Mileage: 95ish, 40ish
Terrain: Hilly
Temperature: 77 ish degrees
Woke up knowing that I had a long day ahead of me being a little over 90 miles. Got on the road at about 7:45 am and the first water stop was supposed to be about 35 miles out well kept riding and about 35 miles realized that there was no water stop so pulled over at a closed small town store and had a cliff bar to eat, man am I getting tired of force feeding myself cliff bars!! We then realized that we were almost out of water so looked around and found a spicket behind the house next door filled up and were on our way. At about mile 46 we came into a town and had a rest and then moved on. We also found out that one of our fellow riders had tipped over there bike and scrapped up there arm so that is why they weren’t at the first water stop. As we were riding along we saw the mini van (we have 2 support vehicles a mini van and then the big van and trailer) along side of the rode with some of our riders. Found out that one of the older guys had two dogs come out and chase him and one got caught up under his wheel and threw him off of his bike. They took him to the ER to have him checked out and nothing but scrapes. He was lucky enough to be dismissed to ride. One of our fellow riders went to the door and no one was home to inform of their dogs unruly activity. Rode on and at about mile 75 came upon Lincolns’ Parents homestead which was where the 3rd water was supposed to be, and no one was there so I had some food from my bag used the restrooms there and then the trailer showed up as we were pulling out. Stopped said hey and began moving on. We find things to keep ourselves entertained along the way and one of our fellow riders, Ethan, was riding along and all of the sudden a ground hog came out of its hole and must have hissed at him and scared him so we joked around about it for a while and tease him about the ground hog hissing at him continually. By mile 80 I was getting pretty tired and then finally I could tell that we were getting to the outskirts of Bardstown, KY we decided that it was necessary to hit up a tavern in this town since we had been through dry towns for the last almost week. Got some food and chilled out due to the trailer not being at the park that we were staying at. Chilled out there with many of our fellow riders for a few hours and then decided that we still had not eaten enough and were getting hungry again so stopped by McDonalds for some ice cream and then went to the park and by this time it was about 9:00 pm got my tent set up grabbed a quick shower and went to bed. It was a long fun day of touring!!
Woke up this morning at about 5:45 am and went to the rest room realized no one was up yet and went back to bed. We had discussed that since today was going to be a short day of an estimated 44 miles that there was no need to rush out in the morning and that we had plenty of time. However, we are supposed to have all of our stuff in the trailer by 8:00 am so figured we would do this and then get breakfast somewhere in town. Well woke up again at about 7:00 am peaked out of my tent and realized that the majority of people had already packed up their tents and were getting ready to head out. I was so confused and then found out that a storm was rolling in very quickly. Began frantically getting my things together and about 7:45 am it started to rain very hard. This was just as I had begun to take down my tent. So some of my fellow riders had already gone to McDonalds down the road to get breakfast and wait out the rain. I had decided that it was raining and lightening too hard and just rode up to the welcome/ gift shop for the park/golf course that we were staying at. Hung out there with some of my fellow riders for about three hours and watched the weather. It was rather comfy there with comfy couches and coffee. Then decided that most of the storm was through and took off for the first and only rest stop at 27 miles. Discussed that there wasn’t a lot to do in the town where we are staying and someone had asked if it was another dry town. Our guide didn’t know but had pointed out that there was a liquor store right across the street so some of my fellow riders took up the opportunity to get some bourbon which is distilled in the area. (Once we got into town found out that it was once again a dry county.) Had a bite to eat and then road 10 miles to a BP station that one of our fellow riders who was ahead of us had tweeted us that they had make your own soft serve ice cream cones for a dollar. So we thought we had to have some stopped and had a very large ice cream cone chilled out and talked to some locals and quoting one of the toothless locals “Yeah, Kentucky’s a shit hole.” Needless to say, the country side has actually turned out to be quite beautiful and more so as we go west. Also I failed to mention eastern Kentucky has many coal mines and the trucks are known to be terrible and ruthless. We were very lucky to get this part of the state out of the way on a Saturday and Sunday. Finally we got to the pavilion that we are staying at outside of a school, got a shower inside the school and found out that we can lay our sleeping mats out in the gym after 9:00 pm once they are done playing basketball. Had some dinner, PB&J on 12 grain bread…mmmmmmm!!!!!! Getting ready for bed tomorrow, should be a fairly short day tomorrow of 50 some miles with a few challenging hills with grades up to 17%!!! Things are really starting to flatten out, defiantly not flat but not as long or big of hills as previously. Three more ridding days and we will be in Carbondale, IL and then have a rest day on Sunday. I cannot believe that soon we will be in our third state!!
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Monday, June 13, 2011
Video!!
Here is the video that they made for our first week cross country!! I am in it however, you just cannot tell that it is me in some of the clips because they are moving so fast....lol. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2NcCU80bCA
June 13th - Booneville, KY to Berea, KY
Mileage: 50
Terrain: Hilly
Temperature: 77 ish degrees
Got up this morning got my tent all packed up and got on the road at about 7:45 am knowing that it was going to be a short day of only 50 miles. There was some confusion getting out of town due to a detour however, we got directions that were better and shorter than the detour from a local. We felt that this detour that we think should be part of the Adventure Cycling route however; Adventure Cycling doesn’t want to change it because it has been part of the route since 1976. It was still a very hilly ride throughout the day however; the hills are not as tall as some of the previous ones. We had only one rest stop today, where I stopped filled up with water and had a popsicle. Also got chased by many dogs today I think the total count is somewhere around 10 now. There are tons of dogs here many on chains, many who stand beside the road and bark, many on chains, many behind fences, many who just lay there and stare and many more who feel the need to chase you and growl and bite at your foot and or wheel. There was once time that I had 4 dogs on my wheel. We then moved on did a few more climbs and then finally got to the top of our last climb stopped at the top and one of the girls I have been riding with pulled over with me because I was getting hungry. I stopped and asked her “So do you think we have 3G service yet?” We were only about 5 miles out from Berea which has a much larger population than most of the towns we have been staying in. So we both pulled our phones out of our handlebar bags looked and were overjoyed with excitement!! Finally, service, which we haven’t had in a mere 2 days!! We then descended our last hill out of Bighill, KY and arrived in Berea where we are tenting at their firehouse. Berea seems to be a nicer town than some of the ones we have gone through thus far in KY, however, it is still a dry county as many are that we have gone through. There was also a detour getting into Berea however, we got a tweet with twitter from one of the guides and made it into town with no problems. Got to camp and turned around with some of the others and rode about a mile back into town and ate at a pizza place that had great pizza. Chilled out there and then came back here got a lovely shower and set up my tent. Today is a much cooler day and we got in much earlier than normally. Tomorrow however, is going to be a much longer day with 90 miles so we must get on the road earlier.
Terrain: Hilly
Temperature: 77 ish degrees
Got up this morning got my tent all packed up and got on the road at about 7:45 am knowing that it was going to be a short day of only 50 miles. There was some confusion getting out of town due to a detour however, we got directions that were better and shorter than the detour from a local. We felt that this detour that we think should be part of the Adventure Cycling route however; Adventure Cycling doesn’t want to change it because it has been part of the route since 1976. It was still a very hilly ride throughout the day however; the hills are not as tall as some of the previous ones. We had only one rest stop today, where I stopped filled up with water and had a popsicle. Also got chased by many dogs today I think the total count is somewhere around 10 now. There are tons of dogs here many on chains, many who stand beside the road and bark, many on chains, many behind fences, many who just lay there and stare and many more who feel the need to chase you and growl and bite at your foot and or wheel. There was once time that I had 4 dogs on my wheel. We then moved on did a few more climbs and then finally got to the top of our last climb stopped at the top and one of the girls I have been riding with pulled over with me because I was getting hungry. I stopped and asked her “So do you think we have 3G service yet?” We were only about 5 miles out from Berea which has a much larger population than most of the towns we have been staying in. So we both pulled our phones out of our handlebar bags looked and were overjoyed with excitement!! Finally, service, which we haven’t had in a mere 2 days!! We then descended our last hill out of Bighill, KY and arrived in Berea where we are tenting at their firehouse. Berea seems to be a nicer town than some of the ones we have gone through thus far in KY, however, it is still a dry county as many are that we have gone through. There was also a detour getting into Berea however, we got a tweet with twitter from one of the guides and made it into town with no problems. Got to camp and turned around with some of the others and rode about a mile back into town and ate at a pizza place that had great pizza. Chilled out there and then came back here got a lovely shower and set up my tent. Today is a much cooler day and we got in much earlier than normally. Tomorrow however, is going to be a much longer day with 90 miles so we must get on the road earlier.
June 12th – Hindman, KY to Booneville, KY
Mileage: 64 ish
Terrain: Hilly
Temperature: 95 ish degrees
Woke up this morning at the youth center and it was raining. Not extremely hard so we decided to go for it! We got on the road at about 7:30 am and within about a half hour it had stopped raining and the sun started shinning and it became very hot very quickly. The hills in KY so far have been very gradual but long so we started our ascending and descending for the day and about 20 miles out we found our first stop which was at a Wal-Mart. We all stocked up on food and our group leaders were even making pancakes for us in the parking lot by the trailer. We spent probably about an hour and a half at this stop. We have been joking around about how it takes us twice as long to get to where we are going due to all of the stopping that we do. We then decided to keep moving on, made a stop at a place some of our fellow riders were getting ice cream at, didn’t get any though and kept moving on. Stopped at our last provided water stop, had a snack and moved on. We then decided that it was time to get to camp. There was lots of climbing still yet to go though. Finally, we got to camp and are staying behind a Presbyterian church. This is along the adventure cycling route and they have allowed many cyclist to stay here previously, they have even built a small single shower house with a real shower head instead of a hose, however, it is still cold water. Currently there are also 3 other girls and also a couple that are doing cross country self contained. So I then set up my tent and got a cold, refreshing shower!! Then went down to a small mom and pop shop and got dinner, food wasn’t so good but there peach cobbler was!! Now I am waiting in line to get my chain cleaned and then heading to bed. Supposed to be a shorter day with only about 50 miles to go tomorrow!
Terrain: Hilly
Temperature: 95 ish degrees
Woke up this morning at the youth center and it was raining. Not extremely hard so we decided to go for it! We got on the road at about 7:30 am and within about a half hour it had stopped raining and the sun started shinning and it became very hot very quickly. The hills in KY so far have been very gradual but long so we started our ascending and descending for the day and about 20 miles out we found our first stop which was at a Wal-Mart. We all stocked up on food and our group leaders were even making pancakes for us in the parking lot by the trailer. We spent probably about an hour and a half at this stop. We have been joking around about how it takes us twice as long to get to where we are going due to all of the stopping that we do. We then decided to keep moving on, made a stop at a place some of our fellow riders were getting ice cream at, didn’t get any though and kept moving on. Stopped at our last provided water stop, had a snack and moved on. We then decided that it was time to get to camp. There was lots of climbing still yet to go though. Finally, we got to camp and are staying behind a Presbyterian church. This is along the adventure cycling route and they have allowed many cyclist to stay here previously, they have even built a small single shower house with a real shower head instead of a hose, however, it is still cold water. Currently there are also 3 other girls and also a couple that are doing cross country self contained. So I then set up my tent and got a cold, refreshing shower!! Then went down to a small mom and pop shop and got dinner, food wasn’t so good but there peach cobbler was!! Now I am waiting in line to get my chain cleaned and then heading to bed. Supposed to be a shorter day with only about 50 miles to go tomorrow!
June 10-11th – Rosedale, VA to Breaks, VA to Hindman, KY
Mileage: 48 miles, 72 miles
Terrain: Hilly
Temperature: 90 ish degrees
On the morning of June 10th I woke up at the church where I slept very well. They had really thick carpeting in the church that was much more comfortable with my sleeping pad, it was quiet and cool. We then began our adventure to Breaks National Park which is on the Virginia Kentucky border!! I was so excited to almost be to Kentucky, it is finally feeling like I/ we are making progress. It was a shorter ride than many of the previous days with only 48 miles. I was thankful for this after coming out of two very long hard days. However, even though it was shorter I was still in for a treat with the monstrous hills!! Surprisingly I am actually getting used to the hills because you get a break from pedaling and really feel like you accomplished something after you get to the top. You feel like you concurred it!! We got to Breaks National Park and stayed at the campground there. I was happy to get a shower since I had not gotten one the night before and only used a hose to wash my hair. So I went straight to the shower house and got a nice refreshing shower. I was excited to get in earlier as many days we don’t get in till the afternoon due to the many stops and things to see along the way. Also because there is usually nothing to do once you get where I am sleeping. So really there is no rush! So I hung around camp for the rest of the evening and then went to the lodge where many people in our group had gone and had a small bite to eat as I had already eaten a ton from my food pantry.
This morning, June 11th I got up and we hit the road at about 8:00 am for the KY border. Of course we had to stop shortly to take pictures!! We then moved on and knew that we had 5 big climbs for the day as we had previously looked at the elevation profile. We also felt it necessary to start counting dogs chasing us and giving them ratings as well based on how threatening they are. So it is known to cyclist that KY has many dogs that are not chained and it was CRAZY how true this is because we did not have one single dog chase us in VA and now that we are in KY there have been tons of dogs along the road barking at us and a few chasing. So we are only counting the ones that are a threat and it has been 3. There is a spray that cyclist use called “HALT” and many of the cyclist have it and one of the girls had to use it today, it was quite the experience. Also I hate to say it but KY isn’t as well kept as VA, there is a lot more garbage in the ditches and houses/trailers are not well kept in the areas we are going through. We road for about 20 miles or so and then stopped at our first provided rest stop, had a snack got some water and moved on to the next stop which was in Bevinsville and we ate at a small mom and pop shop and then moved on knowing that we had 2 more climbs of the day. So the speed for the day was either 5 mph when climbing up or 25+ mph when going down, it was kind of nice to get a break from pedaling and sail through the hills on the way down, also a great way to cool off as by the time you get to the top of these hills you are dripping sweat!! Finally, we arrived in Hindman where we are staying at a church’s youth center and good news, they have one shower. I was very excited when I found this out because on our way in to Hindman, KY when we were about 3 miles out it started to down pour so we had to stop under a shelter by a barn to avoid the down pour. We waited there for about 20 minutes until we decided that the rain had slowed down enough to ride the last 3 miles to the youth center. I didn’t want the rain to be my only shower of the day!! Once I got here I got a shower and set up my sleeping mat and got a bite to eat. It has now stopped raining and I am contemplating putting my bike in the stand they have set up outside for bikes and starting to clean it. It really does need some tender loving care as it is disgustingly dirty and has tons of break dust all over it and grime from the rain that I have been riding in. I am going to need new brake pads in a few weeks as I have been using them a lot with all of the amazing descents!! Still more climbing to come!!
Terrain: Hilly
Temperature: 90 ish degrees
On the morning of June 10th I woke up at the church where I slept very well. They had really thick carpeting in the church that was much more comfortable with my sleeping pad, it was quiet and cool. We then began our adventure to Breaks National Park which is on the Virginia Kentucky border!! I was so excited to almost be to Kentucky, it is finally feeling like I/ we are making progress. It was a shorter ride than many of the previous days with only 48 miles. I was thankful for this after coming out of two very long hard days. However, even though it was shorter I was still in for a treat with the monstrous hills!! Surprisingly I am actually getting used to the hills because you get a break from pedaling and really feel like you accomplished something after you get to the top. You feel like you concurred it!! We got to Breaks National Park and stayed at the campground there. I was happy to get a shower since I had not gotten one the night before and only used a hose to wash my hair. So I went straight to the shower house and got a nice refreshing shower. I was excited to get in earlier as many days we don’t get in till the afternoon due to the many stops and things to see along the way. Also because there is usually nothing to do once you get where I am sleeping. So really there is no rush! So I hung around camp for the rest of the evening and then went to the lodge where many people in our group had gone and had a small bite to eat as I had already eaten a ton from my food pantry.
This morning, June 11th I got up and we hit the road at about 8:00 am for the KY border. Of course we had to stop shortly to take pictures!! We then moved on and knew that we had 5 big climbs for the day as we had previously looked at the elevation profile. We also felt it necessary to start counting dogs chasing us and giving them ratings as well based on how threatening they are. So it is known to cyclist that KY has many dogs that are not chained and it was CRAZY how true this is because we did not have one single dog chase us in VA and now that we are in KY there have been tons of dogs along the road barking at us and a few chasing. So we are only counting the ones that are a threat and it has been 3. There is a spray that cyclist use called “HALT” and many of the cyclist have it and one of the girls had to use it today, it was quite the experience. Also I hate to say it but KY isn’t as well kept as VA, there is a lot more garbage in the ditches and houses/trailers are not well kept in the areas we are going through. We road for about 20 miles or so and then stopped at our first provided rest stop, had a snack got some water and moved on to the next stop which was in Bevinsville and we ate at a small mom and pop shop and then moved on knowing that we had 2 more climbs of the day. So the speed for the day was either 5 mph when climbing up or 25+ mph when going down, it was kind of nice to get a break from pedaling and sail through the hills on the way down, also a great way to cool off as by the time you get to the top of these hills you are dripping sweat!! Finally, we arrived in Hindman where we are staying at a church’s youth center and good news, they have one shower. I was very excited when I found this out because on our way in to Hindman, KY when we were about 3 miles out it started to down pour so we had to stop under a shelter by a barn to avoid the down pour. We waited there for about 20 minutes until we decided that the rain had slowed down enough to ride the last 3 miles to the youth center. I didn’t want the rain to be my only shower of the day!! Once I got here I got a shower and set up my sleeping mat and got a bite to eat. It has now stopped raining and I am contemplating putting my bike in the stand they have set up outside for bikes and starting to clean it. It really does need some tender loving care as it is disgustingly dirty and has tons of break dust all over it and grime from the rain that I have been riding in. I am going to need new brake pads in a few weeks as I have been using them a lot with all of the amazing descents!! Still more climbing to come!!
Sunday, June 12, 2011
No Internet Access
This is Renee posting on Julie's behalf. I talked to her briefly tonight and she has not had Internet access for the last few days. She has her blogs written and will post them as soon as she is able to get online (hopefully tomorrow). Stay tuned!
Friday, June 10, 2011
Thursday, June 9, 2011
June 7-9th – Blacksburg, VA to Rural Retreat, VA to Rosedale, VA
Mileage: 85 ish miles, 80 ish miles
Terrain: Hilly
Temperature: 90 ish degrees
On June 7th there was a rest day and we went to two different houses and did yard makeovers. The one house was like a jungle and there were many overgrown trees and LOTS of poison ivy. I now itch everywhere and am not sure if I am developing poison ivy or otherwise I have tons of big bites. So then on the night of the 7th we grilled out at Mason’s house and got a good night sleep!! On the morning of the 8th we got up and were on the road to Rural Retreat at 8:00 am. We road about 40ish miles and then stopped in Wytheville at a truck stop and ate at a buffet! I think that they must have lost money on me due to me eating sooo much!! I also had a new record of top speeds coming out of Blacksburg of 46.6 mph, however, the top speed of one of the guys in the group was 57 mph. One we had lunch we laid under a shade tree and took a nap. After the nap we decided to move on to Rural Retreat where we stayed at a camp for the night. Needless to say it was somewhat of an eventful ride when we got rained on and one of the guys we were riding with had his chain and derailleur get caught up in his wheel Finally we got to the camp and it was back a thick gravel road that was 1.6 miles long so the two vans had to shuttle us to the camp. It reminded me of something like the parent trap camp but not as nice. However, they did have showers and a shelter for us to set up our tents under so that we could stay dry!! I did however wake up in the middle of the night and hear a coyote howling, kind of scary!! We were tucked back in the middle of the mountains in the middle of nowhere and to top it off there was no cell phone service whatsoever!! It was a very long but fun riding day. We have all kind of taken the approach that there is no hurry to get to camp because the trailer usually is bringing up the rear so you would have to sit at camp with nothing to do.
So on the morning of the 9th we woke up and started our journey to Rosedale, VA. We rode about 40 miles to Damascus where our guide Pepper owns Sundog Outfitters and we got to shop and see where he works. We then sat down and ate at a pizza place for lunch and went to the grocery. They parked the van and trailer outside of the grocery so that we could stock up due to not many places to get food for the next few days. We then started on our way to Rosedale from Damascus and about 5 miles out started getting hailed on so we pulled over onto some ones porch and stood around for about 20 minutes until the rain started to subside. About 1 mile down the road we came to a road block, there was a huge tree down and we took some pictures and then threw our bikes over the trunk and kept moving on. On our way to Rosedale we came up to a snapping turtle in the middle of the road and felt that we needed to rescue it and move it to the ditch, so we took some pictures, moved it to the ditch and kept on. So we were warned that about 10 miles from Rosedale there is a huge climb that is 3.5 miles long called Hayters Gap. We stopped at the bottom filled up with water and started our ascent. It wasn’t as bad as what was anticipated. Got to the top and the van and trailer were there with others cheering us on!! Decided to go for the descent and get to the United Methodist Church where we are staying for the night. It was a very eventful day with lots of rain!! Well I am exhausted so I am going to get cleaned up, no showers tonight, and get to bed!! Tomorrow should be a good day with a little bit less mileage at somewhere around 50 miles and we are staying at Breaks, VA which is the border of the VA and KY border! I am excited to cross the border it will feel like we are making progress!!
Terrain: Hilly
Temperature: 90 ish degrees
On June 7th there was a rest day and we went to two different houses and did yard makeovers. The one house was like a jungle and there were many overgrown trees and LOTS of poison ivy. I now itch everywhere and am not sure if I am developing poison ivy or otherwise I have tons of big bites. So then on the night of the 7th we grilled out at Mason’s house and got a good night sleep!! On the morning of the 8th we got up and were on the road to Rural Retreat at 8:00 am. We road about 40ish miles and then stopped in Wytheville at a truck stop and ate at a buffet! I think that they must have lost money on me due to me eating sooo much!! I also had a new record of top speeds coming out of Blacksburg of 46.6 mph, however, the top speed of one of the guys in the group was 57 mph. One we had lunch we laid under a shade tree and took a nap. After the nap we decided to move on to Rural Retreat where we stayed at a camp for the night. Needless to say it was somewhat of an eventful ride when we got rained on and one of the guys we were riding with had his chain and derailleur get caught up in his wheel Finally we got to the camp and it was back a thick gravel road that was 1.6 miles long so the two vans had to shuttle us to the camp. It reminded me of something like the parent trap camp but not as nice. However, they did have showers and a shelter for us to set up our tents under so that we could stay dry!! I did however wake up in the middle of the night and hear a coyote howling, kind of scary!! We were tucked back in the middle of the mountains in the middle of nowhere and to top it off there was no cell phone service whatsoever!! It was a very long but fun riding day. We have all kind of taken the approach that there is no hurry to get to camp because the trailer usually is bringing up the rear so you would have to sit at camp with nothing to do.
So on the morning of the 9th we woke up and started our journey to Rosedale, VA. We rode about 40 miles to Damascus where our guide Pepper owns Sundog Outfitters and we got to shop and see where he works. We then sat down and ate at a pizza place for lunch and went to the grocery. They parked the van and trailer outside of the grocery so that we could stock up due to not many places to get food for the next few days. We then started on our way to Rosedale from Damascus and about 5 miles out started getting hailed on so we pulled over onto some ones porch and stood around for about 20 minutes until the rain started to subside. About 1 mile down the road we came to a road block, there was a huge tree down and we took some pictures and then threw our bikes over the trunk and kept moving on. On our way to Rosedale we came up to a snapping turtle in the middle of the road and felt that we needed to rescue it and move it to the ditch, so we took some pictures, moved it to the ditch and kept on. So we were warned that about 10 miles from Rosedale there is a huge climb that is 3.5 miles long called Hayters Gap. We stopped at the bottom filled up with water and started our ascent. It wasn’t as bad as what was anticipated. Got to the top and the van and trailer were there with others cheering us on!! Decided to go for the descent and get to the United Methodist Church where we are staying for the night. It was a very eventful day with lots of rain!! Well I am exhausted so I am going to get cleaned up, no showers tonight, and get to bed!! Tomorrow should be a good day with a little bit less mileage at somewhere around 50 miles and we are staying at Breaks, VA which is the border of the VA and KY border! I am excited to cross the border it will feel like we are making progress!!
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
June 6th – Troutsville, VA to Blacksburg, VA
Mileage: 42 miles
Terrain: Rolling to Hilly
Temperature: 85 ish degrees
Woke up at the park in my tent and was informed that we were all going to try to ride together and leave at 8:00 am due to some other people joining us from Blacksburg. We had to stop many times to regroup and then when we got into Blacksburg one of the girls that rode last year had the restaurant that she works at here have food for us at a pavilion. So we all rode in together and ate and mingled due to quite a few of the riders being from Blacksburg. So then we went back to one of the route leader’s friends house that is for sale and he currently isn’t living here so we are all staying in an empty house, however, we have managed to have stuff everywhere and fill it up!! There is also a washer and dryer here so as soon as we got here were all started a laundry pile and got some wash done. We then got showered and then walked to downtown Blacksburg and had dinner. We ate at a place called Cabo Fish Taco and then stopped at a few other restaurants as well. Downtown Blacksburg is so nice, it is very well kept!! We then walked back to the house we are staying at and went to bed. Got up this morning and Ambers massage therapist is here so I am waiting to get a massage!! It’s about 8:20 now and we are supposed to be ready to go do yard makeovers for two different houses for people who suffer from MS. Then I have heard that we are cooking out this afternoon!
So all of the people on this ride are very nice, I think it draws a specific type of person, everyone is always in a good mood. There are definitely a variety of people on the ride and it has a lot of culture I would say. There are many different age groups and even 3 men that are 65 years old. They are pretty strong riders as well!! We are all getting to know everyone very well and I am sure will get to know each other even more by the end of the trip!! The riders really do make the ride fun!!
Terrain: Rolling to Hilly
Temperature: 85 ish degrees
Woke up at the park in my tent and was informed that we were all going to try to ride together and leave at 8:00 am due to some other people joining us from Blacksburg. We had to stop many times to regroup and then when we got into Blacksburg one of the girls that rode last year had the restaurant that she works at here have food for us at a pavilion. So we all rode in together and ate and mingled due to quite a few of the riders being from Blacksburg. So then we went back to one of the route leader’s friends house that is for sale and he currently isn’t living here so we are all staying in an empty house, however, we have managed to have stuff everywhere and fill it up!! There is also a washer and dryer here so as soon as we got here were all started a laundry pile and got some wash done. We then got showered and then walked to downtown Blacksburg and had dinner. We ate at a place called Cabo Fish Taco and then stopped at a few other restaurants as well. Downtown Blacksburg is so nice, it is very well kept!! We then walked back to the house we are staying at and went to bed. Got up this morning and Ambers massage therapist is here so I am waiting to get a massage!! It’s about 8:20 now and we are supposed to be ready to go do yard makeovers for two different houses for people who suffer from MS. Then I have heard that we are cooking out this afternoon!
So all of the people on this ride are very nice, I think it draws a specific type of person, everyone is always in a good mood. There are definitely a variety of people on the ride and it has a lot of culture I would say. There are many different age groups and even 3 men that are 65 years old. They are pretty strong riders as well!! We are all getting to know everyone very well and I am sure will get to know each other even more by the end of the trip!! The riders really do make the ride fun!!
Sunday, June 5, 2011
June 5th – Vasuvius, VA to Troutsville, VA
Mileage: 65ish miles
Terrain: Rolling Hills
Temperature: 85 ish degrees
So last night I woke up in the middle of the night and it was raining and thundering!! It was so weird to hear the thunder down in the hills of VA. It sounded nothing like in Ohio, the noise echoed through the trees!! Ruby and I took off at about 8:00 am and the first 20 miles where a gradual downhill so easy riding and they were gorgeous, words or pictures do no justice to what is really out here!! Then we saw the van and trailer at the first rest stop which was in Lexington a cute small little town and we all stopped at a coffee shop and had coffee and bagels. There are a lot of coffee drinkers on this trip! It is really nice to have the van and trailer at scheduled stops due to all of our gear/luggage and food being available to us along the way. We also have what we call the pantry otherwise known as a food cubby to keep food in because there are many times there are not places to stop for food and it also saves money so you don’t have to eat out all the time. We then filled up on water and kept moving along. The next rest stop was at a gas station that we saw the van and trailer and we sat under a shade tree for a while and filled up with water and then moved on the Buchanan, VA and here we all stopped at a small mom and pop restaurant and ate. Well it just happened that they had a two man band playing on this Sunday afternoon, so we chilled out on their patio for a few hours and listened to them for a while knowing that at this point we only had an easy 20 miles till Troutville, VA where we are staying tonight. I was pre warned that there were no showers at this park but restrooms. I am always the first to ask, “Is there showers there?” However, once we rolled in I was informed that the firehouse across the street was so gracious to let us use their showers!! I was SOOO excited after not having a shower last night!! So once we pulled into Troutville we had noticed that the sky was getting pretty dark so we hurried to set up our tents and then took a glorious shower!! I then ate some food that one of my fellow riders girlfriends had brought us to eat and now am sitting in front of the firehouse due to wi-fi being available and an outlet I found on the outside of the building!! So as I am sitting here I hear a train right by the park blowing its whistle and think oh great I get to hear that during the night and it reminds me that there was also a train last night, must be the trend!
Terrain: Rolling Hills
Temperature: 85 ish degrees
So last night I woke up in the middle of the night and it was raining and thundering!! It was so weird to hear the thunder down in the hills of VA. It sounded nothing like in Ohio, the noise echoed through the trees!! Ruby and I took off at about 8:00 am and the first 20 miles where a gradual downhill so easy riding and they were gorgeous, words or pictures do no justice to what is really out here!! Then we saw the van and trailer at the first rest stop which was in Lexington a cute small little town and we all stopped at a coffee shop and had coffee and bagels. There are a lot of coffee drinkers on this trip! It is really nice to have the van and trailer at scheduled stops due to all of our gear/luggage and food being available to us along the way. We also have what we call the pantry otherwise known as a food cubby to keep food in because there are many times there are not places to stop for food and it also saves money so you don’t have to eat out all the time. We then filled up on water and kept moving along. The next rest stop was at a gas station that we saw the van and trailer and we sat under a shade tree for a while and filled up with water and then moved on the Buchanan, VA and here we all stopped at a small mom and pop restaurant and ate. Well it just happened that they had a two man band playing on this Sunday afternoon, so we chilled out on their patio for a few hours and listened to them for a while knowing that at this point we only had an easy 20 miles till Troutville, VA where we are staying tonight. I was pre warned that there were no showers at this park but restrooms. I am always the first to ask, “Is there showers there?” However, once we rolled in I was informed that the firehouse across the street was so gracious to let us use their showers!! I was SOOO excited after not having a shower last night!! So once we pulled into Troutville we had noticed that the sky was getting pretty dark so we hurried to set up our tents and then took a glorious shower!! I then ate some food that one of my fellow riders girlfriends had brought us to eat and now am sitting in front of the firehouse due to wi-fi being available and an outlet I found on the outside of the building!! So as I am sitting here I hear a train right by the park blowing its whistle and think oh great I get to hear that during the night and it reminds me that there was also a train last night, must be the trend!
June 4th – Charlottesville, VA to Vasuvius, VA
Mileage: 47 miles
Terrain: Very Hilly
Temperature: 80 ish degrees
So this morning Shannons’ parents cooked us breakfast which was great with all the climbing we did. I carbed up and ate tons of pancakes and breakfast food. We then began climbing mt Vesuvius!! So there was about 40 ish miles of climbing, honestly I thought it was going to be a lot steeper climbs however, it was really just gradual climbing all day long. And then we got to the top where we got to descend. The climb there was very beautiful scenery, gorgeous overviews of the hills of the mountains. As I thought climbing up the hills it really is a matter of mind over body. My mind was telling me GO, GO, GO and my body was telling me NO, NO, NO!! But I concurred that darn Vesuvius!! It ended up being 5,000 feet of elevation gain that we climbed!! I found out that short stops were better on my legs because if I did long stops and then got back on the bike and started climbing my lets would BURN BAD. Although they felt like they were on fire most of the day…lol, yet somehow the ride was very enjoyable. Oh yeah, so I was going to say that I have really come to like my handlebar bag, you know the one that I thought I would never own…lol.. however, it is so convenient, you can carry LOTs of food and all kinds of good stuff. You can pick up food and stuff along the route at small town convenience stores etc. So we finally got to descend and it was quite the adrenaline rush. I think that my max speed was 32 mph or something. I am quite sure that I could have gone much faster however; I choose to ride my breaks almost the entire way down. I even stopped half way down for about 5 minutes in order to let my breaks cool down. I like to go fast but not that fast, because it can be very dangerous. So we then coasted into mt Vesuvius to a country store named Gerties. It is a very small store/restaurant. They have people write their names on the walls ceiling anywhere you can find a place. This place is kind of like a small hole in the wall. Very small inside and then this is where we camped at, behind this store in a yard out back. The owners who live next door let us use their hose in order to rinse off. The restroom is a porta potty. Well that’s all for today, tomorrow is going to be about 75 miles so it’s going to be a long day.
Terrain: Very Hilly
Temperature: 80 ish degrees
So this morning Shannons’ parents cooked us breakfast which was great with all the climbing we did. I carbed up and ate tons of pancakes and breakfast food. We then began climbing mt Vesuvius!! So there was about 40 ish miles of climbing, honestly I thought it was going to be a lot steeper climbs however, it was really just gradual climbing all day long. And then we got to the top where we got to descend. The climb there was very beautiful scenery, gorgeous overviews of the hills of the mountains. As I thought climbing up the hills it really is a matter of mind over body. My mind was telling me GO, GO, GO and my body was telling me NO, NO, NO!! But I concurred that darn Vesuvius!! It ended up being 5,000 feet of elevation gain that we climbed!! I found out that short stops were better on my legs because if I did long stops and then got back on the bike and started climbing my lets would BURN BAD. Although they felt like they were on fire most of the day…lol, yet somehow the ride was very enjoyable. Oh yeah, so I was going to say that I have really come to like my handlebar bag, you know the one that I thought I would never own…lol.. however, it is so convenient, you can carry LOTs of food and all kinds of good stuff. You can pick up food and stuff along the route at small town convenience stores etc. So we finally got to descend and it was quite the adrenaline rush. I think that my max speed was 32 mph or something. I am quite sure that I could have gone much faster however; I choose to ride my breaks almost the entire way down. I even stopped half way down for about 5 minutes in order to let my breaks cool down. I like to go fast but not that fast, because it can be very dangerous. So we then coasted into mt Vesuvius to a country store named Gerties. It is a very small store/restaurant. They have people write their names on the walls ceiling anywhere you can find a place. This place is kind of like a small hole in the wall. Very small inside and then this is where we camped at, behind this store in a yard out back. The owners who live next door let us use their hose in order to rinse off. The restroom is a porta potty. Well that’s all for today, tomorrow is going to be about 75 miles so it’s going to be a long day.
Saturday, June 4, 2011
out in the hills in virginia, out in the middle of no where!!
I have a blog typed out however cant post it due to no internet. Will post it tomorrow.
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Friday, June 3, 2011
June 3rd – Mineral, VA to Charlottesville, VA
Mileage: 65 ish
Terrain: Rolling to hilly
Temperature: 80 ish degrees
OMG, there is sooo much to write about and not enough time!! It is now 10:15 and I have finally found time and internet to write the blog for today and post yesterday’s blog. So this morning I got up around 6:45 am and didn’t leave until about 7:40 am. We had 50 miles until Charlottesville and were informed to be there by 1:30 in order to get to the James Q. Miller MS clinic. It was very hard for me to get out of bed this morning as the firehouse last night was located right by a railroad track and there were about 3 trains that went through. However, in between trains I managed to sleep well. I thought that there was an earth quake going on as the trains went through and the ground shook!! The ride was beautiful country side and pastures! I road along as I munched on combos and fig newtons out of my handlebar bag. On a trip like this you need to eat mass amounts of food b/c you are so rapidly burning calories, it really sucks to have to force feed yourself at times however, it is necessary or you will do what they call and bonk and be completely energy depleted and it is really hard to come out of a bonk. Basically if you are hungry you should have eaten an hour ago and that means it is going to take some time to regain energy eaten by food. We were so happy that we didn’t get lost today it was relieving! We are following bike rout 76 which has been marked a lot better. So we are getting closer to the mountains so that means we are starting to do a lot more climbing……..ahhhh. Oh yeah for anyone who wants to follow us on twitter you can follow us @transAm 2011 this is how we communicate out on the road for example if a road is closed or if there is a chasing dog along the way. It also sends us a text b/c there are areas were we will not have very good service. So once we got into Charlottesville we grabbed some food, Charlottesville is such a nice town, so much to see there!! After we ate we all road to the MS clinic all together and did a group entrance and listened to speakers etc and toured the clinic. It was very inspirational!! We then stopped at a bike shop where I picked up a special chain link that you can repair your chain with if you were to break it. Lets just hope that doesn’t happen!! After that we road about 15 ish miles to one of our fellow riders sisters house where we were able to get showers and camp. It is actually located along the route and is outside of Charlottesville in a small town called White Hall. They had dinner for us here, lasagna, chicken, salad, ice cream and lots more!! They are even making breakfast for us in the morning which we are going to need LOTS of calories due to a HUGE climb tomorrow. So her parents shuttled some of us to their house about a mile or so down the road for showers. Her parents house was beautiful here in the country side of Virginia. We drove through a winding gravel road about a mile and then crossed over a river and there were cattle grazing everywhere around the house. Here I was able to get a wonderful shower. It reminded me of a vacation cabin it was so cozy and nice up in the hills!! So tomorrow we are staying in vesuvius which is a huge climb. On the maps they give us they have a chart with the elevation and it is a HUGE spike in the chart. The other day I was talking to one of our guides Pepper about it and he said on this climb you will easily burn 10,000 calories. The descent sounds AWESOME and last year many people hit in the 50 mph range. I have to say that the trip so far has been an AMAZING experience and they say its only going to get better. There is so much we are seeing and doing!! Well that’s all for tonight I am exhausted and its 10:38 and I am getting up at 6:00 am. Nite!!
Terrain: Rolling to hilly
Temperature: 80 ish degrees
OMG, there is sooo much to write about and not enough time!! It is now 10:15 and I have finally found time and internet to write the blog for today and post yesterday’s blog. So this morning I got up around 6:45 am and didn’t leave until about 7:40 am. We had 50 miles until Charlottesville and were informed to be there by 1:30 in order to get to the James Q. Miller MS clinic. It was very hard for me to get out of bed this morning as the firehouse last night was located right by a railroad track and there were about 3 trains that went through. However, in between trains I managed to sleep well. I thought that there was an earth quake going on as the trains went through and the ground shook!! The ride was beautiful country side and pastures! I road along as I munched on combos and fig newtons out of my handlebar bag. On a trip like this you need to eat mass amounts of food b/c you are so rapidly burning calories, it really sucks to have to force feed yourself at times however, it is necessary or you will do what they call and bonk and be completely energy depleted and it is really hard to come out of a bonk. Basically if you are hungry you should have eaten an hour ago and that means it is going to take some time to regain energy eaten by food. We were so happy that we didn’t get lost today it was relieving! We are following bike rout 76 which has been marked a lot better. So we are getting closer to the mountains so that means we are starting to do a lot more climbing……..ahhhh. Oh yeah for anyone who wants to follow us on twitter you can follow us @transAm 2011 this is how we communicate out on the road for example if a road is closed or if there is a chasing dog along the way. It also sends us a text b/c there are areas were we will not have very good service. So once we got into Charlottesville we grabbed some food, Charlottesville is such a nice town, so much to see there!! After we ate we all road to the MS clinic all together and did a group entrance and listened to speakers etc and toured the clinic. It was very inspirational!! We then stopped at a bike shop where I picked up a special chain link that you can repair your chain with if you were to break it. Lets just hope that doesn’t happen!! After that we road about 15 ish miles to one of our fellow riders sisters house where we were able to get showers and camp. It is actually located along the route and is outside of Charlottesville in a small town called White Hall. They had dinner for us here, lasagna, chicken, salad, ice cream and lots more!! They are even making breakfast for us in the morning which we are going to need LOTS of calories due to a HUGE climb tomorrow. So her parents shuttled some of us to their house about a mile or so down the road for showers. Her parents house was beautiful here in the country side of Virginia. We drove through a winding gravel road about a mile and then crossed over a river and there were cattle grazing everywhere around the house. Here I was able to get a wonderful shower. It reminded me of a vacation cabin it was so cozy and nice up in the hills!! So tomorrow we are staying in vesuvius which is a huge climb. On the maps they give us they have a chart with the elevation and it is a HUGE spike in the chart. The other day I was talking to one of our guides Pepper about it and he said on this climb you will easily burn 10,000 calories. The descent sounds AWESOME and last year many people hit in the 50 mph range. I have to say that the trip so far has been an AMAZING experience and they say its only going to get better. There is so much we are seeing and doing!! Well that’s all for tonight I am exhausted and its 10:38 and I am getting up at 6:00 am. Nite!!
June 2nd – Glendale, VA to Mineral, VA
Mileage: 85 ish
Terrain: Pretty Flat to rolling
Temperature: 85ish degrees
So today the sun was up at 5:30 and people started getting up shortly after that. I didn’t get up until about 6:15 and by 7:00 ruby and I hit the road. Throughout the day we made many stops. They did have a water stop for us until about 25 miles in that we stopped at and then kept moving on. At about 40 miles in we stopped in a cute little town called Ashland and had a lunch. We did get lost in the first 40 miles only once where there was a road closed and we asked one of the construction workers if 156 went straight and he said yeah, well it actually turned to the left we found out later, and that set us back a few miles. However, I guess we were some of the lucky ones coming in at a little over 80 miles because many of the other riders were in the 90 ish miles due to getting off route. Needless to say I/we are all getting better at reading the maps and watching for road signs!! So after Ashland we still had 40 miles to go well on my way out on some back road I managed to hit a big pot hole, and thought nothing of it well later on POW!! My first flat of the trip!! Pretty sure it was a pinch flat!! There was a big slit on the tube by the presta valve. There was no patching this one which I was somewhat disappointed in due to a prize at the end of who could get the most patches in a tube and still ride on it!! Last year someone had around 4 patches in one tube!! They do this in order to save tubes. Then about 5-10 miles down the road hit a small bump and something fell from my bike. I stopped to see what it was and it was my patch kit and it had fallen from my pouch under my seat bag. I had forgotten to close the pouch when I had gotten my flat and used the tools in this pouch. This is also where I keep my Guardian Angel coin that my mom gave me and I opened it and didn’t see it and immediately started freaking out!! I didn’t want to have to go back all that way to look for it. So I took everything out of my bag and it had managed to slip all the way back to the back bottom of the bag, I was SOOO relived that it was still in the bag as this means so much to me!!!!! So we continued on and stopped a few times just to rest and also stopped at the second water stop provided to us by the van and trailer. We have been informed that from now on we need to be making sure that we are stopping at gas stations and any place that has water and or food to fill up because with this kind of mileage they are not going to be able to be our only sources of water. So many of our stops were at gas stations to grab some water and a bite to eat. So as I pedaled on at about mile 65 I began to become very tired. The first 65 I felt great and then was just getting ready to be off of the bike!! Then about 10 miles from Mineral, we stopped at a convenience store to get a drink and ice cream and told the worker about our trip and he was very interested it. We had locked our bikes outside and went outside to unlock them and move on, well one of my fellow riders was having difficulty getting her combination lock undone and had thought she had accidentally resent the password and as we were messing with it almost ready to go inside and as for a bolt cutter the worker came out with rice and noodles and gave them to us. It was soo kind of him. Oh yeah we did figure out the combination lock. Finally at mile 80 something I pulled up to the Firehouse in Mineral, VA. As I pulled up I saw many of my fellow riders in the back of the firehouse under a shelter and then I also saw two young men standing in the front of the fire house with their bikes fully loaded and didn’t recognize them from our group. So I went up to them and said where did you boys come from and they said Delaware, VA which is on the coast. They have been riding for 4 days now and are going to be following the same route as us, the transAm and are planning on getting to San Francisco before August. I think they are a little crazy for carrying all of their own gear!! So then I went to the back of the firehouse with my fellow riders sat around a little while and then the van showed up with the trailer and I grabbed my stuff and went to get a nice shower!! It was sooo nice to get a shower since I didn’t get one yesterday!! There was a lot of beautiful scenery today and it was MUCH cooler today than yesterday and the temperature didn’t bother me at all!! Then in the evening I went down the street to a restaurant and had a bite to eat with some of my fellow riders. Now I am laying in my tent with my luggage which I think I am going to leave in the trailer the next time because it is rather cozy in here (in my tent) with all of my stuff. Tomorrow morning I get to get up and play punching bag again while I try to stuff all of my things into my cubby again!! Tomorrow we have about a 60 mile ride into Charlottesville, VA which is where the James Miller MS Clinic is located at which we will make a visit to. Stay tuned for lots more fun to come!!
Terrain: Pretty Flat to rolling
Temperature: 85ish degrees
So today the sun was up at 5:30 and people started getting up shortly after that. I didn’t get up until about 6:15 and by 7:00 ruby and I hit the road. Throughout the day we made many stops. They did have a water stop for us until about 25 miles in that we stopped at and then kept moving on. At about 40 miles in we stopped in a cute little town called Ashland and had a lunch. We did get lost in the first 40 miles only once where there was a road closed and we asked one of the construction workers if 156 went straight and he said yeah, well it actually turned to the left we found out later, and that set us back a few miles. However, I guess we were some of the lucky ones coming in at a little over 80 miles because many of the other riders were in the 90 ish miles due to getting off route. Needless to say I/we are all getting better at reading the maps and watching for road signs!! So after Ashland we still had 40 miles to go well on my way out on some back road I managed to hit a big pot hole, and thought nothing of it well later on POW!! My first flat of the trip!! Pretty sure it was a pinch flat!! There was a big slit on the tube by the presta valve. There was no patching this one which I was somewhat disappointed in due to a prize at the end of who could get the most patches in a tube and still ride on it!! Last year someone had around 4 patches in one tube!! They do this in order to save tubes. Then about 5-10 miles down the road hit a small bump and something fell from my bike. I stopped to see what it was and it was my patch kit and it had fallen from my pouch under my seat bag. I had forgotten to close the pouch when I had gotten my flat and used the tools in this pouch. This is also where I keep my Guardian Angel coin that my mom gave me and I opened it and didn’t see it and immediately started freaking out!! I didn’t want to have to go back all that way to look for it. So I took everything out of my bag and it had managed to slip all the way back to the back bottom of the bag, I was SOOO relived that it was still in the bag as this means so much to me!!!!! So we continued on and stopped a few times just to rest and also stopped at the second water stop provided to us by the van and trailer. We have been informed that from now on we need to be making sure that we are stopping at gas stations and any place that has water and or food to fill up because with this kind of mileage they are not going to be able to be our only sources of water. So many of our stops were at gas stations to grab some water and a bite to eat. So as I pedaled on at about mile 65 I began to become very tired. The first 65 I felt great and then was just getting ready to be off of the bike!! Then about 10 miles from Mineral, we stopped at a convenience store to get a drink and ice cream and told the worker about our trip and he was very interested it. We had locked our bikes outside and went outside to unlock them and move on, well one of my fellow riders was having difficulty getting her combination lock undone and had thought she had accidentally resent the password and as we were messing with it almost ready to go inside and as for a bolt cutter the worker came out with rice and noodles and gave them to us. It was soo kind of him. Oh yeah we did figure out the combination lock. Finally at mile 80 something I pulled up to the Firehouse in Mineral, VA. As I pulled up I saw many of my fellow riders in the back of the firehouse under a shelter and then I also saw two young men standing in the front of the fire house with their bikes fully loaded and didn’t recognize them from our group. So I went up to them and said where did you boys come from and they said Delaware, VA which is on the coast. They have been riding for 4 days now and are going to be following the same route as us, the transAm and are planning on getting to San Francisco before August. I think they are a little crazy for carrying all of their own gear!! So then I went to the back of the firehouse with my fellow riders sat around a little while and then the van showed up with the trailer and I grabbed my stuff and went to get a nice shower!! It was sooo nice to get a shower since I didn’t get one yesterday!! There was a lot of beautiful scenery today and it was MUCH cooler today than yesterday and the temperature didn’t bother me at all!! Then in the evening I went down the street to a restaurant and had a bite to eat with some of my fellow riders. Now I am laying in my tent with my luggage which I think I am going to leave in the trailer the next time because it is rather cozy in here (in my tent) with all of my stuff. Tomorrow morning I get to get up and play punching bag again while I try to stuff all of my things into my cubby again!! Tomorrow we have about a 60 mile ride into Charlottesville, VA which is where the James Miller MS Clinic is located at which we will make a visit to. Stay tuned for lots more fun to come!!
charlottesville!!
Sorry i havent gotten to post yesterdays blog yet, will later on today. Got 50 miles in and waiting to go to the james Q miller MS clinic. News media and everything is going to be there!! After this probably gonna hang around here in town for a little while, its such a neat town!! Then head about 10 miles or so to one of our fellow rider, shannons parents house where we are camping for the night!! More to come later!!
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Thursday, June 2, 2011
blogging
I am going to type out todays (june 2) blog and at the time have no internet conection, so will post it tomorrow b/c i dont really want to type it out on my phone, needless to say it was a very fun and eventful day. Stay tuned!!
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Wednesday, June 1, 2011
June 1st - Yorktown, VA to Gendale, VA
Mileage: 60ish
Terrain: Pretty Flat
Temperature: 95 degrees
Today at 8:00 AM we dipped our wheel and were on our way. It wasn’t too hot to begin with however it soon became VERY hot as the day went on. We had many stops along the way today two that were provided by the support van to get water and others such as in Jamestown when we got a little bit turned around. Another stop we made as we were riding along was at a small produce market that a lady ran and had signs out for FREE freeze pops so we thought, oh, we better stop and get one!! There was many other times that we stopped to check the map to make sure we were on track. One of the stops that the van and trailer stopped at there was a sub shop so we grabbed lunch there. Needless to say the end of the ride began to get very long as the heat of the day was setting in!! Finally, we arrived at our stop for the night which is a church that is located just outside of Glendale, VA. We get here to find out that they are breaking us in early and there isn’t a shower here However, we do get to sleep in this building behind the church that is air conditioned so I guess it makes up for not getting a shower!! So I used my water bottles full of water from the bathroom to rinse out my hair and also used baby wipes to clean up. Wasn’t feeling so well as far as cleanliness earlier however, now that I am sitting in air conditioning and have cooled off don’t feel too bad. So for supper there is a convenience store about ½ mile to 1 mile down the road that we are going to pick up some snacks. Everything is going well for the time being and my biggest concern is how I am going to get all of my stuff into my cubby tomorrow morning (I think I may have over packed, but what is new) and then the 80 mile ride tomorrow which I am hoping to leave for when the sun comes up so it will be a bit cooler.
Terrain: Pretty Flat
Temperature: 95 degrees
Today at 8:00 AM we dipped our wheel and were on our way. It wasn’t too hot to begin with however it soon became VERY hot as the day went on. We had many stops along the way today two that were provided by the support van to get water and others such as in Jamestown when we got a little bit turned around. Another stop we made as we were riding along was at a small produce market that a lady ran and had signs out for FREE freeze pops so we thought, oh, we better stop and get one!! There was many other times that we stopped to check the map to make sure we were on track. One of the stops that the van and trailer stopped at there was a sub shop so we grabbed lunch there. Needless to say the end of the ride began to get very long as the heat of the day was setting in!! Finally, we arrived at our stop for the night which is a church that is located just outside of Glendale, VA. We get here to find out that they are breaking us in early and there isn’t a shower here However, we do get to sleep in this building behind the church that is air conditioned so I guess it makes up for not getting a shower!! So I used my water bottles full of water from the bathroom to rinse out my hair and also used baby wipes to clean up. Wasn’t feeling so well as far as cleanliness earlier however, now that I am sitting in air conditioning and have cooled off don’t feel too bad. So for supper there is a convenience store about ½ mile to 1 mile down the road that we are going to pick up some snacks. Everything is going well for the time being and my biggest concern is how I am going to get all of my stuff into my cubby tomorrow morning (I think I may have over packed, but what is new) and then the 80 mile ride tomorrow which I am hoping to leave for when the sun comes up so it will be a bit cooler.
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