Day 5 4.14
We left late again this morning, intentionally. Today, we’d go into Alabama, then back into Georgia, as the route wove between the two states.
My view a lot of the time.
Sherry decided last minute to ride through the Kolomoki State Park…which as it turned out was perfect. However, we spent some minutes on the side of road before we got there when her GPS wasn’t working to relocate her route. I will admit I’m not the best map reader, & when things are not updating at live speed it can be frustrating. So, we both got annoyed with the route, but in the end it worked out well.
Today the roads were busier, but it went by fine…a ton more churches, some noisy dogs but not chasing ones, & another day was done. Sherry was ready for a long shower & a nap. We went back to the little farmhouse we were staying at & then I took off for a hike at Providence State Park. They call it the grand canyon of Georgia. Clearly…clearly, whoever calls it this has NEVER been to the actual Grand Canyon (Texas has Palo Duro Canyon & they use the same tagline….”the grand canyon of Texas”). I get it…the marketing people have to try something.
But, the park was pretty & unexpected in Georgia. There were nine different canyons & you could hike down & then into each one of them. There’s not really a dirt trail at the bottom, but you’re hiking through a small, shallow stream that goes back into each canyon.
All the hiking combined is only 4.5 miles. But, it was good to be out of the car, seeing some pretty scenery & getting to walk while doing it.
Views from the rim.
After my exploring was done, Sherry was ready to go find dinner. We drove over to the Alabama side & ate Texas BBQ, made a quick stop for gas & the grocery store. Then it was back to our little farmhouse to get ready for the next day.
Day 6 4.15
It was another perfect weather day…sun, no rain or wind. But the day soon turned awful with the traffic: tons of logging trucks, other big trucks & a gazillion cars. There had never been shoulders, but these roads were curvy, so lots cars would get backed up unable to pass Sherry & give her the safe space she needed. I was behind three other vehicles, one being a big Coca Cola truck & saw a near collision of the three while trying to pass her. But the worst was yet to come. It just got busier & I was unable to stay as close as I had been. I was pulled over in a cemetery when I noticed her dot wasn’t moving on the maps. I pulled out & went back to find her. She was riding along, & when I got behind her she waved for me to pullover as soon as possible. When she rode up to me, she was white, shaking & wiping her eyes. She had had to run off the road because a vehicle had some within inches of her. She was so shaken…& she is not one to get rattled easily. She took some time, several deep breaths, & then got back on the road again. It was all so scary & I felt awful for her & terrified for what she was going through & what might happen.
We took some time on up the road to look for an alternative route. I went & drove a road but it was all big chunky gravel & she would have had to go about 20 miles on it….it just wouldn’t work. So, she kept to the busy road.
There aren’t many pictures from today….it wasn’t a good day.
We finally made it into the pretty cool town of Columbus. Both of us so relieved to be done with this day.
Sherry travels for a living, when she’s not working on her C2C project, so she is not at her home in Denver very often or long. But when she is, she fosters kittens. So, it was a nice wonderful site to discover two little kittens by the curb where we ended this day. She ate her daily after-ride-sandwich & watched the kittens.
We were down near the river & after her sandwich was eaten & the bike stored in the 4Runner, we walked to a little brewery/bar close by. It was kind of a food hall which also had an ice cream place, so it was the perfect spot to drink & eat ice cream.
The riverwalk.
We’d both calmed down some by then & could check into our airbnb. She did her normal thing then we went out for dinner. The Black Cow had claim to good southern food & it was soooooo great!
We both started with a cocktail because if there was ever a day to drink & to celebrate being alive, it was today. I ordered the Chatahoocee Tea made with Whiskey, Peach Puree, Lemon & Honey tea…delish!
We shared the fried goat cheese & fried green tomatoes tower (OMG it was awesome!) & a plate of meatloaf with pineapple casserole &
Both of us were exhausted mentally but the rides always start to take their toll on her body by this time. It was time for bed & to try to get a good nights sleep & hope for a better day tomorrow. This one certainly could have ended worse, & grateful it didn’t, but it was a difficult day. If you want to hear Sherry’s take on it, you can watch it on her youtube channel here.
Day 7 4.16
I’ll just say, today was not a good day either for rattled nerves, huge amounts of traffic, scary moments, & constantly watching for dogs. So, not many photos, but here’s a couple.
I stayed so close behind her or just ahead for most all of the day…only once or twice going 2-3 miles because there was no where for me to pullover. But, when the day was done, we ended up in the cute little town of Warm Springs. Unfortunately, the ride had taken longer & the restaurant we wanted to eat at was closed until dinner time. Everything was closed but the gas station, but I don’t think Sherry would have felt like doing anything anyway. She was in a down mood & it’s so understandable. We had to drive the 50 minutes back to Columbus where we were staying again tonight. So, fairly silently, we packed up the bike & headed back south.
After her shower, a rest & just some down time, we went out for a beer at Scaffow Brewery. Then we went a few blocks to a restaurant that was recommended to us called Animal Farm (it happens to be right next door to the Black Cow). And it was delicious. We ordered cocktails & shared an appetizer. I had the fried chicken with mashed potatoes & collard greens. Really good food!
Tomorrow we’d move north, leaving this yummy food & cute little town behind.
Day 8 4.17
We started this morning driving the 50 minutes back up to Warm Springs & unloaded the bike.This day was better. We were both frazzled & she still wanted me to stay as close as possible. The roads continued to be no shoulders, curvy & two lane, but less crowded….which was great. The dogs I passed all were fenced or leashed up…so no big scares there either.
My view for a lot of the day…either this close behind or just ahead whenever possible.
Maybe Pecan or Peach trees?
Sherry noticed them before I did since I was behind her. We hadn’t seen hardly any bikers since starting this trip, but now she’s run into a whole bike group! It was such a good experience for her & they were so excited to hear about her project. She visited with them for about 15 minutes, got some advice for riding into the big city of Atlanta, advice on crazy dogs & they boosted her morale a 1000%. It was great to stand back & watch her laugh & chat…that hadn’t happened for the past few days. On our Phoenix to New Mexico trip, I was able to find people each day along the route & take a video of them cheering Sherry on with her project. The only people we’ve talked to on this trip have been bartenders & waitstaff….such a different trip from the one in 2023.
After we left this uplifting group of riders, we got stopped & turned around by a stalled train blocking the route. Sherry took off in another direction that led us down a gravel & very bumpy road, but thankfully for only a short distance. As we neared the end to this day, Sherry found a golf cart path & hopped onto for a bit, then it was back on another curvy road. But, while I didn’t like this road for her biking, the speed was only 45 mph, it was a big golf cart community—so maybe they were used to going a bit slower & watching out for small vehicles & there weren’t many huge trucks. I was unable to follow too close to her for the last mile, so we met on a random road just outside of a town called Peach Tree City…known for it’s 100 miles of golf cart paths. I only wished 28 of them went all the way into Atlanta & straight to the Capitol building!
Later in the early evening, we went to the only brewery there called Line Creek. The bartender suggested a place for dinner that was just down the road a bit. So, we sat outside, enjoyed the beer & the beautiful weather.
The Line Creek bartender told us who to ask for at the Curious Pig & we did. Aaron was our server & greeted us with a huge hug…we both happily took it! We ordered a yummy cocktail…mine was a Peachtree Banger, we had fried green tomatoes for an appetizer & I had the fried crab cake sandwich…so good & another hug thrown in at the end of our meal.
Tomorrow would be Sherrys last day of riding ending at the Capitol. She was nervous to be riding through such a big city, but the bike group had given her some suggestions on a good way in. Lets hope it all goes smoothly. We’re so very close.
Day 9 4.18
We were up early & driving back to yesterdays end spot. The road was busy, but she knew she’d catch a small break when another golf cart path was up ahead. She loaded up & hit the road fast…going up hill, curvy road with lots of cars. I couldn’t stay too close but managed to double back & finally find her on the golf path…yay! I knew it wouldn’t last for long, be every little bit gives her a bit of relief.
I stayed as close as I could. Her route took her right around the airport…THE ATLANTA AIRPORT…one of the busiest in the world.
Side note: I’ve driven through Atlanta frequently. Since Sara moved down here 20 years ago, I’ve come down a lot. I detest driving in Atlanta’s traffic. I’ve come through at 2am, also used the bypass very late or very early, just to avoid the mayhem. And, I swear, every single time I come through, no matter the hour, there’s a gazillion cars speeding all over, in & out of lanes, some car is always on fire or there’s a multi car pile up. So, while I was worried about Sherry biking through this crazy traffic town, I was also wondering how I’d get through it, find parking by the Capitol (when I called them to find out about parking they were no help…& because of the enormous bike bag that Sherry ships her bike in, I had my Thule road box on top, preventing me from using any underground garage or any lot that had one of this low swing bars when you enter them). And, I wanted to be there when she arrived to video tape this happy occasion.
So, we’d planned to part ways right past the airport. She’d have 10 more miles to the Capitol building, but a bit of that was on a bike path. She gave me clear directions on what road to take & what highway not to take. Everytime I’d put this into my map app, it would change to try to dump me on the highway. That was frustrating because I knew I had to get there before she did. But we said good bye at the airport, wished each other the best & were happy that the next time we’d meet up, the ride would be over.
So, we both took off. My road wound me through some very nefarious parts of Atlanta…burnt out cars, graffiti covered dilapidated buildings…nothing that looked like I wanted to drive through much less if Sherry was riding her bike through here. So, my worry for her continued. I finally saw the big gold dome in the distance, followed by many many orange cones, giant construction machinery & one way streets. This seems like it always goes this way (I met Sherry in Denver last year when she completed her C2C ride from Santa Fe to Denver & it was exactly all the same challenges. I will say, the Capitol building in Santa Fe, which is obviously my favorite, had easy parking RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE FRONT ENTRANCE & the best private tour & fantastic guide ever. It’s also the most beautiful filled with amazing art from New Mexico. I’m so biased, but I love that state & no Capitol since then has come close to being #1 with me!)
So, twice around the block only to find no street parking, but I did end up finding a lot pretty close (if you wove through all the orange cones, you could get there.) I scrambled up to the Capitol, pulled out my phone to the apps that show me where she was at. She told me which side we’d meet on, but the name of the street didn’t match up. So, when I was deep in study trying to find both the right street & the correct spot, she rode up.
OMG! Yay! I was so grateful & happy to see her safe here at the end. She was smiling & saying she didn’t have to ride through those bad parts & the ride into the city was not bad at all! I was relieved & overjoyed she’d finished this super difficult, scary, harrowing route.
Capitol #9 is done!
Kelly, a friend of hers that happened to be in town, also came to greet her arrival & Sherry was so thrilled to see her!
Usually, after Sherry arrives at a Capitol she takes a tour, learning about the place, its history & gets her Capitol passport stamped. I’d researched the Atlanta Capitol & knew they didn’t give tours unless you were in a big group but you could do a self guided tour until 5pm M-F. But when I pulled open the door to the Public Entrance, I was greeted by a guard coming my way telling me they were closed. The first words out of my mouth were “Oh Shit, you’re kidding me!”. He looked startled & kind of walked me back out towards the entrance. I said, “it doesn’t say anything on your website about being closed today”. He said it was Good Friday & considered a holiday…no explanation for why it wasn’t posted.
So, Sherry was bummed. She went back to the guard just to see if she could get her passport stamped, but it was a definite no. Seems were were even lucky to get inside the gates to take photos. The gate needed to be opened for construction workers, or normally it would be locked tight & all her photos would be with big black fences & gates in the background.
She will get to tour this Capitol in the future though, as she still has Atlanta to Nashville to complete.
We loaded the bike in the 4Runner, then the three of us went to lunch. Sherry was wearing a huge smile on her face…this had been a tough one & I know she was glad it was done….& that she was alive. So, was I.
She had reservations at the Ritz Carlton downtown. I like nice hotels, but I’m not one for super fancy expensive ones. They charge $70 a day for parking & there was no other recommended parking around there. Downtown is known for it’s break in of cars & because I had the Thule on top they couldn’t park it in their garage. There was some long discussion among the valet & us, & I ended up giving him the keys & he said would park it somewhere; maybe in the alley..YIKES!. They said they’d take responsibility for it. But, you all know how much I love my old 4Runner….not easily replaced & if something happened they’d just want to total it out & I could not replace it. Plus, while the Bentley is parked right by the front door, I really wondered how much anyone would care about my 24 year old SUV. But, Sherry didn’t think it was a big deal so I handed over the keys & kept my fingers crossed.
We checked into our fancy room, hauling the bike up to floor #11 (because as secure as she felt my 4Runner would be, she never chose to leave the bike in the car one time on this trip). She had the difficult & hard task of putting her bike back together & loading it in the shipping bag. I know she was exhausted by this time & would rather have not had that chore, but it definitely wasn’t anything I could help her with. But, once done, she showered & we left the room. She had a relative, Jack, that’s a freshman at Georgia Tech & he & a couple of his friends met us in the lobby then walked us across town & through a lovely park to a super fancy ice cream store. Sherry deserved every bite of that wonderful concoction! (Yes, there’s a piece of cheesecake in the middle of it!)
It was so much fun to visit with them all. Then Jack walked us back & we took in the sights for a little bit.
Awesome mural that a local artist has painted & put little hidden doors in the mural. There’s an app that shows you where all the murals are located through out the town…I love stuff like this! But, this was the only one we saw. We’re just here for this evening.
I was fascinated with these triangle shaped buildings.
We walked to our dinner location at Max Logger brewery. It was sooooo good! I had the fried chicken, potatoes & collard greens….when in the south, eat like a southerner!
We finished off our night & celebrated the end of the trip with a cocktail at the hotel bar. It was called Everything Peach…peach whiskey, peach puree, ….not sure what else but it was ‘just peachy’! No seriously, it was delicious!
We tucked into our pretty bed, under soft sheets, in our really nice room & zonked out. Tomorrow wasn’t a sleep in day…we’d be on the move again, but not on the bike. She’s completed this route & can give her body & mind a rest now.
PS: As we walked back to our hotel from dinner, I spied my 4Runner parked on the street right in front of the hotel. I was hoping their security was as good as they said, because right across the street was the parking lot they told me NOT to park it in because of so many break ins. There wasn’t much I could do but hope it would all be good in the morning.
Day 10 4.19
We packed up & left the hotel around 9am….lugging all our stuff & the bike downstairs. And, just like promised, my 4Runner was in front of the hotel under the portico…taking the place where the Bentley had been last night (take that fancy car people!). The valet was the same one we’d talked to the day before & I just wanted to hug him! And, it turns out, he felt bad for making it seem hard to take care of my 4Runner, he waived the ridiculous parking fee. I was happy for Sherry he’d done that, but ever so grateful my Camper was in one piece!
We loaded the bike bag up & all the gear & headed toward the airport. I dropped Sherry off around 9:30, saying good bye, giving hugs & hopes to hike together this summer in Colorado. She was flying back to Denver & I had a 6.5 hour drive back to Orlando. I made it out of town easy-peasy, then stopped for coffee & filled up with gas, put on an audio book & headed south!
Danny & I have a very crazy travel schedule ahead of us & he was supposed to have left town yesterday headed to his lakehouse in Missouri. But, he’d decided to postpone his trip, watch the girls softball game today & take me to dinner tonight! (The weather was supposed to be sucky at the lake, so I think that might have swayed his decision, but I was happy no matter what the reason!)
So, once home, I unpacked, threw in laundry, kissed the cat & Danny & I went out to a new to us That restaurant & sat & caught up. It was super great. Then out for a new stout at our local brewery, then home to bake a couple of pies & make butterhorns for tomorrows dinner. I’d see the girls then when we go to Saras for a nice holiday dinner. It was good to be home.
rAnDoM thoughts & happenings…
A Jesus Parade
As we drove to our swanky hotel in downtown Atlanta the street was blocked & traffic was at a standstill. There was sort of a parade…Good Friday parade? There were Roman soldiers flogging a bloody Jesus-dressed-type guy & some others carrying a cross. They did this little performance with each other while standing next to cops, under traffic lights, amongst honking horns & right in front of the Ritz Carlton. It was very strange.
On Being a Logistics Queen for these Capitol to Capitol rides…
I am so happy for Sherry to be one step closer to her goal & completing this project. I was a worrier on the last trip, but it was nothing compared to this one. She had never come so close to being gravely hurt as she had this time. Road biking is not for the faint of heart…& she is one tough woman. Which is why when you see someone so rocked, scared & shaken, that isn’t easily any of those things, it’s awful. And, that sheds concern to the ride everyday. I have so much admiration for her. You can throw mountains, giant hills, big elevation, heat, cold & rain at her, & she will plow through it. But none of those things can shake you up like being hit by a vehicle. She is so mentally tough & I watched her everyday start over, go out with a good attitude or at the very least say "it was going to be a good day" whether or not she felt those words in her heart. Definitely tons of admiration for this woman! And I will always, always root for her to achieve her goal!
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