This is the crossing from Hunting Island, SC to Beaufort. This was on my first dsy of riding.
This was the typical South Carolina road all the way up to Clemson. I did not have any hills until right before Barnwell SC. 110 miles from the coast. Thanks Barnwell.
These nice folk are Pastor Aaron and his wife, Chrissy, from Calhoun Falls, SC. I rode up to their house from Aiken. My trip was a total of 93 miles. On the way, my friend Joel, passed me on his way back to Clemson. We chilled out and talked for a minute while I enjoyed the AC in his car. Aaron and Chrissy had dinner waiting for me on the kitchen table. That dinner was as good as gold to me. They were so friendly and we had a good time talking and eating. I did a lot of both. It's hospitality like this that makes you realize that there are a whole lot of really great people out there. No matter what FOX news says.
From Clemson, I went through GA, to NC all in one day. I climbed for three hours straight up to Highlands NC and then I went 18 miles down hill to Franklin......the whole way.....faster than the cars........it was rad. Here's some pics from that day.
The mountain I climbed is the big'n behind me.
Great view from the top!
I did not have a camera from TN to the end of MO which really stinks. I lost it....like I do with everything I own. Here are my pics from KS with my new camera.
Here I am crossing the border into KS from MO with my friends Menno, Tjoan, Wayne, and Dianne. Menno and Tjoan are from the Netherlands. They are riding recumbent bicycles. They look funny but they are super comfy and can go super fast downhill. They can go 60 downhill. I can only get up to 45. They are great. Dianne and Wayne are from Virginia. They are way older than I am and I have trouble keeping up with them. We all ride together or separate when we are going through the same areas. Sometimes I see their bikes parked out in front of a store and I stop to check in with them. It leads to a lot of spontaneous group lunches and story swapping.
Well those are my pics. I have more that I will post. They are on other peoples' cameras. Now its time for a state to state recap.
SC- As many of you know this was the first state I travelled through. I left from Beaufort. I know a lot of people here so I only had to camp my first night in SC. I spent a couple of days at the rents house. I stayed with the afformentioned couple from Calhoun Falls. I love yal! I stayed with my buddy Joel the night before I ascended into NC via GA. The only difficulty I encountered in SC was too much weight on my bike and not being totally conditioned to riding with that much weight. Before my climb into NC, i lightened my load my taking off aerobars, my front rack and bags.
NC- I was only in NC for two days. Both days had excellent climbing and descents. The people were nice, as they often are in the South. The scenery was scenic and all was well with the cosmos. A lovely lady named Pam Forshee sponsored me by putting me up in a hotel room in Franklin, NC. I didn't even ask her and she just offered. Once again the niceness of people is shocking. I got through NC pretty quick.
TN- I had a rough ride into Chattanooga and then I took some rest days at my friend Reese's apt. He is awesome. We just hung out, ate, and he watched me pass out after each meal. I have never felt so "bonked" for so long. It was at this point that my body finally got into gear for weighted bicycle touring. THanks Reese. After Chattanooga, I rode to Winchester, TN where Steve and Connie Young put me up in their B and B called the Antebellum Inn. They even let me sleep in a King Size bed with a bathroom you could run laps around! What awesome folk! I rode several days of monotonous Hwy 64 until I ran out of inner tubes 40 mi outside of Memphis. My broham Jacob picked me up and then let me chill at his house for a number of days. We threw a party and then went to another one. It was great. I loved seeing all of my Memphis friends. After Memphis, six friends and I rode up the Mississippi River Trail to Fort Pillow St. Park. It was right at 100 miles and I thought it was supposed to be 85. 3 of them returned to Memphis for work the next day. Roger and Isaiah stayed with me until Reelfoot Lake, TN near the KY border.
KY- The ferry I planned to take across the river was closed so I had to continue a days ride northward into KY. Instead of crossing into MO from KY I had to ride to MO via IL. I did this all in a day.
IL- Nice!
MO- I dont think that I am a fan of Missouri. I finally got westbound after connecting to the east to west Trans AM route. This is basically the A.T. of bicycle touring. The Ozarks were the hardest part of the ride that I have encountered. The hills and the people were mean. The hills did not let you continue any momentum and the people would stare at you from a distance of five feet. They would not even respond to a "Howdy" or "How are you doin?" This part of MO seemed like they wanted to be a part of the South but lacked the hospitality. The scenery was nice. One night two friends and I camped out beside the crystal clear current river. It was real camping. We marched our bikes and stuff down to a beach where we went for a nice swim, shower. The stars were great that night and the babbling stream lent itself to a relaxing time. I lost track of Jesse and Charlie, those two guys. I doubt I will catch up to them.
KS- This is where I am now. KS is hard. The winds are relentless. You sometimes have to exert yourself twice as hard to go the same distance. It is not all flat. Gradual hills exacerbated by the winds can take it out of you. Tornados are in season and that is another consideration. Today I have to take a rest day bc of the impending doom. Tonight they are supposed to have super cell activity. The people here are sooooooo nice. I feel at home. Everyone is helpful and they give me plenty of room on the road. I am taking a much needed rest day in Eureka. I have only been in KS three days. After my rest day. I will do mega miles. Keep you posted. I am out. The library is about to close.
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