Grand Rivers, KY to Dover, TN. (51 Mi)

I left early in the morning yesterday, Thursday, after stopping at the local bakery for some breakfast. 2 pieces of French toast, coffee and a large glass of orange juice later, off I was. (Is that a hell of a sentence, or what?)

I have previously mentioned that the Land Between The Lakes National Park is a product of several dams created in the 1930's by the federal government via the Tennessee Valley Authority. It's primary purpose was ostensibly to provide electricity for rural southern states of Tennessee and Kentucky. The by-product of the TVA was to provide thousands of jobs during the great depression of that period.

My grandfather, a strict Republican, was conflicted because he was sure it was FDR turning the country socialist at the same time admitting giving electricity to poorer citizens in rural areas was a good thing to do.

I digress. This route, of just over 51 miles, winds along the mountain range that separates the several humongous lakes created by the two dams, the one which impedes the flow of the Tennessee River and the one which does the same to the Cumberland River. Once past the dams, both rivers feed into the Ohio, and then into the Mississippi.

Behind those dams are these lakes with federally funded, by way of construction and maintenance, recreation areas for swimming, camping, boating, fishing, horseback riding, off road dirt bike riding and miles of hiking trails.

The area was explored by Daniel Boone in the late 1700's and is along the route of the Trail of Tears a hundred years later. It is, as I may have mentioned, your tax payer dollars at their best use.

The biggest problem with biking through this area with an agenda of achieving 50 miles a day, is that one cannot stop to explore the various recreational or historical areas available along the way. Throw in the wind in your face and pretty good hills to climb, just getting the distance in from Great Rivers to Bristol is a feat in itself.

Having said that, the ride was again beautiful, the scenery beyond description and the folks I met along the way just terrific.

Of interest, I was told there were 24 pair of North American Bald Eagles nesting in this area. Rounding a corner full speed down a hill, I came across one feasting, as good as I could tell, on roadkill just off the road. When he heard me coming up behind, off he went. What a beautiful sight!

On the same stretch, I met a couple of cyclists coming in the opposite direction. They were, they told me, part of a group of 27 women, cycling from Montgomery, AL, to Niagara Falls generally along the old Underground railroad trail. 2000 miles in 5 weeks. All the ladies over 50 with several in their 60's. Here I was, grousing about wind and hills over a 1500 mile trip!

Over the next couple of hours, I met or saw the rest as they pumped their bikes north towards their goal for the day, Grand Rivers and the same motel I had stayed in the night before. Who says women are not equal!! If not better. (The last sentence to satisfy my several strong women friends who have every right to be proud of their successes in life.)

Before I leave Kentucky, I need to mention one friend who I have neglected in this blog who has been supportive and just wonderful about following along the journey. Her name is Mary Stewart and she is my friend of over 30 years. People who know Mary love and adore her, as do I. Carla is one of her great fans. Mary is following this trip, she says in emails to me, with her Atlas next to her computer and is anxious to see my daily progress.

She pointed out in an email to me a couple of days ago that I was about to enter the great state of Kentucky. Mary, need I say, was born and raised in Kentucky and to this day, in spite of being gone from there since she went to college, retains a wonderful Kentucky accent, which gets more or less pronounced as time and circumstances require. I know she figured out years ago that laying that accent on in certain circumstances gets grown men to weep and women to adore. We agree about most things in life except those rate circumstances when UCLA plays Kentucky in basketball.

One of the several unique aspects of Mary's life is her collection of dogs. She is a compulsive dog rescuer, stopping on freeways, busy streets or country roads, in all kinds of weather, rain, snow or shine, to rescue dogs of all stripes. I don't know how many dogs Mary has rescued or has at home at any given time, but its a lot and no dog ever got a better home, ever, than when Mary rescues it.

So, it is with a great deal of interest that Mary reads my dog exploits on this trip. She is overjoyed that I have not had to zap some over-zealous dog with killer strength Mace and reassures me that it is sound thinking to stop the bike and deal face to face with a snarling dog, or dogs. I try to remember that as I wonder how long it is going to take a dog like "Trouble" to take my leg home for lunch.

Mary, thanks for reassuring me that I'm doing the right thing. You'll be the first to know if our tactic fails, for I'll email you a picture of the mangled and chewed bicycle tire or worse yet, foot.

I could go on and on, about the 25 or so head of buffalo, or the Bass fishing derby starting with the Memorial Day weekend and all the boats and early risers. I have some pictures I will add to this when I get to a place where I am allowed to do so.

Otherwise, please know that everyday brings me closer to achieving what I started out in search of. It has been a tremendous experience, one I'll never let go of and one I doubt I could or would want to ever replicate. More in the next day or two when I can add pictures.