Marilyn Monroad, 11 years old, is the "most traveled cat by bicycle," said Caleb Werntz. She has accompanied him on each of his five cross-country cycling journeys. (Submitted Photo)
A couple of unexpected visitors stopped through Oglethorpe County last week.
Caleb Werntz and his cat Marilyn Monroad are in the midst of their fifth cross-country cycling trip. The two passed through the county on Aug. 14, stopping to spend the night at the Vesta Volunteer Fire Department.
Werntz said he found Vesta assistant fire chief Michael Moravek’s phone number online, and the two hit it off right away,
“I vaguely remembered hearing something about him a few years back,” Moravek said. “I really took a liking to him because of what he’s doing and being like an explorer going around on his own power.”
Despite this being his fifth cycling trip across the country, this is Werntz’s first time riding through this part of Georgia. Being from New Hampshire, he said perceived cultural differences kept him from exploring the more rural parts of the South.
“But honestly, I’ve been having some of the most fun that I’ve ever had on a bicycle going into this new territory,” Werntz said.
Werntz began his cycling journey five years ago when the COVID-19 pandemic caused him to lose his job and housing. He said the pandemic made him rethink how he was spending his time, ultimately leading him to chase his dream of being a filmmaker.
“We live in a culture of people who really worship certainty, and the idea of what I’m doing might seem incredibly irresponsible, but for me, it’s super life-giving,” Werntz said. “It’s like a light that I’ve been able to shine wherever I go that I’m hoping will help people to reconsider what they’re doing and how they’re spending their time in their life.”
Moravek said: “I enjoy seeing people taking risks and doing things, because that’s what he talks about. He likes to inspire other people to take risks. Not necessarily dangerous risks, but just to be able to go out and try something different.”
Werntz’s current trip started in Oregon last year. He originally had his sights set on the Atlantic coast, but his plans changed once he entered South Carolina.
“When I got to Spartanburg, South Carolina, the fire department I stayed with out there reminded me that at Myrtle Beach, there’s broken seashells, and it’s not really a nice place, and that Charleston doesn’t really have a beachfront,” Werntz said.
Now he and Marilyn Monroad, who is 11 years old, are heading toward the Gulf Coast of Florida, where he plans to stay for a while to work on his film career.
But along the way, Werntz said he’s going to continue to “feel out all of the curves of the country” as his cycling journey nears an end.
“I want to have some boiled peanuts on the side of the road,” he said. “When I get down there, we’re going to shut the adventure off and get into a different kind of strategy mode, so the goal right now is to enjoy the hell out of Georgia.”
Follow online
Filmmaker Caleb Werntz posts about his travels on his Instagram and TikTok pages (@calicocycles), and on his website (calebandmarilyn.mystrikingly.com).