August 29, 2016 – Partly cloudy, 85 degrees

Miles Today: 62

Miles to Date: 15,346

States to Date: 42

I got up and out by seven for another day of scenic riding through Tennessee’s rolling hills. The greenway through Murfeesboro is one of the nicest I’ve seen; well used even on a Monday morning.

The path goes right through the Stones River National Battlefield that commemorates the Battle of Stones River, a major turning point in the Civil War. On December 31, 1862 the Union began an offensive across Stones River to cut the Confederacy, and it’s rail transport, in half. For the duration of the war the Union maintained up to 50,000 troops and an immense supply depot here. They built two miles of earthworks to protect their wares from which they could also launch cannon attacks on the town. This is where Sherman launched his devastating March to the Sea.

The rest of the way into Nashville was increasingly urban, but there are bike lanes on most major roads of the city. I spent the afternoon at the Southeast Library, an immense local branch; my favorite repurposing yet for an abandoned shopping mall.