A little over three years ago, I met somebody who was pretty famous in certain circles, but I didn't know it at the time.  He looked like some random homeless guy walking along the highway with a cart and his dog.  He asked about my bike trip, and I bragged about it.  It wasn't until I asked him what he was up to that he modestly told me he was seven months away from the end of his WALK AROUND THE WORLD.  I was skeptical until he told me the address of his website and I went online to verify it.  I followed the rest of his journey until the very end, where he was given a hero's welcome back to his hometown.

Here is the journal page.

Fast forward to a couple weeks ago.  I was doing stuff on my computer, but the TV was on in the background.  Then I heard the Good Morning America people talking about a new book by a guy who was the seventh person on record to have walked around the world, touching all seven continents, and his dog was the very first one to do so.  Sure enough, it was my buddy who I met in Idaho, Tom Turcich.

I hope his book is successful and he becomes even more famous.

Please join this discussion about meeting famous people or people who SHOULD be famous while on tour.  

You have me beat. In 2009 I had a roadside conversation on the California coast with a guy who turned out to be Joe Kurmaskie, the "Metal Cowboy". This was a few months after he published his third book, about cycling coast to coast across the U.S. with his two sons. His previous book was about biking coast to coast across Canada with his two sons.

During bike tours I have met several cross-country walkers, but I never met an around the world walker.

I thought perhaps we saw this man also (didn't stop). I went back and looked at my journal. This was 2020, so completely the wrong year. But we saw a man with a dog and a similar trailer in Cameron, MT.  

I don't think we've met anyone famous on tour. If so, they were incognito. 

‘Meet’ isn’t quite right, but ‘immediately adjacent to’ is maybe close enough to qualify.  On our first tour of Europe we were in the Orsay Museum taking in the Barnes Exhibit, on tour for the first time in its history.  We were admiring some impressive oil painting when suddenly Rachael gives me an urgent nudge.  Standing immediately beside her are Paul and Linda McCartney, admiring the same work.  We were really impressed at how respectful everyone around them were, giving them space and not obviously gawking, whispering or asking for autographs.

Wayne, we too met Joe Kurmaskie. In 2007 on our way home from Alaska, we were staying at a WS host in Prince George, Richard Thompson author of Children's books.  They (wife and kids) arrived late at night and then off the next morning to catch a train because he had a speaking engagement.

Thanks Wayne.  I'd say Kurmaskie definitely qualifies as a meet up with a famous person, and meeting several cross-country walkers is pretty impressive too.

Kelly, it makes you wonder how many famous people you might have missed because they were either incognito or you just didn't recognize them or you didn't stop to talk to them.

"Immediately adjacent" counts.  And you can't get much more famous than an ex-Beatle.  Great story.

Wow, that Metal Cowboy guy sure gets around.  I'm jealous you got to meet two famous authors at one time.

We didn't get picture of Joe & Family....but here is Richard Thompson.