Long Route-Rally Day #2: 55.11 miles
Comments: Ride Time was 3 hours 52 minutes, average speed: 14.1
After a full breakfast at the Hotel, we all gathered for the 9:00 a.m. mass start. Dennis and I chose to bike the long route of 55 miles today. The sun was shining and the temperature was in the mid 50’s at ride start and warmed into the 80’s by ride’s end. We were to bike on the Natchez Trace Parkway for 11 of the 55 miles which would include a rest stop at the Culbert Ferry site—mile post 327. It was at this site that Chickasaw George Colbert operated a stand and ferry in the early 1800’s. Jack Gertz, our rally host, greeted us here with a truck full of snacks and beverages.
The Next surprise on our journey was Tom’s Wall. The wall appeared as we exited off the Trace and Tom Hendrix was there to tell us his tale. He has been building a stone wall for over 30 years in memory of his great-great-grandmother’s journey. She was part of the Yuchi Indian tribe living in this area along the Tennessee River in the 1800’s. Her journey began when she and her sister were sent to the Indian Territory of Oklahoma as part of the removal of native peoples ordered by President Andrew Jackson (the Trail of Tears). After spending one winter in Oklahoma, she decided to head back home. Tom’s grandmother told him the stories of his great-great-grandmother and later in life Tom knew he needed to do something to honor her memory. An elder Yuchi tribe member told him that “All things shall pass. Only the stones will remain.” It was then that Tom knew what he needed to do. He continues to build the wall and welcomes travelers to stop by for a visit.
The next item on our agenda was lunch being held on the University Campus of Northern Alabama. A variety of food was served including soup, salad, vegetables, fruits and dessert. We dined with Bill & Marsha, Beth & Pat and Sally & Gary. Following lunch, we were directed to visit the cage of the UNA lion. I was expecting statues and was surprised to find the note was referring to real lions. We then pedaled the 6 miles remaining back to our hotel. Today’s route was fantastic! Many unique sites to see, great roads to follow and the friendly company of 100 tandem teams—awesome!
Comments: Ride Time was 3 hours 52 minutes, average speed: 14.1
After a full breakfast at the Hotel, we all gathered for the 9:00 a.m. mass start. Dennis and I chose to bike the long route of 55 miles today. The sun was shining and the temperature was in the mid 50’s at ride start and warmed into the 80’s by ride’s end. We were to bike on the Natchez Trace Parkway for 11 of the 55 miles which would include a rest stop at the Culbert Ferry site—mile post 327. It was at this site that Chickasaw George Colbert operated a stand and ferry in the early 1800’s. Jack Gertz, our rally host, greeted us here with a truck full of snacks and beverages.
The Next surprise on our journey was Tom’s Wall. The wall appeared as we exited off the Trace and Tom Hendrix was there to tell us his tale. He has been building a stone wall for over 30 years in memory of his great-great-grandmother’s journey. She was part of the Yuchi Indian tribe living in this area along the Tennessee River in the 1800’s. Her journey began when she and her sister were sent to the Indian Territory of Oklahoma as part of the removal of native peoples ordered by President Andrew Jackson (the Trail of Tears). After spending one winter in Oklahoma, she decided to head back home. Tom’s grandmother told him the stories of his great-great-grandmother and later in life Tom knew he needed to do something to honor her memory. An elder Yuchi tribe member told him that “All things shall pass. Only the stones will remain.” It was then that Tom knew what he needed to do. He continues to build the wall and welcomes travelers to stop by for a visit.
The next item on our agenda was lunch being held on the University Campus of Northern Alabama. A variety of food was served including soup, salad, vegetables, fruits and dessert. We dined with Bill & Marsha, Beth & Pat and Sally & Gary. Following lunch, we were directed to visit the cage of the UNA lion. I was expecting statues and was surprised to find the note was referring to real lions. We then pedaled the 6 miles remaining back to our hotel. Today’s route was fantastic! Many unique sites to see, great roads to follow and the friendly company of 100 tandem teams—awesome!
After cleaning up to get ready for the evening banquette, we had some spare time and decided to check out the 360 Bar and Restaurant on the Marriott property. This revolving tower allowed us to view the town of Florence with the Tennessee River gently flowing by—a beautiful view! Robert, our bartender, was a friendly fellow. He was proud to share a picture of his fiancé and his plans of moving to Brazil after the wedding. We were on a tight schedule so we said good-bye to Robert and continued our walk towards our evening social event. We dined with our friends from lunch and everyone enjoyed the food. Following our meal, we were entertained by the sounds of the Muscle Shoals music along with an historical narrative—a very enjoyable evening. I don’t think we could have packed another event into this busy day.
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