Hello, All,
Today
is the 9th day from Mena and we have one foot in KY and the other in VA
as we sit in Breaks Interstate Park overlooking the "Grand Canyon of
the South" (the Russell Fork of the Big Sandy River".
We're
beginning to settle into a routine of sorts. Like all aspects of our
travels, it is "a plan from which to deviate". We start out early while
it still is cool. Marv drives first, since the van's visor is too short
to shade my eyes for the first couple of hours after sunup. (It's not ME
that's too short; it's the visor...right? Of course that won't be a
problem once we head back toward Mena.)
We
make 2 or more stops each day to check out any camping opportunities
along the way. That has included National Parks, State parks, and COE
camps (Corp of Engineers), which can be counted on to have electric
sites (important back-up for charging the ELF's batteries). There are
also "cyclist camps", noted on the bicycle maps, which are city or
county parks, or located at churches and providing toilets and a place
to park over night. Our goal is to know where we might stop for
the night, as some of the distances are uncomfortably far apart, and we
won't know much ahead of time where we might have stopped the preceding
night.. Flexibility is the name of the game, and information is key.
We've seen a lot of
rural countryside as the Bicycle Route takes us around or through the
edge of towns. It turns out to be a good deal more distance than the
direct route between A and B.---double or more. The navigating is
challenging and requires careful attention; we cheer when we spot the
BR76 sign that confirms we are still on track, and groan when we are
forced to find a place to turn around. Most roads are 2 lanes, many too
skinny to merit a center stripe, much less marked shoulders. We're
making notes as we go along of the steeper hills (and there are LOTS of
hills!) and the extremely narrow sections. I'm trying not to flinch
every time I meet an oncoming car or truck, and I try my best to stay
close to the speed limit--- or find a pull-out to let the traffic pass
me. It isn't an easy exercise for Marvin either; Co-pilot will never be
his role of choice!
One
of our overnight stops was at Loretta Lynn's RV Resort in Hurricane
Mills, TN. There were all sorts of activities offered: tours of he early
family home and the mansion, a western town, and the usual gift shops.
The grist mill, with its spillway, was the most appealing aspect, along
with the beautiful landscaping.
Another
"touristy" stop was a circle tour down to Mammoth Cave NP, much more
practical by van than by bike, when we could go down one day and be back
on track the next.
In
Hodgenville, KY we stopped in at the Lincoln Birthplace Nat'l Historic
Site and stayed long enough to enjoy a brief visit. Fifty-six wide,
sweeping steps, (one for each year of Lincoln's life) make an impressive
approach to the Memorial. I don't know who came up with the concept of
enshrining the log cabin inside the marble and granite edifice, but it
served to emphasize the idea that the greatest men in the nation can
come from humble beginnings. The fact that the Memorial was largely
financed by donations from individuals, including many thousands of
school children who collected and sent their quarters for the project
was touching. I was also impressed and moved by the bronze replica of
the log cabin--- the only object other than the actual cabin inside the
memorial--- which the docent explained was a braille representation
specifically to allow the blind to feel and experience the concept of
the log cabin.
We've had some interesting conversations along the way. In De Witt, AR we were checking out the
City
Park and asked who we should see about stopping there overnight. "Well,
heck," said Martha Johnson, whose grandchildren were enjoying the
bicycle path, "you can stay in my driveway if you want to. I live in the
first brick house past the EXXON station down there. You just come on
down; you're welcome."
And,
yesterday, at a cyclist camp at the 1st Presbyterian Church in
Booneville, we met a New Zealand couple (Seniors like us), who had flown
into Washington, DC and were biking to Seattle. We visited for a while
before continuing on our way.
When
we checked in at Breaks Interstate yesterday, I was intrigued enough by
the scheduled weekend activities that I requested a catch-up day
(today, Fri.) and a lay day on Sat. A full-sized replica of the
Confederate submarine, H.L. Hunley, the first submarine to
destroy a Union military ship during the Civil War will be on display.
In addition there is to be a Civil War Camp Re-Enactment, that promises
to be a great photo opportunity. There will be uniforms and weapons of
the era, and and staged battles in the afternoon and evening. Other
aspects of camp life will include the Possum Holler Sutlery, outdoor
cooking, salt making, candle dipping, wild herbs and medicines, and a
genealogy workshop. Worth staying over, I think.
On Sunday, we'll head back OTRA.
Cheers,
Ann & Marvin
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