September 9th
Woke up to a very foggy morning and got my stuff all packed up for the days ride. As I was getting ready to head out one of the workers for Elk River Canoe Rental showed up. Shane told me that Ben, the owner of E.R.C.R. would be there soon so I hung out for a bit. After hanging out on the porch with Shane for a little bit Ben showed up and was very kind as well. Ben offered me a free float trip and was really interested in my bike ride. I couldn't turn down a kayak trip down the Elk River and Ben even threw in a 6 pack of Coors from his house and gave me a nice hat! I got dropped off by Chase up river after a scenic drive to drop off some other nice folks out for a canoe trip. Everybody was incredibly friendly and it felt great to get out on the river! I had perfect weather and saw several turtles and a couple of great blue herons. It was very relaxing and a nice change of pace from bicycling all summer. After I got back to the cabin/campground I decided not to bike today and hang out instead. Ben gave me two awesome shirts and some stickers! I hung out with the workers on the cabin porch all day drinking beers and having fun. Some of us went out to dinner at a local bar and Ben paid for my dinner and drinks. The spicy burger was delicious by the way! Ben also made donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation as well as asked others to contribute to the cause. I was introduced to many people all of which were very nice. I can't speak highly enough about the town of Kelso, TN!! Also can't thank you enough for everything Ben and Elk River Canoe Rental!!!
http://www.elkrivercanoes.com/
Woke up to a very foggy morning and got my stuff all packed up for the days ride. As I was getting ready to head out one of the workers for Elk River Canoe Rental showed up. Shane told me that Ben, the owner of E.R.C.R. would be there soon so I hung out for a bit. After hanging out on the porch with Shane for a little bit Ben showed up and was very kind as well. Ben offered me a free float trip and was really interested in my bike ride. I couldn't turn down a kayak trip down the Elk River and Ben even threw in a 6 pack of Coors from his house and gave me a nice hat! I got dropped off by Chase up river after a scenic drive to drop off some other nice folks out for a canoe trip. Everybody was incredibly friendly and it felt great to get out on the river! I had perfect weather and saw several turtles and a couple of great blue herons. It was very relaxing and a nice change of pace from bicycling all summer. After I got back to the cabin/campground I decided not to bike today and hang out instead. Ben gave me two awesome shirts and some stickers! I hung out with the workers on the cabin porch all day drinking beers and having fun. Some of us went out to dinner at a local bar and Ben paid for my dinner and drinks. The spicy burger was delicious by the way! Ben also made donation to the Make-A-Wish Foundation as well as asked others to contribute to the cause. I was introduced to many people all of which were very nice. I can't speak highly enough about the town of Kelso, TN!! Also can't thank you enough for everything Ben and Elk River Canoe Rental!!!
http://www.elkrivercanoes.com/
Misty morning
Elk River Canoe Rental - Kelso, TN
Thanks again Brubar! Your energy bars have really helped me out on the trip!
http://brubar.com/
Love my new hat! :)
September 10th
Had a relaxing morning hanging out with the boys in the porch. Ben gave me a nice new knife that someone had left behind at Elk River Canoe Rental, thanks again Ben!! Hargrove stocked me up on snacks and gave a donation for Make-A-Wish, thanks Hargrove!! After hanging out for a bit I said goodbye to everyone and started the ride. I was sad to leave my new friends but I plan to re-visit Kelso again someday down the road. It was a beautiful day in the upper 70's, sunny, and I had the wind at my back. It doesn't get much better than that! I made a stop in the town of Winchester, TN to do laundry and get on some Wifi. I emailed the Bear Hollow Resort in Monteagle, TN and asked about a room for the evening. Just a few minutes later I received a call from Elaine and Jim, the owners of the resort and they said they would donate a cottage to me for night! After my laundry was done I biked up a mountain passing through the really cool town of Cowan. After climbing for a while I took a break at an overlook and met Michael and Dawn. After they learned I was on a bicycle they offered me a ride the rest of the way up the mountain. I couldn't turn it down as they were very nice people and the climb was pretty dangerous and tough with little to no shoulder and a lot of blind curves. Michael and Dawn dropped me off at the top in Monteagle and we talked for a bit and took some pictures. They even gave me a $20 donation. Thanks again Michael and Dawn, really nice to meet you both!!! I got a tasty dinner and cold beer at the Modern Tavern and then headed down the road to the Bear Hollow Resort. After meeting the very friendly owners Elaine and Jim they gave me keys to the Rupert Cottage. The cottage was very nice and cozy! I really enjoyed having the kitchen and a really nice bed, just what I needed after camping for a few days. Thanks again Bear Hollow Resort!!! After taking a much needed shower I walked next door to South Cumberland State Park and took a short hike just before sunset. Spent the evening relaxing in the cozy cottage, felt great! What a wonderful day filled with excellent weather, beautiful scenery, and amazing people!
http://www.bearhollowtn.net/
Had a relaxing morning hanging out with the boys in the porch. Ben gave me a nice new knife that someone had left behind at Elk River Canoe Rental, thanks again Ben!! Hargrove stocked me up on snacks and gave a donation for Make-A-Wish, thanks Hargrove!! After hanging out for a bit I said goodbye to everyone and started the ride. I was sad to leave my new friends but I plan to re-visit Kelso again someday down the road. It was a beautiful day in the upper 70's, sunny, and I had the wind at my back. It doesn't get much better than that! I made a stop in the town of Winchester, TN to do laundry and get on some Wifi. I emailed the Bear Hollow Resort in Monteagle, TN and asked about a room for the evening. Just a few minutes later I received a call from Elaine and Jim, the owners of the resort and they said they would donate a cottage to me for night! After my laundry was done I biked up a mountain passing through the really cool town of Cowan. After climbing for a while I took a break at an overlook and met Michael and Dawn. After they learned I was on a bicycle they offered me a ride the rest of the way up the mountain. I couldn't turn it down as they were very nice people and the climb was pretty dangerous and tough with little to no shoulder and a lot of blind curves. Michael and Dawn dropped me off at the top in Monteagle and we talked for a bit and took some pictures. They even gave me a $20 donation. Thanks again Michael and Dawn, really nice to meet you both!!! I got a tasty dinner and cold beer at the Modern Tavern and then headed down the road to the Bear Hollow Resort. After meeting the very friendly owners Elaine and Jim they gave me keys to the Rupert Cottage. The cottage was very nice and cozy! I really enjoyed having the kitchen and a really nice bed, just what I needed after camping for a few days. Thanks again Bear Hollow Resort!!! After taking a much needed shower I walked next door to South Cumberland State Park and took a short hike just before sunset. Spent the evening relaxing in the cozy cottage, felt great! What a wonderful day filled with excellent weather, beautiful scenery, and amazing people!
http://www.bearhollowtn.net/
Chase, Ben, Me, and Hargrove
Murphy and Me
Heading towards the mountain
Curvy mountain roads
The view
Dawn and Michael
Barbecue pork, cheese, sour cream and onion stuffed potatoes, wow!
Thanks Bear Hollow Resort
The Rupert Cottage
The yard at the Bear Hollow Resort
September 11th
Beautiful Park!!
Home Sweet Home
September 12th
At 1:30 in the morning I awoke to the biggest thunderstorm of the trip! There was deafening thunder, a ton of lightning, and torrential downpours. It was exciting and I pondered leaving my tent for some safer shelter but decided to take my chances with the storm. The thunder and rain were so loud I couldn't fall back asleep for a while but it eventually passed and I fell asleep. When I woke up in the morning my tent had leaked a little bit but not much but everything else was soaked. I spent the morning drying stuff out and then went out for a really nice hike. I stopped at the park general store for a coffee, nice luxury in a state park! The weather was perfect and I checked out 3 of the waterfalls in the park, all very beautiful. Fall Creek Falls is the highest waterfall in the Eastern United States at 256 feet! I had been here with some friends many years ago and was excited to re-visit such a beautiful part of the country. If you are ever in the Smoky Mountains I would suggest a side trip to Fall Creek Falls, especially if you like to hike! I visited the nature center, walked across the very fun swinging bridge and spent several hours hiking around the park. When I got back to my bike I headed over to the park restaurant and ate at the soup and salad bar. Another nice park luxury! I decided I would head out of the park to Pikeville, TN and get a campsite for the night. After climbing a couple pretty big hills I got to go down the mountain into Pikeville. The 10 mile downhill was a blast with a nice 6% grade and fun curves! When I arrived in Pikeville it was starting to get dark and I could not find anywhere to camp. I eventually set up my tent on the lawn of a Methodist church. It was actually a pretty nice spot to camp and nobody bothered me. When I uploaded my pictures from the day I found out that somehow almost all of my photos from Fall Creek Falls were deleted. That was such a bummer because I know I had some really good ones of the waterfalls. I guess I will have to go back sometime soon and re-do the hike!
Fall Creek Falls Lake
The super fun suspension bridge
soup and salad bar - yay!
Old school house
Taking a break
Saw this on my way to Pikeville
Fun curvy downhill ride!
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