36 Hours in Berea pp version

Caleb Mann

Cristian Osvaldo FloresEntrepreneurship for the Public Good36 Hours in Berea: Trans American Cyclist Experience Political Science Sophomore

Introduction 36: Hours In Berea: The International TransAmerican Experience.

Osvaldo Flores Political Science with a Peace and Social Justice MinorSophomore Entrepreneurship for the Public Good Summer Institute Program 2015June 8, 2015Berea College 1

Entrepreneurship for the Public Good: Cohort 12

As part of our Entrepreneurship for the Public Good Summer Institute, we are directed to partake in daily activities that adventure tourists participate in. Reason being is that our own Berea community is on its transition of becoming a trail town in the state of Kentucky. Following the path of Morehead and Livingston, our EPG cohort has actively picked up previous work of other cohorts with a local trail committee they helped form.

We have mapped out all 21 possible trails in Berea, have attained the support of local merchants, and in six months the City of Berea Trail Town Committee has (1) developed routes, (2) identified the cultural and historic assets along those routes, (3) formed a merchant committee, (4) formed a signage committee, (5) formed a PR and Education committee, and (5) formed a volunteer committee.

Just last month, we received a letter of support from Judge Executive Raegan Taylor in order to present our findings to the Madison County Tourism Committee.

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Entrepreneurship for the Public Good Program. Cohort 12. Osvaldo Flores Personal Observations. Abingdon, VA. May 2015.

There I was, creating my own persona as an adventure tourist in Abingdon, Virginia as I biked through 17 miles of the Virginia Creeper Trail 3

PlanningEntrepreneurship for the Public Good Program. Cohort 12. Osvaldo Flores Personal Observations. Berea, KY. June 2015.

My first step was to plan out why anyone would want to come to Berea. As a second year college student that was raised in Georgia, I would have expected that the town of Berea had nothing to offer. Needless to say, I was wrong.

So I decided, As this story unfolds, I will attempt to use the specific persona of a cyclist.

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36 Hours: Berea, KY

Now, we will explore reasons as to why our own community in Berea, KY is a vital stop for many adventure tourists and how it will help local businesses if they decide to spend 36 hours here. Our community has a rich culture, artistic value, important and revolutionary history, and treasured natural attractions..

Whether you are an outdoors fanatic, interested in art or music, and even someone who enjoys learning historical movements, figures, and cultures, Berea has much to offer. We have the Pinnacles, the Artisan Village that also includes the culturally diverse Old Town, The Artisan Center, Berea College, The new bell hooks institute, The fudge shop, the historical Boone Tavern, Broadway Body works, a skating Rink, and all of the events that gathers the town.

There are more than enough reasons as to why people should want to visit our community, especially the vast amount of bicyclists who we see everyday. I want you to now imagine that you are a cyclist and are about to begin touring across America just like Caleb Mann is. 5

Caleb Mann

As I was deciding on which persona I wanted to depict, I was determined to chose an adventure tourist that blew my mind. Thus I decided to focus on Caleb Mann, a College student that sought out an unplanned voyage.

I first met Yogi in a bike shop in Abingdon, Virginia and graciously welcomed his group into our campus as a gesture of hospitality and an opportunity to learn what it means to be him.

Has ridden 950 miles thus far 6

Mann, Caleb. "Caleb Mann."Baylor Cycling. WordPress, 06 Apr. 2014. Web. 05 June 2015.

Caleb Mann Yogi is a 19 year old rising Junior at Baylor University in Waco, Texas where he is double majoring in Professional Sales and Entrepreneurship. Born into a well off family, Mann was determined that his experiences would always have humble beginnings. Originally from Cypress, Texas, and later moving into Houston, Texas, Mann has always been surrounded by urban culture filled with busy bodies who live by the clock.

Having had the opportunity to travel to many countries including Canada and Italy, Mann has always thrived to navigate in unknown terrain. His passion in cycling particularly sparked from his mother as she introduced him to the sport.

His life strategy is to always be involved in outdoor recreation, but he shares similar aspirations to be like his father who happens to be a successful entrepreneur. Man wants a future with Garmin, an enduring company which creates superior products for automotive, aviation, marine, outdoor, and sports that are an essential part of customers. This goal is one that he is assured of achieving because he has a successful network, an entrepreneur mindset, and a quality set of skills and abilities.

He even mentioned that he can do as he pleases every summer of his college career because he already has an internship and future job set up for him after obtaining his undergraduate degree. This is something to pay attention to because as he has his future planned back home, he is constantly searching to navigate through an expedition that presents spontaneous events, social interactions, and memories. 7

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What enthralled me the most was the fact that he wanted to ride the Trans American Trail since age 17, but now he is 19.8

Houston, Texas

Originally from Cypress Texas, Yogi then moved to Houston, Texas which is an urban city

Baylor University even has a large student body with an admittance of 14,000 students every year.

Refers to it as a Baylor Bubble 9

Mannerisms

Yogi has distinct mannerisms such as being: quirky, a diva, lavish, loud, and full of energy. 10

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Influencers

Some of his key influencers in life are his family, Elon Musk, and Mark Hurd.

"Elon Musk Owes Customers 6,500 Cars, So Why Is He Smiling?"Fast Company. N.p., 26 Oct. 2011. Web. 06 June 2015.Hardy, Quentin. "Hewlett-Packard's Mark Hurd: He Wants It All."Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 25 Mar. 2010. Web. 06 June 2015.Mann, Caleb. "Caleb Mann."Caleb Mann. Edublogs and WPThemes, n.d. Web. 05 June 2015.

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Mann, Caleb. "Caleb Mann."Caleb Mann. Edublogs and WPThemes, n.d. Web. 05 June 2015.

Words he lives by

This is not a race12

24/7 Routine

Yogi stated that he is one of the top 5 most popular students on campus. He is overly involved in school organizations such as Chamber of Commerce, Athletics, and public relations. Mann devotes most of his time to Baylor. He even spends time personally training his colleges bears! Apart from completing 12 hour credits, being heavily involved on campus, and working at a bike shop, Mann was not complete until he embarked on biking across America. 13

Trans American

Alongside a friend he met online, Mann began biking the Trans American for 19 days now. 14

Hackbert, Peter. "Could the Kentucky Trail Town Program Be an Answer to Economic Development"Peter Hackbert, 2 Apr. 2015. Web. 06 June 2015.TRAILS

Why is Trans American important? The Boone Trace Trail is the most historically tied trail to our community at Berea because pioneer Daniel Boone paved this trail right through our town. It is also relevant because the trail is one way adventure tourists can get to our town.

Hackbert, Peter. "Could the Kentucky Trail Town Program Be an Answer to Economic Development"Peter Hackbert, 2 Apr. 2015. Web. 06 June 2015.15

Preparation

Since Yogi worked at a bike shop, he was able to buy a cheap bike and modify it himself. He already had gear from his college cyclist team.

Other than that, Yogi has quality experience in cycling, gear use, and how to deal with bears. 16

Expectations

Before embarking on the Trans American, Caleb was expecting to find purpose in the scenic natural attractions, but by the time he arrived to Berea and encountered Eastern Kentucky, he decided that the social interactions, southern hospitality, and Appalachian culture is the most meaningful. 17

Day 1

Entrepreneurship for the Public Good Program. Cohort 12. Osvaldo Flores Personal Observations. Abingdon, VA. May 2015.

Yogi met up with Birdy and began their trip together. Along their trip, they ran into a gal who would soon become the last member of their triad. 18

Trail Names

"The Great Florida Birding & Wildlife Trail."Great Florida Birding Trail : Bird Species : Florida Grasshopper Sparrow. Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission, n.d. Web. 05 June 2015.

Choi, Myong. "Fed up with Foodies!"Frolic Hawaii. Frolic Hawaii, 19 May 2014. Web. 05 June 2015.

Joseph, Matt. "CONTEST: Win Yogi Bear Blu-Ray."We Got This Covered. We Got This Covered, 22 Mar. 2011. Web. 05 June 2015.19

Social Media

Mann, Caleb. Thewheelsonthebike Instagram. Personal Observations. Abingdon, KY. May 2015.

The only method of contact I had with the bicyclists was through direct message on Instagram. This is how we were able to communicate their location in order to estimate their time of arrival.

Mann, Caleb. Thewheelsonthebike Instagram. Personal Observations. Abingdon, KY. May 2015.

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Limitations

Yogi recognizes that he has one ultimate limitation in life, and that is TIME. He wishes the days can be prolonged so he can take advantage of every opportunity, experience unimaginable things, and meet the most influential people.

However, because time is essential in what we can or cannot do, lets explore what Yogi would do in Berea if he had 36 hours to spend here. 21

No Budget

Yogi has no budget because he does not want to limit the valuable experiences he may run into, yet he attempts to be as economical as possible. 22

Arrival:Main Street Caf 4:00 PM

Entrepreneurship for the Public Good Program. Cohort 12. Osvaldo Flores Personal Observations. Berea, KY. May 2015.

When the triad arrived, Yogi and his group were extremely hungry. After taking a look at Yelp reviews, they decided to visit Main Street Caf on college square. Yogis friend was so captivated by the fact that the caf had falafel on their menu, so she had to order one. They all agreed on the good service and food here at Main Street. Here yogi spent $7.67 Foodie spent $13.60Birdie spent $9.57

While they waited for their student host to arrive, they were preparing for a convening because they were invited to share their experiences with a group who shared interest in what they were doing.

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Entrepreneurship for the Public Good Program. Cohort 12. Osvaldo Flores Personal Observations. Berea, KY. May 2015. 5:00 PM

When the host met up with Yogi and his group, all were too excited that they tried to go up to the room all at once, even though they didnt fit. Luckily, the cyclists did not have to pay for lodging because some students offered to house them in their dorms and other students offered their off-campus homes.24


"Papa Leno's Restaurant, Berea."- Restaurant Reviews, Phone Number & Photos. TripAdvisor, n.d. Web. 07 June 2015.

Yogi, Birdie, Foodie, Sebastian, and Wouter join Berea College EPG students to debrief on why they were doing what they were doing. Could you imagine if there was a network that resembles warm showers, but strictly for students, allowing

After the open discussion, they enjoyed local pizza delivered from Papalenos. 25


With dirty clothes, Yogi and his group had to wash their clothes. This could have been done at the only local cleaners, but if ECO Clean was available, Yogi would have definitely chose it over any other less sustainable laundry mat. They always manage to have some fun with every activity they do.26

ZZZzzz11:00 PM

Yogi and his group having biked 65 miles, having a meeting with local college students, and doing laundry, they are exhausted. They followed their prospective hosts to fall into a heavy snooze. This was extremely convenient because he did not spend any money and has the opportunity to learn more about the city of Berea from local student and they had the opportunity to sleep in after deciding to take some days off at this beautiful college. 27

Saturday 9:00 AM

"Holiday Inn Express Berea."Bereacom. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 June 2015.Mann, Caleb. Thewheelsonthebike Instagram. Personal Observations. Berea, KY. May 2015. Boone Tavern

Yogi was told that the Boone Tavern, unlike a real tavern that one would expect to see bar fights and alcohol flying everywhere, so he had to go see what was so special about this historical landmark.

Even though their dress code was not up to code, they learned the history of the Tavern and why it is a central location for many tourists to stay in. The food was over priced, but worth the experience.

Yogi enjoyed the WEISENBERGER MILL PANCAKES ( Wiesenberger Mills Pancakes and Syrup served with choice of Bacon, Sausage, or Country Ham) $9

According to TripAdvisor, this is # 1 of 9 hotels in Berea.

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Entrepreneurship for the Public Good Program. Cohort 12. Osvaldo Flores Personal Observations. Berea, KY. May 2015. 10:00 AMSocial Interactions

Yogi and his friends walked around campus and the city of Berea. They ventured out to socialize and get a better feeling of the atmosphere. They even ran into fellow friends they knew who were biking the Trans American trail. 29

11:00 AM

Visitor Center "Berea College Visitor Center - Berea College Visitor Center."Berea College Visitor Center. Berea College, n.d. Web. 07 June 2015

As a tourist, yogi would want to make a visit down to the visitors center so he can learn about events, activities, and any other interesting opportunities that the city would want someone to know about. 30


With a sudden urge for chocolate milk, Yogi managed to ask people who were around to determine where they can purchase some. Yogi ended up walking into Berea Colleges Farm Store. Here they found an array of produce they have never seen and were astonished by the simplicity of the store and the convenience it had for the city to have this local store that sells fresh produce close by. 31

76 Truck Stop 1:00 PM

Now that his chocolate mild craving was fulfilled, his group than began to crave greasy food. What place would serve the least healthy, cheapest, and delicious food around Berea?

The 24/7 Truck Stop! With recommendations, yogi and his group biked across the expressway to find themselves in what felt as the back of an actual truck. The feeling was weird at first, but then the warming service made it all comfortable. The menu was simple enough to be prepared quickly. Before they knew it, they were diving into over easy eggs and grits $3, home made burgers and fries $7, and extra greasy bacon $1.50. Coffee was $1. This is a perfect place to replenish calories lost. 32

Liquor World 3:00 PM

Yogi being underage, would not be able to take advantage of any alcohol consumption. However, his other colleagues could have. The only issue is that Berea happens to be a dry city. This posed an issue for them because as a bicyclist that bears extreme heat and experiences, one would like to sit back and enjoy a nice cold beer.

The group managed to get a ride from a local Berea and escaped to the neighboring county of Richmond for an affordable 6 pack of Kentucky Ale beers. Kentucky Ale $10.99 + tax divided by 3 is an estimated of $4.30 per person

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"First Friday Berea."Facebook. First Friday Berea, 24 May 2015. Web. 07 June 2015.

5:00 PM

In the Old Town Artisan Village, Yogi was lucky enough to arrive on the first weekend of the month. Reason being is because the town and community organizes First Friday, a celebration of community inclusivity and culture diversity for everyone. Yogi could listen to the infamous Appalachian Blue grass music, have the opportunity to purchase hand made Crafts, and socialize with business owners, local residents, and college students. 34

"Village Trough."- Venues & Event Spaces. Yelp, n.d. Web. 07 June 2015.8:00 PM

After snacking on some kettle corn and maybe some cotton candy, Yogi and his group may want to have a delicious bite of local food that is accompanied by live music. Yogi ordered the Soup of the day bowl $6 and an order of Grilled Cheese $3.50.

The Village trough is actually the founder of First Friday as they saw it was important for the community to showcase the rich arts, music, and literature. 35

12:00 AM "Home | Warmshowers.org."Home | Warmshowers.org. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 June 2015.

Yogi decided to reach out to Maya in warm showers because he wanted to see the hospitality of warm showers in Berea, and boy was he impressed. Here he paid no money for a one night stay and complementary breakfast.

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"Berea Coffee & Tea Co."Menuism. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 June 2015.7:30 AM

Entrepreneurship for the Public Good Program. Cohort 12. Osvaldo Flores Personal Observations. Berea, KY. Nov 2014.

Yogi has completed his 36 hours in Berea as soon as he reached 4:00 AM, but he did not want to leave the beautiful town of Berea without trying a Large size Highlander Latte from Berea Coffee and Tea. He knew he could rely on the fast service, high quality, and friendliness from the baristas. After he has been fueled with delicious coffee, Yogi could reflect on all he has done in the small Berea bubble.

This is the perfect time to write reviews on his social media platforms to share what he was able to accomplish. He is now ready to commence his route again and get on his way to explore the rest of America.

Yelp suggests customers to spend less than $1037

Itinerary 4:00 PM Main Street 11:00 PM - Sleeping9:00 PM Laundry 6:00 PM Debriefing 5:00 PM Move In 3:00 PM Liquor World 1:00 PM Truck Stop 12:00 PM Farm Store 11:00 AM - Visitor Center 10:00 AM- Berea Campus9:00 AM Boone Tavern 12:00 AM- Warm Showers 8:00 PM Village Trough 5:00 PM First Friday 7:30 AM- BC&T

Itinerary1. Main Street Cafe110 Main Street, Berea, KY 40403Hours:Sun 10:30 am - 3:00 pmMon 10:30 am - 7:00 pmTue 10:30 am - 3:00 pmWed 10:30 am - 7:00 pmThu - Sat 10:30 am - 8:30 pm

2. Papalenos 108 Center St, Berea, KY 40403http://papalenos.com/Hours:Mon : 11:00am -10:00pmTue : 11:00am -10:00pmWed : 11:00am -10:00pmThu : 11:00am -10:00pmFri : 11:00am -11:00pmSat : 11:00am -11:00pmSun : 12:00pm -10:00pm

3. Boone Tavernhttp://www.boonetavernhotel.com/diningBreakfast 710am (Room service breakfast available 610am)Lunch 11am2pm

Dinner 58pm Sun.Thu.59:00pm Fri.Sat., Last seating 8:45pm (Spring/Summer Hours)Sunday Brunch 11:30am2pm

4. Visitor CenterAddress: 107 Jackson St, Berea, KY 40403Phone:(859) 985-3145http://www.berea.edu/visitor-center/Hours: Monday9:00 am 5:00 pmTuesday9:00 am 5:00 pmWednesday9:00 am 5:00 pmThursday9:00 am 5:00 pmFriday9:00 am 5:00 pmSaturday9:00 am 5:00 pmSunday12:00 5:00 pm

5. Farm StoreAddress: 311 N Main St, Berea, KY 40403Phone:(859) 985-3685Hours: MondayClosedTuesday2:00 7:00 pmWednesday2:00 7:00 pmThursday2:00 7:00 pmFriday2:00 7:00 pmSaturday9:00 am 3:00 pmSundayClosed

6. Truck StopAddress104 N Dogwood DrBerea, Kentucky 40403Phone(859) 985-183424/7

7. Liquor World Address: 239 Eastern Bypass, Richmond, KY 40475Phone:(859) 623-5250

8. First Friday First friday of every month. (5-10pm)

9. Village Trough Address: 216 Adams St, Berea, KY 40403Phone:(859) 868-1211Hours: MondayClosedTuesdayClosedWednesdayClosedThursday11:00 am 9:00 pmFriday11:00 am 9:00 pmSaturday11:00 am 9:00 pmSundayClosed

10. Berea Coffee and Tea Address: 124 S Main St, Berea, KY 40403Phone:(859) 986-7656Hours: Monday7:30 am 9:00 pmTuesday7:30 am 9:00 pmWednesday7:30 am 9:00 pmThursday7:30 am 9:00 pmFriday7:30 am 9:00 pmSaturday8:00 am 9:00 pmSunday11:00 am 6:00 pm38

Conclusion

In conclusion, I hope you were able to imagine yourself as Yogi, a 19 year old bicycling through the Trans American trail without anything planned because he wants that escapist thrill. As he did not have any economical constraints due to being part of a well off family, he made sure that his peers did not feel uncomfortable and decided that he did not need to boast his income and privileges because that should not matter in this experience. Being young helps guide him to seek out adrenaline conducive activities. Yogi, is being introduced to a new culture that he knew nothing about because he was stuck in his own urban bubble. However, Yogi has valued the importance of social interactions along the way by going to places where many people attend. Berea is a prime location where Yogi could learn a tremendous amount of historical movements, find adventure in the scenic natural attractions we have beside us, dine in some of the local, hospitable, and high quality restaurants in town. His favorite part was First Friday and the groups experience would have been even more satisfied if the city sold alcohol.

One thing to pay close attention to is that even though Yogi is better off, he remains self conscious about how much he is spending because the experience would not be true and meaningful if he himself did not follow the persona of an actual biker traveling through the Trans American Trail. One would imagine that he could just buy his experiences, but he is nothing like that. He clearly understands his position, but that does not hinder him from wanting to escape from his life and find other challenges, adventures, and discoveries of cultures and people.

His age stood out to me the most because what 17 or 19 year old would think about even trying to do something as an unprecedented as this? He also happens to be the leader of the group surprisingly, which can show us that the youth do like to take unplanned adventures like he has.

Now, we have to aim at becoming a trail town, successfully be advertised as a welcoming community, and cater to all demographics in all disciplines so the community can welcome more adventure tourist like Yogi and his group, and allow our county to become more economically developed.

His total average expenditures came up to be a total= $55.30. What does this mean???39

Small Business & Entrepreneurship

36 Hours in Berea pp version