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The Buddha and the Bee: Biking through America's Forgotten Roadways on a Journey of Discovery

Cory Mortensen (Goodreads Author)

4.17 · Rating details · 115 ratings · 40 reviews

Life-Changing Journey... but this is NOT a typical blah-blah-blah memoir

Planning is for sissies. A solo bike ride across the country will be filled with sunshine, lollipops, rainbows, and 80 degree temps every day, right? Not so much. The Great Plains, Rocky Mountains, an alkaline desert, and the Sierra Nevadas lay miles and days ahead. Disappointment with unrealized poten ...more

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Kindle Edition, 354 pages

Published August 9th 2020 by White Condor, LLC

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Aug 24, 2020 Krista rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: nonfiction, 2020, arc, netgalley, memoir

As for the day, Vernal, Utah was my goal, just seventy-one more miles. None of it really mattered. I didn’t care. I wanted to throw my rear wheel as far into the desert as possible, followed by the whole damn bike. Then I would just lay there on the side of the road waiting for somebody — no idea who — to pick me up and drive me directly to Truckee.

In August of 2001, Cory Mortensen decided to take a two month leave of absence from work and ride his bike across the United States from Chaska,

As for the day, Vernal, Utah was my goal, just seventy-one more miles. None of it really mattered. I didn’t care. I wanted to throw my rear wheel as far into the desert as possible, followed by the whole damn bike. Then I would just lay there on the side of the road waiting for somebody — no idea who — to pick me up and drive me directly to Truckee.

In August of 2001, Cory Mortensen decided to take a two month leave of absence from work and ride his bike across the United States from Chaska, Minnesota to Truckee, California; no set schedule or reservations set up along the way; very little gear (no spare socks, cell phone, or even a helmet); just a wedding to get to eventually, and what he figured was plenty of time to test himself on the open road. Naturally, as these things go, Mortensen faced unexpected obstacles — from mechanical failures to hostile small town inhabitants to mental stress — but he overcame everything and better liked the person he was by the end of his trip. It’s not explained why it took him nearly twenty years to make The Buddha and the Bee out of his adventure (or even where the title comes from), but now that it’s out...it’s just okay. The writing is fine — generally the tone is sarcastic and self-deprecating — and not terribly introspective; this is a light and breezy read about a mentally and physically tough challenge; interesting if not exactly inspirational. (Note: I read an ARC and passages quoted may not be in their final forms.)

One could prepare for many things. One could prepare for climbing hills by doing hill repeats or for wind by riding in it. One could even build up a resistance to rain and snow. I, of course, spent no time training or preparing for any of these things. However, what I was completely unprepared for was the overwhelming sense of loneliness.

Mortensen wasn’t completely unprepared for his journey: he had run several marathons, was an Eagle Scout, had a history of cross-country motorcycle and international backpacking adventures, and owned an expensive (if not completely suited to the task) bicycle that he had used in road races before. Whatever the office job was he was taking a break from, it would seem it paid well: at thirty-one, he owned two houses (which, yes, he had bought cheaply and fixed up), and after selling one of them and renting out the other, it seems he had plenty of money for motel rooms and diner meals along the way; this is not an “everyman” story. On the other hand: he left home without proper tools, only four spare inner tubes, and when the pack he thought he’d be carrying on his back bumped up against the rear of his helmet, it was the helmet he left behind. (By the second day Mortensen reduced the contents of the backpack to the minimum so he could strap it to a rear carrier.) It would seem that this trip should have been much harder on Mortensen, but as a fly-by-the-seat-of-the-pants kind of guy, things just kept working out for him and he met all of his difficulties with the following humour:

I was exposed, helpless, naked, an innocent lamb in search of my shepherd. The dogs — maybe five, maybe ten, it was hard to tell in a quick, terrified glance over my shoulder — were fast and agile. Hellhounds, their hot breath straight from the fiery pits. Your hero was slow, weighed down, unprepared. The beasts could smell my fear, no doubt. My only hope for survival was the adrenaline now surging through my body — nature’s nitrous oxide. I sprinted. I reached twenty-eight miles per hour, heart racing, lungs wheezing, drool hanging from my lower lip, snot pouring from my nostrils, legs burning from lactic acid. In just twenty seconds — though it felt much longer — it was over. The dogs suspended their chase and stood in the street barking, the littlest one out front.

And again, I found this writing to be just okay (did not think it was okay that he kept using the phrases “dear reader” and “your hero” throughout). I had noted at the beginning that Mortensen would be on the road over Sept. 11th, and while he does relate how he learned of the terrorist attacks and how he reacted (a distanced reaction at first that slammed him later), even this part of his story didn’t really land with me. Throughout, as he writes about what little town he is biking through, he’ll wedge in some factoid that reads as interestingly as a condensed wikipedia entry; this is not first rate travel writing. And while Mortensen does eventually come to an epiphany about himself, it’s pretty much summed up here:

The road freed me from the daily chaos and doldrums of life. It freed me from everything. I had spent the last few weeks recreating who I was, without knowing it was happening. I realized now I could be anywhere and anyone or nowhere and no one.

I’ve read better memoirs about using a physically tough journey to transform yourself (Cheryl Strayed’s Wild:From Lost to Found on the Pacific Crest Trail, for one) and better on an epic bike trip (Lands of Lost Borders: Out of Bounds on the Silk Road by Kate Harris), so maybe I was expecting more from this? At any rate, I did think this was fine: the journey was interesting and I found Mortensen likable; looking at the website for this book, I’m glad to see that he continued to find adventure in his life and wish him well. ...more

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Aug 18, 2020 Rosemary Reeve rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: ng-2020

Oh, this was so much more than I expected!

This book was the perfect escape from pandemic isolation and a billion Zoom meetings. Cory Mortensen's account of his spur-of-the-moment bike ride from Minnesota to California in 2001 made me feel like I was outside in the sunshine, heading for the next little town. Whether you bike, run, walk, or drive, this book captures the lure of movement - to crest the next hill, to press on until dark, to chase that vanishing point on the horizon.

There's a lot a ...more

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Aug 15, 2020 Richard Propes rated it really liked it · review of another edition

It's difficult to describe the experience of reading Cory Mortensen's "The Buddha and the Bee: Biking Through America's Forgotten Roadways on a Journey of Discovery," a never less than engaging collection of roadside musings and nostalgic factoids that meanders nearly as much as did Mortensen himself during his 2001 solo bicycle trip from Chaska, Minnesota to Truckee, California.

The truth is that "The Buddha and the Bee" is more an entertaining read than an inspiring one, Mortensen's charismati ...more

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Aug 11, 2020 K.R. Flanders rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Pretentious spelling of tire aside. Excellent story highlighting the virtues of learning by doing.

Some adventures need not be planned like the invasion of Normandy. Humorous tale of journey vs destination.

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Sep 12, 2020 Lois Keller rated it it was amazing

A laugh out loud memoir about how to just jump head first into things and make it through with a smile

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Oct 02, 2020 Niel (lonelectorem) rated it it was amazing

This book gave me the refreshment I needed; to put it more precisely, it was a short vacation from everything that I was reading and living. While reading this memoir, I went through the myriads of experiences with the author and lived the lives and places I have no connections with. It triggered some suppressed desires that I'd buried deep down in my mind and compelled those emotions that were just too surreal.

This memoir is about the author Cory Mortensen's liberating adventure on his bicycle This book gave me the refreshment I needed; to put it more precisely, it was a short vacation from everything that I was reading and living. While reading this memoir, I went through the myriads of experiences with the author and lived the lives and places I have no connections with. It triggered some suppressed desires that I'd buried deep down in my mind and compelled those emotions that were just too surreal.

This memoir is about the author Cory Mortensen's liberating adventure on his bicycle from Minnesota to California (approx. 2000 miles) and as basic as it may sound, it was much more than one can even think of. When I started this book, I had no idea how it would go or if it would come close to my most favorite book ever—Into The Wild by Jon Krakauer. It did come close to it and that's why I enjoyed and loved reading it. The only difference is that Author Cory Mortensen had well-planned intentions for the adventure, he kept his family and friends in contact, he did use money, and had no intention to abandon society. But I saw the cards changing in the end when the author decides a whole new fate for his life and quits his job after finishing his cross-country adventure on a bicycle.

The most agitating parts of this book were whenever the author passed from rural towns and deserted roads, whenever he was alone on the road for miles and at the end of the day stayed in some low-key motel. It wasn't a picture-perfect ride as it may sound because he had his down-times as well; tires getting punctured and flat in the middle of nowhere, many troublesome ascends, demotivating loneliness, heat, and wind—oh, did I mention aliens? Lol— all these things were the major obstacles in his journey. I remember when even I doubted the author's intentions and motivation when on just the third day of his journey, he decided to call it to quit and go home. He couldn't bear that loneliness and isolation, his all excitement seemed pointless, but the thought of going back to the ordinary life and job he had was something that held him and made him even more determined to finish what he'd started.

'The Budhha and The Bee' is a well structured and perfectly paced memoir and the author's unctuous narration makes it even more invigorating. He used humor in the most unusual situations and that made the reading experience even more entertaining. But hey! Was the intention of this book was to entertain? Of course not! Along the way he realized, learned, and shared some insights about life. He explored and lived those moments that many can only hope. His description of all the places he visited and came across provided a vivid imagination where I—as a reader— lived and experienced the same.

His struggles with ascending roads and then the fun with the descending ride, all the beautiful landscapes of Nebraska and Nevada, Mountains and breeze, the countryside of Colorado, his days on road and nights in camps, kind people and car lifts, heat and cold, longing for companionship to embracing solitude, deserted roads and crowded bars, from that ephemeral company of coyote to the bikers brothers in Reno, Nevada, from his first day's uncertainty to the last day's fulfillment—I lived it all. From all those cafes, restaurants, bars, and hotels to each and every person he crossed the paths with—I experienced it all.

If it wasn't the author's brilliant way of putting things in the right order and placing mandatory details in necessary places, then this book may not have the impact it had on me. For some reason, I could relate to the author's desires and perspectives about life. This book has a very sentimental and courageous end. The Author's decision to resign from the job and continuing life on his terms was commendable and does take a lot of strength, and I appreciate that he could do that.

I have never been to America but because of this book, I experienced all those rural roads, deserted highways, villages, ghost towns, and the countryside. I felt various emotions while reading it; I felt frustrated every time the tires went flat and I felt happy whenever the author covered some distance and called it a day with some beers in some motel room. I felt goosebumps every time he started his new day's journey, I felt anxious whenever he passed through the miles-long deserted roads and I felt inspired every time he kept going even if he had many reasons to take breaks.

The author and his bee (bicycle) were my comrades from the last two weeks and after this overwhelming reading experience, I am still longing to read more. Hopefully, the author is already working on his other book and that's very exciting because I am curious to know what he did after this adventure and resigning from his job. I hope I will get the paperback or hardcover of this book very soon, I want to put it in my special collection of books with 'Into The Wild". I will highly recommend this book for the author's mesmerizing narration and thrilling adventure. It's flawless and full of experiences that one should experience once in a lifetime.

To the author Cory Mortensen: Thanks for writing this book and putting so many efforts to make it full of life. I will always be grateful for this reading experience and more power to you. ...more

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Sep 22, 2020 Eileen rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: netgalley

I was in just the right mood to read a book like this. Different from my usual fiction, mysteries, etc, The Buddha and the Bee is the story of Cory Mortensen, who decides to make his way by bicycle from Minnesota to California with almost no supplies, no helmet, and practically no plan. Along the way, he meets his share of characters, eats a ton of Subway Italian sandwiches and Chinese food, stays in some of the country's sleaziest motels and takes in the sights in every town he visits - like th ...more

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Aug 27, 2020 Book Snuggery rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

What can go wrong or right in a short bike ride? A lot. What can go wrong or right on a 2,000 mile cross country trek? Also a lot.

As a cyclist myself and lover of random trivia bits, I enjoyed watching Mortensen’s quick evolution from novice to sunburnt chaffed road veteran. I’ve read quite a few journals of similar journeys and this one is easily one of the most humorous; plus Mortensen is a bit of a maths nerd, computing for fun when times are rough.

The journey did change our “hero” but the se ...more

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Aug 26, 2020 John Heckenlaible rated it it was amazing

Cory takes the reader on a journey into the vast landscapes of the American West and into his deepest thoughts. Told from an honest, emotional, funny, self-depreciating perspective, it gives the reader pause to reflect on their own life and perhaps light a fire or at least stir some dormant embers of a quest for adventure. If you are a fan of Blue Highways, Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, On the Road, Into the Wild, A Walk In the Woods or other similar tome, then you should put The Buddha and th ...more

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Sep 26, 2020 Angie rated it really liked it

Shelves: review-books

I really enjoyed this book! Cory Mortensen writes about his journey biking from Minnesota to California. I "oh, no'ed" everytime a car pulled up. And, I had a mini-anxiety response everytime he blew out a tyre! What really caught my attention were the historical aspects of the towns he went through. Interesting, engaging, entertaining! Well written and witty. Thank you, Netgalley, for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review. 4 Stars ...more

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Sep 03, 2020 Mike rated it really liked it

Perfect book for an escape. Mortensen’s story of his trip from Minnesota to California is engaging. It’s fun to see how he progressed from enthusiastic to almost quitting to not wanting it to end. Makes me want to do a similar ride, but also also glad that I haven’t!

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Aug 29, 2020 Odette Lattimer rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Thoroughly enjoyed reading this over a couple of evenings this week.
Well written, some humour and let's you go to place we'll away from Covid.

Recommended and not just for cyclists. ...more

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Nov 16, 2020 Christine R. Boule added it

Loved your adventure. Hope you have found the happiness you were looking for.
Christine Nickols
Punta Gorda Fl

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Oct 25, 2020 Tom Bilcze rated it liked it

Recommends it for: cyclists and bicycle tourists

Shelves: bicycletouring

The fact that the author got on his bike in Minnesota and cycled to California to attend a wedding speaks to his spirit of adventure. He did this with minimal planning and making decisions on the fly as he pedaled from town to town. Along the way, he met an interesting assortment of characters. Cory had an amusing way of describing his adventure, places, and people. He often wove in some local and personal history. He set off into the unknown and found himself on the bike. It’s a story of changi ...more

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Oct 27, 2020 Chetna Yaduvendu rated it really liked it

What is life without experiencing the dimensions of the globe? Reading a book that encourages you to know more, learn more, explore more and be better, that is the goal.

The Buddha and The Bees is a book of pure enlighten according to my perspective. It is about getting a bike ready and travelling across your country, not in search of answers of life, but just to add another momentous page in your life’s memoir. The lessons, the answers all follow as an outcome of that little plan.
I was really wo What is life without experiencing the dimensions of the globe? Reading a book that encourages you to know more, learn more, explore more and be better, that is the goal.

The Buddha and The Bees is a book of pure enlighten according to my perspective. It is about getting a bike ready and travelling across your country, not in search of answers of life, but just to add another momentous page in your life’s memoir. The lessons, the answers all follow as an outcome of that little plan.
I was really worried if I will find it good, intellectual but boring and I was so happy to be proved wrong. I liked it, I enjoyed this book from the very first page. It is like talking to a friend after he has come back from a trip, listening to his stories and living through those stories.

As someone who is a history enthusiast, I loved the tiny history lessons, information about the old traditions and some very random facts about the Roman goddess of the hearth, Madonna del Ghisallo,the Patron Saint of Cycling and many such touches, I Feel like I know everything about the world.
The book depicts the harsh reality of travelling across a country, travelling alone especially on a bicycle. The fun, adventurous will look dreadful and never-ending. You would be forced to doubt all the decision that led to this particular point of the trip. A road trip is not all wine and roses: it is more like porridge and thorns.

I like little snippets of past, the story behind our hero’s decision to go on a road trip, I like the pictures from the journey like catching the lobster,or the home wanted for orphans news articles. It was a personal book with extensive details and well-narrated stories.

This book introduces you to the population surrounding you and the lessons that are waiting to be learnt in life. You don’t have to an exceptional human being, but just a decent person next door. We as human make existence bearable, everything else is just perk or downfall.

This is journey covered by the author himself, so it gives some real instances of life in 2001, and how it was different from 2020, how people on road react, and what goes in your head when someone wants to help you.
It further talks about the very delicate situation after 9/11 and how peoples attitude change in seconds.
The author has not painted a rosy picture of a road trip, it is as raw as possible, which sometimes does feel dull(road trips are), but it is what it is.

To add some pop there are images in the book, which prompt you to pack your bags and start your voyage.The author also quoted "100years are long in the USA, and 100 miles in Europe" which is a bit similar to India and I was immediately in awe of the line,(this was completely unrequired, but well my review, my words).

I think this book should be read by every person once, this was a long journey and there were so many tiny lessons for everyone
To end, I would like to say to live a complete life, do not be stagnant, Read the Viking sagas in Iceland,read Hemingway in Paris and east the Gelatos in Italy. ...more

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Oct 15, 2020 Jayesh Toshniwal rated it it was amazing

What a capture of the journey by Cory Mortensen. Loved the way the journey begun and moved from Minnesota to California.
The story starts with the father son duo relation and the way they understand and care for each other. Really liked the part where author's dad takes him to the police for small mischief and the way police gives him a guidance in a notorious ways.
It takes that one moment to take the decision and lots of efforts to keep up to that decision until it fulfils, is what we can lear ...more

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Oct 19, 2020 Kia rated it it was amazing

Book: The Buddha and the Bee

Review:
“The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step,”

I love reading memoirs but till now I have read memoirs based on the relationships of authors. This is the first time that I have read a memoir based on a biking journey of the author. The journey that started from Minnesota and ended in California is full of different experiences. It must be exciting to go on an adventure where everything is unplanned. No hotel bookings, no planned routes. Seems exciting, ...more

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Oct 10, 2020 Bhumi rated it really liked it

The Buddha and the Bee is the author's first memoir in which he shares how a two month leave of absence redefined his life's trajectory of sitting behind a desk and his decision to break society's chains so he could live life on his terms.
In this book the author narrates his solo bike ride from Minnesota to California 🚵
I am impressed by the details the author covers in his each and every chapter ( the number of miles he covers in a day, his goal for the day, the places that he visits, the people ...more

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Oct 15, 2020 Abhijeet rated it really liked it

My review📚

"The Buddha and the Bee"

➡️ The author has written a beautiful disclaimer about the title - Biking through America's forgotten roadways on an accidental journey of discovery.

➡️ As the disclaimer suggest, what will the journey bring in the story? what adventures they will face?

➡️ All this beautifully written in this book. I will not give spoilers about the journey as then there will be no interest in reading.

➡️ The author has explained beautifully on how to just jump into things and make ...more

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Oct 17, 2020 Monika Singla rated it it was amazing

🔷 BOOK: The Buddha and The Bee
🔷 AUTHOR: Cory Mortensen

Recently I read the memoir "The Buddha and the Bee" based on my friend's recommendation. This book is about the life changing journey of Cory Mortensen. It is about the bike ride journey of Cory wearing his backpack. It began from Chaska, Minnesota, to Truckee, California. His bike tyre bursting and his hitchhiking was one experience from the book. The book is a collection of many such experiences. Read it yourself and find out more.

Review:
1 ...more

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Oct 15, 2020 Om Kini rated it liked it

The Buddha and the bee by Cory mortensen is the memoir of the author.

In the book author takes us to a bicycle journey of his. He travels from Minnesota to California thats 1500+ miles!!

I must appreciate how each and every chapter is written. Author has delicated each chapter to one day of his journey . author has mentioned how many miles he has traveled in that day. This helps us to image his journey.

I didn't like the way how author describes the past of the places he visited. Its not necessary ...more

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Oct 20, 2020 Nony rated it it was amazing

The Buddha and the Bee is the memoir by the author Cory Mortensen. This book take the readers on a bike ride journey of Cory from Chaska, Minnesota, to Truckee, California. The journey is of 2000 miles. He started his journey from Chaska and reached Redwood Falls on Day 1. It was interesting to read about the minor details of his journey including the things he carried in his backpack, the distance he covered daily, etc.

The beautiful pictures included in between the chapters tempted me to trave ...more

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Oct 21, 2020 Priya added it

Book Review Tour 🦋
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✨Book title : the Buddha and the bee✨
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✨The Buddha and the bee
The author has written very beautifully
The story starts with the father don duo relation and the way they understand for each other ✨
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✨The character Mortensen has a high spirit and he lives for adventure . It all begins with a weird journey and learns from it in ways that impacts his life . It's a long journey and meeting with the people on the way✨
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✨Author has proved that life isn't about the destination but abou ...more

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Oct 17, 2020 Smita Mohapatra rated it it was amazing

The Buddha and the Bee is a well structered and perfectly paced memoir and the author unctous narration makes it even more invigorating.He used humour in the most unususl situations and made the reading experience even more interesting.

The author has written a beautiful disclaimer about the title - Biking through America's forgotten roadways on an accidental journey of discovery.

I feel the story of his journey is very captive and keeps you bind to check what happens next and what he finds next. ...more

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Oct 18, 2020 Sejuti Majumdar rated it it was amazing

In the midst of the pandemic with everyone stuck in their homes we miss travelling the most a fun travelogue style story is what we need.

In this book the author writes about his journey when he began his bike ride across the United States from Minnesota to California and the experience he gathered, his meetings with unusual people, dangerous animals, a journey that tested both his physical and mental ability.

The book is filled with sarcasm and humour. It talks about the journey which changed our ...more

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Nov 21, 2020 Ann rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle, memoirs, travel-narratives, nonfiction, sports, cycling

I enjoyed reading this for its grueling cycling adventures and trip notes. Kudos for mentions about ghost bikes, blue highways, cowboy boot tributes, and a truly cool encounter with a coyote. But I have to say, this persona the author chose to represent him as narrator pissed me off throughout the book. I admit that I giggled at a lot of his references, but I groaned at just as many. Plus, he disrespects just about every local he meets, either not bothering to listen to their advice or flat out ...more

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Nov 17, 2020 Joyce Edmeier rated it really liked it

Many of us long to leave our everyday life behind and travel and explore new areas. Usually this escape is in the form of a road trip with the family piled into the car. There are exceptions, and Cory Mortensen's, "our hero" love of biking allows him to take his Specialized Allez bike from Chaska, Minnesota to Truckee, California. Even though Mortensen is an experienced outdoors enthusiast and marathoner, he is ill-prepared for a cross country bike ride which provides many humorous moments in th ...more

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Oct 17, 2020 Susan rated it it was amazing

Changing life

Cory was going to a wedding in California from Minneapolis. No problem except he decided to ride a bicycle. Not being a biker he didn’t realize what he was getting into. After the first day he was ready to quit but surprisingly he didn’t. To me it was insane riding up mountains (I couldn’t do it). With no cell phone and only using pay phones and computers at the library to let his dad know he was oK he actually made it. A lot of mishap along the way. A lot of history of the differen ...more

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Dec 01, 2020 Naturalbri (Bri Wignall) rated it it was amazing

Being a cyclist and someone who loves adventure, I was drawn to this book, mix that with my medical issues that always make me feel as though I am missing out on my life and this book was more than a read; it was a much needed opportunity to see the humour and adventure in all life.

This read is written exceptionally well, but Laos is more than just a memoir. It is filled with humour, finding yourself and seeing more in life than what you initially think you see, which is so important in the cur ...more

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Sep 28, 2020 David rated it liked it

I received this book from a Good Reads giveaway. This is an enjoyable, quick read following"our hero" as he bikes from Minnesota to California with little to no preparation. I could see myself doing that very thing.
Each chapter is a day in the journey, filled with the good, bad, and often times, uninteresting aspects of cross country riding.
While I enjoyed must of the book, I think it would benefit from some editing - curious facts about cities he passes through sometimes feel more like filter ...more

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About Cory Mortensen

Cory Mortensen

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Cory Mortensen has ridden his collection of bicycles over a million miles of asphalt, dirt, mud, and backroads. In addition to the cross-country journey detailed in this book, he has traveled to over fifty-five countries, cycled from Minneapolis to Colorado solo to raise money for children born with congenital heart defects. He's completed sixteen marathons on five continents, and survived three d ...more

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