Days 7-9 thru Mike's lens

DAY 7:  Raleigh to Stedman, NC (61 miles)

The weather is supposed to be decent until midday when the chance for a thunderstorm becomes 30-40%. With that in mind, Erin and I get into a rhythm, quickly knocking off the first 25 miles of today's journey before lunch.  We contemplate lunch in Coats while sitting out a rain shower under a gas station awning, but the attendant on duty is lukewarm on any recommendations in town. With the rain diminishing, we decide to press forth another 10 miles to Dunn where there will be more choices (perhaps partially due to its proximity to I-95). About 5 miles in, though, the sky becomes darker and rain begins to fall once again.  Just as the sky begins to really open up, we duck under the carport of a nearby house whose occupants kindly allow us to wait out the downpour. While waiting, we search on our phones for a lunch spot in Dunn and decide that Kim's BBQ will be the spot. A short time later, we are back on our bikes, navigating the the mist steaming off the pavement following the rain. For the first time on our trip, we also get on a rail trail, though only for 2 miles. 

Kim's BBQ looks a bit rundown from the outside, but we are hungry, the reviews on Yelp are favorable, and another storm is brewing.  Inside, our spandex clad sweaty selves quickly become the focus of the restaurant. It starts with our waitress who thoughtfully leaves us our own pitcher of sweetened ice tea when she recognizes that we've been biking. The other tables then quickly get in on the action after our waitress announces to everyone that we've been biking since Washington DC. Several visitors to our table ask about our trip and proffer advice about our upcoming route and the location of the nearest bicycle shop. All told, Kim's ends up being a highlight of the day, not to mention a pretty darn inexpensive way to refuel (as $15 ends up buying us two sweet teas with unlimited refills, a meal of pulled pork with mashed potatoes and coleslaw,a meal of fried chicken with boiled potatoes and green beans, a basket of hush puppies (offered as a free option instead of dinner rolls!), and two dishes of self-serve non-dairy ice cream (whatever that is)!

We then give Erin's cousin Gigi a call to let her know that we are 24 miles away from her house in Stedman where we will be staying that night. She generously promises to have some pizza waiting for us which definitely provides some motivation for the final miles. We make good time and arrive around 6:30pm.  Besides Gigi and her family, we also get to see Erin's aunt Diamond and hear countless entertaining stories about Erin's family. 

Day 8:  Stedman to Whiteville, NC (59 miles)

After sleeping in a bit, Gigi fixes us a hearty breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, toast, and sweet tea (a first for me in the morning!). We then head over to visit Gigi and her friend Fay's horses before heading out.  While we won't get an opportunity to ride (something I haven't done since about age 10), we do get a chance to give the horses some treats and get paid in horse kisses. They are truly magnificent, powerful creatures. 

Before we depart around noon, Gigi lets us know about a can't-miss burger place 35 miles away in Elizabethtown, pretty much the only town we will pass thru during our 59 mile day. This means we are definitely out in the country today, but the pavement is smooth and the hills have virtually disappeared as we near the coast. Still, I feel sluggish and Erin develops some discomfort in the saddle once again. So, 18 miles in, we pull off into some pine trees for a snack and to lower the nose of her saddle (something we have done before in addition to raising her saddle height; these slight adjustments can make a world of difference when it comes to comfort!). The brief break does some good, but hot and humid day takes its toll;  by the time we climb the hill into Elizabethtown, we both feel tired and thirsty. Melvin's is a welcome sight.  They sell only hot dogs and burgers (the latter described by some as the best in North Carolina) and have been doing so for 75 years. They have interesting hours for the food they serve (7:30am-5:30pm) and you have to order at the counter first before you sit down. That last fact bears noting because some 15-20 years ago, Erin and her family apparently got tossed from the restaurant for violating that rule! There's a story there, but I'll let Erin tell it. 

In any case, the air conditioning and our Cokes and burgers at Melvin's rejuvenate us. The weather also looks like it might hold out, so we book a B&B in Whiteville (24 miles away) for our final night of the bike tour. Maybe 10 miles into this final stretch, though, the western sky turns dark. Still, there is some blue sky ahead of us that offers a sliver of hope that we might just outrun the storm. Erin optimistically wagers dinner that night that we will not be rained on. I don't hesitate to take her up on this bet although I tell her that I would not mind losing this one.  Eight minutes later, a free dinner is mine. Thankfully, there is a nearby house with a carport that we are able to duck under before becoming completely soaked.  The residents there are just pulling out in their car, but they kindly wave us to shelter when they recognize our situation. Maybe fifteen minutes later, the rain has stopped and the thunder has diminished. There are still some dark clouds on the horizon, but we optimistically decide to press on. Things are fine for a while, but then the rain resumes about ten miles from our destination. There isn't really anywhere to take cover this time, but thankfully the rain is falling only moderately hard, and we are less than an hour away from the B&B. Knowing that the weather could take a turn for the worse at any time, Erin and I pick up the pace; whereas we typically average about 12mph on the flats with our loaded touring bikes, we now hold 16mph with the raindrops pelting our faces. For a while, I think we are going to make it, but with 4 miles to go, the sky again turns threatening.  We continue pedaling hard hoping for the best, but with the Whiteville city limits in our sight, lightening begins to flash and it begins to pour. We are so close to the B&B, but the rain falls so hard that cars are pulling over. Thus, we duck under a closed gas station's canopy until the rain lessens and the lightening ends. Completely soaked, we wait about twenty minutes before it seems reasonable to bike the final mile to our place. The Madison House is a welcome sight as we carry our bikes up onto its covered porch. A couple of hot showers later, Erin and I head out to enjoy a nice dinner at the Southern Kitchen, one of the few local restaurants opens still open after 8pm. Thanks for the meal, Erin!

Day 9:  Whiteville, NC to Little River, SC (i.e., the finish line!) (40 miles)

Thankfully, we have our shortest biking day ahead of us to reach Little River, SC where we will join Erin's family for a week of relaxation and beach time. It's been a fun and memorable journey, but I think we are both looking forward to reaching our final destination. In fact, we take only two small breaks in knocking out these last 40 miles: one about halfway in to have some snacks and a drink, and one when we are about five miles away to take a picture of our crossing into South Carolina.

Overall, it's a day without incident -- no rain, no mechanical problems, neither of us gets "inked on" (Erin's terminology for the many times one of us has chain grease on our legs), and not even a single dog gives chase (although I'm pretty sure we've been chased by more than nine dogs on the trip for those that voted in the poll; Erin, however, had a knack for spotting them early not to mention a nice getaway burst that left all of our dog pursuers only dreaming of sinking their teeth into our calves).  I consult my phone for directions into Little River until we reach US highway 17, about a mile away from the condo and familiar territory to Erin.  

Erin leads the way from this point, and soon enough, we turn left off the busy highway and head downhill into the condo development...where Erin's parents, brother, nephew, and aunts surprise us with a finish line tape and cold Shiner beer they place in our hands almost before our wheels come to a rest. It's a pretty amazing close to our trip!

Erin will surely like it acknowledged that she crossed the finish line first!

Day 6 thru Mike's lens

We had budgeted one day off in planning our journey and decide that today will be it. We have a slow moving morning at the motel before hopping on our bikes for a short 4.5 mile ride to the Clarion hotel in downtown Raleigh. That's the extent of our biking today, so Erin even opts to ride in a dress. Still, this is summer in North Carolina, and we have both broken a sweat by the time we check-in early with the friendly staff at the Clarion. 

We spend our day off the bike enjoying a fabulous burger and fries at Chuck's for lunch, walking the historic districts, exploring the state capitol, cooling down with some homemade ice cream, and then completing a crossword while having a couple of pints at the Flying Saucer near our hotel.  The highlight, though, is dinner with Erin's brother James and his son Joseph. They flew into DC from Texas earlier that morning and then took public transportation to Erin's apartment where they grabbed some additional packed bags of ours and accessed Erin's car. Though they have a long driving journey ahead of the them to get to Little River, SC (where we will eventually join them and James and Erin's parents), they opt to drive a bit out of their way to join us at a local pizzeria. So cool. 

Later on that night, I begin planning tomorrow's journey. We are shooting for Stedman, NC where we can stay with Erin's cousin Gigi, but the weather these next few days may or may not cooperate. I am counting on the statistician Nate Silver's observation that non-National Weather Service forecasters typically overestimate the chance of inclement weather!

Day 5 thru Mike's lens

DAY 5:  Clarksville, VA to Raleigh, NC (67 miles)

Today ended up being a tough day. Things started off well enough as both Erin and I were excited to cross the state line into North Carolina. 

We also had a good lunch in Oxford, NC before booking a place in Raleigh for the night. Erin had started feeling a little uncomfortable in the saddle, but she thought she felt good enough to make it to Raleigh (especially with a Steak-n-Shake on the horizon). So, we plugged on.  And really, we did well all the way until Google maps put us on U.S. highway 1 for the 10 remaining miles to Steak-n-Shake. Though we were headed into the city rather than out around the 5pm rush hour, route 1 was a major thoroughfare and very busy. We stayed on it long enough for Erin to discover her first Dairy Queen (which I'm very sure she'll note in one of her blog entries), but I wasn't comfortable with us continuing on this road, even tho it was the most direct route. While Erin enjoyed a Blizzard, I worked on an alternate route. I estimated that it would add another two miles on to our journey, but in the end it was probably 3.5 miles as well as some additional hills. As our mileage on the day reached 60, Erin was ready for the day to end, feeling tired, hungry, and quite uncomfortable on the saddle. Though I felt fine, I could relate to how Erin was feeling from past experiences. Unfortunately, there wasn't much else to do but soldier on. Eventually, tho, we reached Steak-n-Shake.  Some food did Erin wonders -- you wouldn't have seen the below image before we ate.

We then have just 2.5 miles to reach our lodging for the evening at a Best Western just off the interstate. At 67 miles on the day, it is our longest ride of the trip, but we summon up enough energy to do laundry before retiring for the night. We may take a day off tomorrow, but having clean bike shorts and tops will be very nice whenever our ride resumes. 

Day 9: Finish Line

We left our B&B with a breakfast of eggs, sausage, and toast. The morning was slow with the destination being so close. I had the hardest time not staring at the clock or watching the miles tick by. We made one brief stop at a gas station for a coke and tea. I texted my parents and told them we were about 2.5 hours out. The day was pretty uneventful, which I am a-okay with! We crossed the South Carolina line. I biked through another state!  NC was much flatter and had superior roads to Virginia.  

Mike lead most of the day but once we got to highway 17 I knew my way. We pulled into the development and were headed to the condo. As we got closer I heard crazy sounds, and eventually saw my whole family outside. They had on leis, used a happy birthday banner as a finish line for us to ride through, Joe had a squirt gun to cool us off, and my brother had 2 cold Shiner beers. It was so unexpected and hysterical. My aunts were out there as well. It was almost overwhelming, but so exciting as well. It was a great finish to a great trip. Thanks family!!

I crossed the finish line first;).

40 miles today. 467 miles for the trip. 

Happy National Bike Month!!

Day 8: Wizard of Oz

So I have learned to add 5-10 miles on to whatever Mike tells me our mileage will be for the day. Last night he said around 50 for today. I asked of that meant less than 50 or more. I just like to know what to expect. He said, right on 50. We logged 59 miles today, and this isn't the first time this has happened. 😉

We woke up this morning. GiGi made us breakfast and them we went to see he horses. I got a kiss from a horse!  So did Mike!

Then it was time to hit the road. We knew there would be a good chance of afternoon storms so we tried to get to our destination before we got caught.

Our first goal was Elizabethtown for lunch. GiGi mentioned this burger placed called Melvin's that we should eat at. As we rode on I recalled this place as being familiar. I am pretty sure I have been there before with my family when we drove to the beach. This mornings ride was difficult. It was hot, windy, and time just seemed to be standing still. My saddle was also quite uncomfortable. About 18 miles in we stop for a quick break, make some adjustments to my saddle ( which helped a ton!) and at some snacks. It was about 32 miles into town without much to see. 

We finally role into Elizabethtown and find Melvin's. We bother order a coke and a burger all the way( slaw, chili, mustard, onions). We both down our cokes and burgers. We each get another burger and a refill of coke. 

I text my mom telling her I was there since it is a place she would know. I get a response that made me laugh so hard.  The text said,"didn't get kicked out this time?" Followed by my brother asking if they were good because he still hasn't had a burger from there. So the backstory now...

Years ( i was probably in 3rd grade)  ago we were traveling to the beach with my grandparents. Melvin's is busy and small so they ask you to not sit in a booth until you have your food. Well my grandparents had disabilities and needed to sit before we ordered. And next thing I knew we had been kicked out. So I had been there, but never eaten there. 

Anyway we had wonderful service and great food today without incident!  Once we left we wed outside with our bikes. I was putting on sunscreen and Mike was looking for place for us to stay. This man and his son from Melvin's came out and asked where we were headed. The boy told me he had been to DC before but not on bike. And then as he walked away he yelled out, and by the way you are HUGE!  I laughed.  Then a lady working at a shop next door came out to chat. She asked about our trip and what we do in the rain. She rides motorcycles so she has some similar stories. 

Then back on the bikes. We got chased by another little dog and two big dogs today. The big dogs could of had a chance but they paused to make sure they wouldn't get hit by a car in a drive way. That split second helped us separate ourselves. I have gotten really good at spotting the dogs as they begin their chase and yell at Mike that dogs are coming. I don't know what he is looking at but he isn't scanning the yards like me.  We also passed these two little Fido dogs. Their mouths were covered in blood and they were devouring this rabbit they must have just caught. It was gross, but I'm glad it was a rabbit and not my ankles!

Then we started running away from the storms. We were about 20 miles away. I stupidly made a bet with Mike that if we stayed dry from the storm he had to buy dinner. If we got rained on then I had to buy dinner. Wishful thinking. 

About 5 minutes later I lost the bet. We ducked under a carport at a house. They were pulling out of there driveway right as we were pulling in. Not many words were exchanged but lots of waves. It was nice to be able to wait out the downpour. We waited until the thunder passed and then decided to make a run for it to Whiteville. We had a reservation at a B&B. Mike decided to spoil me on our las night on the road. 

We road like the wind. Those last 15 miles we seriously picked up the pace. I was drafting off of Mike, getting sprayed by his rear fender.  Nothing gets me pedaling quite as fast an an impending thunderstorm, except getting chased by a dog while riding through rain trying to avoid a thunderstorm. Yup, that happened. We were right on the edge of the storm, but it finally caught up to us.   It blew in really fast and about 3 miles out we got downpoured on. We pulled off under an underpass to turn on our lights and check directions. Then back to the rain. About a mile away we got into town and it was coming down really hard and the storm was right over us. We pulled off under a gas station to wait out the storm. No need to get struck by lightning. Cars were even pulling off the road, that's how hard the rain was coming down. We waited about 20 minutes and then hit the road again in the rain but the thunder had passed over. We arrived at the Madison House and I was greeted with a hug from Jack, the owner of the B&B. We showered up and went out to get dinner, on me. We went to a nice restaurant in downtown. We slept well in the huge house and are ready for our last 39 miles tomorrow. 

All in all we biked 59 miles today. 427 total. 

Day 7: Outrunning the Storms

Day 7 started with breakfast at the rooftop restaurant in our hotel. We had he whole place to ourselves. It was a pretty good way to wake up. Then we hit the road with my mom's cousin's house as our destination. 

It was a hot one, with lots of rolling hills. It took a bit to get used to riding again after our day off. About 10 miles away from our lunch destination we saw a roadside veggie stand. We stopped, bought 2 peaches, and sat down to rest and enjoy them for a bit. 

Note to self: filling up bottles from a hose can end up tasting like dirt. 

Back on the road. Rain clouds were all over the place. We rolled into a town just as some rain hit. We had hoped to eat lunch there but there werent many good options. So we had some snacks  under the protection of a gas station and set our goal for a town ahead that looked more promising. Erwin was our goal for lunch. (The name of the town reminds me of how my brother used to say my name). We got chased by another little dog on the way there and ended up ducking under a carport at a house to avoid another downpour.  We ended up eating in Dunn at Kim's BBQ. The restaurant was hardly noticeable as we rode by. It looked like more rain was on the way so I went in a business next to Kim's to see if we could leave our bikes locked under their awning. Then off to Kim's. From the moment we walked in everyone in the restaurant turned and stared. The waitress brought us a whole pitcher of sweat tea! She asked where we had been biking and everyone in the restaurant had their ears turned up. They couldn't believe what we were doing. They had tons of questions, and even offered advice on routes to take. We were definitely the talk of the restaurant and probably the town. The food was okay, but the atmosphere was awesome. It was hysterical. And the restaurant had icecream that came with the meal!  Everyone in there was so nice and helpful though. Gotta love small town America!

Then back on the bikes. We got chased by our first big dog. I had a burst of speed I didn't know was in me!

The rest of the afternoon we were watching the sky to see if the rain was headed our way. We avoided most of it today and were close to cover when it did come down. And we even got a rainbow!

We are getting closer to GiGi's and on her street we got chased by a basset hound. He had no chance, but it was pretty comical. 

Then we rolled up to GiGi's and met her son Doug. They had pizza and salad and wings waiting for us. After eating we went over to the barn to see the horses and then on a quick tour of some family history. I got to see the house my great grandparents lived in, and got to go to my grandma's grave. Love you GaGa!  Then we headed home and my Aunt Diamond had come over to say hello. It was so wonderful to see everyone again. It has been quite a while since I have seen a lot of my mom's side of the family. 

All in all it was a grand day filled with friendly people, family, and  61 miles. 

Total mileage: 368

Day of R&R: Day 6

So we decided Raleigh would be a good spot to take a day off. We woke up and had breakfast.  The hotel had this pancake machine that fascinated me.  You just hit a button and it measured the right amount and went down a conveyer belt until it rolled out onto your plate.  Amazing!  And it tasted good too, but my dad and Mike's pancakes are still far superior.  At breakfast this man who had talked to us while checking in was asking how far we would be going today. He did a tour with his dad on a tandem bike years ago.

We decided to change hotels so we could stay more in the heart of downtown and walk around to explore. We logged a total of 4.5 miles today, which I am a-okay with. We didn't even put our biking clothes on. I biked in my dress I packed and sans biking gloves. I don't want them to get sweaty quite yet. We were able to check into our new hotel early, and the ladies checking us in were super impressed by our trek. Especially when they found out we didn't do it all in one day.  Ha. Did they think I am superwoman?  The hotel is kind of unique. It is a circle so all the rooms have cool views of the city.

So off we go to explore Raleigh!  Mike found this burger place that looked really good so we went. It was delicious. The burgers were all really unique, the fries came with lots of dipping sauce choices ( I love sauce), and they had milkshakes!  I ended up getting sweet tea again though. 

So tasty!  With full stomachs we head off to explore. We went in a couple of shops and walked around a bit. Then we went to the Capitol building and took a tour. It was pretty cool. 

From there we decided to take the free bus around downtown to see all the different districts and get off if we saw something unique. It was super hot out so it was nice to get a riding tour of the city. 

We hopped off the bus and went to this ice cream shop. It was no hotter today than other days, but without the breeze from the bike it was hot. The ice cream was home made!  It was seriously so good. Ask Mike. I think I said that like 10 times while eating it. 

I think I found my new motto!

Today was the only day so far I have gotten sunburned. Go figure, on our day off I forget sunscreen. Thankfully it isn't bad. Then we decided to try to hit up a happy hour. We head to the Flying Saucer, a chain they had in Texas too. They have 80 beers on tap. We learn that bars in NC aren't allowed to have happy hours, but regardless we get some pints. My new favorite was called Humingbird water' mostly pear cider with a splash of Lindemans Framboise (Meghan, I think you would like this!). We also spent time there completing th crossword from the paper. 

Then my favorite part of the day!  It was travel day for everyone in my family. My parents arrived at the beach this afternoon, and my brother and nephew arrived in DC in the afternoon as well. James and Joe went to my house, gathered our beach stuff and are driving my car to the beach. Aka, so Mike and I have a way to get home. This is a one way bike trip!  Since they had to drive through Raleigh they stopped in for dinner. It was so fun to see them for a bit. 

I tried to convince James that he should bike the rest of the way and I could drive Joe. Joe thought it was a good idea, but I don't think Mike or James did. 

Love this little man!  See you again in 3 days!

306.5 miles done on the trip. 

Days 3-4 thru Mike's lens

DAY 3:  south of Charlottesville to Farmville, VA (52 miles)

Camping usually means waking up at first light.  Coupled with a shorter than usual 52 miles on the schedule today, one might think that this would be a day when the biking might be wrapped up just after lunch.  Not so much here. It is probably closer to 8:30am when we crawl out of the tent. And even tho we only shower in the evening after our day of riding is complete, it just takes longer to pack up things from a tent site rather than a room.   Erin did a great job packing snacks which we also dig into for a light breakfast before hopping on the bikes. There are, of course, hills in our face almost immediately. So, by the time we roll into Scottsville, VA, 10 miles later, we are both hoping for a real breakfast. We are in luck, as the Tavern on the James serves breakfast until 11am. We each order a breakfast sandwich with potatoes...as well as a plate of pancakes to share; we are far enough into our trip where meals sound delicious maybe two hours after the last ones, and having more than just one dish like now seems about right. It may be the hunger talking, but the breakfast sandwiches at the very cool looking Tavern are amazing.   

Refreshed, we cross the James River and head for Dillwyn.  Though neither of us is super hungry, we know there won't be much else until our final destination of Farmville, so we decide on a just opened Mexican restaurant after nearing succumbing to the nearby McDonalds (primarily because of their iced tea).  Sitting outside on the patio, we contemplate just sharing a dish, but in the end have no problem each finishing off our own individual meals.

As we prepare to depart, a light sprinkle begins to fall. The sun is shining tho, so we wait about 10 minutes until it stops before resuming our ride. It does begin to mist again shortly thereafter, but it feels great. Moreover, the landscape is changing. While the hills are still rolling, there are less of them and they are less severe. Accordingly, our average speed picks up; with the oversized panniers fully loaded on my bike, I had probably been averaging about 6mph uphill with the brief 25-35mph descents lasting just a fraction of the time going up.

In any case, Erin and I were making excellent time and just 6 miles outside of Farmville when it began raining a little harder. With nothing nearby to take shelter under and being so close, we pressed on.  Unfortunately, we weren't quite fast enough as the skies opened up on us with about 10 minutes left in our journey. We briefly took cover once we arrived in downtown Farmville to call Ann and Janie at the Inn on the Avenues B&B to let them know we were near, but then soldiered on the remaining mile. 

As we rode up completely soaked, Ann kindly greeted us on the porch with several dry towels. After being led upstairs to our room for hot showers and dry clothes, we were told that snack and wine time would begin shortly at 5:30 if we cared to join. We did.  Our assigned room even had a candy bowl outside the door, making the Inn on the Avenues pretty much the perfect place in Erin's eyes. A while later, Erin and I capped off the evening with a walk downtown and a good meal at Charley's. 

DAY 4:  Farmville to Clarksville, VA (55 miles)

Today was a solid ride. The day began with a spectacular breakfast at the B&B and a fun chat with one of the other guests about the annual "bateau races" on the nearby James River that had just wrapped up (and are definitely in the back of my mind for a future summer adventure!).  In addition, my estimate on the mileage was accurate today (as Erin has taken to adding 5 miles on to my estimates), and I finally was able to deliver on my promise of ice cream for Erin after lunch in Keysville. 

We also conveniently were able to wait out a brief rain shower while there before carrying on to Clarksville (situated on Virginia's largest lake and just north of the North Carolina border).  Getting in by 5pm as we did for a second straight day was also very nice.

It's been a lot of fun riding with Erin. The other day, we both shared a laugh when she described the distance to the next town as "only 20 miles, that's nothing". Also, she joked before the trip that she was bringing a tow rope with her, but after discovering the joys of drafting, she now sometimes refers to me as her "invisible tow rope".  In any case, she's riding even stronger than I expected. I think the sport of duathlon (run/bike/run) could be her new forte!

Day 5: Sweet Tea Never Tasted So Good

Best Western breakfast has nothing on a B&B, but it works. I realized post shower last night I have what bikers apparently call 'monkey butt' which is basically diaper rash I have decided.  I seriously feel for babies with sore bottoms! Mine isn't that bad bad thankfully and I know what is going on, unlike poor infants who are just in pain. We started with a goal of 20 miles today. Keeping it light to see how my bottom was doing up to that point. So off we went, loaded up with anti-chafe cream. 

Seven miles into the morning we said adios to Virginia, and hello to North Carolina! I biked all the way across Virginia!! As we approached Oxford ready for lunch, due to our somewhat lacking breakfast another dog chase happens. I yell at Mike who is infront that 'we have a live one' we both pedal faster to try to lose the little hotdog, but that guy was fast! He just kept chasing is down he road for about 3 houses. He wasn't a real threat, I was more afraid I would run him over on the bike. He finally gave up, but it makes you wonder if that small of a dog can keep up a big dog could run circles around us!

We get to Oxford. I stop at CVS to buy diaper rash cream aka Butt Paste. All the cycling blogs I read last night raved about this stuff. And I am pretty sure this is what my sis-n-law used on my nephew's bottom. If its good enough for Joe, it's good enough for me.

And off to lunch!  I love being in the south where every restaurant has sweet tea! I look forward to it each time we stop. We met lots of friendly people while putting sunscreen on outside the restaurant or even as we bike along people waving from their yards or cars. One man was walking along the road in the other direction and yelled "I know you all will have a good time where ever you at going!"  Then we biked and biked and biked. It looked like we were headed into bad weather but thankfully it stayed ahead of us. 

Then it finally happened, 52 miles into the day, and 286 miles into the trip! I saw a sign for Dairy Queen and got a small double fudge cookie dough blizzard!  I housed that thing!  It was so good as I looked down and saw all the dirt, sweat, dead bugs and whatever else covering me. 

Back on the bikes. We finally appear infront on a Steak n Shake. I am too tired, hungry, uncomfortable to truly appreciate it. We walk in and our waiter immediately saw our need for water. I head to the bathroom to clean up and get out of my sweat soaked shorts. I changed into another pair of dirty shorts, but atleast they were dry!  And then finally food! Cherry coke, chili 5 way, and fries with cheese sauce!  Life is beginning to re enter me. Once we finish our hotel is 2.5 more miles away. We arrive, shower, and are now doing some much needed laundry. Our stuff stinks!!!!  It will be nice to have clean bike shorts!  67.5 miles logged today. Our longest day yet! 302 miles biked total (I round up) plus that 18 mile cab ride!  150 to go!  We are debating taking a day off tomorrow to enjoy my mom's home state. We shall see.

Days 1 & 2 thru Mike's lens

Just finished planning tomorrow's journey and taking care of a few other odds and ends...and finally have enough energy to update the blog!  Erin and I wrapped up our biking by 5pm these past two days (days 3 and 4) and that has been huge.

DAY 1:  Washington DC to Culpeper, VA (65 miles...plus an unexpected 15 mile cab ride)

Bike touring doesn't get much rougher than today.  Wrong turns, dangerously busy roads dictating a longer route, and THREE flat tires -- if there was trouble, we found it.  To the surprise of a couple of people we've met along our route, the first 30 miles out of DC went swimmingly well, with Google's biking directions taking us safely outside the beltway to Manassas. From there, though, Google directed us on to Nokesville Rd (VA-28), and there our problems began. It was mid-afternoon at that point, and the commute home for some VA suburbanites had begun. In other words, VA-28 was extremely busy with car traffic and the occasional semi. With no shoulder to ride on, I found myself holding my breath and saying a little prayer each time I heard a car approach.  After 3 miles and no abatement in traffic, Erin and I decided we had to find another route, even if it was longer.

Almost immediately after doing so, Erin's rear tire went flat. No problem.  We had each packed a spare tube with Co2 inflation, and we were rolling 10 minutes later. The roads on to which we had detoured were bike friendly, too, so things were good...until a wrong turn...which then put us on another busy commuter route, this time with no viable alternative. Somewhat shaken 8 miles later, we were finally on a better road. The relief was short-lived. As we arrived at a small service station to check the map, we realized that my rear tire had developed a slow leak and was now almost entirely flat.  While Erin went in to buy us some iced tea, I prepared to change my rear tube...only to discover that my spare also had a small tear. Thus, I patched it, used my Co2, and hoped for the best.  And for a while, it looked like things would be OK, even though our detours had us looking at a 80 mile day (almost double Erin's previous longest day of biking). I can't hardly imagine what was running thru her head on her first day of touring, but she was a trooper nonetheless!

She even kept her composure when my patched tube failed a quarter hour later, 15 miles from our destination of Culpeper. With no more spare tubes or Co2, we were in a bind.  The churchgoers at the nearby Baptist church were friendly and offered to pray for us, but they had little interest in giving us a lift to Culpeper in one of their pickups, even when Erin played the religion teacher card. :)

Eventually, however, we landed a not inexpensive cab ride to Culpeper. As a bonus, we were able to take our bikes with us, too, because the cab was a minivan with seats that folded down. And thus, quite a bit after our scheduled check in time, we arrived at Fountain Hall B&B, a beautiful Victorian house. Heck, there was even a mini fridge in our bathroom stocked with drinks! Coupled with a shower and some table-side made guacamole and chips at a nearby Mexican restaurant washed down with a beer (me) and margarita (Erin), things seemed all right again. 

DAY 2:  Culpeper to just south of Charlottesville, VA (62 miles)

Day 2 got off to a great start, beginning with a delicious breakfast at the B&B that included fresh, homemade croissants.  Erin and I then walked our bikes a half mile to the Bike Stop to purchase more tubes and inflation. Though they were extremely busy that morning, bike shops tend to be staffed by good people, and here was no exception. Given my two flats and two oversized rear panniers, the shop owner/manager recommended a thicker, more puncture resistant tube. Done. (We haven't had a flat since.)

The day continued to look up as we rolled out of Culpeper and got on Rapidan Road, a flat, safe stretch of asphalt. Twenty easy miles later, we were in Orange, a quaint town where we had a fabulous lunch at Elmwood at Sparks, a well-reviewed restaurant in town. On the way out, a woman asked where we were headed and wished us well. Being unfamiliar with highway 20 to Charlottesville (also known as the Constitution Route due to Jefferson and Madison covering this terrain on horseback), I asked the woman whether she thought it was a good one for bicycles. "Yes, it's mostly downhill" was her response. Famous last words. 

Truthfully, she may have been correct. Though we began to encounter some gently rolling hills, we probably descended more than we ascended.  However, those elevation changes slowly but surely started becoming both steeper and longer. To wit: at intersections, we began seeing street signs with names like Grande Vista Drive and Lonesome Mountain Road.

Eventually, tho, we made it to beautiful Charlottesville, home to the University of Virginia (where I so nearly went for both undergraduate and graduate studies!). Though tired, we took in the pedestrian mall downtown before settling on the South Street Brewpub for dinner.  There, I enjoyed a delicious pint of Satan's Pony Amber Ale while Erin had a Snakebite. I think we both would have enjoyed a second round and spending more time downtown, but back in Orange, we had booked a campsite at the KOA a bit south of Charlottesville. Our thinking back in Orange had been (1) the 50 miles to Charlottesville would be below our targeted daily mileage of 60 and (2) the weather was great and we wanted to use our tent and sleeping gear as long as we were carrying it. As for taking Erin to a lovely B&B the first night followed by a campground the next, that was just my bad planning! Honestly, though, Erin is a pretty easy going gal when it comes to that sort of thing - it's one of the many things I love about her.

The reality, though, was that the hills of those first 50 miles felt like 70; we were both ready to be done biking for the day. Nevertheless, we grudgingly hopped back on our bikes and began riding the nine miles Apple maps said we had to complete to get to the KOA. Sure enough, a couple miles outside of town, the hills returned with a vengeance. At some point, the route dictated that we take Jones Mountain Road which, while scenic, lived up to its name. Still we plugged on until we arrived at the KOA...or at least where Apple maps said it would be. It wasn't. With darkness approaching, this was not good, but Erin quickly got help from a car that pulled up and I confirmed using Google maps that we had another mile to go...which meant that we never even needed to get on the diabolically hilly Jones Mountain Rd. A pox upon Apple! It is Google maps from here. 

Still, we were ecstatic to finally reach the KOA just before 9pm, shower, and make camp. I slept fairly well.  Erin, not so much. She had brought a sleep sock (essentially a sheet sewn together) and at some point in the cooler than expected night, she was literally covered from head to toe with most of her clothing and some of mine. The pic I took of her (which she says she has already posted) does not do justice to the image I saw. :)

Day 4: Ice Cream!!!!

We woke up to an amazing breakfast. Seriously so good. Walnut French toast, sausage, a Monterey and ham poached egg, juice and coffee. We ate with the other guests at the B&B and learned about this really neat French boat race that lasts a week on the James River. I am afraid Mike is getting ideas for his next great adventure. 

Todays major crisis was fraud on my credit card. I'll take that over a bike crisis any day. After packing up and sealing everything tight we hit the road. The weather says rain is possible.  We roll into a town 20 miles south and get Subway and stop at an ice cream shop!  Day 4 and I finally got some. It was so good especially after being hot and outside all morning. Chocolate peanut butter! Yum. As we are sitting on a picnic bench enjoying the ice cream it begins to drizzle. And then it begins raining. We run our bikes into a garage attached to the ice cream shop/ antique shop and wait it out. After a bit it clears up and we hit the road again expecting to get rained on more, but only one more drizzle. The rest was dry. Well not dry, crazy muggy but no rain. The rest of the day flew by. A few dog close calls but none left their yards. Flatter ground, and a really beautiful stretch out in the legit country. So legit we had to stop at a house to ask to fill up our water bottles from the house because there wasn't anything else or they were closed on Sunday. We even went down a gravel road today. Beautiful, but not exactly fun to ride on with a loaded bike and sore bum. But I did manage to document that part of the adventure with Mike. 

Yup. That's gravel. 

We got to our lake front hotel a little after 5, had dinner, got a beer and are relaxing. 55 miles today and we will be saying goodbye to Virginia tomorrow!

Day 3: Singing in the Rain

Good morning! Day 3!  First early start of the trip. We get going reasonably well, eat some nuts and granola bars and begin the hills again. We arrive in this its little town along the James river and have breakfast. It was tasty. Food has never tasted so good as on this trip!  At breakfast we try to figure out lodging for the night. Hotels in FarmVille are oddly expensive!  We call a B&B and left a message. We could camp again, but it looks like rain. I'm a fair weather camper, especially when on a bike all day! So we hit the road. 18 miles to the next town. 

As we approach the small town the B&B has called. We call back and have a room for the night. Its so nice to have a destination In mind! We arrive in the small town and are debating lunch. This is the last option before FarmVille but we aren't terribly hungry. We could get by on snacks after our 1.5 breakfasts we ate. We decide to go to a Mexican place.  It was tasty and cheap. We both easily finished  our meals and weren't overly stuffed. It's amazing how hungry hills make you!  

Back on he bikes. A very light drizzle started, which actually felt quite nice. The road is smoothing out though. Now the part you all/my brother has been waiting for. The first dog chase!  This big dog is coming for us. As we start peddling faster we are saved by an invisible fence!  However, the very next house has a pack of dogs. Like literally six of them are coming at us.  We are like,oh boy,here we go. Three of them cross the road,but only halfheartedly chased us. Does that count as one dog chase? Or three?  You decide. 

So we bike on. Getting closer to FarmVille on these nice country roads. With just a few miles left the rain picks up, and is now raining pretty hard. We roll into town, seek an awning and call the B&B to make sure they are ready for us. We look up the final directions and head there. 

Janie, her mother Ann, and dog Cotton greeted us with towels!  It was so nice since we were soaked!  But all of our stuff in the panniers stayed dry!  We were shown our room, got out of wet clothes and showered.  I came up with a pretty genius way to dry out some of our stuff. 

Gotta love bungee cords!

We headed down to visit and were served snacks and wine. This place was seriously the place to stay in FarmVille. It was only slightly more than the Super8 and less than other hotels. 

Then we walked FarmVille and found a cute waterfront place to eat, with excellent desert!  Day 3 and I still hadn't gotten icecream, so I needed desert! 

And we later found out at our B&B that we did the recommended bike tour of FarmVille with lodging and eats according to Virgina Living Magazine!

Day 2: Day of Hills

After some rest at the B&B we started the morning at the bike shop to restock. Mike got a thicker tube for his back wheel and we both got new spare tubes and CO2 but seriously hope we don't have to use them.

So we begin day 2. We headed toward Orange, VA and the ride  there was really nice. Rolling hills, beautiful countryside, lots of shade from the trees, and few cars. However, it took me several miles before I could relax. I was so paranoid about getting another flat.

We roll into town and have a delicious lunch. Seriously, if you ever find yourself here I know where you should eat. It was so good, and I don't think it was only because I had just biked 20 miles. Then we start getting ready to hit the road. I am outside applying more sunblock and everyone in town is so friendly. They are asking where we are going, and giving advice on roads. One guy even stopped by to chat for a second. He had passed us driving. 

So back on the road. This new road leading out of town turned out to be super hilly. Like seriously, climbing mountains. I hate hills. I am a prairie girl. I mean I complain about the hills in DC!  It was like he worst interval workout you could imagine!  30sec ride down followed by1-2 minutes of climbing. Yikes!   Somewhere along this point I decide going commando in bike shorts is the way to go. I judged before the trip, but realize there really is no better way. 

We finally see a sign saying there is a stoplight ahead!  I have need been so excited to see a city. Those hills killed me. We head to downtown, walk around a bit and end up eating at a local brewery. The brewery had a beer special where you could mix half of one of their beers with a cider.  Heffenweissen + cider= delicious!  

Then back on the road. 10 more miles to our KOA campground. 10 more hilly miles. It's never a good sign when street names contain the word mountain or mount.  It's beginning to get dark. We have past the place where Apple Maps says its should be. I flag down a man in a car and thankfully it isn't much further!  We roll in. I am sweaty and exhausted. They had icecream in the store but my desire to shower surpassed my desire for it.  (If you know me his is huge!)  we set up camp as daylight is fading fast, munch on some dried fruit and call it a night. I get a much needed shower. I don't think I have ever felt grosser. Suncreen, sweat, dirt. I realize I lost my razor. At this point I don't really care because I just want to be clean, but am also really upset I can't shave. Ugh. Oh well. 

Mike decided not to put the rain fly on so it didn't get to hot in the tent. It ended up getting to cold! I dressed myself in crazy layers in the middle of the night. I woke up with a tshirt on my head as a hat and my face completely buried under my blanket. 

But so thankful for the sleeping pad, thanks mom and dad!

All in all we went 62 miles on day 2.  But up those hills made for long slow travel! But I will take hills over flat tires or angry drivers any day!

Summer Solstice: Day 1

The day started out great, we hit the road right on time and had a pretty smooth rise out of DC. We rode up an epic hill that I thought would be my big accomplishment of the day.

..little did I know what would face us in the disasters of day one. 

Before lunch we had smooth sailing, only needed to make slight adjustments to my seat. Then lunch happened. I should have started questioning when we took on on-ramp to get on a road. On-ramps and bike friendly don't typically go together. That road turned out to be a nightmare, thanks google biking directions!  We survived 3 miles on that road, full of huge trucks and small shoulders, before finding a place to pull over to reroute. We found what looked like a good alternative and started that way when I heard a strange noise coming from my bike, like paper was stuck in the wheel. Flat tire!! We get it changed, I learned how to change one (never had before). But as Mike promised so many of you he took care of it. 

Back on the road, praying it won't go flat again. Then after a few miles we realize we made a wrong turn. No biggie, I mean awful, but atleast it isn't another flat. So we get on the worst road in VA. Literally no shoulder, tons of angry drivers honking at us and revving their engines. Literally awful. We finally get off that road and I'm quite shaken up from that road. Emotional breakdown #1. We get going again on this quaint country road. All is well again, until our next turn. Traffic and no shoulder again. But thankfully as we were prepping to make the turn I saw another man on that road go by on a road bike, such a comforting site!!  

We eventually arrive at the friendliest connivence store ever. We get directions from  a fellow biker and stop for some drinks, then realize Mike has a flat. Really?!?  A man with a portable air compressor attempted to help us and after pulling out his tube and trying his spare we realize his spare also has a hole. Worst luck ever!  We patch it and hope for the best with the weight he is carrying. 5 miles in to the trip with the patched wheel we hear that awful noise of air leaking. Are you kidding me?!?  So we pull over in this church parking lot to figure out how to finish the last 18 miles of our trip to get to our B&B. I call a cab to ask if they could take us and our bikes. The man on the phone literally tells me to just change the flat. Like we hadn't   thought of that, but we are now out of supplies. Ugh. Someone pulls into the church lot in a pick-up. I decide we are desperate so I follow him into the church to explain our situation. They get the pastor. I ask for cab numbers or offer to pay someone to put our bikes in their truck and give us a ride or atleast if we get a cab we ask the pastor if we can leave our bikes there till the morning.  Still seriously hoping for a Good Samaritan to step up though.  I even threw out that I teach religion!  They keep inviting us to their prayer service they have that evening. I'm like dudes, you are living the parable, the Levite just passes by. But they did offer to pray for us. 

So we decide our best option is to leave our bikes, cab to town with our stuff, hit up the bike store in the morning and go back to our bikes. So I call the lovely cab man from earlier. He agrees to pick us up, but charges an arm and a leg for it. But when he shows up he has a van!!!!!  We insist on trying to fit our bikes in and it works!  I so was excited even though the cabbie is already talking about the tip he deserves. So we arrive at our B&B, 65 miles under our belt and head out for a much needed dinner and drinks!  

Even with all the mishaps I enjoyed my first day. I biked 20 more miles than I ever have before, had lots of laughs, and I'm sure will look back on this day and laugh as well. And heck, we got to spend lots of time outside as the longest day of the year approaches. 

Prepping for the Journey

A 9 day trip, 8 days of biking in the heat and humidity.  What in the world did I sign up for?  As it gets closer, aka, two days away, I am getting more excited.  People have had mixed reactions to hearing about the trip, from that's awesome, to WHY?  I, as many of you know, was quite skeptical when this idea was first mentioned to me, but as I have been preparing I have gotten increasingly more excited (which is probably good, right?).  Maybe that is because Mike just told me that the town he decided we are staying in the first night has a Dairy Queen!  (If you didn't already know, I am sure through reading this you will come to see that I seriously love DQ Blizzards!)

I am attempting to figure out exactly what to put into my pannier, that Mike will be carrying.  The big debate right now, is it more important to have clean clothes to bike in each day, or clean clothes to wear in the afternoon once we are done biking for the day and have showered?  Everything is in a pile on my floor right now, waiting to see exactly how much I can fit into that pannier. 

Aside from clothing, and actually packing my bag, I am pretty much set.  I made a list, have compared it to others I found online, and that my mom sent me, and think we should be good to go.