For ten years I had organized my life around my annual bicycle trips around the United States. Now, I needed a new plan. I wanted to take time to share my story. I planned to publish my book Chasing Spring. I also needed time to build the Bicycle Joy website. I was so used to living outdoors, however, that it was hard to imagine living in a house or apartment. I had also promised myself to never acquire what I refer to as an “immoral polluter” (also commonly called an automobile).
Before tackling the nitty-gritty details of my new plan, I thought it might help if I took some time to try and articulate in broad strokes what my goals are. After listing my goals, I could then turn to the details of my new plan. I was hoping that my plan would be consistent with my goals. Here is what I came up with regarding my goals:
- Live as simply and modestly as possible.
- Cultivate health and fitness with natural foods, strenuous exercise, and sound sleep.
- Seek to become more aware, more understanding, more at peace, and more loving by approaching the great canonical works of art, music, literature, and cinema as scripture.
- Connect with others to share experiences and personal insights.
In short, I needed a life plan that would accommodate my goals, allow me to pursue my various projects, and allow me to continue to live outdoors, ride my bicycle, swim, listen to my favorite music, read the great books, and watch critically acclaimed movies. I also wanted to devote myself to my Flagstaff Film Club in order to engage in interesting conversations with fellow movie lovers.
At the same time, I wanted to exclude those aspects of civilized life that tend to prevent a proper engagement with the world and with my fellow citizens. Mundane activities like cleaning house and maintaining a yard seemed like a complete waste of time compared to listening to the “song of the world” and having conversations with my fellow movie lovers!
During my years touring America by bicycle, I was privileged to visit many beautiful cities. I fell in love with Asheville, North Carolina. I thought Sandpoint, Idaho was one of the most beautiful cities I had ever visited. I also fell in love with Flagstaff, Arizona with its historic downtown, with its bicycle lanes and wide sidewalks, with its majestic Ponderosa pines, and, especially, with its cool, crisp evenings. Even in August, nighttime lows in Flagstaff were in the fifties and sixties! Best of all, the meeting rooms at the Flagstaff Public Library on Aspen Street provided the perfect setting for my film club! If you live in Flagstaff, and are interested in joining the Flagstaff Film Club, just send an email to:
During the winter months, on the other hand, I enjoyed walking on the beach in the beautiful gulf coast town of Port Aransas, Texas. The twenty-five meter, outdoor, heated community swimming pool in Port Aransas was perfect for swimming laps. I am an avid swimmer, so the heated, outdoor pool was very important to me. I also loved hanging out at Coffee Waves, my favorite coffee shop in Port Aransas.
Here is the plan I came up with. I would become a migratory creature. I would spend the five summer months (May through September) in Flagstaff. During October, I would ride my bicycle from Flagstaff to Port Aransas. I would spend the five winter months (November through March) in Port Aransas. Then, during the month of April, I would ride my bicycle from Port Aransas back to Flagstaff.
As I write this blog post, I am enjoying my second summer in Flagstaff. My favorite hangout in Flagstaff is the aptly named Kickstand Kafe. The friendly staff at Kickstand will treat you just like family. At Kickstand, I especially enjoy the comfortable upholstered seating near the fireplace where it is very easy to start conversations with other customers. That’s where I met my good friends Jon and Jodie. My favorite snack at Kickstand is a toasted blueberry bagel with butter. My favorite beverage is an extra hot latte made with whole milk and served in a ceramic cup. Kickstand has a delightful play area that is very popular with children. Kickstand also provides a professional bicycle repair stand complete with tools and an air pump for customers to use! The bicycle repair stand is located just outside the entrance to the coffee shop!
Chasing Spring is published. The Bicycle Joy website is up and running. I have an incredibly beautiful camping spot in the national forest just outside Flagstaff along Hwy 180. When I leave Flagstaff in October, my bicycle route takes me by the Grand Canyon. Life is good! Wait! Strike that! Life is magnificent!
Below, you will find photos of my campsite near Flagstaff. Underneath the photos, you will find turn-by-turn directions for my bicycle route from Flagstaff to Port Aransas, Texas.
Here is my bicycle route from Flagstaff to Port Aransas. Numbers in parentheses refer to the page number for the relevant map in the Rand McNally Road Atlas.
Flagstaff to Port Aransas
1,589 miles
Starting in Flagstaff, Arizona (8)
N 180 Valle, 50 mi
N 64 Tusayan, 22 mi
N 64 Grand Canyon National Park
E 64 Cameron, 60 mi (from Tusayan)
N 89/E 160 Tuba City, 26 mi
E 160 Kayenta, 75 mi
E 160 Teec Nos Pas, 73 mi
E 64 Shiprock, New Mexico (68), 27 mi
E 64 Farmington, 28 mi (Walmart)
E 64 Bloomfield, 14 mi
E 64 Dulce, 71 mi
E 64 Chama, 27 mi
E 64 Brazos Summit, mile marker 193
E 64 Tierra Amarilla, 15 mi
E 64 Tres Piedras, 50 mi
E 64 Taos, 32 mi (Walmart)
E 64 Angel Fire, 24 mi
E 64 Cimarron, 36 mi
E 64/N I-25 Raton, 42 mi
E 64 Capulin, 29 mi
E 64 Clayton, 54 mi
E 87 Texline, Texas (98), 11 mi
E 87 Dalhart, 36 mi
S 385 Hereford, 95 mi
S 385 Littlefield, 65 mi
S 385 Levelland, 24 mi
S 385 Brownfield, 30 mi
S 137 Lamesa, 38 mi
S 87 Big Spring, 45 mi (Walmart)
S 87 San Angelo, 87 mi (Walmart)
S 87 Eden, 43 mi
S 87 Brady, 32 mi (Walmart)
S 87 Mason, 29 mi
S 87 Fredericksburg, 42 mi (Walmart)
E 290 Johnson City, 30 mi
E 290 Dripping Springs, 25 mi
S 12 Wimberley, 14 mi
S 12 San Marcos, 15 mi
S 123 Seguin, 22 mi
S 123 Stockdale, 24 mi
S 123 Karnes City, 25 mi
S 181 Kenedy, 6 mi
S 181 Beeville, 31 mi
S 181 Skidmore, 11 mi
S 181 Sinton, 20 mi
S 181 Taft, 8 mi
S 181 Gregory, 8 mi
E 35 Aransas Pass, 10 mi (Walmart)
S 361 Port Aransas, 8 mi