End of ride - Day Three

Day Three -

Statesville to Thomasville through beautiful rolling agricultural area of North Carolina.  We pass fields of soybeans and hayfields, tidy white "gentlleman's farms", and small southern towns with friendly folks.  My highlight was Cooleemee, NC, home of the Cooleemee Judk Man.  He has an eclectic junk shop on the outskirts of Cooleemee, where he collects and sells everything from chamber pots to Allison Chalmers tractor parts.  After meeting the proprietor, he invites me to see his "drag house".  "What is a drag house?"  "A house you drag from one spot to another." was the answer.  Photos and videos are to follow when I get back home to the cable for the camera.

At mile 54, Fred Wallin met us at Lake Tom-A-Lex with a European style picnic, and we certainly pigged out.  The hospitality on this years' ride has been awesome, mainly due to Fred's attentive style.  Obviously, Dorothy has taught him well!

We are now at the Country Hearth Hotel, and have said goodbye to Roy and Mike, who have been shuttled back to Mike's car for the trip back to Kingsport.  We are awaiting Fred's arrival back to go into Thomasville for some of the food and entertainment downtown.

Today was around 65 miles, 3.5 hours, over 4,000 feet of climbing and 3,500 calories burned.  We will make that back up tonight!

Tomorrow - Thomasville to Sanford, NC, and the full century (100 mile) option, which I am sure we will all do!