Valparaiso University - Beacon / Record Yearbook (Valparaiso, IN)

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S TUDEN T LIFE . l

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BIKE TOUR: THE CONQUES On the morning of May 22, 198 7, two Valparaiso University students began a journey on bicycles from the shores of the Pacific Ocean in Los Angeles to Valparaiso University. Equipped With good rowing bikes, spare bike parts, limited packer money and fierce determination, Scott Lohr and Dan O'Connor started a 22-day unforgettable trip across the country. Day 1. Los Angeles, smog, Pacific Ocean. Start, Traffic. Earthquakes GremorsL minor mountains. Energy to burn. Stopping place: Beaumont, Calf. Day 2. Desert traveling, rationing of water, girls in bikinis, cactus, sweat, heat. Stopping place: Desert Center, Calf. Day 3. Endless Mojave Desert, parched throats, Arizona border, ice cream, rootbeer float, and banana split mirages, early stop for Birthday Celebration. Stopping place: Quartasite, Ariz. Day 4. Early morning hangover, loss of half of water supply to thirsty man Un sympathyL watermelon reststop. Sick of desert. Stopping place: Buckeye, Ariz Day 5. Cooler, Phoenix, boring 1but anything beats deserU, courteous people, rugged terrain. Rocky Mountains nearing? Stopping place: Florence Junction, Arizona Day 6. MOUNTAINS, wetter than desert'n No. Stopping place: Globe, Ariz. Day 7. Salt River Canyon. Seven miles down, seven years up. Stopping place: Show Low, Ariz. Day 8. Relief! 100 miles on 7000 ft plateau. Now pouring rain, can't win. Stopping place: Springerville, Ariz. Day 9. New Mexico! Finally. Towns: Red Hill: non-existent, Omega: could not be found, Pie Town: pies U guess; Continental Divide. Stopping place: Datil, New Mexico Day 10. Sunday. Church. Mountain storms, some severe. Took refuge in a culvert to overt one. Discovered snake in culvert. Decided the storm was lesser of two evils. Stopping place: Lemitar, New Mexico Day 11. 127 mile day. Wind at back to say the least. Stopping place: Vaughn, New Mexico Day 12. 98 mile day. Wind in face, to say the least. Motel. Showers long overdue. Stopping place: Tucumcari, New Mexico Day 13. Texas! First Accident. We collided. It figures. Lone Star State, I love it. Stopping place: Dalhart, Texas Day 14. Covered three states today. Panhandle of Oklahoma. Flat. Fast. Fun. Midwest, here we come! Stopping place: Liberal, Kansas Day 15. Southern Kansas. Tourist area. 11Wor1d's Largest Hand Dug Well cost 860: to visit. Don't miss it. Stopping place: Greensburg, Kansas Day 16. Central Kansas. No highlights in Central Kansas. Stopping Place: Wichita, Kansas Day 17. Sunday. Church. Rest and Relaxation. Still biked 127 miles. Running out of money, energy, time, enthusiasm and patience. Kansas really sucks. We need a new state. Missouri is out there. Stopping place: Lyon County State