Day 19
6-8-14
Colombia TN to Florence AL
It rained overnight but we woke to dry roads and partly sunny skies. With no real threat of rain looming we had a great day of cycling ahead.
We have
now moved west enough not to be effected by the foothills and ridges of the Appalachian
Mountains that worked us hard since we started.
Up next
for us is the Natchez Trace Parkway.
This nearly 450 mile scenic roadway is a trip through history. You can
check it out here http://www.nps.gov/natr/index.htm
We
entered the Trace where Meriwether Lewis is buried. If you don’t remember Merriweather, he and
his partner William Clark lead the Lewis and Clark Expedition from 1804 to
1806.
The road
surface of the Trace was perfectly smooth with gentle rolling hills. Not like the steep climbs we had a week ago.
The two lane road has no shoulder and the speed limit of 50mph.
Normally this would make for very poor riding
conditions. But the Trace was missing one thing….traffic! This Parkway has very
few on and off ramps making unsuitable for a commuter road. There are no houses
or services on the Parkway either. Also commercial traffic is not allowed on
the roadway. It’s a known “great” cycling route.
While on
the Parkway we reached the border of Tennessee and Alabama. Adding yet another
of the final few states needed to complete the task of having ridden in every US
state from Connecticut. When this tour is complete the mission will have been accomplished.
All of us
are starting to feel stronger on the bike. We are not sure if the softening of
the hills makes it seem that we are stronger than we truly are. But after
climbing over 100,000 feet with 70+ pound bikes we must have gained some new strength
by now.
We will
not travel many miles tomorrow in Alabama before we reach Mississippi and
follow that state south to Louisiana.
Our route
follows the Natchez for 300+ miles. We have to veer off the Parkway at night to
find lodging. Sometimes as much as 15
miles. In the mornings we will return to
the Parkway and continue south towards Louisiana.
Weather 85 Partly Sunny
103 Miles
3600 Feet of Climbing
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