Nov. 3 – Here’s to being friendly & resourceful!

Bob treated me to breakfast at First Watch this morning and then dropped me off at the edge of Atlanta, avoiding the dangerous rush hour traffic. But no matter where you are in Georgia, at least this part of Georgia, you will find a lot of traffic. Things are booming here – every small town within a reasonable driving distance to Atlanta has become a suburb of sorts as the city becomes more and more expensive. Plus all kinds of logistical centers and factories are operating or being built in or near the smaller towns. All day long I encountered contractor vehicles and a never-ending stream of SUV’s, minivans and luxury vehicles. It was the opposite of many small towns in Eastern Colorado, Kansas and Western Missouri, where businesses were shuttered and populations were shrinking. It is pretty stressful riding, but luckily the drivers around here are used to cyclists on the road and give you wide berth (for the most part). Around 4:30 I came into the town of Covington and had the first camping rejection experience of the trip. I went to the city hall to ask for permission to camp in a park and both the city administration and police denied me. So much for southern hospitality! Contrast that to what happened next. The next town down the road about 10 miles was Social Circle (love the name) – I called the police station there and the chief of police answered. When I explained who I was and what I needed, he was genuinely perplexed as on his watch no cyclist had ever been through town requesting a camping spot. But he was ready to help! He was not keen on me camping in the city park because it was right in the middle of town and he was worried about concerned citizens calling all night – so he just had me camp right at the police station! Problem solving and hospitality – that’s more like it! Plus, what safer spot can there be to pitch a tent? The police station is right off of Main Street where I found an excellent restaurant called the Tin Cup where I had a burger and a beer for dinner and a cool and friendly breakfast place called Bread & Butter where I am enjoying a scone and quiche and writing this blog. All is well that ends well!

Cheers to the Social Circle Police and Chief Jason!