SANDPOINT - Steve Quam always has an open door waiting for him in town.

After rolling into Sandpoint with his bike and trailer June 20, Quam grabbed some rest at the home of Alice Vroman. It was a welcome respite after leaving Washington state at the beginning of the month on a coast-to-cost bike tour of the United States.

Quam initially met Vroman on a similar trip several years ago after calling her church for assistance. Since then, he has stayed at her house three times while passing through town.

"This is a beautiful place and I get to see an old friend, which I appreciate very much," Quam said.

There's a good reason for Quam's wanderlust. In 2008, he was diagnosed with Parkinson's Disease, a degenerative central nervous system disorder. Quam said he wasn't one to let the disorder take his quality of life without a fight, and through exercise, practice and several cross-country trips, he has maintained his skill as a musician and a bicyclist.

"I want to be an example that you can still live well and achieve your dreams even after being diagnosed with Parkinson's," he said.

His journeys have taken him from his home in Edisto Island, S.C., to Washington, Oregon and Alaska. This year, Quam began his trip in Bellingham, Wash. Taking a slightly slower pace than usual, he'll travel to Minneapolis by Aug. 28 to celebrate his mother's 102nd birthday and attend his 50-year high school reunion. From there, he'll continue on to South Carolina.

With a bicycle tour completed in 2010, a motorcycle tour finished in 2011 and a combination bike and motorcycle trip wrapped in 2013, Quam has experienced his share of adventure. In one incident, his motorcycle's back tire blew out at 70 miles per hour, sending him tumbling 87 feet and picking himself up without a scratch.

"When I stopped moving, I jumped to my feet and called AAA rather than EMS," he said.

Quam uses his trips to raise money and awareness for Davis Phinney Foundation for Parkinson's. To keep tabs on his progress, visit his website at sqpd.us.