In 2005, I rode across the US, and in preparation for that trip I stumbled upon an amazing organization...Warm Showers. Started in 1993 by Terry Zmrhal and Geoff Cashman, Warm Showers is a world-wide hospitality service offered to touring cyclists. Through a dedicated group of volunteers, the site at www.warmshowers.org offers an online way to set up lodging when you are touring. As an organization, it has undergone several leadership changes and over time has evolved into a sophisticated network of people who offer their homes, their knowledge about routing, and sometimes even their food to traveling cyclists. I stayed with 6 Warm Showers hosts on my Coast-to-Coast ride, and still remain in contact with a handful of them. What a delight!
We will be extremely fortunate on this trip...out of the 50 states...we have Warm Showers hosts in 24...and friends in another 4 states. We will be using public and private campgrounds for the remaining 22. I couldn't be happier about that. I am forever grateful to the Warm Showers hosts for their willingness to share their backyard, let us rinse the dirt and sweat off our weary bodies, and give us ice for our water bottles. I have already been in contact with several of them about the routing in their particular state, and it is a big load off my mind to know that at the end of most days, we won't be scrambling for a tent site.
maybe you can't...because you won't...
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