By Matt Stoltz
July 2, 2012
The splendor of Madison!
Well, the trip is finally underway! I’ve been preparing for this trip for the past 11 months, and it’s finally here!
Sunday morning began with my family holding a small send off reception before my departure. Thanks to WSAW Newschannel 7 and The Daily Tribune for both contributing excellent articles! The ride on Sunday consisted of just over 60 miles to a few miles north of Baraboo, WI. The ride was difficult at times, as Google Maps put me on some rough dirt roads. One of which was basically a beach, consisting of mostly sand. I worked my way through those problems and eventually got on some nice roads. Though I could definitely tell where the glaciers from millions of years ago left their mark. The terrain became significantly more rigorous and I consistently switched my gears as I altered from hill climbs to hill declines. Eventually I reached my mileage for the day, and then threw my back into the Saggin’ Wagon for a short drive to Portage, WI where I was scheduled to make an appearance at a local Dairy Queen.
At Dairy Queen they gladly offered both myself and Mitch a free food as we sat at our table promoting ONE WORLD. ONE TEAM and hungrily eating our blizzards. It certainly was quite refreshing! Thanks to the management at Dairy Queen for being extremely friendly and kind as we worked to promote our cause!
Following Dairy Queen, I headed off to my warmshowers.org host Rob Nelson, who was an extremely kind gentlemen. He was hosting another man, Dave, from Canada. It was great to sit back, relax, and chat on his lovely Baraboo home’s porch as evening and dusk settled in. Dave, a biker himself, knew exactly what I needed to eat in carbohydrates, and made a delicious curry and rice, followed by some great ice cream. Dave spoke of his many biking tales, and life up in the woods in Canada, especially shooting those dang muskrats! Dave brought out his accordion and serenaded with some great tunes. It was great to interact with soon to be third grader Matilda who lives near by in the neighborhood. She was extremely friendly, and helpful and gladly took our dishes as soon as we were finished. Thanks Rob, Dave, Maltilda, and Matilda’s mom, Barb, for such a wonderful night!
Today, July 2nd, we arose at 7 a.m. to attend a scheduled appearance at the Hitching Post in Portage, Wi. Once again, the management was so kind, and provided both Mitch and I with splendid omelettes for our breakfast! Crab omelettes are delicious! The waiter even graciously donated her tips up to that point in the day towards our cause! Following the delicious and hearty breakfast we departed to where we left off on Sunday. I lathered on the sunscreen, filled up the water, and was ready to roll.
No major problems with Google Maps, but once again the hilly terrain caused difficulty, but I would much rather climb hills than ride into a headwind. I’m often riding on almost entire backroads with little or no traffic, and encounter plenty of wildlife! Of course some of the wildlife has had bad luck and I often am swerving to avoid a rotting carcass of roadkill that lies in my bike lane. The day culminated with a scenic ride along the shores of Madison’s Lake Mendota, even taking me past the Governor’s Mansion. Soon after, I hopped on the beautiful bike trails of Madison, rated one of the best cities to bike in in the entire U.S. Before I knew it, I had reached my brother’s apartment right next to Camp Randall Stadium, home of the Wisconsin Badgers! That is where I rest now, until a scheduled appearance at the Stadium Bar and Grill only a few blocks away.
Thus far, the trip has been extraordinary, I can’t wait for what is to come. However, my 8,000 calories a day diet is extremely difficult to maintain. My body is not used to consuming so much food, but I know I burn of so many calories especially in the heat. I never thought I’d have a problem eating as much food as I could! I continue to drink water at basically every waking moment to remain hydrated. All in all, I’ll continue consuming every piece of food I get my hands on, and continue gulping down the water!
I’m off to Milwaukee tomorrow! So until then, I’ll just keep pedaling!
For more information and to donate, visit the One World website.
