By Terry Still feeling a tad peeved for being charged full whack for a pitch when the State Park folk knew the showers didn’t work, they didn’t help themselves the next morning when two $8 breakfasts suddenly came to $25 (coffee and tea were extra!). What with that, and with Paul having a thick head,…
Small town America may have its problems, but the sense of community remains strong – certainly in Howardstown. It’s also noisy, but that’s not down to the people, but the birds – one of the most lively dawn choruses I’ve heard in years, rivalling the frog chorus the night before. By the time we’d packed…
By Terry As we went to settle up for last night’s home-cooked gourmet nosh, the motel owner met us in her jim-jams and refused to take any money for the best meal I’ve eaten in weeks! I think she liked to cook for people who appreciated her food. After cycling round the tree in the…
What a difference a day makes! When morning comes, Berea has survived the storm relatively unscathed and the skies have cleared. It means, as ever, we have to move on. It’s a strange feeling since it’s likely we may not see any of our new found cycling friends for a while, or perhaps ever again….
In the Appalachians Old King Coal still rules, although his reign is under threat. You only need to look in the valleys to see the impact a decline in mining brings. But huge trains still rumble through local towns with trucks full of the black gold, while coal lorries thunder up the roads to more…
Today we left Lookout and headed into the valleys of the dogs. Kentucky has a reputation for mean ones with a taste for passing cyclists and we were all a little apprehensive, particularly after John took a call from a fellow TransAmerican further up the trail who had problems with them around Hindman, our destination….
Let’s get this out in the open right from the start. We’ve clearly underestimated the physical challenge of cycling the TransAmerican. The Appalachians are a major hurdle, the largest chain of mountains east of the Mississippi extending from Canada, all the way to Alabama. We’ve been cycling through them for well over a week now…
Today had it all, rain, wind, hail, a sudden dog attack and finally camping down in a town packed with Appalachian hikers. After being holed up yesterday peering out the window at the rain from our motel room at Fort Chiswell, Terry was keen to get going as early as possible this morning. I’m not quite…
By Terry Last night’s life saver turned up trumps again this morning … fresh coffee and egg ‘biscuits’ (‘rolls’ to us Brits) made to order. Fab. And they had those rare and elusive items: a butane canister and some non-meat noodles. Now we are cooking with the proverbial! Well, we at least have the option…
93. It’s a number that’s been very much on our minds today. It’s not our planned mileage. Nope, it’s the temperature. The heat wave in Virginia is continuing to sweat it out and it’s doing its best to knock us for six we continue climbing the Appalachians. The apparent wind of cycling does cool you…