5/30 to Stony Creek to Suffolk VA

Today we got up knowing it was our last 69 mile ride as it would take us to Sufolk where only 30 miles remain to the beach.  Despite the light rain we were ready to ride rain or shine.  We rode about 61 miles in a drizzle and boom.  Mark got a flat tire that required us to stop.  It was difficult to repair, and the rain increased to a pretty steady pour.  When we got to the hotel we were thoroughly drenched.  A hot shower and dinner revived us for the Warriors game.

AND TOMORROW IS OUR LAST DAY!!!!!

Rainy day

Here comes bootsly

flat tire from hell

sometimes standing water is artful

5/29 Lynchburg to Stony Creek VA

This morning we met early to try to outrun the impending rain forecasted to hit us early in the PM.  We got a good start after the lousy continental breakfast not stopping for anything except a snack and Gatorade at about 26 miles into the ride.

We saw the 5 roads battlefield where many men died.

As we reached about the last 6 miles we entered into a downpoor that got every inch of us wet.  Luckily it was a warm rain that felt cooling in the hot muggy air.  The only concern was the amount of water on the roads and our narrow tires, but the Schawlbe Marathon plus tires did a great job helping us to arrive at our hotel after 60 miles.  We immediately hung up our wet clothes and took warm showers in preparation for dinner at Denny's next door.

5/28 Radford to Lynchburg VA

Lynchburg, VA is considered a larger town on our ride across America. One tool we rely on a lot is our GPS and this morning was no different. We are navigating the last few hundred miles solely by GPS. I plugged in a GPS route to Burkville, VA and started out to highway 460 only to be stopped by a bicycles prohibited sign. There was no other option available from the GPS. In these cases you learn to be smarter than the GPS and meander off route making the GPS reroute. Finally it got the message and found a way out of town.
Appomattox is a small town with huge historic significance dating back to the Civil War. This is where Lee surrendered to Grant and ended the Civil War.
Riding into Burkville where we are hanging our helmets tonight a small one hotel town was up one pesky hill and down another for 72 miles.

almost done

5/27 Roanoke to Radford

Leaving the Econo Inn in Roanoke we had comfortable temps and crowded urban roads to negotiate with moderate traffic. The Econo Inn offered a cup of coffee and pastries of which I opted out of. We decided to find a more desirable breakfast somewhere down the road. I'm good for 30 miles of riding before starvation, and crankiness sets in. As we cranked our pedals and pointed our bikes out of town, within a couple miles of riding a Denny's Restaurant and breakfast appeared in front of us. Carol found us on the Find My Friends app and joined us.
As we road toward Lynchburg, VA the temps climbed into the 80's and beyond, and the hills again appeared. They weren't bad just annoying in the heat and humidity. Once we entered into the city limits of Lynchburg I entered a GPS course for the hotel and it came back as 8.5 miles away. Now that is just as bad as a huge hill at the end of a day. We tackled it with gung-ho eagerness knowing that an air conditioned hotel was waiting across town.

TERRY GETTING READY FOR THE RIDE FROM ROANOKE

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GPS gave us a gravel road through town

Terry coming in to a stop

5/26 Radford to Roanoke

Mornings on short ride days seem to linger before actually getting to the business of riding and such was the case for this morning. Our Motor Lodge in Radford, VA did not serve a breakfast, but just a few feet away to the north end of our lodging was a McDonalds an adequate start to our low mile day. We finally hit the road at 10:30am traversed over the New River bridge in Radford, rode by Radford University, and up and over a few last hills on the way out of town in route to Roanoke. It was an unspectacular routine riding day and we can feel the urban spirit of the cities as we ride toward the Atlantic.

A beautiful horse ranch

05/25 Tazewell to Radford VA

Up at 7:30AM for a ride the the Coal Bucket for breakfast. Then back to the hotel to get dressed, load the car, lube the bikes, air in the tires and off  to Radford VA.

Ride was 65 miles with 2,707 ft of climbing over some pretty country roads. We road about 35 miles and stopped at a church where Carol had pulled over at a church in some shade.  We got some drinks and snacks and was enjoying the break when the owner of the property next door to the church came over to offer us use of the restrooms, water and a rest in the air conditioning.  His name is George Ball. He is a Deacon at the church pictured below.  People have been so nice to us.

Then we road on to see a penal ranch where the inmates farm the land for food including crops and animals.  George told us that the inmates used to be required to farm the land.  Now, they do it only if they want to perform the work.  This ranch was large including miles of land on both sides of the road.

Beautiful landscape

Church where we stopped for a snack

George, Deacon of the church

Corrections ranch 

5/24 Grundy to Tazewell VA

Last night I got some rest for my leg.  It felt much better and ready to go.  We had our breakfast and got out at 10AM.  We road the 51 miles with 2,774 ft of climbing with ease in the beautiful weather we are having.  We stopped for lunch in Richlands where the owners participate in Cancer fund raising with the run for life and paper balloons that you buy for a dollar that they hang in their window.  Then we rode on to Tazewell.

restaurant in Richlands

The road to Tazewell

Mark and I coming to a stop in Richlands

The end of the ride in Tazewell with a couple cold waters

5/23 Pikeville KY to Grundy VA

Today we crossed into our final state, Virginia.  We are getting close to Virginia Beach and will be there on 5/31 if we have no weather or other set backs.

Our morning started like most mornings with breakfast at 7:30am and leisurely loading the car with our bags. Since Pikeville is home to the McCoy and Hatfield feud during the Civil War and there was a museum in town we had to look it up before heading out of town. We rode around town blindly looking for it. Carol found us and said we went the wrong way so we back tracked and finally asked an officer of the peace where it might be. We were a half block off and quickly found the museum and just as quickly found it was closed on Mondays. 

Back on the bikes we left town heading to Grundy, VA.We let GPS try to get us out of town, but it sent us down a wrong street.  Rather than ride all the way back we lifted our bicycles over some rails causing me to tweak my quadriceps muscle.  It hurt all day but did not hender me too much.  The ride was a 44 mile hilly ride to the east, and passed through Elkhorn City where a member of the city council stopped us and took our picture. The city allows camping at the city hall for cyclist. We also rode through Breaks Interstate Park. Breaks Interstate Park is a beautiful recreational park filled with water rafting, camping, and family outing opportunities. 

Arriving in Grundy we were surprised by Carol and Carroll dear friends of Sharon and Mark. They have been touring around the country for the past couple months and secretly worked it out to meet up with us. We all went to dinner and had a great time talking of our travels. I can't think of a better way to end the day.

Breaks park overlook

Breaks Park overlook

Publik elk art in Elkhorn

Some pizza and a shake in Elkhorn

The 3 of us with Carol and Caroll

5/22 Hazard to Pikeville KY

Out at about 9:30 with a 600 foot climb out of  Hazard to the Troublisome River and on to Pikeville.  The roads were good and the greenery was amazing as we road along this swollen river.  We stopped about 26 miles in to have lunch and again for a milkshake.  It was a pleasant and beautiful ride through appalachia.

We had a nice day and pleasant ride to Pikesville today. We rode 72 miles and climbed 1,980 ft. But before we left we met some Kentucky folks at breakfast who donated to the cause (see the photo).

Mark shot a photo of me riding on the most pleasant part of the route.

Along the way I took a photo of a nice well thought out cemetary along the Troubled River.

some nice folds at the hotel who gave us a donation

nice road shaded for a pleasant day

well planned pretty cemetery on the hillside

05/21 Hazard KY rain day

This morning we decided to stay another night in Hazard, do laundry, get some rest and wait for the rain to stop.  It is important to note that riding in these hills on these roads with rain coming down increases the risk substantially.  It also challenges are ability to stay dry and healthy for the remainder of the ride.  And since we have plenty of time (10 days) to go less than 600 miles we can take time off to stay out of the rain if we have a good forecast going forward.  Tomorrow the forecast if for partly cloudy to sunny with no rain.  We can also count on flatter rides as we get past the mountains heading for the coast.

Today, we slept, had lunch at The Big Blue Smokehouse and are watching LBJ on HBO.

Hazard Kentucky is tucked deep into the Appalachian Mountains and was prosperous at one time with the coal industry driving the economy. The coal now is slowing down and Hazard is feeling the bitterness of the waning effects on the economy. Income per capita is $23,000, unemployment is 10.9%, job growth is negative, and the violent crime rate is high. 

Here is a map showing our profess:

To date we have ridden 2,579 miles!

We have about 550 miles to go.

Fordsville KY note

I am entering this as a separate blog post due to the request and the fact that this kindness is something we have seen all along the way.

I was riding up a steep hill coming to the top of the T for a left turn.  This gentleman came running out of the church in front of me with a bag waving a water bottle.  He simply wanted to offer water, restroom, etc. for bike riders as we passed through his community, Fordsville KY.  We talked for a bit.  I gave him a card and got the following email from him:

Terry, if you don't mind and are able to, we would love for you to go ahead and post on your blog for other bikers that may be following or reading your info, to let them know about our church. Folks are welcome to stop to get a drink or for restroom breaks etc. Be safe in your travels.

Dane Calloway, pastor
Sugar Grove Bible Baptist Church 
Fordsvllle, Ky

05/20 Berea to Hazard KY

Got an early start this morning yo ride 90 miles to Hazard KY.  Started out with cloudy skies and a weather report that expected rain.  We road through the back country as much as possible arriving at Boonetown about 3PM and 51 miles and 3,100 feet of elevation.  We stopped at a diner for a milk shake talking to a guy and his son about the new road being constructed in town and about substance abuse in the town.  The father worked in this area.  His 12 year old son was very big for his age.

Also, we met a personality in town named Joan who told us what was good on the menu and claimed that 2 people from San Francisco sat in our exact chairs last Friday.  She exclaimed that that will never happen again in 100 years.

We arrived in Hazard about 8pm making it a long day.

morning meeting at breakfast

On the road to Hazard

Abandoned cabin

5/19 Danville to Berea KY

It is funny how a day that was supposed to be an easy 36 miles ends up going 44 miles with 2,000 feet of climbing with a head wind.  Still, it was one of our easiest days as we meandered over the hills enjoying the beautiful landscape and arriving at the hotel at 3PM.

I am always amazed that almost everyone outside of the larger towns lives on a hill with a very large yard.  I know I am overstating this but it is like no where else I have seen.  Also, you can see a large estate home and landscape next to a run down shack that people live in or do not live in.

Then there are the slave walls that must be shown, but represent a terrible time in the country's history.

At about 4PM Glenda and Stan arrived to take us to dinner at the Boone Tavern Hotel on the Berea College campus where we had drinks and an amazing dinner complements of Glenda and Stan.

slave built walls that stand the test of time

Boone Tavern and Hotel

Dinner and drinks photo by Carol

Dinner and drinks photo taken by Stan

nice house,yard,fence

nice yard, house ready to fall down

05/18 Bardstown to Danville KY

Back on the road today with a 50 mile, 2,000ft total climb to Danville KY.  This was pretty easy, but we had a headwind on any east riding.  We passed some beautiful lots with large homes.  Kentucky has shown a beautiful landscape to us as we ride through neighborhoods and on highways.  We checked into the Comfort Suites and are enjoying a nice evening of rest.

We stopped in Perrysville today for lunch and found there was a Civil War battle over water there.

Carol stopped at a state park showing where Abe Lincolns parents lived.

Perrysville Battle Station

Abe's parents

Abe's parents' house

05/17 Raining today so taking a day off

We awoke this morning with rain and decided Bardstown was a good place to take a rainy day off and see the distilleries and downtown.

After breakfast we headed off to Heaven Hill, a bourbon distillery. We saw an enormous amount of bourbon stored in rick houses on the tour and tasted some rye whiskey, wheat bourbon and a taste of their very best bourbon.  It was amazing how each effected different areas of the tongue.

1. They rye hit the back of the tongue and was spicy or hot.
2. The wheat bourbon hit the front and larger area of the tongue due to its smooth sweet taste.
3. The bourbon with the most age effected all parts of the tongue with a smooth taste.

We learned a great deal about Kentucky's bourbon and how it has effected American life and industry.

Chuck and Suzette from Cincinnati arrived as we returned to the hotel.  It was nice to see them since our ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway last year.  We had lunch in town, some coffee back at the hotel.  The left about 5:30 for home and we retired to the room for some rest.

Look who invented the whiskey sour, Manhattan and High Ball

elevator for barrels

racks and racks of bourbon