Christiansburg, VA to Charlottesville, VA

After resting on Sunday, September 26th, Dad started the new week by riding 20 miles to Blacksburg, Virginia, home of Virginia Tech. It rained all morning. He rode off-route part of the way on the Huckleberry Trail to Blacksburg just to check out that town. It wasn't a long ride, but it was nice. He also spent some time at the library and discovered that it is difficult to get a roomette on Amtrak.


 The Huckleberry Trail between Christiansburg and Blacksburg, VA.  Another rail to trail conversion.  It's less than 6 miles long, but very pretty.


Tuesday was the first day that Dad wore his tights and windbreaker all day. It is gettng chilly in Virginia. The roads were wet most of the day and my dad wasn't feeling well. His stomach was upset and his ribs were still hurting from his fall. The place where he was going to stop for lunch had gone out of business the day before, so he had to ride 16 more miles to eat. He completed 52 miles to Troutville, Virginia.

Dad has been experiencing some burnout over the last couple of weeks. He has been fighting himself to get over hills. Like on his way to Lexington, Virginia, on Wednesday, the 29th. 3 miles into the ride, going up and down steep hills, he decided to skip the hills and stick to U.S. Highway 11, where the hills were not as steep or frequent. The map kept taking him on and off the highway anyway. When he was off the highway, he had to deal with hills that reminded him of a rollercoaster ride. By staying on the highway, he was able to avoid them. When he got to Buchanan, he went to the library to purchase his train ticket home. Bill will leave D.C. to Chicago on the 14th. There were no roomettes available, but it’s a 17 hour trip, so my dad will be fine. On the 15th, he will leave Chicago for Martinez in the last available roomette. He will arrive in Martinez on the 17th, where he will get back on his bike and ride about 20 miles home. When Dad left the library, it was raining and he rode more than 30 miles in heavy rain. He stopped at the Natural Bridge and toured it in the rain, then rode a couple miles and had a late lunch. Bill's attitude was pleasant in the rain, which surprised him after being grumpy about the hills. He stayed in a motel where he was able to dry out. The bike was filthy and it took an hour to clean.



Natural Bridge




Natural Bridge




Waterfall




Beautiful view.




Dad in rain gear.

 Dad spent the entire next day avoiding the rain by staying in the motel. He watched old movies and only walked out for lunch and dinner.

Friday, Dad rode 55 miles to Waynesboro, Virginia. The roads were wet most of the day and he climbed about 3,000 feet. 1,600 feet were in just 4 miles on the way to the road called Blue Ridge Parkway. He didn't mind the climbs so much this day. The ride was pleasant and the views beautiful. Plus, he used his routine to get through the hills which involved pedaling a certain amount standing and sitting. He missed lunch because the first place where he was going to stop was closed, and the second place was supposed to be 1/10 a mile off-route down a hill, but after going 1/4 of a mile and not finding it, he decided to return to the route instead of finding himself at the bottom of a hill that he had to go back up and no restaurant. He ended up having a pb&j bagel at a picnic table on the side of the road, where he met an Appalachian Trail hiker. Dad almost ran out of water after lunch because he couldn't find any place to refill his water bottles. Luckily, he finally found a visitor center and refilled his bottles there.

The day's climb on The Blue Ridge Parkway ahead.

Man defies gravity by making it to the top of the mountain.

 Bill left late on Saturday, October 2nd, because when he woke up it was 43 degrees. On his way to Charlottesville, Virginia, he met June Curry, The Cookie Lady. She is an 89-year old lady who keeps two homes next to each other on the Transamerica route in Afton. One home has been dedicated to cyclists called the Bike Museum. Since 1976, when June first saw cyclist struggling to climb what many consider the hardest climb on the Transamerica Trail, she provided first water, then cookies and lodging to cyclists. Dad would have stayed there the night before, but heard she wasn't accepting visitors anymore because of her health. That was not correct. Her health hasn't been perfect. She suffered a heart attack a while back and when the doctors said she could go home, she didn't have the money to take care of all the medical expenses. The cycling community got word and posted that information online. Afterwards, she received enough money to pay for all her medical bills from cyclists around the world who received her hospitality. There is even an award given annually to someone who helps the cycling community by Adventure Cycling Association called the June Curry Trail Angel. June received the first award. Dad also went wine-tasting on Saturday, and then stopped at a fruit stand for an apple and homemade cookies.



June Curry, The Cookie Lady



The Bike Museum



The Bike Museum




Postcards from around the world in the Bike Museum.




The Bike Museum




The Bike Museum




The Bike Museum



A little wine-tasting on a brisk Fall Saturday morning.



The 3rd was a rest day and Dad's friends, Chuck and Jean, drove an hour from Bumpass, Virginia to visit. They had a good time at Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, and had lunch at Michie Tavern.



Chuck & Jean




Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's home.

Bill has about one more week of riding, and then he will be in Yorktown, where he finishes the Transamerica Trail. I still can't believe he is almost done!!