We rode 62 miles under blue sky and hot sun to Rosedale. No lodging and no campsite, so we asked a woman if she could help us. She sent us to Forest Vinson, owner of Piggley Wigley grocery store. Found him mowing grass, and he says we can stay at his place, and we are at this moment in comfy beds.
At the store, the lady talks to us when we get to the till. Find out an anonymous person (the lady?) has given the cashier $100 to pay for our groceries and we are to keep the change.
Then Forest takes us to the Mississippi River and we go out in his 16′ aluminum boat with 90 HP motor, playing Flight of the Valkyries (from Apocalypse Now), and that boat moves let me tell you. We reach a beautiful sandbar in the river and swim and listen to about 1 hour of Led Zeppelin, followed by Creedence Clearwater on the ride back.
I was there, and let me tell you, this was an awesome experience. Swimming in the Mississippi River like Tom Sawyer, in great company, hot weather and good spirits. An incredible day in the US of A.
Wow! Thank you to Mississippi for a great bike ride, thank you to our donor, and thank you Forest. What a high!
