Chris married the lovely Corrie Thompson on September 13, 2008 in Washington, D.C.
I moved to Seattle a few days after the wedding and am now happily commuting all over the city on my bike. More stories are now being told here: http://nuckolsandwich.blogspot.com/
Saturday, November 1, 2008
Saturday, May 3, 2008
THE BORDER
I'm going to blame the fact that is has taken me 9 months to write the final post for this blog on the fact that I didn't have a working computer - and thus a good place to download the final pictures - until a week ago. Repeatedly, people have come up to me and asked, "So did you make it to the border?" I apologize for all the unresolved suspense but yes, we did make it! We were able to cut out about 15 miles of industrial L.A. thanks to Uncle John Nuckols and his purchase of a bike rack. Our final day of riding, we started from San Elijo Beach - a 10 minute drive from my parents' house - and went the 50 miles to the border. Mom picked us up at 2pm and that night we had a huge party at our house. For weeks, we doubted whether we had time to make it all the way to Mexico since I already had a plane ticket back to New York. We're not really sure how all the mileage fit in, but somehow even without excess stress or enormous pressure, we made it. 
The border itself was crazy. While the American side is desolate with few paved roads, the Mexican side is built up all the way to the fence. I could have reached my hand through and touched the beach-goers on the other side. We had a fascinating conversation with a Border Patrol officer until he got a call and zipped off in his beach. He said that he has the most exciting job in the world because everyday there's something different: fence-jumpers, swimmers, boaters, sprinters, etc. For security reasons, he wouldn't let us take his pictures, but he did say we could photograph his jeep. Later, I saw someone on the Mexican side speaking into a walki-talki with his eyes on our new friend's jeep. I wonder what he was plotting.
Nine months later, I still have the remains of a bad tan-line on my leg and I still get homesick for the road. I'm hoping to do cross country, the Lewis and Clark Trail or New Zealand. Anyone want in?
Friday, August 10, 2007
Road Hazards
1. Naked Men
Early one morning, just outside of Big Basin, we saw a naked man standing on the side of the road. He was facing us. He had a hose attached to his van and he was showering. Again: naked man facing oncoming traffic.
2. Broccoli
Somewhere in California, a vegetable truck had an accident, and we had to swerve to prevent a broccoli-induced wreck. Some cars were not so lucky, and for maybe a hundred yards, squished broccoli guts covered the road.
3. Grime
This is what happened to Chris' hands while he was changing his tire. The road dirt also got in the creases of our knees, elbows and necks.
4. Closet Items
Shoes were everywhere, as were all sorts of other random clothing items that caused dangers in the shoulder of the road.
5. Bugs
When you take a road-trip in a car, you have a windshield to protect you from the onslaught. But we just had our faces. Bugs found their way into our mouths, noses, ears and even behind our sunglasses. Some got stuck in the crevices of our helmet. Some bruised us. "Elephant bugs," as Chris called them, often flew at us with such velocity that they left marks on our clothes and bodies.
6. Road Kill
Here is a PG version of road kill - we'd thought it would be more appropriate to post. But we saw a lot worse on a daily basis. The worst: a disemboweled giant opossum.
7. Ridiculous Tan Lines
These weren't necessarily a hazard of the road but a consequence of it. Contrary to what strangers may ask, this is not a spray tan gone bad. This is the real deal.
Early one morning, just outside of Big Basin, we saw a naked man standing on the side of the road. He was facing us. He had a hose attached to his van and he was showering. Again: naked man facing oncoming traffic.
2. Broccoli
Somewhere in California, a vegetable truck had an accident, and we had to swerve to prevent a broccoli-induced wreck. Some cars were not so lucky, and for maybe a hundred yards, squished broccoli guts covered the road.
3. Grime This is what happened to Chris' hands while he was changing his tire. The road dirt also got in the creases of our knees, elbows and necks.
4. Closet Items
Shoes were everywhere, as were all sorts of other random clothing items that caused dangers in the shoulder of the road.
5. Bugs
When you take a road-trip in a car, you have a windshield to protect you from the onslaught. But we just had our faces. Bugs found their way into our mouths, noses, ears and even behind our sunglasses. Some got stuck in the crevices of our helmet. Some bruised us. "Elephant bugs," as Chris called them, often flew at us with such velocity that they left marks on our clothes and bodies.
6. Road Kill
Here is a PG version of road kill - we'd thought it would be more appropriate to post. But we saw a lot worse on a daily basis. The worst: a disemboweled giant opossum.
7. Ridiculous Tan Lines
These weren't necessarily a hazard of the road but a consequence of it. Contrary to what strangers may ask, this is not a spray tan gone bad. This is the real deal.
Friday, July 27, 2007
The Arrival
Thousands of screaming fans with banners and posters lined the streets of Encinitas as the cyclists climbed the last rise into the center of town. Jen raised her arms in triumph as if she had just won a stage in the Tour de France......
Well, ok, there were at least two friends with posters, a couple of random girls cheering and mom and dad with cameras....but it felt like the Tour de France. After a long ride it was great to see Jen and Chris so close to the end. They were rejoined by Amy (and her dad) and decided to spend one more night camping even though they were only about 3 miles from home. Next stop, the Mexican border.
Well, ok, there were at least two friends with posters, a couple of random girls cheering and mom and dad with cameras....but it felt like the Tour de France. After a long ride it was great to see Jen and Chris so close to the end. They were rejoined by Amy (and her dad) and decided to spend one more night camping even though they were only about 3 miles from home. Next stop, the Mexican border.
The Last Supper
Back when we started the trip, we had visions of posting every day, about various themes and occurences and such. In my head, one of our early posts was going to be titled "The First Supper" and would give an account of our 1/2 off Italian dinner the night before we started 'really' riding.
Well, posts didn't happen like we thought they would, but the trip continued in spite of that (for some of us, anyway- ha ha). Yesterday my dad and I met up with Jen and Chris for one more day of riding and night of camping. It was a great, exhausting ride followed by a hero's welcome from Jen's family, friends, and supporters.
The trip came to a close, in many ways, just as it began. All three of us were there, Chris lost his wallet, and something else happened that seemed significant at the time but I can't remember now. How's that for storytelling.
Congratulations Jen and Chris!!
Well, posts didn't happen like we thought they would, but the trip continued in spite of that (for some of us, anyway- ha ha). Yesterday my dad and I met up with Jen and Chris for one more day of riding and night of camping. It was a great, exhausting ride followed by a hero's welcome from Jen's family, friends, and supporters.
The trip came to a close, in many ways, just as it began. All three of us were there, Chris lost his wallet, and something else happened that seemed significant at the time but I can't remember now. How's that for storytelling.
Congratulations Jen and Chris!!
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