Today was a toughie. It seemed like all we did was climb today. A few of the climbs were not too bad, but overall I believe it was the hardest day we have had in terms of road grade (steepness). As I looked at the map after our ride, I was not real thrilled to see the climb that I am looking forward to….up on the Blue Ridge Parkway….and it looked about twice as long as the hardest one today. I would not be so worried, except for the fact that I feel like I am about one gear short on the real steep stuff. For you biking novices, that means I could easily fall over up that climb because my bike stops moving. If I had one more gear to shift into, I would be ok. Oh well….the difficulty will only last for a short while.
Weather-wise, it was a nice day to ride. We had very little wind, there was some lingering fog that kept the sun off of us, and even after that burnt off, we had some cloud cover. When the skies cleared up, we were under tree cover for a lot of the day. I actually got chilly on some of the down hills. You work up such a sweat on the up hill sections, that when you start your descent, the wind on your wet shirt is chilly. It was quite a change from what seems like the last 2 or 3 weeks.
I forgot to mention the most exciting part about today…..WE ARE IN VIRGINIA!!!!! I am glad to be out of Kentucky. Don’t get me wrong, it might have been the friendliest state as far as courteous drivers go, but the conditions that I have spoken about in past entries won’t be missed. We also traveled in some areas that really make you thankful for what you have. When I was in the planning phase of this trip, Oregon and Virginia looked so far away from each other. By the way, I was correct. They are, in fact, quite a ways apart.
Today, we made it to Rosedale, Virginia and are staying in the Elk Garden United Methodist Church. They run a hostel for cyclists with places to sleep, a full kitchen, some extra food, and bathrooms. It is another example of a church on this route that truly practices what it preaches….opening their door to strangers and showing them how we should treat each other. The log book is full of complimentary travelers that were so thankful for the help that they received here. The churches that we have stayed in have probably been my favorite nights of the trip. There is something about the peace and quiet that we get here that we don’t get anywhere else.
We did some calculations today of exactly the mileage that we have left to the shore. It looks as if we are at 516 miles (give or take) to go. That means we could (I emphasize could because of the jinx possibilities) be dipping our tire in the Atlantic Ocean on Friday, one week from today. Ok, I guess we have to arrive at that time….Kyle has already booked his flight for Friday evening. Does that add stress, you ask? Not for me…it isn’t my money.
We (the Dunns) are excited about reaching the coast because of the proximity of our stopping point to Kim’s brother, Ryan, and his wife Tanya. They live in Virginia Beach and we will swing by there to visit them for a day or so before we head home. It is so close, in fact, that Ryan is talking about running up to Yorktown to see us finish.
Well….time to hit the sack. We will all be sleeping in the sanctuary tonight…maybe Kyle will sing us a couple hymns to put us asleep. Take care!
Weather-wise, it was a nice day to ride. We had very little wind, there was some lingering fog that kept the sun off of us, and even after that burnt off, we had some cloud cover. When the skies cleared up, we were under tree cover for a lot of the day. I actually got chilly on some of the down hills. You work up such a sweat on the up hill sections, that when you start your descent, the wind on your wet shirt is chilly. It was quite a change from what seems like the last 2 or 3 weeks.
I forgot to mention the most exciting part about today…..WE ARE IN VIRGINIA!!!!! I am glad to be out of Kentucky. Don’t get me wrong, it might have been the friendliest state as far as courteous drivers go, but the conditions that I have spoken about in past entries won’t be missed. We also traveled in some areas that really make you thankful for what you have. When I was in the planning phase of this trip, Oregon and Virginia looked so far away from each other. By the way, I was correct. They are, in fact, quite a ways apart.
Today, we made it to Rosedale, Virginia and are staying in the Elk Garden United Methodist Church. They run a hostel for cyclists with places to sleep, a full kitchen, some extra food, and bathrooms. It is another example of a church on this route that truly practices what it preaches….opening their door to strangers and showing them how we should treat each other. The log book is full of complimentary travelers that were so thankful for the help that they received here. The churches that we have stayed in have probably been my favorite nights of the trip. There is something about the peace and quiet that we get here that we don’t get anywhere else.
We did some calculations today of exactly the mileage that we have left to the shore. It looks as if we are at 516 miles (give or take) to go. That means we could (I emphasize could because of the jinx possibilities) be dipping our tire in the Atlantic Ocean on Friday, one week from today. Ok, I guess we have to arrive at that time….Kyle has already booked his flight for Friday evening. Does that add stress, you ask? Not for me…it isn’t my money.
We (the Dunns) are excited about reaching the coast because of the proximity of our stopping point to Kim’s brother, Ryan, and his wife Tanya. They live in Virginia Beach and we will swing by there to visit them for a day or so before we head home. It is so close, in fact, that Ryan is talking about running up to Yorktown to see us finish.
Well….time to hit the sack. We will all be sleeping in the sanctuary tonight…maybe Kyle will sing us a couple hymns to put us asleep. Take care!
Home For the Night Outside of Rosedale, Virginia
Cyclists Have Been Welcome Here For Years
Inside the Church When Buccs On Bikes Take Over
Yes, The Boys Can Do Bike Maintenance....Kyle is Doing a Little Personal Maintenance of His Own
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