8/13/19-8/14/19: Chattanooga TN to Huntsville AL

Lisa is headed to her dad's in Huntsville, so I decided to take this opportunity to bike to Huntsville and meet her there.  It is a route I regularly ride, and my riding buddy, Bob, frequently joins me for the first day, camps,  and then heads back to Chattanooga.

I contact Bob to see if he is interested in joining me, and as he does more times than not, he agreed to go.  Now get this, he agreed to go even knowing that our first day would be ridden on probably the hottest day of the year with a heat index above 110 degrees, now that's true friendship.

I'm down to just 2 bikes I am going to keep for myself.  On this overnight trip, I decided to ride my newest bike, a Rawland Sogn (pic below).  The Rawland has 27.5" wheels, and the frame has clearance for some really wide tires, which would have been nice to have when I was riding on gravel and dirt roads during my trip from Chattanooga to Canmore, Alberta, and back.  I seriously considered riding this bike on that trip, but decided that due to that trip's length and the lack of doing any tours on the Rawland, I would stick with my tried and true Heron bicycle.

I purchased both the Heron and Rawland used.  The previous owners of those bikes had both passed away.  From talking with their friends and/or family, it was obvious the previous owners of both bikes were avid cyclists who enjoyed and appreciated cycling.  They looked at their bikes as utility vehicles, means of exploration and travel.  It was explained to me that both of them would have appreciated knowing their bikes went to someone who would appreciate and enjoy them as much as they did.  It is for this reason that I am honored that these 2 bikes have been entrusted to me.

Tuesday-8/13/19

So I meet Bob for our trip at about 8:30 a.m., and we roll out shortly thereafter.  It did not take us long to realize that that day's ride in fact was going to be hot.  We went through the small towns/communities of Wildwood, GA; Whiteside, TN; New Hope, TN; South Pittsburg, TN; Stevenson, AL; and Fackler, AL.

We then stop at a local church located at the foot of Crow Mountain.  This church is a regular stop for us before we start our 2.5 mile climb up the mountain.  We typically just fill our water bottles at an outside faucet at the church, but this day, we looked like a couple of kids playing in the water.  We used our bottles to saturate our heads with water to cool us down.  Bob even took off his shirt and soaked it with water before we left to keep him cooler during the climb.  I personally believe he was prepping for a senior's (not referring to school classification) wet t-shirt contest in Myrtle Beach in a few months :)

We both survived the hot, humid climb and made it to the city park in Hytop, AL.  Since we still had several hours of daylight, and the park has running water, restrooms, and picnic tables, we decided to hang out there awhile before biking the last few miles to our campsite.  We left the park about 7 p.m. and made it to the Walls of Jericho Alabama trailhead, our campsite, at about 7:30.

When we arrived at the campsite, there was no sign of rain anywhere to be seen in the sky. Bob called his wife before setting up his tent, and very shortly afterwards, the wind picked up and the sky turned dark.  He told his wife he would call her back because he needed to try to get his tent set up before the rain set in.  We were both able to get our tents pitched and all our necessary items inside just prior to a storm hitting us.  I just laid in my tent listening to the rain and eventually fell asleep.  I have no idea when I went to sleep, but think it was fairly early.

Wednesday-8/14/19

We got up, broke camp, and rode back to the Hytop Park where we had a bite to eat, filled our water bottles, and then bid farewell to each other, Bob heading back to Chattanooga, and me heading to Huntsville.

I stopped at my favorite spot in Hytop (which also happens to be the only spot), Cumberland Mountain Outdoors, for breakfast.  I had my regular sausage, egg biscuit, and a pancake.

After breakfast, I rode a little way and then came to my reward (pic below) for all the hard work put in climbing yesterday.

I descended the mountain on TN Highway 146 which is a fun road to go down. Traffic is light, the pavement is smooth, and there are no hair-pin curves.  You can just "let 'er rip" all the way down the mountain.  No need to hit brakes at all.

A few pics below of some of the scenery after dropping off the mountain.

Remnants on the road from the storms last night pictured below.

The weather today was quite different from yesterday.  Even though it was warm today, the breeze was out of the north and I could feel a hint of a cooler temp in it.

I got a text from Bob after I made it to my father-in-law's.  He had unfortunately run into every cyclists' nightmare.  The interstate that runs parallel to the secondary road we use to get to Chattanooga was gridlocked, virtually a parking lot. This means a lot of traffic, including 18-wheelers, were getting off the interstate and taking the 2-lane secondary road Bob would be on.  He decided to wait at a business beside the interstate until the traffic eased some. He had already been waiting there 1 hour when he texted me.  I suggested he hop on the interstate and use the shoulder to pass all the gridlocked traffic on the interstate.  He stated he may have to be a "night rider" tonight.

I have not yet mounted a bike computer on the Rawland, but I know from previous trips that I ride about 165 miles total when I ride from Chattanooga to Huntsville.  It's been nice riding without a bike computer the last couple of days.  I had no idea, nor did I care, how fast (or slow) I was going or how far I had been.  I was just pedaling and enjoying the ride.

Day 70: 7/29/19: Cowan, TN to Home

Got a fairly early start again this morning knowing that it was going to be the last day of this trip.  I had a ham, egg, and cheese biscuit for breakfast at a small market in Cowan, while sitting an chatting with a local about bicycle riding. Also bought a sausage biscuit and put it in one of my bags, and had it for lunch in South Pittsburg.

After breakfast, I climbed about 4 miles up a mountain to Sewanee.  Below is a pic of the valley from near the top of the mountain.

Rode a little on the Mountain Goat Trail in Sewanee (pic below).

Below is a pic of the first sign I saw giving the distance to Chattanooga.  It was in Sewanee.  When I saw this sign, I knew finishing this trip was now a  "piece of cake."

I had a nice downhill ride to South Pittsburg, and ate my sausage biscuit outside of the library.  I had a conversation with one of the library staff, and we discussed how God provides our needs.  As I was outside eating, she brought me a couple of goodies for dessert.  A packaged devil's food cake treat and a popsicle.  I stop at the South Pittsburg library pretty often to fill up water bottles because it is on my route when I bike to Huntsville.

I could definitely tell I was back in East Tennessee because of all the steep hills. The last few miles at the end of my trips always seem to be the hardest.  I don't know if that's because I'm tired, because I'm ready to get home, or because I live on a ridge with some steep uphills.  Probably a combination of all these.

I made it home to a cheering section of one (Lisa).  She made a cute little sign pictured below.  It sure is good to be home.

I cleaned up and aired out all my camping gear and got it ready for any future adventures.

I lost a about 23 pounds while on this trip, weighing in at 152.5 pounds. I could tell as the trip progressed that my clothes were getting looser.

I will likely gain a lot of that weight back over the next several days because my body will continue craving calories.  Let the feeding frenzy begin. (Homemade pizza by Lisa. Followed by peach cake with ice cream.)

Total miles today: 79.8

Total miles for the trip: 5514.1

Day 69: 7/28/19: Waynesboro to Cowan, TN

I woke up this morning planning to make it all the way to Sewanee today.  That would put the only mountain climb behind me and it would be all downhill tomorrow:)

I was on U.S. Highway 64 from Waynesboro to Winchester, and then got on Highway 41A.  I made it to Cowan, and the sun had almost completely set, so I decided to stop there for the night.

I know one person in Cowan, and Hannah and I camped at his house a few years back on a trip from Chattanooga to Huntsville.  I went by his house, but no one was home.

I then planned to go by the local PD to see about places nearby to pitch a tent for the night.  I saw a police officer sitting in front of a store talking to a group of men, and I asked the officer about possible campsites.  He made a few calls, but got no answer.

Then Bill, one of the men in the group, told me I could pitch my tent in his hayfield for the night.  So that is what I did.  The view of the stars from the hayfield was spectacular. I even got to enjoy seeing a brilliant shooting star while I was standing outside.  Below is a pic of the Heron hanging out with his new friend.

As I was getting my tent arranged, Bill's son, Justin, came out and offered me a plate of food.  So I put away my peanut butter and tortillas, which is what I was going to have for supper, and accepted this gracious offer.  Justin and his wife, Crystal, and their 2 children brought me the plate of food pictured below.  (Fish, shrimp, salad, peppers and cucumber) It was all delicious.

Today, I rode several miles with Tim (pic below) around Pulaski.  It was good having someone to ride with. The conversation makes the miles seem to pass quicker.

Like yesterday, today consisted of a lot of hills.  However, the hills got larger as I continued going east.  Below is a scenery pic from today.

I'm sure everyone can figure out what my plan is tomorrow.  Tonight will be my last night on the road.  What a fitting way to end.  Just as I've seen several times during this, and other, trips, the kindness of complete strangers is overwhelming.

Total miles today: 126.6

Day 68: 7/27/19: Latham to Waynesboro, TN

I woke up early this morning knowing it was going to be a long day.  I had my sights set on Lawrenceburg, but knew that was a long shot at over 140 miles.

I had another super duper breakfast, but this time in Dresden. Biscuit and gravy along with 2 pancakes.  Just what I needed for a long day in the saddle.  Pic of breakfast and a couple of pics of Dresden below.

I spent most of today up and down in the rolling hills of Tennessee.  I was on a route marked as a bike route for many miles, and went through a few nice small towns.

Something I began noticing today is the amount of litter there is on the sides of roads.  There was not near as much litter out west as there is in Tennessee.  I don't know if that's because of a smaller population or folks out there care more about keeping their roads clean.

I camped at the RV park in Waynesboro that is connected to the city park.  There was also a lot of litter around the RV park.  I was the only person staying there.

Total miles today: 123.4

Day 67: 7/26/19: Jonesboro, IL to Latham, TN

I heard all types of animal noises this morning in the woods that I have no idea what made them.

Another sunrise pic below.

My first stop today was Jonesboro.  I learned that Lincoln and Douglas had their third debate there (info below).

I ate breakfast at the Hometown Diner in Jonesboro.  I ordered the Farmer's Breakfast which included 3 eggs, hash browns, a double order of meat, 2 pieces of toast, and 2 pancakes (pic below).  When the young waitress brought it to me, she said, "I hope you're hungry." I ate every bit of it and she told me she didn't think I could eat it all.

The waitress asked me about my bicycle trip. I told her where I had been and she asked if I was ever scared. She then asked if I stayed in hotels, and I told her I mainly camped.  She told me that is very "cool," and that no one in Jonesboro would ever do anything that cool.  I was happy to reach the "cool" level on a young person's cool meter - or was she just trying to get a bigger tip.

A couple of locals in Jonesboro talked to me about my trip and route I was taking today.  I told them I was taking IL Hwy 127 to Cairo.  They told me that road is closed about 25 miles from Jonesboro before you get to Cairo due to flooding. One of them told me a couple of other cyclists from Ohio came through Jonesboro recently heading west and were planning to cross the river at Cape Girardeau, but the road leading to that bridge was closed due to flooding. The road is supposed to open this afternoon.  The cyclists went to St Louis to cross.

I was originally going to cross the river at Cape Girardeau, but decided to go north and cross at St Louis.  It would have been a real bummer to go that far south just to find the road closed, and then have to go north.

I went through Cairo, which is an interesting town. I could tell at one time it was a wealthy town, but now there are a lot of dilapidated buildings there.  There are mansions like the 2 below.

Right next to them is this mansion.

Pic below is the Cairo Custom House that was begun in 1867 and completed in 1872.

I made it to Kentucky.  One state closer to home.

I had lunch at the Kentucky Hillbilly BBQ.  It is primarily a take out place, but they do have a couple of outdoor tables.  I asked the cashier if they had a restroom.  She said no, but told me the guys usually just go behind the building.  Well, what's the saying?  "When in Kentucky, do as ...."

In Wickliffe, KY, my plan was to take state highways to Fulton to avoid U.S. Highway 51.  I thought the state highways would be less busy.  I stopped at Dollar General in Wickliffe that is by the state highway I was going to be riding on, and I sat outside the store and ate my ice cream while watching the traffic on the highway.  There was quite a bit of traffic, and almost every other vehicle was a big commercial truck.  I decided I didn't want to be on a 2 lane narrow road with all that traffic, so I chose to take U.S. Highway 51.  That turned out to be a good decision because the traffic on that road was not that bad.

Fulton is divided by State Line Road.  To the north is Fulton, KY, and to the south is South Fulton, TN.

I camped by Obion River near Latham, TN.   The mosquitoes are terrible, but I guess that is to be expected this time of year.

Total miles today: 109.2

Day 66: 7/25/19: New Athens to Jonesboro, IL

Below is a pic of the early morning sun behind some clouds.

The most exciting thing that happened today was hitting the 5000 mile mark for this trip just outside Marissa, IL.

Today's ride was pretty uneventful.  It started flat, but got into some hills around Murphysboro.

As I was leaving Murphysboro, I saw a sign on the road with a horse and buggy on it.  I think, "Good, at least I'm not the slowest thing on this road." I was climbing a hill and I saw something odd in my rearview mirror.  It was a horse and buggy, and they're gaining on me.  I eventually had to pull over and let it pass me.  I was able to gain on it a little going downhill, but again, it would pull ahead uphill.  It was a thing of beauty following that buggy, watching and hearing that horse doing its job.  Unlike me, that horse maintained his same pace going up and down the hills, and it was not a slow pace.

I went to Alto Pass with the intent to get some root beer at the Root Beer Saloon.  Well, I got there at 3:30 p.m., and it closed at 3:00 p.m.  I at least got a picture of it.

Below is a pic of a scenic view from Alto Pass.

I left Alto Pass and went to Trail of Tears State Forest, where I camped.  The road to get there was gravel for about 3 miles (pics below).

Total miles today: 86.4

Day 65: 7/24/19: St. Charles, MO to New Athens, IL

I ate my hotel breakfast and headed out with the big city of St. Louis in my sights.  It's always a bit daunting thinking about biking through a major city, but when all is said and done, it is usually a good experience.  This was the case with St. Louis.  I was able to ride on bike paths and roads that did not have a lot of traffic on them at about 11 a.m. when I rode through town.  I'm sure it's an entirely different experience during rush hour.

This was my experience about 25 miles out of St Louis...

And this was the car folks' experience.

I met Greg (pic below) on the bike path and he rode with me a few miles. He showed me a "super secret" way to avoid some traffic.  It was up a steep gravel road that had me pushing again  :)

We also went by a waterfall that has a tragic story about it (pic of falls and info below).

I cruised through Forest Park in St Louis (pics below).

In Forest Park, I met Doug (pic below) who asked about my trip and told me a route to get to the Arch.  Doug is 60 and fell and broke his neck when he was 58.  He has mobility issues, but is still riding using a 3-wheeled bike.

Doug's route took me by the St Louis Cathedral (pic below).

I made it the the Arch (pics below).

I got on the Eads Bridge and rode in to Illinois.  I do not recall an Illinois sign on or after the bridge so I just used the one below from archives.

The difference between St Louis, MO, and East St Louis, IL, just on the other side of the river, is amazing. There is a lot of poverty in East St Louis.

Photo of a fountain in Belleville below.

As I was headed toward Belleville, IL, John (pic below) drove by and then stopped and asked me about my trip.  He is a Warm Showers host for touring cyclists, and has done some bicycle touring.  He also came to the campground, and we visited a couple of hours talking about biking and Federal offenders.  John was previously a case manager at a Federal halfway house, and I'm a retired Federal probation officer.

I decided to stop for the night in New Athens which is a German community.  As such, Athens is not pronounced the way it is in the south, it is pronounced "A-thans." I did my laundry (probably the last time this trip) and cleaned and oiled my bike chain.  Photos of New Athens below.

The campground I'm staying at was underwater a few weeks ago, and they are still cleaning up from the flood.  As a result, there are only 2 tent campers there.  Should be a quiet night.  Pic of campsite below.

I went to eat at the Mexican restaurant in New Athens for supper.  Pic below of the folks at the table next to mine.  They were celebrating the 59th wedding anniversary  of the couple looking at the camera.  They were all curious about my trip, and asked  me several questions about it. They pretty much included me in the celebration dinner.  They also gave me some anniversary celebration cake and ice cream.

Total miles today: 69.4