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May 25 is Parker's 6 month birthday and the begining of his 3,784 mile bike ride across the United States of America. The
youngest to ever attempt such an epic tour.
Our Mission
Parker wants to raise money to try to keep access to trails open so he will be able to bike and hike when he is old enough.
Trail closures in his hometown and other areas are keeping kids from riding to school and accessing public land. Please help
with your tax deductable donations and always vote for trails.
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Becoming a Member
Send your donations to:
IMBA
Po Box 7578
Boulder, CO 80306
Write Parker Thompson on the bottom of the check.
We
suggest one penny per mile (37.84)
Any amount will help!
IMBA.COM CLICK HERE
FLAGSTAFFBIKING.ORG CLICK HERE
8/29/03
hey we are late in updating our final day. Yea we arrived in Williamsburg on the 21st, indeed the longest mileage day of
the entire trip: 84 miles and what a wonderful city to rest. We were expecting Jim Schwarz and he did meet up in the evening
with fresh fruit and the van! The next day is the finish to Yorktown, a short but sweet 11 miles each way. So we
had a sleep in morning, breakfast and then a ride along the colonial parkway ( which is stone pavement, a bit rough to ride
) into the end-zone and to the victory monument. No crowd to greet us but some tourist to shout : we're here !!! A beautiful
town to explore and we did spend time at the Nelson house, circa 1675 and an air-conditioned stop into history. This house
had 28 step staircase and Parker out did himself 4 times up and down, can't slow him down! Then to the Yorktown pub for seafood,
cervases and more bragging. Next across the street into the ocean for a salt water refresher and more visiting there. About
6:00 p.m. back to the hotel and I cannot believe that last 11 miles felt like 2 or 3. We have become one with the bike.
We'll miss it until our buns heal and then we will get back to riding around Flagstaff. We spent 2 days in DC and the museums
and a great trip to the neighborhood of Dupont circle, just a great finish to a long trip. Karen's and Parker's first
trip to DC and not our last ( the white house seems so small ! ) Today we are in Morgantown at Mike's sister Terri's house
and she is hosting our victory party and we have lots of food and Margarita's. We are happy and excited to report
the end of this trip and 3938 miles to pedal coast to coast of this fabulous country. We promise to get the pictures
ready and up on the site when home, so many to share you and we hope you'll continue to view the site. We hope to still raise
more money for the trail access cause. still very important to us. Thank you so much for your support...Karen
7-15-03
News from the middle of Kansas, a wonderful
place to visit! We are resting today after a long hot one yesterday. Temps daily are 107!!! We are making big mile days and
start before 6 AM and finish before noon if possilbe. Yesterday we holed up in Rosalia at the only cafe until 6:30 and it
was still 105. So know we know, the heat is not over until the sun is totally down. We had been invited to saverals homes
along the way since I last updated. In Nickerson, we want to thank Brenda B and her family for the afternoon spent poolside
cooling off and learning about the area, and I good recipe too. Then we want to thank the Trinity Heights Methodist Church
in Newton for having us last Sunday and then the invite from Curtis and Marion and family for letting us have an enjoyable
stay Sunday. A real homecooked meal and the feeling of being family met alot to us.
We are stronger riders now, here in the flats are cadence never stops. No hills to zoom over and down so no break in
the saddle action. Add some humidity and you have created a more serious mind game to play over the miles.
We have just over 2200 miles, seven weeks so we consider the trip half way and then some. Many bike riders each day,
most going East to West. In Rosalia they have a book to sign and goes back to 1992 with entries of names , hometowns and comments,
most are about the wind, it is goes against you when you can do without it. We still follow the land beacons or grain elevators
to guide our route, what will we find in Missouri? The corn is about to be harvested next and we want to taste fresh corn
asap. Parker has met his next milestone, in Larned he tried crawling and now he is no longer safe anywhere because with crawling,
he climbs too! Can sit up faster than speeding bullet and diaper changing is a time to wrestle his enoumous strength.
Parker is still the best traveler and will be remembered long after we have over the trip. Kansas has incredibly friendly
people and the roads have been very safe to ride. We are past the flint hills and it is a bit more hills and much more greener
now, of course, thats why it is so humid. 3 more days to finish Kansas is the plan if we ever make it to Pittsburgh ( KS )
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