Overnight stop

To the editor:
    I am a 68-year-old cross-country bicyclist from Iowa desiring to travel the USA solo this summer from the very upper corner of Maine to the beaches of Key West, Florida. Sometime in July, I will be passing through Houlton for a look around and an overnight stay.
    I am a member of ‘Warmshowers’ and ‘Couchsurfers’ which are online hospitality websites for bicyclists, but there are no members in your area that I might call upon. They normally help locate a shower and a couch or tent location for weary bicycle travelers like myself.
    I am in search of a warm shower while visiting your community, and also a host that would provide a safe patch of grass where I might pitch my tent. I have contacted your city clerk for assistance but I was told there is an ordinance against camping. I’m contacting you in the hopes you know of a 6-foot by 6-foot piece of private property upon which to pitch my tent. I have showered in rec centers, schools, rodeo grounds, community pools, homes, police stations, fire stations. I have tented in cemeteries, forests, parks, beaches, backyards and church grounds. I am not selective as long as the shower is wet and the ground is flat. Because of the scope of my trip, motels, State Parks and RV parks are not a budget item. Way too costly except during extremely foul weather.
    In 2011 I traveled from the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco to Times Square in New York City. I found that the major enjoyment of my ride was the people and hosts met along the way. It is such an enriching experience making so many new acquaintances and friendships as opposed to just passing through.
    Any consideration you might provide would certainly be appreciated. All I need is to be pointed in the right direction. Please visit my website (www.jacksvelosafari.shutterfly.com) for further introduction.
Jack Day
West Des Moines, Iowa