Day 16: To Williamsburg

September 24, 2014

Up at 7:30, left the motel at 9 after a fancy hot breakfast buffet.

First I backtracked 1.75 miles across town to the Cumberland Gap visitor center to get a Kentucky map. Then back through Middlesborough and north on US 25E, a 4 lane highway. The highway follows a river but still climbs big hills.

A few miles north is Pineville which is the county seat despite being much smaller than Middlesboro. The town seems fairly prosperous, with shops clustered around the courthouse. Downtown is next to the river but you can't see the river because of an immense concrete wall that protects downtown from flooding.

I didn't take any pictures in Pineville. I was busy mailing stuff home at the post office, buying groceries, getting cash, and having an early lunch at Pizza Hut. No other services for the rest of the day.

4 miles north of Pineville I turned left onto highway 92. Finally a 2-lane road through the forest.

The road has some big hills, but no mountain climbs.

They really have higher weights for coal trucks? As if coal damages the road less than anything else?

Traffic was surprisingly heavy for a road to nowhere. KY 92 obviously leads to tree farms and coal mines. The coal trucks drive at high speed and don't seem to brake for anything.

The scenery was quite nice. Mostly forested, threading through large hills. Very few houses.

Not as mountainous now, but still frequent limestone cuts.

Every church I saw today was a Baptist church.

Traffic started building after 3:30 PM. I arrived in Williamsburg at 5:20 PM, so I probably hit the peak rush hour traffic.

I got a $55 room at Super 8. Only motel in town. Dinner at the only restaurant in town that serves beer. This county recently went "moist", meaning that restaurants with more than 100 seats are allowed to serve beer. The practical result in this town of 10,000 people is that one Mexican restaurant serves beer-the only restaurant in town with more than 100 seats.

Today had a high of 78F. Warmest day in a long time. And it was sunny all day for the second day in a row. Today had easy distance and climbing, but I needed the rest.

Distance: 54.3 mi. (87 km)
Climbing: 1926 ft. (585 m)
Average Speed: 10.9 mph (17.4 km/h)

Today's ride: 54 miles (87 km)
Total: 788 miles (1,268 km)

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