After getting on the road at 6, we were ready for a stretch by the time we got to Shubuta. We saw an interesting place called McCoy Service Center. They had gas, a convenience store, and a machine shop. If you're from Agricola, it's like a combination of Courtyard Lane and Pierce's Water Well. We stopped. While we were still taking our helmets off, Joe McCoy came out and invited us in. He said his brother had just fertilized a field and to come in out of the smell! What a great guy. He offered us coffee and we sat in rocking chairs and talked about motorcycles (he rode one, but I don't remember what kind) and the shipyard (he used to work there) and just about anything else that came up. If you are ever on Highway 45 in Shubuta, stop in and say hello to Joe. I don't have a picture of him, but he was definitely worth mentioning!
This is the view from Twentymile Bottom, the first place we stopped after we got on the Trace at Tupelo. I was just a taste of some really spectacular views along the way. I like this part of the Trace. It doesn't seem quite as manicured as the part I'm more familiar with. Somehow, it seems older. We had 2 detours off the Trace, one on each side of the Alabama-Tennessee border. I was impressed at how well they were marked. And the roads that made up the detour were just as pretty as the Trace itself, different because there were houses and little stores, but still very pretty.
This is Mr. H. We stopped at a place called Lower Glenrock that was just beautiful. There was a stream running through the bottom and a really neat rock overhang that made a shallow cave.
I walked over some rocks and logs and made it to the inside of the cave. Note to self: The green rocks are slimy and slippery! I didn't get wet, but it was a close thing!
Okay, here's the biker picture of me. We wear jackets and pants with pads on the shoulders, elbows, back and knees; full face helmets; and gloves. I know it's not really "sexy", but in my book, safe is a lot sexier than scarred. I know what can happen with you hit the pavement and I want to retain the face that God gave me.
I walked back behind the water to get where I am in this one. It looks like I'm getting wet, but I'm not. This was at a stop called Fall Hollow on the Trace. It was a bit of a hike to get down to the Fall itself, but it was worth it. The road is a good bit above the top of Fall. This was the last place we stopped on the first day. We were both tired and ready to get off the bike. What surprises me is that my knees are the indicators of a long day on the bike. Having the knee pads up against them all day makes them hurt. You'd think it would be other body parts that protested! Me, it's my knees and ears (stuffed with ear plugs and crammed into a helmet) that let me know when it's time to call it a day.
This is the view from Twentymile Bottom, the first place we stopped after we got on the Trace at Tupelo. I was just a taste of some really spectacular views along the way. I like this part of the Trace. It doesn't seem quite as manicured as the part I'm more familiar with. Somehow, it seems older. We had 2 detours off the Trace, one on each side of the Alabama-Tennessee border. I was impressed at how well they were marked. And the roads that made up the detour were just as pretty as the Trace itself, different because there were houses and little stores, but still very pretty.
This is Mr. H. We stopped at a place called Lower Glenrock that was just beautiful. There was a stream running through the bottom and a really neat rock overhang that made a shallow cave. 
I walked over some rocks and logs and made it to the inside of the cave. Note to self: The green rocks are slimy and slippery! I didn't get wet, but it was a close thing!
Okay, here's the biker picture of me. We wear jackets and pants with pads on the shoulders, elbows, back and knees; full face helmets; and gloves. I know it's not really "sexy", but in my book, safe is a lot sexier than scarred. I know what can happen with you hit the pavement and I want to retain the face that God gave me.
I walked back behind the water to get where I am in this one. It looks like I'm getting wet, but I'm not. This was at a stop called Fall Hollow on the Trace. It was a bit of a hike to get down to the Fall itself, but it was worth it. The road is a good bit above the top of Fall. This was the last place we stopped on the first day. We were both tired and ready to get off the bike. What surprises me is that my knees are the indicators of a long day on the bike. Having the knee pads up against them all day makes them hurt. You'd think it would be other body parts that protested! Me, it's my knees and ears (stuffed with ear plugs and crammed into a helmet) that let me know when it's time to call it a day.
and no helmet hair! lol. nice pics.
ReplyDeletenot for Mr. H!
ReplyDeleteActually I do have helmet hair. Mine is usually kind of spiky, sticking up anyway.
Gear good.
ReplyDeleteIt protects you from the sun and as one fellow on DCCycles said, "When people ask me, 'Aren't you hot in that?' I reply, 'Yeah, that's what my wife says.'"
Carl in Bethesda