Collinwood, TN

We arrived in Collinwood, TN after peddling in three states today; Mississippi, Alabama, and Tennessee, and spending the nights in two State Parks.  They were Elvis Presley State Park and Tishomingo State Park.  The hill up to Elvis Presley State Park about did us in!  We rode the next day to Tishomingo State Park and arrived late after riding once again in the rain.  Everything wet!  Decided to take a day off and dry out, pay bills, grocery shop, and mail unneeded materials to Lansing.
Before leaving Tupelo we visited the boyhood home of Elvis.  The home sits on its's original site.  They have moved the church of his childhood that influenced so much of his music so a near by site.  In the church they have surrounding screens that make you feel like you are attending a church service as it would have been in Elivis's day.  Pretty cool!  This was a worthwhile visit.
Today was a fun ride but for some reason Doug and I are feeling like we rode a hundred miles.  We're pooped.  But we had a great day.  It was fun to enter two new states.  When we got to the Alabama State line there were signs alerting vehicles to bike traffic.  We thought how great that Alabama was so concerned about bicycle safety.  Come to find out the signs where there because of an organized day ride called The W.C. Handy Bike Ride sponsored by the Shoals Cycling Club of Muscell Shoals, AL.  They welcomed us to two of their rest areas.  Great hospitality!
Along the way we met Jim McCullough, a frequent Trace rider, he told us about The Wall.  This is a wall being constructed by Tom Henricks in honor of his great, great, Grandmother who was an Indian moved to Oklohoma by the U.S. government.  She was U.S. #59.  Somehow she was able to get away and walked back to Alabama.  The trek took her 5 years and she is the only person that there is proof  of having completed the journey. Tom has been building The Wall for thirty years and it is still a work in progress. His web site is http://ifthelegendsfade.com/.  Tom is 80 years old, doesn't look it.  We had a very interesting visit.
Yes we did ride in rain to get here, not bad.  We had re-met Jim McCullough at one of the ride rest-stops and he accompanied us to Collinwood.  We had reservations for Rochell Rooms.  Our instructions were to check in at the Coast to Coast store.  This turned out to be a very large and homey room in a very small but very friendly town.  They do have to traffic lights, however one block apart.
Tomorrow night the tent.
We have now ridden over 1000 miles and are approximately half way to Lansing.
We'll just keep pedaling.