Sunday, May 18, 2008

Fulton, MS to Pickwick Dam, TN


It was cool this morning when we left the Days Inn in Fulton. A few rain drops were falling, but it never really rained. I started out in a jacket, but it didn't take long for me to shed it. In the first few miles we had one short, steep hill after another--much too soon after breakfast for that much exertion. The photo above is of Kathy watching a boat enter the locks at the G. V. "Sonny" Montgomery Locks on the Tennessee Tombigbee Waterway. Interesting. We watched the boat as it moved through the locks and was on it's way again. We rode for about 10 miles on the Natchez Trace in Northeast Mississippi. It looks a lot like the Trace does between Jackson and Natchez. We didn't have any cute little towns to stop in for lunch today, so I had a PB&J beside the road, and a bathroom break in the bushes. Oh well, guess that is what makes touring interesting. It's never the same every day. I had to pull my rain jacket out of my "suitcase" two or three times because of rain showers, but they were never bad, and didn't last long. We're staying the night just over the Tennessee border near Pickwick Lake. Tomorrow we have a 68 mile day. In fact this will be my first real "test"--6 straight days of riding for a total of 388 miles. That's a lot for me!! I'm going to clean and lube my chain now. Oh, I'm finally getting the hang of pumping my tires--but I still had rather Mike do it for me. I hope he still will when I get home.
76 Miles