Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Day 16 - Dubois, Wyoming - July 4th 2006
Weather: Sunny
Location: Dubois, Wyoming (from Jackson, Wyoming)
Miles per day: 85.5
Average miles per hour: 10.98
Elevation climb: 4716 feet
Blizzards/Ice Cream to date: 13
Flat Tires to date: 1
The lyrics of America the Beautiful were written by Katharine Lee Bates (1859-1929) an instructor at Wellesley College, Massachusetts, after an inspiring trip to the top of Pikes Peak, Colorado, in 1893. For me, the song was in my head all day as it might also have been written after seeing the Grand Tetons.... And here is just the first verse.
" O beautiful for spacious skies,
For amber waves of grain,
For purple mountain majesties
Above the fruited plain!America! America!
God shed His grace on thee,
And crown thy good with brotherhood
From sea to shining sea! "
I am not on this trip because I am an avid cyclist (I am DFL daily) but because I simply have been homesick for the America (after living nearly 14 years in England) that I knew in my youth. By the age of 21, I was lucky enough to have been able to have camped throughout America. For many years, I have been itching to see America at a grass roots level again. I can assure you that I am now getting my fill each and everyday, mile by mile and its wonderful. The natural beauty and spectacular scenery is simply indescribable. Today (this 4th of July) allowed me to absorb all aspects; the sights, the sounds, the smells and the feeling of being in this beautiful country. I feel so lucky to be spending the 4th of July in my most favorite place: The Grand Tetons! A must see!
As I cycled, I could also sense the positive aspects of America: the outdoors, the people (my fellow riders) and the raw buzz of entrepreneurism. Today, in the middle of nowhere, I stopped by a gas (petrol) station under renovation. It was in a terrible state but was showing some signs of hope with new construction. Before I knew it, I was chatting with the new proud owner. He was full of enthusiasm having bought the place 18 months ago with big plans to create a restaurant and additional accomodation. He was relaxing on the front bench as he described his big plans. It was inspring. He had all the freedom to live his dream anywhere in America. He chose to rebuild Lava Lodge, Dubois, Wyoming. I will one day be keen to return to see how he progressed.Now on a final note, I (and a few others on this trip) are struggling with the limitations of blogger and loading photos. This is a daily frustration and as a result today (best photos yet), I have posted to Flicker. I hope you can see them. I will continue to pursue getting photos onto my Blog direct. http://www.flickr.com/photos/anniesbigbikeadventure/sets/72157594188925946/
