Travel Through Newtown

Lands One Bicyclist At NMS

By Eliza Hallabeck

While camped out on the grounds of the Newtown Country Club, Groton resident Joe Kennedy was interrupted by a member of the Newtown Police department on Wednesday, November 2.

Mr Kennedy was told while he could not camp on the country club grounds, food and a warm place to stay for the night was available at Newtown Middle School, where American Red Cross volunteers were overseeing a shelter for residents without power.

Mr Kennedy, who has been traveling across the country on his bike since he retired in 2006, is nearly home. He expects to reach Groton tomorrow, and, hopes above all, to make it there before November 25, his mother’s birthday.

After retiring, Mr Kennedy said he rode up the Connecticut River Valley, to Quebec, and finally over to Mount Washington, in New Hampshire. While on that journey Mr Kennedy met an 80-year-old man who was riding his own bicycle from Seattle to Bar Harbor, Maine. Mr Kennedy was inspired.

He began another biking journey in 2009, which has since led him to the West Coast, Las Vegas, the Grand Canyon, and more.

In the 2½ years since he has put foot to peddle, Mr Kennedy has made his way through 48 states.

Before hitting Newtown, Mr Kennedy was in Pennsylvania when the snow began. He rode through 14 inches of snow and through towns touched by Storm Alfred.

“Trees are down everywhere,” said Mr Kennedy. “Unbelievable.”

During his journey across the country, Mr Kennedy traveled over the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco, was in New Orleans when The Saints won the Super Bowl, and he has “been over the Mississippi 11 times.”

“I don’t know what I will do when I get home,’ said Mr Kennedy. “I will be board silly.”

While nearly home, Mr Kennedy said he would recommend others make a journey like his.

“I met a ton of nice people,” said the traveler.

He also had his “15 minutes of fame” after camping behind a super market in Springerville, Ariz. He woke up at 8 am one morning to find he was alone. The town had been evacuated in fear of a brush fire. Mr Kennedy said he felt like he was in an episode of the Twilight Zone.

He continued his journey that morning, and later met up with a crew of NBC Nightly News. Mr Kennedy said he his interview later landed him on CNN, and, “My mom saw me on the Weather Channel.”

After stopping overnight at the emergency shelter at Newtown Middle School, Mr Kennedy was already preparing to be on his way again Thursday morning, November 3.

He already has plans for a spring trip, biking down Route 66.