~BunceMan's TranzAmerican Bike Ride~
Log Entry #11: June 18, 2005
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Day 6: Boise, Idaho to just past Jerome off exit 173 at a KOA campground. THANK YOU, DAVE AND MARY!! The hospitality, the pizza and wine, the conversation.. and your house, too cool!
Dave 'escorted' me to a bike path along the Boise River. According to the map, I could take the path to Highway 21, go right, and get on Interstate 84 heading east. I'd wheeled along about 10 miles and began to wonder when this 'right' was coming up. So I slowed down to ask a couple of women out for a morning walk.
"Hi, I need to get to Interstate 84. Is there a road going right coming up that will get me there?" They looked at each other for a moment, then looked at me and replied, "Where do you want to go?" I couldn't resist and said, "Atlantic City, New Jersey." Not the location they expected, of course, and with a dismissive gesture, they said, "It's over there." I thanked them and wheeled on to a jogger who told me exactly what I needed to know. "There's a big bridge," he said, "it'll take you to 84."
Right, the ISP (Idaho State Police) allows two-wheelers on Interstate 84. Idaho also allows you to ride a motorized two-wheeler without a helmet. Although freeways have wide shoulders with vehicular traffic to the left all going in the same direction, they don't quite have the 'scenic' value of an 'older' highway. You gotta pay attention to stuff. But they are the fastest way to get from point A to B. I tried taking some side roads that seemed to parallel 84, but they would eventually meander in the direction I didn't want to go. So I backtracked a couple of times and ended up back on the freeway.
Freeways. So what else do you look out for and look at?
Whew! A lot of miles. Peggy calls and says I got about 30 to go. I'd already done more than 100. So I seek my ipod, call up Joe Satriani to put some zip in my legs.. it worked. Oh, and thanx Joe, for calling up that nice tailwind...
Day 6 mileage: 144 miles | Peggy Pics |