Finding the real America on the transAmerica bicycle trail
landscapes and meanings of a contemporary secular pilgrimage
pp. 855-873
in: Stanley , Stanley D. Brunn (eds), The changing world religion map, Berlin, Springer, 2015Abstract
The TransAmerica Bicycle Trail is a long distance cycle touring route established in 1976 on which thousands of cyclists have pedaled into and through predominately rural landscapes of the United States. This chapter theorizes this cross-country bicycle journey as a secular form of pilgrimage drawing on key concepts such as sacred and profane space, liminality, communitas, and contestation. Quantitative survey data describe the characteristics of cyclist-pilgrims and their long distance journeys. Discursive interpretation of narrative accounts of journey experiences reveals the Trail experience as a secular pilgrimage to a center termed the "Real America." The cyclist-pilgrims find that "Real America" lives on in their memories and is a collage of images consisting of a collection of idealized American icons such as small towns, Main Street, working farms, nature's beauty, encounters with local residents and fellow cyclists. Many narratives indicated awareness that the reality of contemporary American places and societies differ greatly from the "Real America" found on the Trail. The passion and richness with which cyclist-pilgrims describe their experiences show them to cling fondly to memories and images that collectively form the "Real America" which is an idealized sense of place that many seek and find through various themes of meaning during their cross-country bicycle pilgrimages.