Oh, So Close!

Last Flat – 10 miles from Santa Monica Pier

Book-writing Update

Book writing, like bicycle touring, or any long journey for that matter, can be tough at times. This is particularly true near the end, just before you get the adrenalin rush (hopefully) when you can see the finish line. And so, here we are. But we are cruising now!

This week we reviewed edits for Chapter 8 – State of Arizona and the Introduction. Chapter 9, our last chapter is off to our editor. Upon return of the Introduction for our review, Mr. Editor Guy told us “Good job on this, you guys. This is exactly what you needed to do here.” High praise from the guy we pay to fix our mistakes. We are spending a lot of time now wordsmithing to make the book more readable and revisiting many of the early chapters as we can finally see the whole as a sum of the parts. Although we are both exhausted, this phase of the project is very gratifying.

Our youngest daughter, Alex(andra), was visiting from south Texas last week and was working remotely while we were working from our home office. More than once, Alex said, “Do you guys work all the time?” No, Alex, it just seems like it lately. When it’s your book it is hard to do anything other than your absolute best.

The book will include several dozen photographs. As they say, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” While many of the pictures are of us and the sights we saw, some include pictures of other people. To use pictures of others in the book we need to secure written permission. This week we have been reaching out to these people to get it. We have not received a no yet!   

Peter is tackling the last section of the book – the epilogue. An epilogue is a literary device that functions as a supplemental, but separate, part of the main story. It is often used to reveal the fates of the characters in a story and wrap up any loose ends. Ours begins with recovery days in California with Rick, our journey by train home, making new friends on the train, returning to Green Bay, and bicycling and life experiences after our return. Our lives are definitely not boring!

Endorsements

We reached out for an endorsement from Fran Houser, an amazing woman we met on our bicycle trip. Fran was the owner of the Sunflower Station in Adrian, Texas and the model for “Flo” one of the cars in the 2006 Cars movie. We only spent about an hour with her on our trip, but the connection was immediate, and she continues to follow us and comment on our Facebook posts.  

Fran happily agreed to endorse our book and allow us to use this great picture of her and Tracy in the book.

Fran, Tracy and “Flo”

Fran is now living in Amarillo, Texas (near the Cadillac Ranch). She will turn 80 shortly and has fond memories of our visit. It was so fun to catch up with her, she is still so full of life! 

Videos:

cutting-thru-two-mountains-near-kingman-azDownload

entering-los-angles-ca-areaDownload

cruising-downhill-into-williams-azDownload

aquaduct-crossing-on-pacific-electric-bike-trailDownload

Santa Fe Trail – A Brief History

“Between 1821 and 1880, the Santa Fe Trail was primarily a commercial highway connecting Missouri and Santa Fe, New Mexico. The route was pioneered by Missouri trader William Becknell, … Not surprisingly, others got into the trade soon after Becknell, and by 1825 goods from Missouri were not only being traded in Santa Fe, but to other points farther south as well.

From 1821 until 1846, the Santa Fe Trail was a two-way international commercial highway used by both Mexican and American traders. Then, in 1846, the Mexican-American War began… After the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo ended the war in 1848, the Santa Fe Trail became a national road connecting the more settled parts of the United States to the new southwest territories. Commercial freighting along the trail boomed to unheard-of levels, … The trail was also used by stagecoach lines, thousands of gold seekers heading to the California and Colorado gold fields, adventurers, missionaries, wealthy New Mexican families, and emigrants.

In 1866, just a year after the Civil War ended, an unprecedented period of railroad expansion began in the new state of Kansas… by 1873, two different rail lines reached from eastern Kansas all the way into Colorado. … the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad, reached the top of Raton Pass (at the Colorado-New Mexico border) in late 1878… Then, in February 1880, the railroad reached Santa Fe, and the trail faded into history.” (https://www.nps.gov/safe/learn/historyculture/index.htm)