Contributor: Erik and Courtney Olson
Warmshowers is the epitome of a built-in community—a community that shares a love of travel, bicycles, and curiosity. When you’re out on the road, sometimes the thing you need most is a warm smile, a hot shower, and meaningful conversation. Our hosts all over the United States gave us this and so much more.
Our family was very apprehensive when we told them that we were joining the WS organization. They cautioned us about staying in the homes of complete strangers. This community completely dispels that fear. Some of the best people we met along the way were our hosts. In the end, it goes both ways. These “strangers” are inviting us into their homes and sharing their evenings with us.
With that, we wanted to share our biggest takeaways from our travels and our time using Warmshowers.
Understanding Exactly What a Long-Distance Cyclist Needs
We had a particularly trying time leaving Kentucky and entering Southern Illinois. That day tested every bit of our physical and mental strength. It was cold and windy, with stressful bridges to cross and lots of hills. Our hosts that night, Brad and Sharie, knew exactly what we needed. They started a fire and had coffee ready. And when the rain was non-stop in Templeton, CA, our host Greg let us stay a little longer in his home until the rain slowed down, even though he had somewhere to be that day. Many of our hosts also offered us an extra night of housing if we needed the rest.
These are just small examples of how our hosts understood what a traveler needed to feel comfortable and safe.
Strangers in a Strange Land
We knew a lot of people in the West Coast states. We spent the first three months in familiar towns and with friends and family. But once we got to Arizona, we didn’t know a soul. WS gave us deeper connections when we needed them most.
Our first hosts in Arizona, Sally and David, gave us route help and continued support throughout our travels, and we consider them forever friends. In Louisiana, Perry the “Bike Lady,” famous among many bike tourists, treated us to beautiful Thai curry and shared stories of wild pig hunts. She even let us borrow her Natchez Trace Guide. And Martina and Brent in Austin, TX, shared venison ribs cooked over an open flame from a recent hunting trip. Martina later sent us Brent’s first album on Spotify.
These hosts made us feel at home and opened their lives to us, which in turn made us feel grounded and connected to each area we visited.
Providers of City Navigation & Cultural Experiences
Arriving in a new city on a bicycle can be difficult. There are unknown routes, high traffic, detours, and so many other things that can make the ride into and out of a city a little hairy. We found that our Warmshowers hosts were the best guides along the way. Not only did they help with routes, but they also gave us local insights and provided cultural experiences.
Hillary and Greg in New Orleans provided a detailed bike route into the city from Algiers Point, with must-see local spots along the way. They also gave us free passes to the New Orleans Art Museum and Sculpture Garden, which was a highlight for us in NOLA. Chris and Lydia drove us all around St. Louis, sharing history and cultural references along the way. Lydia also gifted us free access to the Missouri Botanical Gardens while we were visiting. And Cathy and John from Davis, CA, kept in contact with us so that when we reached New Orleans, we had a huge curated list of places to see, grab food, and listen to music (their son lives there).
Thanks to our Warmshowers hosts, our time and experiences in these cities were made even more amazing and memorable.
A Snapshot into All the Ways People Can Live
One of the greatest gifts of our bike tour was seeing that there are so many ways to live. WS hosts provided countless paths for creating a more fulfilling life. You can learn so much by thinking outside the box and gaining ideas for your future self.
Mark in Woodland, CA, gave us a glimpse into his amazing Victorian home, which he had lovingly restored with his own two hands. He treasured a simple, timeless beauty that lasts over the things that tend to clutter our lives. Gary and Betty in Minnesota were world travelers who had built a peaceful oasis to return to. They enjoyed simple things like cross-country skiing on their property in the winter and mushroom hunting on their land in the late spring. And Steve and Carol in North Dakota set an example of a life that is rich and meaningful, lived on their own terms.
When we asked Steve and Carol for advice on our re-entry, Carol thoughtfully said, “Instead of just focusing on what you want to do, think first of the things you don’t want to do.” This approach has helped us sharpen our efforts as we rejoin “normal” society again.
What a treasure this organization is to cyclists. We are forever grateful to the 26 families who hosted us during our bike adventure. The vulnerability you experience as a cyclist is quickly healed when you have a hearty meal and great people to spend the evening with. As we settle back into our home, we look forward to helping cyclists that end up on our doorstep.
Catch up with us on our blog, The Ramble Project. Follow us on Instagram and Facebook.