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!
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