Boog's Blog

BSNT. Vicksburg

Another sunny warm day with gusty winds from, wherelse but from the South West.

The section of the trace we next encountered was closed to cars. About 15 feet has subsided but as there are few entries and exits 8 plus miles were closed. Open to bikes though.

In Palo Alto the disruption would have been marked with a bike beware sign.

So, a nice bike ride on a private road. Being Sunday morning few were on the road. QB got to walk without traffic.

Speaking of traffic we have noticed that the roads here are are outstanding. Wide, divided roads, four lanes, often with additional portions being added. Small towns in porkville as best as we can tell. California could sure use some of these roads.

A side trip. Off to Vicksburg. The national battlefield is a stomach churning experience. First it is huge. The driving tour tales 1.5-2 hours over 18 miles. The government film is actually a good one. Shows the carnage and pointless deaths in perspective as well as covering the repeated strategies of the extended battle and siege.

The battleground is high up on a bluff overlooking Vicksburg. Steeply rolling hills. Walked a good section and got a feel for what the carnage must have been like. Inconceivable. Mud, dirt, rain, cholera, malaria, starvation and hand to hand fighting apart from the incessant cannon fire.

Found an historic mansion for the evening. Cedar Grove mansion. Large rambling house.

BSNT Ridgeland

Another perfect day.

Usual nature walks, riding, and lunch by Pearl River.

Very few fellow riders. Saw only two today.

Cyclists have a lot to contend…. Complain about. Hills, wind, road surface, traffic, traffic lights, rain, riding east into the morning sun or west in the evening, heat, humidity,sore butt, sore arms. Today was a no complaints day, well maybe one but I am not saying.

The kids in the hot tub did not believe that I am 104. Left them puzzled.

BSNT. Kosciusko

Another perfect day. Hot, but no hotter.

First a hike on Little mountain one of the higher peaks on the trace. Rolling path on a hillside. Met a somewhat local couple, Clinton Mississippi. Told us not to miss French Camp.

One pic shows a tree stripped of bark, caused by the recent tornado. Underside has its bark. The couple that pointed it out treat tornadoes as Californian view earthquakes.

French camp turns out to be a settlers store and village from the 1800s. Excellent cafe with home made foods. A broccoli salad fit for California.

Run now as part of the French Academy, a Christian boarding school K12 that qb described, by reading their literature, as a place out of Dickins with corporal punishment etc.

Museum was closed but the log buildings are well worth the visit.

More rides and more nature walks. All good. QB took a longish turn. We will have earned our evening bread.

Signage continues to meet and exceed the expectations of George and Libby – well commented. Signage in pics sent separately.

BSNT Starkville

Weather same as yesterday only more of it.

Good scenic ride today. QB did a section as well, works especially well as I took her bike 🙂

Time for some southern food shots. Seen in piggy wiggly.

The nearest town turned out to be Starkville – home of Mississippi State. School break so campus, a very nice and spread out one, is quiet.

Hot tub at the hotel this evening. Yeah!

BSNT Tupolo Mississippi

Hot, humid, sunny. Did I mention hot?

A day of riding and a couple of nature walks. Usual info about plants, trees, shrubs, edible and not.

The film at the government visitors center is a terrible whitewash of the native American history. "They moved to Oklahoma ".

The Chickasaw village and nature walk was more historically correct with good info about the local edibles.

The hills Have flattened out to manageable and even enjoyable to ride.

For the first time saw more than a few fellow fools… eh travelers.

The trace is either a place to look at conifers for mile after mile, enjoy the hills and heat, or, contemplate how the Higgs boson causes mass, or whether Buddha had the right path for oneself.

BSNT russellville Alabama

Nice riding weather, a little humid.

Alabama we hardly knew you. A few nasty hills and you were gone. Other than colbert landing on the Tennessee river (in Alabama) there were no attractions in Bama.

Mississippi had Tishomingo state park just a few miles and a few dollars from the trace. Excellent nature walk along sedimentary outcroppings and babbling brooks.

No place to stay in Mississippi so had to backtrack.

One highlight of Bama was our morning waitperson. Very soft spoken, southern accent. She did not know where Natchez is. Do not think she got out much. Hardscrabble life in these small isolated towns.

Important question. When finishing an apple on a trail does one toss the core into the woods? KB says yes. QB says no unless there are apple trees around.

Plum pits? Same approach?

Dinner at the Speedy Pig? BBQ. Pulled pork for me. Asked for a beer. Nope. Why not? Don’t know but we were dry until the last election. So, when you were dry did people drink. Well, of course they did (unspoken you ninny)

BSNT Florence Alabama

On the Tennessee river.

Rainy day with some thunderstorms. And.. Endless ridges.

Took one of the nice nature walks along the trace. No wildlife but excellent signage about river bottom trees and how the land subsides to sinkhole. Weak acid soils.

A break in Collingwood, two traffic lights, needs none. Has a welcome center with goodies, local quilts and a corn shredder -about 100years old.

The rain and ridges abated as we reached the state line. As we crossed into Alabama QB wanted to ride a bit. Off to another nature trail a few miles into Bama . Good chance to stretch the legs in another manner.

Hotel has a hot tub. Was good, very good.

Sunny another perfect day then humid with a nasty gusty headwind

Coal, steam and high btu varieties were the morning conversation. Coal employment is down due to epa regulations making natural gas a bit cheaper than steam coal- has about half the btu of metal grade, steel making, which is primarily exported.

Wild Turkey flock. Flock had lots of room as the trace is empty today. Sunday in santorum country. Bible belt.

Ranger told us that there is no beer served today. Lynchburg, jack daniels country, is so dry that they have to send the mash out of the County.

A day of endless ridges. Up a mile to the crest then down a mile. Then the next ridge. Riding perpendicular to the ridge lines. No enjoying the ridge

Gusty headwinds, weather is changing, add to the fun.

Perfect weather for tackling the hills of Western Tennessee.

Breakfast at the Loveless cafe. An establishment just like casa de frutta except loveless is no longer family controlled. An LLC.
Claim they serve 400000 guests a year and 7000 biscuits a day.
Country ham etc.

Good to have eaten as the trace starts with hills. Total climbing for the day in excess of 2000 feet. Not too steep, just many of them hills.

Mostly day riders on this perfect Saturday. Spoke with several and each were doing round trips.

Trace is a perfect road. No potholes, no lights, no cross traffic.

Nashville sunny

Early, by our standards, walk to state park info. Knew less about how to get to the trace than I did.

Found excellent chess pies. Would not have tried except for Paul’s at Marv’s party. Here they are very different. More vinegar, more corn meal, less sugar. No lemon today. Plain, coconut, chocolate.

Puckett’s for brunch. Gumbo and pulled pork. Will need to ride a lot.
Ryman’s was much recommended so off we went and did a tour. Then a walk along second Ave. An historic street in some important register. Surprised by the number of cowboy boots for sale. Looks a bit like gas light district of San Diego.

Evening with Zig Zag Mo. Classic Rock Band. Loud of course. Highlights for me: blondie, Jefferson airplane one pill makes you, and a channeled janus Joplin.