We left Durham early in the morning looking forward to our longest single drive of the trip. On the road to Nashville, we took a detour north for two reasons. First, to ride Highway 421 “The Snake,” a beautiful stretch of curvy, twisty, hairpin, mountain, motorcycle madness. Second, to fish the South Holston River a gem of east coast fly fishing. The snake’s venom must have poisoned our fish brains because I must admit that we were skunked and left with no trout on our line.
We arrived in Nashville with the trip odometer reading 2662 miles.
We were finally heading west, and as a hint of what is sure to come we began to feel the heat. Hydration is our new hobby and we drink water religiously. This ride along with the next few will long and hot. In just a week, we will be in Colorado having rode through Tennessee and Texas, two wide states.
Our host in Nashville was a pleasant surprise. You never quite know what you’re going to get when you roll up to the hope of someone you have never met. Kirk took Alex and me in on short notice after one phone call two days earlier. He is a kindergarten teacher in the Nashville Public School System, specializes in ELL/ESL teaching, is fit, and yes ladies, he is single. Email me for further info.
It was great to hang out with Kirk. We grilled burgers, sat on the front porch, and gained some insight into the City Public Schools. He shared about his experience in teaching English as a Second Language (ESL) students. In particular, he noted the good behavior and high level of respect of his ESL students. “They want to be in school, and they want to learn.”
The following morning, Alex and I met up with a friend of mine from home who has spent the last few summers in Nashville working at a place called Rocketown. Rocketown is a faith based youth center, coffee house, music venue, and skate park that ministers to the kids of Nashville. Alex, who loves to skate and loves the church, was drooling over what seemed to be a great combination of the two.
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1 comment:
Alex and Kyle:
Great to see you in Durham. I gave you my best flies for the South Holston...what's up with the skunk? Bet you were fishing mid-day with the sun up. You needed to take along the Postmaster General. Keep praying, keep hydrated, keep safe.
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