Pictures

I have a nice sports massage scheduled for later this afternoon, so I'm relaxing and watching Portugal v. Brazil. Here are some of the pictures from the last several days. They are all from northern Kentucky and Ohio.

Mud or freckles when I arrived in Urbana, OH. You decide.

The bike path to Bowling Green or the new entrance to the Batcave?

The first (of many) downed trees on the path to Bowling Green.

The cycling cow at Young's Jersey Dairy. Great ice cream break (with World Cup coverage)

Xenia Station, crossroads of Ohio's bike paths.

Welcome to Punkytown, KY.

More Punkytown, KY

Surprise!

I'm now in Detroit. I busted out a 109.10 mile day to meet Patricia in time for dinner. I'm now fed, washed, and beat. I'll post more tomorrow. Some of what I post will surely be pictures from the last few days. For those who have been worrying about my safety, you may stop now. For those who have been questioning my sanity, I doubt my safe arrive will do much to change the situation.

Day 10 - Ohio Menagerie

I enjoyed visiting with Martha and Gary last night. This morning, Gary made me a great breakfast and we spent some time chatting before I set off around 9:00. There was a light drizzle, so I put the rain jacket on from the word go. After winding my way back to the Little Miami Scenic Trail, I had to take a rain delay. As I got to the trail entrance, a thunderstorm popped up, so I got under cover at a picnic shelter and waited out the rain.

While under the shelter, I met a cyclist named Tom. We ended up riding about 25 miles together this morning before he had to head back home. He pointed me in the direction of some good places for lunch up the trail, and his recommendations came in handy. During the time we rode together, we saw several deer, a fox, a rabbit, and a couple of chipmunks, not to mention lots and lots of birds. I really enjoyed sharing some time and stories with Tom, and was sad to see him peel off.

I made lots of stops today, some to eat, some to chat with other cyclists, and some to see interesting things. One cyclist recommended I try the ice cream at Young's Jersey Dairy, then proceeded to lead me to it. It was well worth the detour, and my sundae hit the spot. The stop also allowed me to catch the last 20 minutes of the South Korea/Nigeria game.

I made it into Urbana around 7:00 this evening. Thanks to the early rain, I was none too clean, so after a quick clean up, I headed to the main drag in town to find a bite to eat. I missed the restaurant I was looking for, but found a local bike shop. I chatted with the owners for a bit, and they directed me back to Catfish Jack's. I headed over to eat, and a few minutes later, Missie and Jeff came in to join me. We shared a tasty meal and great conversation, then Missie invited me over to their house for dessert.

Jeff and I put my bike in the back of his truck, after I rode up the hill out of town, and stopped by Kroger to pick up dessert. Back at the house, we shared more stories and gave lots of attention to their black lab. With both Jeff and I starting to yawn, he offered me a ride back to the motel, which I gratefully accepted. Both Missie and Jeff were wonderful hosts this evening, and they gave me a good recommendation for breakfast tomorrow.

Tomorrow I head up to North Baltimore, another 80 mile day. Hopefully the weather will hold long enough for me to get up there. I suspect that I will be stopping a bit less tomorrow in an effort to get in before any late day thunderstorms can pop up.

Miles Today: 90.38 miles (including the ride back to dinner)
Max Speed: 28.0 mph

I did take some pictures today, but it's late, so I'll post them tomorrow or Thursday.

Day 9 - Into Every Ride, A Little Rain Must Fall

Today got off to a good start, with clear skies and a muggy seventy-something degrees when I pushed off at 6:15 am. Since Cynthiana didn't have any restaurants open at that hour, I started the day with a Clif bar and four full water bottles and started riding north. Twenty miles later, I reached Falmouth and its Twisted Spoon Diner.

After a good hearty breakfast bowl, I refilled the bottles and headed out again. It was about 8:30 and already hot. I put in another 20 miles before pulling in for a Gatorade and water break. I was making decent time and feeling good on the bike, despite the fact that I was sweating so much, my shoes were getting soaked from the inside!

As I pedaled towards the Ohio River in Newport, KY, I met another cyclist who rode with me for several blocks. We had a good conversation about being car-free, since he is as well, and before he turned off on his way, he gave me directions to the Purple People Mover Bridge, which connects the Kentucky Aquarium on one side of the River with Pete Rose Way on the other side. As if you couldn't guess, Pete Rose Way leads to the Reds' stadium. As I was crossing the bridge, the formerly sunny skies started to darken and a cool breeze picked up.

Normally, some cloud cover and a cool breeze on a hot day would be welcome, but one look at the sky, and I knew a thuderstorm was on its way. Pretty soon, I started seeing flashes of lightning and hearing thunder in the distance, in the direction I had to go...

Since everything was still off in the distance, I decided to ride on at least until the rain started. When I started getting hit with giant drops of rain and noticed that the lightning was getting closer, I decided it was time to find shelter. Lucky for me, I was in the city, so it wasn't long before I passed a Mexican Bar and Grill. The crew at Tostado's was happy to let me bring the bike inside and brought me towels so I could clean off the bike (and myself), and water to quench my thirst. When I suggested I might like lunch, a menu materialized quickly, along with an order of chips and salsa. I sat out the worst of the storm watching Sports Center and eating a tasty meal.

When it looked like the lightning was done, I headed back out into a light rain. I had about 20 miles left to ride, and it was now after 1:30. The temperature had dropped, so I decided to use my rain jacket to help keep me warm. At this point in the day, after the sweat and the rain, there was little hope of me being dry until after a hot shower.

I took a little tour of southeast Cincinnati, passing by Lunken Airport on my way to the Little Miami Scenic Trail, a paved, tree-lined rail to trail conversion. I rode that trail all the way into Loveland. Unfortunately, while on the trail, my bike computer decided to malfunction, and my spedometer and odometer quit working. I know I rode more than 76 miles today, but the exact mileage is going to remain a mystery.

I pulled up to Martha and Gary's house just before 4:00 pm. Gary promptly toured me through the finished basement to show me where I could take a shower. After I little cleaning up by me, Martha, Gary and I spent a few hours catching up and enjoying a great chicken casserole dinner. We even had dessert, strawberry shortcake.

Tomorrow, I'm heading back to the Little Miami Scenic Trail. I'll take that to Springfield, OH, then pick up the Simon Kenton Trail to Urbana. Wednesday, I'll be on US 68 from Urbana to North Baltimore, where I'll be staying with a Warmshowers.org host.

I still think I'm on track to arrive in Detroit Friday night, but we'll see what the weather has in store for me....

(If you were hoping for pictures today, you must have missed the early heat and the afternoon rains. Therefore, you had a less unpleasant experience of the weather.)

Day 8 - Happy Father's Day Edition

A Cubs fan in Cynthiana, KY (just for Dad)

Yesterday's rest day was fantastic. After hanging around Berea for the afternoon, I headed out to the home of Andy and Paige, just outside of town. One good hill to power up, and I was met in the yard by Andy and the dogs. Turns out Saturday was Andy's birthday, so combined with Father's Day today, he had a weekend as a king.

Both Andy and Paige, and their daughters were wonderful hosts. We chatted before, during, and after dinner. And what a dinner it was. Paige made fresh burgers, fries, and onion rings with all the fixings. After dinner, it was time to celebrate Andy's birthday, with an ice cream cake, candles, and song. A good time was had by all, especially me.

The dogs acted as a great alarm clock this morning, and after a delicious breakfast (coffee and a pair of egg sandwiches), it was time to ride. It was a warm and sunny day, full of rolling hills. I passed through Richmond, Winchester, and Paris before reaching Cynthiana. I pulled into the Evergreen Motel around 3:00, and after a quick shower and change of clothes, I headed back into town to find dinner.

I ran across the house above on that dinner ride. Since Dad's a Cubs fan, I couldn't resist taking the picture for him. The only other picture I took is below.



Tomorrow will be a long day, as I head up into Ohio. My destination is Loveland, OH, home of some dear old friends, Martha and Gary. Having passed the halfway point in this journey, I think I may actually make it to Detroit a little sooner than planned. I'm now hopeful that I can make it in perhaps as early as Friday evening (fingers crossed).

Miles today: 75.16 miles
Max Speed: 29.3 mph
Total Distance so far: 476.18 miles

Day 7 - Short ride to Berea

Since I covered the extra miles on Thursday, I decided to semi sleep-in on Friday. I got up around 6:45, and had some breakfast at the motel before turning on the World Cup. I don't think I've ever seen so many yellow cards in a half, and I've watched some really sloppy high school games! Sending Klose off really changed the game. It was good to see the German effort in the second half, and they certainly deserved a better result, but this does make that group interesting.

I hit the road after the game, setting out a little after 9:30. It a was sunny and warm, but I only had 40ish miles to travel, so that wasn't a big concern. The road was hilly and full of curves. I worked hard on the climbs and really enjoyed the downhills. I rolled into Berea a bit before 2:00, and headed over to the Black Feather Cafe, a local restaurant that happened to be the place of employment for my hostess of the evening, Rose. I grabbed a delicious paninni for lunch with a scope of gelato for dessert. Both hit the spot after several hours of riding. I met many of the regulars at the feather, all of whom had heard about my trip from Rose. When her shift ended at 3:00, we biked over to her house where I got cleaned up and took a short nap. That was after meeting Flynn, Rose's hyper (and hyper-friendly) dog. Since I was willing to pet him and put up with his high energy antics, we became instant friends.

Later in the afternoon, Rose's boyfriend Nathan came by and the three of us, plus Flynn and Bayla, Nathan's dog, went to the local swimming hole for a dip. It was heaven. While we were there, several friends of Rose and Nathan came by to join us, one with a giant dog named Zeta. All three dogs, and all the people enjoyed the relief of warm water on a hot day.

We headed back to town, where Rose made an incredible dinner. Onions, mushrooms, squash, and chicken served over pasta with a nice fresh salad. It was just what the doctor had ordered for all of us. We sat around after dinner with a few beers and chatted till sleepiness overtook us. We all turned in for the evening, and slept soundly until Flynn decided he needed some attention. He jumped up onto my bed and insisted on a belly scratch, which I sleepily provided.

A little later, we were all awake and heading out to a new cafe for breakfast. The food was great, eggs, bacon, and biscuits and gravy. But the coolest part was the "pickin' and grinnin'." From 9:00 to 11:00 on Saturdays, the cafe has an open bluegrass/gospel concert. Rose, Nathan and I were the only folks under 50 in the joint (other than the kids working as waitresses), but we enjoyed the music and food. After breakfast, we went back to Rose's so I could pack up to head back into town to explore. A little rain delayed me, but I'm in town at the moment, enjoying some coffee and internet access.

Tomorrow I head out to Cynthania, and from there to Cincinatti.

Miles traveled: 42.12 miles
Top Speed: 37.0 mph

Day 6 - Overtime

The view at "Scenic" Cove Lake

Yes, the sign coming into Caryville, home of "Scenic" Cove Lake, has the quotes. That little touch made me smile yesterday. After a relaxing evening indoors, and two BBQ meals in one day, I started this morning at Scotty's. (What is it with small diners named Scotty's on this trip?) A cup of coffee, a couple eggs, some bacon, some toast, and great conversations with the locals. In fact, as each local came in, I was asked about my bike, where I was from, where I was going, and I repeated the story, to the delight of everyone in the restaurant.

After spending more time than I had planned to, I got ready to leave. One of the men at the counter handed me his card and asked me to remember him when I write my book. Now, this is no book, but I suspect I'll remember Bill and his friends for a good long time.

Fueled up for a day of climbing, I set off to climb Jellico Parkway over Pine Mountain. It was a long, winding road with the tiniest shoulders I've ever seen. It was muggy and warm the whole way up, and about as lush as a rain forest. I spent over an hour making the climb, then flew down the descent with nary a peddle stroke. After the mountain, it was a few more miles to Jellico, a sleepy little town where I passed by all the fast food options only to find there were no other options available.

Luckily, Williamsburg wasn't far, and I quickly pulled into town and found a great little Mexican joint. One lunch special with about 5 glasses of water later, I headed back to the road. Along with the much needed food and water, I also got to catch a little World Cup action. The waiter seemed more surprised that I was interested in the World Cup than the fact that I had biked to the restaurant.

From Williamsburg, I headed to Corbin, home of KFC. I passed a sign for the Col. Sanders Museum, but I didn't ride by it. Instead, I found a vacant lot filled with decorated trains. While I was taking pictures, an older gentleman walked up and offered to take my picture. We chatted a bit, and it turns out this man was the chief of police's father. After finishing my picture taking, and getting some local directions, I headed for the KOA.





But a funny thing happened on the way to the KOA....I realized I wasn't ready to stop peddling yet. After several days of brutal heat and humidity, the day turned out to be warm, but very pleasant. Not too humid, a little bit of a cooling breeze, blue skies with a few fluffy clouds...How could I call it a day when the next town was just 12 miles ahead? Short answer: I couldn't.

I just kept pedaling right to London. As I came into town, I stopped for a quick milkshake before getting a room for the night.

One of the best parts of the trip so far has been the conversations I've had with complete strangers. Whether it's the regulars at Scotty's, or a little girl and her father at the Mexican restaurant, every interaction has been incredibly positive. Some folks have said the thought of me riding from Atlanta to Detroit is inspiring to them. Some have said, with a giant grin on their faces, that this ride is crazy, and they wish they could do one too. Everyone of the conversations ends with someone wishing me well. Telling me to take care of myself and be careful out there.

It's really great to see just how common caring and common decency are.

Miles Today: 81.33 miles
Max Speed: 31.5 mph
Total Miles: 358.9 miles

Tomorrow is a short ride (50 miles) to Berea, where I'll spend two days. I'm staying with some Warmshowers hosts, so I'm looking forward to learning all about the town.

Day 5 - Making it up as I go along

Day 5 is now in the books. I'm at a Motel 6 just down the road from Cove Lake State Park. Today has been all about improvisation. First thing this morning, Tim, my host last night, helped me make a better route than Google gave me. By better, I of course mean more scenic and less turns, or at least that was the game plan. Tim put together a good route, but the county was doing its best to make things difficult. I had a bunch of streets dead end into nameless streets, making navigating my route a little challenging.

As if that was not enough, one of the roads I was on was closed for construction. There were excavators on site, so I suspect that closure was a very recent development. Since I couldn't follow the planned route, I took a left on the last road before the closure, hoping I would be able to quickly get back to the road I was supposed to be riding on. Well, long story shorter than the long winding road, I never got back to the desired road, but I did make it to the next road on my route, and that took me in to Knoxville, where I got the picture below:


Just after I snapped that shot, another cyclist pulled up next to me to chat. He did a tour with some friends last year from Knoxville to Savannah. As we chatted, he led me to a bike shop in downtown Knoxville, where I was supposed to get some good city directions from "Doc." Unfortunately, it was Doc's day off, but the other guys at the shop managed to find a bike map of Knoxville and get me pointed in the right direction.

I left Knoxville by TN-33/US-25W, which took me through Claxton, Clinton, and Lake City. It was a bunch of up and down, but I had fun with it. I saw a few drizzles off and on, but missed the worst of the afternoon storms by stopping at Heavenly Hog in Clinton for some lunch. Not ten minutes after I arrived, the sky opened up, and fifteen minutes later, the rain stopped. When I was done with lunch, I got back on the bike to start the last climbs of the day.

After 61 miles, I was starting to feel tired, so when I saw a VFW Post, I pulled in to find out how far I was from my destination. As it turned out, I was just 2 miles short of Cove Lake Park, but both miles were uphill. After refilling water bottles, I pushed on, and less than a mile from the goal, the sky opened up. Luckily, an abandoned Exxon Station had a good roof over the old pumps, so I could stay dry. The same cannot be said for the camp ground at Cove Lake.

When I arrived at Cove Lake Park, I had no idea what the evening's weather report looked like, but one look at the campsites told me any stay would likely be damp. Since I'm heading to a KOA in Corbin tomorrow (where it is expected to be dry all day), I decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and found a nice motel with AC and internet.

The wake up call is set for 5:30 am, so I can eat breakfast and be on the road by 7:00 am.

Miles today: 67.31 miles
Max Speed: 33.7 mph (hooray downhills!)
Total miles on the trip: 277.79 miles

Day 4 - Timing is everything

Caution: Overturned Trucks Ahead!

Day 4 is in the books. Got an early start from the campground, leaving around 6:40 am. A pleasant 7 mile spin brought me to Etowah, home of Scottie's 24 Hours. I got a good breakfast, with some coffee before oiling my chain and setting off for the main event. 60ish miles of Tennessee. I started on Rte 411, a nice little road that alternates between being a four lane divided highway and the main thoroughfare for several small towns. I rode 411 until I crossed the Tennessee River, then started following the directions sent to me by Tim, tonight's host. Tim took me through some beautiful back country roads, as you can see in the pictures. There were a few hills, but nothing to big. Today's weather was still hot and humid, but not quite as brutal as yesterday. At least until about 3:00.

Not my lunch stop, but an interesting looking Country

Late in the morning, some 45+ miles into the ride, I decided it was time for lunch. I met a man on the side of the road who gave me directions to a restaurant some "3 miles away." Six miles later, I stopped for directions again, only to find the restaurant was another half mile up the road. I pedaled on, having gone that far to get lunch, and found an interesting little Mom & Pop shop inside a gas station. When I arrived, it was pretty empty, but soon a couple of EMTs arrived, and a few county police officers, then the regulars, and pretty soon the place was hopping. And just about all of them wanted to hear about my trip so far. A few could hardly believe I was crazy enough to ride all the way to Detroit, but all offered up encouragement and a bit of admiration. That and the super cool AC made my lunch stop awfully nice.

These cattle only wish they had AC.

Eventually, I needed to head back into the heat to backtrack to pick up my route to tonight's resting spot. After a quick phone call to Tim to confirm directions, I set off with about 15 miles to go. That's when the thunderclouds started to appear. Shortly after the clouds rolled in, the thunder started, so I put the rain covers on the panniers and started pedaling hard. As luck would have it, it started to rain when I was less than 100 yards from my destination. A few drops hit me, but not enough to notice.

One of the great views I had today.

A quick shower in a gorgeous outdoor shower got me clean an refreshed. It was very cool to take a nice warm shower in the midst of a cool rain.

Another great view from today.

Tomorrow's original plan was to get all the way to Jellico, TN. Based on the past few days, and the weather report for tomorrow, that seems overly optimistic. I think the new plan is to take 3 days to get from here to Berea, KY. I'm still planning a rest day in Berea, and I'll try to make up some time when I get to Ohio.

Hey, a downhill!

Miles today: 66.11
Max Speed: Under 30 mph (I forgot to look before resetting the odometer.)

Day 3 - Long Day, Short Update

Sorry, no pictures today. I did take one good shot of a courthouse in GA, but I don't have my camera nearby, and I'm trying to post this before a thunderstorm rolls in.

I'm currently in Delano, TN at the Hiwasse Occoee State Park. The tent is up with the rainfly in anticipation of a possible downpour. The Ranger Station lost power for a minute or two just a bit ago, so I am not counting on a dry afternoon/evening.

I got a good early start this morning, leaving Tom's place around 7:15. Tom was kind enough to carry all my panniers (by car) down to the bottom of his very (a) steep, (b) narrow, (c) winding, (d) all of the above street. Considering I hit nearly 30 mph while riding the brakes, I'll let you guess the best answer. Today was a day of very few turns. I rode on only a handful of roads after leaving Tom's subdivision. There was Pleasant Grove, Tails Creek (which changed names a few times), and Rte. 411. I road 411 into Tennessee, through the town of Benton before making it to the park.

The views were nice, but because it was hot and I had a long ride (60 miles) to do, I didn't take many pictures. I did manage to get a nice Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit for a dollar and I finally found the elusive boiled peanuts. I apparently stopped at "the last boiled peanut stand before Tennessee." It was about 15 miles from the border, and they were/are good. I'm still munching on them to replace some salt and give me some calories.

Tomorrow, I'm off to Louisville, TN, just outside Knoxville. I'm staying with Tim, whom I met through Warmshowers.org. Hopefully I won't have to deal with too bad a storm tonight and tomorrow will be a nice, pleasant day.

Miles travelled: 62.87
Top Speed: 38.8 mph (recorded in GA, but not in Tom's subdivision)

Day 2 - The Georgia Managerie

Today was a good day to ride....if you like hot and sticky weather. After a good night's sleep at Charlyn's house, I enjoyed a great breakfast of coffee, quiche, and cantaloupe. We watched a little bit of the early soccer game, and then with sunscreen applied, and water bottles full, I set out for Ellijay to visit Tom, from CTY.

Did I mention it was hot and sticky today? I didn't make it out of Charlyn's subdivision before my jersey was soaked, and I went through 8 water bottles plus a 32 ounce sport drink on the ride today. I also had an ice cream cone, a sports gel, and a cliff bar. But that's not terribly interesting. The animals that I encountered today were interesting, however.

Let's see, two turtles were crossing the road in front of me early in the morning. If I hadn't been pedaling uphill in both instances, I would have taken a picture. Alas, my fear of not being able to restart up the hill was greater than my desire for the photo, so no cute picture here.

A couple of miles past the second turtle, I discovered a really good reason to interrupt a 30 mph descent....and they were also crossing the street. Since I was confident in my ability to restart going down hill, and since this group was taking up the whole road, I stopped to get the camera.




About an hour after I stopped to take pictures of the geese, I found a gas station and got the aforementioned sports drink. It was cold and full of great electrolytes, and it was good. I continued for another hour before reaching Jasper. There I got the ice cream cone and took a break from the heat. About two blocks after the ice cream cone, I found an interesting statue in from of the Pickens County Courthouse. When I saw the statue, I did a double-take to make sure I wasn't in front of a library.


Several miles up the road, a strange man parked his car on the side of the road, and stuck his thumb out for a ride. It was Tom, my host for the night. He had seen me ride by his chuch, then picked a good spot to meet me to tell me I was only a dozen miles away. That should have been about an hour's ride. If not for the wrong turn and the hills. I had to push the fully loaded bike up one hill on a small country road, then missed a turn right at the top of the hill. I rode about a mile past where I needed to be before calling to verify directions. After a little backtracking, I found the right subdivision, and a hill I couldn't even push the bike up! Tom came down the hill and took two of my panniers off the bike and then I could push the LHT up the hill to his house. After some great iced tea and water (and some cleaning up), we got to catching up with each other. He showed me pictures from his latest trip to the southern hemisphere, and I showed him the pictures I'd taken in the last few days. I wonderful dinner was shared, and I got to writing. It's of to bed now with a 6 am wakeup tomorrow. I'm camping tomorrow night, so there may not be an update till I get outside Knoxville.

Distance ridden/walked: 43.87 miles
Max Speed: 34.7 mph

Day 1 - Atlanta to Canton

I set off this morning bright and early. 7 am for the ride to breakfast, and then a real departure at 8:00. It was only 80 degrees when I set out, but a nice overcast sky almost let me forget about the humidity. Later in the morning, when the cloud cover burned off, I got a good dose of hot and humid. Traffic was relatively light as I pedaled through town. There were more joggers in Virginia-Highlands than cars!

Heading up a hill 0n Roswell Road, I had my only interaction with the car traffic. A driver in the left lane rolled his window down, shouted "Keep going, man! Almost There!" He then did a good Arsenio Hall impersonation with a "Woo Woo Woo" and sped off past me. He put a smile on my face and helped get me over a good sized hill.

When I got into the town of Roswell, I came across the statue at the top. It's advertising a bike ride from April, but that's better than the political campaign signs you can see in the background.

About 25 miles into the ride, I passed my first boiled peanut stand. Thinking there would be plenty more on my route, I passed by without stopping. I regretted that decision for the next 12 miles as no more stands appeared. If I pass one tomorrow (and it's open) I'll be stopping for sure.

I made it in to Canton around 11:30 am, several hours ahead of schedule. (I really should have stopped for some peanuts....) When I arrived, Charlyn took the picture of me below:



After a nice shower and quick lunch, we headed over to Charlyn's Club House to watch the US vs England. England got on the board in the 4th minute, with the US getting a lucky equalizer in the 40th. The three Yanks watching the game were able to claim a moral victory, without the one Englishman needing to concede defeat.

Tomorrow it's off to Ellijay!

Miles Covered Today: 37.63 (after breakfast)
Top Speed: 33.7 mph

T-minus 20 hours and counting

Final prep is nearly done. I've received the GPS recording device, packed the panniers, and am nearly ready to go. I'm riding from Atlanta to Canton, GA tomorrow. ETD is 8:00 am so that I can arrive before the U.S. National Team starts its World Cup campaign. The route is approximately 40 miles, so I'll start with a good breakfast and then roll out.

Here is a shot of the Long Haul Trucker I'll be riding, minus most of the bags:


Tomorrow, it's gets two more bags front and rear, and a whole bunch of water bottles. Then it's off to start the adventure!