The Mississippi

I crossed into Mississippi last Friday while heading south on the Natchez trace parkway. 

This road is amazing. I've had the most amazing weather 

Managed to meet a couple of cyclist at the state line. Ron and Lois said they were camped out at the state park I was heading to. They invited me over to their spot for a beer later. I picked my camp spot right next to theirs.

Their lab was great to have around. Missing my dog sometimes. 

Ron and Lois are from Michigan. Ron had just retired less than a week ago and they were traveling around in their RV. I set up my tent right next to their RV

Again, they were so nice and spolied me with Chicken Fajitas and a bottle of wine (split between the 3 of us, of course). This trip isn't just one big party!

Ron had an expresso machine and Lois made me a big breakfast in the morning. Ten times better than what I was going to cook that night. Ron and Lois were really good people like the rest. 

This couple from Tennessee were  interested in my trip. They said a prayer for me.  I'll take it!  

My Host in Danville Va, Karen, hooked me up with Jennifer and Jason to stay with in Tupelo. They picked me up to being me into town when I reached the visitor center to avoid the traffic.

Jason is a Youth Minister and Jennifer works in the legal 'import and export business'. They are both acid cyclist as well. They really made me Comfortable in

their home and were really cool. 

Jason took me to see what Tupelo is known for: the birthplace of Elvis. 

All good here

Jason and Jennifer had a couple of friends over and grilled out.  They prepared an amazing southern dinner along with fried bologna!  Good stuff:

like a lot of people, they made me feel so welcome, like family. 

Sunday was pretty much a wash with the weather so they let me stay another night . I went to church with them on Sunday. Unfortunately, Jennifer became really sick after lunch and had to go to the ER. Just spoke to to her on the phone and she is doing okay now. 

Jason arranged for me to crash with Candy and her family that night. 

(Candy, Todd, Dalton, And Wyatt)

Had a great dinner with a great family. Had a nice bed to sleep in that night. Todd took me a few miles down the road to avoid the morning traffic. A huge thank you for all the help in Tupelo, Mississippi! 

On Monday I had a lot of food supplies with me and was just going to ride as far as I could.  Lunch consisted of peanut butter pepperoni wraps. 

I know- looks and sounds disgusting. But I feel like I have invented something like the first pizza. It was delicious.  Don't knock it unless you try it! 

I met a dozen or so cyclists doing the entire trace down to New Orleans.  They offered me lunch and gave me a Gatorade.  Played leap frog riding with them throughout the day. 

Don't forget, I hit 1000 miles on Monday! Stoked. More miles to come 

Sunset selfies

Ran across 5+ miles from what must have been a huge tornado in 2011 

With amazing weather and a flat highway, I pushed 94 miles that day. I made it to a bike only campsite and met these guys biking up the trace. They were just arriving too. 

Fun fact-  Oprah is from the town I camped in: Kosciusko. 

They were all college buddies (father and son in middle). They were hilarious. Drove and paid for me at the Chinese buffet in town. They also took me out to breakfast the next morning. 

I have been so fortunate to have met so many people that are most generous. But I am still carrying multiple pounds of canned food that I was planning on eating days ago!  That weight adds up on all those miles.  Hah. 

More of the trace..

Picked up some stove gas in Jackson, Mississippi from Buffalo Ridge outfitters. Awesome staff. Helped me think about some more routes heading south. 

I get the best looks pushing my bike through the mall. 

Don and Becky hosted me in Jackson Tuesday night. They made me a delicious vegetarian dinner and took me to the Mississippi state fair. 

I saw the 70'a band 3 dog nights play that night. Pretty cool. 

This is their dog, 'moon dog'

And they had a miniature horse named Willow in the front yard. 

 Don and Becky were great and interesting peope. Really enjoyed staying with them. Thanks guys. 

Yesterday morning I was going to ride 3 days south to New Orleans. I had a flat first thing in the morning which made me think about the 3 hour, $35 amtrak train that was leaving in 2 hours. The station was just a 15 minute bike ride away!  

I felt like I was cheating, BUT I wasn't planning on going to New Orleans in the first place. I had to put my bike in a box. It's a Terrible thing to take peddles off with a small multitool. I had to beat the tool with my shoe to unlock the threads

But 3 hours later...hello New Orleans! 

Back in action!

Jeremiah was the first person I met outside the train station. Have me some good input on getting around the city and 

Places to avoid. He thought my clip in shoes were insane too. 

I'm not a huge fan of big cities and touristy places. But everyone Said that I have to go to New Orleans. 

The mighty Mississippi River

Purchased a spare tube from Larry at his bicycle rental shop. He has completed a lot of solo tours and showed me some great roads to ride across southern Louisiana. 

He weighed my bike fully loaded. Just under 60 pounds!  Not bad. Thanks buddy.

 

New Orleans street band. Nothing on Richmond's NO BS. 

Peter agreed to host me last minute. An Urban Planner and bike advocate for New Orleans. Great guy all around. He met me in the French quarter for a beer and then rode with me back to his house over by City Park.

Again, he gave me great advice for riding New Orleans and talked about his ride from El paso to San Diego. Made me excited for what is to come along the way. 

So it's New Orleans for a couple of nights then back on the road.  It's hard to sit still 

Sometimes. I can't wait to keep riding

 I am being productive. Growing a big bushy beard along the way. 

Missing Richmond and all my friends and family. Shout out to the Riverside Crew!  I hope the James is treating you well into the fall. Rep James. 

Until next time..

 

Straight south.

Arrived in Chattanooga, Tennessee on Sunday night and decided to hang out Monday and catch up on things and get my next few days planned. 

Chattanooga was a really cool place. Reminded me of Richmond in a lot of ways. 

Last summer Chattanooga was a big competitor for Outside magazines 'best river city'. Richmond did win. Most people that I spoke to seemed annoyed with what the magazine had to say about their city, which was pretty much 'the city was cool and outdoorsy, but the food sucked...'  

Either way, I liked it. It has a lot of things that I think Richmond has potential to get done in the future. 

Just explored the area by bicycle. Picked up some supplies and had a frustrating clicking sound on my bike taken care of. 

Went into a hot dog shop for some lunch and a few beers to finish out the day. Met 

Jack and his 'work wife' Erica. He met me after work and had another drink next door. 

Jack plays in a band called 'hot damns'. Yes, just like Richmond's own hot damns. And they play Americana music too?!  What a coincidence. Had a good conversation about life and such. He offered me a place to stay except I had already checked into a hostel earlier.  

This was my hostel bed. Liked it a lot 

There was an art walk overlooking the river. This was one of the sculptures. 

Like fish down a waterfall. So real. 

I rode South from Chattanooga on Tuesday. Crossed into another time zone

and a bunch of state lines all in one day. 

 

 I went from Tennessee into Georgia, Georgia back into Tennessee, and Tennessee into Alabama. I didn't expect that to happen. 

Mostly flat roads running by rivers and lakes.

Made my way into Scottsboro Alabama to camp out on this huge lake. Sorry but I can't remember the name of it 

The next day was a shorter ride west to stay with a host in Huntsville. I saw that there was a cave on the way and made time for some sightseeing. 

Cathedral Caverns!  I haven't seen many caves in my life, but this one was huge. Supposedly Alabama has thousands of caves all over the state. 

This was cool. A crack on the ceiling that looked like JFK 

I met David at the cave. Former lawyer turned beer brewer/musician. The state park allowed him and his band to record a couple of Sigur Ros cover songs in the cave a couple of years ago (and he wrote his own lyrics to the songs in English).

He sent the recordings to the band and they really liked it. Sigur Ros Invited him backstage at their show in Birmingham last Friday.  He was stoked. 

So kept riding after the cave..

I made it to another warm showers host that allowed me to stay for a night. 

Rob (friend of theirs on left), Marjorie and her husband Michael. 

Marjorie was so nice. She prepared an amazing dinner for everyone. Seems I have been spoiled with good food a lot on this trip.  

Fun fact!  Her husband Michael, has a father who was a rocket scientist for the Germans during WW2. At the end of the war, his father was captured by the US and given 15 minutes to decide the option of either coming to America to train our scientist, or staying behind to let the Russians decide his fate. He came to Huntsville.  Even today a huge NASA town. Look it up. 

 Marjorie and Michael are avid cyclists and have done a lot to organize riding events and to make Huntsville more bike friendly. She really took care of me and I enjoyed talking to her. Thanks again! 

Thursday I rode west towards Florence. Some sketchy roads and bridges, but Loved the flat terrain. 

After almost 900 miles, I had my first flat tire too. 

To add to it, I mistakenly rode onto the interstate when I should have been on the highway parallel to it. After a mile I was lucky to have found a gate to the separation fence. 

Scary for a moment..

But most of the way made for good Alabama scenery.  Mostly gigantic cotton fields. 

BUT FLAT ROADS!

I stayed with this wonderful family that night. I can thank my good friend Alex Shaw and his in laws for it. Alex's brother just got married to Francis Saturday and this family is his now wife's family's next door neighbors in Florence. 

(Catherine, Kevin, Frances Jane and Emma)

Catherine was an avid cyclist at one time and had done a bit of touring in the past. 

Again, they were extremely hospitable to me. Not only allowing me, a complete stranger,  to crash last minute at their home, but wining and dining me with a delicious home cooked meal. Southern cooking and hospitality at its best. A great family to stay with. Thanks again guys!  

This blog post is toooooo long. But almost done...

Met these cool guys on the road!

I usually try to wash my bike clothes and dry them using a bathroom hand dryer for 30 minutes, or just riding with them on my rack the next day.

Sometimes roads are like this..

And sometimes they can be like this..

Friday I made it over to the Natchez Trace parkway. A historic parkway that runs from Nashville Tennessee to South of Jackson Mississippi  I want to miss the 

Ozark mountains and head more south. 

I met Mike once I started the parkway. He had started at the southern part and was finishing up. He is only the second bike tourist I had seen since starting. 

He was just finishing up his journey. 

Unfortunately the parkway is part of the National parks. With the government being closed and all I have seen this:

It only affects me by limiting my bathrooms and potential campgrounds along the way.

More more state on my belt!

So much more I could add for the past few days!  But I'll get to it once I leave Jackson, Mississippi. 

Really stressing which route I want to take for the rest of my trip. Head towards the southern route? Or head towards southern Utah?  

Thank you everyone for all of the support while I've been on the road. It helps more than you know  

Until next time...