After being cooped up on a Navy ship with over a thousand men, the author decided he needed a hearty taste of the wide-open outdoors. Driving across the states by automobile could have been a possibility, but it was ultimately decided that the best way to enjoy the many sights would be by bicycle, at a much slower pace. From riding past a stunningly beautiful section of a pine tree forest in Illinois, to pedaling up a steep incline to the top of a mountain pass in Colorado, to being generously offered a ride during a downpour of rain by a man and his family in a school bus in New Mexico, the adventures on the journey were never-ending. The kindness of the American people was amazing and joyful at many stops along the way.