Day 6: 5/26/19: TN Hwy 7 to Land Between the Lakes, KY

Below is a pic of my shadow.

Yesterday, all I had to eat was breakfast, a leftover egg and bacon biscuit for lunch, and a pop tart and banana for supper, so I was pretty hungry this morning.  I had to ride 22 miles for breakfast. I picked Shoneys in Dickson for their breakfast bar.   Below is a pic of 1 of 3 plates of food I ate there. 

Today took me through the small towns of Dickson, Erin, and Dover. I rode about 1.5 miles on the paved pedestrian path in Erin (pics below).

In Dover, I went to the Donelson National Battlefield and the Surrender House (pics below).

It was hot again today as indicated in the below photo, but I did not need that to know it was hot.

Pics of a couple old furnaces below. 

This is my solar set up on my bike. It is not the fastest charge, but it is doing a good job keeping a charge on my phone during the day. It's nice not to have to sit around waiting for my phone to charge. So far, I have not had access to electrical outlets at night.

I made it to The Land Between the Lakes and camped in woods there. As much poison ivy as I have seen in the woods in my last 2 camping spots, I'm surprised I don't have it all over me. I guess time will tell. 

Buffalo below

Kentucky at last

It rained just a little when I was close to my campsite. First rain of the trip, but not a soaker.

A couple of pics from today's scenery.

Total miles today: 102.9

Day 5: 5/25/17: Athens, AL to TN Hwy 7 Just North of Natchez Trace

Below is a pic of the sunrise this morning.

I had a nice big breakfast with Ricky and Pam before heading out this morning.  Finally started heading north, and I entered Tennessee at Ard okmore AL/TN. Ardmore has a nice Veterans Memorial (pic below).

The next small town I went through was Elkton. Pics below show a pedestrian bridge across the Elk River, and a view of the Elk River from the bridge.

The next small town was Pulaski. For some reason, they have decorated turkeys at various places throughout town. The turkeys kind of remind me of the decorated turkeys around Blacksburg, VA. Below are a couple of pics of the turkeys around Pulaski, and the dome on top of the courthouse.

I had a flat in a community called Screamer, and had my bike turned upside down when Larry (pic below) walked up and asked if I needed assistance. He helped me with the repair.  He had difficulty hearing and I had to holler for him to hear me. He was as country as he could be. He told me his only vice is alcohol, and I told him I could smell alcohol on him.  I told him Rayburn's story regarding alcoholism  that Rayburn shared with me a few days earlier.  Larry was amazed at how much gear I had on the bike.  When I told him my plans, he said he had never met anyone that has ridden a bike that far. He asked that when I get back from my trip, and if I am around Screamer, would I stop by his house and tell him how it went. I guess Lisa and I may have to plan a trip to Screamer.  :)

Regarding the flat, there was nothing that punctured the tire, one of my many old patches on the tube gave way.

Below are some pics of the scenery and roads that I rode on today.

Tonight I am camping in woods pretty close to TN Hwy 7 so there could be a good amount of traffic noise. Hopefully I will get some sleep.

Total miles today: 81

Day 4: 5/24/19: Huntsville, AL to Athens, AL

I hung out with my lovely wife at Panera again this morning. I had another Asiago bagel loaded with honey. This could be the last morning we get to spend together for a while. She will be missed.

Below is what would be my blog's profile photo if we could figure out how to put it there. For months, I have been searching for the perfect opportunity to take a photo of a heron through the main triangle of my Heron bicycle. A few weeks ago, I was able to capture the picture below on the Riverwalk in Chattanooga. The heron (bird) kept a close eye on me while I fumbled around looking for my phone and trying to get the correct angle for the shot. I was afraid it was going to fly away before I could get the photo snapped, but it hung in there for me. Hope you enjoy it as much as I do. :)

Today was a short day of riding. I rode from my father-in-law's house in Huntsville to my brother, Ricky, and sister-in-law's, Pam, house in Athens. I have camped in their backyard a couple of other times during a bicycle tour. They always invite me to sleep indoors, and find it hard to believe someone would rather sleep outside instead of inside.  Pam cooked some awesome supper consisting of spaghetti, salad, and bread, and topped it off with a pie that was delicious. It was a special time eating with Ricky and Pam, my great-niece, Adalynn, my brother, Donny, and Pam's mother, Addie.

Total miles for the day: 15.5

Day 3: 5/23/19: Rest Day

I'm just relaxing today with my wife and father-in-law (pic below).

Lisa and I went to Panera this morning and spent quite a bit of time there sitting outside drinking water and coffee. I also got an asiago bagel and loaded it down with honey. I ate breakfast this morning before we left the house, but I was already getting hungry again so we went to Panera. I guess the eating frenzy is starting for me.

We also went to Cabela's and picked up a Sawyer mini filter for me to take. I will be traveling with 3 water bottles, 2 canteens, and a 2 litre Camelback, but decided to get the mini filter in case of an emergency.  I will likely not need it, but it is one of those things that I had rather have and not need than need and not have.

Before I left Chattanooga, I also bought a portable solar panel to have as a source of electricity in case I don't have access to a power outlet for several days. Hopefully, I will not need that much.

Below is a pic of my new traveling companion. I call him my lucky duck. I found him on the side of the road while biking in Chattanooga. I have never seen a duck that looked lost, and I figure as long as I follow him I will never be lost. He is also holding a compass, which adds to my trust in him as my navigator.

I put 2 new tires on my bike tonight. I figured I had pushed my luck enough with the tire that had the cut in the sidewall from my Arkansas trip in 2017.

Total miles today: 0

Day 2: 5/22/19: Hytop, AL, to Huntsville, AL

I sweated myself to sleep last night because it was so hot. However, it cooled off during the night and I had to pull out the sleeping bag.

I went to my regular haunt, Cumberland Mountain Outdoors to have breakfast. They actually have 99¢ pancakes now so I ordered one of those and a sausage and egg biscuit. It turned out to be quite the breakfast (pic below).

The pancake got the attention of the other fee patrons inside the restaurant, so hopefully they will start selling more of them. 

A lady named Judy was eating breakfast also and asked about my Colorado shirt. We struck up a conversation and actually sat at the same table and talked while I finished my breakfast. 

She started losing her eyesight about 10 years ago, but surgery allowed her to maintain good eyesight in one of her eyes.  She is legally blind, but is able to drive.  She grew up around Hytop, but currently lives in Birmingham, AL. She indicated she has been robbed 3 time in Birmingham by criminals that targeted her after seeing her cane for the visually impaired. She stated she now owns her late father's home that was given to him by President Grover Cleveland. She is wanting to rehab the home and has contacted the producers of "This Old House" and is awaiting a response. She also owns several acres of land around the Walls of Jericho and is currently working to get 55 acres designated as a wetland as a sanctuary for animals. She was wearing a t-shirt that had " Wildlife in the fast lane" on it with some animals paddling a canoe. She is trying to start a non-profit group that introduces people with physical challenges to wildlife/adventure activities.  She was quite an interesting person to talk to and I could tell she loves all life. Below is her pic

So I finish breakfast and get back on the bike. I am going down the mountain when a Subaru passed me. When I got to the bottom of the mountain, the Subaru was beside the road and Ben stopped me to talk about my bike and trip. He had ridden a bike from Hytop to a class reunion in Harriman, TN, and told me about his experiences. He has lived in Hytop for about 30 years, but is still considered an outsider. He stated the folks that live there are very hardworking.  Again, another great conversation. 

I go on about my way, and stop at a church I regularly stop for water.  I had just drank my last water when I arrived at the church. I filled up my bottle and the water was milky white. I let it run some, but it remained milky white. I decided not to drink it. It was hot and I had no water. 

Less than a mile from the church, Alfred and his 2 daughter's were waiting in their front yard to talk to me about my trip. He and his brother did a bicycle tour on a portion of the Natchez Trace last year and we talked about bike touring. They are now getting ready to hike about 150 miles on the Appalachian Trail. He asked me if I wanted some water and he filled up both my water bottles. God provides. Still yet, another great person to talk to.

I continue on and pull up to another church that is a regular stopping place for me just for a break. Rayburn came out of the church with a container of water and I asked him if he was going to dump it on me. He said he was watering some winter flowers to try to keep them alive a little longer. I told him I was disappointed it wasn't to be dumped on me to cool me off. We struck up a conversation and he told me about being an alcoholic and the Lord setting him free from his sin and burden. Again, great conversation. 

I made it to my father-in-law's house at about 5:00 p.m.  I usually arrive at his house between 2:00-3:00 p.m., but was delayed by my conversations and the wind. 

The conversations were enjoyable, but the wind was not. I had a stiff head wind most of the day that pretty much wore me out. I found myself actually envying the motorists heading in the opposite direction thinking to myself, "Y'all are not even appreciating your tailwind!!" :)

Total miles today: 75.6 

Day 1: Home to Hytop, Alabama, 5/21/19

I left home a little after 6:00 a.m. to begin my trip, and the temperature was near perfect.  I rode on the Tennessee Riverwalk to get through Chattanooga. Below is a pic of me and the Heron (my bike) resting.

Below are various pics I took along the Tennessee Riverwalk this morning as I was leaving Chattanooga.

One of the boardwalks

Tennessee River and Lookout Mountain

A Heron taking a break

Amnicola Marsh

Walnut Street Bridge

Stringers Ridge with Lookout Mountain behind it

The temperature today quickly warmed up as the day progressed.  Lucky for me, most of the route today had quite a bit of shade from trees that helped keep me from baking in the sun all day. 

At Stevenson, Alabama, I always make a stop at Bruce's Foodland to stock up on bananas. Today was my lucky day because they were giving out samples of the ribs they sell in their deli. They gave me a rib bone that had quite a bit of meat on it. I don't know if I was just hungry or if it was really good, but that rib tasted delicious. It was very tender and the meat just fell off the bone. It's amazing how good almost all food tastes when I'm on a bicycle tour. 

There was a "local" at Bruce's who was inquisitive about my loaded bicycle and my trip. I told him I was planning to ride to Banff, Canada.  He stated he was familiar with that area because he had done some "rodeoing" in Montana. I told him I was hoping to make it there in 30 days. He did not think that would be possible because it took him 4 days to drive to Montana.  This guy was really great to have a conversation with. He even passed on his free rib sample and offered to let me have his.

There was a nice breeze blowing through the pavilion at Hytop City Park so I hung around the park a couple of hours to kill some time before going to my campsite.

Tonight I will be camping at the Walls of Jericho Trailhead near Hytop, Alabama. Below is a pic of my campsite.

Total miles for the day:  93.4

The Spawning of a Trip

About 1 year ago a friend talked to me about riding the Great Continental Divide Mountain Bike Route this summer that starts in Banff, Canada, and ends in Antelope Wells, New Mexico. It is primarily on dirt and gravel roads, and I figured it would be kinda neat riding a route that was on those types of surfaces with lesser vehicular traffic. So I agreed to do the trip with him. I even bought a used bicycle that could accommodate wider tires, which would be beneficial on dirt and gravel roads. Even with this new bike, I was still leaning toward trying to do the trip on my old faithful touring bike since we have been through a lot together and really mesh well.

The only downside to this trip was going to be figuring out the logistics of getting me and my bicycle to Canada, and then back home from New Mexico.  I typically like to start a bicycle tour from my home and end it at my home, but this was not going to work for this trip. I had already started trying to figure out how Lisa, my wife, was going to transport me and my bike for the trip. I certainly did not want to go through the hassle of flying with my bike.

At about the first of the year, my friend told me that he was not going to be able to do the trip.  It was disappointing, and I then began thinking about what kind of bicycle tour I could do this year. From looking at photos of Banff on the Internet, I really liked the idea of riding a bicycle in that area to enjoy the beauty. I decided I would try a trip from my home in Chattanooga to Banff, and then ride back a different route. It will be about a 5,000 mile round trip IF I make it the entire way. I have never done a trip of this magnitude, but I'm looking forward to giving it a shot.  I'm sure I'll have to remind myself several times during the trip just to take "small bites" out of this "big apple."  I've always bicycle toured with the mentality that "it's not the destination, but the journey."  We will just have to wait and see where this adventure leads.