Bike Across the United States

Imagine life after senior year: college, work, parties, homework, and development from teenage habits. Who would have thought that you could take a year off from this process and bike across the United States?

Jason Boxer is deferring a year from NYU to go on a bike trip across America. He only decided a little over a month ago that he would be going on this adventure.  His two friends Jackson Foster and Drew Foster planned the trip a summer previously, but Jason never thought that he would ever join them.

“ I am doing this simply because it is an opportunity to enjoy the time that I have right now. I never really seriously considered taking a gap year because I’m on track and going to college, but it’s just a chance to have fun, feel relaxed, and just do what I want,” Boxer said.

The Fosters and Boxer started their trip in Virginia Beach, Virginia and are now are currently in Bevinsville, Kentucky. Every day they try to average 100 miles, but this changes depending on if there is somewhere interesting to stop. On their third day they stopped for 2 days in Williamsburg and climbed the Appalachian Mountains near the town of Astens, Virginia.

“ The route that we’re on is called the Transamerica. It starts in Yorktown, Virginia and ends in Oregon. It was made by a professional biking organization called Adventure Cycling which started in 1976 because it was the centennial anniversary of America’s independence,” said Boxer.

They brought along a tent that they plan to sleep in most nights. Part of the experience is finding places to sleep. They have stayed at a church, some friend’s houses and the University of Richmond, University of Virginia and University of Washington and Lee.

“Our favorite way of staying is actually knocking on people’s doors and asking if we can pitch our tent in their front yard or backyard. It’s incredible how nice people have been,” Boxer said. “ Even beyond that, that’s an incredible thing letting strangers stay on your property, but I am totally blown away by how groovy, mellow and awesome biking culture is. Everybody that we have met are the nicest and most generous people.”

June Curry, who lives on the Transamerica route, has let biker’s stay in her home since its begining. She is now 90 years old and is known as the “cookie lady” to bikers because she hands cookies out.

“Right next door to her house is the biker’s house and it is the most incredible place. It is filled with biking memorabilia and every biker has to leave a piece of memorabilia behind. We left some drawings and notes that we pinned to the wall. I also left a book behind; stuck it on the bookshelf that was there” said Boxer.

Throughout Boxer’s journey, he plans on going through the states Virginia, Kentucky, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona and then finally California. The trip will be around 4000 miles in total and will take about 3 months. The two Foster brothers want to be back for their little brother’s birthday in mid-December.

“ I’m a very unorganized person to begin with and I’m also not at all good at hands on outdoorsy manly stuff, which right now I am being forced to do all of that; forced to have all my stuff put together, forced to have everything ready, and forced to cook my own food. This is an opportunity for me to grow like that and that is my goal for this journey,” Boxer said.