BICYCLISTS LEARN LIFE ON THE ROAD

Priscilla Igram and Lake Taylor looked at homemade tacos and chilled water on a sultry summer evening and saw a sumptuous meal.

"Sometimes, the small things turn into the most important ingredients of a trip, especially if they happen at the right time," said Igram, standing just outside the Sigma Sigma Sigma House on the campus of Southeast Missouri State University Monday afternoon.

A shower after an 80-mile bike ride? "At times, it can feel exciting when you're hot and tired after a long day's ride," she said, looking at the meal Taylor was preparing on the patio.

Igram is teaming up with Taylor as a guide for Overland Student Travel, a cross-country touring group that cycles its way into towns such as Cape Girardeau and Utica, Ky., until it reaches its destination in Los Angeles.

"We're using this as a rest stop," said Igram after making arrangements to attend the Fourth of July celebration at Arena Park. "The idea is to come into contact with various cultures and personalities along the way and bond as a group."

Igram is in charge of a group of 10 cyclists ranging in age from 13-18.

"I was in Cape Girardeau when I made my last trip," said Igram. "Everybody we met seemed nice and hospitable, just like the guy who imitated Bob Barker in the National Store a few hours ago."

Overland offers adventure travel in New England, the Rockies and California's High Sierra, as well as the Pacific Coast. "We started in Norfolk, Va., and plan to wind up in L.A. in August," she said.

"Sometimes, people just approach us when they find out what our mission is or spot our orange flags and open up to us as if we're family," said Igram. "Other times, we might be asking for directions and learn about a way to find shelter for the night."

The group found shelter in a fire station in Utica, Ky., after asking the town's chief of police where they might get free lodging for the night. "That was a pretty interesting place to rest up," said Taylor, a high school French teacher.

Taylor called upon his bilingual skills when one of the cyclists became injured during a cross-country trek last year. "He ended up hitting something and fell over his handlebars and onto a rock," said Taylor. "He was from some town in France and didn't speak much English. I was able to help him get to a hospital to get checked out and he was able to continue the journey with us. We all became closer after we resumed the trip."

Igram is in between jobs. "I used to work for the Girl Scouts, but I don't know what I want to do right now," she said. "Maybe I'll know at the end of this trip."

Overland Student Travel has been in existence since 1985. No Overland group can exceed 14 participants. "The whole trip is designed to emphasize teaching, practicing and living a conservation ethic," said Igram, who learned about the program while cutting the hair of one of the guides.

"We try to stress goals, both short- and long-term," she said. "There are times when one of the members will feel like giving up. That's when the group comes together and tries to work it out."

The focus of an Overland day is on biking or hiking, but there is no fixed routine. "All group members share trip responsibilities and play by the rules," said Igram. "No tobacco products, no alcohol and no illegal drugs."

Overland travelers sleep in lightweight tents. Groups tend to stay in a mixture of organized campgrounds with full facilities, national park campgrounds with more rustic facilities or the backcountry.

"You tend to appreciate more when you go on a trip like this," said Igram. "We went through the Appalachian Mountains in Kentucky and saw some poor areas with trash strewn along the way. Each town has its uniqueness and no two days are ever the same. In its own way it all seems rich because it changes you forever."