September 1, 2022
Today Must Be National “I Want To Do That” Day
Today’s ride took a bit longer than planned, but for all good reasons. Three times today I stopped or was stopped, and had conversations with cyclists about my ride across the country and/or the pea soup green machine. The first conversation was with a cyclist named Brian Dawson, who I think lives in or around Roanoke. Brian, if you’re reading this, I enjoyed our conversation and would be happy to share more information if you’re interested. Also, don’t wait until you retire to do this (unless you’re retiring really young). It’s a great experience for sure. The second conversation was near Buchanan with a guy who just retired and is really interested in stepping up his riding and doing something epic. The third conversation was with a guy in a restaurant (I mean gas station) who wants to buy a Surly but is having trouble justifying buying a third bike 😳. I explained to him the appropriate number of bikes we should all have is n plus one, so go buy it. The Surly has been a great bike for this trip. A little heavy, but it could say that about me too.
The days have seem to have cooled down a bit and the mornings are almost cold. This morning as I was loading up my bike, it was 52 degrees. Makes for a cold start but also some great foggy views of the mountains and valleys (like the one I shared yesterday).
Once again, I really enjoyed the Virginia roads (for the most part) and the opportunity to see sights other than the highways and the roads most taken. So many beautiful farms/tracts of land, and a lot of them are under permanent conservation easements (that to me is amazing and wonderful).
Maybe one of the highlights for today was…the bee boxes are back! It’s been a while since I’ve seen any (yes I stopped and took a picture).
Lexington, VA (where I ended) has one of the nicer downtowns I’ve seen and it’s where the Virginia Military Institue is located. I will say though that like every where else I’ve been, restaurants are often closed Mondays and Tuesdays and they are operating on a reduced hours schedule. And almost every shop has a “we’re hiring” sign on the door. I was directed by a local retiree where to eat (Pure Eats and it was a winner), but only after a long discussion about my trip and the 40 year old bike she was riding.
Tomorrow is the day I finally get to meet and show my respect to the Vesuvius Climb. Not totally sure what to expect other than it’s long and steep (really steep). I also get to go to the Cookie Lady’s House tomorrow. Two definite trip highlights.
No dog stories today. And I’m personally ok with that.
Last thing is I think I finally have a plan for getting to the the Outer Banks and putting that front tire in the Atlantic Ocean. Seems to change daily, but assuming tomorrow goes according to plan, I like the current plan.
Just a couple pictures, but trust me when I say Virginia is a beautiful state. I could live here if Mrs G is up for yet another move 😳.
Ian
Today's ride: 76 miles (122 km)
Total: 508 miles (818 km)
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Good luck tomorrow climbing Vesuvius …..maybe try the big chain for a change
2 years ago