Total Trip Distance: 2480.29

Lucille:

May 24  - Saturday - I really enjoyed my exploring today.  After leaving the motel, I headed out Highway 142.  The first place I planned to visit was a place where handmade brooms were made.  That was something I hadn't seen before.  When I saw the sign for it, I drove up a curved gravel driveway, and at the top was a private home.  I thought I had taken a wrong turn and was turning around to leave when a man came out, and indeed this was the broom place.  The man told me that members of his family had been making handmade brooms for 300 years.  He travels all over to various shows to sell his brooms and also ships them all over the U.S.  The disappointing thing was that he had just returned from a show and all of his stuff was packed in his truck, and he needed to leave right away to take his wife somewhere so he couldn't show me the broom operation.  He invited me to come back another day when everything would be out, but I won't be able to do that.  I got back on 142 and drove to Shiloh National Military Park/Battlefield, the site of a fierce Civil War battle.  It was a very very beautiful place.  I spent a couple of hours there.  There was an introductory video that explained the history of the site and then there was a self-guided driving tour of the battlefields.  There was a lot of heartache resulting from that war.  When I left Shiloh, I drove to Savannah, TN,  visited the Tennessee River Museum there and looked around the town..  I continued heading east and found Tom changing a flat tire, his second of the day.  I waited until he was on his way again and then headed for Lawrenceburg and checked into our motel, the Regency Inn.  We ate a good meal tonight at Chaparral Steak House.

Tennessee River at Savannah, TN

The landscape was more wooded today.

Day Thirty - 5/24/2003

Graves everywhere were decorated for Memorial Day.

Selmer, TN to Lawrenceburg, TN 83 miles.  The route started at 500 feet and ascended to 900 feet at Lawrenceburg. There were many hills on the route varying from a low of 400 feet to a height of 1075 feet.

Clear running creek

TOM:

Day 30 – The route started at 500 feet and ascended to 900 feet at Lawrenceburg.   The road was very good at the start with 4 lanes, a wide shoulder for biking and it was smooth.  After 32 miles the shoulder disappeared or was greatly reduced.  This section was 20 miles long. One good thing, there were many hills and almost all had an extra passing lane going uphill.  The last 31 miles were the best of all.  The road was wide with a good shoulder. There was a slight downhill and a slight wind from behind.  Except for the hills, it was perfect.  The hills went from a low point of 400 feet to the highest point of 1075 feet.  The average speed was 12.9 mph and it took 6 hours and 24 minutes.  At the start, there were many birds singing on both sides of the road to provide entertainment. The weather was perfect, not too hot and a clear sky with only a slight wind.  About halfway along the route the hills began.  This area had little or no farms.  It was more forested with the creeks running with clear water instead of the muddy water seen near the Mississippi River. The last third of today's route was again flat but at an elevation of 900 to 800 feet.  This area had many farms growing hay and grain for their cattle.  I also noticed that the armadillos have invaded Tennessee.  Three were seen as road kill yesterday and today.  I was surprised to see them in Arkansas and did not expect to see any in Tennessee.  It was a beautiful day and a great day for biking.