Book excerpt: It was a quest that was considered by many to be impossible, stupid, and risky. But avid bicyclist and author Doug Freedline was determined to succeed on this planned bike trip that would take him around the Great Lakes, across Canada, down the Pacific Coast, across the Rockies, to the tip of Florida, and back to Pennsylvania. This memoir chronicles Freedline’s more than 9,000-mile, four-and-a-half-month road trip that began and ended in Indiana, Pennsylvania, in the summer of 1977. It was a journey that took him across a continent replete with natural wonders, quaint towns, and unforgettable people. Freedline not only discovered that he had the inner resources to overcome the past and complete any endeavor he started, but he found that the cold, cruel world that others professed to see did not actually exist. Much more than a travelogue, Summer of 1977 demonstrates how one man’s dream served as the impetus for finding the courage to attend college, earn a degree, and motivate others to improve their lives.