Acknowledgements

This ride would not have been what it was without the support and assistance of many, many people. So I wanted to reserve a page for shout-outs to all the people who made my ride special.

Friends and family who gave me free lodging

• My cousins Rachel and Chris and their family in Seattle, WA
• My friend Ben in Richland, WA
• My friends Josh and Jesse in Fargo, ND
• My friend Katie in Sussex, WI
• My Uncle Walter and Aunt JoAnn in Niskayuna, NY

Complete strangers who gave me free lodging

• Jim and Christy in Lewiston, ID
• Ethel in Missoula, MT
• Father Odo, Father James, and the monks of Assumption Abbey in Richardton, ND
• Nick in St. Cloud, MN
• Jason in Minneapolis, MN
• Taylor and Cami in La Crosse, WI
• Mike and Kelly in Ann Arbor, MI
• Chris and Anne in Blenheim, ON
• Charlie and Barb in Syracuse, NY

Complete strangers who gave me paid lodging (aka AirBnB)

• David and Katrina in Ellensburg, WA
• Derek in Bismarck, ND
• Guillermina and David in St. Thomas, ON

Friends and strangers who biked part of the route with me

• Christy in Lewiston, ID (4 miles)
• Adam in Missoula, MT (55 miles)
• Taylor in La Crosse, WI (14 miles)
• Adam in Brookline, MA (22 miles)

Friends who gave me moral support by joining me for a meal or a drink along the way

• Rob in Seattle, WA
• Mike in Seattle, WA
• Jesse in Ellensburg, WA
• Josh’s mom Brenda and step-dad Steve in Fargo, ND
• Jamie and Brad in Fargo, ND
• Andrew in Madison, WI
• Katie’s many friends and coworkers in and around Milwaukee, WI— Peter, Tim, Chris, Rahil, and others I’m probably forgetting
• Brad in Kalamazoo, MI
• Dan, Rachel, and Ryan in Amherst, MA

Other long-distance cyclists who gave me advice while I was preparing

• State Senator Will Brownsberger (D-Belmont)
• My cousin Rachel’s father-in-law Brian in Seattle, WA

Media peeps who thought I was interesting enough to interview

• Jordan at KFYR, who also drove all over Bismarck in the process
• Chris, Ryan, and the other guys at Brews, Booze, & Reviews in Fargo, ND
• Grayden at Establish Media in St. Thomas, ON

People and companies who transported my bike

• American Airlines, albeit with a nearly missed baggage transfer in Dallas
• Greg in Cle Elum, WA
• Hertz Car Rental in Great Falls, MT
• A nice family in Steele, ND whose names I forget
• Lake Express Ferry in Milwaukee, WI
• The Detroit-Windsor Tunnel Bus
• Amtrak in Syracuse, NY

Other people who supported me along the way

• The bartenders and/or owners at 89 breweries, 5 wineries, 3 cideries, and 1 meadery for listening to my crazy story
  • Extra props to the ones who comped me drinks and/or crowlers as a result!
• The many locals I chatted with at breweries, bars, restaurants, gas stations, and elsewhere for giving me lots of local information and tips
  • Extra props to the ones who wound up following my Instagram or reading this blog!

People who supported me back home

• My friend Aaron, who for some reason thought this ride was a good idea when it randomly popped into my head over late-night drinks back in April
• My friends Casey, Tom, and Walter for phone conversations during lonely nights on the road
• World Series winner Keith Foulke (Red Sox ’04), who was intrigued enough by this project that he became one of my first Instagram followers
• All the friends who gave me encouragement on Facebook when I was posting from rough patches along the ride
• And of course my parents, who didn’t go completely apoplectic when I told them what I was doing, and who even took me to lunch on the last full day of my ride