Day 21, 67 miles, Clarkrange to Carthage, TN
Day 20, 83 miles, Knoxville to Clarkrange, TN
Day 19, Nearo day: 13 miles RT to Knoxville bike shop and back
Day 18, 53 miles, Bulls Gap to Knoxville, TN
Day 17, 45 miles, Johnson City to Bulls Gap, TN
Day 16, 60 miles, Chilhowie, VA, to Johnson City, TN
“Northerners can be kinda tough to deal with sometimes.”—Tom the fence builder, Two Bridges Road, outside Lancing, TN
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I made it to Tennessee a few days ago. Goodbye Virginia hills, hello Tennessee hills.
Meeting a lot of people in Tennessee. Mostly good.
Tom the fence builder isn’t really a fence builder but he builds a hell of a fence. It wasn’t easy getting him to open up, but he eventually did. I saw him and his friend Tim – even more reticent than Tom – out near Two Bridges Road on my way by and stopped to chat. 
Most rural Tennesseeans, it would seem, in my brief experience passing through the countryside here, are not accustomed to seeing a grown man dressed in tight pants riding a bike. For some, it takes a little work to win them over and assure them you’re not an alien, or some kind of pervert there to steal their wives and daughters, or worse.
Tom eventually proved to be a very nice gentleman. Steven Myers, on the other hand, was eager to chat. Riding along route 70N west nearing Carthage, TN, I heard, “Hey!” Steven gets off his lawnmower and waves me over. He loves seeing cyclists come by, he and his wife are cyclists themselves. We chatted for a while about some of the races he’s done. Great guy. I wish more people would yell at me to pull over and talk.
In general, the people of Tennessee have been wonderful. Drivers have been, for the most part, respectful. I haven’t been black-smoked once in this state (can’t say that about Virginia) and nobody has turned their truck right toward me and stepped on the gas in a threatening game of chicken (Virginia again).
Best of all, my great friend Chris lives in Knoxville, and I kicked off my cross-state tour with a relaxing couple days at her lovely home, martinis included on the back deck! (First drink I’d had in a week and a half, and it hit like it!) 
That visit set me up perfectly for venturing into the heart of the state, which included a foray through Oak Ridge (home of the Oak Ridge Boys, I presume?), a really nice town, where I happened to catch the Wichita State rowing team on a practice tour. Go Shockers!
So all in all, Tennessee has been the highlight of my 70-day xUS bike tour so far.
Last night I found myself in a tiny unincorporated town called Clarkrange, less than a thousand people. No hotels, no camping. But at the general store, the owner suggested I camp out at the community park, and even called the park ranger to get permission. Everyone in town was at the park until about sunset, so I waited till dark to set up my tent. Not a great sleep, but the morning was beautiful, and the ride out of Clarkrange was two hours of blissful country touring, complete with a massive chicken in someone’s front yard. Cause why not?
Nashville tomorrow, for some serious music. I’m hoping Tennessee continues its bounty, and that I can put all the trauma of that I-95 corridor far behind me.