Appalachian Heritage Alliance

Where's Joe?

Help the Students' Geography Project  PLEASE SIGN THE GUESTBOOK! click here

 Be sure to read Joe's narratives at: 

"Stories from the Road" (click here) 

COMMENTS  from FOLKS ALONG The WAY  (click here)

Back to Rediscover Bicycle America (Joe's main web page)

 WELCOME HOME to KENTUCKY, Joe! 14,000 miles on a bicycle. You did it again.

June 18

After bicycling 14,000 miles across America for the second time, Joe is home in the beautiful Red River Gorge of Eastern Kentucky. Thanks, Joe, for taking us along. It was quite a ride.

Welcome Home, Joe!

June 17

The really big news is that our Eastern Kentucky gospel group, "Assembled" won the award from the Gospel Music Showcase in Nashville. A rep from Nashville called David Goodwin, father of two of the band members, and asked, "How in the world did you get people from all over the country voting for your group?" Thanks to all of you for voting for these fine young people.

Oh, and by the way, Joe Bowen completed his second 14,000-mile bicycle ride across the nation. 

The folks in Beattyville gave him a warm welcome home at their first Pedals and Blooms Festival on Friday evening. (In other Festival news; After careful review, the questions surrounding the official vote tabulation for the winner of the Miss Hazel Look-a-Like Contest were resolved to everyone's satisfaction. And, no, Joe did not cast the deciding vote.) Vicki Kidd, director of TOUR Southern and Eastern Kentucky (the new name for SEKTDA), along with staff members Jeff Crowe (Scenic Byways), Van Back, Theresa Russell, and Michelle Spencer came from Somerset to welcome Joe home. Beattyville has a very active group of citizens promoting their town.

Early this morning, Caleb Crabtree, Hondo Hearne, Brian Billings, Parnell Lowe and J.L. Bowen rode with Joe from Beattyville to Stanton - the last leg of the 14,000-mile journey. Just outside of town, at the Drive Inn Theater, they were met by a group of elementary students who rode with Joe as he concluded this epic adventure by riding into the Pedals and Blooms Festival in Stanton. Joe handed the symbolic torch to a group of kids who have followed him on-line for over a year. This is not the end of the bicycle adventure, it's the beginning of a new chapter. 

Bronze Plaque                    Joe's reaction at unveiling

Before ringing the starting bell to begin the bicycle races with well over a hundred participants, Joe was presented a marvelous bronze plaque by Judy, John, Johnathon, and Alex Shircliffe and Raymond Graff (sculptor of the Bert T. Combs Statue.) Stanton's arts and crafts booths as well as their music stage is located in a shady oak grove- a welcome relief on a hot summer day. Congratulations to all the Festival promoters.

Students and community help Joe to the finish line

It will take a while to wrap things up. But for now, Welcome Home, Joe. From all of us. Thank you for taking us on a wonderful bicycle/educational adventure and for introducing us to new people and places all across our great country. Thanks for being an Unbridled Spirit and good-will ambassador for all of Kentucky. Thanks for sharing America's Story with the students. Thank you for the inspiration. What a Ride, Joe, What a Ride!

Beattyville banner

One final thanks to the sponsors: Floyd Anderson Chevrolet; Appalachian Heritage Alliance; Kentucky Department of Tourism; KY National Scenic Byways; League of American Bicyclists; Lompoc Valley Chamber of Commerce; New!West; Pedal the Planet Bicycle Shop; Powell County Tourism; TOUR Southern and Eastern Kentucky (SEKTDA); UK Appalachian Center; Whitaker Bank of Stanton; Richard and Valerie White Wood Products. And to individuals: Karen and Van Back; Joe Bowen from Atlanta, GA; Julie Smith Buckler; Beth Henning; James Host; Bill and Karen Karrer; Mark and Mary Kindall; Mary J. Kohl; Maura and Phil Lenahan; Monique Robitaille; Joann Schmidt; Carolyn Smith; Dorney Thompson, Ken and Phyllis Thompson; Debbie Tipton.

These funds went to support Joe's trip and for a considerable amount of educational material that we will donate to the schools. Joe, himself, did not make a single dime from this trip.

June 16

And last, but certainly not least, THANK YOU, JOE! Thanks for taking us on an amazing adventure. Ride, Joe, Ride! It was great. 

June 15

Today we want to thank YOU. Thanks to all the people who supported Joe on this amazing 14,000-mile bicycle trip across our great nation. Thanks to all the folks who took the time to talk to Joe along the road. Thanks to those who bought a stranger a meal or gave him a place to stay. Thanks to all the people across the country, and beyond, for riding along with Joe on the web site. Thanks to all of you who wrote to the "Comments from Folks Along the Way." Thanks for signing the "Student Guestbook" (and thanks to Sara Wasson and the Powell County Schools for setting it up.) Thanks to all of you. To all of us. Joe is the star of this adventure but the trip was about all of us- and our truly blessed and wonderful country. Thank you.

You are invited to welcome Joe home as he rides into Beattyville tomorrow and into Stanton on Saturday as part of the Pedals and Blooms Bicycle Festival. He will be glad to see you. For more info, see www.cyclethegorge.com.  

June 14

Yesterday's update was primarily thanking the teachers. Today, Joe sincerely thanks the students. You made all the effort worthwhile. Students, you need to understand that Joe Bowen has more faith in you than possibly anyone you will ever meet. 

Joe is in another of our favorite Eastern Kentucky towns, Irvine, home of the Mountain Mushroom Festival. If you have never eaten a wild, properly prepared, Appalachian morel mushroom your gastronomy education is woefully incomplete. Around noon, he drove to Lexington for a TV interview. Joe will take tomorrow off and get ready for the ride to Beattyville on Friday. 

Come welcome Joe home this weekend at the Pedals and Blooms Bicycle Festival. Beattyville on Friday and Stanton on Saturday. www.cyclethegorge.com 

June 13

Joe had several reasons to ride 14,000 miles across our great country. One was personal; could he recreate at age 63 his epic ride of almost 40 years ago. Another was promotional; to tell the nation about Kentucky. But the most important reason, with the most enduring potential, was to share America’s Story with the students of Eastern Kentucky. As it turns out, students from at least seventeen other states also rode along. And a couple of other countries. The teachers, students, and schools from Menifee, Powell, and Wolfe counties took the lead and deserve the credit for the educational success of the trip. Much of the program centered on students developing their technology skills in a real-world, hands-on situation as they followed Joe. The talented staff at Rogers Elementary even used the trip to secure a major technology grant from Hewlett-Packard. Individual teachers, all of them smarter than you, me, and Joe, used the trip to augment their lesson plans. This included: creating travel brochures, writing assignments, poetry, general science, geology, history, and geography. Lessons in social studies included regional songs and dance, food preparation (and eating,) building models of shelters, and other cultural and historical instruction. The students knew Joe personally. They had cheered him on chanting “Ride, Joe, Ride” to start his trip. He’s a friend. If a friend is telling you about a volcano he is actually standing on, then the volcano is no longer an abstract idea in a book. It’s real. And Joe helped the teachers make that educational connection in many ways to a lot of young students. Thank you, teachers. Thank you, Eastern Kentucky teachers.

June 12

Before Joe took the weekend off, he, Steve, and Stephanie rode to Winchester on Saturday morning. Later, he got to watch his grandson, Caden, play in a couple of baseball games. Today, Joe rode to Richmond. He's spent a good deal of time lately talking to the press. This is the final week of the 14,000-mile Kentucky Unbridled Spirit Rediscover Bicycle America Adventure. Pretty cool, huh?

The Legends

June 11

OK. So you are wondering "Where's Joe?"  Nobody knows. It’s his birthday and he is somewhere with Barbara for the weekend. Happy Birthday, Joe! Only a few days of actual riding remain and he’s spacing them so he can pedal on schedule into Beattyville on Friday and into Stanton on Saturday. This gives us time to continue thanking people who have helped on the trip. Today, we want to thank the good folks at the Southern and Eastern Kentucky Tourism and Development Association (SEKTDA.) A special thanks to Executive Director Vicki Kidd and her excellent staff who appreciate the potential of Southern and Eastern Kentucky and effectively promote our area in many ways (http://www.tourseky.com/) The Mt. Parkway Trails Corridor, a division of SEKTDA consisting of community volunteers from Estill, Lee, Magoffin, Powell, Owsley, and Wolfe Counties, has supported this trip from the outset. A special thanks also to Van Back, Director of Community Development and liaison to the corridors, who has patiently taught us all the SEKTDA principle of working together for the betterment of the entire region.

June 10

On Joe’s 14,000-mile bicycle ride he has sought out the beautiful, the remarkable, and the interesting places all across America so he could share them with the students of Eastern Kentucky. As it turns out, one of the most scenically beautiful, geologically remarkable, and positively interesting places in all America is right here in Eastern Kentucky. Our home. Many of us already knew that, but it is of the utmost importance that Joe has been to the other places and can confirm it for us. One expert on the beauty of Southern and Eastern Kentucky is Jeff Crowe, Director of KY National Scenic Byways. Jeff will tell you that receiving National Scenic Byway designation is not easy and only happens where it is deserved. Southern and Eastern Kentucky has THREE nationally designated Scenic Byways. Jeff will also quickly tell you that Life Magazine rated the Red River Gorge Scenic Byway as one of the most scenic byways in the nation. Jeff understood the importance of Joe’s ride to promote our area has been involved in the ride from the beginning. Thanks, Jeff! The KY National Scenic Byways (http://www.byways.org/ ) is the major sponsor of the Pedals and Blooms Bicycle Festival (www.cyclethegorge.com)  So children, and adults as well, listen up. We live in a truly wonderful, beautiful, special place. We are blessed. Be proud.

June 9

Joe's nephew Steve Bowen and his wife Stephanie joined Joe in Frankfort and pedaled with him to Lexington. Thanks, folks, for your support throughout the trip. A week from today Joe rides into Beattyville for his first Welcome Home celebration. Beattyville, home of the famous Woolly Worm Festival, is a wonderful Eastern Kentucky town located on the Kentucky River. The people there invite you to celebrate the Pedals and Blooms Bicycle Festival with them next week (see www.cyclethegorge.com for more info) and then come back in the fall for the Woolly Worm Festival. For those of you who may not know, the general winter weather pattern is predicted by the color markings on the woolly worm. Not just any woolly worm. It's the winner of the Great Woolly Worm Race. This is strictly scientific, not like that Groundhog Day nonsense. 

Joe and Scott Paige

June 8

This morning Joe had a TV interview in Louisville and in the afternoon a newspaper interview with the Shelbyville Sentinel. From there he pedaled on to Frankfort. At the hotel, a 20 year old Army National Guardsman approached Joe and asked him what he was doing. At the time, Joe was in a hurry so he gave him the  www.ridejoeride.org and www.cyclethegorge.com addresses and said he would talk to him later. Well, later, the young man, Scott Paige, said he was so impressed he signed up to ride with Joe on Saturday. Scott had his bicycle with him so he and Joe pedaled around Frankfort. Our thanks today goes to Floyd Anderson of Anderson Chevrolet in Campton. Floyd and Joe go way back. Floyd loaned Joe and Barbara a van to drive to California to start the bicycle trip and he has played an important role in the Bert T. Combs Statue project. Thanks, Floyd!

June 7

Joe's at daughter Natalie's in Louisville hanging out with the grandkids. He's teaching them history and geography and they are teaching him spelling. Our thanks today go to Jeff Spradling from Menifee County. Jeff saw the educational potential of the bicycle adventure to Kentucky students and helped the AHA get Joe lined out with all the tech stuff at the beginning of the trip. Needless to say, this was a very important component of the trip. Several thousand students know a little more of "America's Story." Plus, hands-on technology skills. Thanks, Jeff!

June 6

Joe is staying with our good friends Phyllis and Ken Thompson who live on the farm originally owned by the sister of James Morrison Heady. James Morrison Heady was blinded as a child and became deaf by age forty. He was a novelist, poet, inventor, designer, philosopher, musician and composer. He promoted the production of books in raised letters which directly lead to the founding of the American Printing House for the Blind. Heady was a pioneer in the education of blind and deaf people and his legacy endures to this day. He was a friend to the young Helen Keller and poet John Greenleaf Whittier. Although Heady was a legendary figure around the turn of the 20th century, his legacy was slipping into obscurity until Ken Thompson began researching his life. The result is Ken's book "Beyond the Double Night" (published by Buggy Whip Press, PO Box 459, Taylorsville, KY.) This remarkable and inspiring book celebrates the life of truly great Kentuckian.

(editor's note: Another thanks to Bill Karrer for his reliability, dependability, and insistence on punctuality during this adventure. Bill is also involved in an exciting Kentucky history/mystery project that will, well, just wait and see.)

June 5

After a tour of  "My Old Kentucky Home" in Bardstown Joe enjoyed a visit with good friend Guy Mock and then pedaled on to Taylorsville. Joe has many friends here and will spend a couple of days making the rounds. As you can tell, Joe is relaxing and coasting home. You are invited to join him at the "Petals and Blooms Bicycle Festival" on June 16 -18. He will be welcomed home in Beattyville on Friday, the 16th, and in Stanton on Saturday the 17th. The bicycle races begin on Saturday. For more information on the festival go to www.cyclethegorge.com. See you there!

Joe, J.L., Robert, and General Bowen

June 4

J.L. and the boys had a great time and then headed home to Powell County. Thanks, guys, for riding on the adventure. Joe pedaled up to Elizabethtown and on to Bardstown. He can look out his hotel window and see "My Old Kentucky Home," which he will visit tomorrow. Since he will soon be in Taylorsville this is an opportune time to thank all the Taylorsville folks for their support. A special "Thanks" goes to Ken and Phyllis Thompson, Bill and Karen Karrer, and John and Judy Shircliffe. These good friends also collaborate with Joe on other projects and who knows what these creative and surprising people will come up with next.

June 3

Joe was joined by his brother J.L. and nephews General Bowen (14) and Robert E. Lee Bowen (11). They enjoyed a beautiful day riding on good country roads to the birthplace of Abraham Lincoln in Hodgenville. You may recall that the folks at Lincoln City tell the tale that Thomas Lincoln moved his family to Indiana because he lost two farms to land swindlers. The Kentuckians at the Lincoln Birthplace say it only happened once. 

June 2

Rained out.

Hey, guys, Joe wishes you well on your short ride.

June 1

Joe is back on the road. He pedaled 55 miles to Leitchfield. On the way, he met seven bicyclists heading to Seattle; college grads from North Carolina making a cross-country trip. They had pedaled through the Red River Gorge and knew all about Joe. Hope Crosbie's display at the Gladie Educational / Interpretive Center along the Red River Gorge National Scenic Byway strikes again. No telling how many people have seen that display. Bruce Rushton kindly sent some hard copies of the very fine article he wrote about Joe's adventure for the Illinois Times. We will get one to Hope right away. There's been a couple of inquiries about how our favorite young Gospel group, "Assembled,"  faired in the Nashville Gospel Music contest. We don't know yet. The winner will be announced June 17. Keep these kids in your prayers- not necessarily that they win - but that they keep on doing the right things in life. 

"Where's Joe?" display at the Gladie Center on the Red River National Scenic Byway. Thanks, Hope. And thanks to the U.S. Forest Service. The folders contain all of Joe's "Stories from the Road," the daily updates, and much more.

May 31

Joe wants to extend a special "Thank You" to our good friends Richard and Valerie White from Morehead, KY.  Richard and Valerie supported Joe consistently and faithfully from day one of the trip. They were with him for every turn of the wheel for the entire adventure. Thank you, folks. You were very important to Joe and to the success of this project.

May 30

Now that he is in Kentucky, Joe is going to take a couple of days off to relax and recuperate before the final push home. Barbara has joined him and they are going to visit relatives in Western Kentucky. Barbara is definitely the unsung hero of the trip. What an amazing and understanding woman to support her man through all this. Upon closer scrutiny, if we add all the miles Barbara has traveled during the trip - to California, out west a couple of times, New York, all over Kentucky, etc - we may have to rename this trip the Barbara Crabtree Bowen Adventure. Thank you, Barbara. Thank you, thank you, thank you.

May 29 (afternoon)

Joe pedaled over the Ohio River on the beautiful, new William Natcher Bridge into Owensboro, Kentucky. He leaned Rocinante against the Welcome to Kentucky sign with it's "Unbridled Spirit" logo and took a picture. I have no idea what went through his mind but it must have been an awesome feeling. For the record, let's review the states and Canadian Provinces he has pedaled through on this remarkable bicycle/educational adventure: California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, British Columbia, Alberta, Montana, Wyoming, South Dakota, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Tennessee, North Carolina, West Virginia, Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, Michigan, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, and Kentucky. 37 states, 2 provinces. Welcome home to Kentucky, Joe. From all of us.

INDIANA (again, again)

May 29 (morning)

For dramatic effect, we will divide today's entry into morning and afternoon accounts. This morning Joe pedaled south to Lincoln City, the boyhood home of Abraham Lincoln. Young Abe lived here, at the edge of the frontier, from age 7 to 21. His mother died of milk poisoning when he was 9. The Lincolns moved from Kentucky because on two occasions they had been swindled out of their farm due to contested deeds after the sale. In Indiana, the law required a survey and court records before land could be sold. Joe then headed south to the Ohio River.

The sign on the marquee reads "Ride Joe Ride." A nice surprise.

May 28

Joe rode a leisurely 55 miles from Bedford to Jasper. Your daily update narrator forgot to mention that yesterday, when Joe rode into Bedford, the marquee at the Bob Evan's Restaurant read, "Ride, Joe, Ride!" Thanks, folks. Joe hopes to soon find a hotel that will let him use their computer so he can do another of his "Stories from the Road." We might as well re-visit our "phooey" award to Dell Computers and their high priced, next day, on-site service. What a joke. What a rip-off.

Longest covered bridge in the U.S.

May 27

Joe knew the longest covered bridge in America was around here somewhere. He stopped at a lovely farm with a big round barn to get directions. Wayne Burcham and his 20 year old son, Jeremy, were testing a 351W Ford engine they had just rebuilt for their classic 1970 Mach 1 Mustang. After a great conversation that solved over half of the world's problems as well as the directions to the covered bridge, Joe bid farewell to his new friends. The longest covered bridge in America is near Medora. It is no longer open for regular traffic but you can hop the guardrail and walk down to it, go through it, and then walk back up to the main road. Which Joe did. As he reached the main road he noticed three more bicyclists going to the bridge. He decided to wait and talk to them. (You know Joe.) When they came out of the bridge, Joe hello-ed down to them. One guy looked up, studied a second, then shouted, "Joe Bowen! You're off course. You're supposed to be north of here!" This sure surprised Joe. Turns out, they guy, retired now, was a long-time reporter for the Louisville Courier Journal named Joe Ward. In 1971, he interviewed Joe about the '67 bicycle ride. Until that interview, Joe Ward was not a bicycle rider. Afterwards, he was. He commuted to work at the Courier Journal by bicycle for 20 years. He was recognized by the bicycle community for pedaling over 50,000 miles to and from work. Amazing. Joe Ward had followed Joe Bowen's current ride on the web site which explains how he knew where Joe was supposed to be. Both Joes and the other riders, Kirk Kandle and David Dillard, rode together for about 25 miles. Folks, we couldn't possibly make this stuff up. As usual, it just happens.

Fortunately, Joe Ward (right), David Dillard and Kirk Kandle got Joe back on course.

May 26

But this project would not be what it is without the computer. Joe stayed in contact clear across the country. And the person who taught Joe to use the computer was our old buddy, Cliff. If you recall, Cliff rode with Joe at the beginning of the trip. After the day's ride, he would give Joe a computer lesson. By the time they reached Seattle, Cliff was confident Joe could handle the task. Cliff also set up and paid for Joe's email account. Still does. Also, Cliff added a huge romantic chapter to the story by finding and later marrying Sherry. Bicycling. Who knew? Thanks, Cliff. Cliff is also in charge of the big bicycle race and festival surrounding Joe's return home on June 16, 17, 18. For more information, check out the website at www.cyclethegorge.com. 

Joe crossed the Ohio River and rode down the Indiana side. He's in Scottsburg, heading west.

OHIO (again)

May 25

While Joe and Barbara are hanging out, we'll interrupt our "thank you" list and insert our one and only "phooey" nominee. And that goes to Dell Computers. You may have noticed the daily updates have been a bit longer and Joe's "Stories from the Road" less frequent. That wasn't the game plan. Joe's computer is down - again. If you have not received an email reply, that is the reason. We paid the big bucks for next day on-site service. The first time took over a week. This time, weeks already. Barbara is bringing the computer home and we will try to get it fixed. If school was still in session, Joe would really be upset. So Dell Computers, Phooey!

May 24

Now that Joe has his feet back on the ground, we'll return to our "thank you" list. A special thanks to Joe Lilly, Lindsay Railey, and the folks at New!West. Joe Lilly arranged the Official Send-Off by Governor Fletcher, the Unbridled Spirit Award, and thought up the Ride Joe Ride name for the website link to the AHA web page. (People outside the area can't spell "Appalachian.") Lindsay contacted newspapers and other media outlets throughout the trip to help Joe advertise Kentucky. It's hard enough just to keep up with Joe. Lindsay had to stay one step ahead. Thank you, folks!

There is less than a month and less than a thousand miles remaining on the trip. Joe and Rocinante have a few more miles to crank out, but basically they're headed for the barn. And they are going to relax and enjoy it. Joe is giving newspaper and television interviews almost daily. Barbara has driven up to visit for a couple of days. That always brightens the trip. 

Joe flies in the Wright "B" Flyer

May 23

The first airplane manufactured for sale to the general public was the Wright B Flyer. It marked the beginning of commercial aviation and created an industry that changed the world. At an airport near Dayton there is a replica of the Wright B Flyer built with modern materials to the exact specifications of the original. When the Berlin Wall fell, this plane flew over the German city as a tribute to freedom. Today, Joe flew in that plane. Only two people are qualified to fly the plane with a passenger. At the controls for Joe's flight was a retired Air Force pilot named Mitch. There are only two seats and they are perched forward of the wings. No cockpit. Wind in the face. To put it mildly, Joe was thrilled. Two brothers from Ohio were the first to understand that air traveling over a moving curved wing created pressure differentials that created lift. To this concept they applied their mechanical abilities learned from their bicycle trade and changed the world. We are so pleased that our bicycle rider got to experience a small piece of that history.

Wright Flyer III

May 22

Today Joe pedaled into downtown Dayton to see the stainless steel replica of the first Wright Brother's airplane. Then he went to the Carillon Historical Park to see the third actual airplane, the Wright Flyer III. It was completely restored, with the help of Orville himself, and has 70% of the original parts. The first plane, the Wright Flyer I, is on display at the Smithsonian Museum in Washington, DC. Wright Flyer II was destroyed. Today also marked the 100 year anniversary of the Wright Brothers receiving a patent on their new flying invention. Joe was interviewed on the Dayton Channel 2 TV station and by the Dayton Daily Times. The first thing the reporter told Joe was, "I already know all about you." He and his wife had recently visited Kentucky's Red River Gorge Scenic Byway. While there, they stopped in the Gorge at the Gladie Interpretive Center in Menifee County. They spent "a half hour" reading the map of Joe's adventure that Hope Crosby keeps posted on the wall. Hope has tracked the entire adventure and printed out the daily updates, Joe's "Stories from the Road," and newspaper articles for visitors to read. It's a wonderful display. Thanks, Hope!

Joe, Brook, Brian, Bo

May 21

This part of Ohio is very bicycle friendly. There are bicycle paths going in every direction, which is also the best description of Joe and Brian's route for today. Brook and Bo pedaled along for several miles making them the youngest riders of the tour. Kentucky kids, if that needs pointing out. During the day, they stopped at an automobile race course and met 12 year old Ryan Fleming who drives a 1/4 Midget Miniature race car. This type of racing is serious stuff. In a few years when Ryan wins the Indianapolis 500, remember, you heard of him here first. Brian and Carmen and the kids bid Joe farewell and headed home to Kentucky. Joe wants to thank you all for visiting, for lifting his spirits, and for your friendship.

May 20

Joe crossed the Ohio border and rode 68 miles to Springfield where he was met, to his great delight, by some hometown friends.  Brian and Carmen Billings and their children Bo, Brook, and Betsy from Powell County will visit a spell and tomorrow become "Official Riders of the Tour." Brook wants to say a special web site "Hello" to her friends Katie and Neeli back home in Kentucky.

INDIANA (again)

May 19

The first airplane was built in a bicycle shop in Dayton, Ohio, by professional bicycle builders Orville and Wilbur Wright. The aircraft was taken to the Outer Banks of North Carolina where it flew into history near the town of Kitty Hawk in 1903. Orville and Wilbur's bicycle shop was purchased, disassembled, shipped, and reassembled as a museum in Dearborn, Michigan. Today, Joe visited the museum at the birthplace of Wilbur Wright in Milleville, Indiana. That makes four states basking in the reflected glory of a couple of bicycle guys. Joe pedaled 65 miles to Richmond. It was a beautiful day for riding.

May 18

Jim Host, former Kentucky Commerce Secretary, understood that Joe would be an excellent traveling ambassador for Kentucky as well as a 14,000-mile advertisement for Kentucky tourism. And he was correct. Joe told people across the nation of the beauty and appeal of Kentucky as he appeared in newspapers, magazines, on radio and television, all across the country. Thank you, Mr. Host, for your support; in your official capacity as well as a private sponsor. Your sponsorship played a vital role in the success of this unique Kentucky Bicycle/Educational project. 

Joe rode 50 miles to Noblesville. He got caught in a locally severe  thunderstorm. Lots of lightening. Pretty scary.

May 17

Today marks the beginning of the final month of this incredible bicycle/educational adventure. There are plenty of people to thank, so we better get started. First, Joe and the Appalachian Heritage Alliance want to thank Kentucky Governor Ernie Fletcher for giving Joe the first "Unbridled Spirit Award" and an official send-off from the Capitol steps in Frankfort. It was really cool to hear elementary students from eight schools chanting, "Ride, Joe, Ride!" A special thanks to Education Secretary Virginia Fox for inspiring the students and leading the chant. 

General Lew Wallace

Joe pedaled 48 miles to Crawfordsville. He visited the home and study of General Lew Wallace who is best known as the author of the novel "Ben Hur." He is less well known as the territorial governor who captured and then allowed to escape, Billy the Kid. When Joe was a teenager, he spent an afternoon in Wallace's study. Back then, he had free reign to rummage through the desk, books and anything else that struck his fancy. Which he did. Nowadays, everything is protected under glass.

For information concerning the festivities surrounding Joe's homecoming, go to www.cyclethegorge.com  See you there!

In order to make life easier for those of us with dial-up internet connections, the daily updates are divided into sequential Stages. 

You may follow the earlier stages of the trip by clicking the Links in the left hand column at the top of this page.

previous stage: Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois (again)

a project of The Appalachian Heritage Alliance