| Mickey Thomas decided to join a group of bicycle | | | | Mickey describes an encounter. "It became a race to |
| riders who were planning a trip from Montana to | | | | get into my tent before the mosquitoes figured out |
| Alaska, a bicycling expedition. Mickey had never been | | | | what I was doing. It was important to plan my |
| on a bicycle tour of any considerable length and did | | | | tent-entering strategy carefully so I didn't carry too |
| not own the necessary camping and cycling | | | | many inside with me. Being zipped in with blood thirsty |
| equipment. But Mickey had just completed two years | | | | mosquitoes could make for a very uncomfortable and |
| of graduate school work in North Carolina, and he felt | | | | infuriating night." Humorous observations like this |
| that having imagination and knowing how to ride a | | | | populate nearly every page. |
| bicycle were all the requirements he needed to join the | | | | The book also contains numerous discussions of the |
| bicycle expedition to Alaska. | | | | geography and history of the local territory. That's |
| Mickey kept a record of his thoughts and experiences | | | | another thing that I enjoyed about the book. By the |
| while traveling with the group to Alaska, and he relates | | | | time I had finished reading about the group's expedition |
| them extremely well in this book. Mickey and the group | | | | from Montana to Alaska through Canada I knew a lot |
| of ten riders had numerous funny adventures and a | | | | more about those places than I ever imagined that I |
| few difficult and even downright scary ones as well. | | | | would. |
| The events of the expedition are presented in | | | | Anybody who has ever been on a bicycle tour |
| chronological order along with photos, quotes, history, | | | | anywhere will especially appreciate this book. I also |
| facts, and Mickey's unique observations. | | | | recommend it to anyone who enjoys traveling in North |
| What I enjoyed most about the book was Mickey's | | | | America and to anyone who enjoys a good |
| sharp and ironic sense of humor. I was constantly | | | | adventure story. The humor will keep you involved to |
| smiling and laughing as I read his accounts of each | | | | the very end. |
| day's journey. His writing style is warm, to the point, | | | | "You Can't Ride a Bike to Alaska. It's an Island!" is |
| and very observant. For example, we've all had | | | | written by Mickey Thomas and is available through and |
| experience with mosquitoes before, but listen to how | | | | The ISBN is 0-595-37350-X. |