Update



Look at the map below and you will see Waterman's
Tavern below Providence, RI as one of the encampments
of the the French in 1781, this pic is my standing in front
of Watermans Tavern which is now a private home.
Isn't that cool!



Hey all, working my tail off here in Kansas to bring in funds so I can get back up to the East Coast. It is not easy following your dreams and keeping the bills paid.

I am still fundraising for the Expedition (s). If you would like to help out I would be grateful. Remember, I am doing this as a volunteer. Mapping out the first bicycle route on the Washington Rochambeau Revolutionary Route!

Mapping out a bike route on a National Historic Trail, remembering sacrifices made by the American Revolutionary Soldiers so we could have the Liberty and Freedoms we so enjoy today, and promoting alternative transportation-the bicycle- for travel and transportation.

NEXT: I am talking with local communities along the W3R abut promoting tourism to their areas via the Bike Route.

I will be meeting with Eric Weis of the East Coast Greenway Alliance regarding the routes thru downtown Providence and Hartford, CT. I plan to complete the state of CT and NY in Early September, and if all the funding comes together with your help the rest of the route in time for the Anniversary of the surrender of the British to General Washington on October 19th in Yorktown, VA.

Thank so much to Shawna Beckner, Whitney Bartelli, Freeman Smith, and Stephanie Smith for their recent donations.

Peace, Bill

Adventure Cycling Association: Historical Bike Routes: The Possibilities Are Endless!

Adventure Cycling Association: Historical Bike Routes: The Possibilities Are Endless!

Expedition update Happy Fourth!!!!

My friends at Joy Homestead! I camped here for
two nights!


 Lots to share! OK, where do I start?!
First, great news! Rhode Island has the first W3R Bike Route from Newport to the CT border on at Route 14A from the Cycling W3R Expedition, there may be some minor adjustments, but it is a solid route!

It is a great route!

Now, you all are adults and need to get the truth about what is happening, so here you go ( if you are a contributor or sponsor feel free to call me and I will give you an exact accounting) due to lack of original expedition funding, and some unforeseen loss of business one of my clients experienced(therefore I did not get paid). I have made the decision to complete the expedition into sections-one or two states at a time to complete the mission. Everything happens for a reason. :)



This is Waterman's Tavern, one of the 1781
encampments. This is the family who
lives there now.


I will still be fundraising until the expedition is complete. So if you would like to contribute please do!

Since I completed Rhode Island, I have come back to KC to get money coming into my business for the next sections. But if someone handed me a check to cover the trip I would head right back up the W3R and finish it! (Please call me if you have questions about this!)

This last week has been on of the greatest in my life! This expedition is much bigger than I than I could have imagined! The route, the history, and the people.



old barn on rt 12

 The route is gorgeous. Part of my bike route is on the official W3R driving route marked by signs and land marks. The cities will need to be handled with more care than the countryside. By the way-I am looking for local cyclists who can guide me through, Waterbury CT,  Hartford CT, Baltimore MD, and Washington DC.

The history of Rhode Island is INCREDIBLE. Spending time with historians, business owners, and cyclists, everyone has stories to tell, that are relevant to the expedition.

The people. Oh my God...the people of Rhode Island are glorious! From Peter Rice of Newport to Lydia Rapoza of Joy Homestead in Cranston, Dianna, also Bill Downing also of Cranston, all of which I will be writing about in the next few days in the travel narratives.

At the CT border- my next state!

What I did not fully understand about the Cycling W3R Expedition, until I actually started it,  is the the enormity of the project, the bike route is one part, the people another. When the French were Marching in 1781 they were treated with the same kindness as I. The Washington-Rochambeau Revolutionary Route (W3R) is the embodiment of America, and like a fine wine it should be taken in slowly so as to experience its past and present.

OK, that is enough for now. Look for the posts to come, and let's get me back up to complete the CT route ASAP! :)

Peace, Bill





Update

Hey all, sorry have not been able to get online for the blog. Dealing with some issues.

Yesterday turned out to be a beautiful morning in Newport. I left at 10 pm from the Rochambeau statue.. I got a great route which I will share shortly! Everything went great up to Providence, and then, I got lost three times following signs, not being able to find the street I needed to follow, and could not get good directions from locals. I was hot and tired and late to a reception at Joy Homestead., so made the choice to call for a ride.

So the issue is what about the other major cities and what do I do for a route? So it instilled doubt that I should be rolling solo into the big cities? So I am thinking of options for this issue. I knew this may be issue for future travelers of the route.

So the other issue is money, I let you all know that one of my clients could not pay me, because they lost 50% of their business, so the money I was counting on to help pay for the this trip is not coming in, so I had to take a loan out to cover the funds I could not raise, and not feeling the pressure of the additional debt.
So I started to think about my return and needing to deal with. So feel the need to generate the income.

So what I am thinking now is instead of doing all the states at once, do them peicemeal, at diffent times so I can spend more time in each state and then put all the peices together. Maybe give each state 3-4 days so I can do a thorough route, rather then rushing it.

I thought of this because I have spent three full days here in Rhode Island, and have had a great time meeting people in Newport, the towns up to Providence, and the and the great folks from Joy Homestead. I have spent hours with the people talking aobut this trip and the history of the trail. for example today, after a huge breakfast of Johnny Cakes, eggs, ham, beans, blueberry muffins and hot coffee, Lydia, my host and Dianna, my new cook, followed me to the CT border, it was so awesome! I got to ride on the original roads Rochambeau wrote about in his journals! And the girls tooks lots and lots of picks I will post when I get them. I then rode south to the East Coast Greenway route to explore that. Yesterday rode 42 miles today about 46. I feel good physically.

So, without anymore rambling, I am trying to figure out if I am going to continue for the entire time or cut it short and come back stronger, and break the expedition up into sections. Sorry if I inconvienced anyone, but sometimes trips like this have unexpected issues.

Will be in touch tomorrow!

I am alive and well in Rogues Island (That is what the Kind George of England use to call the the Rhode Islanders!) Btw, I am sitting in the Governor Sprague Mansion in Cranston writing this out! I have gotten some really great writing material from all these historians I am hanging with.

Peace, Bill