Host Spotlight: Dick & Kathy
Dick and Kathy have hosted hundreds of cyclists like me over the years in a home they built themselves.
Dick and Kathy live toward the top of a big hill directly east of Eureka, California - just inland from the northern California coast. I arrived to their home nestled in the woods early in the afternoon on one of the final days of January 2022. It was just a 23 mile ride from Trinidad, where I had stayed with another Warm Showers host the night prior. I took my sweet time and got the ride done in just under three hours.
The ride to Trinidad the day before was the most painful I had experienced and ended up being the worst pain I had on the whole trip. The trip was 64 miles from Crescent City, the final 23 of which consisted of excruciating pain. I had no idea at the time, but after just two more days of riding I would be flying home and not touching a bike for five months as I attempted to address this pain.
After the agonizing ride to Trinidad, where, at certain moments, the shooting pain in my left quad caused me to yelp on the verge of tears in discomfort, I intentionally cut my mileage down to a minimum for the next day to Eureka. I pedaled as softly as I could to minimize my chances of aggravating my legs while still making forward progress, and arrived to Dick and Kathy’s home without any major flare-ups.
This couple lives in a beautiful rustic home that Dick built himself by hand years ago - it has all the features and details that he and Kathy wanted to make it their own: plenty of windows and skylights for natural light, rooms for music and creativity, a wood stove matched with a fairly open floor plan to allow efficient heating, and a guest room for cyclists rolling through. They even built a second home next to it for some of their immediate family.
After finishing the climb on the paved road off of which sits their property, I traveled along a rolling gravel driveway for a quarter mile and ended at Dick and Kathy’s cabin among giant trees. It was mid-winter but this area was incredibly green at this time of year due to increased rain and lower temperatures. I felt like I was in a movie with their home and property flowing seamlessly into the nature surrounding it.
I felt like I was in a movie with their home and property flowing seamlessly into the nature surrounding it.
Dick came out to greet me, as was my typical experience on arriving to Warm Showers accommodations. Kathy was out running an errand and would return later. Dick offered me water and a snack, and then asked if I needed to rest. This was a diversion from my “normal” - where I was either left to do my own thing or given the opportunity to shower and relax. Since it was still quite early in the day, Dick had other ideas.
Despite my concerns for my legs and knee situation, I declined the time to rest that Dick had offered. The slow pace I took to get to Eureka left me feeling fresh. The alternative was then revealed: three and a half hours of manual labor removing blackberry bushes from fencing and other areas of the property. Of course, Dick didn’t say how long we’d be working, he just indicated he had some work to do outside. I immediately second guessed my decision but then recognized this as an opportunity to do something totally different, to use muscles that are neglected on the bike, and to serve the family who so kindly opened their home to me.
For those several hours, Dick and I took shifts using a scythe (yes, they’re real things that exist outside of Halloween costumes) to cut the base of the thorny bushes and carefully moving the cut debris into a pile. We did our best to avoid the plant’s natural defense system but a few pokes were inevitable. Along the way, Dick and I shared the simple human connection that persisted throughout the Eyes Up journey. We got to know each other: I learned the story behind their property and their home and projects they are working on and had a chance to share what I was up to, my concern for my body and the pain I had been experiencing. And, we both earned a well-deserved dinner.
Dick and Kathy’s property is beautiful and has a variety of plants ranging from redwood trees to blackberry bushes. Some require more maintenance than others.
After wrapping up the work for the day as the sun was setting (Dick probably could have worked well into the night if they had spotlights set up), we popped off our leather gloves, gulped some water, and sat down to fresh shepherds pie Kathy had prepared. The three of us sat at their kitchen table as the wood stove chimed in an occasional muffled crackle and shared in what felt like a family meal. The difference? I had just met these people less than five hours ago.
Dick was excited to share some of his home brewed cider and a porter to wrap up the meal. Then, the three of us carried on with our evenings on separate journeys but together in this home full of character. I took a shower in the bathroom Dick and Kathy had built and finished together and then sat on my bunk to review maps and determine my plan for the next few days. Meanwhile, my hosts practiced their musical talents for the group they play with in their community. The ambient sounds reminded of the days when my sisters would practice their violin and cello every day at home - the familiarity made me feel comforted in a new, foreign space.
Warm Showers has consistently provided me access to incredible people like Dick and Kathy while I have been on the road. These are people who truly care about the safety of cyclists, contribute positively to the world as they volunteer their space and resources for strangers, and crave the simple human connection that is readily available yet seemingly challenging to access in our everyday lives. I am beyond grateful for experiences like these and for the safety and comfort they provided.
The shed in Dick and Kathy’s driveway: a spot where hundreds of cyclists like me have earned their spot in their scrapbook of Warm Showers guests
Before hitting the road the following morning, I had a wonderful breakfast with Kathy as Dick started some other projects bright and early. They shared some photos from recent travels upstairs in their computer room that overlooks trees and nature. Finally, they took a photo of me with my bike in front of the shed in their driveway to add to their scrapbook of the hundreds of cyclists who have been fortunate enough to share time with this couple on their two-wheeled adventures.
Looking back on this experience and having recently med some of the cyclists whom my parents have hosted has refreshed my excitement to get back out on a longer tour in the future. Until then, sharing the story and expressing an additional thank you to hosts like Dick and Kathy will have to suffice. Thank you to all who open their homes to strangers like me and provide a safe haven and enrich all of our stories with positive connections.
Thank you for reading! Stay safe and see you in two weeks.
-Ben Grannis
#EyesUp
