NYC -2- ATL

I can still recall large swaths of time in my youth, long before mortgages, credit scores and 401(k) contributions, mostly in the summers, when unencumbered by school, fun was the order of the day. I would ride my bike around the neighborhood with friends, and we would play in the creeks and parks. We would go places to see things, do things just to try them, and build stuff with no concept of time. It was in those dog days of blissful youthfulness, and again only decades later for brief glimpses during vacations or a stint between jobs, that I would measure myself and my day by how dirty I could turn the shower floor that evening.

For three weeks now, I have smiled each night as the grime runs down my body and washes down the many different drains. Although I am tired and sore, I know I am packing in the kind of living I have yearned for during the months and years spent furthering my career. With our goal of home in sight, I strive to soak it all in while this journey still lasts. You cannot really choose an adventure though; you can only get set for one and hope it chooses you.

We made a quick stop in town and hit the road. We passed over the fall line in the morning and the landscape changed from the relatively flat coastal plains region to the rolling hills of the piedmont. Everywhere feels familiar. I have ridden all around the state on the Bike Ride Across Georgia and the ride today brought back some of those memories.

We pulled into Wrens, GA right around lunchtime and spotted Peggy’s Restaurant. As we made our way inside, some local ladies assured us we had chosen the right spot to eat. We got in line, and by the time we made it to the counter, I felt as if we’d met the whole town. We’d just learned that the ladies were sisters and their 94 year-old mother when a gentleman popped in to say hello to them all. He told them he’d been at the traffic light and seen them coming in and had to come say hello. It was evident from their conversation that his wife had recently passed away and he caught them up on his family’s goings-on.

As he left, the 94 year-old could hardly wait to catch me up, “that was my daughter’s old boyfriend and his wife passed away a few months back.” Just then, a line of elderly folks began slowly moving out of a back room and heading to the door. They were friends with the ladies as well and were there celebrating the mother’s 90th birthday! It was really fun to see this microcosm of small-town life in Wrens unfold in the five minutes we stood in line to get to the counter.

The food was incredible. I had a pork chop, dressing with gravy, collard greens, mac-and-cheese and corn bread and cleaned my plate. Dad had chicken livers and said they were delicious as well. I think this lunch was definitely among my favorite meals of the trip so far, and if you’re ever in Wrens I highly recommend stopping in for the pork chops.

The remainder of the day was sunny, hot, and mostly uneventful. We made it in to the hotel pretty early and they had an open pool! Dad made more repairs to his panniers’ brackets and I worked on this site a bit more. We had dinner at a seafood restaurant and found some dessert near the hotel. Only two days of riding remain and I’m excited to finish strong. Today may not have made the dirtiest shower, but that hotel pool sure has a lot of sunscreen in it!