Ride across the USA

[Stichill_imp]

Some statistics this morning in Memphis:

9,228 km so far (5,735 miles)

overall pure riding time: 5 days 1 hour 36 minutes

average speed: 75.9 km/h

(not that I invest much into getting those numbers, I just noticed it at looking at my tracks and thought it might me worth a posting)

Interesting. If you had ridden from L.A. to Memphis via the shortest route, it would have been 1,792 miles. You've managed to extract almost 4,000 extra miles of fun with your route.

Interesting. If you had ridden from L.A. to Memphis via the shortest route, it would have been 1,792 miles. You've managed to extract almost 4,000 extra miles of fun with your route.
That is really a beautiful country and I really enjoyed those extra miles, most those accompanied by good friends!
Yesterday I found easily my way East out of Memphis, as RLS suggested to me. He helped me to plan the route for that day to Birmingham. Soon I was riding the nice back country roads.



From time to time I pass abandoned gas stations or grocery stores. If that would be beside Route 66, it was a monument, here in Mississippi it just rots.



Passed nice neighborhoods with cute houses and always cut lawn.



Passing small towns.



The lady in that gas station somewhere in Mississippi made me a big compliment: "With your accent you must be from New York".



Finally arrive in Alabama.



Good area to ride south of I22. Many twisties helped me to get my tires back into a more round shape.



Approaching Birmingham from the south was a good idea, not only avoiding the traffic in Birmingham, but also that thunderstorm. I made it just in time to Mscb1100's very nice home. Again I'm overwhelmed by the great hospitality! Thank you very much!



One more check at my list: Barbecue.



Mscb1100 helped me to make my plans visiting Barber's for today. That's what I gonna do this morning, then heading Atlanta.Not that I wanted visit Atlanta, but I have some duties to do there...

Wow, that is really an impressive language-skills accomplishment!

Regarding the hobby of finding old gas stations, as you travel east be on the lookout for wooden structures close to the road that (usually) have no gas pumps but still have a large canopy, for example like this:



Be careful around Atlanta...so much traffic!