Saturday was a special start at the B&B with a nice home cooked breakfast. Steve the owner talked of his battle with a blood cancer that has forced him into retirement from his law enforcement job. He was moved by our ride and fundraising purpose.
As we rode out it was cold in the low 50's and never climbed above 60 degrees. It was a day of more beautiful farm country, narrow roads, small towns, and interesting people. Our route took us through Dixon, KY, and Clay, KY. In Clay we rode by a small cafe and we noticed a touring bicycle leaned up against the outside wall. I thought it looked like Tom's bike who we met way back in Winslow, AZ and last saw him in Chamber's AZ. Peter who we met in Chester, MO ahead ran into him and said he was only a couple days ahead of us. Terry and I went into the cafe for a warm cup of coffee and met Tyler who was a young man that appeared to be in his late twenties to early 30's. Tyler was riding from Washington DC to San Francisco, and then maybe onto Patagonia. He is a freelance photographer and has a gig with National Geographic for a story on the TransAmerica bicycle route. As long as he can find work he will keep riding. We also met the Mayor of Clay, KY who stopped in the cafe with his family. He welcomed us into his city and told us of the camping arrangements in the city park for touring cyclist. He realized the value of cyclist on his economy. If a touring cyclist stops in town for an overnight stay they will possibly buy two to three meals and some supplies for the road, whereas a car traveler may never stop as they transit through to a larger town. Cyclist do make a positive impact on the economies of small town America.
As we rode out it was cold in the low 50's and never climbed above 60 degrees. It was a day of more beautiful farm country, narrow roads, small towns, and interesting people. Our route took us through Dixon, KY, and Clay, KY. In Clay we rode by a small cafe and we noticed a touring bicycle leaned up against the outside wall. I thought it looked like Tom's bike who we met way back in Winslow, AZ and last saw him in Chamber's AZ. Peter who we met in Chester, MO ahead ran into him and said he was only a couple days ahead of us. Terry and I went into the cafe for a warm cup of coffee and met Tyler who was a young man that appeared to be in his late twenties to early 30's. Tyler was riding from Washington DC to San Francisco, and then maybe onto Patagonia. He is a freelance photographer and has a gig with National Geographic for a story on the TransAmerica bicycle route. As long as he can find work he will keep riding. We also met the Mayor of Clay, KY who stopped in the cafe with his family. He welcomed us into his city and told us of the camping arrangements in the city park for touring cyclist. He realized the value of cyclist on his economy. If a touring cyclist stops in town for an overnight stay they will possibly buy two to three meals and some supplies for the road, whereas a car traveler may never stop as they transit through to a larger town. Cyclist do make a positive impact on the economies of small town America.
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