coerced into another rest day due to bad weather. enjoying this small little town. did some laundry, watched the kentucky derby, generally a lazy day. looking forward to moving onto carbondale, IL.
today: 0 miles
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Friday, April 30, 2010
Day 29 - Easy travel to Elizabethtown, IL
we took a side trip to garden of the gods, a very scenic rock formation area north of e-town. ventured to elizabethtown to wait out incoming bad weather. found a great B&B to hole up in. very small town, but great people here ! stay at the rose inn if you ever pass thru. tell bruce and sue i sent you...
today: 45 miles
to date: 1561
today: 45 miles
to date: 1561
Thursday, April 29, 2010
Day 28 - Day Off in Cave-in-Rock
I met up with a new travel partner - meet Dana Miller !
taking a rest day. need it badly!!!
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Day 27 - Cave-in-Rock, IL
awoke today to a beautiful morning. nice day for a ride ! today was a 50+ mile run to cave-in-rock. the underground railroad bike route ends for me there, and I pick up the transamerica route there. from there, I head due west toward pueblo, CO.
enjoyed a ride of mostly gently terrain, thankfully replete with lots of flat sections and few climbs. got to the Ohio river to catch the free ferry across to CiR. the state park there is right next to the ferry landing. a quick stop at the post office to pick up a care package of some minor replenishments and treats. rode up the hill to a nice quiet camp spot. the park has a restaurant close by, so treated myself to a good meal before turning in.
first in line to get on the ferry were a couple of local men who were on there way to elizabethtown (nearest alcohol). they offered to pick up some beer for me. sounded good, so they met me at my camp site and had our own version of happy hour !
not a hard ride today, but all the cumulative miles, especially so much climbing since turning north on gulf shores, AL have caught up to me. very tired legs and body. need to take Thursday off; should be nice out, so a good day to relax and recharge.
today: 54 miles
to date: 1516
enjoyed a ride of mostly gently terrain, thankfully replete with lots of flat sections and few climbs. got to the Ohio river to catch the free ferry across to CiR. the state park there is right next to the ferry landing. a quick stop at the post office to pick up a care package of some minor replenishments and treats. rode up the hill to a nice quiet camp spot. the park has a restaurant close by, so treated myself to a good meal before turning in.
first in line to get on the ferry were a couple of local men who were on there way to elizabethtown (nearest alcohol). they offered to pick up some beer for me. sounded good, so they met me at my camp site and had our own version of happy hour !
not a hard ride today, but all the cumulative miles, especially so much climbing since turning north on gulf shores, AL have caught up to me. very tired legs and body. need to take Thursday off; should be nice out, so a good day to relax and recharge.
today: 54 miles
to date: 1516
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Day 26 - Grand Rivers, KY
I enjoyed the unplanned cabin. cooked out last night the meal I got provisions for, my version of a crude hamburger helper: ground beef, elbow mac and tomato soup. doesn't sound like much, but it sure goes down well after a long ride. saved leftover for lunch today ...
very nice ride from Dover to grand rivers on easy rollers of gradual climbs and descents. I expected chilly and rainy weather with headwinds. got plenty of all of that. got a break in the weather later in the ride to heat up leftovers on the Coleman stove. THAT hit the spot! by the time I hit grand rivers, it was still raining. I knew it was supposed to clear up and I had planned to camp, but the opportunity did not appear imminent. so, again, I had to opt for the unplanned room. good thing I'm on vacation and budgeted for plenty of hotel cost !!
... and as luck would have it, the skies began to clear after I checked in. looks like a fine day tomorrow to make my push to cave-in-rock, IL, to join my next Adventure Cycling route, the TransAmerica.
I found the first bike shop, Wood and Wave, in weeks as I pulled into town. they fixed me up with coffee and a new stem for the bike as a way of addressing recurring compressed-nerve numbness in the hands. got some gels to go, just in case...
great route today thru the Land Between the Lakes park. would love to do this ride on a nice day with my time trial bike !
today: 52
to date: 1462
very nice ride from Dover to grand rivers on easy rollers of gradual climbs and descents. I expected chilly and rainy weather with headwinds. got plenty of all of that. got a break in the weather later in the ride to heat up leftovers on the Coleman stove. THAT hit the spot! by the time I hit grand rivers, it was still raining. I knew it was supposed to clear up and I had planned to camp, but the opportunity did not appear imminent. so, again, I had to opt for the unplanned room. good thing I'm on vacation and budgeted for plenty of hotel cost !!
... and as luck would have it, the skies began to clear after I checked in. looks like a fine day tomorrow to make my push to cave-in-rock, IL, to join my next Adventure Cycling route, the TransAmerica.
I found the first bike shop, Wood and Wave, in weeks as I pulled into town. they fixed me up with coffee and a new stem for the bike as a way of addressing recurring compressed-nerve numbness in the hands. got some gels to go, just in case...
great route today thru the Land Between the Lakes park. would love to do this ride on a nice day with my time trial bike !
today: 52
to date: 1462
So long, Tennessee
since there wasn't a welcome sign on the road on which I entered Tennessee, I got one on the way out to make it official, albeit retrospectively !!
So long, Tennessee ....
Monday, April 26, 2010
Day 25 - Dover, TN
today started as chilly and clammy and drizzly as yesterday ended. had about a 60-mile fairly hilly route to Dover, TN. had to go full goretex early on. this stuff isn't as much about thermal protection as it is about great wind protection. sweated heavily in the humidity. alot of nice long descents today. but, they came at the price of stout longer climbs than I've seen. winds were more cross than head, which always helps. had a good ham and cheese in Erin, TN that I'd put in the "fucking good sandwich" category..
made Dover late afternoon. stopped for groceries and made the campground. nice, small, somewhat crude place. was going to tent it, but the manager, seeing this cold wet pathetic cyclist, damn near gave me a cabin. I was all over that, no doubt. she even offered to throw my wet duds in the dryer. oh yeah !! will be nice to start tomorrow with dry clothes. expecting another day like today. will enter Kentucky tomorrow.
all in all, a tough and challenging day of riding and the first unpleasant weather I've ridden in, thus far...
today: 63
to date: 1410
made Dover late afternoon. stopped for groceries and made the campground. nice, small, somewhat crude place. was going to tent it, but the manager, seeing this cold wet pathetic cyclist, damn near gave me a cabin. I was all over that, no doubt. she even offered to throw my wet duds in the dryer. oh yeah !! will be nice to start tomorrow with dry clothes. expecting another day like today. will enter Kentucky tomorrow.
all in all, a tough and challenging day of riding and the first unpleasant weather I've ridden in, thus far...
today: 63
to date: 1410
Sunday, April 25, 2010
Day 24 - Buffalo, TN
awoke from a great hotel room sleep after a very lazy day off. very bad weather yesterday all around, with tornado sirens going off and rain all day. managed to get in laundry, respectable Mexican food, and a (bad) movie, all walking distance from the hotel.
weather started very nice as I headed north toward and beyond pineview to a remote campground in BFE somewhere. had a stiff tailwind to start so I foresaw a good clip today. made pineview in good time, and began venturing NW from there. or so I thought. I found myself not seeing the turns I was expecting, clearly heading into remote back woods. none of the roads back here had street signs, so i had only my ACA maps and GPS to keep me on track. some of the hills back here were ridiculously steep, and I have no shame in saying that me, donnie shelton, had to dismount and walk not 1 but 2 of these animals. brutal. making matters more of concern, my iPhone battery was on fumes, and getting sketchy signals in the woods, as well. I was getting low on water, and weather was becoming ominous. my compass showed I was heading north as expected, so I'm thinking WTF. got a final GPS reading before the cell died that showed I was SOUTH (but heading north) of pineview, not NORTH as I expected. now I'm really thinking WTF, how the hell did I get HERE ? with the afternoon getting late, and decided I needed some local help. back in these woods and at home were the Buttreys, a very nice couple who offered me water, some AC to juice the cell, and some directions. obviously, I took a wrong turn somewhere, but just couldn't see where.... mr. buttrey offered a ride to a nearby hiway intersection from where I could hustle an 11 mile dash to buffalo, TN. earlier calls to the campground I wanted to reach revealed they had high water from the storms and weren't taking campers, so going hotel was fortuitous.
I must have studied the maps for half an hour till I could find my faux pas. yinged when I should have yanged, it seems. lesson learned: be attentive to the maps !
after checking in, went for a local burger that I would class in the "good fucking burger" category.
tough day today. would have been brutal with headwinds. ended up fairly close to the 'closed' campground, so my screw up (this was way beyond simply ass-chapping...) had an ok end, most certainly with the good Samaritans' help !
encountered quite a few dogs today. had to stop once to stare down a pit-bull looking thing. he had a frothy look to him.... as some of you know, I speak a few different dialects of dog, so I barked this pinhead to step off or else. he apparently caught my drift as I walked on with my bike and he stayed put. HA!
today: 79 miles
to date: 1347
weather started very nice as I headed north toward and beyond pineview to a remote campground in BFE somewhere. had a stiff tailwind to start so I foresaw a good clip today. made pineview in good time, and began venturing NW from there. or so I thought. I found myself not seeing the turns I was expecting, clearly heading into remote back woods. none of the roads back here had street signs, so i had only my ACA maps and GPS to keep me on track. some of the hills back here were ridiculously steep, and I have no shame in saying that me, donnie shelton, had to dismount and walk not 1 but 2 of these animals. brutal. making matters more of concern, my iPhone battery was on fumes, and getting sketchy signals in the woods, as well. I was getting low on water, and weather was becoming ominous. my compass showed I was heading north as expected, so I'm thinking WTF. got a final GPS reading before the cell died that showed I was SOUTH (but heading north) of pineview, not NORTH as I expected. now I'm really thinking WTF, how the hell did I get HERE ? with the afternoon getting late, and decided I needed some local help. back in these woods and at home were the Buttreys, a very nice couple who offered me water, some AC to juice the cell, and some directions. obviously, I took a wrong turn somewhere, but just couldn't see where.... mr. buttrey offered a ride to a nearby hiway intersection from where I could hustle an 11 mile dash to buffalo, TN. earlier calls to the campground I wanted to reach revealed they had high water from the storms and weren't taking campers, so going hotel was fortuitous.
I must have studied the maps for half an hour till I could find my faux pas. yinged when I should have yanged, it seems. lesson learned: be attentive to the maps !
after checking in, went for a local burger that I would class in the "good fucking burger" category.
tough day today. would have been brutal with headwinds. ended up fairly close to the 'closed' campground, so my screw up (this was way beyond simply ass-chapping...) had an ok end, most certainly with the good Samaritans' help !
encountered quite a few dogs today. had to stop once to stare down a pit-bull looking thing. he had a frothy look to him.... as some of you know, I speak a few different dialects of dog, so I barked this pinhead to step off or else. he apparently caught my drift as I walked on with my bike and he stayed put. HA!
today: 79 miles
to date: 1347
winners of today's Good Samaritan Award ...
the buttreys were very kind and helpful when I became lost and the day getting late. took a wrong turn, then cell /GPS battery dried up. was in the back woods ! these folks gave me water, some time to reharge the cell, and a welcomed ride to a nearby hiway dropoff.
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