Day 18 Gillette to Newcastle, Wyoming – 78.4 Miles

Gillette, Wy., to Newcastle, Wy.

The idea that a normal person like myself could actually ride a bicycle across America is quite amazing.  I am just thrilled to have the time and energy to pursue this amazing experience.  So far, during this Big Bike Ride Across America, the daily mileage can be achieved by most people with a good fitness level.  At the end of each day, I feel tired and worn out.  We are well fed on this bicycle tour, so I often feel like I am overeating.  I am not complaining, but the meals have been an amazing source of fuel for the high mileage.

The other part of this experience that I appreciate are the slices of Americana that we see every day along the way.  The small towns with tidy houses.  The warm front porches with swings were people sit and visit with each other.  The local coffee shops and cafés have the sweetest people who talk to us and are happy to see us pass through their town.  These small town Americans have a strong sense of pride in themselves.  You can see it in their schools and the way they honor their local soldiers.  The people and places we are touching have been an amazing source of “belonging” to the American citizenry.