During the economic crash of 2008, Leon McCarron was in a predicament: jobs were few and far between, and after a 6 month stint of working in New York city, he’d had enough. What he needed was an adventure, and what better adventure than to cycle across the USA?
This book tells the story of that ride. However, when he finally made it to the Pacific, he decided he wasn’t quite done yet. As a result, he turned south, mostly following the coast to Mexico.
A ridiculous amount of stuff
McCarron carried an astonishing amount of stuff with him, including lots of book, and a mandolin. As a result, he couldn’t fit everything on the bike, so ended up towing a vastly overloaded trailer behind a vastly overloaded bike.
The good, and the bad
This was the USA before the ICA madness, and generally McCarron was treated extremely well by the people he me along the way. This was especially true when he became the first Irishman to ever set foot in an Irish bar, in some backwater little town.
He also had a scary run-in with a drunk, gun-wielding idiot, which caused him to do some jaw-dropping manoeuvres to get away. There are valid reasons why people should take precautions around bears, and when he failed to do so, he had a run-in with a black bear.
Honest and easy
McCarron is remarkably honest throughout the book, and it’s a very easy read. His conversational tone means you’ll never be strained to read this book, while the way he describes things, along with the adventures he’s had, will keep you turning the pages.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I have no doubt that you will feel the same. Get your copy here, or at any good book store.