our wonderful hosts Bruce and Sue Hemphill
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Saturday, May 1, 2010
Day 30 - Day off in E-town, IL
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
today: 0 miles
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.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Day 23 - DAY OFF - camera dump ....
with a rainy, nasty stormy day, replete with severe t-storm and tornado warnings,keeping me holed up in crump, MS, the hotel manager was kind enough to let me download some pictures from my digital cam. i'm captioning them, but showing them all here as a group because if i buried them back chronologically, you might not go back to see them... enjoy !
Friday, April 23, 2010
Day 22 - Shiloh, TN
got an early start today for a change! after a great sleep and breakfast of coffee and bagels and honey. had plotted a long day to Shiloh, TN, approaching 100 miles or so. weather was nice again and a brisk tailwind today ! the ride was generally flat with some occassional rises and slopes. very scenic BACK roads today; if you're looking for off the beaten path, this was the place to be ! i was so remote that there was no 'welcome to tennessee' sign along the way to prove I'm here. take my word for it !!!
imminent stormy weather steadily advanced its presence throughout the day, and by the time I rolled into Shiloh, things were looking ominous. got a room and a dinner whose nutritional information (rather, the lack thereof) I won't divulge... enough said.
planning on taking advantage of expected bad weather to take a well-deserved day off. not just a reduced mileage day (generally regarded as a day off !!), but a day off to refresh the mind and legs.
today: 91
to date: 1268
imminent stormy weather steadily advanced its presence throughout the day, and by the time I rolled into Shiloh, things were looking ominous. got a room and a dinner whose nutritional information (rather, the lack thereof) I won't divulge... enough said.
planning on taking advantage of expected bad weather to take a well-deserved day off. not just a reduced mileage day (generally regarded as a day off !!), but a day off to refresh the mind and legs.
today: 91
to date: 1268
Thursday, April 22, 2010
Day 21 - Fulton, MS
enjoyed the unplanned hotel stop in Aberdeen, MS. got yet another late morning start to make the trek to fulton, MS, about a 50 or so mile day. the weather was splendid, yet again. encountered more in the way of frequent appearances of civilization and places to stop for water and food. found a fine campground just outside of Fulton; got a great waterfront spot. treated myself to a monster campsite dinner of a grilled ribeye, salad, and mac & cheese. amazing how good a meal is cooked outside after riding all day: what a treat to have a meal of somthing other than convenience store choices !
looking for a long day tomorrow to Shiloh, TN. bad weather is approaching, so hope to get there to get a room and finally take a full rest day before pressing on ..
today: 47
to date: 1177
looking for a long day tomorrow to Shiloh, TN. bad weather is approaching, so hope to get there to get a room and finally take a full rest day before pressing on ..
today: 47
to date: 1177
Wednesday, April 21, 2010
Day 20 - Aberdeen, MS
greetings all from Aberdeen, MS.
broke camp in cochrane on a beautiful cool morning in cochrane. really enjoyed this campground: quiet, empty, had the bath/laundry right next door. 50-cent washer and dryer. made coffee and oatmeal for breakfast while I put stuff away. seems to take longer than it should to break camp; bike space and tent re-assembly require efficient stowage, plus what's the rush ???
intended on a coffee stop in Aliceville, but there appeared to be nowhere to stop. motored on thru rolling hills.
crossed into Mississippi this morning at mile 1088. another state line !!
once past Columbus, roads flattened out. had a bit of a headwind all day that slowed the pace, but not bad... before reaching Columbus, got some local advice to bypass the Columbus-to-West Point segment on the way to Aberdeen and just take another road to go staight there. about 8 more miles today, but also cuts the leg to Fulton on Thursday to an easier day. sounded good to me.
near the end of the ride, I discovered I had lost my ACA map off of my handlebar. knees must have knocked it loose when standing on the pedals. another ass-chapping moment... fortunately, this map ends tomorrow and I start a new one then, so no real loss other than the annoyance.
except for some busy traffic around columbus,a nice ride thru rollers and flats to end the day. couldn't find the local camp spot I was expecting, so took an unplanned hotel.
today: 73 miles
to date: 1131
broke camp in cochrane on a beautiful cool morning in cochrane. really enjoyed this campground: quiet, empty, had the bath/laundry right next door. 50-cent washer and dryer. made coffee and oatmeal for breakfast while I put stuff away. seems to take longer than it should to break camp; bike space and tent re-assembly require efficient stowage, plus what's the rush ???
intended on a coffee stop in Aliceville, but there appeared to be nowhere to stop. motored on thru rolling hills.
crossed into Mississippi this morning at mile 1088. another state line !!
once past Columbus, roads flattened out. had a bit of a headwind all day that slowed the pace, but not bad... before reaching Columbus, got some local advice to bypass the Columbus-to-West Point segment on the way to Aberdeen and just take another road to go staight there. about 8 more miles today, but also cuts the leg to Fulton on Thursday to an easier day. sounded good to me.
near the end of the ride, I discovered I had lost my ACA map off of my handlebar. knees must have knocked it loose when standing on the pedals. another ass-chapping moment... fortunately, this map ends tomorrow and I start a new one then, so no real loss other than the annoyance.
except for some busy traffic around columbus,a nice ride thru rollers and flats to end the day. couldn't find the local camp spot I was expecting, so took an unplanned hotel.
today: 73 miles
to date: 1131
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
Day 19 - Cochrane, AL
linden was the first town since gulf shores that had some civilization ! treated to a hotel and an indulgence in cold cereal and milk. no, it wasn't lucky charms or crunch berries, although they both looked tempting...
was raining lightly in the morning, so pushed back my start a bit til 10 or so. had planned a 75 mile mostly gentle route to cochrane, AL to camp there. early part of the ride was overcast and cool, with a teasing blue sky that just stayed north from me. enjoyed a very nice ride thru gentle countryside. sun came out for good and temps stayed nice and spring-ish. the smells were awesome today, nice clean air. gotta love it.
stocked up on food provisions in gainesvile as it was the last chance before cochrane. before leaving gainesville, a young lady was inquiring about my trip. she asked where i stayed and i told her i camped out most nights. she asked me with this incredulous look of disbelief and asked "do you sleep in the brush with the snakes ?" i laughed and told her hell no, i hate snakes !!
food pickings were slim so I got stuff to make a crude tuna casserole. crude it was, but it went down nicely!
pulled into the campground around 5:30, got setup, ate, showered, did some laundry. VERY nice campground. clean. quiet. nice.
these days really blur together, it seems. long quiet rides are very serene, and miles seem to click away easily. really enjoying the fun rides, great springtime weather, camping, and relying on my own efforts to get me from here to there.
limited availability of food provisions has required advanced planning of purchases, as was the case today. all part of the self-sufficiency of loaded touring !
today: 75 miles
to date: 1058
was raining lightly in the morning, so pushed back my start a bit til 10 or so. had planned a 75 mile mostly gentle route to cochrane, AL to camp there. early part of the ride was overcast and cool, with a teasing blue sky that just stayed north from me. enjoyed a very nice ride thru gentle countryside. sun came out for good and temps stayed nice and spring-ish. the smells were awesome today, nice clean air. gotta love it.
stocked up on food provisions in gainesvile as it was the last chance before cochrane. before leaving gainesville, a young lady was inquiring about my trip. she asked where i stayed and i told her i camped out most nights. she asked me with this incredulous look of disbelief and asked "do you sleep in the brush with the snakes ?" i laughed and told her hell no, i hate snakes !!
food pickings were slim so I got stuff to make a crude tuna casserole. crude it was, but it went down nicely!
pulled into the campground around 5:30, got setup, ate, showered, did some laundry. VERY nice campground. clean. quiet. nice.
these days really blur together, it seems. long quiet rides are very serene, and miles seem to click away easily. really enjoying the fun rides, great springtime weather, camping, and relying on my own efforts to get me from here to there.
limited availability of food provisions has required advanced planning of purchases, as was the case today. all part of the self-sufficiency of loaded touring !
today: 75 miles
to date: 1058
Monday, April 19, 2010
Day 18 - Linden, AL
awoke today to a cooler and drier morning. made a pot of coffee first thing; if i use my cooking gear for only that, it's worth carrying. very tough to beat campsite coffee in the morning!
set out toward linden today, about 50+ miles. still working some easier rolling grades, nothing of note. wanted to go a little easier today and then go longer on flatter routes toward Fulton, MS, which I hope to reach by the end of the week.
moderate ride today. i had been getting fond of the perfect weather i've had thus far, but today brought clouds and increasingly ominous conditions. traveled thru active logging territory; logging trucks zipping by all day. a little nervy, but,the drivers were all aware and courteous. still, undesirable conditions. ride was otherwise nondescript.
reached linden, AL. chose hotel over possible rain camping (which is fine by necessity).
the routes of the last several days, along with the many days of coastal rural Florida, make it hard to discern one day from the other. the daily destinations are what make the days stand out ! good thing for the blog !
today: 52 miles
to date: 983
Sunday, April 18, 2010
Day 17 - Coffeeville, AL
today was intended to be a short easy day. leisurely took it easy getting to coffeeville . took a little bit of a shortcut off of the underground railroad route getting there. nice pleasant ride just to keep the legs loose after the long day yesterday. intended on reaching a campground only to find it closed. I decided to go primitive along the bank of the tombigbee river. very nice. doubled back to the only store open to load up on water bottles and I was set for the night. cell service not bad the past few days but definitely some spotty at times... food provisions limited to convenience store choices, so getting calories, but could do better there...
thinking I had this spot to myself, up drives this very elderly man. seems he meets with his buds on Sunday evenings. well, ok I think! in a little bit, up rides a younger bubba (who evidently lived down the dirt road) on a 4-wheeler. both these guys have their dogs.. they're speaking in back-woods Alabama tongues that all my years living in the south barely helped interpret... they left in a bit and that was that.
vacillated early on whether to bring the cooking gear. definitely getting sufficient use thus far: plus, morning campground perked coffee is impossible to beat !!
today: 32 recovery miles
to date: 931
thinking I had this spot to myself, up drives this very elderly man. seems he meets with his buds on Sunday evenings. well, ok I think! in a little bit, up rides a younger bubba (who evidently lived down the dirt road) on a 4-wheeler. both these guys have their dogs.. they're speaking in back-woods Alabama tongues that all my years living in the south barely helped interpret... they left in a bit and that was that.
vacillated early on whether to bring the cooking gear. definitely getting sufficient use thus far: plus, morning campground perked coffee is impossible to beat !!
today: 32 recovery miles
to date: 931
Saturday, April 17, 2010
Day 16 - Grove Hill, AL
had a fine sleep in the tent last night. good thing I had the rain fly out; the morning dew was heavy. this was an ok place to camp, especially with the free entertainment most of the night courtesy of the neighbor's dog, whose incessant repertoire included that high-pitched YAPPING. Seemed to get good sleep, regardless....
cooked up the dinner I skipped last night (instead, I had some chicken livers and chocolate milk... mmmm); my family's version of hamburger helper: elbow macaroni, tomato soup, ground beef. cooked up a pot, had some for breakfast and stowed the leftover for a welcomed lunch later.
BIG note to self: employ this idea often....
had planned a seemingly ambitious but doable route to grove hill (was thinking hotel in advance..) coeur d'alene-esque rollers ALL DAY. All managable; enjoyed many fun decsents, but if you wanna play, you gotta pay. lots of long steady climbs, mostly not steep, but for someone from pancake-flat SE Texas, these hills quickly became alot of work. pulled into grove hill later in the afternoon. decided on a room for a warm bed, checked in, cleaned up, and walked to a nearby local burger spot. marginal, but hit the spot. whole body is tapped out.
another beautiful day to ride ! sunny, clouds here and there to break up the sun, light winds. VERY light traffic: went one stretch for what seemed 30 minutes without seeing a car. seemed so remote at times I wondered why there was a road there at all.
today: 73
to date: 899
cooked up the dinner I skipped last night (instead, I had some chicken livers and chocolate milk... mmmm); my family's version of hamburger helper: elbow macaroni, tomato soup, ground beef. cooked up a pot, had some for breakfast and stowed the leftover for a welcomed lunch later.
BIG note to self: employ this idea often....
had planned a seemingly ambitious but doable route to grove hill (was thinking hotel in advance..) coeur d'alene-esque rollers ALL DAY. All managable; enjoyed many fun decsents, but if you wanna play, you gotta pay. lots of long steady climbs, mostly not steep, but for someone from pancake-flat SE Texas, these hills quickly became alot of work. pulled into grove hill later in the afternoon. decided on a room for a warm bed, checked in, cleaned up, and walked to a nearby local burger spot. marginal, but hit the spot. whole body is tapped out.
another beautiful day to ride ! sunny, clouds here and there to break up the sun, light winds. VERY light traffic: went one stretch for what seemed 30 minutes without seeing a car. seemed so remote at times I wondered why there was a road there at all.
today: 73
to date: 899
Friday, April 16, 2010
Day 15 - Stockton, AL
greetings and salutations on this fine and glorious Friday night in lively stockton, AL. enjoyed a leisurely cool morning cruise thru the quaint and charming southern Alabama towns; Point Clear, Fairhope, and Daphne before hitting Spanish Fort.
nice flat strolls quickly turned into a chapped ass moment when I took a wrong turn and had to double back, about a 6 mile hit; hate to back-track miles due to my own lapse of attention. hit 800 miles cumulative just past Spanish Fort, and that's when the steady rollers kicked right in; the nice long descents were nice, but there's a climb for every one, so it was a solid, but nicely managed day. ended up in Stockton, AL, out in nowhere, really. camping at camp delta, and enjoyed the shower I had to miss yesterday (gross, but sometimes necessary), and availed myself of laundry facilities. very nice night out under the stars again. fly is out, but open to catch a breeze. sweet. another landmark day.
i wish i could express the sense of total freedom being out here everyday, getting from here to there, every mile bringing a new view and each stop meeting local folks and chatting about this and that. it's very liberating !!
today: 67 miles
to date: 825
nice flat strolls quickly turned into a chapped ass moment when I took a wrong turn and had to double back, about a 6 mile hit; hate to back-track miles due to my own lapse of attention. hit 800 miles cumulative just past Spanish Fort, and that's when the steady rollers kicked right in; the nice long descents were nice, but there's a climb for every one, so it was a solid, but nicely managed day. ended up in Stockton, AL, out in nowhere, really. camping at camp delta, and enjoyed the shower I had to miss yesterday (gross, but sometimes necessary), and availed myself of laundry facilities. very nice night out under the stars again. fly is out, but open to catch a breeze. sweet. another landmark day.
i wish i could express the sense of total freedom being out here everyday, getting from here to there, every mile bringing a new view and each stop meeting local folks and chatting about this and that. it's very liberating !!
today: 67 miles
to date: 825
Thursday, April 15, 2010
Day 14 - Magnolia Springs, AL
yesterday evening, cycle-tourists Jake and Chris arrived to join the party. jorg, Joe ( our warmshowers host) and I had already planned a pizza venture, so the boys set right in. Joe had interesting scuba stories to tell; he's an underwater photography buff. he had already laid out air mattresses for us all. this guy is good !! had a jerry mcguire moment ( but without the mission statement); some bad pizza brought me to paying homage to the porcelain goddess.... yuk. started the day a tad off. things got much better, so no biggie. we all left on the earlier side for a nice change, and Jake and Chris rode on ahead; they are on a mission to get to Galveston so Chris can race the 70.3 triathlon next weekend. jorg's logistical considerations brought us to decide to part ways in gulf shores. he decided to press west as I am north-bound. very much enjoyed our riding time, albeit just 3 days. his more leisurely pace actually did me alot of good ! we might actually cross paths again out west, so stay tuned on that. ..
crossed several bridges today, so was able to regain the feel of some climbing gears. enjoyed the trek north into rural Alabama. intended to catch a b&b in magnolia springs, but it was closed. so, decided to pitch camp on some local land (with permission), treated myself to a good local meal of salmon. now, watching the stars laying in the tent.
it just doesn't get any fucking better than this !!
today: 78 miles
to date: 758
crossed several bridges today, so was able to regain the feel of some climbing gears. enjoyed the trek north into rural Alabama. intended to catch a b&b in magnolia springs, but it was closed. so, decided to pitch camp on some local land (with permission), treated myself to a good local meal of salmon. now, watching the stars laying in the tent.
it just doesn't get any fucking better than this !!
today: 78 miles
to date: 758
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Day 13 - Navarre, FL
today was a shorter ride, easing up after a nice long one yesterday. had a very nice evening with our warmshowers host jeff ellis. very hospitable gentleman.
warmshowers.org is a site whose travelling members offer and receive hospitality, and I have to say, it works well !! great time with jeff, and now today with Joe. his wife is presently touring in California, so jorg and I are here with Joe and his son Maurice. we're expecting 2 other touring cyclists to join us later in the for 4 touring cyclists touring!! ought to be an interesting evening!
fairly uneventful ride thru Destin and Ft. Walton beach today to reach Navarre, FL.
tomorrow, looking to reach Gulf Shores, AL to begin heading north to catch the Underground Railroad bike route.
today: 50 miles
to date: 680
warmshowers.org is a site whose travelling members offer and receive hospitality, and I have to say, it works well !! great time with jeff, and now today with Joe. his wife is presently touring in California, so jorg and I are here with Joe and his son Maurice. we're expecting 2 other touring cyclists to join us later in the for 4 touring cyclists touring!! ought to be an interesting evening!
fairly uneventful ride thru Destin and Ft. Walton beach today to reach Navarre, FL.
tomorrow, looking to reach Gulf Shores, AL to begin heading north to catch the Underground Railroad bike route.
today: 50 miles
to date: 680
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Day 12 - Sea Grove, FL
this was an interesting day.
I left st. Joseph state park with the goal of reaching panama city beach. going to SJSP was a little bit of a decision: it was about a 12 mile side trip, which meant I had to back-track it this morning. I enjoyed it there, so it was worth the extra miles.
encountered my first flat (rear) tire today. while I was changing out the tube, up rides Jorg, the guy I had originally expected to start the tour with but didn't as we fell out of touch. turns out he was on the way after all. seems my flat gave him the few minutes he needed to catch me. had I not flatted, we likely would not have hooked up. small world !
during our ride, we witnessed a very nasty car crash not 20 yds from us. we surmised that the guilty driver was distracted, quite possibly by the 2 guys on loaded touring bicycles over on the shoulder. kind of a close call.....
made it to sea grove, FL. staying the night at a warmshowers.org host named jeff, coincidentally an ironman triathlete. lots to talk about.
today: 93 miles
to date: 630
I left st. Joseph state park with the goal of reaching panama city beach. going to SJSP was a little bit of a decision: it was about a 12 mile side trip, which meant I had to back-track it this morning. I enjoyed it there, so it was worth the extra miles.
encountered my first flat (rear) tire today. while I was changing out the tube, up rides Jorg, the guy I had originally expected to start the tour with but didn't as we fell out of touch. turns out he was on the way after all. seems my flat gave him the few minutes he needed to catch me. had I not flatted, we likely would not have hooked up. small world !
during our ride, we witnessed a very nasty car crash not 20 yds from us. we surmised that the guilty driver was distracted, quite possibly by the 2 guys on loaded touring bicycles over on the shoulder. kind of a close call.....
made it to sea grove, FL. staying the night at a warmshowers.org host named jeff, coincidentally an ironman triathlete. lots to talk about.
today: 93 miles
to date: 630
Monday, April 12, 2010
Day 11 - St. Joseph State Park
ended up feeling on the poor side yesterday. the hotel stop was appreciated ! woke feeling much better, but still not 100%. another beautiful day, again with a nice tailwind; i'd say the bike touring gods are being good to me so far. charmed :)
today: 54 miles
to date: 537
today: 54 miles
to date: 537
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Day 10 - Carrabelle, FL
awoke today feeling very worn out; lots of miles the last 4 days, and too much beer and oysters (and not enough water....) last night. I had already planned a short ride of 25 miles to Carrabelle, FL; planned to treat myself to a room and an afternoon of watching the final round of the masters! a good plan, because I began feeling crummy by the time I got there. checked in and right away took a nap! went next door for something gentle to eat. nothing looked good, so i decided i couldn't go wrong with a grilled cheese. how wrong i was. got the worst grilled cheese sandwich ever made; stale wheat bread, toasted (not grilled...) and filled with cheese whiz - GROSS ! didn't do much for my malaise to say the least settled for an order of mediocre fries..... generally a very quiet afternoon. needed the rest day. looking to make st. Joseph state park on Monday.
today: 24 miles
to date: 483
today: 24 miles
to date: 483
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