Prelude
The guys picked me up in Sylacauga. They arrived around 5pm and had supper with Bev. I got home about 12:20 and loaded up my gear. The ride down to Natchez took a long time. I had anticipated arriving around 7:30am. I didn't get sleepy so I even took a turn driving. The excitement about beginning an adventure must have done it. That and the fact that I realized I'd be on call for the hospital if there were any problems so I had my cell phone and PDA to assist me with answers. David went in the camper and slept a couple of hours. I didn't miss the arrival time by much.
Day 1
By 8:30am we had changed into riding gear and gotten under way. I will call this day 1 since it is our first day of bike travel on the Trace. We took a few photos to commemorate the start of our adventure. Since we parked up on the Trace, Bob and I rode back down to the entrance so we could say we truly rode the entire Trace. It was a beautiful sunny morning. Blue sky and fluffy clouds overhead with lush green grass surrounding a ribbon of road. It was as pretty as Cades Cove but lacked the mountain backdrop. We set out on a lovely smooth surface. My first impulse was to stop at each exhibit but I quickly saw that could increase the effort of the trip. And David and Bob weren't stopping. They seemed to be saving their effort for the Trace. The miles rolled by easily. Our ride ended up at Rocky Springs campground, 54 miles from the start. This was a Park campground with no hookups or showers. We rolled into camp tired, sweaty, and hot ready for a Navy bath and dry clothes. Once that was accomplished, we drove back to Port Gibson for dinner and provisions. Port Gibson was spared in the Civil War because it was thought too beautiful to burn. The side of town we saw needed burning. It was squalid. After a few wrong turns, we found an old Piggly Wiggly store. In front, a man was leaving his office that we were able to stop and ask about a restaurant. At first he only knew of a single restaurant that was closed that day but then remembered a "joint" out near his home. As he put it, "The blacks and Democrats are in the kitchen where they are supposed to be." Although it wasn't fancy, it was edible. The gentleman came by to purchase a bottle of beer and then stopped to introduce himself. He and his father farmed 1000 acres nearby and ran a small payday loan business at the office where we first me him. His name, Rob Moore. No, I'm not making this up. We turned in early that night. This would be my first sleep since Saturday night. And we were getting up early to get as far along as possible before the oppressive heat ran us in for shelter. Dave's Honda generator supplied the power for the AC.
Day 2
After a peanut butter and bagel breakfast, we were out the door and ready to begin a long day's ride. It was already hot that morning. We started a little later than we'd hoped probably due to unfamiliar surroundings and the need to prepare the camper for travel. Once out on the Trace, the miles rolled by easily. Our decision to head south and come north blessed us with a tail wind. I tried riding ahead and coming back that day and found the light breeze to add enough effort to riding to have made a real difference over the distance we were traveling. We experienced some trail magic today. A Park worker named Sam Snuggs gave each of us a bottle of ice cold water just as our supply was running low. It was wonderful. Ratliff Ferry was our next camping spot at 124 miles down the Trace. It was a humble little place. There was a nice store building with very little for sale inside. The clerk sat outside at a picnic table with a mixed breed black dog. The manager had lost a tooth in front. I didn't ask how. David saw a grill at his trailer and asked to borrow it. So we made the trip into the little town of Canton to find a restaurant and a grocery store. We stopped on the town square and asked some women at the town information center where to eat. They recommended a restaurant on the interstate called Two Rivers. As we drove up I could tell it was expensive from the look of it. Once inside we looked over the menu. A simple Kansas City Strip steak was $28. So we left. The decision was made to buy steak at the supermarket and cook out. We picked up enough food for a couple of days and headed back to the campground. We were coming down a long straight way when we noticed a Motorhome towing a vehicle with smoke coming out from the towed vehicle. We pulled over opposite the spot the motorhome pulled off and quickly piled out to help. David and Bob called to the man to keep him from opening the hood of the smoking vehicle. From where I stood, I could see burning droplets falling from the firewall area igniting the grass below. I knew we had to get the RV detached and away quick. The connections to the truck would have been impossible but the tow bar was connected only by a pin with a spring clip and the two cables. Those came off easily and the RV was pulled away. None too soon because within 1 minute, the truck was going up in flames. The small fire extinguisher we had was useless against all that heat. The truck burned with occasional bangs as things in the engine compartment or tires burst from the heat. After what seemed a long time, the fire trucks arrived and put the blaze out. Once official help was on the scene, we proceeded back to our camper and cooked up a delicious supper of steak, potatoes, and salad with all the trimmings for about 1/3rd of what our restaurant meal would have been.
Day 3
Another early wake-up call to beat the heat. My ride begins with a little bike maintainence. I had noticed my left shifter was low on the handlebars. Must have been loose. I unwrapped the grips and repositioned it. Meanwhile, David and Bob discover a flat on the Rans. They have a spare tire but have to adjust the brakes to use it. All this takes about 15 minutes and then we are off the 1/2 mile ride back to the trace. By now I had fallen into a rhythm. The first 40 miles rolled by easily. It was the last 20,30, or more during the heat of the day that came harder. Several bloggers writing about cycling the Trace made it clear that they wouldn't ride it a second time. Specifically, it wasn't interesting enough to warrant a second go. I must say they have a point. The scenery doesn't change very much. At any one point it looks like a beautiful park. Trees at each side. Green grass up to a grey ribbon of road under blue skies with fluffy clouds. But that scene is repeated for most of 400 miles. You might have been looking at a painting. At 192 on the trace was Red Hills RV Park. This park was a left over Katrina park. You can tell from the row of mailboxes. Just a spot that flattened out with hookups hastily thrown in. But it offered electricity for the AC and a shower house. It was a really hot day. You almost needed another shower as soon as the first was over. Today I prepared Penne pasta with a meat sauce. We decided to eat inside rather than endure the heat of the afternoon. Another RV joined us in the park. A big Ford rig with a slide in. We'd see them again up the Trace. Dave had a problem with chain stretch and took the opportunity to do a little work on it. I think today may have been the hottest day yet. The ice in the coolers melted quickly.
Day 4
Another early wake up. Then the extra 2 miles back to the Trace. The days really seeming to flow together from the sameness. No hills. Trace State Park at mile 259 has a beautiful view of a lake, but you can't swim there. My handlebar tape had come unwound so I did a repair. We are close to a Wal-Mart super-center. We drove over and bought drinks and food. We splurged on ice cream. Then we are back to the park. There are lots of nice RV's around. The bathhouse is air-conditioned with a great shower. I was feeling poorly today, I think I got a little too hot and dehydrated. I spent a good bit of time standing under the shower, then went back to nap in the camper. My legs are a little sore so I medicated with vitamin I.
Day 5
Having become somewhat spoiled by the State Parks, we elect to drop the camper at Tishomingo State Park and then backtrack from our terminus for the day. It is especially hot so we ask Bill to take the last 20 miles in 5 mile chunks. With more fluid stops, we manage to ride to the North side of the Tennessee River with ease. Then we load up and head back to Tishomingo. David left the camper in the 1st campsite. It is little more than the parking pad and the slide-out prevents parking further left. Climbing the stairs into the camper is somewhat precarious. Today Paul and Cheryl have driven up from Sylacauga and meet us for dinner at the Rocking Chair Restaurant. It is like an imitation Cracker Barrel. The food is only fair but it is nice to have iced tea. Paul finds out we're getting up to be ready to roll by 5am. He is not an early morning person.
Day 6
We get rolling early as planned and stage our start from the north side of the Tennessee River. Paul calls and is running a few minutes late. Cheryl comments she'll find out what she's getting herself into next time. But we get under way by 5:40am. Paul is still suffering from his stomach complaint and doesn't have a strong riding day. So he stays on my wheel for a lot of the day which definitely isn't his preference. But bit by bit he seems to get a little better through the day. It seems like we suddenly arrive at our mileage destination for the day and arrive at Fall Hollow Village at 391. Cheryl joins us and we have lunch up at the little restaurant. The proprietor named Bill, is very friendly and charges a pittance for the lunch we get. Paul and Cheryl head to Franklin for the evening, and I stay with the troops. Later Bob and David go to town to pick up ice and get diesel. While they were gone, I decided to watch a movie on David's laptop. Bill grabs a handful of baby carrots and heads up to the shower house. In a few minutes, he is back at the door and tells me he is having a problem. He is having difficulty swallowing. Some carrot bits have lodged in his throat. I give him some bread and try some position changes along with a modified Heimlich maneuver to get them to go down all to no effect. I stay close by observing him and it is only a few minutes till David and Bob return. I ask him to keep the truck ready as we may need to take Bill to the hospital. Bill tries a bit of water to pass the carrots and can't get it down. He chokes as the water comes back up. It was time. So we took him over to Hohenwald to a clinic, and he is sent via CMS to the bigger hospital in Columbia. David and I go over in his truck. Somewhere along the way, one more burp and the carrots go down. But because of the spasms he had during the blockage, his throat remains irritated. With a prescription for Carafate and a promise to follow up with his physician, we head back to the camp. We get to sleep around 10pm with a wake up call expected around 4:45am.
Day 7
Short night. But today is the last riding day. Only 54 miles left. Paul said he'd start higher up and meet me along the trace. Today we begin to encounter some hills. Nothing terribly difficult, in fact it is nice to have a change of scenery. We have some great downhill runs. I don't meet up will Paul till the second rest stop. He is feeling a little better today. At the 3rd rest stop I encounter two couples on tandem bikes. One couple was at the Tennessee Tandem Rally but we didn't get introduced there. The other couple is trying out a tandem for the first time. At mile 442, we pass the end of the Trace. The remaining road doesn't seem to add up to the other 2 miles. We exit to the east and down toward the Loveless Cafe. We thought we might eat there but are arriving late and there is already a crowd. We are told to expect a 2 hour wait. A butch female on a Harley tells Bob and David, "They are hot!" Cheryl is on her way. I pull my gear out, change into my traveling clothes, we say goodbyes, and the adventure is done.
Photos
Post-script
Would I do it again? Probably. But I don't feel that strongly about it. Lower Mississippi was nothing to brag about. The Parkway was beautiful but if you saw a mile of it, you pretty much saw all of it. The portion in Tennessee was pretty because the hills allowed vistas. If I ride again, I'd do the upper portion in sections. And I'd definitely do it in cooler weather. But the days had humor and adventure. We helped some people along the way. And we met the physical challenge.
The guys picked me up in Sylacauga. They arrived around 5pm and had supper with Bev. I got home about 12:20 and loaded up my gear. The ride down to Natchez took a long time. I had anticipated arriving around 7:30am. I didn't get sleepy so I even took a turn driving. The excitement about beginning an adventure must have done it. That and the fact that I realized I'd be on call for the hospital if there were any problems so I had my cell phone and PDA to assist me with answers. David went in the camper and slept a couple of hours. I didn't miss the arrival time by much.
Day 1
By 8:30am we had changed into riding gear and gotten under way. I will call this day 1 since it is our first day of bike travel on the Trace. We took a few photos to commemorate the start of our adventure. Since we parked up on the Trace, Bob and I rode back down to the entrance so we could say we truly rode the entire Trace. It was a beautiful sunny morning. Blue sky and fluffy clouds overhead with lush green grass surrounding a ribbon of road. It was as pretty as Cades Cove but lacked the mountain backdrop. We set out on a lovely smooth surface. My first impulse was to stop at each exhibit but I quickly saw that could increase the effort of the trip. And David and Bob weren't stopping. They seemed to be saving their effort for the Trace. The miles rolled by easily. Our ride ended up at Rocky Springs campground, 54 miles from the start. This was a Park campground with no hookups or showers. We rolled into camp tired, sweaty, and hot ready for a Navy bath and dry clothes. Once that was accomplished, we drove back to Port Gibson for dinner and provisions. Port Gibson was spared in the Civil War because it was thought too beautiful to burn. The side of town we saw needed burning. It was squalid. After a few wrong turns, we found an old Piggly Wiggly store. In front, a man was leaving his office that we were able to stop and ask about a restaurant. At first he only knew of a single restaurant that was closed that day but then remembered a "joint" out near his home. As he put it, "The blacks and Democrats are in the kitchen where they are supposed to be." Although it wasn't fancy, it was edible. The gentleman came by to purchase a bottle of beer and then stopped to introduce himself. He and his father farmed 1000 acres nearby and ran a small payday loan business at the office where we first me him. His name, Rob Moore. No, I'm not making this up. We turned in early that night. This would be my first sleep since Saturday night. And we were getting up early to get as far along as possible before the oppressive heat ran us in for shelter. Dave's Honda generator supplied the power for the AC.
Day 2
After a peanut butter and bagel breakfast, we were out the door and ready to begin a long day's ride. It was already hot that morning. We started a little later than we'd hoped probably due to unfamiliar surroundings and the need to prepare the camper for travel. Once out on the Trace, the miles rolled by easily. Our decision to head south and come north blessed us with a tail wind. I tried riding ahead and coming back that day and found the light breeze to add enough effort to riding to have made a real difference over the distance we were traveling. We experienced some trail magic today. A Park worker named Sam Snuggs gave each of us a bottle of ice cold water just as our supply was running low. It was wonderful. Ratliff Ferry was our next camping spot at 124 miles down the Trace. It was a humble little place. There was a nice store building with very little for sale inside. The clerk sat outside at a picnic table with a mixed breed black dog. The manager had lost a tooth in front. I didn't ask how. David saw a grill at his trailer and asked to borrow it. So we made the trip into the little town of Canton to find a restaurant and a grocery store. We stopped on the town square and asked some women at the town information center where to eat. They recommended a restaurant on the interstate called Two Rivers. As we drove up I could tell it was expensive from the look of it. Once inside we looked over the menu. A simple Kansas City Strip steak was $28. So we left. The decision was made to buy steak at the supermarket and cook out. We picked up enough food for a couple of days and headed back to the campground. We were coming down a long straight way when we noticed a Motorhome towing a vehicle with smoke coming out from the towed vehicle. We pulled over opposite the spot the motorhome pulled off and quickly piled out to help. David and Bob called to the man to keep him from opening the hood of the smoking vehicle. From where I stood, I could see burning droplets falling from the firewall area igniting the grass below. I knew we had to get the RV detached and away quick. The connections to the truck would have been impossible but the tow bar was connected only by a pin with a spring clip and the two cables. Those came off easily and the RV was pulled away. None too soon because within 1 minute, the truck was going up in flames. The small fire extinguisher we had was useless against all that heat. The truck burned with occasional bangs as things in the engine compartment or tires burst from the heat. After what seemed a long time, the fire trucks arrived and put the blaze out. Once official help was on the scene, we proceeded back to our camper and cooked up a delicious supper of steak, potatoes, and salad with all the trimmings for about 1/3rd of what our restaurant meal would have been.
Day 3
Another early wake-up call to beat the heat. My ride begins with a little bike maintainence. I had noticed my left shifter was low on the handlebars. Must have been loose. I unwrapped the grips and repositioned it. Meanwhile, David and Bob discover a flat on the Rans. They have a spare tire but have to adjust the brakes to use it. All this takes about 15 minutes and then we are off the 1/2 mile ride back to the trace. By now I had fallen into a rhythm. The first 40 miles rolled by easily. It was the last 20,30, or more during the heat of the day that came harder. Several bloggers writing about cycling the Trace made it clear that they wouldn't ride it a second time. Specifically, it wasn't interesting enough to warrant a second go. I must say they have a point. The scenery doesn't change very much. At any one point it looks like a beautiful park. Trees at each side. Green grass up to a grey ribbon of road under blue skies with fluffy clouds. But that scene is repeated for most of 400 miles. You might have been looking at a painting. At 192 on the trace was Red Hills RV Park. This park was a left over Katrina park. You can tell from the row of mailboxes. Just a spot that flattened out with hookups hastily thrown in. But it offered electricity for the AC and a shower house. It was a really hot day. You almost needed another shower as soon as the first was over. Today I prepared Penne pasta with a meat sauce. We decided to eat inside rather than endure the heat of the afternoon. Another RV joined us in the park. A big Ford rig with a slide in. We'd see them again up the Trace. Dave had a problem with chain stretch and took the opportunity to do a little work on it. I think today may have been the hottest day yet. The ice in the coolers melted quickly.
Day 4
Another early wake up. Then the extra 2 miles back to the Trace. The days really seeming to flow together from the sameness. No hills. Trace State Park at mile 259 has a beautiful view of a lake, but you can't swim there. My handlebar tape had come unwound so I did a repair. We are close to a Wal-Mart super-center. We drove over and bought drinks and food. We splurged on ice cream. Then we are back to the park. There are lots of nice RV's around. The bathhouse is air-conditioned with a great shower. I was feeling poorly today, I think I got a little too hot and dehydrated. I spent a good bit of time standing under the shower, then went back to nap in the camper. My legs are a little sore so I medicated with vitamin I.
Day 5
Having become somewhat spoiled by the State Parks, we elect to drop the camper at Tishomingo State Park and then backtrack from our terminus for the day. It is especially hot so we ask Bill to take the last 20 miles in 5 mile chunks. With more fluid stops, we manage to ride to the North side of the Tennessee River with ease. Then we load up and head back to Tishomingo. David left the camper in the 1st campsite. It is little more than the parking pad and the slide-out prevents parking further left. Climbing the stairs into the camper is somewhat precarious. Today Paul and Cheryl have driven up from Sylacauga and meet us for dinner at the Rocking Chair Restaurant. It is like an imitation Cracker Barrel. The food is only fair but it is nice to have iced tea. Paul finds out we're getting up to be ready to roll by 5am. He is not an early morning person.
Day 6
We get rolling early as planned and stage our start from the north side of the Tennessee River. Paul calls and is running a few minutes late. Cheryl comments she'll find out what she's getting herself into next time. But we get under way by 5:40am. Paul is still suffering from his stomach complaint and doesn't have a strong riding day. So he stays on my wheel for a lot of the day which definitely isn't his preference. But bit by bit he seems to get a little better through the day. It seems like we suddenly arrive at our mileage destination for the day and arrive at Fall Hollow Village at 391. Cheryl joins us and we have lunch up at the little restaurant. The proprietor named Bill, is very friendly and charges a pittance for the lunch we get. Paul and Cheryl head to Franklin for the evening, and I stay with the troops. Later Bob and David go to town to pick up ice and get diesel. While they were gone, I decided to watch a movie on David's laptop. Bill grabs a handful of baby carrots and heads up to the shower house. In a few minutes, he is back at the door and tells me he is having a problem. He is having difficulty swallowing. Some carrot bits have lodged in his throat. I give him some bread and try some position changes along with a modified Heimlich maneuver to get them to go down all to no effect. I stay close by observing him and it is only a few minutes till David and Bob return. I ask him to keep the truck ready as we may need to take Bill to the hospital. Bill tries a bit of water to pass the carrots and can't get it down. He chokes as the water comes back up. It was time. So we took him over to Hohenwald to a clinic, and he is sent via CMS to the bigger hospital in Columbia. David and I go over in his truck. Somewhere along the way, one more burp and the carrots go down. But because of the spasms he had during the blockage, his throat remains irritated. With a prescription for Carafate and a promise to follow up with his physician, we head back to the camp. We get to sleep around 10pm with a wake up call expected around 4:45am.
Day 7
Short night. But today is the last riding day. Only 54 miles left. Paul said he'd start higher up and meet me along the trace. Today we begin to encounter some hills. Nothing terribly difficult, in fact it is nice to have a change of scenery. We have some great downhill runs. I don't meet up will Paul till the second rest stop. He is feeling a little better today. At the 3rd rest stop I encounter two couples on tandem bikes. One couple was at the Tennessee Tandem Rally but we didn't get introduced there. The other couple is trying out a tandem for the first time. At mile 442, we pass the end of the Trace. The remaining road doesn't seem to add up to the other 2 miles. We exit to the east and down toward the Loveless Cafe. We thought we might eat there but are arriving late and there is already a crowd. We are told to expect a 2 hour wait. A butch female on a Harley tells Bob and David, "They are hot!" Cheryl is on her way. I pull my gear out, change into my traveling clothes, we say goodbyes, and the adventure is done.
Photos
Post-script
Would I do it again? Probably. But I don't feel that strongly about it. Lower Mississippi was nothing to brag about. The Parkway was beautiful but if you saw a mile of it, you pretty much saw all of it. The portion in Tennessee was pretty because the hills allowed vistas. If I ride again, I'd do the upper portion in sections. And I'd definitely do it in cooler weather. But the days had humor and adventure. We helped some people along the way. And we met the physical challenge.