A dream 43 years in the making can take many twists and turns. Not unlike the mountainous, circuitous route of the Trans America Bicycle trail winding from Yorktown, VA to the Oregon Coast. When Jeff first conceived of riding this trail at the age of 18, his notion was to cycle the 4,080 miles self contained and solo. At the age of 60, he found himself gratefully accepting the offer of his wife Karen and his dog Buddy, to be his support team and companions for the ride.

Friendship, support and companionship became the overarching themes for the ride. Jeff made many new friends along the way, and even found one of them waiting for him at the end of his ride. On June 29, 2019, Jeff dipped the front wheel of his bicycle into the Pacific Ocean on Heceta Beach in Florence, OR. Ringing him in with cow bells on the last mile of his journey were family and friends - including Roger Kennell and his wife Mary. Jeff met Roger in Chester, IL, and a bond formed that is destined to be a lifetime friendship.

Jeff’s Quest spanned two years due to emergency eye surgery in Missoula, MT in 2018. Resuming the trip in June 2019 took resolve and tenacity, proving that this undertaking was every bit as much mental as physical. The people Jeff met and experiences he had over the course of his Quest for the West will stay with him for a lifetime. Thank you for being part of the journey.

The Florence OR celebratory group - missing Ron Brooks, Sharon Holland, and Carol and Rad Hatch