On her retirement from the CIA, the author and a companion, Bea, set out to travel the perimeter of the U.S. by bicycle, starting west from Detroit in July, 1986. When Bea gave up in Tucson, Ariz., Schnell continued the journey alone, at 57 becoming the oldest person and the only woman to make the 12,000-mile tour. Bicycling for eight and one-half months of the 13-month trip, she camped, stayed in motels and with friends, took side excursions and accepted an occasional ride. Her journal is a lively record of life on the road--encounters with helpful people, observations of wild animals, weather and scenery. Becoming a connoisseur of local bakeries, Schnell gives them cream-puff ratings from California to Maine. In addition to the satisfaction of completing the tour, she discovered a fresh appreciation of her native land.
