Yesterday was a sunny, 75F-degree day. What’s the best way to spend such a beautiful afternoon? Going bicycling, of course.
I decided to ride out to Oak Ridge, the Secret City (so named because it was founded as part of the Manhattan Project). I grabbed an apple, filled my water bottles, and embarked on another cycling adventure.
The pictures chronicle the journey:
Heading out of Knoxville on Middlebrook Pike.
Sheep enjoying the October sunshine.
Heading down into a ravine.
Scenic inlet.
Make sure your brakes are in good working condition.
Bull Run Fossil Plant. Air quality is good today.
Looking across the Clinch River.
Cruising through the Secret City. Traffic was quite light.
Oak Ridge High School. I like the logo (on the left).
Freshly-paved Highway 95. I was surprised to discover several miles of bike lane! But it had a lot of gravel on it so I ended up riding at the edge of the traffic lane much of the way anyway.
Which way do I go? Where’s my map?
I’ve got the road all to myself.
Uh oh.
Security gate at Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Oops, I left my security clearance at home.
Melton Hill Dam.
Dam/Bike shot.
Riding on a bridge over the interstate I noticed that something bad had happened to this car.
Ensuing traffic jam.
A change in the hillside hue indicates that evening draws nigh.
A great ride. Traffic was light, winds were mild, I only had two cars honk at me, and no one threw anything at me. What more can you ask for?
Ride stats:
62.8 miles
3:45:30