Following Coach Griffin's bike trip across the US

Former Francis Marion University baseball coach and athletic director Gerald Griffin and his wife Sandy are bicycling across the United States. Keep track of where they are now...Charleston, S.C., on Nov. 1 (Montgomery, Ala., on Oct. 24) (Natchez, Miss., on Oct. 20) (Stanley, La., on Oct. 18) (Waco, Texas, on Oct. 15).

The couple started in San Diego on Sept. 25 and had hoped to reach Florence by Thanksgiving, but will be home this week instead.

"This was a 'bucket list' item for my wife," Griffin said.  "It has been exciting and an adventure. We try to cover between 80 and 100 miles each day, starting at 7:30 or 8 a.m.  We split the cycling with one of us riding 15 miles while the other drives the car and then we swap.  We have suffered numerous flat tires (on the bike)."

Their trip across Georgia was met with beautiful weather, a few flat tires, and some good eating with locals.  The Griffins visited Georgia Southern University in Statesboro on Oct. 30 and enjoyed a trip around their large campus.
 
The ride on GA route 119 North from Statesboro toward Coosawatchie, S.C., included pedaling through rural eastern Georgia and over the Savannah River. The trip was peaceful and enjoyable with little traffic, small towns and good roads.
 
The duo arrived in Charleston on Monday afternoon (Nov. 1).  It was somewhat harrowing riding into Charleston on U.S. Highway 17, but Coach Griffin served as the "blinking SAG car" behind Sandy for the latter part of the ride.
 
They were greeted by their children Pam and Clay and three grandchildren, Jake, Luke and Ava.   The grandchildren rode the last 10 miles with us over the West Ashley Greenway, that conveniently led the group to a Cold Stone Ice Cream store!
 
After visiting 45 different motels, loading and unloading bikes at least twice a day, changing 18 flat tires, drinking three cases of gatorade and five cases of water, the pair look forward to being home in Florence and sleeping in their own beds on Wednesday, Nov. 3.  
 
Sandy siad, "I know Coach will be glad to get back to his retirement routine of independent living...reading his five daily newspapers, drinking his coffee at Starbucks or Krispy Kreme, and seeing people he enjoys visiting with."

Earlier in the trip.......The duo followed U.S. Highway 80 to reach Columbus, Ga., on Oct. 26.  They followed U.S. Highway 84, and crossed the Mississippi River near Natchez, Miss., on Wednesday, Oct. 20.

After reaching Columbus, the Griffins traveled across the Peach State on state route 96 (GA Bike Route 40).

The Griffins cycled across Mississippi, enjoying a couple of small towns for lunch with the locals.  Coach Griffin was right at home sitting down in the crowded lunchroom having ribs, sweet potato casserole, turnip greens and fresh homemade coconut cake.

They enjoyed a Ghost Hay Ride on Oct. 23 in Thomasville, Ala., riding a hay wagon around the town to the 1800's homes and hearing the local ghost stories about each home – lots of fun with the locals in this small little hamlet.

The Griffins also finished riding the route of the 1965 Selma to Montgomery Voting Rights Trail, and came away impressed that marches completed the 52-mile trek.

Prior to crossing the Mississippi, the Griffins stayed in Natchitoches, La., where the couple experienced a quaint, historical town and witnessed an early-morning drug bust by narcotics officers at the motel.  The day also brought a flat tire on the bike.

Thunderstorms proceeded their crossing of the mighty Mississippi, but the Griffins ate a great home-cooked meal at a Vidalia, La., restaurant (with the biggest pork chops coach Griffin had ever seen) and then splurged by staying at the Natchez Grand Hotel on a bluff overlooking the river.

At the restaurant, the Griffins met a santa-bearded retiree who had driven a truck for 40 years and knew every little town across New Mexico and Texas that they had already visited.

Griffin witnessed a two-car accident at an intersection in Texas.  One of the people involved in the accident wanted him to be a witness, if necessary.  The Griffins hope he doesn't have to return to Texas for that.

Big excitement:  Griffin has gotten his senior Mac coffee for 25 cents!  That means that his senior latte (an ice cream in a 25/coffee) only costs him $1.25.  That's Griffin's big major treat at the end of his daily ride.

Griffin, a graduate of the University of North Carolina, came to Florence in 1972 and began the FMU baseball program the following spring.  He posted a 655-433-1 mark in 28 seasons on the Patriot bench, owns 736 career coaching wins, and is a member of the NAIA Hall of Fame.