Navigationaly Challenged

Columbus to Perry GA. 97 miles and 3550' of climbing. We have breakfast at the motel. Nothing to write home about. Rap at 7:45 and load at 8:00. The first navigation error is both in the instruction and the interpretation. The second is in the correction. By not going back far enough to over come the first error some of the riders end up back in Alabama. No, not I. I have other mistakes to make. I will end up covering 107 on a 97 mile day. Then we are going to ride on a bike trail along the river. I can't find the beginning of the bike path. This is great. I ride on the road that parallels the river till I can see the path down close to the river. I finally find a ramp down to where I am supposed to be. This is a truly beautiful ride. There is always a catch. I come to a place where repairs are being made and it is fenced off. As I get there workmen are taking down a section of fence on the far side of the missing path. I find a place on my side where I can skirt the fence and walk across the muck to the other side. Riding again Pat catches up and we cross onto the bike path on Ft Benning. Looking for 1st Division Rd we end up on 10th Division Rd. Not the same. Back up try again. We finally get on the right road. All along this road are sections dedicated to Congressional Medal of Honor winners. We go past the Ranger Training School and the Sniper School. At least we are finished with the questionable navigation. In order to leave post we have to lift our bikes over a barricade and get on a road parallel to the one we were on. The road from here to the SAG is one big roller after another. When we leave the break we are back to the gang of 7. About half way between the first break and lunch James' rear wheel bearings die. We call Jim in the mechanics van and wait for him to bring James a spare wheel. After lunch we only have 22 not as hilly miles to the motel. The thunder storms we were supposed to have never arrive. Must be the payback for riding around in circles. I get to spend 20 minutes in the luke warm spa before rap. Small pleasures. Cracker Barrel is the only choice for dinner. Two riding days left.