We left Saturday about noon for Oxford and Emory College which was the site of the start of BRAG 2008. Temperature was warm but expected to get warmer. Did not get a picture of me at the start but the one below is from Macon as we started toward Dublin.
Here is the link to all the pictures I took.
http://picasaweb.google.com/TeamGetClean/BRAG2008FromShakeleeMan
Picture below shows typical sleeping accommodations in gyms along the way. We were lucky in that we only slept in a gym one night and in class rooms or hallways on other nights. Note to self: do not sleep in the hallway outside the cafeteria. The staff starts work about 3:30 AM to get ready for the first riders to eat about 5:30. If you have never woken up to the sound of trash cans being moved or tables being rolled around, you just ain't had fun waking up.
This dog was voted cutest dog in Covington during the Saturday night concert and car show. The sun glasses were just the touch needed.
This is the courthouse in Covington. I kept expecting to see the General Lee whiz around the square or for someone in the Heat of the Night to show up. We rode by it on Sunday morning on the way from Oxford to Griffin.
I did not get a lot of pictures on the way to Griffin or in Griffin. Griffin put on a great downtown concert for us featuring The Return. We did go by Noah's Ark, an animal rescue operation and I would like to go back when it is not so hot. We saw 94 on a bank sign about 10 AM on Sunday. It got close to or over 100.
http://www.thereturnonline.com/beatles_press_release.htmlThere was a nice flowing river on the way to Griffin and a lot of folks took advantage of it to cool off. The picture below shows riders in Lake Tobesofkee on the way from Griffin to Macon. The ride to Macon was nice with a lot of shaded roads along the route. We needed the shade because it was another hot day. I would have made the ride much quicker if I did not spend so much time yaking at the rest stops.
Leaving Macon, we headed toward Dublin. Below is one of the obstacles that we waited for. Someone crashed on the tracks later and did a number on their face and other body parts. This crossing was one of the roughest I have ever been over so am not surprised that someone went down.
What else are rolled hay bales for? This was a family riding together who went out into the field and had a bit of fun on the way to Dublin. The route got a bit flatter after we got past the first 20 miles.
A display of Team Toe. My foot is on the bottom center and matches my riding jersey. There is quite a story behind Team Toe which started on a ride a couple of years ago. It can get quite lengthy but needless to say, we have now recruited over 40 members including a member of the Macon Police Department. One cannot be insecure in their masculinity and be a member of Team Toe.
Sunrise over Dublin as we rolled out Thursday morning. I did not know that one could get up at 5:00 AM and get on the road so early. The route got easier and flater on the way to Hazlehurst.
Coolest morning of the ride as I best remember.
Crossing the Oconee River just east of Dublin or just before East Dublin. We headed south after that toward the city of Mt. Vernon.
Riding into the fog Thursday morning. We had a bit cooler temperature and 2 evenings of rain in the area. I skipped riding on Wednesdy to rest up some.
Crossing Cypress Creek. An intersting thing to me since I grew up in Pittsburg and Mt. Vernon, Texas. The two counties, Camp and Franklin, are seperated by the Cypress Creek. I would be willing to bet that folks from this area moved west to settle that area and brought both the town names and creek names with them. How else can one account for Atlanta, Marietta, Douglasville, Macon, Monticello, etc. in Texas
We made it to Mt. Vernon and an excellent rest stop at the courthouse.
I am not sure what type bird this is but he was hanging around the Cafe Campesino area on Friday morning in Hazlehurst. Would not eat anything but did squawk loudly every few seconds. We think he was too young to fly very far and he would not eat a muffin. Go to comments and you can follow the progress of the bird after I left. I think he must be an Iced Mocca adict like the rest of us that hung out at Cafe Campesino.
The youngest single bicycle rider on BRAG 2008. This is Lauren from Hickory, NC. She was riding a TREK road bike that was just her size. This was on the road from Hazlehurst to Jesup. We hope to see her on the ride for several more years and Maggie better watch out - this could be her replacement.
Near the end at St. Simons atop the first bridge. If you blow this picture up, you can see the Sidney Lanier Bridge in the background. Glad we did not have to do it this year but I did go over it the first BRAG I did in 2005.
365 miles later, I am at the finish on St. Simons Island. YES!
A final parting shot of the baggage truck and baggage setting around waiting to be claimed. Thank goodness for being married to a SAG driver and having my own personal baggage car. It makes life much easier.
The BRAG 2009 tenative route is from Rome to Augusta. Early registration is available. Get yours in now and travel with us on another adventure as up to 2000 slightly insane bicyclists pedal their way across Georgia having a great time and turning several towns greener with all the money we spend along the way.
With apolgies to Bob Dylan
I'm pedalin' down that long, lonesome road, babe
Where I'm bound, I can't tell
But on your left is too good a word, gal
So I'll just say fare thee well
I ain't sayin' you treated me unkind
You could have pedaled better but I don't mind
You just kinda wasted my precious climb,
But don't think twice, it's all right
