Lollygaggers

 

Three separate groups riding the TransAmerica Trail during the summer of 1999 crossed paths in Virginia/Kentucky and continued riding together all the way to the Oregon coast.

Bruce, Sue, Elizabeth, Susan, Paul, Glen, John, and myself.

A group of very different personalities from different walks of life that just loved hanging out.  Bruce and Sue would make it to campsite first while the others slowly meandered down the road, stopping here and there without any real regard for time or responsibility.  Bruce and Sue always had a bag of ice waiting for us when we finally arrived at the day's destination point.

One late afternoon while riding into campsite, Bruce looked up and announced, "What a bunch of lollygaggers".  And it stuck.

We have stayed in touch ever since and the experience with this group inspired a desire to do it again.

The Northern Tier will not be the same trip.  Its a different group that includes 5 boys and 4 parents.  Greg, Megan, and Laurie - brave.  It will have its own story, own challenges, and different people crossing paths.

Elizabeth and her family are planning to join us on a section of the trail.

We leave this Sunday, with the Gildays, to start this trip.  We are so in a packing frenzy, and our bike panniers are just so small.

This trip is similar to the beginning of the TransAm in that we have all packed too much, and there will be plenty of mail-backs after the first big hill.

And there is a new generation of lollygaggers.

Mike

Crossing the Ohio River from Kentucky to Illinois - TransAmerica Trail 1999.