LOBAA18 - Saltillo, TN

6/3/08 Wed  CDT
LOBAA18 -  Saltillo Marina & Campground -   Saltillo,  TN
Sally bike mileage -  84.16 miles,  6:25:48  time
Sally total - 1125.98  miles
Bill bike mileage - 30.3 miles, 2:12:23 time
Bill total - 502.4 miles

Today, we left Mississippi and crossed into Tennessee. Today's ride was a little like a scavenger hunt or something. The map was complicated with many twists, turns and steep little hills. I had to keep stopping and checking mileage to make sure I took the correct turn as some were unmarked. I was on very small roads, several just like Walker Rd where I live. I'm not sure how much forward progress I really made, but it was fun to explore. I was confused about where I was enough to ask directions once. A friendly old man with tobacco in his teeth appeared from a dilapidated shed at the junction and straightened me out. I was glad he was there because there were no signs and no one else in the area. Saved again. Also rode through the Shiloh National Military Park which is on the site of several Civil War battles. It is very sobering to think of what occurred there. They have placed monuments, cannons and plaques documenting the various battles out in the fields just where things happened. You can get a good perspective by looking over the landscape and seeing all the plaques and monuments scattered about. Makes it seem very real. And then, at the end of the ride, a wonderful little cafe not far from the RV camp we are staying in served us huge burgers and fries. Just what I needed. Soon we're going back for ice-cream. I think that's the reason we stayed here as the camp isn't much but really there was no choice, except riding another 25 miles, which didn't sound great either. So we are sitting in shade at the edge of the Tennessee river enjoying a steady breeze The air is drier than it's been since we started, a relief. The Tennessee River is big and not quite as muddy as the Tombigbee, but the shore is heavily rip-rapped and not accessible. We'll be ready to move on tomorrow. Sally

Bill here - no sag support for Sally today as she got to camp before I did ! But otherwise, it was a typical day. What is a typical day like, you ask. Well, we get up before sunrise, usually 5 am, change into cycling clothes and cook the morning oatmeal. While oatmeal is cooking visit john and walk Wally. Next Wally's home gets moved to Cramalot as it is cooler for him there in the morning and we ride out at or just before 6. After an hour or so we have ridden 12-15 miles and I say bye to Sally and turn around to go back to camp. By the time I am back to camp, Sally is 25- 30 miles away.  I do the dishes, take a shower, walk Wally and pack up Cramalot. This usually takes 1 to 1-1/2 hours, so it is now 9:30 or so and Sally is 40-45 miles ahead. Then I try to catch her and usually do if I have no other chores to do (get groceries, ice, find internet location, etc) sometime before noon. She then takes a break and once I even popped Cramalot up so she could take a nap. Sally rides on and I head to the next camp and pick a shady spot if possible, set up Cramalot and if Sally is a way off, try to ride out to meet her... though I usually don't get far as she is usually close by, by then. It is now usually 2 pm or so and the day varies a bit depending on temp, campsite, how tired Sally is. Anyway, after a shower, we cook dinner around 5 or 6, put the statistics for the day together,  type up the daily blog, discuss the next day's route, do the dishes and other chores and watch the sunset. Then it is time for bed around 9 pm.