Day 4 Friday 5-15-15 LaGrange to Columbus

View today's route at Ride with GPS
Today's ride is rolling to downhill all day. A negative 565 ft. elevation for the day with the steepest grades (6-7%) at 9.9, 20.2, and 37.8 miles.  First water stop is around mile 7.7. Plenty of water/food stops - at least every 10-12 miles - throughout the day's ride. The route goes through Pine Mountain Georgia past the Entrance to Callaway Gardens. Lunch possible at mile 18 - Aspens Mountain Grill.

80's Trip - Pine Mountain Arrival

The highest elevation of the day is Hog Gap (mile 21) at 1,064 ft. There is a Starbucks at mile 42.9. After Starbucks, stock up on snacks at Winn-Dixie located at mile 43. A bike Shop - The Bike Peddler of Columbus - is located near the end of the ride at mile 43.9 if needed. The end of ride includes 10+ miles along the Chattahoochee River Walk which is much like the River Walk in Chattanooga. The picture is of me trying to hide behind the Columbus City Limit sign back in the eighties. I'm not sure which route we took into Columbus back then. Bill and I didn't actually stay in Columbus back in the eighties. We crossed the Chattahoochee Bridge into neighboring Phenix City Alabama to spend the night. Phenix City was notorious during the 1940's and 1950's for being a haven for organized crime, prostitution, and gambling. Columbus wasn't much better - during the 1960's, 1970's and 1980's, urban blight, white flight, and prostitution were serious problems in much of downtown Columbus. After I eat at Houlihan's tonight,I'm going to investigate these issues to see if they still exist.

80's Trip - Arrival in Columbus

I will stay at the Columbus Marriott in old downtown, which was constructed around a restored cotton mill from the mid-nineteenth century and is now a 177-room hotel in downtown Columbus, GA that is considered a national landmark. There are numerous restaurants and bars including a Houlihan's Restaurant/Bar adjacent to the Marriott (800 Front Ave Columbus, GA 31901 - (706) 324-1800. Houlihan's welcomes Flexitarians - I think I am one!

Day 4 Elevation and Grades