A week in Asheville, NC

And what a delightful week it has been. Lots of bridge . Lots of music . Lots of good food . Have adjusted pretty easily to life at Granny's and Princess Aida's pace. Caught up a fair bit with Janey in Montreat. M improved dramatically Granny's deck with fresh pots and a hugely industrious job of sanding and painting an old wicker chair that's apparently been badly in need of restoration for a long time.

Pics from bottom

1 On way to an abortive bike trip to Mt Pisgah - Blue Ridge Parkway for that section closed 6 miles up from French Broad River. V disappointing.
2 & 3 Changed plan and visited on bike the Asheville Arboretum . A remarkable feature was this Bonzai garden exhibition . The finest I believe in North America.
4 & 5 On way to Mt Mitchell by bike on ` The parkway '. Weren't given the name Great Smoky Mtns for nothing.
6 38 down and 3.9 to go . A pretty gruelling 3.9 though.
7 Made it . Av 9.3 mph for trip to top and 11.5 for round trip of 82 miles. 4.5 hours up and a leisurely trip down (except that it was n't so leisurely with significant - i.e 2 drops of more than 500 ft and back up again ) in 2.5 hours. All details for Duncan's benefit who was here a few weeks ago with an Ithaca cycling group and who did the same thing. Presumably in about half the time. Made the mistake of carrying hefty sandwiches all the way to the top only to find a restauraunt there. Fabulous views for much of day , but a cool breeze mostly and ideal cycling conditions. Stopped on way down and a had a lovely chat with a young Californian couple heading for the top fully laden - en route from Calif to Maine and back to Calif. Enjoying themselves thouroughly they were and delightful to see. Little to beat it really.
8 Betty's deck as transformed by M .

Off later today ( Sunday 23rd ) in 14 foot Uhaul truck ( smallest they can give us ) to collect the Buick in St Francisville , La and then to Lamy , NM to stay with an old school friend of M's for a night before getting back to Snowmass on Thursday night.

Spartanburg, SC to Asheville , NC

Made it ! Delightful to be in residence again at Deerfield with ` Granny ` . She was our reception committee as we pulled in 2pm Thursday May 14 - 1460 miles and 4 weeks and 1 day after leaving St Francisville, LS. An epic trip, and bodies and bikes still in reasonable shape .

Bring on June 2011 - an idea under discussion is Portland , Oregon to Portland Maine.

Pics from bottom
1. Bob - friend of Herb & Dagmar's - with his pick up truck . We were hugely grateful to him for driving us 6 miles or so to the north side of Spartanburg thus saving us some nasty traffic roads. Bob is a keen local cyclist - the traditional kind though who had difficulty - as do many - understanding the ` enjoyment` of biking with such a load . Bob , we need to convert you !
2. Black Beauty ? For Meghan's sake ! We never passed a horse we didn't admire. Each one had some admirable quality - I think !
3. Arriving at Lake Lure - site of a happy family holiday in late eighties.
4. The view from deck of our dinner restauraunt where we watched happily an anxious pair of ducks, with clutch of 5, ever alert to the lurking danger as night approached .
5. Last campsite of the trip at top end of lake. Reasonable , but much more expensive at $35 than any to date , but a resort town and prime location with cool breeze coming in off fast flowing river. Small ( and we understood `harmless` ) snake curled up at entrance to our tent on returning from dinner was a little unnerving.
6.Chimney Rock - elevator `inside ` takes you to the top . We stayed away.
7. The following morning we had our only significant climb of whole trip - up to top of eastern continental divide . About 8.5 miles and 2,000 ft of climbing. But it was cool in early morning and we'd played safe by having large cafe breakfast at start. This is M grinding her way to top in low gear. What a trooper .
8. Crossing the Divide .
9. The reward - fabulous views looking west towards the Mt Mitchell and the Smoky Mtns.
10. Arriving at Deerfield , Asheville, NC with Mary's mother Betty to greet us .
11. Mother and daughter in Betty's appt . How beautifully relaxing life is with ` Granny `. She has still to put the clocks forward .

Savannah to Spartanburg, SC

Pics from bottom
1. After biking the 12 or so miles from A & K 's, we picked up this U-haul ( smallest we could find and the only practicable and least expensive way of achieving objective ) to take us , our bikes and 6 panniers to Spartanburg, SC - 250 odd miles away and home of Herb and Dagmar Lindsay. Herb and Dagmar have worked for Guest Services at Snowmass for about the last 15 years and spend every winter there. They work with Mary.
2. They live in a beautiful house overlooking the river outside S'burg. Herb helped me return the U- haul truck. This , and the top pic, show Herb's quite remarkable model railway which occupies the whole of their basement and reflects 35 or so years' hobby work. Phenomenal. Can't be many like it anywhere I would have thought. All in perfect working order and hugely complex electrically with no detail omitted modeled on an actual railway town in Pennsylvania.
3. The old cornmill right beneath their house which Dagmar used to operate in early days with the original water wheel. Another remarkable feat.
4. Standard procedure early each morning except this time we were caught at it !
5. With Herb and Dagmar shortly before our departure the following morning.

Savannah and The Landings

Pics from bottom
1. The river front at Savannah with its remarkable early settler history.
2. Out of the 24 downtown squares designed and built by Ogelthorpe, 21 or so remain. This is one of them and a cool spot for lunch on a hot and humid day.
3. We biked the 13 or so miles from downtown to Alastair & Kristin's house at The Landings. This was a good ` catching up ` lunch close to A's office the next day.
4. The view from A & K' s house looking south and east to the Atlantic.
5. Drinking to Barbara's health on that `special event day` soon after arrival.
6. A & K with Rutherfurd and Annabel after a dinner out on our 2nd and last evening.
7.Making an early office visit to Alastair before setting off for Uhaul pick up and drive to Spartanburg , SC.

Callaghan to Savannah

A pity that of the 3 days cycling Martha and Dick had with us , two of them were the heaviest traffic days we had on the whole trip.

The highlight of the 52 mile trip to Folkston was the 4 mile detour into the Okefenokee State Park. We took the 90 minute boat trip right into the heart of the swamp . Fascinating. Saw dozens of sleepy alligators v close to the boat. An easy ride on to Folkston and a resonable motel.

Next day was always going to be long one. Fortunately wind in our favour for most part and we reveled in the dearth of traffic. A quite delightful day's cycling and plenty opp to ride in pairs and chat. Still a long 86 miles though with only the barest camping facilities at the end of it. Campsite had closed but the proprietor generously allowed us to set up our tents at no charge. The shower facilities were rough to put it mildly , but it was good of him to heat the water for us at all and we hugely appreciated it.

We left v early next morning and parted company with Martha and Dick after a disappointing breakfast in Odum M and D heading straight for Savannah and M and I continuing on the AC route via Reidsville and Statesboro where we found superb campsites in both. Two quite delightful days' cycling with wonderfully quiet roads and mostly favourable winds ( except where I overshot a crucial route change and we had a 2 plus mile retrace back into stiff wind - understandable huff from M ).

Today , yet another near perfect day' s riding , a lot cooler and wind nearly at our backs. Got to Port Wentworth - 13 miles from downtown Savannah in mid afternoon. Tomorrow 25 odd miles to my nephew Alastair Cairns and his wife Kristin and their two kids via tour of the historic downtown Savannah in am.

Both of us pleased to have made it . 1300 miles in 24 days including 2 rest days - one with Stu and Yiemei and one in St Augustine. We'd have liked more but time didn't permit.

M still riding high on comment from Scot in the bike shop in Gainesville when looking at her loaded bike " some men would kill to have a wife who carries that much ". So say I !

Pics from bottom and see also pics for previous blogentries now added

1.Martha and Dick join us at Little Talbot Island State Park. ( should be in previous blog - Jacksonville Beach to Callaghan )
2. A couple of bee keepers who gave us much needed energy between Callaghan and Folkston.
3. Martha giving us a botany lesson.
4. The object of her, and our attention - sarahceena ( sp ? ).
5. Our campsite at the beautiful Gordonia State Park , Reidsville.
6. Our tent and equipment dwarfed by our RV neighbour.
7 & 8. Our arrival in downtown Savannah and a much needed breakfast at the historic antebellum railway station.

Jacksonville Beach to Callaghan

Weaved our way through the residential side streets of Atlantic Beach to the ferry which took us back across St John's River. Had a delicious and substantial dinner at fresh fish restauraunt at the other side and had a 5 mile ride along coast line to Little Talbot Island State Park in the dusk. Set up camp amid ferocious mosquitos .

Our Atlanta friends Martha and Dick ( they were passengers on my bus a year ago and I discovered they had cycle toured in NW Scotland a few years ago in splendid weather - M didn't believe it ! - and I wanted to hear more thus starting a much valued friendship) joined us at the campsite this morning and wiil be with us for 3 days and nights.

Tonight we got safely to a motel in Callaghan before heavens opened - v satisfying. Shortish day ( 40 miles ) again tomorror to Folkston before crossing the state line to GA with v long day to campsite near Odum. Hoping for better wind and less traffic than we had today. Road construction added to the difficulties. All in good spirits though and about to eat more fresh seafood .

pics

1 Drawbridge crossing the river from Anastasia state park to St A on our way north.
2 Ferry crossing over to Little Talbot Is on way to capmpsite where we met up with Martha and Dick.

Palatka to Jacksonville via St Augustine

We had a shortish day from Palatka to St Augustine and checked in to the campsite at the state park at Anastasia for 2 days. Met Ruth and Mary Jo there who had just completed San Diego to St A and had had a celebratory swim in the Atlantic ocean.

Had a brilliant day yesterday, Sunday, in the historic and quaint town of St. Augustine. Enjoyed the alligator farm ( a zoological park really and no ` farming` as such - it's called the Alligator Farm for historical reasons it being one of the oldest tourist attractions in Florida) , especially observing the wild birds that fly into the farm and nest there, under the gaping jaws of the alligators!

Today, had a most helpful south wind blowing us up to Jacksonville beach and now about to cross ferry to Little Talbot Island State Park. We are meeting Dick and Martha Stobbs there, who will join us for the next few days on our way to Savannah.

1.Ruth and mary Jo having been met by their husbands and dipped their front bike tires in the Atlantic.
2 A beach wedding that reminded of us Bateau Bay, but not in the same league !
3 St Augustine back street - note - no luggage - bliss.
4 Ditto - some beuatiful old buildings in St A
5 Aligator Park close to Anastasia State Park where we camped 2 nights.