Biking Away From It all

Made it Selinsgrove

2011-06-27T20:46:00.001-07:00

I'm staying the night with Dan and Jan, two wonderful hosts and my sister-in-law's parents. Tomorrow is the last day of the self-supported ride. I'm heading to State College. It should be about 60 miles with one mountain on the way.

For those who are interested, I rode 90.09 miles from Catonsville to E-town on Friday with a top speed of 42.4 mph. There were a few hills, mostly up, but at least one down as the top speed will attest. Today was 76 miles, mostly flat, but a few good hills right at the end.

Made it to ETown

2011-06-25T07:33:00.000-07:00

I pulled in just after 5:00 last night, a few minutes after my brother got home. I got a good night's sleep and this morning we ran some errands. His wife is coming home from a conference today, so we'll be off to pick her up at the airport shortly. At some point in the next few days, I'll actually write up the last few days of traveling. For now, I'm enjoying visiting. Monday I ride up towards Selingsgrove, then on to State College on Tuesday.

Safe and Sound in Catonsville, MD

2011-06-23T18:03:00.000-07:00

Since leaving Ashland, VA, I've been to the USMC Museum, Prince William Forest National Park, and Arlington, VA. I rode by the Kennedy Center this morning on my way to Maryland. Tomorrow I will make it to Pennsylvania. I'll update my adventures at some point while I'm at my brother's house over the weekend.

Short post from Ashland, VA

2011-06-20T18:42:00.000-07:00

I rode the 65-70 miles from Williamsburg to Ashland today. It rained a bunch early on, and threatened to continue all day. My wet computer did not give me speed or distance updates, hence the approximation above. When I arrived in Ashland, the town was without power due to a very large tree falling. It took out some power lines and landed across some railroad tracks. Power came on around 5:30 or so, which allowed me to get a warm shower in.

Tonight's hosts, Bruce and Eve, are both math professors, so we had some fun talking shop about both bikes and math. Tomorrow I am heading to Prince William Forest National Park. I'm hoping to camp in a historic Civilian Conservation Corp cabin tomorrow night, as more rain is in the forecast. Hopefully all my clothes will dry by morning. We'll see. I won't have internet tomorrow, and I doubt I'll have any cell coverage. Wednesday I'm heading to Arlington, so I'll post from there.

I'm in Williamsburg, VA

2011-06-19T13:47:00.000-07:00

Friday, I got a late start out of Washington, leaving around 10:30am. It wasn't a problem, though since I was only riding about 45 miles up to Mackeys, outside Roper. Mackeys is a small community on the Albemarle Sound. There is a marina there, and a number of waterside homes. I had a Warmshowers host who offered me use of the apartment above his garage.

David, my host, wasn't able to get to the house until late in the evening due to his work schedule, but he left me the code to get into the apartment. It was a great space, bigger than my place in Atlanta, with a full bath, and a great upstairs patio. I arrived by about 2, and after cleaning myself up, I did a little reading and took a nap. I woke up when the neighbor came over to water the garden and check up on me.

At the suggestion of David, and his neighbor, I headed to the marina where there was a local restaurant. I met a couple of locals in the restaurant, who ended up buying me a beer to go with my very local crab cakes. The crabs for my dinner were actually caught by boats leaving from the Mackeys Marina. The meal was great. The crab cakes were just crab meat and seasoning, no filler. The sides were tasty, and by the time I was done eating, I was stuffed and had to pass on the brownie sundae.

When I returned to the house, David's wife had made it in, so I joined her, and her neighbor to socialize for a while. Around 10:30, David made it home from work. We spent some time chatting before heading to bed. Early on Saturday, David made me a great breakfast of pancakes, grits, coffee, and OJ. I got an early start, heading out at 7:30 since I needed to cover 80 miles on Saturday.

I saw a flat road with a bit of a tailwind, pushing me towards Chesapeake, VA. I rode 81.45 miles by 1:30, including all my stops. I pulled into the driveway of Larry, my host for the evening to find a note taped to the door. He and his family were out and about, but they left the back porch open for me, with a giant pitcher of water waiting on the table. I got in, got comfortable, and took a much needed nap. Shortly after I woke up, Larry and his family arrived home. Larry made me a great spaghetti and meatball dinner, then helped me map out my route for today.

Since Larry is an early riser, we both turned in early, and got up about 6. Larry made me a great omelette to start the day, then rode out with me to get me on my way. We rode about 10 miles together to get me to the first major road of the day, then he turned off for a fast ride while I settled into a comfortable pace for the day. Since the weather report was questionable, I decided to go past Chippokes State Park and head into Williamsburg, where I could find a motel if needed.

Well, it was needed. After crossing the James River by ferry with lots of cars and a bunch of very friendly Harley riders, I turned towards Jamestown to explore. I ran into some other riders, and joined them in a leisurely ride around Jamestown Island. Then I took the Colonial Parkway towards Williamsburg. It was a longer ride than I expected, and I got caught up in some rain. After 78 miles, I made it into town and found a room. Now its time for some R&R before I look for dinner. Tomorrow should be about 65-70 miles up to Ashland. I'm getting close now. See many of you soon!

Friday's Mileage: 45 miles
Saturday's Mileage: 81.45 miles
Sunday's Mileage: 78.1 miles

Day 9 to Washington, NC

2011-06-17T05:12:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, I got off to an 8:30 start out of Jacksonville, heading north to Washington. Early in the ride, a Marine on a triathlon bike pulled up next to me to chat for a couple of miles. He was waiting for his car to be worked on, so decided to get a ride in. He was great company, and I found myself pedaling at 20 mph while we talked. While I enjoyed his company, my legs were glad when he dropped off to take a phone call and I could slow down without looking weak.

The weather report was pretty questionable. Severe thunderstorms were predicted, so I opted to grab a motel rather than camp out last night. There were very strong winds last night around dinner time, and this morning the parking lot is very wet, so I think I made a good choice.

Today I have a short day, riding up to Roper, NC. I have a Warmshowers host again tonight and tomorrow, so I'm not sure what my internet access will be. It looks like I'm only riding about 45-50 miles today, so I should be off the road fairly early. Tomorrow is a longer day, with about 80 miles planned. After that, I'm going to be reassessing my route. More later.

Thursday's mileage: 73.24 miles
Thursday's top speed: 24.9 mph

Day 8 Unplanned Changes

2011-06-15T18:52:00.000-07:00

Of more than one variety. The day did not get off to the best start, as my wake-up call never came. I got up naturally about half an hour late, and grabbed some breakfast before packing up and heading for the ferry across Cape Fear River. It was a pleasant enough 5 mile ride to the ferry dock, where I had all four of my panniers inspected by TSA. It's not just for airports anymore.

After a leisurely ride across the river, with sea birds hovering above the aft deck, I landed and rode through Kure Beach and Carolina Beach, two tourist towns. I stopped for lunch in Wilmington and stopped by a bike shop to make a small bar tape repair. About 10 miles outside of Wilmington, the first unplanned change occurred, the tube in my rear tire. While riding on US-17, I picked up a long thread from the steel-belting of a car tire. It went through both my tire and the tube. Luckily, it's a very small puncture on the tire, so I think it should be ok. I replaced the tube on the side of the road, and resumed the ride. This happened about 40 miles into today's ride, and somehow, while changing the tire, I reset the day's odometer.

I continued on past Surf City, today's planned stop, after stopping by the campground and being less than impressed. I looked for places to stay on Topsail Island, but couldn't find anything affordable, so I continued on past Snead's Ferry, and rode along the perimeter of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejuene. I made it all the way to Jacksonville, with an estimated mileage of about 83 miles. I grabbed a motel room to get internet access, and had a pleasant dinner at a little Italian restaurant down the street. The staff was so impressed with the story of my trip, they made me an extra large portion and brought me an extra salad on the house. Everything was very tasty, and with a full belly, I returned to the motel to watch Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Right now, it looks like Boston should win it.

Tomorrow, I've decided to ride about 70 miles to Washington, NC where I have found a campground to stay at. That will make Friday a short ride to Roper, NC. That day should be right around 50 miles, and I have a Warmshowers host at the end of that day.

That will put me one day ahead of my original schedule, so I should reach Elizabethtown, PA on June 24th, barring any additional changes.

Time for the third period and then to bed. More later.

Day 6 to Pawleys Island and Day 7 to Southport, NC

2011-06-14T19:22:00.000-07:00

I got a good, early start from Ladson on Saturday after Doug made me a wonderful bowl of oatmeal. I got on the road at about 6:45am and rode a flat 77.81 miles to Pawleys Island. I arrived a little after 1pm, and was met by the Taylor clan at the Pelican Inn, a historic bed and breakfast on the island. After a quick clean-up in the outdoor shower, I headed to the dining room for a tremendous lunch of pulled pork, homemade macaroni and cheese, black eyed peas, and sweet tea. After filling my belly with such great fare, the banana pudding was brought out.

After a good day in the saddle, and a delicious lunch, I took three steps outside the dining room, and landed myself in the nearest rope hammock, the first of three that I would test-nap during my stay. If you've never napped in a genuine, South Carolina rope hammock, I strongly recommend it. Very comfortable, and the gentle rocking is very soothing.

The nap concluded, I headed down to the beach, to play in the very warm Atlantic Ocean. I had a great time riding the waves as the tide came in, and watching kids make a sand fort for the tide to destroy.

Later in the evening, I joined a family of other guests in a game of electronic Uno. It was a great deal of fun. There was talk of going to look for crabs after dark, but it was turtle nesting season, so we couldn't have any artificial lights on the beach. The decision was made to turn in rather than look for crabs so I could get up to watch the sunrise over the ocean.

I was comfortably asleep when a giant thunderstorm rolled in around 3am. It woke me up and I got to listen to the rain and watch a bit of a light show for about an hour. Then I rolled over for a little more sleep before heading to the beach to watch sunrise from another rope hammock. I got a few pictures of it, but I haven't downloaded them from the camera yet.

I had another incredible meal at the Pelican Inn, complete with orange juice, coffee, eggs, sausage, baked french toast, and fresh fruit. What a great way to start the day! As I was finishing breakfast, I got a surprise. The Taylor's had made me a boxed lunch! And boy did it come in handy. About 30 miles into the ride, I was ready for a break and stopped for lunch. It was a great ham sandwich with spicy mustard, some snack mix, a moon pie, and boiled peanuts! That last bit was the best touch. I had mentioned my inability to find an open boiled peanut stand the night before, so the girls cured my craving!

Today, I rode 82.21 miles to Southport, NC. I passed through Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, and Shallotte, NC before arriving in Southport. I left at about 10:30 and pulled in around 6:30, with many stops for water, my boxed lunch, and my first milkshake of the trip.

This evening, I relaxed in the pool with a group of North Carolina National Guardsmen. There are about 450 of them in town this week to do training. Tomorrow, I'll be heading to the ferry to Kure Beach, and I'll be riding to Surf City.

More next time I have internet access.

Day 5 to Ladson, SC

2011-06-12T16:39:00.001-07:00

I got a good, early start this morning from the KOA. I had camp broken down by 6:30am, and rode down to Waffle House for an early breakfast with some coffee. I was on the road before 7:30, and rode US-17A for a good long way. It was a quiet Sunday morning without much traffic. I made great time and pulled into Ladson around 12:30.

My hosts for the night are Doug and Carol. Doug is a retired Army Colonel and a very long distance cyclist. He did a ride from Vancouver to Georgia a few years back. His journey makes mine look like a weekend jaunt!

Carol made a great spaghetti dinner, and Doug and Carol's daughter joined us for the meal. This evening's agenda is to watch South Carolina in the College World Series Super-Regional and flipping back to catch a little basketball.

Tomorrow I head to Pawleys Island. It should be about a 75 mile day, give or take.

Today's Mileage: 65.49 miles
Top speed: 22.9 mph (another flat day)

Day 4 to the campsite

2011-06-11T17:18:00.001-07:00

I had a great time in Savannah yesterday and this morning. My hostess, Annette, and her friends Gary, Gregg, and Gregg's wife were outstanding hosts. Skoshi the dog was a fun bundle of energy. The five of us went out for Mexican before heading to a rooftop bar to watch ships on the river. There weren't a lot of ships, but we had fun seeing the sights from a good, high vantage point. Gregg and his wife had plans for early this morning, so they called it a night at a respectable hour. Gary, Annette and I did not. I got a great walking tour of Savannah after dark, including a few of the famous ghost stories (and non-ghost stories).

This morning, there was no alarm so despite the late night, I got a decent amount of sleep. We went out for a great breakfast before resuming the walking tour of Savannah, which Skoshi particularly enjoyed. Around noon, it was time for me to set off on the bike. I had planned to ride the giant bridge along US-17 to cross into South Carolina, right up to the point I encountered the "Bicycles Prohibited" sign. That sign was strategically located after the last turn-off point before the bridge on-ramp. One slightly hair-raising u-turn later, and I was off the bridge.

I pulled into a parking lot to reassess my route, when I met the nicest set of tour bus drivers. One of them told me to load my bike into his bus, because he was going to drive me across the bridge. So for the second time on this trip, the Trucker got put into a vehicle for a short portage. On the other side of the bridge, after many thanks, I unloaded from the bus and headed north into South Carolina.

It was a short day in the saddle, just 43 miles, and it was mostly flat with a few gently rolling hills. The terrain was not very interesting, but I saw lots of motorcycles passing me by. I pulled into the KOA just south of Yemassee around 4:30, pitched the tent, and got cleaned up before taking advantage of the pool and hot tub. A short ride off towards the interstate found me dinner, and now the sun is going down, so I'm going to get ready for bed.

Tomorrow I'm heading to Ladson, SC. It should be about 65 miles to my next Warmshowers host.

Today's Mileage: 43.36 miles
Top Speed: 21.4 mph (it really was flat)

Day 3 to Savannah

2011-06-10T14:03:00.001-07:00

Hot and humid again today, but not quite as hot as yesterday. And today, there were no hills! That kept my top speed down, but my average speed up. While riding, I was consistently above 17 mph, which made the miles fly by. I got a slightly earlier start this morning, taking off from Mac's around 6:30 after some good coffee. Mac sent me off with a great frozen green tea that kept me going throughout the morning.

About 5 miles into the ride, I stopped at a small country restaurant for breakfast--pancakes with cane syrup and a country sausage. Very tasty, and great fuel for the day. 5 hours later, I still wasn't hungry. Thirsty, yes, but not hungry.

After that, it was lots of miles, with frequent stops for water, popcicles, and an ice cream or two. At one stop, the owner of the shop refused to let me pay, because she was so intrigued by the crazy guy on a bike. There were also a lot of logging trucks passing me today. It reminded me of riding in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.

I made it in to Savannah a little after 3, got cleaned up, and now we're getting ready to find some dinner.

Today's mileage: 83.33 miles
Top Speed: 24.7 mph

Day 2 to Vidalia

2011-06-09T16:41:00.001-07:00

I made a little over 86 miles today in the heat and humidity of Central Georgia. I got a bit of a late start, heading out at 7:00am, and road a bunch of hills right from the word "go." Things smoothed out after about 40 miles, but by then the heat had turned up. I found myself stopping for water a lot more often today than I did yesterday. Got a lot of encouragement from the folks I met when I stopped. Around 4:00, I made it to Vidalia, and my host for the night, Mac, offered to spare me the insanity of navigating Vidalia. Since it was hot, and I'd gotten a solid 86 miles in, I gladly accepted the offer. After a nice hot shower and a change of clothes, we headed out to dinner, where we put together a much simpler route to Savannah. Now it's time to rest and get ready for tomorrow. I didn't forget yesterday's pictures. I promise to post them, and today's pictures, sometime in the near future.

Special note to all the Archers reading this: I went to McAfee's Country Store to meet up with you, but no one showed up. I might have been 150 miles from the normal starting point, but really, I think someone else could have been there...

Tomorrow it's on to Savannah.

Today's Mileage: 86.65 miles
Top Speed: 31.3 mph

Day 1 to Milledgeville

2011-06-08T10:55:00.001-07:00

The alarm went off at 4:00am this morning, and after just a single swat at the snooze bar, I got up and moving on this years adventure. A bit of breakfast, some last second clean up (can't leave dirty dishes for 4 weeks), and a thick application of sunscreen for those post-sunrise hours and I was off.

Well, almost. Everybody has to forget something when they travel, right? So I had the bike loaded, the door locked, and I was just getting ready to push off when I noticed I hadn't put any waterbottles on the bike. Now in some parts of the country, that little oversight could be overcome. Here in Georgia, where it was 72 at 5:00am, 87 at 10:30am and 95 by 1:00pm, such an oversight could be a disaster. Good thing I noticed and fixed the problem before I left. :)

I wandered my way through several intown neighborhoods until I got to Columbia Rd. I took that south to Rainbow Rd, and then followed Rainbow through its obligatory namechange, then turned on Browns Ferry Rd, aka GA-212. I was able to follow GA-212 past the monastery in Conyers, through Monticello (the town where My Cousin Vinnie was filmed) and the Oconee National Forest, right into Milledgeville. I think I could count today's turns on my fingers if I had to.

Since BRAG (Bicycle Ride Across Georgia) stayed here in Milledgeville either Monday or Tuesday night, I was able to get a decent rate on a room at a hotel with a pool. Guess where I'm heading in about 5 minutes?

I did take some pictures in Monticello, but elsewhere, while there were interesting things to get on camera (a cyldesdale, many head of cattle, the Buddha house, and some strange birds, none were located near a safe place to stop and take pictures. Just trust me when I say that were all photo-worthy.

I'll try to post the pictures after my swim, or maybe I'll make you wait and wonder about how great the pictures are. If you haven't seen the quality of my photography, look at some old posts and re-read that last sentence with your sarcasm-detector turned up.

Today's Miles: 88.94
Today's Top Speed: 31.3 mph

Tomorrow's Destination: Vidalia, GA (Home of the famous onions, and according to one of my brothers, also home to carrots that want to be just as famous)

T-minus 8 hours

2011-06-07T17:57:00.001-07:00

The alarm is set for 4am, with an ETD of 5:00am tomorrow morning. It's supposed to be hot, so I'm going to try to get in some miles before the sun comes up. I'm riding from Atlanta to Milledgeville, which is about 90 miles total. I'll be passing by the famous Conyers' Monastery, the town of Monticello, GA, and hopefully arriving in Milledgeville in time for a late lunch. Tomorrow night is a motel night, so I should have internet to post any good pictures I take...

Draft of the Plan of the Adventure

2011-06-04T11:08:00.000-07:00

Day	Date	Start	End	Mileage
1	06/08/11	Atlanta	Milledgeville, GA	90
2	06/09/11	Milledgeville, GA	Vidalia, GA	90
3	06/10/11	Vidalia, GA	Statesboro, GA	45
4	06/11/11	Statesboro	Yemassee, SC	75
5	06/12/11	Yemassee, SC	Ladson, SC	75
6	06/13/11	Ladson, SC	Pawley’s Island	75
7	06/14/11	Pawley’s Island	Shallotte, NC	65
8	06/15/11	Shallotte, NC	Wilmington, NC	90
9	06/16/11	Wilmington	Maysville, NC	70
10	06/17/11	Maysville, NC	Bath, NC	70
11	06/18/11	Bath, NC	Roper, VA	90
12	06/19/11	Roper, VA	Suffolk, VA	85
13	06/20/11	Suffolk, VA	Chickahominy River Park	55
14	06/21/11	Chickahominy	Ashland, VA	50
15	06/22/11	Ashland, VA	Stafford, VA	60
16	06/23/11	Stafford, VA	Arlington, VA	55
17	06/24/11	Arlington, VA	Catonsville, MD	45
18	06/25/11	Catonsville, MD	Elizabethtown, PA	90

This plan is of course subject to change due to weather, whim, or interesting things on the side of the road.

2011 Adventure!

2011-06-03T10:43:00.000-07:00

Four days until the start of the 2011 adventure. This time, it's Atlanta to State College, PA, along the Atlantic Coast. It's more miles, more days, more heat, more humidity, but less hills. I'm also hoping to add more fun to the list. I'll be staying with some old friends, some new WarmShowers friends, camping, and occasionally looking for a motel with a pool. I'll be adding three new states to the list I've ridden through, and I'll be riding at least a couple of ferries.

I'll post the first draft itinerary sometime soon so you can follow along at home, or meet me on the road if I'm coming near your town. Right now, it looks like I'll be averaging about 70 miles a day, but that of course is subject to change.

Pictures

2010-06-25T08:23:00.000-07:00

I have a nice sports massage scheduled for later this afternoon, so I'm relaxing and watching Portugal v. Brazil. Here are some of the pictures from the last several days. They are all from northern Kentucky and Ohio.

Mud or freckles when I arrived in Urbana, OH. You decide.

The bike path to Bowling Green or the new entrance to the Batcave?

The first (of many) downed trees on the path to Bowling Green.

The cycling cow at Young's Jersey Dairy. Great ice cream break (with World Cup coverage)

Xenia Station, crossroads of Ohio's bike paths.

Welcome to Punkytown, KY.

More Punkytown, KY

Surprise!

2010-06-24T19:17:00.000-07:00

I'm now in Detroit. I busted out a 109.10 mile day to meet Patricia in time for dinner. I'm now fed, washed, and beat. I'll post more tomorrow. Some of what I post will surely be pictures from the last few days. For those who have been worrying about my safety, you may stop now. For those who have been questioning my sanity, I doubt my safe arrive will do much to change the situation.

Day 10 - Ohio Menagerie

2010-06-22T20:54:00.000-07:00

I enjoyed visiting with Martha and Gary last night. This morning, Gary made me a great breakfast and we spent some time chatting before I set off around 9:00. There was a light drizzle, so I put the rain jacket on from the word go. After winding my way back to the Little Miami Scenic Trail, I had to take a rain delay. As I got to the trail entrance, a thunderstorm popped up, so I got under cover at a picnic shelter and waited out the rain.

While under the shelter, I met a cyclist named Tom. We ended up riding about 25 miles together this morning before he had to head back home. He pointed me in the direction of some good places for lunch up the trail, and his recommendations came in handy. During the time we rode together, we saw several deer, a fox, a rabbit, and a couple of chipmunks, not to mention lots and lots of birds. I really enjoyed sharing some time and stories with Tom, and was sad to see him peel off.

I made lots of stops today, some to eat, some to chat with other cyclists, and some to see interesting things. One cyclist recommended I try the ice cream at Young's Jersey Dairy, then proceeded to lead me to it. It was well worth the detour, and my sundae hit the spot. The stop also allowed me to catch the last 20 minutes of the South Korea/Nigeria game.

I made it into Urbana around 7:00 this evening. Thanks to the early rain, I was none too clean, so after a quick clean up, I headed to the main drag in town to find a bite to eat. I missed the restaurant I was looking for, but found a local bike shop. I chatted with the owners for a bit, and they directed me back to Catfish Jack's. I headed over to eat, and a few minutes later, Missie and Jeff came in to join me. We shared a tasty meal and great conversation, then Missie invited me over to their house for dessert.

Jeff and I put my bike in the back of his truck, after I rode up the hill out of town, and stopped by Kroger to pick up dessert. Back at the house, we shared more stories and gave lots of attention to their black lab. With both Jeff and I starting to yawn, he offered me a ride back to the motel, which I gratefully accepted. Both Missie and Jeff were wonderful hosts this evening, and they gave me a good recommendation for breakfast tomorrow.

Tomorrow I head up to North Baltimore, another 80 mile day. Hopefully the weather will hold long enough for me to get up there. I suspect that I will be stopping a bit less tomorrow in an effort to get in before any late day thunderstorms can pop up.

Miles Today: 90.38 miles (including the ride back to dinner)
Max Speed: 28.0 mph

I did take some pictures today, but it's late, so I'll post them tomorrow or Thursday.

Day 9 - Into Every Ride, A Little Rain Must Fall

2010-06-21T19:45:00.000-07:00

Today got off to a good start, with clear skies and a muggy seventy-something degrees when I pushed off at 6:15 am. Since Cynthiana didn't have any restaurants open at that hour, I started the day with a Clif bar and four full water bottles and started riding north. Twenty miles later, I reached Falmouth and its Twisted Spoon Diner.

After a good hearty breakfast bowl, I refilled the bottles and headed out again. It was about 8:30 and already hot. I put in another 20 miles before pulling in for a Gatorade and water break. I was making decent time and feeling good on the bike, despite the fact that I was sweating so much, my shoes were getting soaked from the inside!

As I pedaled towards the Ohio River in Newport, KY, I met another cyclist who rode with me for several blocks. We had a good conversation about being car-free, since he is as well, and before he turned off on his way, he gave me directions to the Purple People Mover Bridge, which connects the Kentucky Aquarium on one side of the River with Pete Rose Way on the other side. As if you couldn't guess, Pete Rose Way leads to the Reds' stadium. As I was crossing the bridge, the formerly sunny skies started to darken and a cool breeze picked up.

Normally, some cloud cover and a cool breeze on a hot day would be welcome, but one look at the sky, and I knew a thuderstorm was on its way. Pretty soon, I started seeing flashes of lightning and hearing thunder in the distance, in the direction I had to go...

Since everything was still off in the distance, I decided to ride on at least until the rain started. When I started getting hit with giant drops of rain and noticed that the lightning was getting closer, I decided it was time to find shelter. Lucky for me, I was in the city, so it wasn't long before I passed a Mexican Bar and Grill. The crew at Tostado's was happy to let me bring the bike inside and brought me towels so I could clean off the bike (and myself), and water to quench my thirst. When I suggested I might like lunch, a menu materialized quickly, along with an order of chips and salsa. I sat out the worst of the storm watching Sports Center and eating a tasty meal.

When it looked like the lightning was done, I headed back out into a light rain. I had about 20 miles left to ride, and it was now after 1:30. The temperature had dropped, so I decided to use my rain jacket to help keep me warm. At this point in the day, after the sweat and the rain, there was little hope of me being dry until after a hot shower.

I took a little tour of southeast Cincinnati, passing by Lunken Airport on my way to the Little Miami Scenic Trail, a paved, tree-lined rail to trail conversion. I rode that trail all the way into Loveland. Unfortunately, while on the trail, my bike computer decided to malfunction, and my spedometer and odometer quit working. I know I rode more than 76 miles today, but the exact mileage is going to remain a mystery.

I pulled up to Martha and Gary's house just before 4:00 pm. Gary promptly toured me through the finished basement to show me where I could take a shower. After I little cleaning up by me, Martha, Gary and I spent a few hours catching up and enjoying a great chicken casserole dinner. We even had dessert, strawberry shortcake.

Tomorrow, I'm heading back to the Little Miami Scenic Trail. I'll take that to Springfield, OH, then pick up the Simon Kenton Trail to Urbana. Wednesday, I'll be on US 68 from Urbana to North Baltimore, where I'll be staying with a Warmshowers.org host.

I still think I'm on track to arrive in Detroit Friday night, but we'll see what the weather has in store for me....

(If you were hoping for pictures today, you must have missed the early heat and the afternoon rains. Therefore, you had a less unpleasant experience of the weather.)

Day 8 - Happy Father's Day Edition

2010-06-20T16:38:00.001-07:00

A Cubs fan in Cynthiana, KY (just for Dad)

Yesterday's rest day was fantastic. After hanging around Berea for the afternoon, I headed out to the home of Andy and Paige, just outside of town. One good hill to power up, and I was met in the yard by Andy and the dogs. Turns out Saturday was Andy's birthday, so combined with Father's Day today, he had a weekend as a king.

Both Andy and Paige, and their daughters were wonderful hosts. We chatted before, during, and after dinner. And what a dinner it was. Paige made fresh burgers, fries, and onion rings with all the fixings. After dinner, it was time to celebrate Andy's birthday, with an ice cream cake, candles, and song. A good time was had by all, especially me.

The dogs acted as a great alarm clock this morning, and after a delicious breakfast (coffee and a pair of egg sandwiches), it was time to ride. It was a warm and sunny day, full of rolling hills. I passed through Richmond, Winchester, and Paris before reaching Cynthiana. I pulled into the Evergreen Motel around 3:00, and after a quick shower and change of clothes, I headed back into town to find dinner.

I ran across the house above on that dinner ride. Since Dad's a Cubs fan, I couldn't resist taking the picture for him. The only other picture I took is below.

Tomorrow will be a long day, as I head up into Ohio. My destination is Loveland, OH, home of some dear old friends, Martha and Gary. Having passed the halfway point in this journey, I think I may actually make it to Detroit a little sooner than planned. I'm now hopeful that I can make it in perhaps as early as Friday evening (fingers crossed).

Miles today: 75.16 miles
Max Speed: 29.3 mph
Total Distance so far: 476.18 miles

Day 7 - Short ride to Berea

2010-06-19T08:15:00.000-07:00

Since I covered the extra miles on Thursday, I decided to semi sleep-in on Friday. I got up around 6:45, and had some breakfast at the motel before turning on the World Cup. I don't think I've ever seen so many yellow cards in a half, and I've watched some really sloppy high school games! Sending Klose off really changed the game. It was good to see the German effort in the second half, and they certainly deserved a better result, but this does make that group interesting.

I hit the road after the game, setting out a little after 9:30. It a was sunny and warm, but I only had 40ish miles to travel, so that wasn't a big concern. The road was hilly and full of curves. I worked hard on the climbs and really enjoyed the downhills. I rolled into Berea a bit before 2:00, and headed over to the Black Feather Cafe, a local restaurant that happened to be the place of employment for my hostess of the evening, Rose. I grabbed a delicious paninni for lunch with a scope of gelato for dessert. Both hit the spot after several hours of riding. I met many of the regulars at the feather, all of whom had heard about my trip from Rose. When her shift ended at 3:00, we biked over to her house where I got cleaned up and took a short nap. That was after meeting Flynn, Rose's hyper (and hyper-friendly) dog. Since I was willing to pet him and put up with his high energy antics, we became instant friends.

Later in the afternoon, Rose's boyfriend Nathan came by and the three of us, plus Flynn and Bayla, Nathan's dog, went to the local swimming hole for a dip. It was heaven. While we were there, several friends of Rose and Nathan came by to join us, one with a giant dog named Zeta. All three dogs, and all the people enjoyed the relief of warm water on a hot day.

We headed back to town, where Rose made an incredible dinner. Onions, mushrooms, squash, and chicken served over pasta with a nice fresh salad. It was just what the doctor had ordered for all of us. We sat around after dinner with a few beers and chatted till sleepiness overtook us. We all turned in for the evening, and slept soundly until Flynn decided he needed some attention. He jumped up onto my bed and insisted on a belly scratch, which I sleepily provided.

A little later, we were all awake and heading out to a new cafe for breakfast. The food was great, eggs, bacon, and biscuits and gravy. But the coolest part was the "pickin' and grinnin'." From 9:00 to 11:00 on Saturdays, the cafe has an open bluegrass/gospel concert. Rose, Nathan and I were the only folks under 50 in the joint (other than the kids working as waitresses), but we enjoyed the music and food. After breakfast, we went back to Rose's so I could pack up to head back into town to explore. A little rain delayed me, but I'm in town at the moment, enjoying some coffee and internet access.

Tomorrow I head out to Cynthania, and from there to Cincinatti.

Miles traveled: 42.12 miles
Top Speed: 37.0 mph

Day 6 - Overtime

2010-06-17T18:13:00.001-07:00

The view at "Scenic" Cove Lake

Yes, the sign coming into Caryville, home of "Scenic" Cove Lake, has the quotes. That little touch made me smile yesterday. After a relaxing evening indoors, and two BBQ meals in one day, I started this morning at Scotty's. (What is it with small diners named Scotty's on this trip?) A cup of coffee, a couple eggs, some bacon, some toast, and great conversations with the locals. In fact, as each local came in, I was asked about my bike, where I was from, where I was going, and I repeated the story, to the delight of everyone in the restaurant.

After spending more time than I had planned to, I got ready to leave. One of the men at the counter handed me his card and asked me to remember him when I write my book. Now, this is no book, but I suspect I'll remember Bill and his friends for a good long time.

Fueled up for a day of climbing, I set off to climb Jellico Parkway over Pine Mountain. It was a long, winding road with the tiniest shoulders I've ever seen. It was muggy and warm the whole way up, and about as lush as a rain forest. I spent over an hour making the climb, then flew down the descent with nary a peddle stroke. After the mountain, it was a few more miles to Jellico, a sleepy little town where I passed by all the fast food options only to find there were no other options available.

Luckily, Williamsburg wasn't far, and I quickly pulled into town and found a great little Mexican joint. One lunch special with about 5 glasses of water later, I headed back to the road. Along with the much needed food and water, I also got to catch a little World Cup action. The waiter seemed more surprised that I was interested in the World Cup than the fact that I had biked to the restaurant.

From Williamsburg, I headed to Corbin, home of KFC. I passed a sign for the Col. Sanders Museum, but I didn't ride by it. Instead, I found a vacant lot filled with decorated trains. While I was taking pictures, an older gentleman walked up and offered to take my picture. We chatted a bit, and it turns out this man was the chief of police's father. After finishing my picture taking, and getting some local directions, I headed for the KOA.

But a funny thing happened on the way to the KOA....I realized I wasn't ready to stop peddling yet. After several days of brutal heat and humidity, the day turned out to be warm, but very pleasant. Not too humid, a little bit of a cooling breeze, blue skies with a few fluffy clouds...How could I call it a day when the next town was just 12 miles ahead? Short answer: I couldn't.

I just kept pedaling right to London. As I came into town, I stopped for a quick milkshake before getting a room for the night.

One of the best parts of the trip so far has been the conversations I've had with complete strangers. Whether it's the regulars at Scotty's, or a little girl and her father at the Mexican restaurant, every interaction has been incredibly positive. Some folks have said the thought of me riding from Atlanta to Detroit is inspiring to them. Some have said, with a giant grin on their faces, that this ride is crazy, and they wish they could do one too. Everyone of the conversations ends with someone wishing me well. Telling me to take care of myself and be careful out there.

It's really great to see just how common caring and common decency are.

Miles Today: 81.33 miles
Max Speed: 31.5 mph
Total Miles: 358.9 miles

Tomorrow is a short ride (50 miles) to Berea, where I'll spend two days. I'm staying with some Warmshowers hosts, so I'm looking forward to learning all about the town.

Day 5 - Making it up as I go along

2010-06-16T17:13:00.000-07:00

Day 5 is now in the books. I'm at a Motel 6 just down the road from Cove Lake State Park. Today has been all about improvisation. First thing this morning, Tim, my host last night, helped me make a better route than Google gave me. By better, I of course mean more scenic and less turns, or at least that was the game plan. Tim put together a good route, but the county was doing its best to make things difficult. I had a bunch of streets dead end into nameless streets, making navigating my route a little challenging.

As if that was not enough, one of the roads I was on was closed for construction. There were excavators on site, so I suspect that closure was a very recent development. Since I couldn't follow the planned route, I took a left on the last road before the closure, hoping I would be able to quickly get back to the road I was supposed to be riding on. Well, long story shorter than the long winding road, I never got back to the desired road, but I did make it to the next road on my route, and that took me in to Knoxville, where I got the picture below:

Just after I snapped that shot, another cyclist pulled up next to me to chat. He did a tour with some friends last year from Knoxville to Savannah. As we chatted, he led me to a bike shop in downtown Knoxville, where I was supposed to get some good city directions from "Doc." Unfortunately, it was Doc's day off, but the other guys at the shop managed to find a bike map of Knoxville and get me pointed in the right direction.

I left Knoxville by TN-33/US-25W, which took me through Claxton, Clinton, and Lake City. It was a bunch of up and down, but I had fun with it. I saw a few drizzles off and on, but missed the worst of the afternoon storms by stopping at Heavenly Hog in Clinton for some lunch. Not ten minutes after I arrived, the sky opened up, and fifteen minutes later, the rain stopped. When I was done with lunch, I got back on the bike to start the last climbs of the day.

After 61 miles, I was starting to feel tired, so when I saw a VFW Post, I pulled in to find out how far I was from my destination. As it turned out, I was just 2 miles short of Cove Lake Park, but both miles were uphill. After refilling water bottles, I pushed on, and less than a mile from the goal, the sky opened up. Luckily, an abandoned Exxon Station had a good roof over the old pumps, so I could stay dry. The same cannot be said for the camp ground at Cove Lake.

When I arrived at Cove Lake Park, I had no idea what the evening's weather report looked like, but one look at the campsites told me any stay would likely be damp. Since I'm heading to a KOA in Corbin tomorrow (where it is expected to be dry all day), I decided that discretion was the better part of valor, and found a nice motel with AC and internet.

The wake up call is set for 5:30 am, so I can eat breakfast and be on the road by 7:00 am.

Miles today: 67.31 miles
Max Speed: 33.7 mph (hooray downhills!)
Total miles on the trip: 277.79 miles

Day 4 - Timing is everything

2010-06-15T13:41:00.000-07:00

Caution: Overturned Trucks Ahead!

Day 4 is in the books. Got an early start from the campground, leaving around 6:40 am. A pleasant 7 mile spin brought me to Etowah, home of Scottie's 24 Hours. I got a good breakfast, with some coffee before oiling my chain and setting off for the main event. 60ish miles of Tennessee. I started on Rte 411, a nice little road that alternates between being a four lane divided highway and the main thoroughfare for several small towns. I rode 411 until I crossed the Tennessee River, then started following the directions sent to me by Tim, tonight's host. Tim took me through some beautiful back country roads, as you can see in the pictures. There were a few hills, but nothing to big. Today's weather was still hot and humid, but not quite as brutal as yesterday. At least until about 3:00.

Not my lunch stop, but an interesting looking Country

Late in the morning, some 45+ miles into the ride, I decided it was time for lunch. I met a man on the side of the road who gave me directions to a restaurant some "3 miles away." Six miles later, I stopped for directions again, only to find the restaurant was another half mile up the road. I pedaled on, having gone that far to get lunch, and found an interesting little Mom & Pop shop inside a gas station. When I arrived, it was pretty empty, but soon a couple of EMTs arrived, and a few county police officers, then the regulars, and pretty soon the place was hopping. And just about all of them wanted to hear about my trip so far. A few could hardly believe I was crazy enough to ride all the way to Detroit, but all offered up encouragement and a bit of admiration. That and the super cool AC made my lunch stop awfully nice.

These cattle only wish they had AC.

Eventually, I needed to head back into the heat to backtrack to pick up my route to tonight's resting spot. After a quick phone call to Tim to confirm directions, I set off with about 15 miles to go. That's when the thunderclouds started to appear. Shortly after the clouds rolled in, the thunder started, so I put the rain covers on the panniers and started pedaling hard. As luck would have it, it started to rain when I was less than 100 yards from my destination. A few drops hit me, but not enough to notice.

One of the great views I had today.

A quick shower in a gorgeous outdoor shower got me clean an refreshed. It was very cool to take a nice warm shower in the midst of a cool rain.

Another great view from today.

Tomorrow's original plan was to get all the way to Jellico, TN. Based on the past few days, and the weather report for tomorrow, that seems overly optimistic. I think the new plan is to take 3 days to get from here to Berea, KY. I'm still planning a rest day in Berea, and I'll try to make up some time when I get to Ohio.

Hey, a downhill!

Miles today: 66.11
Max Speed: Under 30 mph (I forgot to look before resetting the odometer.)

Day 3 - Long Day, Short Update

2010-06-14T12:58:00.000-07:00

Sorry, no pictures today. I did take one good shot of a courthouse in GA, but I don't have my camera nearby, and I'm trying to post this before a thunderstorm rolls in.

I'm currently in Delano, TN at the Hiwasse Occoee State Park. The tent is up with the rainfly in anticipation of a possible downpour. The Ranger Station lost power for a minute or two just a bit ago, so I am not counting on a dry afternoon/evening.

I got a good early start this morning, leaving Tom's place around 7:15. Tom was kind enough to carry all my panniers (by car) down to the bottom of his very (a) steep, (b) narrow, (c) winding, (d) all of the above street. Considering I hit nearly 30 mph while riding the brakes, I'll let you guess the best answer. Today was a day of very few turns. I rode on only a handful of roads after leaving Tom's subdivision. There was Pleasant Grove, Tails Creek (which changed names a few times), and Rte. 411. I road 411 into Tennessee, through the town of Benton before making it to the park.

The views were nice, but because it was hot and I had a long ride (60 miles) to do, I didn't take many pictures. I did manage to get a nice Bacon, Egg, and Cheese Biscuit for a dollar and I finally found the elusive boiled peanuts. I apparently stopped at "the last boiled peanut stand before Tennessee." It was about 15 miles from the border, and they were/are good. I'm still munching on them to replace some salt and give me some calories.

Tomorrow, I'm off to Louisville, TN, just outside Knoxville. I'm staying with Tim, whom I met through Warmshowers.org. Hopefully I won't have to deal with too bad a storm tonight and tomorrow will be a nice, pleasant day.

Miles travelled: 62.87
Top Speed: 38.8 mph (recorded in GA, but not in Tom's subdivision)

Day 2 - The Georgia Managerie

2010-06-13T18:13:00.001-07:00

Today was a good day to ride....if you like hot and sticky weather. After a good night's sleep at Charlyn's house, I enjoyed a great breakfast of coffee, quiche, and cantaloupe. We watched a little bit of the early soccer game, and then with sunscreen applied, and water bottles full, I set out for Ellijay to visit Tom, from CTY.

Did I mention it was hot and sticky today? I didn't make it out of Charlyn's subdivision before my jersey was soaked, and I went through 8 water bottles plus a 32 ounce sport drink on the ride today. I also had an ice cream cone, a sports gel, and a cliff bar. But that's not terribly interesting. The animals that I encountered today were interesting, however.

Let's see, two turtles were crossing the road in front of me early in the morning. If I hadn't been pedaling uphill in both instances, I would have taken a picture. Alas, my fear of not being able to restart up the hill was greater than my desire for the photo, so no cute picture here.

A couple of miles past the second turtle, I discovered a really good reason to interrupt a 30 mph descent....and they were also crossing the street. Since I was confident in my ability to restart going down hill, and since this group was taking up the whole road, I stopped to get the camera.

About an hour after I stopped to take pictures of the geese, I found a gas station and got the aforementioned sports drink. It was cold and full of great electrolytes, and it was good. I continued for another hour before reaching Jasper. There I got the ice cream cone and took a break from the heat. About two blocks after the ice cream cone, I found an interesting statue in from of the Pickens County Courthouse. When I saw the statue, I did a double-take to make sure I wasn't in front of a library.

Several miles up the road, a strange man parked his car on the side of the road, and stuck his thumb out for a ride. It was Tom, my host for the night. He had seen me ride by his chuch, then picked a good spot to meet me to tell me I was only a dozen miles away. That should have been about an hour's ride. If not for the wrong turn and the hills. I had to push the fully loaded bike up one hill on a small country road, then missed a turn right at the top of the hill. I rode about a mile past where I needed to be before calling to verify directions. After a little backtracking, I found the right subdivision, and a hill I couldn't even push the bike up! Tom came down the hill and took two of my panniers off the bike and then I could push the LHT up the hill to his house. After some great iced tea and water (and some cleaning up), we got to catching up with each other. He showed me pictures from his latest trip to the southern hemisphere, and I showed him the pictures I'd taken in the last few days. I wonderful dinner was shared, and I got to writing. It's of to bed now with a 6 am wakeup tomorrow. I'm camping tomorrow night, so there may not be an update till I get outside Knoxville.

Distance ridden/walked: 43.87 miles
Max Speed: 34.7 mph

Day 1 - Atlanta to Canton

2010-06-12T13:48:00.001-07:00

I set off this morning bright and early. 7 am for the ride to breakfast, and then a real departure at 8:00. It was only 80 degrees when I set out, but a nice overcast sky almost let me forget about the humidity. Later in the morning, when the cloud cover burned off, I got a good dose of hot and humid. Traffic was relatively light as I pedaled through town. There were more joggers in Virginia-Highlands than cars!

Heading up a hill 0n Roswell Road, I had my only interaction with the car traffic. A driver in the left lane rolled his window down, shouted "Keep going, man! Almost There!" He then did a good Arsenio Hall impersonation with a "Woo Woo Woo" and sped off past me. He put a smile on my face and helped get me over a good sized hill.

When I got into the town of Roswell, I came across the statue at the top. It's advertising a bike ride from April, but that's better than the political campaign signs you can see in the background.

About 25 miles into the ride, I passed my first boiled peanut stand. Thinking there would be plenty more on my route, I passed by without stopping. I regretted that decision for the next 12 miles as no more stands appeared. If I pass one tomorrow (and it's open) I'll be stopping for sure.

I made it in to Canton around 11:30 am, several hours ahead of schedule. (I really should have stopped for some peanuts....) When I arrived, Charlyn took the picture of me below:

After a nice shower and quick lunch, we headed over to Charlyn's Club House to watch the US vs England. England got on the board in the 4th minute, with the US getting a lucky equalizer in the 40th. The three Yanks watching the game were able to claim a moral victory, without the one Englishman needing to concede defeat.

Tomorrow it's off to Ellijay!

Miles Covered Today: 37.63 (after breakfast)
Top Speed: 33.7 mph

T-minus 20 hours and counting

2010-06-11T10:12:00.000-07:00

Final prep is nearly done. I've received the GPS recording device, packed the panniers, and am nearly ready to go. I'm riding from Atlanta to Canton, GA tomorrow. ETD is 8:00 am so that I can arrive before the U.S. National Team starts its World Cup campaign. The route is approximately 40 miles, so I'll start with a good breakfast and then roll out.

Here is a shot of the Long Haul Trucker I'll be riding, minus most of the bags:

Tomorrow, it's gets two more bags front and rear, and a whole bunch of water bottles. Then it's off to start the adventure!

Game Plan

2010-05-01T13:11:00.000-07:00

It's May 1, 2010. In about 6 weeks time, I will start the first of what I hope will be many self-supported bicycle adventures. In mid-June, I will take two weeks to bike from Atlanta, GA to Detroit, MI. Along the way, I'll be visiting friends, camping in state parks, and exploring the road less traveled. This blog will help my friends and family keep up with my progress and allow me to share any good pictures I take along the way. So stay tuned, the adventure will begin shortly.