AL TN KY (10/24/23 Tue)

Calm evening at the ferry crossing park. A few cars drive through during the night, and an animal or two but I was undisturbed. Seemed to warm up before dawn, as I shed the down quilt for just the cotton liner. Took some pictures of sunrise over the bridge crossing the Tennesee River, while making and drinking coffee. Back on the Natchez Trace Parkway by 0820.

I stopped where Lewis, of Lewis and Clark fame ended his life and was burried. The Caverns of their name in Montana that I visited earlier this year was named after them, but they passed by them without finding the cave system. Apparently Lewis died by gunshot, presumed a suicide. I know it's getting a bit old now, but I didn't die on the Natchez Trace. It may really have been the safest road I've been on all year.

Picked City Limits Bakery & Cafe in Nashville, TN for breakfast. That was a good choice. Hoping my next choices of routes are half as good as the NTP. Today's plan is to head into north into KY, then turn east and eventually through WV and into VA. My current thinking is that I'll end someplace in KY tonight. I'm not really trying too hard to find things to stop at on my way home, as it's been a month and I'm close enough that I can ride back to this area on a future 9 day vaca. On my route home I may try to pass through both DE and RI, as they are normally just bypassed.

Had to do a lot of Route shaping to keep the gps from running me east through TN and then up Rt81 through VA. I stopped to get water just before crossing from TN into KY. A local was concerned about my front tire. He thinks the odd wear is from some sort of turned inner belt. It looks normal to me, as the dual compound front tire gets an odd ridge near the end. I'm much more worried about my clunking chain that needs oiling every day, or my worn out rear tire. Just a hint of tread left down the center, and I'm expecting it to last me 2 or 3 more days.

Apparently foliage and I have crossed paths again. Todays riding was mostly through non-green foliage. Kentucky seems to have opened up the view a it more. New England claims to have the best, but some of these with feilds in the forground are pretty hard to beat.

Stopped for ribs at the Black Stallion Steak House in Monticello, KY. I'll need to take a photo on my way out, because I'm parked at the hitching post for horses or motorcycles. I thought it was kind of funny, and decided I should join the joke.

Since I have a lot of KY left to go, I'm still betting I'll land in KY to sleep tonight. But I've stopped at 1600 and I'll probably ride at least another hour after eating.

Not sure how long I rode for, but managed to ride into a pretty cool spot after dark. Clayton Geneva Memorial Campground in Williamsburg, KY. Nice new twisty pavement half way there, then older perfectly good pavement. There is a sign infront of a cornfield with a road each side of it. I took the 2nd road, but I suspect they both reach the house behind the field. Cash, Paypal or Venmo, $20. Then you ride down gravel switchbacks to the river behind the house. Really nice camping along the river and one tier higher up. Some readers would NOT have liked the road to the river. Wifi on the riverbank, and a porta-potty. Up top they have camper sites and can also accomidate horses. They mention something about "Welcome KAT riders", I suspect it's an offroad trail. The very red sunset on foliage was really pretty, I took a few photos of it.

Leaving dinner I had the fuel supply bucking problem again, and opening the fuel cap (via spare key) didn't solve it. Nor did a quick power off. I was close to gas, so I filled up and rode off into more remote areas without any further issue. Well my chain is noisy, but that's an entirely different issue. I really suspect bad gas, but the tank that just failed was from shell, and the one before that I ran low was from a Velero. Thinking maybe I might add half a tank of regular as a dry gas like boost. I haven't found any drygas down south.