Pettibone, Big N and the privilege of running water

What’s amazing about traveling with what you can carry is how much you miss the little things. A refrigerator, a stove, a soft warm bed to sleep in. But most importantly, running water.

We had not bathed since we left Seattle. The closest we got to showering was skinny dipping in creeks and rivers in the evening before we slept. That means over a week of biking, resting and meeting with people covered in our own sweat, dirt and grime. Surprisingly we didn’t smell TOO bad, but all of us were desperate to find a place to shower as we arrived in Bend, Ore. on Friday night.

Cathy Pettibone, Will, Dan and Big N.

On Saturday, we found a coffee house in Downtown Bend called Bellatazzo, where we spent the morning shooting out emails and making phone calls. As Will, Dan and I conversed in a corner of the store, a small woman with white-blond hair approached our table, an empathetic look in her blue eyes.

“I used to travel when I was younger,” the wavy-haired woman said. “Is there anything I can do for you boys while you’re in town?”

For a moment, we were stunned by the offer, unable to give a response immediately. Before either Dan or I could say anything, Will jumped on the opportunity.

“We’d love a shower. And somewhere flat to sleep,” he said as he stood up and introduced himself to our new savior, Cathy Pettibone.

A smile spread across Pettibone’s face, while her eyes illuminated the same happiness at our acceptance of her offer. Pettibone lived just outside downtown with her husband Nick Crawford. Their lawn was smooth, flat and spacious enough for all three of us to spread across.

We stayed at Cathy and Nick's, which made lodging one less thing to worry about in Bend.

When living in one place, you tend to take for granted the ability to step into your bathroom, turn a faucet and have warm water in an instant. I had not had this privilege for over a week.

I let out a huge sigh of relief in Pettibone’s bathroom, letting the warm water wash away the layer of dirt which had caked itself on me like barnacles on the underside of a boat. As I got out and dried myself off, I felt like a new man.

“Big N” and Pettibone treated us like princes during our stay and offered for us to make their home our base in Bend.

“You jokers want coffee?” Big N barked out to us on Sunday morning as we awoke to a clear blue sky. “I’m roasting pork butt and rooster balls; eggs and bacon if you don’t know what I’m talking about.”

The couple are fun-loving and adventurous and our conversations were riveting. Their hospitality and generosity were limitless. For the next two days, Will and Dan will continue their meetings in town without the worry of finding lodging. These two have only reaffirmed our love for the people we meet as we ride south.

This post is to thank our hosts and to prove again that there are great people, no matter where you travel. Thanks Pettibone and Big N, you two have been an added bonus to the beautiful town of Bend.