If you’ve been keeping up with my workout log, or if you’ve taken a peek at the new travelogue I’ve been writing, then you know that I’m planning on taking a short bicycle tour next month. It’s been 13 years since I went on a bicycle tour and I’m overdue.
I don’t know how to explain the feeling exactly, but there’s simply nothing like pedaling your bike down the open roads to places unknown. My last tour was in Europe and I spent 6 months riding from Ireland to Portugal. The first two months were spent riding with a childhood friend and the last 4 months were I went solo. It was a life altering experience and one that I’ll treasure forever. That tour was done just after I graduated from College, which was the one and only time that I could have taken such a trip. I was old enough to know how to stay out of most trouble, but not too old not to take a little risk. It was also the only time where I wasn’t saddled with responsibility and could afford those six months. Quite frankly, it was the most freedom that I’ve ever known.
Now that I’m married and have a house and a business to run, finding time to pamper myself with a bicycle trip is hard to find. Holly isn’t quite into bicycling like I am, so the idea of spending our vacation on a bike doesn’t appeal to her all that much. I’m working on it though. 🙂 As I sat back and dreamed of trips I could take, and places I could roam, it became apparent that the key was to find something close that could be done in just a few days. that’s when I remembered that the Natchez Trace begins right here in Nashville!
The plan is to leave on Thursday, November 13th and ride from Nashville to Jackson, Mississippi in 4 days. I don’t think I’ll make it all the way to Jackson, but regardless of how far I get, Holly will come pick me up on Sunday where ever I happen to be on the Trace. There’s plenty of free campgrounds and it’s all one big National Park system. As far as adventure goes, it’s fairly low on the “extreme” chart, but it’s a good first tour. I’ve invited a few friends along and if they can make the trip that would be great. If they can’t, I’ll simply go solo.
If you’d like to read more about the trip, please check out the travelogue that I created for it. I’ve begun the travelogue in advance of the trip itself, so you can see how I’m preparing and all the background information on the trip. If you’d like to read all about my daily training rides as I prepare my body for long distance self-supported touring, then check out my workout log. Oh, and if you have a bicycle and you’re interested in taking the tour with me, consider yourself invited. 😀