Day 81: Crossville, TN

Day 81

August 5, 2015

Miles: 43

Cookeville to Crossville

Di and I arose at 7am this morning and partook of the free breakfast offered by the Holiday Inn.  The free breakfasts we've been having lately come at a good price, but we're getting a little tired of the same bagel and microwaved cheese omelet.  I'm itching to try one of the many Waffle Houses we've seen along the way.

Di trying to look enthusiastic about an uninspiring meal

I was feeling much improved compared to the last two days, but even so, I wanted to lighten my load a bit.  I found this can of tuna in my panniers that I've been carrying around for the last six of seven weeks and decided to toss it.  It didn't amount to much in terms of weight, but it was significant that I got rid of something I thought I no longer needed.  It has been a long time since we were carrying anything we didn't need and lightening our load that tiny bit got us to thinking about reassessing everything we are carrying.  We wondered if we really need our camping gear anymore.  Its been a while since we camped out and it would be wonderful to ship back home our tent, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, stove, and mess kit.  It would be a lot easier to climb the Blue Ridge Mountains if we were to unload all that weight.

Goodbye old friend

I guess we're not on friendly terms anymore

We were on the road by 8:45 and a few miles later were climbing Buck Mountain.  Buck Mountain just keeps on going until after 12 miles of riding you have reached the top.  The top is actually a plateau that we will stay on for at least another day.  It was strange to climb all that way and not have a descent - usually, we go up, over, and down a mountain.

Di resting in the shade after a particularly tough stretch of climbing

Lawn furniture along the road up Buck Mountain

We needed a number of breaks to get to the top of Buck

After 18 miles, we stopped in the town of Monterey for lunch.  It was just a little after 11am, but Di and I decided that overall we haven't been eating enough, so we are going to start seizing more food opportunities.

Tuna fish sandwiches and a side of beans.

The name of the restaurant was called Ben Anna's and is named after the owner's grandchildren.  She, her husband, her sister, and her daughter all work at the restaurant.  Of course, everybody who came in to the place all knew each other and Di and I got to talk to every one of them.  One of the customers who sat down next us asked us about our ride and then told us about a biking experience he had a short while ago.  "I was riding my bike down the center of town and a car full of kids came by and one of the kids through an apple and hit me in the back of the head.  Well, I called the police and when they came to take my statement, they told me I was a victim of a drive by fruiting."  All the regulars in the restaurant groaned, but I thought that was pretty funny.  His name is Ken and he is a retired policeman.  He grew up in Monterey but left for 26 years while he worked in the police force, often as a motorcycle patrolman.  Ken: "How can you tell the motorcycle and bicycle patrolmen apart.  The bicycle patrolmen all have chapped lips.  Why?  Because they spend their day pedaling and yelling "Vroom! Vroom!"  Ken said he knows all the cops in Tennessee.  He gave us his card and said if we show it to the police it is sure to get us out of any trouble.  I said, "Like a get out of jail free card?"  "Exactly", he said.  He warned us the card won't do us any good once we leave Tennessee.

Ken with Di

I forgot to mention Ben Anna's also sold Schwinn bikes

We resumed riding around 12:30 and maybe it was the dark clouds, or the lightening, or the thunder, but we couldn't help but think it might rain.  We holed up in a Burger King for a while, but even though we could see lightening and hear thunder, it never really rained.  So we decided to start riding again and, naturally, it started to rain.  You are never far from a church in Tennessee, so we were able to find one pretty quickly and wait out the rain under cover.

Di keeping dry on the church porch

Di happy she is dry

I'm happy, too

It rained hard for about 30 minutes.  We waited until the roads had lost their runoff and started riding again.  The storm clouds were still over us and we thought it might rain at any time, so we just rode straight through to Crossville.  We arrived at our hotel at 4:30pm and 15 minutes later the heavy rains began.  We know we have been very lucky with rain so far on this trip and were glad that our luck continued today.  The first thing Di did when we got in the hotel room is to throw away two boxes of Mac'N Cheese she has been carrying since Jen and Ben bought them in Gunnison.  They, like the can of tuna fish, don't weigh much, but she was very satisfied about tossing them.

So long, Annie

We walked a couple of blocks to a fancy restaurant that is part of the Chestnut Hill Winery.  I had a glass of their Chardonnay and Di a glass of their Merlot.  We ordered the chicken, barley, and mushroom soup as appetizers.  For our entrees, Di ordered the pork chops and I the rack of lamb.  It had been a while since we had a fine dining experience that we were a little giddy when the waitress came with her tray holding our wine and bowls of soup.  "Wow", she said, "I don't often see people so excited to get their food!"  I explained that we had, in fact, eaten in a fine dining environment before, its just that we like good food and we get too little of it on our bike adventure.  I hope she bought it.

Fine dining is mighty fine

Tomorrow we off, to a destination I would reveal to you if Di wasn't sleeping.  I know we are going to Oak Ridge, but that may be the next day's destination.