We headed out of Yadkinville later then we usually do. Bill needed to reset Black's front shoes and replace a piece of Drilltek. Bill had used cheap nails by mistake while he was giving a shoeing lesson. “The inferior nails where sheering off,” he said, “so I put on some Delta nails.” I was able to use this extra time to write a post and Brenda got some clothes washed.  The previous day had been a bit long; the names of roads where different in the map then those posted on signs. Brenda and I ended up driving all over trying to figure it out. As soon as we found a gas station we picked up a local county map.

After leaving Yadkinville we traveled the route that Brenda has mapped out; down Old US-421 then up Falcon Rd. Brenda passed Mt. Bethel Church road about a quarter of a mile as it wasn't marked. We quickly realized the mistake and ended up stopping at a little café called Burnette's Place. It was about lunch time so we decided to go in. There where only a few people a first, but after we ordered the place quickly filled with locals. Lots of friendly folks.

Awhile later Bill arrived and also had a bite to eat. The locals redirected Bill farther North along Forbush Rd., and then Indian Heaps Rd. to Highway 67.  It was after 3:00 pm when Bill rode out. Brenda called the East Bend town hall to find out if they knew of a place we could setup camp. Brenda ended up talking to a guy named Bud, and he directed us to the baseball park behind the senior citizens center. We had the camp setup by the time Bill arrived; it was sunny and getting warm, so the sun shade was put up along with the usual panel pen. Bud came over to check on us later. He informed us of the tractor/ truck pull the next evening. Blackie was a bit tired and Bill wanted to replace the nails on Blackie's back shoes, so it seemed like a good time to spend a day down.

Bill had met a woman on his way to East Bend when she was picking up her mail. Bill - “She asked me if I was a local, seems there are trails that I could have taken to the town.” Brenda and I met Angie and her friend Jenny when they stopped by the ball field. Angie rides horse and was intrigued with our travels.

04-23-08 - 04-24-08

The sky was cloudy, and the wind a bit brisk when I woke in New Hope. The threat of rain hung over us again, though nothing fell that morning. Its easier on the horse when its cool. After Bill made his coffee I got to making breakfast. I used my Colman stove to cook up some bacon, eggs, and toast. Aside from the hills this was an easy day, as Bill and Blackie only had 8 miles to reach the town of Union Grove, our next stop.

Jonny and I drove straight to town to check out the Fiddler's Grove Campground. Before the trip I had researched possible places along our route to stop. I called the owners to ask permission to keep the horse there; they had no problem with the horse, so we drove down and setup camp.

Shortly after Bill arrived we met with the manager of the Grove, who was a very kind elderly gentleman. We told him about the trip, and later he came back to refund our camp fee (nice! Every bit helps) and invite us to the Cookshack for some family style Bluegrass pick'n. Fiddlers Grove is famous for its “Ole Time Fiddlers and Bluegrass Festival” which will be held May 23 – 25 of this year.

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04-22-08

We made our first stop about 11.5 miles from the Taylorsville Lions Club Fairgrounds. The numerous churches have been great places to stop my rig. There's one about every 10 miles or so and most have large parking lots. Theres no one around Linney's Mill, seems they are closed on Mondays, so we move on.

When we reach the church in New Hope there is a gentlemen mowing the grass. His name is Jimmy; we tell him what we're doing and ask him if he knows who to talk to to get permission to camp. He drives down to Mr. Youngen's house for us and he comes down to see us. We get permission, and that night camp out near a graveyard. We don't see any ghosts.

Bill arrives tired and goes to bed early.

04-21-08

The ride from the Peacock Inn to the Taylorsville was a little longer then we had expected. At the Taylorsville Lions Club Fair Grounds we met with Sonny Cook, President of the Grounds. Mr. Cook opened up the gates and restrooms for us. He chatted with us for awhile and we learned that there was going to be a wresting match that evening. The sky was clear and it was getting warm, so Brenda and I setup the canopy that Coleman had gave us, which was the first time in quite a while.

In the afternoon we had some locals come by to visit. Hal Bond and Nathan Smart were the first to stop. They petted Blackie and talked to Bill and Brenda about the planed route. We also had the honor to meet J.C Elliott and Bill Ramllett; both men Vietnam Vets. Mr. Elliott is a Navy man, and Mr. Ramllett was in the Army. Bill told them about our trip across the country and showed them he newspaper clipping book.

Milestone Championship Wrestling invited us to watch their event. I filmed some of the matches. Later that night a heavy downpour hit, what Brenda called a "gully-washer". The roof of the trailer leaked and some of Brenda cloths got wet.

The next morning we decided to stay at the fairgrounds another day due to the bad weather. In the morning a heavy fog had settled around us, and it continued to sprinkle on and off. Later that day the weather calmed down. Brenda hadn't been able to find a contact for the next stretch of road, so we unhooked the truck and Bill, Brenda, and I drove down the planed route to scout. There is a place called Linney's Mill with a campground aground it. The church in New Hope seemed to be another option.

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04-19-08 - 04-20-08

Mr. Green owner of Greens Cycles, and Billy Martin with the Lincoln County Sheriffs Department chatted with Bill while he got ready to ride for the day. 

At our first stop, while waiting for Bill, a local electrician by the name of Jonathan Fulbright stopped by to talk to us. We had stopped in the parking lot of a church and he stopped to see if we were the people riding across the country. When Bill arrived Jonathan and Bill got to talking, and not long after Jonny had began grazing Blackie, a few more locals stopped by. Jonathan later brought Bill a halter he had hand tied and a nice check book cover.