Ashland to Williamsburg

Thursday morning we awoke to pouring rain. We had ridden Wednesday in a light rain all day and had thoroughly dried off Wednesday night. Now the forecast was for significant rainfall for the next couple of days. We decided to push on since we had confirmed with a church in Glendale that we could stay inside and we had a fairly short mileage to complete if it kept raining. Into the pouring rain we rode and kept on following the Trans-am signs (see above) that we had seen at every intersection since we entered Virginia. The 76 stands for 1976 the first year the route was ridden in celebration of the bicentennial. Well we were thoroughly drenched before we reached Mechanicsville on one of the small county roads. We stopped for lunch as the rain let up for the rest of the day.

The route had us skirting Richmond to the northeast and we soon came upon the signs marking the Civil War battlefields and recounting the battles that occurred before the fall of Richmond. One of the battlefields we passed was Cold Harbour where 17,000 were killed. There were 7 days of battles around Richmond and it was clear that the North had surrounded Richmond by the location of the battlefields. This house served as a battle headquarters and the church we stayed in had served as a field hospital for the Confederate army. Friday morning we headed east from Glendale and joined Hwy 5 headed for Williamsburg. The riding was incredibly easy; the coastal plain of Virginia is flatter than Kansas! Along the James River we passed the old plantations from the early days (1726 +) and soon reached Williamsburg. We're resting today and taking care of business at the post office. Tomorrow we go to Yorktown, site of the final battle of the Revolutionary War in 1781.

Charlottesville to Ashland

Bob and Donna sent us on our way Tuesday morning near Tom Jefferson's house with fond farewells under an overcast sky. After a steep descent we rode through gently rolling countryside. The overcast kept temperatures cool and it was a good day for riding. As we rode along we couldn't help noticing the brown grass and dying corn fields due to lack of rain. The last signifacant rain was on July 4th. The rain we will get this week will be too late for many of the farmers of Virginia.

As we rode the small back roads we thought that, except for the road pavement, it would be hard to tell just what century we were in. We passed old plantation houses and a log cabin. The Piedmont of Virginia is a beautiful and historic place. We ended the day in Mineral, where we kept dry from the overnight rain thanks to the hospitality of the firefighters of the Mineral Fire Station.

We left Mineral in a light rain which persisted all day. We wound past Lake Anna as we turned south towards Ashland. Just outside of Coatesville we passed the historic home of Patrick Henry. We reached Ashland at about three o'clock and were very glad to get a motel room and get out of the rain.

Afton to Charlottesville

We left the Cookie Lady on Sunday with our thanks and rode from Afton to Charlottesville on a rolling Hwy. 250. Once in town we called Bob from the University of Virginia and he came to pick us up. After a wonderful dinner with Bob and Donna, we had a great conversation late into the wee hours, solving most of the world's problems.

Thanks to the wonderful hospitality of Bob and Donna, we have stayed over a day to see Monticello. Thomas Jefferson was truly a great thinker and that fact is reflected in the home he built.

We have four days of riding to reach Williamsburg where we will headquarter for sightseeing and an unloaded daytrip on the bikes the last 13 miles to Yorktown. Yes we can almost smell that sea air now!

Vesuvius to Afton

Saturday morning Buck, who owns Gertie's Store, offered to give us a lift up the infamous four mile long Vesuvius Hill. We were glad for the lift because we had heard that there were pitches of 23% slope on this hill. We didn't think we could even push the trailer up these steep pitches. Four miles later Buck deposited us on the Blue Ridge Parkway.

We rode along this scenic wonder for 27 miles with views like this of the Shenandoah Valley. On the Parkway a couple, Bob and Donna, on a motorcycle stopped to talk to us. It turns out that Bob rode a recumbent bicycle across the Trans-Am trail a couple of years ago. Well ,they invited us to stay at their house in Charlottesville when we got there on Sunday.

At Rockfish Gap we turned east and dropped steeply off the Blue Ridge Parkway. We rode on Hwy. 750 to the small town of Afton, where resides June Curry, the Cookie Lady. We visited with June for about two hours before taking up residence in her Bike House Hostel. June is 87 years old, and for the past 32 years she has given water, food, and shelter to bicyclists crossing the country like us. The Bike House is filled with mementos and cards of bicyclists honoring her generosity. June is much beloved by bikers around the world.

Buchanan to Vesuvius

Friday morning we left Buchanan later than we wanted because the restaurant didn't open on time. As it was our only chance at to get breakfast we had to wait. After a good breakfast we rode along Hwy. 11 to Lexington where we saw Stonewall Jackson's grave and had a great lunch at an Irish Pub. Leaving Lexington we climbed over a big ridge and then rode up the beautiful valley of the South River to Vesuvius. In Vesuvius we camped behind Gertie's Store and had huge club sandwiches for dinner in the store. The owners are really nice and made us feel like we had been regulars for years. Also camping with us was a young couple, Liz and Brendan, traveling west, who quickly became Jack's latest victims, er.. ball throwin' buddies.

Catawba to Buchanan

Well, we left Bill and Annie's this morning much refreshed. Their hospitality was unrivaled and we are grateful for that and for the chance to make new friends. Flash was used when taking the above picture so that explains why Jack looks demonic (although Bill and Annie's cats may believe that Belinda was holding a demon). On the bikes we had a good start with seven miles of downhill and an overcast sky to keep the temperature down. We noticed this mailbox early as we made our way down Bradshaw Rd.

We zigzaged our way out to Hwy. 11 which was gently rolling all the way to our destination, Buchanan. Our motel for the night is about two miles northeast of town and has the following view just outside our door. When we got to Buchanan, the sun was out and it was hot enough to take a swim, so we did. We usually just jump in with our cycling shorts on, giving them a rinse at the same time as refreshing ourselves.

Tomorrow we go to Vesuvius and from there (on Saturday) cross over the Eastern Divide and will stay at the famous "Cookie Lady's" Biker Hostel in Afton. June Curry, aka "The Cookie Lady", started by giving water to hot cyclists passing by her house in the early days of the Bike Centennial and is much renowned amongst touring cyclists.

Rest Day at Bill and Annies

Our total mileage for Monday and Tuesday was 116 miles and we jumped at the invitation for a rest day with Bill and Annie. Their home is just outside Salem and very near to Roanoke. Annie took us sightseeing in Roanoke and to the top of Mill Mountain to see panorama of the Roanoke River Valley.

On the top of Mill Mountain is the largest star in the world. It was erected in 1949 and can be seen from 60 miles away on a clear night.

We headed downtown for lunch in the Old Market Place. There were many great shops, restaurants, and a daily farmer's market in the downtown. Roanoke has many amenities and seems like a much larger city. We drove through Roanoke College where Bill was at work and admired the historic buildings. Tomorrow we continue on with approx. 340 miles to Yorktown.