Day 28 - Sponsored by Mark Steele

Today was back to work after a fun weekend sightseeing in Tennessee. One day when climbing a pretty good size hill, a motorists yelled across the road from his car: "Looks like hard work!" And that's what it is, but at the same time a great deal of fun with an important mission. So back to hard work is really not so bad! Chaim and I went our separate ways in Cleveland, TN after an AAA stop, where I picked up some maps and a Trip Ticket to the Blue Ridge Parkway. Cycling the main roads here is a lot more hazardous I was told, and I found that to be very true. This single lane scenic highway I was on, with very little shoulder, going East to Asheville had a lot of commercial traffic, which in general was very polite and patient sharing the road. But one irate trucker cut me off after blasting his horn, and then threw a half empty soda can out the passenger window, fortunately missing me by a long shot.

The road passed by a dam supplying white energy for Chattanooga, and several lakes, and for a long time paralleled a river, interspersed with boulders, causing white water rapids. The sun was bright but overshadowed by large trees on both sides of the road and the later afternoon saw some relieve of traffic, which made the ride much more enjoyable. As I was looking for a place to pitch a tent, and none was in sight, and threatening rainclouds were rolling towards my direction, I found refuge in a road side motel in Ducktown, TN. The minute I closed the door behind me, the sky opened up and rainfall flooded the pavement.