Great Lakes and the grasslands of the Midwest. The Mississippi–Missouri River, the world’s fourth longest river system, runs mainly north–south through the heart of the country. The flat, fertile prairie of the Great Plains stretches to the west, interrupted by a highland region in the southeast. The Rocky Mountains, at the western edge of the Great Plains, extend north to south across the country, reaching altitudes higher than 14,000 feet (4,300 m) in Colorado. Farther west are the rocky Great Basin and deserts such as the Mojave. The Sierra Nevada and Cascade mountain ranges run close to the Pacific coast. At 20,320 feet (6,194 m), Alaska’s Mount McKinley is the tallest peak in the country and in North America. Active volcanoes are common throughout Alaska’s Alexander and Aleutian Islands, and Hawaii consists of volcanic islands. The supervolcano underlying Yellowstone National Park in the Rockies is the continent’s largest volcanic feature.

The United States is the world’s oldest surviving federation. It is a constitutional republic and representative democracy, “in which majority rule is tempered by minority rights protected by law.” The government is regulated by a system of checks and balances defined by the U.S. Constitution, which serves as the country’s supreme legal document. In the American federalist system, citizens are usually subject to three levels of government, federal, state, and local; the local government’s duties are commonly split between county and municipal governments. In almost all cases, executive and legislative officials are elected by a plurality vote of citizens by district. There is no proportional representation at the federal level, and it is very rare at lower levels.

The United States exercises global economic, political, and military influence. It is a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council and New York City hosts the United Nations Headquarters. It is a member of the G8, G20, and Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Almost all countries have embassies in Washington, D.C., and many have consulates around the country. Likewise, nearly all nations host American diplomatic missions. However, Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Bhutan, Sudan, and the Republic of China (Taiwan) do not have formal diplomatic relations with the United States.

The United States has a capitalist mixed economy, which is fueled by abundant natural resources, a well-developed infrastructure, and high productivity.

The United States is the largest importer of goods and third largest exporter, though exports per capita are relatively low. In 2008, the total U.S. trade deficit was $696 billion. Canada, China, Mexico, Japan, and Germany are its top trading partners. In 2007, vehicles constituted both the leading import and leading export commodity. Japan is the largest foreign holder of U.S. public debt, having surpassed China in early 2010. The United States ranks second in the Global Competitiveness Report.

The United States has been a leader in scientific research and technological innovation since the late 19th century. In 1876, Alexander Graham Bell was awarded the first U.S. patent for the telephone. Thomas Edison’s laboratory developed the phonograph, the first long-lasting light bulb, and the first viable movie camera. Nikola Tesla pioneered alternating current, the AC motor, and radio. In the early 20th century, the automobile companies of Ransom E. Olds and Henry Ford promoted the assembly line. The Wright brothers, in 1903, made the first sustained and controlled heavier-than-air powered flight.

The United States is a multicultural nation, home to a wide variety of ethnic groups, traditions, and values. Aside from the now small Native American and Native Hawaiian populations, nearly all Americans or their ancestors immigrated within the past five centuries. The culture held in common by most Americans—mainstream American culture—is a Western culture largely derived from the traditions of European immigrants with influences from many other sources, such as traditions brought by slaves from Africa. More recent immigration from Asia and especially Latin America has added to a cultural mix that has been described as both a homogenizing melting pot and a heterogeneous salad bowl in which immigrants and their descendants retain distinctive cultural characteristics

Government of USA Website

Wikipedia Entry

States Visited

I’ve separated the various states that I traveled through on their own pages. Click a flag to be taken to its respective page.

Washington	Oregon	California
Maine	New Hampshire	Massachusetts
Rhode Island	Connecticut	New York
New Jersey	Pennsylvania	West Virginia
Ohio	Kentucky	Tennessee
Alabama	Mississippi	Louisiana
Texas	New Mexico	Colorado
Utah	Nevada

What to expect

Click on one of the topics to find out more..

Culture

The United States is made up of many diverse ethnic groups and the culture varies greatly across the vast area of the country and even within cities – a city like New York will have dozens, if not hundreds, of different ethnicity represented within a neighborhood. Despite this difference, there exists a strong sense of national identity and certain predominant cultural traits. Generally, Americans tend to believe strongly in personal responsibility and that an individual determines his or her own success or failure, but it is important to note that there are many exceptions and that a nation as diverse as the United States has literally thousands of distinct cultural traditions. One will find Mississippi in the South to be very different culturally than Massachusetts in the North.

Food

While many types of food are unchanged throughout the United States, there are a few distinct regional varieties of food. The most notable is in “the South” (actually the southeast), where traditional local fare includes grits (ground maize/corn porridge), collard greens (a boiled vegetable, often flavoured with ham and a dash of vinegar), sweet tea (tea mixed with sugar and served with plenty of ice), barbeque(not unique to this region, but best and most common here), catfish(served deep-fried with a breadcrumb coating), cornbread, okra, and gumbo(a stew of seafood or sausage, rice, okra, and sometimes tomatoes).

Barbeque, BBQ, or barbecue is a delicious American specialty. At its best, it’s beef brisket, ribs, or pork shoulder wood smoked slowly for hours. The brisket and ribs are usually sliced thin, and the pork shoulder can be shredded into a dish known as pulled pork. Sauce of varying spiciness may be served on the dish, or provided on the side. Various parts of the US have unique styles of barbeque. Generally, the best barbeque is found in the southeast, with the most distinct styles coming from Kansas City, Texas, Tennessee, and North Carolina. However, barbeque of some variety is generally available throughout the country. Barbeque restaurants differ from many other restaurants in that the best food is often served at very casual establishments. A typical barbeque restaurant may have plastic dinnerware, picnic tables, and serve sandwiches on cheap white bread. Barbeque found on the menu at a fancy chain or non-specialty restaurant is likely to be less authentic.

With a rich tradition of immigration, America has a wide variety of ethnic foods; everything from Ethiopian cuisine to Laotian food is available in major cities with large immigrant populations.

Chinese food is widely available and adjusted to American tastes. Authentic Chinese food can be found in restaurants in Chinatowns in addition to communities with large Chinese populations. Japanese sushi, Vietnamese, and Thai food have also been adapted for the American market in recent years. Fusion cuisine combines Asian ingredients and techniques with more traditional American presentation. Indian food outlets are available in most major US cities and towns.

Mexican/Hispanic food is very popular, but again in a localized version. Combining in various ways beans, rice, cheese, and spiced beef or chicken with round flatbread loaves called tortillas, dishes are usually topped with spicy salsa, sour cream, and an avocado mix called guacamole. Small authentic Mexican taquerias can be found easily in the Southwest, and increasingly in cities throughout the country.

Middle Eastern and Greek foods are also becoming popular in the United States. The “gyro” (known as “Doner Kebab” or “Schwarma” in Europe) is a popular Greek sandwich of sliced, processed lamb on a pita bread topped with lettuce, tomatoes and a yogurt-cucumber sauce. “Hummus” (a ground chickpea dip/sauce) and “baklava” pastries are frequently found in supermarkets.

Vegetarian food is easy to come by in big urban areas. As vegetarianism is becoming more common in the US, so are the restaurants that cater to them. Most big cities and college towns will have vegetarian restaurants serving exclusively or primarily vegetarian dishes. In smaller towns you may need to check the menu at several restaurants before finding a vegetarian main course, or else make up a meal out of side dishes. Wait staff can be helpful answering questions about meat content, but be very clear about your personal definition of vegetarian, as dishes with fish, chicken or even small quantities of beef or pork flavouring may be considered vegetarian. This is especially common with vegetable side dishes in the southeast. Meat-free breakfast foods such as pancakes or eggs are readily available at diners.

People on low-fat or low-calorie diets should be fairly well-served in the U.S., as there has been a continuing trend in calorie consciousness since the 1970s. Even fast-food restaurants have “lite” specials, and can provide charts of calorie and fat counts on request.

For the cyclist or those on very restricted budgets, American supermarkets offer an almost infinite variety of pre-packaged/pre-processed foods that are either ready or almost ready for consumption, e.g. breakfast cereal, ramen noodles, canned soups, etc.

Safety

It is true that for an industrialized nation, the U.S. has a fairly high violent crime rate; however, most crime is concentrated in inner city neighborhoods. Few visitors to the U.S. experience any sort of crime. Much crime is gang- or drug-related or the result of family / personal disputes, and it usually occurs in areas that are of little interest to visitors. You can all but ensure that you won’t experience crime by taking common-sense precautions and staying alert to your surroundings.

Most American urban areas have homeless people. In some areas aggressive panhandling is a concern. If you feel you are being harassed, say NO firmly and walk away.

Security has increased along the United States–Mexico border due to increased illegal immigration and drug crime. Only cross the country’s borders at official crossings.

Technology

One traveling with laptops or portable devices should have no problem connecting to many wireless networks available in coffeeshops. Cellular companies operate nationwide and allow access to the internet for an extra fee.

Charging your components is the same as in the Canada, operating at 110volts using the same plug as Canada and Japan.

Weather

The overall climate is temperate, with notable exceptions. Alaska has Arctic tundra, while Hawaii and South Florida are tropical. The Great Plains are dry, flat and grassy, turning into arid desert in the far West and Mediterranean along the California coast.

In the winter, the northern and mid-western major cities can see as much as 2 feet (61 cm) of snowfall in one day, with cold temperatures. Summers are humid, but mild. Temperatures over 100°F (38°C) sometimes invade the Midwest and Great Plains. Some areas in the northern plains can experience cold temperatures of -30°F (-34°C) during the winter. Temperatures below 0°F (-18°C) sometimes reach as far south as Oklahoma.

The climate of the South also varies. In the summer, it is hot and humid, but from October through April the weather can range from 60°F (15°C) to short cold spells of 20°F (-7°C) or so.

The Great Plains & Midwestern states also experience tornadoes from the late spring to early fall, earlier in the south and later in the north. States along the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico, may experience hurricanes between June and November. These intense and dangerous storms frequently miss the the U.S. mainland, but evacuations are often ordered and should be heeded.

The Rockies are cold and snowy. Some parts of the Rockies see over 500 inches (1,200 cm) of snow in a season. Even during the summer, temperatures are cool in the mountains, and snow can fall nearly year-round. It is dangerous to go up in the mountains unprepared in the winter and the roads through them can get very icy.

The deserts of the Southwest are hot and dry during the summer, with temperatures often exceeding 100°F (38°C). Thunderstorms can be expected in the southwest frequently from July through September. Winters are mild, and snow is unusual. Average annual precipitation is low, usually less than 10 inches (25 cm).

Cool and damp weather is common in the northwest (the states of Oregon, Washington and the northern part of California). Rain is most frequent in winter, snow is rare, especially along the coast and extreme temperatures are uncommon. Rain falls almost exclusively from late fall through early spring along the coast.

Northeastern and cities of the Upper South are known for summers with temperatures reaching into the 90′s (32 C) or more, with extremely high humidity, usually over 80%. This can be a drastic change from the Southwest. High humidity means that the temperature can feel hotter than actual readings. The Northeast also experiences snow, and at least once every few years there will be a dumping of the white stuff in enormous numbers.

Visas

Citizens of the 36 countries within the Visa Waiver Program, as well as Canadians, Mexicans living on the border (holding a Border Crossing Card), and Bermudians (with British Overseas Territories passports) do not require advance visas for entry into the United States. In the case of Canadians and Bermudians, the entry period is normally for a maximum of six months. However, since 2009, travelers entering the U.S. through the Visa Waiver program must now apply for Electronic System for Travel Authorization (ESTA) approval online [4] before their flight, preferably 72 hours before travel. An ESTA approval is valid for two years (or until your passport expires) and costs US$ 14 . Approvals issued before September 8, 2010 (i.e. those which were free at the time) remain valid until their expiry date.

Travel under the Visa Waiver Program is limited to 90 days for tourism or business purposes only; neither employment nor journalism is permitted with a Visa Waiver. The 90-day limit may not be extended nor will travel to Canada, Mexico, or the Caribbean reset the 90-day limit. A criminal record (excluding traffic violations, offenses committed as a minor, and some relatively minor charges such as disorderly conduct) will generally make a potential traveler ineligible for visa-free travel. Contact your nearest U.S. embassy to find out if you need to apply for a visa or not.

As of 5 April 2010, the countries under the Visa Waiver Program are Andorra, Austria, Australia, Belgium, Brunei, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Monaco, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, San Marino, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom.

Citizens of the Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands, and Palau may enter, reside, study, and work in the US indefinitely with only a valid passport.

Citizens of the Bahamas may apply for visa-free entry only at the US Customs preclearance facilities in the Bahamas, but a valid police certificate may be required for those over the age of 14. Attempting to enter through any other port of entry requires a valid visa.

Persons holding a passport from the Cayman Islands, if they intend to travel directly to the US from the Cayman Islands, may obtain a single-entry visa waiver for about $25 prior to departure.

The overall climate is temperate, with notable exceptions. Alaska has Arctic tundra, while Hawaii and South Florida are tropical. The Great Plains are dry, flat and grassy, turning into arid desert in the far West and Mediterranean along the California coast.

The climate of the South also varies. In the summer, it is hot and humid, but from October through April the weather can range from 60°F (15°C) to short cold spells of 20°F (-7°C) or so.

The Great Plains & Midwestern states also experience tornadoes from the late spring to early fall, earlier in the south and later in the north. States along the Atlantic coast and the Gulf of Mexico, may experience hurricanes between June and November. These intense and dangerous storms frequently miss the the U.S. mainland, but evacuations are often ordered and should be heeded.

My Experience

I entered into the USA in 2009 to cycle from Vancouver Canada to Mexico. After returning up to Canada I reentered the United States in May of 2011 and went down the eastern seaboard until reaching Philadelphia before heading inland to Ohio before heading south to New Orleans, finally turning North West passing through Texas, New Mexico and ending my trip in Nevada at the Burningman festival. I was pleasantly surprised by the people that I met, the warm welcomes that came from each state, and how safe I felt. The weather was challenging with high humidity and hot heat, but with enough planning it was easily solveable. I specifically did not follow planned routes on this journey and found that while it could be lonely not seeing cyclists for 3 months at a time, it opened up the door to show residents of small towns the joys of bicycle touring.

Pictures

View at Flickr">

Journal

The following is a list of journal entries I wrote while traveling through. Click one to read!

2011-09-07 – The adventure continues..
2011-09-06 – USA Statistics
2011-09-06 – Nevada Statistics
2011-08-20 – So close I can taste the dust..
2011-08-15 – Lonely Roads
2011-08-11 – Utah Statistics
2011-08-05 – Milestones in Moab
2011-08-03 – Colorado Statistics
2011-08-01 – New Mexico Statistics
2011-07-31 – It gets better
2011-07-29 – The Land of Entrapment
2011-07-27 – Desert Delirium
2011-07-22 – Texas Statistics
2011-07-20 – Don’t mess with….
2011-07-09 – Deep in the Heart of
2011-07-01 – Stars at night, Big and Bright
2011-06-29 – Louisiana Statistics
2011-06-22 – Mississippi Statistics
2011-06-20 – The Path of Destruction
2011-06-18 – Alabama Statistics
2011-06-15 – Getting Festive
2011-06-13 – Tennessee Statistics
2011-06-08 – Southern Comfortable
2011-06-07 – Kentucky Statistics
2011-06-03 – Ohio Statistics
2011-06-02 – Into the Heartland
2011-06-01 – Unexpected States and Losses
2011-05-31 – West Virginia Statistics
2011-05-30 – Pennsylvania Statistics
2011-05-29 – Heat and Hills
2011-05-21 – Welcomed Changes All Around
2011-05-18 – City Saturation
2011-05-16 – New Jersey Statistics
2011-05-15 – New York Statistics
2011-05-15 – Connecticut Statistics
2011-05-14 – State Lines a plenty
2011-05-12 – Rhode Island Statistics
2011-05-11 – Massachusetts Statistics
2011-05-09 – Sunshine changes everything
2011-05-09 – New Hampshire Statistics
2011-05-08 – Maine Statistics
2011-05-06 – Following the Beam
2011-05-03 – Ruffling feathers on both sides of the Border
2010-10-25 – Washington Statistics
2010-10-25 – California Statistics
2010-10-25 – Oregon Statistics
2009-10-17 – Phase 2 summary
2009-10-12 – Day 30 – In and Out
2009-10-12 – Day 30 – Making a run for the border..
2009-10-11 – Day 29 – Escaped from Los Angeles
2009-10-11 – Day 29 – Straight into Compton..
2009-10-11 – Day 29 – Need a LAXative
2009-10-10 – Day 28 – I think?
2009-10-10 – Day 27 – Front row viewing..
2009-10-09 – Day 27 – Morale Boosters
2009-10-08 – Day 26 – Things unravel..
2009-10-08 – Day 26 – Easy ridin’
2009-10-07 – Day 25 – Break the Chain!
2009-10-06 – Day 24 – Back on the road
2009-10-05 – Day 23 – Well Deserved Relaxation
2009-10-04 – Day 22 – Clairvoyant
2009-10-04 – Day 22 – More off course oddities
2009-10-03 – Day 21 – No pants party in a No party zone.
2009-10-03 – Day 21 – Drastic Change of Course
2009-10-02 – Day 20 – I left *nothing* in San Francisco
2009-10-01 – Day 19 – A roof over my head?
2009-10-01 – Day 19 – So close to the Bay Area
2009-09-30 – Day 18 – Leisurely Riding with good crew
2009-09-29 – Day 17 – Foggy Rehabilitation
2009-09-28 – Day 16 – Multiple Repair Kits required
2009-09-27 – Day 15 – Heat: 103 – Dave: 0
2009-09-26 – Day 14 – Eureka!
2009-09-25 – Day 13 – Crazy Climbing
2009-09-24 – Day 12 – Crazies in Crescent City
2009-09-24 – Day 12 – Time limited….
2009-09-23 – Day 11 – Growl
2009-09-22 – Day 10 – The end
2009-09-22 – Day 10 – Found shade, and Wifi!
2009-09-22 – Day 10 – Stop in Reedsport
2009-09-21 – Day 9 – Hotter than..
2009-09-20 – Day 8 – Or! Or! Or!
2009-09-20 – Day 8 – The old 101
2009-09-19 – Day 7 – No rest just a recharge
2009-09-18 – Day 6 – The crash
2009-09-18 – Day 6 – Seaside
2009-09-17 – Day 5 – Goodbye Washington, Hello Oregon!
2009-09-16 – Day 4 – 10 hours in the saddle
2009-09-16 – Day 4 – Deviant
2009-09-16 – Day 4 -Finding free wi-fi is more difficult than you’d think.
2009-09-15 – Day 3 – Regret is a terrible thing.
2009-09-15 – Day 3 – Wrong turn
2009-09-14 – Day 2
2009-09-13 – Day 1 – A fantastic start..

Statistics

Totals:

Total Days: 166	Total Cost: $1571.08 ($11.55/day)
Distance: 10,595.44 km (Most: 2009-10-11 – 202.00 km)

Food Cost: $1,190.79
Ascended: 51,019 metres (Most: 2011-05-23 – 1,520 metres)

Drink Cost: $218.71Energy Consumed: 338,847 calories (Most: 2011-07-22 – 6,887)

Equipment Cost: $228.86
Transportation Cost: $1.00
Lodging Cost: $0.00
Entertainment Cost: $0.00
Misc Cost: $71.72

Below shows the statistics while traveling through the area. Click on a date for more information!

Date	Location	Distance (km)	Cost	Map
2009-09-13	Larrabee State Park, WA, US	89.00	$

Nevada Statistics

Dave — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 16:15:01 +0000

Nevada Statistics
Posted on: Tuesday, September 6th, 2011 at 9:15am

My route while traveling through..

Information

Info:
Formed: 1864
Population: 2,700,551 people
Area: 286,367 sq/ kilometres
Languages Spoken:
Nevada is a state located in the western, mountain west, and southwestern regions of the United States. With an area of 110,561 square miles (286,350 km2) and a population of about 2.7 million, it is the 7th-largest and 35th-most populous state. Over two-thirds of Nevada’s people live in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, which contains its three largest incorporated cities. Nevada’s capital is Carson City.

Nevada is largely desert and semiarid, with much of it located within the Great Basin. Areas south of the Great Basin are located within the Mojave Desert, while Lake Tahoe and the Sierra Nevada mountains lie on the western edge. Approximately 86% of the state’s land is owned by the US government under various jurisdictions, both civilian and military.

The name Nevada is derived from the nearby Sierra Nevada mountains, which means “snow-capped mountain range” in Spanish. The land comprising the modern state was inhabited by Native Americans of the Paiute, Shoshone, and Washoe tribes prior to European contact. It was subsequently claimed by Spain as a part of Alta California until the Mexican War of Independence brought it under Mexican control. The United States gained the territory in 1848 following its victory in the Mexican-American War and the area was eventually incorporated as part of Utah Territory in 1850. The discovery of silver at the Comstock Lode in 1859 led to a population boom that was an impetus to the creation of Nevada Territory out of western Utah Territory in 1861. Nevada became the 36th state on October 31, 1864.

The establishment of legalized gambling and lenient marriage and divorce proceedings in the 20th century transformed Nevada into a major tourist destination. The tourism industry remains Nevada’s largest employer, with mining continuing to be a substantial sector of the economy as Nevada is the fourth largest producer of gold in the world.

Nevada is officially known as the “Silver State” due to the importance of silver to its history and economy. It is also known as the “Battle Born State” because it achieved statehood during the Civil War and the “Sagebrush State” for the native eponymous plant.

Nevada is the largest landlocked U.S. state that does not border Canada or Mexico.

My Experience

For my last state in the United States for my 2011 travels Nevada was quite the challenge to make it through. Route 50 – the lonliest highway in the USA offers challenging grades, minimal services, and sweltering heat. Towns come once per day, with minimal amenities and I had to be careful on how much water I carried with me. I met some great people and stayed for extended periods of time with them before stopping off at the Burning Man Festival. I stopped riding on August 28th, 2011.

Total Days: 12	Total Cost: $262.82 ($21.90/day)
Distance: 707.76 km (Most: 2010-10-17 – 119.93 km)	Food Cost: $169.36
Ascended: 4,622 metres (Most: 2010-10-09 – 782 metres)	Drink Cost: $50.46
Energy Consumed: 33,767 calories (Most: 2010-10-11 – 5,298)	Equipment Cost: $12.00
	Transportation Cost: $31.00
	Lodging Cost: $0.00
	Entertainment Cost: $0.00
	Misc Cost: $0.10

Below shows the statistics while traveling through the area. Click on a date for more information!

Date	Location	Distance (km)	Cost	Map
2011-05-02	Edmundston, NB, CA	0.00	$0.00
2011-05-01	Edmundston, NB, CA	0.00	$16.27
2011-04-30	Saint John, NB, CA	78.80	$67.66	Chart
2010-10-17	L’Aboiteau, NB, CA	119.93	$38.93	Chart
2010-10-16	Brunswick, NB, CA	104.89	$25.00	Chart
2010-10-15	Fredericton, NB, CA	0.00	$0.00	Chart
2010-10-14	Fredericton, NB, CA	10.69	$25.68	Chart
2010-10-13	Fredericton, NB, CA	73.78	$31.00	Chart
2010-10-12	Millville, NB, CA	102.00	$25.85	Chart
2010-10-11	Perth-Andover, NB, CA	112.62	$21.43	Chart
2010-10-10	Edmundston, NB, CA	0.00	$5.00	Chart
2010-10-09	Edmundston, NB, CA	105.05	$6.00	Chart