UGRR Blog June 25
Dover, TN to Grand Rivers, KY
Happy Birthday to Houston who turns 17 today and Bea, from Starkville, MS, who turns 7. Daughter of Andrea and John whom we stayed on their hundred acre wood.
Leaving Pineview Campground was great. The weather was a brisk 68*. We planned to meet Suepinda and Ife at the first Welcome Center 8 miles away. Along the way we saw deer jumping away, large pastures of tall grass, wild turkeys and a skunk, which we continued on by without a word. That was just Bob, Itza, Jeimy and I as we were leading the group this morning. The boys straggled behind, lazily taking their time even though we know they have the strength to overpower all of us with the exception of Bob.
We were traveling on the Trace that winds between the Land Between the Lakes, managed by the US Forestry Service, our most recent "Conductor". Beautiful countryside.
We reached our destination only to find that Suepinda wasn't there, nor was she coming. We figured that something happened to one of the boys' bikes and she stopped to help them. When the boys arrived with stories of seeing baby deer and messing around with the skunk (Houston decided to get a closeup picture of it with Kyvon's camera until it turned its backside to him - not the birthday surprise he would be expecting) we realized that something else was going on with Suepinda and Ife.
Moments later Murphy from the Forestry Service arrived and asked which one of us had the keys to the van. uuhhggh, that'd be me… Before he drove off he asked me if the keys were successful in starting my bike. I sheepishly answered, no. With all the mysteries of the morning settled we waited for Suepinda to arrive but she didn't. We waited more and still she didn't. Bob suggested that we continue on; I wanted to wait 10 more minutes, stating that 10 more wouldn't hurt us any and Bob agreed. We continued to scan the cloud movement. Forecasts stated that it should rain until Noon. Five minutes later it started pouring and we huddled under the awning at the South End Visitor Center.
After the rain subsided we continued on to the next stop The 1850 Homeplace, 8 miles away. By that time Suepinda had passed us halfway there smiling that the keys were not lost. hehe
The van stopped at a large blast furnace that was used to smelt iron. Just up ahead was The 1850 Homeplace Interpretive Center where reenactments of life in the 1850's are performed. Soon after our arrival it stormed again. We decided to wait out the rain and not pack it in for the day. We didn't think it would take over three hours to stop. It was a good break in the cycling journey as the Youth Cyclists joked, laughed, played cards, board games and music. It was an instant party on the spot. Bob and Suepinda took a much needed nap and I got caught up on my blog (while dozing in and out).
We chatted with fellow cyclists of the motoring kind who drove down from Indiana along the Traceway and were just now on their way back. Itza and Marshall told them all what we were doing. They commended them and wished us all luck on our long journey.
With the rain finally subsiding we got back on our bikes to ride another 2 miles to the Kentucky state line for a photo opp. Then 10 miles to the Kentucky Welcome Center.
From the Welcome Center we arrived at Hillman Campgrounds which will be our Safe House for the night. We celebrated Houston's birthday, put up our tents in the event of rain, Bob took in some live music down at the pavilion and a few of the boys rode around the park.
Its been a fantastic day. I'm finally ahead of the curve on this blog thing and I'm turning in for an early night. Don't even have to get up too early as today's blog is already done!
Talk at you tomorrow!
Dover, TN to Grand Rivers, KY
Happy Birthday to Houston who turns 17 today and Bea, from Starkville, MS, who turns 7. Daughter of Andrea and John whom we stayed on their hundred acre wood.
Leaving Pineview Campground was great. The weather was a brisk 68*. We planned to meet Suepinda and Ife at the first Welcome Center 8 miles away. Along the way we saw deer jumping away, large pastures of tall grass, wild turkeys and a skunk, which we continued on by without a word. That was just Bob, Itza, Jeimy and I as we were leading the group this morning. The boys straggled behind, lazily taking their time even though we know they have the strength to overpower all of us with the exception of Bob.
We were traveling on the Trace that winds between the Land Between the Lakes, managed by the US Forestry Service, our most recent "Conductor". Beautiful countryside.
We reached our destination only to find that Suepinda wasn't there, nor was she coming. We figured that something happened to one of the boys' bikes and she stopped to help them. When the boys arrived with stories of seeing baby deer and messing around with the skunk (Houston decided to get a closeup picture of it with Kyvon's camera until it turned its backside to him - not the birthday surprise he would be expecting) we realized that something else was going on with Suepinda and Ife.
Moments later Murphy from the Forestry Service arrived and asked which one of us had the keys to the van. uuhhggh, that'd be me… Before he drove off he asked me if the keys were successful in starting my bike. I sheepishly answered, no. With all the mysteries of the morning settled we waited for Suepinda to arrive but she didn't. We waited more and still she didn't. Bob suggested that we continue on; I wanted to wait 10 more minutes, stating that 10 more wouldn't hurt us any and Bob agreed. We continued to scan the cloud movement. Forecasts stated that it should rain until Noon. Five minutes later it started pouring and we huddled under the awning at the South End Visitor Center.
After the rain subsided we continued on to the next stop The 1850 Homeplace, 8 miles away. By that time Suepinda had passed us halfway there smiling that the keys were not lost. hehe
The van stopped at a large blast furnace that was used to smelt iron. Just up ahead was The 1850 Homeplace Interpretive Center where reenactments of life in the 1850's are performed. Soon after our arrival it stormed again. We decided to wait out the rain and not pack it in for the day. We didn't think it would take over three hours to stop. It was a good break in the cycling journey as the Youth Cyclists joked, laughed, played cards, board games and music. It was an instant party on the spot. Bob and Suepinda took a much needed nap and I got caught up on my blog (while dozing in and out).
We chatted with fellow cyclists of the motoring kind who drove down from Indiana along the Traceway and were just now on their way back. Itza and Marshall told them all what we were doing. They commended them and wished us all luck on our long journey.
With the rain finally subsiding we got back on our bikes to ride another 2 miles to the Kentucky state line for a photo opp. Then 10 miles to the Kentucky Welcome Center.
From the Welcome Center we arrived at Hillman Campgrounds which will be our Safe House for the night. We celebrated Houston's birthday, put up our tents in the event of rain, Bob took in some live music down at the pavilion and a few of the boys rode around the park.
Its been a fantastic day. I'm finally ahead of the curve on this blog thing and I'm turning in for an early night. Don't even have to get up too early as today's blog is already done!
Talk at you tomorrow!
Spoke 'n Revolutions Youth Cycling UGRR Tour 2011 ~ Visit the nation's National Parks.
Let's Move Outside!
Sounds like a wonderfully, easy, go-with-the-flow kind of day. Also sounds like a day that Marshall and friends could have gotten caught up on their blogging!!
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