This brief journal was created 17 (in May 2008) years after the actual bike ride, based on maps, my detailed journal and hand drawn GPS maps. Should be close to correct.
Statistics (Totals/Locations)
Miles: 2055.5 miles
Days: 21 days
States: New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida
Day 1, Friday, May 10, 1991
Daily Miles: 29.0 miles
Location: Albuquerque, NM to Chilile, NM
Points of interest: None
Expresses: Unknown
Accommodations: Camping near barking dog
Altitude profile: Lots of uphill.
Day 2, Saturday, May 11, 1991
Daily Miles:138.9 miles
Location: Chilile, NM to 13 miles west of Fort Summer, NM
Points of interest:
1. Several dead snakes
Expresses: Unknown
Accommodations: Slept on ground near road
Altitude profile: Some uphill and lots of downhill.
Day 3, Sunday, May 12, 1991
Daily Miles: 160.9 miles
Location: 13 miles west of Fort Summer, NM to near Tulia, Texas
Points of interest:
1. Billy the Kid’s grave near Fort Sumner, NM
2. Most miles ever biked in a single day while bike touring.
Expresses: Unknown
Accommodations: Camper near turned over truck at truck stop near Tulia, Texas
Altitude profile: Very flat with slight downhill and tailwinds
Day 4, Monday, May 13, 1991
Daily Miles: 107.5 miles
Location: Tulia, Texas to Childress, Texas
Points of interest:
1. Tarantula on the outside wall of a 7-11 store
2. A Man gave me a beer.
Expresses: Unknown
Accommodations: Childress, Texas – ½ of night in baseball dugout – other ½ on picnic table
Altitude profile: Mostly flat with unnoticeable downhill (very slight)
Day 5, Tuesday, May 14, 1991
Daily Miles: 90.1 miles
Location: Childress, Texas to 30 miles west of Layton, Oklahoma
Points of interest: None
Expresses: Unknown
Accommodations: Slept under a bridge 30 miles west of Layton, Oklahoma
Altitude profile: Close to flat some hills, more downhill than uphill.
Day 6, Wednesday, May 15, 1991
Daily Miles: 110.9 miles
Location: 30 miles west of Layton, Oklahoma to a couple miles South of Pauls Valley, OK
Points of interest:
1. Nice wooded area with turtles and dead Armadillos
2. Fire flies at night
Expresses: Unknown
Accommodations: Camped at truck stop south of Pauls Valley, OK near highway 35.
Altitude profile: Some rolling hills
Day 7, Thursday, May 16, 1991
Daily Miles: 114.2 miles
Location: A couple miles South of Pauls Valley, OK to 4 miles west of McAlester, OK
Points of interest:
1. Police ID verification in Paul's Valley, Oklahoma
Expresses: Unknown
Accommodations: Camped 4 miles west of McAlester, OK
Altitude profile: Some rolling hills
Day 8, Friday, May 17, 1991
Daily Miles: 79.5 miles
Location: 4 miles west of McAlester, OK to near the top of the pass to Mena, Arkansas in Oklahoma
Points of interest:
1. Motorcycle group party at campground in hills of Oklahoma
2. Sign on the scenic route to Arkansas saying "Trucks Warning; grades of 13% next 21 miles"
3. I saw a Bobcat or mountain lion near the road.
Expresses: Unknown
Accommodations: Camped near the top of the pass to Mena, Arkansas in Oklahoma
Altitude profile: Very hilly, strenuous day.
Day 9, Saturday, May 18, 1991
Daily Miles: 108.6 miles
Location: Near the top of the pass to Mena, Arkansas in Oklahoma to Hot Springs, Arkansas
Points of interest:
1. Bottoms Up Topless Entertainment Club
Expresses: $5.00 Club fee and the rest is unknown
Accommodations: Shamrock Hotel in Hot Springs, Arkansas
Altitude profile: Some hills, mostly downhill
Day 10, Sunday, May 19, 1991
Daily Miles: 87.5 miles
Location: Hot Springs, Arkansas to just east of Fordyce, Arkansas
Points of interest:
1. Hot Springs National Park
2. Lots of flooded farm land
Expresses: Unknown
Accommodations: Camped just east of Fordyce, Arkansas
Altitude profile: A couple small hills
Day 11, Monday, May 20, 1991
Daily Miles: 97.8 miles
Location: Just east of Fordyce, Arkansas to Greensville, Mississippi
Points of interest:
1. Heavy truck traffic and no shoulder to bike on.
2. Bridge crossing the Mississippi River near Greensville, Mississippi.
Expresses: Unknown
Accommodations: Motel in Greensville, Mississippi
Altitude profile: Mostly flat
Day 12, Tuesday, May 21, 1991
Daily Miles: 89.4 miles
Location: Greensville, Mississippi to Yazoo City, Mississippi
Points of interest:
1. Leroy Percy State Park with Alligator pit.
Expresses: Unknown
Accommodations: Slept behind a church in Yazoo City, Mississippi.
Altitude profile: Flat
Day 13, Wednesday, May 22, 1991
Daily Miles: 108.6 miles
Location: Yazoo City, Mississippi to between Raleigh and Bay Springs, Mississippi
Points of interest:
1. Ross Barnett Reservoir Bride
Expresses: $5.00 for 2 bags of groceries, the rest is unknown
Accommodations: Camped under a bridge between Raleigh and Bay Springs, Mississippi
Altitude profile: A little gradual uphill, but mostly flat
Day 14, Thursday, May 23, 1991
Daily Miles: 110.7 miles
Location: between Raleigh and Bay Springs, Mississippi to between Coffeeville and Grove Hill, Alabama
Points of interest:
1. Tombigbee River
Expresses: Unknown
Accommodations: Camped between Coffeeville and Grove Hill, Alabama.
Altitude profile: Little hills, but close to flat
Day 15, Friday, May 24, 1991
Daily Miles: 105.6 miles
Location: Between Coffeeville and Grove Hill, Alabama to Blackwater River State Forest, Florida
Points of interest:
1. Alabama River
2. Man handed me a beer and ginger ale.
3. Florida state line.
Expresses: Unknown
Accommodations: Camped at Blackwater River State Forest, Florida
Altitude profile: Some small hills
Day 16, Saturday, May 25, 1991
Daily Miles: 112.6 miles
Location: Blackwater River State Forest, Florida to Panama City, Florida
Points of interest:
1. At construction zone fell off pavement and broke 6 spokes
2. Panama City, Florida
Expresses: $50.00 for motel, the rest is unknown
Accommodations: motel in Panama City, Florida
Altitude profile: mostly flat
Day 17, Sunday, May 26, 1991
Daily Miles: 72.2 miles
Location: Panama City, Florida to 5 miles west of Apalachicola, Florida
Points of interest:
1. Swimming in the Gulf of Mexico
Expresses: Unknown
Accommodations: Slept on a telephone pole service road about 5 miles west of Apalachicola, Florida
Altitude profile: flat
Day 18, Monday, May 27, 1991
Daily Miles: 103.3 miles
Location: 5 miles west of Apalachicola, Florida to 10 miles west of Perry, Florida
Points of interest:
1. I saw two armadillos
Expresses: Unknown
Accommodations: camped near this road which was about 10 miles west of Perry, Florida
Altitude profile: flat
Day 19, Tuesday, May 28, 1991
Daily Miles: 101.6 miles
Location: 10 miles west of Perry, Florida to Osceola National Forest next to Olustee Battlefield
Points of interest:
1. Snorkeling in a spring at Bradford, Florida
Expresses: Unknown
Accommodations: Camped at Osceola National Forest next to Olustee Battlefield
Altitude profile: mostly flat
Day 20, Wednesday, May 29, 1991
Daily Miles: 107.3 miles
Location: Osceola National Forest next to Olustee Battlefield to St. Augustine
Points of interest:
1. Arriving at the Atlantic Ocean, Neptune Beach
2. Jacksonville Beach
Expresses: $13.00 for Youth hostel, the rest is unknown
Accommodations: Stayed in Youth hostel in St. Augustine
Altitude profile: flat and some gradual downhill
Day 21, Thursday, May 30, 1991
Daily Miles: 18.8 miles
Location: St. Augustine
Points of interest: - All the following are in St. Augustine
1. Old Fort
2. The Fountain of Youth
3, Lightners Museum
4. Flagler College
5. The countries oldest wooden schoolhouse.
Expresses: $13.00 for Youth hostel, the rest is unknown
Accommodations: Stayed in Youth hostel in St. Augustine
Altitude profile: flat
Day 22, Friday, May 31, 1991
Daily Miles: 0 miles
Location: St. Augustine to Plantation, Florida
Points of interest: None
Expresses: Unknown
Accommodations: Stayed at Uncle Joes place in Plantation, Florida
Day 23, Saturday, June 1, 1991
Daily Miles: 0 miles
Location: Plantation, Florida and Fort Lauderdale
Points of interest:
1. Snorkeling at Fort Lauderdale
Expresses: Unknown
Accommodations: Stayed at Uncle Joes place in Plantation, Florida
Day 24, Sunday, June 2, 1991
Daily Miles: 0 miles
Location: Plantation, Florida to Jacksonville, Florida to Dallas, Texas
Points of interest: None
Expresses: Unknown
Accommodations: Slept at Dallas airport floor
Day 25, Monday, June 3, 1991
Daily Miles: 0 miles
Location: Dallas, Texas to Albuquerque, New Mexico
Points of interest: None
Expresses: Unknown
Accommodations: Slept at home in New Mexico