TransAm Day #2 Glendale VA to Mineral VA
TransAm Day #2
May 27, 2018
Glendale, VA to Mineral, VA - 83 Miles
Ride Time 6.10 Hours
Tour Total 150 Miles
details at: https://cyclemeter.com/4b2d99e24f1383f2/Cycle-20180527-0619
I didn’t sleep well last night on the floor of Willis Methodist Church. I definitely missed my comfortable bed back home. My alarm began clamoring at 5am. The plan was to leave by 6. In a kitchen cabinet dedicated to visiting cyclists, I scored instant oatmeal which I prepared and ate while I packed my gear.
Outside, the pavement was wet from last night’s rain. The temperature was cool and it was overcast. It was a perfect day for covering ground. The goal was 80 miles. I’ve been following VA cyclist route 76, and we spent much of the day on two lane country roads. Car traffic was never bad.
I literally passed a thousand churches of every form and denomination. I was out on the road hours before Sunday morning services, and the parking lots were still empty.
Much of the roadway was tree lined. I rode past fields of wheat, corn, and soy. The corn stocks were up to my calves yesterday, but today they reached my knees.
Wild flowers were everywhere and the sweet smell of blooming honeysuckle filled the air. Of particular joy were the enormous southern magnolias with gorgeous large white flowers.
By 8:30 I had covered 26 miles, and was ready for a second breakfast. I stopped at a Dunkin donuts, where I had the 2 for 1 Egg on an English Muffin special, along with a chocolate glazed donut and a cappuccino. It was fantastic!
I zigzagged my way north west around Richmond. Numerous small towns on the map had no stores or services. The sun came out and it began to get hot. I pulled over alongside a small church for granola and water. My bottles were starting to get empty. It was nice to briefly get out of my cycling shoes.
I saw my first TRUMP sign and passed several tea party sponsored billboards. I encountered a cleaning crew that was hand sweeping and air blowing the road surface in anticipation of my arrival. I thanked them for their hard work.
At about the 60 mile mark I finally came across a small store, where I could buy cold drinks and refill my water bottles. There was a shady place to sit out back. The clerks asked with no sarcasm if I was riding to Oregon.
Towards the end of the ride as I was winding my way around the fingers of a large lake, I pulled over for a swim. To my disappointment the water was warm. I later learned that this lake had been created for a cooling system for a nearby Nuclear power plant. That explains the warm water, and why I now glow in the dark.
Today’s road kill included a dead fox, raccoon, black snake, and a freshly hit very large adult dear. In addition I saw live horses, goats, llamas, my first turtle, and another striking blue bird that zipped across the road in front of me. I saw one roadside car crash memorial.
Tonight I'm sleeping in a firehouse in Mineral. Firefighter Shawn very generously offered us sleeping quarters inside as a rain storm was approaching. As soon as I got my bike inside it began to pour. Steve G and I walked to the nearby gas station and bought Modello tall boys and pretzels. We sat outside in the rain for over an hour, cooling down and relaxing. We later had dinner at a Mexican restaurant while it poured outside.
I'm now out of The Tidewater area of Virginia and have entered the Piedmont plateau. I'm starting to see small hills. Today’s total ascent was 1245 feet. I'm expecting more geography like this tomorrow as we head to Charlottesville, which is at the foothills of the Appalachians.
May 27, 2018
Glendale, VA to Mineral, VA - 83 Miles
Ride Time 6.10 Hours
Tour Total 150 Miles
details at: https://cyclemeter.com/4b2d99e24f1383f2/Cycle-20180527-0619
I didn’t sleep well last night on the floor of Willis Methodist Church. I definitely missed my comfortable bed back home. My alarm began clamoring at 5am. The plan was to leave by 6. In a kitchen cabinet dedicated to visiting cyclists, I scored instant oatmeal which I prepared and ate while I packed my gear.
Outside, the pavement was wet from last night’s rain. The temperature was cool and it was overcast. It was a perfect day for covering ground. The goal was 80 miles. I’ve been following VA cyclist route 76, and we spent much of the day on two lane country roads. Car traffic was never bad.
I literally passed a thousand churches of every form and denomination. I was out on the road hours before Sunday morning services, and the parking lots were still empty.
Much of the roadway was tree lined. I rode past fields of wheat, corn, and soy. The corn stocks were up to my calves yesterday, but today they reached my knees.
Wild flowers were everywhere and the sweet smell of blooming honeysuckle filled the air. Of particular joy were the enormous southern magnolias with gorgeous large white flowers.
By 8:30 I had covered 26 miles, and was ready for a second breakfast. I stopped at a Dunkin donuts, where I had the 2 for 1 Egg on an English Muffin special, along with a chocolate glazed donut and a cappuccino. It was fantastic!
I zigzagged my way north west around Richmond. Numerous small towns on the map had no stores or services. The sun came out and it began to get hot. I pulled over alongside a small church for granola and water. My bottles were starting to get empty. It was nice to briefly get out of my cycling shoes.
I saw my first TRUMP sign and passed several tea party sponsored billboards. I encountered a cleaning crew that was hand sweeping and air blowing the road surface in anticipation of my arrival. I thanked them for their hard work.
At about the 60 mile mark I finally came across a small store, where I could buy cold drinks and refill my water bottles. There was a shady place to sit out back. The clerks asked with no sarcasm if I was riding to Oregon.
Towards the end of the ride as I was winding my way around the fingers of a large lake, I pulled over for a swim. To my disappointment the water was warm. I later learned that this lake had been created for a cooling system for a nearby Nuclear power plant. That explains the warm water, and why I now glow in the dark.
Today’s road kill included a dead fox, raccoon, black snake, and a freshly hit very large adult dear. In addition I saw live horses, goats, llamas, my first turtle, and another striking blue bird that zipped across the road in front of me. I saw one roadside car crash memorial.
Tonight I'm sleeping in a firehouse in Mineral. Firefighter Shawn very generously offered us sleeping quarters inside as a rain storm was approaching. As soon as I got my bike inside it began to pour. Steve G and I walked to the nearby gas station and bought Modello tall boys and pretzels. We sat outside in the rain for over an hour, cooling down and relaxing. We later had dinner at a Mexican restaurant while it poured outside.
I'm now out of The Tidewater area of Virginia and have entered the Piedmont plateau. I'm starting to see small hills. Today’s total ascent was 1245 feet. I'm expecting more geography like this tomorrow as we head to Charlottesville, which is at the foothills of the Appalachians.
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