OHIO!!!!

So here I am in Bowling Green, Ohio - Everything has gone well in the past couple weeks. I finished the RAGBRAI in Iowa last Saturday with two great kids - Joe and Sam David - a couple brothers from Nebraska who were super fun to spend the week with. Between seeing Styx live and riding across Iowa with 10 to 15 thousand people, it was a great week. I've been cranking away the past couple days and am hoping to make it up into NY state this weekend. I'll publish more pictures as soon as I can, but right now, I've gotta focus on the riding! If all goes well, I should be in Boston on the 10th of August! Hope everyone's doing well - Can't wait to be home!

Hey - Just have time for a very quick entry! I'm in Douglas, WY at a library right now, and am trying to make it to Lincoln, NE by next Tuesday! I'm going to be hangin in Lincoln with Amanda for a couple days, then onto the RAGBRAI - the ride across Iowa that I mentioned before. I'm off to finish another 55 miles or so today, so I gotta run, but I'll write again soon with some more pictures......although I'm not sure how exciting you'll find Wyoming and Nebraska!

So - I haven't written anything in a while, but the past week or so has been pretty crazy, with lots of miles, and little time for much else. I made it to Jackson, WY last night for the fourth of July. I'm staying with Nathaniel's brother Jason - which has been great - It looks like I'll be here til Monday, because I have to pick up a package at the Jackson post office before I head out. So in the past week or so I've been at hot springs in Idaho, stayed with a great girl in Missoula, randomly met up with my friend Seth's uncle Keith and cousin Emily, and have now put in about 1450 miles - yeehaw. I'm pretty fried from the past couple days. Two nights ago I had dinner at Old Faithful in Yellowstone, then finished the 125 mile day at around 9:30 at night. I made it to Jackson around 4 yesterday and just met some other guys who are doing the RAGBRAI - a bike ride across Iowa starting on the 19th of July. I'm thinking that I may adjust my route to go further North so that I can do that 6 day ride, then maybe come home through Naples, NY! Anyhoo - Hope all is well with everyone! chao - Cameron

oh and the pictures - The one with all the photos is the from the wall of the Adventure Cycling headquarters in Missoula - the snapshot of me is at the very bottom! The rest should be pretty self explanatory - just pretty county!

The Pictures!!!

Soooo - I just made it to Cambridge, Idaho. The last couple of days have been a bit long. I've had some sore legs, but I'm hoping they'll come around in the next few days. My rear derailleur (for those of you who even care) is pretty much crapped out, so I'm hoping to limp it to the next bike shop where I can get a new one. On another note, I had a good birthday dinner last night with a group of bikers from Oregon. They pretty much took me under their wing and invited me to a group dinner where they proceeded to sing me happy birthday. I really wish I could have at least talked to some of you guys that called yesterday, but I guess I'll take what I can get! I'm headed to Council, Idaho tonight, then continuing on towards Missoula tomorrow! Here are pictures from the past week or so. Hope all is well with everyone. - Cameron

Technical Difficulties

Hey all - I'm in Dayville, OR now - almost 450 miles since I left Portland. I'm staying in a church hostel tonight, which was a very welcome surprise - shower, laundry, kitchen, etc. Anyway, since I last wrote, I've left Corvallis and gone through Lebanon, Sweet Home, Tombstone Pass, Saniam Pass, Sisters, Redmond, Ochoco Pass, Mitchell, and now Dayville! You can probably figure out my route from those towns......The reason I say technical difficulties is because I haven't been able to upload pictures, and this computer doesn't seem to be agreeing with it. Anyhoo, I'll upload some pics asap. Hope everyone's well!!!.......I'm hoping to push to Jackson, WY for July 4th! We'll see!

The Pacific Coast!

So I made it to the Pacific yesterday and stayed at Cape Lookout State Park. Today I started inland and just made it to Corvallis......now I'm at around 200 miles so far! I have some good stories about people I've met in the past couple days, but they'll have to wait til next time cause it's time to go get some food and find a place to sleep tonight. Enjoy the few pictures that I've taken in past couple days.

Welcome to Portland

So here I am in Portland, OR sittin' at Mike Riscica's house, with his puppy Molly at my feet. Traveling went smoothly yesterday - Mike picked me up at the airport, fed me a fantastic dinner, and set me up with a spare room to get my stuff together. My bike's together and my paniers are packed - Now it's off to the P.O. to mail some stuff home and to send some things that I won't need everyday a couple weeks down the road. I'll be out at the Coast tomorrow dipping my wheels if all goes well. Hope everyone back East is having a great start to Summer!!! bye for now

Flying to Portland, OR on Tuesday!!!

It's been a while since my last post, but now the trip's really coming up. I'm in Littleton, NH now at my dad's place, and will be here til Tuesday morning. Then I'll be flying from Boston on Tuesday afternoon, getting into Portland around 8:30 that night. I'm gonna be staying for at least one night in Portland with this guy Mike, who I found through this great site - www.couchsurfing.com. On Wednesday or Thursday, I'll be headed out to the coast, dip my bike in the Pacific, then I'll head south for a bit before biking back inland. I'll write again soon.....hopefully with some stories from the first few days of adventure. paz.

hey all!
I just wanted to write a quick message here to let whoever's reading know that I just finished setting up a website for my trip this summer - www.transamericaforkids.com. Let me know if you have any suggestions! Thanks,
-Cameron

I'm new to this blogging stuff, but I thought that it would be a good way to get the word out about my cross country trip and fund raising for Trips for Kids this summer. It is my goal to raise $10,000 for Trips for Kids, an organization that was started in the late 1980s just outside San Francisco, CA. This is a quote taken from the Trips for Kids national webpage (www.tripsforkids.org/national/):

"Trips For Kids National provides the materials, moral support and inspiration that an individual or group needs to help disadvantaged kids discover the joy of mountain biking. Operating in the United States and Canada, we open the world of cycling to at risk youth through mountain bike rides and Earn-A-Bike programs. The more than forty Trips For Kids chapters that we support combine lessons in personal responsibility, achievement and environmental awareness through the development of practical skills and the simple act of having fun."

After learning about Trips for Kids, I got in touch with the founder of the program, Marilyn Price. In March, I am planning to visit the Trips for Kids headquarters in San Rafael, CA for a week, to see how the operation works and go on some rides with local kids. Marilyn has also told me that it will be possible for me to earmark some of the funds I raise to be set aside for starting my own chapter of Trips for Kids in the Pittsfield/Lenox area. I have been in communication with Ken Gonsalves of the Arcadian Shop in Lenox, Massachusetts who has expressed interest in helping me start a local chapter of Trips for Kids in the area in cooperation with the Arcadian Shop. In the next several weeks I will be working on setting up a donation website with various donation levels and rewards! If you would like to donate now by mail, please send cash/check(payable to Cameron Russell and Trips for Kids) to :

Cameron Russell
110 Darrow Road
New Lebanon, NY 12125

Thanks so much for reading, and please contact me with any questions!!!
-Cameron