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Merrie Chapman, Truth Staff
Monday, June 14, 2004
NAPPANEE -- On Sunday morning, Joe Hurley rose at his hotel room inside The Inn At Amish Acres, enjoyed some brief breakfast, and then went on his way out of town -- walking.
Hurley traveled into the city Saturday on his way through a 14-state walking tour of U.S. Route 6.
The adventure began in the tip of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, in March. Plans for the trip were developed after Hurley traveled the state of Connecticut in a mere six days using the U.S. Route 6 highway in 1999.
That feat drew such media attention and verbal support from the general public that Hurley was inspired to travel U.S. Route 6 even further -- across the entire nation.
With the goal of walking a minimum of 20 miles per day, Hurley fully intends to reach the Rocky
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• Experienced by: Joe Hurley, retired newspaper columnist and Connecticut resident.
• Has already traveled: Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana.
• Will now travel: Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska, Colorado, Utah, Nevada and California.
• Goal: To discover America through warm welcomes at each stop, generosity and outreach offered through meals and lodging provided to him, and the general experience of traveling and meeting new people every day.
• Most memorable moments: Tracing Thoreau's footsteps on Cape Cod; standing in a room amid $120 billion in collectable Danbury Mint platinum and gold coins; exploring the coal mines of Pennsylvania; dipping his hand in the Atlantic Ocean and Lake Erie.
• Upcoming adventures: Meeting up with his wife, Pat, in Gary; a walk across Death Valley; crossing the Rocky Mountains; dipping his hand in Lake Michigan and the Pacific Ocean.
• To keep track of Hurley:www.route6walk.com; you can see where he is going next, read his comments on his experiences as he goes and e-mail him supportive messages.
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Mountains by early to mid-November. He says that will be in time to beat the snowfalls atop the mountains.
Traveling man: Joe Hurley passed through Nappanee on Saturday as part of his cross-country tour on U.S. Route 6. His goal is to discover America by foot through the entire 3,600 miles of the nation's second-largest highway
Maintaining his 20-mile-a-day standards, Hurley predicts he will reach the end of U.S. Route 6 in late November to early December.
Hurley invites all interested parties to join him in his walk. He welcomes everyone willing and able to walk at his side, whether it be for a mere block, an entire mile, or possibly an entire state.
"No reservations are needed," said Hurley of his invitation for others to join him.
The purpose behind Hurley's trip is to "discover America by foot." He described U.S. Route 6 as the second-largest of "America's Byways."
His adventures are supported by the Pennsylvania Route 6 Tourism Association, U.S. Route 6 Tourism Association and the National Route 6 Museum, located in Pennsylvania.
Each group supports him through interactive comments to his Web site - www.route6walk.com - each day. They also interact with him by e-mail, alerting him of upcoming attractions to watch for as he passes through each state.
All who are interested in following his adventures can visit his Web site, which features daily comments from Hurley himself outlining what he has seen and done during his walk.
The Web site also offers room for the general public to leave words of encouragement and comment.
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