On to Americus

The day started off with four packages of instant oatmeal at my camp site in Kolomoki Mounds State Park. I'm OK with oatmeal, but it's not my favorite breakfast. I'm probably going to simply hate it by the time the trip is through. After packing everything up, I hit the road and didn't get out of the saddle until I was past Cuthbert, GA, 26 miles later. I found a little diner on the side of the road, so I decided to get a little more of a breakfast in me. While I was stopped there, a truck driver named Melvin Richardson (or maybe Richison?) that was headed from San Diego, CA, to Albany, GA, struck up conversation with me. When I told him what I was doing, he said that not enough people do good things for the world, and proceeded to pick up my tab. We chatted a bit, then parted ways. About eight or nine miles down the road he caught up to me, slowed way down so he could greet me through his window, and kept on rolling. A whole lot nicer than the guy that ran me off the road yesterday.

As I pulled in to Dawson, GA, I met a man on the side of the road that was just taking a walk during his lunch break. He asked if I was with the other two cyclists that had just come through town with bags on their bikes. Honestly, I'm in the-middle-of-no-where, GA, far from any kind of cycling route that I'm familiar with, and I just missed two loaded cyclists by about an hour? Apparently they came in to town the same way, but were turning south from there to go to Albany, GA. Anyway, I asked this man on the side of the road where I could take a break and maybe get a bite to eat for lunch. He directed me to a little buffet in town. I just biked 50 miles, of course I'm looking for a buffet! It was one trip through, as much as you can fit on your plate, for $6.50. That's a heck of a deal if you ask me. It even came with all the sweet tea a guy can drink. Needless to say, I left there a bit logged down with sweet tea. After that I only pulled over once to fill my water bottles and kept on going to Americus, GA, where I would have an air conditioned bedroom waiting for me.

Upon arrival, I introduced myself to the housemate that happened to be home and then jumped into a cold shower. After the shower, I collapsed onto the floor below a ceiling fan and waited for my friend Alyssa to get back from work. Lucky for me there was a potluck with other Habitat for Humanity workers that evening, so I was once again fed quite well.

The Habitat workers were a friendly bunch, and many of us went to a softball game that evening. Habitat has a team in the church league in Americus, so some of my new acquaintances were participating. It was an entertaining game, but unfortunately Habitat didn't come out on top. After the game I got to talk to some of the workers that are about to take a cycling trip organized through Habitat. I'm hoping to talk more with some of them tomorrow. There's a chance we'll both be in Washington, DC, at the same time during our respective trips. It'd be cool to bump into that group. Their trip is going from Niagra Falls, NY, to New Orleans, LA. I think their trip sounds like a lot of fun. They'll cover 70 miles a day for 5 days a week (gear carried by a truck/van) and there are currently 30 registered riders. I think it'd be awesome to have a group like that.

Now for a day (or two, depending on the U.S. Postal Service) off the bike in Americus, GA.