Rose Pedals . . .: I May Be a Fool, But I'm Headed to Georgia

Day 23

Monday, October 3, 2011
Greenville, Alabama to Eufaula, Alabama
111 miles
4,900 ft. of climbing

The most amazing thing I saw today? Gas priced at $3.15 per gallon! It's good to be on the bike, though, even with the availability of "cheap" gas. Today was another extraordinarily stupendous day of cycling. Cool morning (about 48 degrees) - clear, sunny and a very pleasant 80 degrees by the early afternoon. Our route contained a fair amount of climbing, but it was pretty evenly distributed throughout the 111 miles. Another day of rolling terrain; rollers of various sizes, heights and grades. There were a couple of really big ones in the beginning of the ride - the kind where you look up the road and it looks like the road folds up into a wall. But once you actually get on the climb, it's never as difficult or steep as it looks from a distance. That's what the little chain ring is for, I always say. As per usual, dog chases took place at various junctures. For something completely different, however . . . I saw a cat today. It did not chase me or acknowledge my presence in any way. Stopped at a gas station/convenience store to use the facilities and had several local people ask about our ride. I must have spent ten minutes answering questions about where we started, where we've been and how long we've been on the road. People have been so friendly - genuine and kind. The funniest quote of the day, though, goes to a man with whom one of my fellow riders, John, had a brief conversation. John was riding by a house where an older (and incidentally, corpulent) man was sitting on the porch. I assume this man had seen a few of us ride by and was curious. As John rode by, the man asked him where he was going. John enthusiastically replied, "Savannah!" The man responded, incredulously, "That's in Georgia, fool!" It's stuff like that which makes this ride so special. The scenery today was, again, spectacular. I'm doing my best to try to appreciate and remember every mile of this trip, because . . . well, that's what it's all about!