From Swindles grocery store in Malden to the highways of Texas and the mountains of Colorado, citizens have more that unites them than divides them -- that's the message one cyclist hopes to convey this election with a 4,233-mile ride through the nation's Heartland.
Over the course of 85 days, Kirk Gillock traced the shape of a 'heart' over the roads, fields and farm levees of middle America, using GPS to track every turn of the pedal.
"I've seen, like a lot of people in America, this division growing from the political parties. There's really a line being drawn between the two parties," said Gillock, whose ride took him through Campbell, Malden and Piggott, Ark. earlier this month.
There is a growing divide even among families and friends, said Gillock, 48, who most recently worked as an Uber driver near Seattle, Washington.
"Something needs to be done to remind everyone that we're all Americans. We're all brothers and sisters," he said. "We can disagree, but we can still stay friends and family members."
His tour, called "Heart for America," started Aug. 2 in Austin, Texas and ended there Oct. 26, with his own friends and family waiting at the finish line.
He crossed 13 states on his bike, carrying a small tent, a few clothes and extra water.
Gillock talked with residents of the communities he passed through along the way.
"Most Americans just want to be happy and get along. It helped me reconnect with my country," said Gillock, who did not accept or seek donations for the trip. "It's an interesting way to see a country, even your own country, because it's a different pace."
During a stop just inside the Missouri border, Gillock said he was joined by a veteran during lunch at an outside picnic table. They talked about the jobs the man held after returning from Vietnam and their lives.
At a stop in eastern Wyoming, a truck driver overheard Gillock asking about places to stay for the night and offered up the empty sleeper cab of his semi.
"There are so many good people out there that want to help ...," Gillock said. "I met people on both sides of the political spectrum. Everyone was so nice. It helped me see things are not as bad as it seems."
The bike trip was done alone and was more than twice as long as any previous ride he had attempted, Gillock said. Temperatures were over 100 degrees when he left Texas. Elevations topped 10,000 feet during other parts of the trip.
"There were moments when I wished there was somebody with me, helping out," said Gillock, describing a section of Wyoming where he had to push his bike for 15 miles down a cow path that was too soft to ride.
His gear also included two bags to carry items, one red and one blue, for the Republican and Democratic parties. This was to symbolize the balance the country needs right now, just as a bicycle needs balance, according to Gillock.
Gillock believes it takes both sides to make a stronger country.
"If we lean too far left or too far right, we will fall and we will fail," said Gillock.
Gillock formerly worked in advertising and graphic design. He left the field when a short visit to east Asia turned into a 14-year journey that included starting a charity in Thailand, the Isara Foundation. The foundation built a school, taught English and supported environmental campaigns, he said.
While there, Gillock also drove a truck covered in banners through 77 provinces as part of a campaign to increase the use of helmets by motorcyclists.
Gillock recently returned to the U.S. He took video during his bike trip and plans to compile that as part of project on the "Heart for America" campaign.