Day Four: Dickson, Tennessee to Collinwood, Tennessee

October 13, 2021

I was up and waiting for the complimentary "hot breakfast" as soon as it was ready at the Hampton Inn. I wanted to get as much as my money's worth as I could after I spent way too much on my room there.

(Joy can see where I'm riding because I use the Strava app's "Beacon" feature on my phone. When I called her yesterday to tell her I was stopping for the day, she was able to see that I was within walking distance from other, more budget-friendly lodging, specifically a Motel 6, and "innocently" asked why I hadn't chosen that place. I informed her that I needed the good desk, chair, and bright desk lamp that all Hampton Inn rooms include, in order to get some work done. This was approximately 25% of my reason for splurging on the room, but whatever!)

I thought I'd worked out a clever route last night that would allow me to exit the hellishly busy interstate "motel zone" and quickly get onto country roads , but that plan immediately fell through, when I discovered that the crucial short connecting road behind the motels and the Ruby Tuesday's restaurant did not actually exist:

I rode in circles in parking lots for a while, looking for a reasonable way out of all this mess, but eventually gave up and rode on the busy highway, past the interstate interchange, and made a left turn on a frontage road, which after a couple of miles put me on a series of country roads where multiple dogs immediately came out for early morning cyclist chasing.

People had built McMansions in the countryside surrounding Dickson in the last few decades, and numerous signs informed me that the owners were very unhappy that some sort of industrial operation was going to be built nearby. NIMBY!

The fancier houses eventually thinned out, and were replaced by more typical rural dwellings.

Many dogs came out onto the road. I reached a rapprochement with one large white dog, who eventually began a tentative wagging. But he still wasn't sure about me, I think:

The roads were nice. A few hills, but nothing too challenging.

After about fourteen miles on country roads, I reached a highway with a broad, smooth shoulder.

I was on the highway for ten unexceptional miles. Not a lot to see, but pleasant riding. There were some hills, but the grades were much, much more gradual on the highway than on the country roads.

I reached the entrance to the Natchez Trace without incident. There would be even less to see on the Parkway, where no commercial development is allowed. I've ridden parts of it before, so I know from experience that it's mostly trees and fields. Pleasant, but very "samey."

After several miles I stopped for some snacks. After an overcast morning, the sun was out now, and it was hot.

There are some historical sites on the Parkway. I stopped at one with an old tobacco barn and looked around. I went into the barn, which smelled just like my grandfather's old tobacco barn when I was a kid. When I was young, I hated working in tobacco, but 40 years or so after I last did it, I feel a little sentimental about it. I'm sure teenage me would have snorted at that.

I saw lots of what I believe are called "hedge apples". I eventually became bored enough to photograph a few of them.

The day continued slowly. I had a mild headwind, and I'd forgotten how hilly this section of the Trace is. It eventually flattens out in Mississippi, but the Tennessee section has some climbing.

I stopped and talked to a motorcyclist for a while at a pull-off, while a couple on a tandem bicycle ignored me after I said hello to them. What's up with the aloof cyclists on this trip? Motorcyclists have been a lot friendlier.

I was nearly out of water at one point, and stopped at a restroom to find that it was being worked on, and no water was available. A friendly park employee gave me an ice cold bottle from her personal cooler, though. That was nice.

I stopped a few times on the side of the road. I had to dip into the food bag in my pannier eventually, after I ate everything in my handlebar bag.

The "Click Stand" is handy in situations where I need to open the panniers, but there's nothing handy to lean the big against:

I began counting down the miles. I reached Collinwood (population 982) around 4:30. The flaky woman who owns the three-room storefront "motel" downtown had not left the key under the mat as she'd promised, and was not answering her phone. I lucked out and was able to obtain the only other lodging in town, "Miss Monetta's Country Cottage", which is a converted beauty parlor. The retired hairdresser who owns it clucked in disapproval when I told her about the "motel": "That's not the first time that's happened this year."

Miss Monetta's Country Cottage. Highly recommended.

I walked to the "Hasti Mart" and obtained a large pizza for dinner. I couldn't quite finish it (it was huge), but the leftovers would make a good breakfast tomorrow.

I walked a few blocks in Collinwood after the pizza, but was too tired to look around much.

Given the misuse of apostrophes, I don't know if I'd trust these people with my signage needs.

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Today's ride: 89 miles (143 km)
Total: 320 miles (515 km)

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