July 16-18 Update. We are in Indiana

July 16^th Lewisport, KY

I am worried about access to sweet team we move more north and east.  Last night we ate in a Mexican Restaurant (nothing else around).  I asked for sweet tea, but they did not have any.  I watched a stero-type southern man come in for dinner with a nice panama hat on and ask for mountain dew pop. No one available.  He asked for sweet tea-no. You should have seen his face!! So he ordered an unsweetened tea and put about 6 packets of sugar in it—not the same.

We left Henderson at 5:40 am. Leaving was easier than arrival as traffic has not picked up.

I have started to notice a change in the “yard art” as we move North/northeast.  People have statues of the Virgin Mary.  There are still lots of Baptist and Methodist churches and very few Presbyterian.

Our morning has been overcast skies-so welcomed.  We travelled on the outskirts of Owensboros, KY (population 55,000) and avoided any traffic.  Matter of fact they routed us through corn and soy fields.  So nice to ride on these county roads.

We saw our first tobacco fields today.  They were small and in the side yard of houses.  When we were on the great rivers ride we saw a lot more. 

We saw a beautiful brick home and it had statues of giraffes in the front yard.  I took a picture for my friend Cathy!

We have noticed that everything is GREEN and growing.  We learned from the locals that they had 14 inches of rain in April and everything is growing rapidly. 

On our way into Lewisport we saw two nuclear reactors on the Ohio River.  They were operating. 

As we near the Ohio River and I read more in my book, I come to realize how important the Ohio River was to the African Americans as they sought freedom.  If you made it to the Ohio River you knew you were close to freedom, because the system was in place to “conduct” African Americans to freedom.  Up through Alabama, Mississippi, Tennessee and parts of Kentucky there was not a formal system and African Americans were mostly on their own. Kentucky was much divided in its view point as they had ties to both the north and south.  The Term “sold down the river” came from Kentucky during this time due to the fact that you could not be sure whom to trust in Kentucky or they would sell you down the river.  It always seemed from the slaves in Kentucky to be “so close, but so far” from the anti-slavery Quakers, Methodists, Presbyterians and free blacks living in Ohio, Indiana and Illinois. 

Arrival time 1:00 pm

63 miles, 11.4 mph,  5 hours 23 minutes of ride time and  1700 feet of gain

Critter Count

7 Rabbits

1 majestic blue heron

July 17th Brandenburg, KY (2 more nights in Kentucky.  We will drop into Indiana for two nights)

We are in a rhythm on our days as we leave Lewisport, KY at 5:40 am.  We are watching the weather closely as they are predicting hot weather this Wednesday and beyond.  We are checking the terrain and weather to make changes to our day.  Today was supposed to be an 80+ day, but we checked the GPS for a shorter route which included parts of the original plan.

A third of our day was cruising along the Ohio River. Now you might think this is flat-not so.  Up and down then more up and down.  We climbed up to 800 feet and had a beautiful view of the Ohio River. On the road we saw two turtles strolling across the road.  We stopped and Bruce picked them up and placed them on the side of the road.  More tobacco fields along the way with corn and soy.

We stopped at the Holt House.  It was boarded up but was in the midst of a renovating project.  Holt was a leading statesman who pushed to keep Kentucky in the Union during the civil war.   He was the presiding judge over the assassination trial for Lincoln.  There were 8 convicted and 4 were tried.  One them was a woman (Robert Redford made a movie recently regarding this woman called the Conspirator) who was the first woman to be hanged.

SHOUT OUT TO ESTHER HAPPY 19^TH MONTH BIRTHDAY!!!

Stats for July 17th

 Arrived in Brandenburg at 12:25 pm after a stop at the Dairy Queen.  Bruce had a Blizzard and I had a Cherry Arctic Blast.

55 miles, 10.6 mph, 5 hours and 11 minutes, 2600 elevation gain.

Critter count

1 deer

4 dogs

July 18^th New Albany, Indiana

Left at 6:40 am-you say “What?”  Well we did not realize there would be a time change. So as Bruce is making “I am tired and want to go to bed” noises at 6:00 pm, I am like “Are you joking?”  Then we look at the clock in the room and my phone—call the front desk to confirm the time change.  So we did set the alarm for 5:00 am to see “how dark it might be” and see that it is pretty dark.   Bruce slept a little longer and I did some yoga.

In the evenings we have been playing Cribbage.  My Mom and brother used to have pretty challenging games for money, but Bruce and I play for fun.  I have won 2 and he has won 1.

To get to Indiana we had to cross the Ohio River.  It was early and the bridge was a small bridge.  I wondered how come we were going into Indiana for a couple of nights?  The reason I learned is to avoid Louisville, Kentucky. It has a population of 500,000+ not a good place for a bike.

The roads today were real country.  Dotted with small farms, dogs and very narrow road lanes.

We went into a town of Corydon, Indiana.  It is the site of the Battle of Corydon Indiana’s only civil war battle fought on Indiana soil.  I also learned that this is the 150^th year anniversary of the Civil War.

OK this will be my last rant on restaurants!!! We go into historic Corydon expecting to find a home town café.  The one home town café is closed on Mondays.  (We also found out that home town cafes also close at 2:00 pm on Sunday or do not open at all)  We ask a local where to go for breakfast.  He says “over the hill.”  Yesss over many hills and we find a McDonalds. (Corporate American have taken over small businesses) Inside are all the locals eating breakfast.  One table has all the ladies and the other table has the men.  We sit at the ladies’ table.  They were so concerned about us.  We learned about a road to New Albany that was better than the one we were taking.  Love the locals. We were informed the Cassius Clay was born here.

One of the locals talked with us about the weather.  He said we were riding “roofer” hours.  We start early and try to get off the road by 1:00-2:00 pm.  We are watching the weather forecast nightly and the early morning.  The next 3 days will be very bad and we are adjusting our riding schedule to try to lower the amount of miles we cover based upon the weather and terrain.

Some of you may have noticed we are hoteling it.  Yep—we don’t know if it is our age, but the idea of a tent with the lows of 78 at night and high humidity is not as appealing as a hotel room with air conditioning with or without cockroaches.

Just outside of Corydon, Indiana we saw our first Lutheran church and cemetery.  Gosh how weird out in the midst of Baptist country.

In Lanesville, Indiana we saw our first Protestant cemetery, no church. Most of the cemetarys we have seen are either Baptist or family.

We have some “tourist” time in New Albany. We look for a restaurant and the museum.  Guess what they are both closed on Mondays.  This is the down side of biking  we are only here for an afternoon.  So we search for a restaurant and find a cute little Cuban Tapa place.  Great food—Empanadas. 

As we came into town, Bruce got confused and took us down a one way street the wrong way.  Oh well we made an entrance.

Stats for July 18^th

Arrived in New Albany at 12:00 pm

43 miles, 10.8 mph,4 hours and 2 minutes ride time, 2200 feet of gain.

  Critter count

9 dogs

July 10-15 Underground Railroad Update

July 10^th in Waverly, Tennessee

Last night we enjoyed a wonderful Mexican dinner (Mexican food is not good bike food) with Brian and Ulli from Santa Barbara, California.  They are biking from California to Maine.  They have been on the “road” for 9 weeks covering 2300 miles. Using an I-Pad as their mapping device—no gps or Adventure Cycling Maps.   Ulli is a nurse and took a leave of absence from her job.  While Brian has worked in retail for 28 years and at 58 he quit. Not knowing what to do they decide to bike across the United States then ship their bikes to Germany in September to visit Ulli’s parents.  They plan on going home in November.  They have been camping mostly( sleeping in parks, vacant warehouses, campgrounds, family and people’s yards) and carrying their own food.   They are an adventuresome couple.  Ulli went on her first tour when she was in her 30’s with her brother for 6 weeks in New Zealand.  Yikes I said I could never do that with my brother! 

Correction to my Stats—we did 284 miles in Alabama.  My proof reader finally got around to reading my postings!

5:35 am is when we got out of the air conditioned room into the sauna air. It was already 77 degrees and we were dripping as we hooked up Bob.  We wanted to get on the road before the sun came up to high—sunrise is at 5:40 am.  We checked the weather last night to learn how HOT it will be.  Even though the temperature will be in the 90’s the heat index for the next 2 days will be 101-110.

We looked for a rest stop this morning and found this woman opening up a bar. So we went in (cool) and had a pop.  She has 14 children, 34 grandchildren and 27 great-grandchildren.13 years ago her husband died and she does not “date” not interested.  She works 6 days per week (I would too) and stays home on Sunday.  Sunday is when she sees her children.  They all come to visit her as she does not want to travel to see them.  (Note-people tell us what county they live in not city.  It has not been unusual for us to ask someone about the next town and they reply “Don’t know never been there because it is not in my county.”)

Today we rode the back roads to Dover.  The roads are much more difficult to maneuver because of their slope or steep grade.  You think you got it and find out the “eye” is deceiving and the grade is really steep.  We are seeing forested land with signs saying “Private Property Hunting Club.”  These are prevalent in Tennessee for those folks who enjoy the sport.

The stories of relationships in the book I am reading (Forbidden Fruit) are so incredible.  Some of the couples ended up in Elmira, New York.  During the Civil War there was a prisoner of war camp.  There were thousands of prisoners of those 2000+ died of malnutrition and weather conditions.  The undertaker was a freed slave-how ironic. 

Stats for the day

Arrival time 11:00 am (we stopped at a Sonics and I had a 44 ounce cherry limeade)

44 miles,9.4 mph,4 hours 35 minutes, 3000’ elevation gain.

Looking forward to a rest day-July 13^th. We have been on the “road” for 13 days. We made reservations at Patti’s—home of the 2 inch pork chop.  Last time we rode into town we could smell the pork cooking.

Critter Count

Dogs 6

Deer 1

Rabbit 1

3 Presbyterian Churches

July 11 Dover, KY

We left the Dover Inn Motel at 5:35 am.  We know it is about 80 degrees as we stop at McDonald’s for an Egg McMuffin to eat later down the road as there are no food stops on the trace today.

We are traveling the Land between the Lakes Trace today.  It is a National Recreational Area between the Kentucky River and Barkley Lake. At one time in the 1800’s this land was filled with small settlements along the river.  We stopped at this huge 60 foot limestone slab furnace it operated for 34 weeks during 1862. I remember the last time we rode through here I counted the number of family cemeteries.     This stretch of land is about 50 miles long—no commercial vehicles are allowed.  We are on our way to Grand Rivers, KY for rest, bike part and pork chops.

 We left Tennessee – I wish it was good bye dogs, but alas there are the Kentucky dogs-634 miles so far as we cross the border. 

We had a glorious experience of riding through two corn fields – we could actually smell the corn in the air. 

The forest in Tennessee and Kentucky are very thick with small oak trees.  I imagine slaves moving through these forests, valleys and along the rivers. 

Note to neighbors (Terry, Matt and Gina—Bruce went to bed before Esther.)  He was down and out by 7:00 pm.  I stayed up to 8:00—late night!

Stats for July 12

Arrival time 11:30 am at the Bike Store!! They had sweet tea for us; tour de France on TV and the trolley part.  We are so relieved to get it repaired.  It is a weight off our mind not to worry during the shifting process.  The owners were so nice and generous.

48 miles, 10.3 mph, 4 hours 39 minutes, 2900 feet elevation gain

Grand Rivers is a small but cute community.  There is 1 hotel, 1 B and B, small shops, 1 IGA store, post office, ice cream store and Patti’s.  No beer—dry county. 

We went to Patti’s for dinner.  Yummy!  Bruce ate the 2 inch pork chop and pecan pie for dessert. 

I spent the afternoon sitting in a swing by the pool, knitting and watching the hummingbirds.  I swam for a little bit and just relaxed.  We do not have to think about getting on bike or the weather or getting up at 5:00 am.

Critter count

3 deer (1 fawn)

1 Presbyterian Church

July 13 in Grand Rivers, KY REST DAY

We slept in until 6:30 am.  It was such a great feeling to know that we could just sleep in!  We had a thunderstorm last night.  Lots of thunder and rain.   Today has a wonderful cloud cover and coolness in the air. 

Ok what do bikers do on a rest day?  We don’t bike that is for sure.  This morning we walked up the hill to breakfast around 9:00. It is weird to eat in restaurants that allow smoking, but it was the only place in town that serves breakfast. 

Bruce and I went shopping at the Patti’s mall and other antique stores. I bought Esther, Jessica and Greg a little present and sent it home.  We walked out to the Gazebo on Kentucky Lake.  It felt good to just hang out and walk slowly.  We worked on the bike—Bruce oiled the chain and checked out the tires.  We rented a golf cart – yes –it is the way to get around here on the streets.  We visited all the little bays around the town.  Green Turtle Bay has a huge marina with lots of house and speed boats, yachts, ski-dos, and kayaks. One of the interesting thing we saw were dry stacks.  They were about 5 stories high and stored boats.  There was a fork lift that lifted the boats out of the water and up to the “rack.” It was a hoot to buzz around town and all the bays in this little cart.

We are eating at Patti’s again as a farewell dinner—I think if we ever return here it will be in a car. Bruce only ate a 1 inch pork chop.

The weather looks “cool” for the next few days with some heating up for the next week end.  For those of you following our schedule—we have change for the next few days. 

·         July 14^th we will go to Cave in Rock, Il

·         July 15^th we will be in Henderson, KY

SHOUT OUT TO JESSICA Happy Birthday dear daughter.  Looking forward to celebrating when we get home.

No stats for the day except we saw a doe and twin fawns as we scooted around on our golf cart.

Happy trails, Charlene and Bruce

July 14^th Cave in Rock, IL

We got up to a cool morning and left Grand Rivers, KY at 5:35 am.  Veronica, the inn keeper, came out and said good bye to us. 

We ate breakfast in Smithland at the local hang out.  All the elders of the area came in for breakfast.  Bruce asked what we should see in this town of 401?  The owner of the restaurant (Bruce took a picture of her and her partner) told us to ride down the main street to see the confluence of the Ohio and Cumberland River.(If we had been at this spot last month we would have seen the river at the top of the levee.   The river system (Ohio especially) was very important for the slaves as they headed north.  We visited the Gower house (took a picture) which had a secret tunnel underneath it leading to another house in town that hid the slaves on their way north. 

We will be riding off and on the “Trail of Tears.”  It represents one of the darkest periods of our history.  As the people in Africa were being kidnapped and shipped to be slaves in the south, the federal government was evacuating Native Americans from Kentucky (Carrsville we went through it).  Andrew Jackson, as president, signed the Removal Act of 1830.  This mandated the removal of all Native American from east of the Mississippi River to Oklahoma.  3-4000 Cherokees died along this trail.

After leaving Smithland we rode over the Cumberland River.  It is always fun to cross over these large rivers.

Our terrain is corn and soy fields with occasional hay fields.  We can feel a slight breeze that makes the day cooler.  Corn fields have signs identifying the type of seed they are using such as Agrigold and Agventure.  Big farms, hogs in ponds snorting , cows in ponds are what we see today.  There are lots of abandoned houses and farms. 

We went through the town of Joy again.  I made Bruce stop and take my picture.

We met a biker at the ferry crossing from Kentucky to Illinois. He was from Ohio and began his trip in Yorktown, Virginia. He was all by himself, no helmet, just Adventure Cycling maps.  He had no time limit when he will be done.  His plan is to end up in San Francisco.   We ferried across the Ohio River.  Cave in Rock is a large cave which over the years has been used by robbers, pirates, etc. 

Stats for July 14^th

Arrival in Cave in Rock, IL at 11:50 am we are staying in a $40/night hotel. No credit cards the sign out front of the motel can hardly be read because it is so aged. The owner greets me in his “office” with a dirt floor and cats hanging around.  Handmade signs hang on the wall saying “No you can look at a room. Take it or leave it.  This is not the Hilton.  No credit cards.” The owner is in shorts and slippers and has no teeth. We get to the room I immediately do a bed check –no bugs and a shower check – no cock roaches.  We ride a mile into town for dinner.  I tell everyone in the restaurant where we are staying—just in case.  No phones in the room.  We put a chair in front of the door and the bike. I can hardly wait to leave tomorrow.

Stats for July 14^th Cave in Rock, IL

55 miles, 11.3 mph, 4 hours 48 minutes ride time, 2800 elevation gain

July 15^th Henderson, Ky

We are up and wide awake (for me most of the night) and out the door by 5:40.  We eat at the local restaurant by the ferry as it does not leave until 6:00 am.  We visit with a truck driver about the roads and weather.

Our challenge of the day is to climb from 300 feet to over 700 feet in one large hill.  We end up walking up half way up.  As we are pushing the bike a farmer slows up and drives along aside us to ask us questions and tell us when we get to the top he will have water for us! Great.

Today was almost a perfect ride day.  After the “big” hill we spend the rest of the day to Henderson riding through corn and soy fields.  The air smells so good.  We look over the tops of miles of tasseled corn—peaceful.

Went through “Little Sturgis” KY where a biker rally was happening, so the roads were filled with motor cycles that waved the “low” wave at us.  Funny!

Before we got into Henderson, KY we stopped at a general store where all the farmers gather.  It was a lot of fun just talking and joking with them.  The sheriff was eating lunch and gave us his two bits worth.

Maneuvering into Henderson—population 25,000 people is only for the excellent captain.  Bruce has to steer the bike, read the gps, listen to me say “car, big truck, the car won’t move over” and make his way through 4 lanes of traffic.  We arrive safe and sound.

Stats for July 15^th

Arrival time 1:50 pm, 62 miles, 10.4 mph, 5 hours 56 minutes and 3000’ elevation gain. 

Critter Count

3 Rabbits

1 deer

We have a few more nights in Kentucky, then on to Indiana and Ohio.

Charlene and Bruce

 July 14th count....

Critter Count

5 dogs

1 Egret

1 Blue Heron

Parsons and Waverly, Tennessee

July 9^th in Parsons, Tennessee** I will posting pictures on our blog  www.bruceandchar.blogspot.com 

I am unable to send them through the distribution list because they are too big.

At 5:50 am we left Pickwick/Shiloh, Tennessee.  It was quite foggy so we put on all of our lights. The rain storm last night created a lot of moisture (as if there wasn’t enough already.) It is about 70 degrees-hoping for a cloud cover today.

As we biked today we thought about our biking colleagues who were doing the STP (Seattle to Portland Bike Ride) we talked about the first time we each did it and the first time we did it in one day.  We both have fond memories of our first time.

Duct Tape is a wondrous invention! We always carry it on every trip. On one adventure we used duct tape to hold the stays on Bruce’s seat for 200 miles.  As you know we used it on the Bob’s tire on our first day out, but we also put it on the derailer to keep it together.  Can’t travel without it.

This is our 7^th season on Bernice.  We never tire of the silly things people say about a tandem especially a recumbent tandem.  “She is not pedaling.  He is not Pedaling. Where is the motor? I saw her knitting or reading. She is coasting. ”

Went through the Shiloh Military Battlefield early in the morning with the fog on the field.  It was eerie with the fog hovering on the battlefield and over the cannons. Rather than being in an air conditioned car we are on a bike and I feel more present.  It was one of the bloodiest battles in US history up to 1862.  The Union was able to advance into Mississippi.

As we were leaving Crump, Tennessee we saw an Amish buggy going down the highway.  It was fun to see something moving down a 4 lane road with cars buzzing by it. 

Today was a quiet day-not much talking going on the bike.  It was one of the worst dog days we have ever had.  We were chased by a pack of dogs while the owner stood in the yard! I used the pepper spray not sure it did much good.  Our greatest fear is two pronged –getting bit and the dog getting in front of the bike causing us to crash.  I was pretty tired of yelling at them.

The terrain is back to corn and soy fields.  As far as livestock we see more horses—goats are popping up on farms. 

We were thrilled today to see “bike route” green signs on the roads for the first time.  There were no signs in Alabama and Mississippi.  They make you feel a little more comfortable.

Our arrival in Parsons was disappointing.  Our bike part had not arrived!! We do not know where the hang up is—dealer or Fed Ex.  Bruce spent the rest of the afternoon calling a bike shop in Grand Rivers, Kentucky where we will be in by July 12.  Yes they had the part.  So we decided that Bernice has “limped” this far, so can we.  It is a mental things when your bike is not working probably—all you can do is a “wing and a prayer.”  We decided that if it fails completely we will hope for the best of human kindness and someone will help us.

We also decided to change our route to Waverly, Tennessee .  Not knowing how much life is left in the derailleur, we will try to take the shortest route to Waverly.  Using the GPS we found a route that cuts off 13 miles and it is Sunday—low traffic.  If we can baby our situation it will help us get closer to Grand Rivers.

This is the only time I can remember seeing moisture on a window—it has been on the inside of the window.  Tonight I look out and see moisture running down the window on the outside!

Stats for July 9^th

Arrived at 1:30 pm

65 miles, 10.4 mph, 6 hours 11 minutes, 3400 feet elevation gain (90 degrees)

Critter Count

Dogs 24+

Deer 3

July 10 Waverly, Tennessee

We left Parsons at 5:40 am with a few clouds and a new day.

The terrain has been slowly changing.  We left the red dirt behind in Mississippi  today we are seeing gray slate layered rocks. Black-eyed Susans are showing up in the fields—like them. I like watching the changes of the terrain.

What a find!!! We came to a Truck Stop with about 50 trucks.  There was a real restaurant that served pancakes.  The waitress was incredible –she tried to get us a good deal.  We always order one meal and share it.  Perfect way to start the day. J

A lady did a U-turn on the road to come back to talk to us.  She yelled to stop and could we talk to her.  Her husband has Parkinson Disease and she is looking for a bike for him to help with his brain receptors.(She would be the Captain and guide him.)  We gave her a card and told her where she could get more information about our bike.  Lovely woman.

Speaking of memory-you may or may not know that I remember things because I wear a small recorder around my neck.  When I see or think about  something I record it and then in the evenings I typed it all up! Lucky you.

Had our first squirt pop on the trip. So good.  Usually we have  7up or Sprite—Squirt is our favorite.

Went over the Tennessee River today so impressive .  Now we have been over the Tombigbee and Tennessee River that flow into the Tenn-Tom Waterway. 

We have seen 3 Drive-In Theaters on this trip.  They were all “operating” –matter of fact playing at one theater was “Zoo Keeper and Soul Surfer.”?

One thing we do not need on this trip is Chapstick.  Our lips are moist and plumb.  So are my fingernails growing like mad!

We met a couple at the hotel riding their bikes from California to Maine.  They have been on the road for 9 weeks.  Their trip will end in September as they will fly to Europe to see her family. They are taking a break from their work until they decide what they want to do with their life next.  We are having dinner with them this evening at the Mexican Restaurant—no beer for Bruce it is Sunday.

Stats for July 10 Waverly, Tennessee

Arrival time 11:25pm

47 miles, 11.1 mph,4 hours 13 minutes,1400 feet elevation gain. The derailleur is still functioning.

Some of you may be thinking—what do they do about conflict/disagreements/arguments? Yes we have them.  Our rule is “yesterday’s breakfast.”  You can’t be on a tandem and have negative feelings about your partner.  Cooperation is a must.  We work through any disagreements and make it “yesterday’s breakfast.”  Each day is a new day!

I love the common courtesies we get along the way—waving, stopping their mower as go by, wishing us a safe journey, helpful hints about the road ahead, weather reports, “Have a good day” (Really meaning it),God Bless You” and truckers and cars who move way over so as not to crowd us. 

Critter Count

Rabbit 1

Dogs 4

Turtle 1

Happy Trails

Charlene and Bruce

Leaving Mississippi for Tennessee

July 7^th Last Night in Mississippi

Oh these short state visits! We are riding through Mississippi on our way to Tennessee. So we are “skirting” the northeast corner of Mississippi.  We will go through the middle of Tennessee.

Last night on our way home from dinner we got a flat tire.  The good part was we were not “loaded” but the bad part is a flat.  We found the small piece of glass that had worked its way into the tire and tube.  Our rule is the 3^rd puncture and the tube goes “bye-bye.”

We left Aberdeen, MS at 5:45 am.  We decided to eat on the road in Armory, MS.  The weather was cooperating as there were a few clouds in the sky, so we are counting on a cool start.

I was thinking how different technology changes our trip.  When I started touring I had a phone card and a notebook.  I would call once a week to check in.  Now I am able to hear from you via email or on the blog!  Thanks for all the good wishes and encouraging words.   We are also able to Skype with Esther and Jessica.  We did just that this afternoon.  Esther gave “Mi Mi” and Bruce a fashion show of some of the new clothes she and her Mom bought.

We had hoped a bike part (derailer wheel) would be waiting for us as we arrived in Fulton, MS, but it appears that Fed Ex in Memphis has lost it?  So it is being resent to Parsons, TN. 

Bruce and are celebrating tonight!  We have completed one map!  There are 5 maps per trip with about 19 sections. Each section depicts about 30-40 miles of the trip. When we finish each one we celebrate our accomplishment. Bruce would love a beer, but we are in a dry county—so we toasted with Gatorade.

In our mornings we hear crickets as we leave; birds sing all day and cicadas at night.  The sounds around us are very rich and calming.

We crossed the Tombigbee River for the 4^th time today on our trip.  This is the river that joins the Tennessee River that flows into the Tenn-Tom.  Waterways are extremely important today as they were 100+ years ago for transportation of goods.

It was weird that we did not see a dog in Alabama, but today I had my pepper spray cocked and ready.  I first yell in my “dog voice” STAY, STOP, and NO!!! while pointing the pepper spray at them.  So far they have responded.

We had a sobering and shocking experience as we came into Smithville, MI. (A cotton exporting city in the early days) We began noticing downed forest, house foundations, debris and mailboxes without any houses around.  Bruce and I had thought we were finished with the tornado area, but we were not. It was unbelievable to see the devastation left behind.  We stopped at the gas station to talk with the employees and have a drink.  There are 882 residents of Smithville-16 died in this tornado.  They said this town may never recover. (Now I understand why we seeing so many constructions and electrical trucks driving around.)

Itawamba is a Native American name identifying a community outside of Fulton, MI.  As we drove closer we came upon a huge educational complex that housed elementary, middle and high students.  Very impressive.

Reflection: Today has been a day of mixed feelings.  We sat in a Wendy’s thinking about how much we enjoy the small town cafes, stores and downtowns.(I know I am repeating myself)  On this trip we are finding Wendy’s, Subway, gas stations-we ride by small towns with vacant stores, cafes etc. You walk into a plastic  environment the wait staff behind the counter asks you to order-shoot I don’t know what I want…read what is up on the board.  No one is greeting each other—no eye contact.  Here is your food –are you eating here or take out?  It just seems so sad.  I told Bruce today I feel like my Mom and Charlie—how they used to reminisce about the changes that were occurring.

Stats for July 7

Arrival in Fulton, MS at 11:30 am

44 miles, 10.6 mph, 4 hrs 7”, 1100 feet elevation gain

Critter Count:

2 deer, 8 dogs, Several dead armadillos and 1White heron

July 8^th Shiloh, Tennessee

We got up at 4:30 am because of the need to have breakfast before we get on the road. We ate at the Huddle House across the street.  It is open for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner 24/7.  Waffles it was our choice.  We did notice that we could have “deep friend Macaroni and Cheese.”  That reminded me of the headlines on the newspaper I read “Mississippi leads the nation in Obesity.”  Yikes!  We leave the Huddle House and get on the road by 5:45 am.

Today is a long day. But one thing we get to do is ride the Natchez Trace. The Trace is totally wooded—no trucks allowed.  Slaves used the trace as part of their route because of the heavy wooded terrain. We rode most of it 4 years ago when we did the Great River Ride.  It is a designated national Scenic byway and All-American Road, the parkway stretches 444 miles from Natchez, MS to Nashville, TN.  The city of Natchez is in the heart of the Deep South network on the map of the Underground Railroad.  Natchez was during the pre-civil war second to New Orleans as a slave market.  It was important to the UGRR because of the river system.  Charles L. Blockson, scholar on the UGRR, sums it up “The UGRR is in the water ways and along the fields.  It is being bitten by mosquitoes, hiding in caves…There were people who were captured, children who died on it, people who did not make it…it can’t be told in one setting.  You have to travel into the hills, along the rivers and into the valleys.”

As we bike this am Bruce comments that there is an early warning system in Mississippi.  No need for alarm systems between the barking dogs and crowing roosters no one would be able to approach a house without the “alarm” going off.

It was exciting for us today to see a huge barge going down the Tenn-Tom waterway.  It was fully loaded as it pushed it way up the waterway.  We also took a picture of a tugboat on the waterway later in the day. 

So what do we talk about on these loooong rides? I read jeopardy questions which always spurs a conversation.  We talk about the scenery, weather, bike trips we have taken, current events (capital punishment is one we have spent some time on), our childhoods, our grandparents, our parents, we check on each other how we are feeling, etc.  Yes, you may not believe it but sometimes we just ride in quiet with our own thoughts.

Our day was overcast all day!  Through out the day we got sprinkled on—yes rain.  It felt so good to ride in the rain.

“A wing and a prayer” is phrase my Mom would use.  Well on a bike it is when you have a part (our drailer) that is not performing  correctly or in our case roughly and you are still riding the bike.  We are using our “mental wings” and some prayers to get us to Parsons, TN where the bike part hopefully will be there!

For a snack today we stopped at a “real grocery” in Burnsville, MS.  They actually had fresh fruits and vegetables.  We had cheese, an apple and trail mix.  Sooo good!  I licked my fingers.  Tonight we had pizza.

Stats for July 8 Shiloh, TN

Arrival time 2:05 pm,  74 miles,  11.1 mph, 6 hours 36 minutes, 3500 elevation gain

Critter count

9 dogs

6 Wild Turkeys

Leaving Alabama Hello Mississippi

July 5 Last night in Alabama

I have been thinking (not much else to do while biking except read jeopardy questions to Bruce) about how to live in the summer time in Alabama.  I would get up at 4:30 am every day to get a “start” on the day.  If I wanted to do any outdoor activities such as gardening, watering, biking, or walking I would need to do it before 11:00 am.  When I was done with my “activity” some might consider a breakfast of “biscuits and gravy” (not me) or yogurt and fruit. Whatever one does at this time do not turn on your oven.  So when does Paula Deen cook? 3:00 am? I bet she tapes her show  around that time.  Around 10:00 I would make sure the Air Conditioner is moved from low speed to high speed.  I would make sure all the blinds are pulled tight.   Now from 11:00 am to 3:00 pm one could sleep, read, knit, watch TV, run to your air conditioned car and drive to an air condition store or mall or any other “indoor” activity.  At 3:00 pm one could check the outside conditions by pulling the shades back ever so slightly.  If you are lucky there would be a storm “brewing” outside.   If so make a mint julep or drink of choice and go out on your veranda.  Slowly sit in your swing or rocker—do not use much energy at this point.  Move your rocker/swing slightly back and forth to create a breeze if one is not provided by Mother Nature. If the “breeze” reaches 40=50 mph—go inside.  I would suggest Dinner could be served at 9:00 pm, but I think at this point you call Pizza Hut to deliver.  

We got up at 4:30 am to get ready to ride.  We decided this would be a “no food” day so we had better take advantage of the restaurant across the parking lot.  It was our first “sit down” meal we have had since leaving Mobile.  Last night we ordered a Subway dry sandwich to go as there will not be any places to eat on the way to Aliceville. Left restaurant at 6:00 am with our lights flashing. 

Stopped in Gainesville, AL to read about the history of the area.  Gainesville used to be in the 1800’s a thriving city that barged cotton to Mobile on the Tombigbee River.  It now has a population of 200 with no services.  There was also a memorial to Lieutenant General Forrest who in 1865 surrendered his troops to the union army.  They had his speech engraved on a stone—it was sad to read and realize that there were “no winners” in the civil war. 

Because we move so slow compared to cruising down the Interstate in a car, I am more aware of the surroundings. One thing as we enter a town we always look for food places and how far they are from where we are staying.  I watch houses for dogs.  This time we are carrying “pepper spray” just in case we run into a loose dog. So far we have only had a few barking dogs.  I like the long driveways because it takes the dogs awhile to get down to the road. The landscape is changing again as the pine trees slip away I am seeing more cedar growing. This is one part of the ride I like is to be able to watch nature change as you move from one climate to the next.  I am observing more farming and horse ranching less peanut farms. 

Aliceville is about 2,567 population.  During WWII the city had an interim camp with 6,000 German soldiers on a 400 acre site.  They built a compound complete with stores, camps and shops.  Some of the buildings remain today.

This is our last night in Alabama that makes one state down and seven more to go.  We are headed for Aberdeen, MI tomorrow.  It will be a long day 70+ miles.  We are hoping for a cloudy day.

Stats for July 5

Arrival time in Aliceville is 11:00 am.

50 miles, 11.5mph, 4 hours and 19minutes (ride time) 1300’ elevation gain

1 Presbyterian Church

0 Egrets

July 6^th Aberdeen, MS

We left Aliceville at 5:40 am.  It was cool (70 degrees) Oh blessed!

We have crossed the “Tenn-tom” water way at least 3 times.  This is a 234 mile artificial waterway that provides a connecting link between the Tennessee and Tombigbee rivers.  The beginning of this project was an idea around 1760 by a Frenchman, Marquis de Montcalm.  It was finally completed in January, 1985.

We stopped in Pickenville for breakfast at a fast food –stop and go store.  The history of the town is as a riverboat city, railroad and civil war.  They elected their first black mayor in 2004.

You are probably wondering why isn’t she sharing historical sites of the Underground RR?  In our preparation for the trip we selected 2 books to read.  Bruce read Bound for Canaan by Fergus M. Bordewich.  It gave us a historical perspective of the Underground RR. The book outlined the stories of those who used the RR and those who helped.  Because it was a “secret” there are no historical markers, just the experience of the journey following the “drinking gourd.”  Our journey was designed around the drinking gourd.  For example,

When the great big river meets the little river

Follow the drinking gourd

For the old man is a-waiting to carry you to freedom

If you follow the drinking gourd.

This verse is this verse told freedom seekers that the Tennessee joined another river, the Ohio, which they were to cross.  On the north bank, they would be met by a guide from the Underground Railroad.  The book I choose to read is Forbidden Fruit it is about the documented marriages (even though slaves were not allowed to marry) along the URR.  I am reading it on my Kindle as we go because it helps me connect to the stories. 

We did 181 miles in Alabama from the bottom to the top! 

Water and Gatorade is what we live on.  We carry about 168 oz or 21 cups of water.  When we take a break at a gas station we always buy more Gatorade or pop.  We keep pretty hydrated as we go.

Today we were stopped by a gentleman who rides a recumbent—Bachetta Corsa.  His wife saw us and called him at work.  He got into car and found us along a gorgeous drive called Holly Hills.  We visited for a bit.  He has been riding for 3 years and lost 50 lbs.  Another example of southern hospitality. 

On the road today a car with Alabama license plate pulled up alongside of us slowed up and asked “Is this the way to West Point?”  Yes! That is where we were headed.  They thanked us and zoomed off. Hmm West Point, MS has a sign outside of its town limits calling it a “certified retirement community.” Wonder what that means?

We are seeing more corn fields alternating with soy fields.  These are the rotating crops that are most prominent in Mississippi.

You know what is weird about Baptist Churches is there is Mount Olive, Mount Zion, Mount Pleasant, always a Mount.  But today we see one called Primitive Baptist church?

Tonight we will throw away a tube of toothpaste.  Now you say. “So?”  I have several of the small tubes as we throw things “away” it lightens our load  and we know we are getting near our destination.

We went to dinner at a local –sit down with menus restaurant.  It was like eating at “Cheers Bar.”  Everyone knew each other.  The owner talked with us and thanked us for eating there.(We had to ride 5 miles to get there and back to the hotel.)  When we were outside he came out and thanked us again. 

Aberdeen has some beautiful homes.  They are white stately southern homes with long lawns and curved driveways.  These homes were built around 1840.

SHOUT OUT TO EILEEN AND ED LARSON ON THEIR WEDDING ANNIVERSARY ON JULY 7^TH!

Stats for July 6 Aberdeen,MS

Arrival time 2:10  

73 miles, 11.2 mph, 6 hours 31 minutes ride time  and 2200 feet elevation gain.

2 Presbyterian Churches

1 Blue Heron

0 Egrets

Happy Independence Day!

July 1-4 Update

Caution to the Reader-I will mix our adventures with my own personal reflection or noticings, so please be patient as you read.

We left Mobile, AL at 6:00 am hoping to avoid as much humid heat as possible.  Our “official” start point was at the corner of Royal and St. Louis.  This was one of the busiest slave markets in the South.  There wasn’t any markers at the site—just a couple of banks.  The importation of slaves was banned around 1808, but the law was poorly enforced and the practice continued for 50 more years in Alabama.  In 1860 an event occurred when a ship called Clotilda tried to bring slaves into Mobile, but the Feds were waiting.  The slaves were dispersed, but later emancipated.  After the Civil War the”freed” slaves settled in what is called Africatown.  We rode through the town and cemetery on our way to the Cochcrane-Africatown Bridge.  It is always “dicey” as the engineers who design bridges never think about bike traffic.  We made it over and traffic was generous with their wide sweeps to avoid us.  Then it was on to the next series of bridges of land and steel.  Yes as we went over Tensaw River we rode on islands connected by bridges! Whoops!!! as we started over the bridge by the USS Alabama Battleship the tire on “Bob” blew.  Yep-blew out the side wall of the tire.  Duct tape to the rescue until we get to a bike shop in Spanish Fort. 

A side bar bike story at this point…we get to Spanish Fort.  Bike shop is not open yet! We call Wal-Mart for a 16 inch tire.  They tell us “Yes.” We go 3 miles off route. Now in a car that is not an issue, but when you are on a bike in Alabama with humid heat---it is a big deal.   At Wal-Mart the clerk lets us know they don’t have any, but could order one??? (right!)  We back track and now the bike store is open. We buy the tire and tube to be on our way.  Also on our list for our next bike shop will be a new derailer wheel and quick release. 

I am so enjoying one of my favorite drinks—Sweet Tea.  I have been ordering it at every stop we make.  I just love it. 

One of the interesting things we are able to do on a bike ride is to observe our surroundings.  Crepe Myrtle trees are so common—they are gorgeous with their bright delicate pink blooms.  I am also counting the number of Egrets I see each day. Historical Markers along the way identify events such as the Montgomery Baptist church which contains a slave gallery or reminders of the history indicating where plantations used to exist.

We decided to “skip” going to Bay Minette as planned and head to Stockton.  There is a campground and food close by each other that sounds appealing.  As we pulled into the campground on Tensaw Lake we were greeted by the owner (Paul and Angel) with COLD water.   Most of the day we have been drinking warm water and gator aide.  They let us camp free!  It was a noisy night between the ATVers and the Cicadas.

Stats at end of day 1 Got into campground at 6:00 pm.  Lots of breaks in the humid heat.

57 miles   10.6 mph    5 hours 24 minutes 2700 elevation

July 2

We were up and breaking camp at 5:30 am and leaving the campground at 6:25 am. 

Since our days on the road are long and slow we chose things to count. I am going to count the number of Presbyterian Churches I see along the way.  This will be for Greg, my son-in-law, who is in Seminary School.  As of today I have seen 5. (Holy cow I must have seen 20+ Baptist.)  We have the opportunity of seeing dead animals or road kill.  Today we see a “squished” Armadillo!

Today we are biking from Stockton to Grove Hill.  It is turned out to be a challenging day.  The humid heat is really “sucking “our energy.  We are finding out the heat is worse from 11:00 am to 2:30 pm.  We are taking more breaks than usual because of the heat.  The terrain today is tough because we climb 400’ go down 200’ back up to 400” etc.  By the time we get to Perdue Hill the sky is clouded over and we can hear thunder and see lighting.  While we are in the store the power goes out because of the lighting.  The storm is in the direction we are heading.  We study the sky as it begins a wonderful gift of rain!!!  We are thrilled and ride off down the road in the rain.  It poured and poured, but when it is 90 degrees it felt so good.  The lighting was off in the distance around us.

One of noticing is the demise of “Mom and Pop” local cafes/stores and replaced by gas station with fast food.  It is something we miss as we enjoy eating with the “locals” to find out the latest events in the community. We are finding in large communities (3000+ population) Burger Kings, Hardies, ` Churches` or KFC.  Yes I am eating fast food on this trip—can’t find any other food.

I am thankful for the Shiloh Baptist church on this trip.  We had a difficult day!  Out in the middle of nowhere when we were really spent—there was this church.  We lay on the front door mat for about 45 minutes to recoup and refresh ourselves.  Now I know why there are so many Baptist churches!

Bruce and I had a meeting after our Burger King dinner regarding our next day.  It is suppose to be a 94 mile day.  We knew that we could do it, but at what cost?  We talked with the hotel manager and he suggested we not follow the route (he tells the other bikers the same thing) He suggested we take another route which is only 42 miles.  We were sold!

SHOUT OUT TO OUR DEAR NEIGHBOR TERRY REDMOND ON HER BIRTHDAY AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO ALETA PARKER ON HER 65^TH BIRTHDAY.

Stats for July 2

6:45pm arrival time in Grover Hill 77 miles 9.6 mph 8 hour ride time 4500 elevation

July 3 (New Plan)

We left the hotel in Grove Hill at 6:10 am.  We have decided to cut our day in half due to terrain and humid heat.  We are going to Linden today as planned but shorter distance.  July 4 we will go to Livingston for our day.  July 5 we will make it to Aliceville, July 6 Aberdeen.MS and July 7 Fulton, MS.  Until we acclimated to the weather conditions we will make adjustments. We are also finding fewer campgrounds on route, so we are hoteling it.  One city park would let us stay, but there was not a shower.  I guess we are getting a little picky.

I did not realize that there was a large logging industry here.  Some of the “old timers” talk about working in the “woods.”  We were told to watch out for logging trucks, but we have not seen too many.  (The truckers have all been wonderful.)

As we move farther from Mobile we notice the fading away of the Pine trees being replace by Kudzu.  Kudzu is a vine that was introduced into the south as a ground cover.  I swear it grows overnight! It covers electric poles and line, trees and native vegetation.  When you look over the landscape covered with Kudzu it looks like someone threw a net over the trees, bushes and ground.

Cockroaches are prevelant.  I was in one “Mom and Pop” stores and went to the restroom.  There in  the stationary tub was a cock roach.  He was trying to get out!  Man those insects can jump!  I was washing my hands and keeping my eyes on him.  Life on the road. 

We are starting to see evidence of the tornado.  As we came into Linden we saw downed trees, sheet metal stuck in trees and snapped trees.  Talking with the hotel owner she told us that some of the rooms reserved are for workers doing repair damage. 

We are staying in Linden.  Hal’s Lake is near here, but is inaccessible.  Hal’s Lake is named for an escaped slave from Mississippi who lived by this lake undetected.  He recruited other slaves to his hideout.  Part of the Underground Railroad system.

Before we went to bed (no we are not going to bed before Esther’s bedtime!) a huge storm passed over us.  Wind started blowing; rain came down sideways for about 45 minutes.  We were grateful to be in a hotel room and not on the road. 

Stats for July 3

42 miles 11.6 mph  3 hour 36” 1500 elevation gain

7 Egrets

5 Presbyterian Churches

July 4 Happy 4^th of July

We left Linden at 6:10 am to the quick stop to grab breakfast.  Yes, we got one of those packaged glazed doughnuts with 390 calories of which 91% is fat!  I can’t believe I am eating it, but there will be no food today until we arrive at Livingston, AL.

Coasting takes on a new meaning when we tour.  When we are training for rides Bruce (the captain) does not like to coast at all.  Joy comes on a tour when I hear Bruce say “coast.”  Coasting down a hill saves energy and the breeze cools us off.  So nice to coast!

One of the noticings we have had is the changing demographics that we are seeing.  We are seeing a greater population of Middle Eastern folk. Two of the hotels where we have stayed are owned by Middle Eastern families.  The families moved to these small communities of 1000-3000 from Chicago and New York.  I asked “why”—they said because of the crime and business opportunity. 

Waving! Yes we are able to observe different “waves” from drivers.  There is the pointy finger wave over the top of the steering wheel.  Four fingers lift on top of steering wheeling is another wave.  Then there is the full hand and arm out the window wave.  The weirdest one is the person talking on the cell phone who lets go of the steering wheel (while talking) and waves a full hand wave.  I myself use a Lakefair “wave” or princess wave to acknowledge the “wavers.”

Another kind of critter we see is turtles.  They are moving slowly across the road—we are so slow that we can avoid them.  Just part of our day!

As we came closer to Livingston we found a Sonic Drive In.  STOP the bike—my favorite drink a Cherry Limeade. Hmmm so good on a hot day.

We stopped at the University of Western Alabama.  In 1835 Livingston State College was an all female college began by the Presbyterians.  1883 Julia Titwiler worked with the Legislature to fund it.  In 1907 it became a normal school, 1929 teacher’s college and in 1957 the name changed to reflect a broader course and degree offerings.  Go Presbyterians!

We are ending the 4^th of July with Nature’s fireworks.  We sat outside watching thunder and lighting until the rain and wind drove us in. We may go to bed at Esther’s time tonight as we will need to get up at 4:30 to get breakfast. 

Stats  for July 4th

Arrived at 10:45 am

37 miles, 11.4mph,  3 hours 17  minutes, and  1300 elevation gain

7 Presbyterian Churches

10 Egrets