tomballay

We rode 65 miles today, cutting our planned route short due to the weather. We had originally planned on traveling into Georgia, but we stopped in Roanoke, near the state line, due to the heavy storms that are around us.

I attempted to post a two-day summary, Days 31 and 32, but evidently the post has been misplaced somewhere on this page (you might look along the top menu and be able to locate this wandering entry – give me some help here Chris Ballay).

We are now about 350 miles from our destination. I believe our weather is going to improve drastically the next few days. All we need is a few good days and we can really get this thing just about wrapped up. Our plan is to meet Beth, Carol, and a group of friends from Toledo in South Carolina, near Edisto Beach. We are really looking forward to completing this trip.

I am in the hotel lobby of the Key West Inn in Roanoke. The tornado alarms are sounding outside so I am going to cut this off. I will try to add to this post later tonight or tomorrow.

We rode 65 miles today along Highway 45 into Columbus, Miss. It was not a difficult ride today despite a 15 mph headwind. I believe we are getting used to the winds, although we remain hopeful that they will blow in our direction before our trip is completed.

In strong winds, we take turns “pulling” one another. This is a very common method for cyclists and it is nothing special. On days like today, it is a great advantage to have two of us to share the workload. Riding solo today would have been a huge disadvantage.

With that commentary, it is obvious that we did not spend much time gazing at the towns and scenery. Riding on a highway with a minimal shoulder (such as we had today) doesn’t allow for much of anything other than focusing on the lead rider’s back tire. There were only a few times during our ride where our bikes were more that 3 feet apart.

We did travel through one interesting town, Aberdeen. Aberdeen had a main street with just about everything one would need. It looked like we stepped back in time, complete with a courthouse, mainstreet businesses, and a church section where it appeared every Christian religion was represented. Aberdeen was really the only interesting area we passed through (at least that we noticed).

Tomorrow, we travel into Alabama and will likely stay in Tuscaloosa (Tuscaloser for LSU fans). I hope to stop by the newly erected, life-size statute of Nick Saban to pay proper homage. Pictures will be made available should that event materialize.

We rode 88 miles today into Tupelo, Mississippi. Our terrain was rolling hills the entire trip. The temperature was very warm, which was a relief from the cold days we had earlier in the week. Over all, it was a good day, but very tiring.

We traveled on side roads, county roads, and local highways much of the day. This gives us a great feel for the areas and towns we are passing through. The great thing about cycling through an area is you are completely exposed to the outside. There is no glass dome over your viewpoint; everything and everybody is right next to you.

For example, we rode through New Albany today. It was Saturday afternoon and the town was buzzing. The shops and businesses were active and people were moving to and fro. It was a town that I thought I could live in. The quality of life was good and we saw some old (and new) homes along the highway that looked like model homes for Southern Living Magazine. Obviously, there are other areas that I think the exact opposite. Regardless, you get a great feel for the life and culture when you ride along the roads on a bicycle.

In case anyone is wondering how Dan managed to catch that snake while cycling, all I can tell you is that isn’t the first snake Dan has caught in his life. His technique has been honed over a lifetime.

Tomorrow, we are heading to Columbus, Miss. We will be reducing our mileage. We have put in two straight killer days and we need to recharge.