So I am
just a little behind on this blog but that’s ok because I’m about to get yall caught
back up with us. Well after a couple
great days with the Etowah Roadies I had to hit the road again and I was on my
way to Woodall Mountain in Mississippi.
On the way there I got to meet some cool people at the fire station in
Arab, Alabama who put me up for the night.
One of the guys also made some peach dump cake, which I had never had
before but it was delicious.
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| Ivy Green - Helen Keller's home |
I got a chance to visit Ivy Green,
the birthplace of Helen Keller in Tuscumbia, Alabama. This was pretty unexpected but as I rode in
to town one night and was looking for a place to stay that night I saw some
signs leading to her house. It was
already getting dark so I decided to swing back by in the morning to check it
out. It was well worth the few extra
miles of riding to see it and wander around the yard for a little, enjoying the
surroundings.
This same day I crossed into
Mississippi and reached Woodall Mountain, which is the highpoint for the
state. So far it has been our lowest
high point at only 807 feet but it still required a mile long hike up hill to
reach the summit. There was a nice
monument at the top placed by the high pointers club but otherwise you could
not really see anything because of all the trees.
The next day I crossed back into
Tennessee and rode all the way to Jackson.
This is where I met my mom as she drove all the way out from Virginia to
hang out for a few days. This was very
relaxing and helpful to have her come out.
While I was riding she would take the majority of my gear so that my
bike would remain pretty lite and the days were a lot easier for me as I rode
from one town to the next. It was also
nice knowing that I would be staying in a hotel and going out to eat good food
each night instead of having to find a new place to sleep each day.
She followed me all the way up to
Sikeston Missouri where we split ways as I continued towards Taum Sauk,
Missouri’s highpoint. This is where
things started to get a little interesting.
During the whole trip there had been a few dogs here and there that
would come out and chase us. Most
drivers were generous about the space they gave us as they passed on the
road. However, in southeast Missouri
that all changed. Within 2 days and
about 100 miles of riding I had 11 dogs come out and chase the bike. Some would surprise me, because they wouldn’t
bark at all until they were right behind my tire. If I did not see them running out behind me
it would come as quite a start. The
drivers in Missouri were also a lot less generous with their space. In fact it seemed like the majority of them
didn’t want to give me any space and there were a couple times that I actually
rode off the side of the road because the cars passed just a little to close
for my comfort.
Nonetheless I made it to the high
point of Missouri, which was the first high point that both Brent and I were
both at since Brasstown Bald in Georgia.
He showed up the night before and drove to the summit as I biked, but at
least we were both there.
Now we are taking some time off in
Missouri for their 100th anniversary of homecoming and we will let
you know how it goes next time. Until then....
- Michael and Brent
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