Buchanan

Today there was no rush. In fact, I was dreading the ride today when I started packing this morning. I told you it was easy to get lazy and after being picked up and dropped off without the panniers Sunday and Monday, today I put them back on. I did however, eliminate some unnecessary gear which lightened my load. My more than perfect son-in-law (The Real Man)quickly and accurately pointed out that since I didn't carry my gear from Marion to Catawba, I couldn't claim an unsupported trip across America. I'd agree with that however, I kinda felt like the unsupported moniker ended somewhere between Bardstown and Danville, Kentucky. So be it. After parring my gear, Sandra drove me to my last Spot position, Catawba and I took off in less than ideal conditions. It was overcast and windy which made the 60 something degree temperature seem much worse. The winds were blowing NW at about 5 to 10G15. Had it not been for the wind, the day would have been enjoyable especially after Troutville. (It was mostly downhill.) I rode yesterday and today mostly down the Roanoke Valley between two mountain ranges, a scenic view with farm land and rolling hills. The picture was taken outside my doorway at the Wattstull Court Motel. Tomorrow is a climbing day and Lexington or further is my goal. Getting close to the Parkway and June Curry, "The Cookie Lady".

R & R

Yesterday was a rest day and lucky that it was. If you watched the Miami/Virginia Tech game you know that it rained hard most of the day. Oh, too bad Miami lost... not! While the game was being played I was on a field trip with my sister to eat oysters. Since we were far from the coast before I was willing to go with her, I wanted to make sure that we were going to eat the seafood type of oysters and not mountain oysters. Being given that assurance, I rode with my sister and Becky to Waynesboro, Va. for an oyster feast put on by the Ruritans. Last year I was told that the occasion fed 1500 people. I believe it because, in spite of the rain, we had to wait almost 45 minutes to be seated. After we got out seats, we were treated to a buffet of fresh vegetables and fried oysters, well worth the three hour drive. Today was a great biking day. Pat, The Real Man, drove me back to Marion so I could take up where I left off on Thursday. At first it was a little cloudy and cool, but after I had been on the road for an hour there was nothing but clear skies and good biking. Ideal conditions but the terrain is still up and down and as I get further North the hills are getting steeper. I did cheat a little today which made the biking even more enjoyable. Since my plan today was to bike from Marion back to my sisters house, I rode sans panniers. Talk about a big difference. I felt like I was flying. Tomorrow I think I'll ride again without the gear but I have to be careful, it would be very easy to get lazy. Also tomorrow I'll close out map eleven, one more to go.

Rest Day

I made it to the top of the mountain by pushing, pulling, and tugging my bike most of the mile and a half to the campsite. By the time I got to the top of the mountain I was totally exhausted and dehydrated. The family that lives there and runs the campground was really nice. I didn't meet the husband till the next morning but the wife and two young sons were very friendly. But had I known it was that difficult to get up to the place I would have passed it by. I could have reached the next town by the time I got to the campsite. The next morning I met John and he offered me a ride back down the dirt road. I am glad he did since I probably would have fallen down because of the rocks on the gravel road. After leaving the campground I made it to Marion about 60 miles from my sister's home in Christiansburg. To be honest I was ready for a break. Yesterday completed eight days of biking with a lot of uphill/downhill on the sleep gained while sleeping on the ground. Not to mention that most of my clothes have been wet for a week. I needed to wash, rest and de-louse. I called Sandra and said I was getting a hotel in Marion and resting there for a couple of days. Lucky for me she wouldn't let that happen. She drove to Marion and plucked me from the road and brought me back to air conditioning and home cooking. Last night I went to bed around 7:30 and slept till eight o'clock. I probably could have slept till noon. Today I cleaned the bike, got my clothes washed and generally rested. Today was also my sister's anniversary so to celebrate we all went out to eat at the Farmhouse, a local steak house. After resting today, I almost have feeling back in my legs and can walk without stooping over. Tomorrow the forecast is for more rain and temperatures in the low 50s. I am stubborn but..I think I'll take another day.

One more to go

Sorry it's been so long since my last blog, but Western Kentucky is tough to plan. When I departed Hazard I thought I had at least two B&Bs to choose from. As it turned out I had neither. So I had to scurry when I reached Hindman. What a mistake. I stayed in the worst hotel you can imagine. I didn't even want to sleep under the covers. To make matters even worst I had to bike up hill two miles to sleep in a dump. I even had some drug user walk in my room while I was watching TV. What a surprise and it wasn't a mistake on his part. If I hadn't been there all my stuff would have been gone. The next morning I got up early and hit the road as fast as I could. I had planned on camping and headed to Elkhorn City. Unfortunately I got some wrong directions from two different people and ended up stuck. Do I backtrack five miles or go down the busy, narrow and curvy road. As I was pondering my dilemma Jamie and his son Cody intervened and offered me a space in their yard. They saved the day for me and even entertained me that night. They both play the guitar and the banjo. However, Cody mainly plays the banjo. They call themselves the Hilltop Boys and often play in the local area. Cody is a Sophomore and has been playing since he was ten years old and Jamie for about 25. They were both quite good. The next morning I had biscuits and gravy and Jamie dropped me off back on the road I should have been on before I got off track. I am indebted to both. They reestablished my faith in the good folks of Kentucky. After being dropped off I headed to Council where I pitched a tent in Harris Park thanks to Karen Taylor. She is the Principal at the local high school and like some other one-time Principal I know, very efficient. Today I got up early and made it to the woods. My map said B&B right off of the highway. Yeah, 1&1/2 miles straight up. I was totally exhausted when I reached the top of the hill, but I have to admit, the view is wonderful. Next time out I think I'll use more recent maps. Gotta cut it short as I have no electric and losing power.

Berea, Booneville, Hazard

Departed West of Danville on Thursday just in time for a photo op. Ben Kleppinger, a staff writer for the Danville AM News, wrote a follow-up story about my return to the trail. I thought it was well done, however, I am not so sure about the stubborn part. Anyway, I couldn't help but be a little nervous as I got back on the bike and headed to Berea. I was armed with two cans of pepper spray and an air horn to ward off the next attack. But the trip was uneventful and actually somewhat enjoyable. The terrain was fairly level with occasional medium sized hills to climb. I rode 40 miles to Berea and found a red dot hotel two miles outside of town and bedded down for the night. Berea is dubbed the arts and crafts capital of Kentucky. I didn't venture into that arena, but I did go by the small college. Berea College was founded in 1855 by Rev. John G. Fee and a benefactor, Cassius M. Clay. Both were ardent abolitionist and wanted the college to accommodate all races. The college today has 90% enrollment of local "mountain children", mostly underprivileged, and only 10% on a special basis from others areas. The students aren't charged a tuition fee and enrollment is highly competitive. Friday I got back on the bike feeling pretty confident about my return and headed to Boonville. There isn't a hotel in Boonville so I stayed in Hotel Richie behind the Presbyterian Church. Welcome back to the hard ground. Getting to Boonville was a lot more difficult than Berea. First off, it rained almost the whole way and there were hills and hills. Also, the last ten miles my legs were cramping and I had to nurse my way along. Luckily, the last seven miles were fairly level or I don't think I could have made it. Along the way I did see one thing that caught my attention. As I was approaching this house on my right that was set pretty close to the road, I noticed about 15 cars parked in the yard, across the street and basically anywhere they could find room. I wondered what was going on till I got a view on the opposite side of the house. About 15 yards off of the east end of the house was a pond, not a very big one, in fact no bigger than a large swimming pool. The water in the pond was the color of the Broad River after a heavy rain. And around the "pond" must have been 50 people fishing with poles and floats. I don't know what the occasion was or what they were fishing for, but it sure looked funny: all those people fishing almost shoulder to shoulder in that small area. Now today. It was brutal. I was worried about cramping up again, so I drank lots of Gatorade and water before trying sleep. I say trying to sleep because of the hounds chasing something till midnight and the all night mechanic reving engines it was hard to drift away. I got on the road early and decided to go only forty miles since I think I over did it yesterday. Lucky that I did. Today I climbed hills that rivaled any grade that I saw out West. I just wish I hadn't eaten all that ice cream during my recovery. After climbing what seemed to be never ending hills I finely got to flatter terrain about ten miles from the Daniel Boone Motel. There were some small hills along the way but had they been steeper, I think I would have slept under a bridge.

http://www.amnews.com/stories/2009/09/18/boy.290847.sto

On the Road Again--W.N.

Theresa and I got on the road by 7:30 am yesterday and made it to Chattanooga, Tenn. before we called timeout. After a short nap and quick breakfast it was back on the road to Danville, Kentucky. Ah, Danville, sweet memories. Actually Danville is a very nice town with a lot of decent and caring people. For example, Mr and Mrs Delk and my roadside nurse Theresa Crow will always have my gratitude for their aide in July. Additionally, the ambulance and medical staff at Ephraim McDowell Regional Medical Center were totally professional and thorough. If you happen to be biking through Kentucky and break four ribs, don't worry, you'll be in good hands. Lastly, I have to thank Shai Marshall, General Manager of the Hampton Inn Danville. When she heard of my accident, she made a generous offer of a nights stay when and if I came back to Danville to resume my trip. Today I thought I'd just see how sincere that offer was....thank you Shai.. and the warm cookies are great! After we got settled in there was still some daylight remaining so Theresa and I went on a dog hunt. We drove Hwy 150 along the same route as I biked from Bardstown. Pepperspray in hand, I was ready to bolt from the car and open up a can of whiplash on two unsuspecting hounds. But, alas, time heals wounds and erases bad memories. I couldn't with certainty find the point of impact even after making two passes. That's probably a good thing since tomorrow I am going to start biking on Hwy 150 and ride back into Danville. After Danville I hope to make it to Berea which is about 40 miles away. Come on feet, don't fail me now.

Bright Side of the Road--V.M.

It's almost departure time....again. We still plan to depart on Tuesday and hopefully arriving in Kentucky sometime Wednesday. But, I have to say preparation this time has been a lot more difficult. I can't help but look back and think that this whole trip should be nothing more than a fond memory. Yet, here again I am trying to get mentally psyched to finish biking across America. When I left Bardstown I was in my top biking condition. Additionally, Bardstown was the first time that I admitted to myself that I would actually finish the trip. I guess I got over confident. Anyway, it has been two months since the fall and four broken ribs later I am literally starting anew. I have been biking, some, but without much enthusiasm. Also, I have packed and repacked my gear, trying to determine the best mix. I wanted to drop my front panniers and decrease the weight but I need the space. So, I guess I'll continue like I started the first time out. Hopefully, it won't take too long to get my mountain legs back. I had about three weeks to reach Yorktown but it may take me a little longer now. Sitting on the couch and eating ice cream has taken it's toll.

September When It Comes- J.C.

How, or maybe better asked, when do we really know someone? Is it after living with them 40 or more years? Watching and studying their every move. Or can it be right after meeting them, having an intimate conversation, walking away and saying to yourself, "Gee I feel like I've known her all my life". And how much is enough? I saw a program on Primetime last night about a man who lost 90 million dollars in high-end real estate. On the program, he was auctioning away a lot of prized possessions including antique cars, great masters paintings and five homes. When asked how he felt about losing all of his luxuries he simply stated, never better. He went on to say, what did I need all that stuff for, who needs five homes anyway, you can only live in one at a time. Also, he added how simplified his life had become without all the trappings. Of course he still had 10 million in assets so he wasn't destitute but the fact was, he had a major lifestyle change. And when asked how long it took to realize that fact, he thought a minute and said, 65 years. Does it take us that long? Maybe it does unless life events intervenes, shakes us up and puts it all in perspective for us. Today I lost a friend. I had known this person about 50 years but really didn't know her at all till last year. Why? She explained it to me, it was simple. We just have so much time she said, and we choose how we use that time and with whom we will share it. This year she chose to share some of her precious time with me. And how lucky I am that she did. Thank you Anna.