Doug Waterman, a retired teacher from Davis, Calif.,
plans to visit his son Ryan and daughter-in-law Julie here in Springfield
next month. There’s nothing remarkable about that, except that
Waterman’s choice of transportation has raised some eyebrows, even
among his family. Starting today, April 28, Waterman plans to cycle the
length of old U.S. Route 66, from Santa Monica to Chicago.
Waterman, who turned 66 this week, is calling the trip
“66 on 66.”
You can almost hear the faint strains of Bobby
Troup’s classic song as Waterman details one of the most difficult
parts of the journey: getting out of the Los Angeles area.
“I’ll go from Santa Monica to Pasadena to San Bernardino, over
the hills, and into the desert,” he says. “I’ll climb out
of the LA Basin over the Cajon Pass at about 4,200 feet.”
Waterman is making the trip for myriad reasons, but
suffice it to say that it’s a personal goal that he’s
duty-bound to fulfill.
“In 1896, a woman named Margaret Valentine
LeLong bicycled across the country. Can you imagine what that journey
must’ve been like?” he asks. “I figure if she could do
it, then I can do it.
“I’m also a member of a writing group at
the local arts center, and we write and submit short papers about our
experiences. I kept a journal on my New Mexico trip” — seven
years ago, Waterman cycled to New Mexico over the Carson Pass at about
8,200 feet — “and turned it into a short booklet. The
interaction I had with people on that trip really meant a lot to me. We
live in a strange world, and sometimes it’s hard to be charitable to
our fellow human beings. But I found a heck of a lot of good in people. I
want to continue to stay in touch with the goodness of people, and
I’m optimistic that I’ll find that.”
To that end, Waterman is giving a higher purpose to
his journey by soliciting cash donations for Habitat for Humanity of Yolo
County, Calif. He says that the group’s small staff is entirely
volunteer, save for one employee whose small salary is paid by AmeriCorps,
“so every penny raised will go for wood, nails, Sheetrock, and
concrete.” Contributors may pledge a dollar amount per mile or per
day — Waterman optimistically think he’ll spend 28 days en
route — but he would like people to know that Habitat for
Humanity-Sangamon County would undoubtedly appreciate any contribution, of
any size, to its worthy cause as well. For information about
Habitat’s local efforts, call 523-2710.
Waterman’s son Ryan is completing a two-year
clerkship in Springfield for U.S. District Judge Jeanne Scott. He and his
wife have lived on the near the west side of town since 2003 but are making
plans to relocate to California in September, where Ryan Waterman will
enter the private practice of law. He says that he wasn’t surprised
when his father announced plans for his two-wheeled peregrination because
he has long spoken of just such a trip.
“I wasn’t surprised,” says the
younger Waterman, “but I am excited and somewhat nervous. You
don’t have great adventure without risk. I understand that, and so
does my mom. She’s been married to him for 38 years, and she knows
that when he is determined to do something, his mind is made up. The
question of him not doing
this is gone now, so we are behind him.”
The knowledge that so many people are supporting him
in his endeavor — Yolo County Habitat for Humanity received more than
$600 dollars in donations before he had even begun his journey — is
keen motivation for Waterman to persevere to the end. He hopes to dip his
bike into the chilly waters of Lake Michigan sometime before June 1. By
combing books and maps, he has compiled about 75 index cards bearing
directions to help him scrupulously adhere to the original Route 66
wherever possible.
“I don’t want to die in 15 years wondering
‘What if?’ ” says Waterman. “We are given each day
as a gift, and it is up to us to make the most of our gift.”
This article appears in Apr 28 – May 4, 2005.
