Easy day

April 27, 2024

I finally reach the fall line

AFTER A WEEK of flirting with it, today I definitely reached the fall line. Richmond sits astride the James, at the spot the river crosses the fall line. That's also the spot where I crossed from the south to the north bank, before riding through the most urban area I will encounter until I reach DC a few days from now.

Ronda, my WarmShowers host extraordinaire, tipped me off to get onto the riverside trail rather than Riverside Drive, so as to reach and use the very neat and interesting pedestrian/cyclist suspension bridge below the auto bridge.

The fall line explained. You already know all this because you've read my description, so this is just a review before the final exam.

Before leaving Ronda's, we go to breakfast at a nearby Cafe, then she takes me for a short driving tour of the areas along the river. There are some grand homes back in there, some old some obviously new.

Showers are predicted for around 10 so, since it's to be a fairly short and easy day, I hang out until almost 11 before setting off. After I reach and cross the suspension bridge I parallel the river for a couple blocks. As I do, a young couple walking their dogs greet me. "On tour?" he asks, and I confirm his supposition. He's done the TransAm, which gets my respect.

Turning away from the James there's a two block climb to street level. I walk half of it, because it steepens to become a 14 percent slope. Maybe I might grunt it out but why? There's nothing to prove, nothing to gain.

Next I work my way through some of Richmond's neighborhoods. Being Saturday traffic isn't bad, and there are sharrows in abundance to remind motorists that cyclists have a right to the pavement too.

In Richmond. I'm reminded of my day in Hibbing MN last September.

Making my way along Hermitage Drive, I'm impressed by the number of large old homes. This is clearly an area where Richmond's well-to-do lived, and probably still do to judge by the state of care. Had I stopped to photograph them all, I'd still be there.

This church doesn't fit the styles of its rural peers.

After 15 miles or so I escape the grasp of the city. Lots get larger, houses are more widely spaced. There are stands of woods, and open areas.

One last gasp of development- about a dozen nearly identical homes plunked baldly down by the side of the road. Ick.

I think the gas pump is a souvenir, not original to the site.

This church is also out of the ordinary for the region.

On reaching Ashland I find a festival in full swing. The streets I'm supposed to use are closed and jammed with visitors, but it's easy to detour a block or two and press on. I might have lingered and taken a longer look, but I really wanted to get off the road as early as possible.

It's Train Day in Ashland. Moments before I arrived, the Amtrak had rolled through.

One of a dozen or so Model As on display. Its owner would rather not have it, or himself, out in the rain.

Out in the hinterlands once more ...

Perhaps a bit more boat than reasonable for this particular water body. Maybe they use it as backyard camping, or a mother-in-law suite.

More detail. It smelled sweet: honeysuckle?

... I negotiate a couple more nasty climbs away from water crossings before finally turning onto U.S. 1 for the final run to my hotel. It's a four lane highway with fast traffic and no shoulder. Fortunately, there's space between bunches of cars, and all but two drivers very politely move into the left lane well before overtaking me.

Have you ever tried to do a six mile time trial while riding a loaded touring bike? I can't really recommend it.

I'm staying tonight at a very modest chain hotel. It's the lowest, or next to lowest, marque in the parent company's list. As properties age they descend gradually through the list, until they fall out the bottom and are sold off entirely. This one's close to reaching the exit, but it serves my needs adequately and is relatively cheap.

It has no guest laundry amenity though, and today's laundry day. Happily for me there's a coin laundry within easy walking distance and next to it a very obliging and accommodating Mexican restaurant whose wifi service is far better than the hotel's.

I triple-task: start the laundry, go order dinner, edit the journal. Pause eating long enough to go next door and move the laundry to the dryer, return to my restaurant table to continue my meal, and keep working on the journal. Back to the laundry to sort, fold and repack. Back to the restaurant to finish my beer and wrap up the editing session.

The restaurant is filling up- it was nearly empty when I arrived almost two hours ago- so I settle up and waddle back to the hotel, where I finish writing.

It's relatively early but late enough for me to settle down for the night.

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Today's ride: 38 miles (61 km)
Total: 422 miles (679 km)

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