Bike rides

02/24/07

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Alaska to Tierra Del Fuego by bicycle.

 - a solo adventure for mike allen and his old blue bicycle, currently 'on hold'. Any body who likes the idea and can think of a way to raise $30,000, please contact mike.

I've been searching for adventures since the late 1970's. I 'backpacked' my way through the eighties, finding thrills in Africa, Asia, and South America. My grandfather got me into cycling when I was  a young boy, and I never learnt how to drive cars. As the backpacker trails grew increasingly well trod, my desire to travel 'under my own steam' grew.

I found the perfect job for me in the early nineties, one that I loved, and that gave me plenty of time to explore my passions for travel and music. 

As a schoolteacher for fifteen years, I have been constantly trying to find innovative ways to approach the story of America’s history and geography for elementary age students.

As an adventure cyclist, I have been using many of my vacations for extensive solo bicycle tours including:
· Oxford to Penzance, England, 1996
· Wales and France, 1998
· Land’s End to John O’ Groat’s (South to North, United Kingdom), 2001
· Boston to Nova Scotia, 2003
· Boston to Seattle, 2004

On each of these rides, I met many wonderful people who shared their generous natures with me, telling me their stories, playing me their songs, allowing me a window into their lives. These human stories combined with the natural beauty of the stunning landscapes I passed through, to create deeply rewarding physical and spiritual gains for me as an individual, and for my students, on my return back in the classroom.
 

After the cross country ride in 2004, I started to hatch the plot for my next ride. I realized this one would take more than the admittedly ample summer vacations I enjoy as an elementary school teacher.
Here is the plan:

Beginning in Fairbanks, Alaska, I will cycle along the spine of America, following the major human migration route through the America’s, to Panama City, then from Quito, Ecuador, along the Andes, through Peru, Bolivia, and Chile, ending in Tierra Del Fuego, the southern most point on the continent.

Along the way, I will collect stories and music, and through this website, disseminate what I collect to my fellow Happy Factory participants, students, and other interested parties.
 

I intend to return to the classroom every two months or so for a personal update of the journey, and to sort and process the collected data with my colleague, (and independent film maker) Eric Paci, who will work with the ‘raw’ data along with his students, tying in the stories to the required curriculum, and producing final products, ranging from writing assignments, and brochures, to self-produced movies and CD’s.
 

The material will be available, not only to Eric and his students, but to any interested teachers, and others, to build unique and powerful curriculum tools, and works of art.
 

I also intend to publish the journals and photographs in a Happy Factory personal project after the ride is completed.

I am trying to fund raise $30,000 for this project.

If you can help in any way towards reaching this goal please contact me at mikeallen@thehappyfactory.net.