Jeff,
Thanks for the heads-up on your added recap sections.
I plan every destination/every turn before I head out. You plan nothing. That impresses me no end! That, along with your daily mileage, your report writing skills, your photography, your unique way of seeing things, . . .
Looking forward to next year's report(s).
Jeff

Hi Bob,

Thanks for following along on my little trip. I'm glad you enjoyed my humble efforts at documenting it. It's cold here now (cold by Kentucky standards, anyway), and I'm daydreaming about another tour in 2023 when it warms up.

Jeff

Hey Jeff!

I'm sorry I'm just now replying to your comment. I revisited my journal the last couple of days to add a recap section, and relive some of the memories of what ended up being a fun trip.

Thanks for reading!
Jeff

Hey Kelly,

Yes, I much prefer to tour in the most non-touristy places I can find: Much less traffic (a big consideration of mine), cheaper lodging, cheaper food (with some exceptions), but primarily it's because I just think it's more interesting.

Part of it is that I enjoy interacting with local people for whom I'm something of a novelty, and who aren't jaded by the constant presence of tourists. It helps that I'm curious by nature, and seem to always find interesting people or sights in the most stereotypically dull places. Of course, I've been told more than once that I have a very low bar for what is "interesting." ;)

I've always enjoyed reading your journals, but I also think that doing all the pre-planning would be a bummer for me.

I think I'll do another tour next year, and see how my spontaneous approach works. If I get into trouble on the tour, or even if it's just not fun, or is stressful, I'll be sure to document that as faithfully as I can.

Jeff

There are advantages in touring in out of the way locales. It seems we tend to go through tourist areas where we need to have reservations far in advance. This past summer, Oren didn't decide to join us until early March. Even with three months advance notice, there were a couple of places lodging was already full and we had to double up.

We allow $150. a night average. Anything in our area under $100. is downright suspicious and falls into your 'see it before I book it category'.

I"d love to have your spontaneity, I'm Type A all the way!

Thanks! Sometimes I wonder, when I'm taking a lot of pictures on a bike tour, whether anyone else will enjoy them, so it's nice to hear the occasional affirmation ;)

Whenever I see milkweed pods, it's a flashback to my childhood.

Thanks for reading!

Another really enjoyable ride... thanks for sharing!

It wasn't too bad. It was worth the occasional dusting to ride without traffic the vast majority of the time.

Really, I wouldn't have been bothered at all by even the rough gravel roads if I hadn't been carrying a laptop in my pannier. I was occasionally worried that I'd break it on some of the rough roads.

Thanks, John!

And thanks for your routing suggestions. The Kansas route you suggested worked out well!

Jeff

Hi Ruth!

Did I mention that County F32 was hilly? I think I chose it once for all the reasons you did and had about the same reaction.

Give my love to Joy - and congratulations!

This reminds me of Douglas Coulter's "Fall of Man" tour journal, over on that other site. Worth a look, if you have the time.

"I never thought, when I was in high school in 1984, that anyone would be listening to a song as lame as 'Take On Me' nearly 40 years later."

That has become the unofficial Seventh Inning Stretch tune of the Washington Nationals, something of a tribute to Mike Morse, a former and much-loved Nationals player. Given their abysmally bad performance this season, I am in hopes they'll retire it in favor of something - almost *ANYTHING* - else.