Dispatches from the road

 Dispatches from the road

Dispatches from the road by Bill Poindexter

4/29-morning of 4/30

April 29 9:19 PM, on Merc farms in Draper Virginia. Bedding down in the greenhouse tonight overlooking a Appalachian farm area of rolling hills and mountains here in Draper, Virginia. The sun has gone down and as I look towards the sky I see stars lots and lots and lots of stars. And that makes me happy just below me about 50 yards is a labyrinth made by Brian Gardner, owner and director of healing hearts here. The labyrinth is a place of serenity place of grounding and a place of individual focus. Many societies of use them for years and years to get focused and grounded the form of meditation just walking one. I haven’t studied very much about them but will after this visit here. 

So I woke up 60 miles west of here and grindstone campground (16 miles east of Damascus) just below Mount Rogers and the Jefferson national forest. I thought I would be a little nervous since I saw a bear about a mile away from my campground before I got there last night but as usual just put Bill Poindexter on a patch of dirt and he sleeps like a log. I woke up at sunrise had a good breakfast and filled my water bottles from the stream and that you don’t need to use any filtration because it’s all coming down from the top of the mountain and there’s nothing up there except critters in a few hikers. It’s good to get a little gut bacteria in you and our prophylactic world. So I made my way east with a unspecified goal in mind and rode the first 26 miles fairly easy just a few up hills down hills riding by creeks the area was really beautiful especially leaving the Mount Rogers recreation area for about the first 10 miles was just an amazing sight that I will never forget. And after the first 26 miles I realize I was definitely tired from the previous couple of days before- my legs felt like lead thought I’d eaten enough but still some days I just haven’t and wanted to make sure that I was super hydrated because yesterday I wasn’t that hydrated so and it’s also that we’re in a little bit higher elevation too and there was a little bit dryer. But I kept rolling in the first place I was gonna stop at -decide not to stop second place decided I could keep going and then there was a 3rd Pl., Draper, which I knew I could make and another place beyond Draper about 15 miles which I wasn’t sure if I could make and as I rolled in the afternoon after a good snack and about a half hour sleeping on a park bench or actually a picnic bench I found myself energized enough to make my way to Draper and got a little turned around the maps weren’t specifically clear on a couple of places so I wasn’t sure where to go right or left so I stopped a local and asked her, Angela,  and I asked about campground options and she didn’t know but she direct me into the town which I came into and stopped at the Mercantile which I thought was a Store But actually a retail store that actually was closed by the time I got into town and a gentleman Brian who I now know, came out of this house across the street and asked me if I was a Trans Am rider and I said I was welcomed and he told me there were places that I could stay either church or they had a farm just about a quarter mile away and I was welcome to sleep in the greenhouse. And I took him up on his hospitality because I have to tell you I was tired by that time. And Brian turned out to be a fine gentleman and I get along great, he’s very much into helping people and creating a very spiritually healing universal society where community is a primary issue and just that he understands to the most people are really good in this world. They have meditation classes here and there they do a various projects including the labyrinths. Brian was also kind enough to let me do a load of laundry and take a shower which was fantastic because I had none either in four days also I met Dr. Kim here who is a her is a medical doctor and chiropractor but she’s also over seeing the greenhouse and growing basically edible greens which was fantastic because I had a wide choice for my dinner tonight. Primarily arugula though. Yum! But she and I got along great she spent a lot of time in Ireland in Tibet / Nepal and other places-alot of traveling very interesting woman and we just talked about life and she’s also a meditation instructor and we talked about how important breath was and we both have the same exact same philosophies here especially healing philosophy is when it comes to breathing. So that was fun to have that conversation. So I’m sitting up overlooking the Appalachia mountains and looking up at the Milky Way above me and just feeling thankful just to be here I hope Brian was so kind when he brought my laundry to me also gave me a bag of grapes and a some cheddar cheese as well. They have a restaurant in town I’m gonna have breakfast before I head out in the morning it’s supposed to rain tonight at around 3 AM to till 7 AM I am  going to cowboy camp under the stars I still think I’m gonna do that until it starts raining I’ll go in under the cover of the greenhouse it’s only gonna be 57° tonight I’m used to much colder weather. Do you flora and fauna here are not very  beautiful truly though not much different than Missouri or Kentucky in many ways it’s almost like Missouri but with mountains - the mountains are gorgeous! I’m not gonna stop on the road and take pictures of wildflowers all the time there’s some things I just want to keep to myself. But for you guys out there reading this just know that I’m having a really good time, I wish I had a traveling companion I’ve been on the road now 29 days and so I really enjoy meeting people who are cycling the opposite direction. I still have at least three weeks left on the road my best guesstimate is when I’m gonna get up to Martha’s Vineyard and I’m really enjoying the beautiful landscape I’m enjoying meeting people as I go like Dr. Kim and Brian and Angela. I know that very many of you will never be able to do what I’m doing and I’m glad you’re living vicariously through me and I am truly enjoying this. So thank you for reading my words and I guess I’ll sign off from Draper Virginia and looking up at the Milky Way and just smelling that sweet grass smell of the mountains here it’s just amazing peace and love from the road, Bill Poindexter

Additionally: 7am

I slept really well I came inside around 2 AM when it started to rain a little bit. But definitely very comfortable here would like to come back and spend more time in Draper Virginia the positive energy from the universe here is incredible. I’m going to journal a bit and then pack up my stuff slowly sis drizzling a little hopefully the rain will hold off. Plan to go into town and have some good breakfast and some coffee. If you’re enjoying following my adventure and reading my writings and would like to support this endeavor and buy me a cup of coffee and a sandwich while I’m on the road I would greatly appreciate your kindness, you can find me on Venmo I have beard pic. Or just contact me directly. You can text me at 913-220-1213. You can also follow this journey on Facebook there’s a link on the website as well.Peace and love from the road bill

Dispatches Rosedale to grind stone campground

 Dispatches from the road by Bill Poindexter

4/28 -Grindstone Campground just east of Damascus Virginia. 9:44 PM have the campground to myself laying in my tent how to find dinner of tortillas with tunafish and pinto beans and mustard. And then some peanut butter with some honey also On a tortilla. Heated up some water for some coffee getting cold once the sun starts to set. I think a June bug want to get in my tent. As I was heading here to the campground about a mile down the road I met another Transamerica Cyclist’s heading to the west young woman named Zoe. It was fun to see another cyclist got a feeling I’m gonna be seeing more and more she was supposed to be with somebody but he had a bad knee or something so it looks like she’s on her own now. Then as I was heading to the campground I saw a bear young bear eating on the side of the road and I yelled to him and he bounced cross the street. So makes me a little bit nervous but he was so close to also my campground as well so I’m taking some precautions. But I do love seeing bears in the wilderness this area they’re only black bears. And they’re scared enough of humans. Which is good. The campground I am in is actually when we opened up primitive camping which is the only type of camping I do. We’re having some kind of plumbing issue. Today was good I basically rode my bike from the hostel I slept in last night to Damascus this morning and then had repairs down to the bike I had a new chain and cassette put on and also two new paddles because one of my pedals was failing. Check my brakes they’re good and my back tires holding up now so I feel confident about that but I did grab a spare another patch kit so and I did buy the body tire right before I left Kansas City so they should be fine. Anyway Damascus is really fun town there’s a lot of Appalachian trail through hikers in the town and some good restaurants good coffee I had some ice cream it was a brewery to probably should’ve stayed a sample that but I decided to get some more miles in and I’m glad I did so was 32 miles from the hostel to Damascus and then put another 14 or 15 or so to this campground and with all the hills and mountains but I have to climb on feeling comfortable with my numbers. Although I am a little dehydrated my pee was more yellow than normal so I’m rehydrating quite a bit. So so I’m doing some hydration therapy. I love sleeping in patch of dirt in the woods where I’m at right now having nobody else around except a bear are you somewhere out there not too far from me. Tomorrow I’m heading out fairly early. This country is really amazingly beautiful actually in the Jefferson national forest right now and the Mount Rogers recreation area I believe as well so I’m glad to be here Mount Rogers is 5700 feet and it’s just behind me somewhere. So this is a really beautiful part of the country I would like to encourage all of you to come visit. Many thanks to the bike shop which I can’t remember their name. It was fun to talk with a bunch of through hikers today interesting characters so I’m like to talk some didn’t I found that when I met up with CDT hikers in Colorado as well and when I was doing the great divide mountain bike route some of these people like to talk some down so you just have to respect their privacy. I understand I’m getting kind of tired of people asking me questions about where I’m headed and where I came from and where do I sleep etc. etc. etc. but at the same time is it’s fun to share. Still feeling kind of lonely I wish I had a traveling companion I like everybody I’m meeting who is Cycling but they’re all going in the wrong direction or maybe I’m going in the wrong direction maybe I should just turn around maybe go around the world a couple times. OK you can tell I’m tired I’m starting to ramble. Now it’s 10 o’clock I have crap now I need to go out and P it’s what I get for rehydrating. Oh well. Until next time peace and love from the road, Bill

Breaks interstate park to Rosedale Virginia

 Breaks interstate park to Rosedale Virginia

Dispatches from the road by Bill Poindexter

April 27, made my way from the breaks interstate park to Rosedale Virginia and a bike hostel, Of elk garden United Methodist Church. These kind folks have been hosting people on the Trans Am trail for over 40 years. And this place is beautiful it’s their church and basically they open it up to traveling cyclist. And this place is a very very beautiful. I have to beaten path, there’s even a little picnic shelter outback with a Robin mother with some baby robins hunkering down for the night. I almost set my tent up outside but decided to sleep inside get down in the 30s tonight. Although I don’t mind it it’s nice to be warm and toasty too. The breaks interstate park was beautiful, I’d like to go back there sometime and spend some time there. The ride to here was only about 45 miles but took me about six hours, lots of hills and I took my time. I think I’m heading into Damascus Virginia tomorrow to have some bike repairs done. The road today was beautiful much of the time we spent paralleling a creek or river. And there were a few good climbs as well climbs there gonna be lots of climbs coming because once I did the big hill out of Council Virginia you really see the Appalachian mountains in Damascus is right on the Appalachian trail. But I don’t mind I prefer mountains over flatlands when touring there is some thing about climbing a mountain and just getting to the top and all the thinking you have to do to get you to the top and then the descent is always a fun way down. Some people asked me what I think about while I’m on the bike for 8 to 12 hours a day. And do I listen to music or audiobooks… No to those two, but I do sing a lot I think about stories that I’ve written and stories that I want to write I think about my cats at home and their stories, I think about the people that I pass in about the environment. I think about the universe/God and my place in it in my place on this earth. The whole bike ride itself is a VisionQuest of sorts. Much self reflection some good some not so good. Like yesterday in the rain on the side of a highway changing my tire, it was almost comical, and I was just I was laughing while I was doing it all and the people that came by may just must thought I was crazy. Who is the crazy guy on the side of the road changing his tire and laughing in them in a rainstorm that would be Bill Poindexter. Today was good though today was fine it was nice weather and I also met a few people on the road to German guys who I forgot to ask their names well that’s not true I asked one guys name not the other. They were very kind and we had a fun few moments together then I met Josefina from the Netherlands as well. She is heading to Missoula Montana and then heading up and to Canada to see her daughter while the Germans were heading across the United States on the Trans Am to Astoria Oregon and they’re going to be on the road about two months. It’s fun to see them and it also reminded me how much I miss not having a traveling companion. But at the same time if I didn’t have a traveling companion I probably wouldn’t speak to many people as I speak to you or have had some of the experiences I have had . Something to think about. OK well I am on the floor and ready for bed. I am grateful for this place tonight. No disclaimer I tend to write these dispatches either before or sometimes after I went to bed and in the middle of the night, with very minimal editing, so I’ll edit it when I turn it into a book but not until then so just enjoy the human mistakes of Bill Poindexter. Peace and love from the road, Bill

Hindman to Breaks interstate park And Virginia

 Dispatches from the road by Bill Poindexter

Well yesterday was another interesting day but the good news is I’m in Virginia staying at the breaks interstate park, didn’t get here till after dark last night but I made it. I left Hindman around 8 AM yesterday made it over the first hill and at the bottom of the hill stopped to check the map and realize my rear tire was flat that’s like changing a flat tire on the edge of a highway in the rain and low visibility but I did it I put a new tube in and patch the old one took about an hour then I got on my bike stopped a few places to see if I could find some patch kit but I couldn’t. So I just kept rolling and enjoying the beautiful scenery the hills in that part of Kentucky just keep rolling and rolling in with the low lying clouds and the soft rain it was really beautiful it was only in the low 50s but I was warm and comfortable. So I slowly meandered my way to the east and saw more signs of severe poverty and dogs chained up a lot of dog started chasing me yesterday I actually had two dogs that actually tore my rain covers on my panniers, they were pretty aggressive, but I can’t blame them in the conditions they live in they’re probably starving. I remember the conditions in Mexico of animals and I would say Kentucky’s worse in many ways least in this part of the Kentucky… Sad. There were lots of people yesterday that reached out to me that offered me help if I needed it down the road I appreciated that I finally made into Elkhorn city around 6 o’clock and luckily ran into a man who was a host here at the park with his wife. He actually offered to throw my bike in the back of the pick up, which and rest retrospect I should’ve taken, but I decided to roll to the park and it was a lot farther and harder to get here than I thought because of the hills. But I made it after dark and it’s a really beautiful area. So I’m not sure what I’m gonna do today. I am 78 miles from Damascus where there’s bike shops I don’t know if I want to stay here for the day because it’s so beautiful I would like to be by Woods for a day or just due to two short days to Damascus? Or one big push to Damascus actually I think that’s all the questions because I’ve got a lot of big climbing ahead of me. Oh well trials and tribulations of the road, right? Although yesterday was a hard day I really thoroughly enjoyed it, I called Aimee last night and I’m just glad I kept my shit together. The tires I have I bought brand new before I left I thought they would hold up a little bit better. C’est la vie! Well if you like my writing and you’re following this and I hope you are would love it if you bought me a cup of coffee while I’m on the road, maybe a sandwich. At the very least share my post tell your friends some crazy guy from Kansas City said he’s traveling cross-country it’s going to end up on a farm to be a cheese maker… Now that’s a good story and one soon coming.

Having a tough time loading pictures will have to do it again later hopefully you’ll be able to see it on Facebook as well you don’t have to be a member of Facebook to be able to view my post I believe. Peace and love from the road bill

Dispatches

 Dispatches from the road by Bill Poindexter

Day 24 and 25, 6:30 AM, at the first Baptist Church in Hindman, Kentucky. Yesterday I rode from Buckhorn to Hindman it’s a good ride. But not without incident, my sealant stopped holding up in my back tire after the first big climb. Had to stop by the road change tubes. Decided not to patch as I wanted to get to Hindman Which was about 45 miles away. A local who had a house across the street from where I was changing my tire yelled to me and said her husband had a air compressor that I could use and I did, the man’s name was Bill he was very kind and had very kind eyes. We pumped up the rear tire. And it held throughout the day which is great. This area Kentucky’s it’s really super beautiful. Lots of ups and downs. Much poverty, and there are lots of dogs that chase bicycles. At one point I was rolling down the road and a guy was walking his bike out from driveway and he just had an old single speed kids bike and a small backpack and decided he was going to ride with me to his next job, He was an interesting guy basically said he left the city had something to do with being wanted and Wanting his freedom. And he was ask me more questions so I feel comfortable asking about where I was heading etc.… But he seem like a nice guy said I would be in his prayers and I thought that was kind of him. And as I rode down the road I noticed more single man -one in particular -coming out from under a tarp putting on his shoes looked at me from a Topohill I Rolled by, I looked up he looked down we exchanged peace signs… Just to fellow human beings crossing paths. The Buddhist say that most people go through this world as though they live in an egg shell, safely through the world, and there are some of us who breakthrough that shell to see what’s on the other side. Well I kept rolling temperature got hot again it was 90 the day before it got up to 85 yesterday. Not being used to the temperature it was hard on the body so I was drinking lots and lots of water and electrolytes. I stopped in one town to eat a lunch called Aimee from the road, I was laying on the porch of a building and a jeep pulled up to check on me and make sure I was OK it was a young couple with her two kids and a husband just wanted to make sure I wasn’t stroking out because of the heat. I didn’t made a final push to Heineman as I was only 19 miles away from that at that point And as humility put it I noticed some liquid sealant spraying on my leg, this time from the front tire…oh crap, but luckily it held and my back tire was held up -no more spare tubes time to do some patching though. Luckily the tires held up to where I am now at the Baptist Church. Oh by the way I forgot to tell you that a tent pole snapped at the Buckhorn Campground the night before so that needs to be repaired. And I think the bike just needs a good going over I need to do all the patches on the tubes and just get everything squared away really looking forward to finding a bike shop in the future. But I have faith that everything will be OK as in life there’s always ups and downs right? I just have to look at the big lesson. I do want to say that the people of the state, Kentucky, are very hospitable, very kind and friendly. People of offered food shelter, even clothing if I needed. So I’m gonna take a vantage of the hospitality of the first Baptist Church here in Hindman today and do my necessary repairs my body needs a break my legs were swelling a little bit, most likely because the heat in the hills. And probably because two days ago I did 70 miles in yesterday I did 45 hard miles as well. I’m only 62 miles away from the Virginia border so I’m excited about that. I may make a push tomorrow to do that in its entirety. But today is a day of rest also I’m really excited to explore the small mountain town which has some really unique architecture and I was told they have a specialty shop where they make musical string instruments like and violins by hand, that I’m gonna take pictures of and will post most likely tonight or tomorrow. I hope you like my writing. If you don’t know this already I will compile all this at the end of the journey and at the end of the summer on my cheesemaking experience on Martha’s Vineyard and turn this into a fun book book. If you would like to support my writing and wanna keep following me and read my writing every day or every couple of days I would love you to! If you can support me financially I’d appreciate it I can always use a cuppa coffee and some sandwiches, and actually a spare tire And tube :-) you can find me on Venmo it’s picture of me with a beard, or you can go to my blog site which is wholeearthguide.blogspot.com

Well that’s it for now I sleep for another hour and let my body rest up a bit. Having so much fun out here! Peace and love from the road Bill Poindexter, oh by the way if you wanna reach out to me directly feel free to probably the best way is by messenger. And if I’m coming through your area please let me know maybe we can meet up for a cuppa coffee.

Dispatches April 24

 Dispatches April 24

Dispatches from the road by Bill Poindexter

April 23rd and a little of the 24th. 6:15 AM, clear sky, crescent moon rising, Buckhorn, Kentucky at the dam campground. Well I made it here yesterday evening around 730 I left Berea just after 9 AM so needless to say it was a long day. Still finding myself not eating enough and during the day getting a little bit tired so I need to increase the food especially with these increase in Long up hills I started off yesterday morning at a Berea with a long climb to big hill I’d say at least a couple miles up and finish with the long climb to Buckhorn actually there were three long climbs from Boonville. I don’t mind long climbs actually I like long climbs time to really think about the ride to kick it into a easy gear and just roll slowly take time to stop survey of the area around you. You never want to stop when you’re going downhill specially here seems like a waste of motion. This part of Kentucky is mighty pretty. There’s definitely more poverty, reminds me of the Ozarks a little bit. Seeing more people with signs of drug use. The dogs seem to be a little more aggressive here too not sure why that is. But again it’s beautiful country. I was happy to meet a fellow rider yesterday he was coming from the east heading to the west Russ Loomis 70 years old. Russ is riding up to Oregon and then he plans to come back doing the northern tier route you can find his blog at russloomis.com. We had a good 10 minute conversation and then realized we both needed to get back on the road. I do like seeing other riders always makes me happy. After I saw him I had to sit down and eat some food realize I was starting to bonk. Then when I got the Boonville by an hour and a half later I had a big meal around 4 o’clock and then pushed hard the final 19 miles to Buckhorn. My back tire still having some issues

I keep running over debris and it caused a small leak very happy I use the sealant for the strip inside a tube. Had an issue two days ago were sealant was leaking but it sealed up and it seem to do the same thing yesterday when I was in Boonville. I have a spare tube and plenty of patches in my patch kit, but I’m letting this sealant do its job. And seems to be working well. I woke up to go P actually who am I kidding I woke up to go poop as I was watching walking to the toilets there is a hill behind the campground that I would say is probably a couple hundred feet high and I could see a light at the top and I thought that was weird somebody has a house up there I didn’t see the light last night and after I did my business in the toilet I came back to the my camp spot and I saw that it was actually the moon getting ready to crest over the small mountain. It’s really quite beautiful. So I made a quick cup of coffee with used coffee bags… Make note need to get more coffee today. Don’t know where I’m at today except it’s east, not really sure what town I’m going to be in or how long I’m gonna ride it supposed to rain the next couple days and then get cold again so that’s going to kind of suck. But I’ll embrace it as I always do. Eat sleep bike. I’d like to find some more fuel for my stove and see if I can’t locate that at the shop this morning here in town. Well I guess that’s it for now. Peace and love from the road, Bill

Having tough time downloading pictures so we’ll do it another time or you can go to my Facebook page 

Dispatches from the road supplemental April 21

 Dispatches from the road supplemental April 21

Dispatches from the road by Bill Poindexter

Supplemental dispatch April 21.

As I lay in my tent, I think of the day I just had. I am no hero that’s for sure. I rode right around 45 miles and by the time I got to the campground I was toast. Maybe it was a Hills it was lack of food maybe it was the late start because of the rain and then of course there was the flat tire. The flat tire. The flat tire. When you’re on a tour like this or any bike tour and you get a flat tire it doesn’t matter who you are you always have it in the back of your mind if it happened once it can happen again. But luckily I’m skilled at fixing flat tires. So I wasn’t nervous it was just a pain. And just part of a bike tour… I love that! But I never got into a good groove today I ended up talking to a lot of people and a lot of people wanted to talk to me for a long time it was fun but it was just too much. Luckily as I was heading to my destination, early on I met Chuck is a retired gentleman coming from North Carolina hopped on the trail somewhere in Virginia and he’s on his way to Oregon to see his sons. He was a nice guy little bit critical of the Appalachian folk but then again I was a little bit critical of the lower Ozark folk. But it was nice to have a nice chat with him. And I was tempted on riding with him a while even though he was going in the opposite direction just for the company. But as I came to my senses my head into the bluegrass country of Kentucky and man oh man this is a beautiful state to be sure and the people are so kind as well. My heart belongs to Missouri but I’m having a love affair with Kentucky. Well after a brutal day of out of grove I made it to the chimney rock RV Park and Campground. Probably should’ve stealth camp somewhere I was so tired when I got here I had a ton of food and drink some coffee and a Coke and finally I feel better hoping for a good nights sleep tonight I didn’t sleep that well last night. And read my book for a while already journaled and decided to get the supplement in so I don’t have to do in the morning. One of the campground host said he’s going to bring me a cup of coffee around 730. That’s the way I like it coffee around 730 and black no cream. I really am having a lot of fun on the trip. Oh yeah today I stopped more than I ever have throughout the trip and just soaked in the moment the scenes and the solitude. I know I told my friends on Martha’s Vineyard I’d be there on 15 May, but I just wanna ride my bike and I don’t wanna have to do it fast so let them know will be more like June 1 hopefully I don’t run out of money and if I do I’ll just become a vagabond gypsy/busker… I can juggle, I can teach yoga, I can still tell stories-some True some not, I can make cheese, I can sing, and I can talk to anybody and almost anything. No I’m not bragging mind you, I’m just saying that if it comes down to it I can probably talk somebody out of a loaf of bread. John Muir Walk through Kentucky on 1000 mile walk in 1867 And he talked about how back then he would periodically run out of food but would find invariably somebody who would sell him a loaf of bread, he was walking and sometimes he would need for a day or two and basically he slept in the clothes he wore unless somebody gave him shelter for the night. His journal of it is called 1000 mile walk, it’s pretty good. It also talks about the difference after the Civil War with the blacks and the whites, And various guerrilla groups after the war. As I roll through this landscape I wonder what the state look like in the 1700s when the first settlers came. I’ve passed many houses that were built in the 1700s, I love that. Definitely a different time when survival was so simple and you had to have skills or you died. All right I’m Fading time for bed, sweet dreams everybody. Peace and love from the road, Bill

Dispatches from the road April 21

 Dispatches from the road April 21 Dispatches from the road by Bill Poindexter

April 20 and 21st.

Well yesterday on the 20th I left Lindsey And Nathan‘s in Cecilia Kentucky it made my way Southeast to Sonora Kentucky then over to Buffalo then up and over to Howard‘s town and from Howard‘s town I made my way to the Abbey of our Lady Gettemy which is where the monk Thomas Merton lived and I try to get a room there but had no reservation and I guess they just weren’t open to letting a pilgrim sleep on their property, beautiful place and I was sad they wouldn’t share it with me, it’s not the first time I’ve been turned down from a church for a place to stay I never understood that because if you’re a follower of Christ don’t you let people stay? I don’t know it’s kind of weird. But everything happens for a reason I guess and that’s OK. So I made my way down to Loretto and then from there ended up in Springfield Kentucky and I’m sleeping in the city park under a shelter and it’s very nice I like it quite a bit there’s lots of room and there’s lights if I need them and there’s also places to charge up my phones and the bathrooms are fine very simple little bit of traffic on the road next to me but not a big deal I can sleep there anything and I did. Had a little bit of a tummy ache when I went to bed last night so but feel better this morning looks like it’s gonna rain for the next few hours so I’m gonna hang out in the park and catch up on some writing I want to do in some reading and some meditation and some yoga as well. I had two big days over the last three days, 80 miles to days ago or actually three days ago and then a 58 mile day and then yesterday was probably 75-ish so I feel better about the mileage and I feel stronger to always takes about two weeks to really get the endurance level up especially when you’re on a traditional bicycle tour where are you’re caring a lot of weight. The Rollinghills of Kentucky are absolutely gorgeous and they’ve been more pronounced since yesterday afternoon. The trees are starting to bloom and so the countryside becoming greener the grass is lush the cows are fat and happy even saw an ostrich yesterday. I’m seeing a lot of dead animals on the side of the road squirrels skunks rabbits possum dogs and cats so do you drivers on the back roads be mindful please. It always breaks my heart when I see animals squished on the side of the road always say a little prayer for him and tell him I’m sorry. Wild flowers are starting to bloom all different types there’s lots of great vegetation out there big bunches of dandelions that would make a fine salad and did you know you can actually make dandelion pesto I’ve done it and it’s fantastic you should give it a try. Well I’m gonna hang out and get on the road later today I think today’s gonna be a short day since I’m not gonna get started till late so I’m either going to end up in Harrodsburg at the state park there that sounds good I like state parks or make my way over to Bryantsville. But I’m gonna let the rain die down for should be done by 11 or 12. Anyway hopefully you like my journey if you want to support me and buy me a cup of coffee and a sandwich I would greatly appreciate that if you look at the last few posts you’ll be able to figure out out how to do that. You can also go to wholeearthguide.blogspot.com And as always it’s hard to download pictures because I don’t have very good service out here in the country so I’ll download them when I can. Peace and love from the road bill

Dispatches: April 19

 Dispatches from the road by Bill Poindexter

April 19.

Well the last couple days have been interesting to say the least. Let me start off with yesterday, I left Sebree Kentucky fairly early in the morning and I made my way to the not the next town but the second to the next town can’t think of the name doesn’t really matter and I stopped in a general store and had some food and just relax a little bit. There’s one of those stores that used to have hardwood floors where everybody would come in and have a fun time discussing the weather and the current crop situation. I stayed there about an hour and I left heading east and to my surprise a lone cyclist was coming down the road and we stopped and chatted his name was Julian he was from Calgary and he had been down in Florida and was biking from Florida all the way to Calgary Alberta Canada. Julian had been on the road for 30 day’s. We had a nice conversation together and he was asked me about traveling by bicycle and I was asking about his past adventures as well it was just one of those moments sort of a crossroads where

two like-minded souls connect for a meal and a cup of coffee and a general store in the middle of Kentucky. After our conversation Julian went on his way and I went on my way. I was able to ride another 50 miles that day ended up riding a total of around 80 and ended up making my way to a campground at McDaniels Kentucky and slept soundly that is until I had to get up in the middle nigh for more clothes as the temperature dropped down to 34f. But I was fine I’m used to the cold weather. So I got up this morning and organize my gear had a really nice breakfast and made my way to the east and started noticing that I was getting a clicking sound which in my experience means that somethings going on with my pedal or my bottom bracket was going on- my mind flashback’s to the storm I wrote in a few nights ago and how the bike got drenched sitting outside in a thunderstorm. I probably should’ve had the bottom bracket changed before I left Kansas City but the bike shop said it looked good so sometimes things just happen on the road that’s just part of bicycle touring. But as I rode I kept hearing the click louder and louder and it started to wear on my mind as the route I’m on there are very few bike shops so if something does happen you have to basically find somebody to drive you to a bike shop or hitchhike or you push your bike. So I was stopping at a gas station for lunch and had just gone from one map to a new map and I noticed that Elizabethtown,  Kentucky was only a few miles away and it looked like there was a bike shop there and actually there was two so I called them up and luckily the first bike shop was only 13 miles away so I rode there and unfortunately they weren’t able to help me but they tried they were very kind that was the Schwinn shop and I called another friend his name is Adam and he also has a bike shop but it’s more of kind of an underground type bike shop and he actually had the part I needed in stock which was indeed a bottom bracket because mine was starting to fail. So I rode my bike to him we had a fine time talking about bicycling and the philosophy around cycling. He and I were definitely on the same page and he did a good job fixing my bike and I feel really good that I have a new bottom bracket sometimes it’s just a little things in life. He and I were talking and he was about finished there was a woman who came down, Lindsay, and she was there for a bike ride as she is a runner but builds up her muscles by cycling as well. She saw my loaded bicycle and started asking the normal questions where are you going what are you doing where do you sleep and I told her that because it was late in the day it was already like 6 o’clock but I didn’t really have a place to go that night so I was just going to sleep somewhere in town and she offered her home as she and her husband have a Farm just 11 miles from town. So that’s where I am tonight warm and toasty in a bed in Lindsay‘s and Nathan‘s home and I’m very thankful to be here. I feel very strong but I’m also tired to. Lindsay is very passionate about her life and the Wanderlust she and Nathan share is contagious and they have a beautiful little farm! It is so much fun to meet like-minded people! 

I love the passion to be outside, I love the passion to invite a stranger into your home, it’s people like this and at the bike shops today and those people that just really make me happy. I know I need to start writing more about nature in what I’m seeing from the road too -by the way Kentucky is absolutely gorgeous. But I just keep meeting these people and I needed this uplifting gracious soul loving kind people that really gives me faith in America and that there are lotta good people here. I know this is a common theme-I hope you’ll be patient with me I’ll get a Nature we live in a world world though we’re a lot of people that are scared out there and confused but I’m telling you there’s a lot of really good people out there and I think we’re gonna overcome all the weirdness it’s happening. Trust me. Well I need to sleep. Thanks for reading my words again. Maybe I’ll see you on the road. Peace and love from the road, Bill