31, gettin' it done.

Glenwood bridge in the distance, along the Mon River

Yesterday was my birthday. I celebrated by taking the day for myself. I went to a delightful breakfast/brunch at a place known as the Dor Stop, for those not in PA  if you ever stop by head over there. It was featured on Diners Drive-In's and Dives which is how Walthena & I first discovered it. After my breakfast settled I headed out for a ride. The weather was in the mid-50's & sunny, which once I got warmed up was really quite delightful.

I rode on familiar trails, I wasn't feeling all that adventurous. I wanted to work on getting miles in, not getting lost. This ride I was smart enough to eat a trail mix bar ( which was terrible BTW ) about halfway through my ride so I didn't have the same hunger problem as I did last time.

Railroad bridge over the Ohio River

Along the ride I met a very nice local guy, named Chris ( if I remember correctly ). Showed me how a few trails connected to one another. & I was able to explain to him briefly what exactly it was I would be doing this summer.

Riding by myself & now being a bit more comfortable being on my bike with the clipless pedals I was able to notice a few things along the ride I hadn't before, including the dinosaur outside the Carnegie Science Museum, and how great the view is on a bright day headed from the North Shore trail back in towards the city.

I also didn't really think about how bright it was when I left the house yesterday and got myself the beginnings of a sunburn. It's not too bad, just some pink cheeks, allowing everyone to see the exact outline of my sunglasses. I'm slowly but surely working on my Chamois ( cycling shorts ) tan line. Can't wait for that one to develop some more ( take the tone of this sentence as you will ).

LOVE this view!

A leader on our trip, Jack, mentioned a pretty cool fundraising idea. So here goes. Donate just $10, though you are of course welcome to donate more. & I will post a minute long video saying nothing but good, wonderful, delightful things about you. For all those that know me, and how my demeanor is often sassy above all, we know this can be a bit of a stretch, but this is how committed I am to Bike & Build. Soooo...don't delay...CLICK HERE & donate!!! Just shoot me an e-mail, FB message, text, or comment on here to let me know you would like a video in response to your donation. I'll even post them on YouTube for all to see. :)


31 miles today + 88 miles completed = 119 miles / 500, 381 left to ride.

Welcome to Texas...where everything is BIGGER.

While on SUS '12 we will bike through Texas, bip up to Oklahoma for a hot second and then dip back down in to Texas, making it the only state we bike through on two separate occasions during the summer. Things I expect from Texas, based on stalking blogs from last years crew, and my own personal knowledge include: bangin' BBQ (we have a rider looking up all the Diner's Drive-In's and Dives we'll pass along the way), wicked headwinds & a few of the best hosts we'll encounter all trip. Apparently there are a few who have hosted B&B'ers since the beginning & their generosity never fails.

Without further ado...

Carthage, TX

• Carthage is home to the  Texas Country Music Hall of Fame.
• Its city sign boasts the phrase "Best small town in Texas" & its website claims it to be the gas capital of the U.S.
• Jonathon Anderson donated the 100 acres that created the town of Carthage in 1848.

Athens, TX

• Athens boasts the title of "Original Home of the Hamburger" as well as the "Black-Eyed Pea Capital of the World".
• Over 17% of the towns population identifies with being Hispanic or Latino. Despite the Southern Nature of our trip this is the first city we will visit who has a Hispanic population greater than 5%.
• Barring any more route changes we will be in Athens on the day of their Juneteenth Rodeo. & I love me some rodeo.

We'll save Dallas & the rest of Texas for another day (or 2). In the meantime, it's almost my 22nd birthday. If you haven't donated to the Bike & Build cause yet what better gift to me than a donation!? Anything helps, but $22 could be the golden amount. Haha. I've raised about $2500. I don't have an exact total, as I do not have the amount raise from the Applebee's fundraiser yet, but still, $2000 more to raise & only 50 some-odd days to do it. Never for get the old saying "Today is a great day to donate to Bike & Build!"

CLICK HERE TO DONATE!

Another Route Change & Wrapping up LA

So, another route change. Nothing crazy. Ramped up out mileage, up to 3,988 if I remember correctly. A few things got shifted, a build day got moved as well as a day off...the good thing that comes out of all of this is we now have a day off in Yosemite National Park!!! :)

Now, time to crank out our exploration of the last 4 cities we'll hit in Louisiana.

Melville, LA

• The total area of the town is only 1.3 square miles with a population of around 1,300.
• Of this population it is estimated that 40.1% lives below the poverty line.
• The city's levees protect it from flooding of the Atachafalaya River, whose 1927 flood is pictured in the photo as it almost made it to the second floor of the Post Office.

Alexandria, LA

Red River Amphitheater on the Red River

• The city was settled with money from a land grant received by Alexander Fulton, from Washington County, PA
• Home to the Alexandria Zoological Park, a 33 acre zoo first opened to the public in 1926, & home to about 500 animals.
• Alexandria sits in the middle of Kisatchie National Forest.

Natchitoches, LA

Natchitoches Meat Pie served with rice & beans

• Seemingly pronounced Nak-eh-tesh. I'm sure I'll be corrected as I roll in though. :)
• Natchitoches is the oldest permanent settlement in the Louisiana Purchase.
• "Weather-wise, Natchitoches lies in a boundary region that separates the plains of Texas from the consistently humid Gulf Coast. This gives Natchitoches summers a heavy dose of both heat and humidity." Thank you Wikipedia for this delightful nugget of information.
• The Natchitoches Meat Pie is one of the official state foods of Louisiana and is known regionally to be a delicacy. (A list of other officially designated state foods can be found here. )

Elm Grove, LA

• You know a town is really small when it doesn't even have its own Wikipedia page.
• Elm Grove, as well as Natchitoches are located in an area sometimes referred to as Arklatex or Arklatexoma, referring to the area where AR, LA, TX & OK come together to meet, & it is based around the "metropolis" of Shreveport, LA.

Unfortunately the weather for the next few days/weekend seems to sort of suck for riding. It's supposed to rain/storm. Hopefully the forecast is totally wrong as it tends to be in Pittsburgh & I get to go for another nice "long" ride. :)

Greased up & Hungry

 This afternoon fellow SUS '12 rider Emily & I met up for a ride. The weather has been great these past few weeks, but I was assured today by a stranger that Pittsburgh owes us at least one more snow before it's all said & done. That being said, today was bright, sunny, & in the low 80's. This would upset me were it not for the fact that biking provides a DELIGHTFUL breeze.

By the old penitentiary & psyched to have biked there!

Emily & I rode on a few of PGH's great trails. Enjoyed the weather, chatted about B&B & I spent the time trying to become more comfortable with all of my riding accessories. Including trying to drink from my Camelbak while riding...not quite there yet. Haha. Emily & I parted ways after about 20 miles, but I got another 9 in on some familiar trails.

My "casual" pose.

One thing I will say is biking is very different from running (DUH.). Running will make you sweat & you'll be very cognizant of this fact. Biking on the other hand reminds me of swimming. You're sweating, you definitely are, but the breeze keeps it in place, and partially dries it before it has a chance to roll down your face or leg. The other part of this is that biking is dirty. You're moving 10-15 mph and ALL the dirt & grime you are biking over is leaving little bits of itself on your sweaty legs. What a great thought, right? All I'm saying is I'm coming to understand that this summer is gonna get grimy.

My leg post-ride, love me some chain grease. :)

 So, when it was all said & done, 29 miles on McFly today, bringing my grand total to 88. Slowly but surely working my way up to those 500 training miles. Look for a 4 city post tomorrow to finish up all the cities in LA before we head on to TX!

Also, for all those reading this who have a Facebook. I would very much appreciate it if you could share the link to my blog on your FB. It only takes a few seconds & it's a great way to help me spread the word about affordable housing!!!

P.S. I could not possibly have been hungrier following my ride. I thought I might rip the house apart in my kitchen madness to get dinner made before I fainted/ became angry. Chicken parm, ravioli & some cheesy garlic bread, with an appetizer of peanut butter ice cream. If I'm this hungry after 29 miles I can't imagine after 79 miles. Lord help and bless our hosts who feed us. Haha

29 miles today + 59 miles completed = 88 miles / 500, 412 left to ride.

Baton Rouge & Words of Encouragement

Before we explore Baton Rouge, Louisiana I would love to share with y'all some words of encouragement I received from a Bike & Build donor and friend. I've known this kind woman for some years now, but it never fails to lift my spirits & is a great reminder to me, that, even on my worst day I've got many out there who believe in me in my ability to make it across the country. Which I need, 'cause some days I really think I'm out of my mind.

"Well girlie, I am so jealous, I can TASTE it. I would KILL to be with you and your buddies on your ride so when the wind hits your face, and your quads are burning, and the sun is on your back, and you are experiencing the wonder and joy of this unbelievable country that God has made, please think of me and Storm (that's the name of MY road bike) and how much we wish we could journey with you. YOU CAN little one, you can; of that I have NO doubt. Best wishes and may the wind be always at your back, and when it's not, may you cuss like a sailor and beat it ANYWAY! Hugs little one! You are a little rocket my friend. From the first time I met you, you have always exuded confidence (and remember that it's just as important to SHOW it, whether you feel it or not), spirit, and JOY; girl you have JOY! What a trip you are about to embark on; how fun! And no matter how much wind, and heat, and humidity, and cursing both under your breath and screamed OUT LOUD, you will have a memory to last a lifetime and a gift to others that is not easily given. Be proud of yourself little one, be VERY proud and know that when you ride, you carry the spirits of those you help, and the dreams of those (like me) that WISH we could ride beside you but believe in YOU! Sleep well my friend, tonight and all nights! Go girl go!"

Now...on to Baton Rouge.

Baton Rouge, Louisiana

Baton Rouge "skyline"

• Evidence found by archaeologists along the banks of the Mississippi River have dated civilization in Baton Rouge back to 8000 BC, evidence indicates that mounds built there may have been built as early as 4500 BC, almost 1000 years before the building of the Pyramids began.
• Baton Rouge took in more than 200,000 displaced New Orleans residents after Hurricane Katrina.
• The city's motto is "Authentic Louisiana at every turn".
• Baton Rouge is the furthest inland port accessible to ocean tankers and cargo carriers.
• Baton Rogue is home to LSU (Louisiana State University)
• Baton Rogue is the 33rd most congested metro area in the U.S., but "boasts" the 2nd highest population to congestion rank, even higher than LA. (Good thing we'll be riding, not driving!)

Welcome to the "Big Easy"

The en-route city I think I'm most excited about this summer is New Orleans, LA. SUS '12 (Southern US. (my route name)) will spend a total of 6 days in NOLA. 1 day off, to rest our legs/run around and explore as much as we can in 24 hours, & 5 build days! I'm most excited about NOLA for several reasons.

1. My dad graduated from Tulane with his MBA & has talked about how great New Orleans is.
2. After Katrina the city was left in ruins, and still, almost 7 years later has not completely recovered. I'm excited to be able to make an impact, no matter how small, and perhaps help one more person move back into their house.
3. Mmmmm, Cajun & Creole food. Rice & beans anyone? Jambalaya? Thank goodness we'll be biking there. I'll have earned my self a po'boy or 6 and some beignets by the time we make it there. :)
4.  The picture is chalkboard paint on an abandoned house in NOLA. Each line asks what a person wants to do before they die. As the wall is filled it is wiped clean & visitors can start fresh. Candy Chang, the creator, wants to one day create a book of all that has been written. You can check out more about the wall here.
5. Reason #3 repeated. Eat. Repeat. Nom. 

So, time for some facts about New Orleans, LA!

NOLA flooded post Katrina

• New Orleans has several nicknames, NOLA (A combination of New Orleans, Louisiana), The "Big Easy", & some less well known ones include The Crescent City, The City that Care Forgot, Americas Most Interesting City, Hollywood South, & The Northernmost Caribbean City.
• 1 of NOLA's most famous areas include the French Quarter, an area which contains the famous Bourbon St.
• The Port of New Orleans is the 5th largest in the US based on volume of cargo.
• Studies show that approximately 70% of pre-Katrina populations have returned to New Orleans, except, in areas that did not flood that population is 100-110% of the pre-Katrina population.
• The state of Louisiana, rather than have counties within the state have their "version" which they call parishes. New Orleans is part of the parish of Orleans.
• Street cars are still an active method of transportation in NOLA & there are 3 active lines within the city.

St. Charles Avenue

• NOLA ranks 8th in the nation in bicycle & pedestrian transportation & is claimed to be a very bicycle friendly city!!!
• The Canal St. Ferry runs between the heart of the city & Algiers Point across the Mississippi River, and has been running continuously since 1827.
• NOLA boasts such famous people as Tennessee Williams, Ellen DeGeneres, Reese Witherspoon, Tyler Perry, Louis Armstrong, DJ Khaled, Lil Wayne, &  Eli & Peyton Manning.
• The NOLA montage from above includes pictures (clockwise from top left) of St. Charles Ave.,  A streetcar passing Loyola of New Orleans & Tulane University, NOLA Skyline, Jackson Square & the French Quarter.
  
  
  & 62 days 'til SUS '12!

Meet McFly

 This afternoon, after my field trip to the Pittsburgh Food Bank, where me, and 16 other Supply Chain Management majors went for a tour as well as a few service hours. We spent the first 2.5 hours repackaging bulk cereal. Granola came in a HUGE bag, with 600 lbs in each. We took scoops and repackaged into 1-2 lb bags for redistribution to soup kitchens and food pantries so it can then make its way to the hungry people. (Hopefully there will be a few pictures of this to follow).

I'm over to the left of the bin, rockin' the black shirt & repackaging some granola cereal.

One of the biggest problems when there is a lack of affordable housing is that in order to keep a roof over their heads families spend a much higher percentage of their income on housing leaving their food, healthcare, education, miscellaneous, budgets lacking. Many of the people you'll find receiving food are not homeless, but rather those who after securing housing lack the money for food.

After the field trip it was off for a bike ride. So, cycling shorts, shoes, GREEN shirt (so I would have the luck of the Irish), helmet, all the standard stuff you would put on to ride a bike. The emphasis here being it was 70 degrees out, so shorts & a shirt was all I needed! :)

 Took the Birmingham bridge to the Southside River Trail (I think it's called).

Took care to make sure my camera actually had batteries this time...and snagged a few pictures along my ride. This was taken just down river from the 10th st. bridge. I then made my way back up river, past Hot Metal Bridge, and to Baldwin Boro, I took the trail until it ended and found Welcome to  Pittsburgh sign to take a picture with as well.

Probably my favorite part of the ride today, besides checking out some graffiti which I'm always a fan of, was this sticker on the sign in the picture from left, it says Pierogi Powered, and it's a BikePGH sticker. If it wasn't for their awesome free map outlining all the places, trail, road, bike paths, etc, to ride in Pittsburgh I never would have made it today. & of course, I LOVE me some Pierogis. :) *despite the fact that the word is spelled wrong on the sticker*

So, by the time I crossed the Hot Metal Bridge to the Jail trail (Eliza Furnace trail) I had found a name for my man. So...meet McFly. & of course, the man needed a middle name, & he came with a last (Giant, being the brand of bike). I present to you, loyal readers, McFly "Lil' Bit" Giant. Lil' Bit being for when I need just a little bit more to reach the host site, the top of the hill or the west coast.

After my 15 on the bike I ran 6, out of the 12 I planned for. What a poor idea...won't be doing that again any time soon.

15(.10) + 44 miles= 59 miles completed/ 500, 441 left to ride.

Finally...$2000 raised!!!

So after Florida and the crossing of our first state line via bicycle we hit Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana in quick succession. So, today we have Mobile, Alabama (where we'll spend 2 build days!) followed by Biloxi, MS. I'll save New Orleans for it's own post because of how excited I am to spend 6 days in the "Big Easy"!

Mobile, AL

Part of the port of Mobile

• Mobile is the only seaport in Alabama, and is currently the 9th largest port in the U.S.
• A 2007 study determined that Mobile was the wettest city in the contiguous 48 states averaging 66.3 inches of rain per year over a 30 year period. (Take that Seattle!)
• Jimmy Buffet spent a significant part of his childhood in Mobile.
• A recent survey ranked Mobile as one of the 5 most polite cities in America.

Biloxi, MS

Biloxi Lighthouse

• The Biloxi Lighthouse (supposedly one of the most photographed objects in the Southern U.S.) was built in Baltimore in 1848 and is one of only 2 surviving Gulf Coast light houses (out of an original 12).
• Hurricane Katrina hit Biloxi hard in 2005, with a storm surge that was over 27 ft high.
• There are 8 casinos in Biloxi, and gambling here has dated back to the 1940's when the legality of gambling was suspect to say the least.
• Barq's Root Beer was invented in Biloxi, Mississippi, in 1898 by Edward Adolf Barq, Sr.

Welp, that's it for today folks. Also, in other G-R-E-A-T news...I crossed my $2000 fundraising "line" today. Which is just in time for the Friday deadline. Thanks to some very recent donations from Betty Drake (neighbor extraordinare!), Cheryl Jones (awesome cousin!) and Jack Porter (birthday twin! Whaddup March 27th!?)

Panama City to Pensacola; 65 days 'til SUS '12!

The weather was gorgeous today, but I opted to head out for a run rather than a ride after Saturdays harrowing experience riding with my new pedals & shoes. I plan to get some more practice clipping in and out before I head back out on the streets. Trail riding doesn't freak me out, it's the stopping and starting @ stoplights that has me freaked. So...in the meantime, 3 more cities to explore today.

Panama City, FL

And while it's technically Panama City Beach, not Panama City...I couldn't resist.

• Panama City will represent our first time zone crossing of the trip. Panama City is in the Central time zone. I think what that really equates to in B&B terms is for one night we will feel like we were gifted an extra hour of sleep. :)
• The Panama City city website features an affordable housing section, which can be found by clicking here. The city provides a list of affordable housing options as well as provides an after school assistance program for families that may struggle to afford this otherwise.
• Despite their very similar names Panama City & Panama City Beach are actually two distinct cities, albeit right next to one another & in the same county.

DeFuniak Springs, FL

•  Pictured right is the sunset over Lake DeFuniak.
• Lake DeFuniak is one of two naturally occuring perfectly round lakes in the world. (The other is in Switzerland)
• A railroad survey crew came looking for an area through which to place a railroad, it is said they discovered Lake DeFuniak and decided to build a town as well. They named it after Fred R. DeFuniak who held many positions within Louisville & Nashville Railroad

Pensacola, FL
 

• Home to the first U.S. Naval Air Station & the home of the Blue Angels (a well known flight demonstration crew) (pictured left). SUS'ers from years past have said they've been able to see the Angels fly over head!
• Pensacola has several nicknames, a few of my favorites being "The City of Five Flags" due to the 5 governments who have flown flags there (Spain, France, GB, Confederate States, US), my other favorite being the "Redneck Riviera" 
• Pensacola is one of America's first known settlements, with recorded history dating back to 1559

And that's it for Florida, Pensacola is the last city before crossing our first state line & heading to Alabama, followed quickly by Mississippi & Louisiana!!!

You're turning out to be quite the problem child...

This morning at 9 am I woke up, ate a filling homemade breakfast sandwich, put my cycling shorts, some tights & ample upper body wear on, donned my helmet & set off for Pro Bikes in Squirrel Hill. I had a bike fit at 10 am. A bike fit takes a serious look at how you ride, you're measurements, flexibility, honestly, really about everything you can think of, and uses that information to help improve the set up of your bike to best benefit the rider. A fit typically takes 2 hours, mine took 4.  My uber short torso & super long legs & monkey arms proved to be somewhat of an issue. Once we got the seat (saddle) at the right height I struggled to reach the handlebars without shoulder pain. When we got it so I could reach the handlebars my knees hit my elbows on each pedal stroke. Needless to say it took some serious thinking on the part of Gregg & Todd to get everything figured out. Well, I'm pleased to say we have it mostly figured out, but Todd, one of the guys at Pro Bikes wanted to talk to some friends & see if they had ever run into a problem like this, I had pretty much everyone baffled. By the end they were calling me the problem child. Haha.

Because my fit took so long I was unable to meet up with fellow SUS '12 rider Emily. So, after getting some suspect directions I set off to explore the Panther Hollow trail as well as the Eliza Furnace/Jail trail. I got what are called clipless pedals, which is misleading, because these actually allow you to clip in to your bike with special cycling shoes.

The below pictures feature (left) a clipless pedal very similar to my new set, you'll notice they're very small, they have just enough space for the clip on the bottom of the shoe to "hook" in to the pedal. The (middle) picture features a shoe in the process of clipping in to a pedal and the (right) pictures features my new Camelbak Mule. :)

While in the long run this clipless pedal will make me much more efficient with each pedal stroke it is at the current moment PETRIFYING to clip in and out of my pedals to come to a complete stop. I almost fell over into traffic, including a PAT bus, on several occasions. : / Eek. I stopped by some interesting graffiti, leaned my bike up against the wall, & took my camera out of my Camelbak to take a picture, only to discover I really ought to check my camera batteries BEFORE I leave home. So sadly, no pictures of my bike in action.

Now, normally I would explore 3 more cities on our route, but because this entry is already so long we'll keep it to 1 & I'll be back tomorrow to explore some more. Tonight, we explore Apalachicola.

Apalachicola, FL

 

Boats in Apalachicola Bay

• Known by the locals as "Apalach" and was once the 3rd largest port on the Gulf of Mexico.
• Has over 900 historic homes & buildings listed in the National Register District.

One of the 900 Historic Homes

• The taste of the oysters from Apalachicola have been recognized nationally by chefs for their unique taste. They harvest 90% of the oysters in the state of Florida & 10% of the nations oysters.

32.32 miles + 10.85 miles today = 43.17 miles / 500, 456.83 miles to go.

Thursday...almost Friday...Fact.

There have been a few things people have said to me about affordable housing, and more specifically Habitat for Humanity, which is one of the organizations we build with throughout the summer that have alarmed me. One was that this is just another form of charity encouraging people not to work. So...I thought today I would share with you a part of the Habitat "Myth" section which lays several common myths to rest. Enjoy. :)

Myth: Habitat for Humanity gives houses away to poor people.
Fact: Habitat for Humanity offers homeownership opportunities to families who are unable to obtain conventional house financing. Generally, this includes those whose income is 30 to 50 percent of the area's median income. In most cases, prospective Habitat homeowner families make a $500 down payment. Additionally, they contribute 300 to 500 hours of "sweat equity" on the construction of their home or someone else's home. Because Habitat houses are built using donations of land, material and labor, mortgage payments are kept affordable.

Myth: Habitat houses reduce a neighborhood’s property values.
Fact: Housing studies show affordable housing has no adverse effect on neighborhood property values. In fact, Habitat houses have proven to increase property values and local government tax income.


Myth: Habitat homeowners are on welfare.
Fact: While some Habitat homeowners receive Aid to Families with Dependent Children, many more are working people. Typically their annual income is less than half the local median income in their community.


Habitat Myth page can be found here.

This weekend will bring a ride with another SUS '12 rider as well as a professional bike fit & the purchase of some cycling shoes. :) & we'll also explore a few more cities as well, so look for that post. 

73 days, whaddup!?

Alright guys, time to "explore" a few more cities. Also, before we get to that. Finally got around to buying my first pair of cycling shorts this past weekend. Didn't realize how much padding would be in them. They take a hot second to get used to. Essentially, for anyone who was as unaware as I, there is pretty extensive padding exactly in the shape of a bike seat in the crotchular (definitely a word, Google that sh*t) region. Definitely didn't realize that prior to Saturday afternoon. After trying on 178 pairs of cycling shorts, I found one that didn't feel like I was wearing a diaper & also one that didn't look more like capri's on me. So, now, in true Pittsburgh style, it snowed today, however, according to the weather guru's it should warm up later this week, so I sure hope a ride in my new shorts is on the horizon.

AND NOW...ON TO THE CITIES!
On today's list we have: Lake City, FL , Perry, FL & Tallahassee, FL.

Lake City, FL

 

Olustee Park, Lake City, FL

• Lake City is known as "The Gateway to Florida". It's the northernmost FL city that I-75 runs through, a major North to South highway. It's also where I-75 intersects I-10, 75's east to west counterpart, which runs from Jacksonville, FL to Santa Monica, CA.
• Lake City was originally a Seminole village that went by the name Alpata Telophka, meaning Alligator Village. 
• The only major Civil War battle to occur in FL, the Battle of Olustee, has been reenacted   every February since 1976 as a part of the Olustee Battle Festival.

Perry, FL

• 28% of the population is considered to be under the poverty line, including 39% of those under 18.
• The city is named for Madison S. Perry, a Confederate colonel during the Civil War.
• The picture slightly up & to the right is from a couple who biked across FL in 1975. Pretty cool.

Tallahassee, FL

                          Florida's "Old" Capitol building                      

• In 2010 there were 84, 248 households in Tallahassee, 11.2% of those were vacant.
• 24.7% of the population lives under the poverty line.
• Tallahassee boasts the oldest police department in the Southern U.S. (what a vague title), it was founded in 1841. It was preceded in founding only by the cities of Philadelphia and Boston.
• The picture slightly up & to the right features Lake Talquin.

76 days 'til SUS '12!

Okay, with only 76 days until the start of Bike & Build I figured I should maybe do some quick research about the cities we'll be biking to, not just the ones we'll be building in. So, I figured, every day or so until the start of the trip I would research the next few cities on the route list & pass some interesting facts on to you, my loyal readers, as well.

Jacksonville, FL

 The Jacksonville Skyline

• Jacksonville is the largest city by land area in the U.S.
• The average high in May is 85.6 degrees.

• The average wait list time for housing from the Jacksonville Housing Authority for a studio apt is 2-6 months, while the wait for a 1-2 bedroom is 8-24 months. 

Callahan, FL

• +13% population growth in the last 10 years.
• There are only 78.5 males for every 100 females.
• In 2009 the median house value was almost $40,000 less than the FL state median.

Palatka, FL

 One of Palatka's many murals

•  There are more than 31 murals painted on historical buildings around the city. The Conlee-Snyder Mural Committee is dedicated to accurately portraying the history of Palatka as well as Putnam County. A picture guide of the murals can be found here.
• Palatka hosts a Blue Crab Festival every year on Memorial Day weekend. Though we will just miss the festival it hosts lots of blue crab but also helicopter rides & even camel rides!

The forecast for tomorrow calls for steady 20+ mph winds, so sadly my plan of riding to the bike shop to buy more gear just got nixed.

If you know of any must-see's in ANY of the cities were passing through, great places to eat, crazy, wacky things to see, whatever it may be, let me know!

Check out the pictures!

So, as promised two of my past entries have been edited to include pictures & you can find them here and here.

I'm also still working on a name for my bike. Right now I've been toying around with a few names. I feel like the guy needs a first middle & last for sure. It's gotta have that ring to it, ya dig? Pester me with suggestions if you have them. & Check out the picture of the guy in the 2 posts listed above if you need a better idea of what he looks like. :)

Friday Fact...wait it's Thursday...Thursday Fact?

Below are a few startling affordable housing facts, as they pertain to PA & KY. Remember, affordable housing is defined as costing no more than 30% of your gross income on your gross housing costs, this would include rent & utilities.

In Pennsylvania, a minimum wage worker earns an hourly wage of $7.25. In order to afford the FMR (Fair Market Rent) for a two-bedroom apartment ($837), a minimum wage earner must work 89 hours per week, 52 weeks per year. Or, a household must include 2.2 minimum wage earner(s) working 40 hours per week year-round in order to make the two bedroom FMR affordable.

What does this mean? A family with two full time working people/parents making minimum wage still, after working 40 hours a week, 52 weeks a year, could not afford a 2-bedroom apartment at FMR.


In Kentucky, a minimum wage worker earns an hourly wage of $7.25. In order to afford the FMR for a two-bedroom apartment ($634), a minimum wage earner must work 67 hours per week, 52 weeks per year. Or, a household must include 1.7 minimum wage earner(s) working 40 hours per week year-round in order to make the two bedroom FMR affordable.

The story is a little brighter here, with two full time working household members a family in KY could afford a 2-bedroom apartment at FMR.

Thanks to NLIHC for all the great information!