Dwagenheim

Throughout the night, my appreciation for comfy bed grew as I tossed and turned to keep from being sore on one side. I woke up early, but I am not sure how early, as I still have no watch. It was slowly becoming light out as I put away my things and fixed my bike for the road. It was a nice east ride into Raymond. I passed many tree farms and was passed by many logging trucks on the road. When I got into Raymond, I gave Dan and Barb a call and they directed me to their house. Dan met me half way up the steep half-mile uphill drive to his house and offered me a ride but I declined since I really hadn’t had much of a work out today. I met Barb, who was preparing food for dinner, and then toured the property on this nice sunny day with Dan. Much of their property is tree plantation. There were a few old cedar trees and some big spruce trees. We took a swing on a nice rope swing set up on a tall tree in the woods. Dan and Barb also have horses and a nice duck pond. It was great catching up with Dan after working with him about a year ago. He asked me if it would be Ok to call the local paper to see if they’d be interested in writing a story on my trip. I said sure and around 3pm, I met Jen from the Willapa Harbor Herald. We talked about my journey, the memorable moments, and the experience and then she took a photo of me and my bike. It will be interesting to see how the first news story on my trip turns out. Later in the day, Dan’s mom and dad came over. Dan’s dad has Parkinson’s disease and has a hard time controlling his movements but he could still communicate well and it was nice hearing about some of his experiences as a fisherman. I decided to make my Dad’s famous chocolate chip cookies for everyone. They were a hit the last two times and I was sure they’d go over well with this crowd. We had a great feast with Cornish game hens and rice and veggies. After dinner, we enjoyed cookies and pumpkin pie for dessert. Dan and I went out and had a great conversation while enjoying a nice bonfire. Dan said it best, “I like my lattes in the morning and my bonfires at night, and whatever happens in between is Ok”. After some sleepytime tea, it was sleepy time for me after a bit of internet. I sank right into the nice bed they’d provided for me. (26 miles)

Peace

Dave

Dwagenheim

Pic: Big fat logging trucks loading up

Dwagenheim

Pic: Big fat logging trucks pass me by on the road

Dwagenheim

Pic: Raymond displays unique metal sculpures around town

Dwagenheim

Pic: Dispite obvious distractions, Dave sticks to the planned route.

Dwagenheim

Here's the write up I recieved in the Willapa Harbor Herald:

Cyclist makes a stop in Raymond
By JENN TODD
Bicycling enthusiast, Dave Wagenheim, is on a mission to ride his bicycle nearly 15,000 miles from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to Tierra Del Fuego, Argentina. Wagenheim began his trip on June 18, and he stopped to visit Raymond residents Barb and Dan Hansen last week.
Wagenheim, originally from Miami, Fla., has never been much into bicycling. “This is my first major bike trip,” Wagenheim said. “I bought this bike about a year ago, and it’s my first real mountain bike.”
Wagenheim took a 450 mile trip around South Florida last year as part of his training for this trip.
Wagenheim works as a fisheries biologist, which is how he met Dan Hansen. “I met Dan about a year ago, when I worked with him on his fishing boat,” Wagenheim said. “We’ve kept in touch via email, and they’ve been generous enough to put me up for the night.”
Wagenheim was only in Raymond for one day. He left the area last Wednesday and is heading south towards Astoria, Ore. This adventure has taken him about 4,000 miles so far. “The highlight of my trip so far has been people’s generosity,” Wagenheim said. “I broke down a couple of days into my trip and had to hitch a ride into Fairbanks to get my bike fixed. People have been really good to me so far.”
Wagenheim estimates that the trip will take him about a year and a half to complete. “Originally I thought it would take me about 10 months. I’ve heard of people doing it in 10 months, but I’m having way too much fun seeing the sights and meeting people on the way,” he said. “I’ve seen so many beautiful things so far. My goal isn’t necessary getting from point A to point B, but more the journey in between. I may take a lot of side trips on the way. It could take a lot longer than I planned.”
Wagenheim is hoping to reach San Diego, Calif. by December. He said he plans to go back to work in January, then start his trip back up around April. “I want to start back up in San Diego in April and head towards Mexico,” he said.
“I really look forward to going back to Argentina,” he said. “I may stay a while once I get there.”
Shortly after he decided to cycle the Americas, Wagenheim tried contacting an international organization about sponsoring his trip so he could raise funds for their cause. The organization declined due to liability reasons. Wagenheim is still interested in finding ways to use his trip to contribute to a worthy cause.
Wagenheim has developed a wonderful website dedicated to his journey. Visit www.cyclingtheamericas.org to find out where he has been and where he is heading.

Story ideas, questions, or comments may be addressed to Assistant Editor, Jenn Todd at jennt@willapabay.org, by phone (360) 942-3466, fax (360) 942-3487, or mail at PO Box 706, Raymond, WA 98577.