The Road Taken

Rediscover the sense of wonder and adventure as you ride across the United States along with Bryan, Stig, Bill, Hal, and Vaughn. Rediscover the hospitality of strangers. Remember the joy of overcoming your own self-doubts and proving your mettle to those who say you don't have what it takes. Revisit the natural beauty of America from the seat of a bicycle and rekindle your sense of wonder.

In 1972, five college graduates set out on a remarkable transcontinental bicycle journey from North Carolina to Oregon. This true story of determination, camaraderie, and finding strength and kindness of strangers along the way invites the reader to recall or imagine the the beauty of America and of finding yourself on the journey.

Presented in a daily-journal style, The Road Taken brings the gritty reality of the hard work of the journey into focus while remembering that any quest requires attention to the goal. Read along as the cyclists get separated along the way, inviting you to join not one, but two incredible stories of biking across America.

Forward

Introduction

Chapter One: Hatching the Plan

Chapter Two: Graduation Plays a Role

Chapter Three: The Odyssey Begins For All

Chapter Four: Separation Anxiety

Chapter Five: A New Start For Stig

Chapter Six: The Trio Heads Out West Without Stig

Chapter Seven: Stig Tells His Story - He Can Do It Alone

Chapter Eight: The Trio Climbs the Rocky Mountains and Beyond

Chapter Nine: Stig's Home Stretch From Lolo Pass to Portland

Chapter Ten: The Trio's Home Stretch

Chapter Eleven: Road Warriors: Summary Reflections

Epilogue: What Happened to the Five Bicyclists

Appendix: How to Plan a Long-Distance Bicycle Journey