From a barnes&noble hotspot..

It's day 5 of my trip! I've made it to Philadelphia & decided to stay the night. Going to pick up a rear rack and some water bottles today & then it should be smooth sailing down to NC through Virginia. Haven't decided if I'm going to go into DC yet.

The areas I've been passing through have been a bit too busy for my liking. I chose the route I did mainly due to the fact that I've always wanted to see Cape May, southern NJ shore & Philly, but now I can't wait to be out of here. The mosquitos have left a bad taste of Jersey in my mouth anyway, as my days have consisted of either riding or hiding in my tent from the hundreds of mosquitos buzzing around it. I've become quite good at setting up camp in under 2 minutes though.

My first "camp" spot was a beach side pavilion near Seaside Heights. A police cruiser came by late at night but I doubt he saw me. I was woken up at 6 in the morning by a lady walking her dog; asking me if I'm alright. I told her I was, turned around and slept for another hour.

Second night around I slept near a commercial for-sale building, and the third a power-line clearing. Camping has been one of those nagging worries that I had before leaving, but it turned out to be no problem at all. Every hour I pass dozens of suitable tenting areas that would kept me away from the public eye while providing a quiet nights rest. I did stop at one camp ground though just to ask what they were charging. Turns out 50 bucks doesn't go far these days; it'll get you a 10x10 section of dirt for one night.

While on the road my competitiveness keeps my speed up. I don't know who or what I'm racing against, but seeing anything below 15.5mph on my Garmin is unacceptable. Surely the road will beat me up over time and I will naturally slow down, but for now the fact that I'm dragging a 50 pound trailer behind me seems to have no impact on my mental stubbornness. The terrain in New Jersey has been all flat, with bridge crossings peaking in elevation.

When I first started my tour I had zero miles logged in with a handle-bar bag and a trailer. After 40 miles I finally got the hang of pedaling while standing (and not wobbling like a crazed drunk) and came to terms with my lack of available acceleration. I took both bags off for the first time today and couldn't keep my handlebars straight. All I could think was; "My handlebars can turn this fast? Damn." Soon enough I got adjusted to the feel and was pacing cars just like back in NYC.

The first part on my trip- integration, (ie. setting up a routine, planning my route, bag organization, gear testing) is complete. Now that I've got everything under wrap I'm ready to really start enjoying my new care- free adventure. Will try to get some more photos up soon! Thanks to everyone for your support. -W