Inner Turmoil (May 30, 2015)

Four days ago, I found myself sitting in a library with several maps and road atlases spread out on a table.  What to do ... which route to follow?  The previous eight or nine days had been filled (nay, overloaded) with short steep climbing.  While staying reasonably on track with the Adventure Cycling TransAm route, I had started to ride busier roads rather than head off onto the roads suggested on the maps ... roads with names such as "Stagecoach Road" or "Old (insert name of small town) Road".   Even the busier roads had endless climbing, but the steepness of the climbs was less and lengths longer ... even so, this was taking a toll on my legs and on my morale as well.

So there I was, surrounded by maps, trying to determine how I would be traveling over the coming three weeks.  Was I to stay on the ACA route or was I to head down to Tennessee and follow "god knows what" routes.  Looking at the ACA route, I did not see any of the "near-by busier roads" that would alleviate some of the climbing.   Looking at the Tennessee highway maps ... well, there was too much inner turmoil to select a route, and I was really not too sure if Tennessee would be any different than western Virginia and Kentucky (TransAm route) ... stomach-roiling indecision at its' finest.

I had to make a decision that would be implemented immediately upon walking out of the library.

Here is what really freaked me out (click on the picture below for an enlarged view):

These three "profile" panels represent the coming 1,000 miles (three weeks) I would be riding were I to stay on the TransAm route.  I am fully aware that the horizontal is greatly fore-shortened, which results in much steeper verticals, but that does not reduce the number of climbs. 

At this point, a thinking person may ask, "Is this the first time you looked at the maps/profiles?"  Unfortunately, my answer would be, "Yep'"

In John Steinbeck's Travels with Charlie, he takes people who "over-plan a trip and adhere unwaveringly to that plan" to task.  I wonder what he would have had to say about people such as I, who seemingly are oblivious to the concept of "planning".  Truthfully, my plan for this bike ride was simply to ride to Florida on the Southern Tier route, up the coast, then west on TransAm.  That was/is the depth of the plan I developed ... did I bother to look at the maps prior to leaving Tucson?  Nope.  Sitting in that library was the first time I looked at the maps with the profiles.

I just read a journal entry of a guy I met earlier this month.  He is riding the TransAm, and just entered Kentucky the other day ... does not sound like he is having a good time.  (Note to Linda Matson and Mark Doumas (Linda and Mark rode that route recently):  feel free to share your thoughts on the TransAm route in eastern Kentucky and western Virginia).

I am currently in Knoxville, Tennessee.  The riding has been, for me, much easier.  The roads I have selected are much busier, but the legs are much happier ... and for this moment, there is less inner turmoil tugging at my soul. 

My, Oh My ... (May 26, 2015)

My, oh my, oh my ... this part of the country sure is wrinkled!  In all of my various bike rides over the past seven summers I have never experienced the amount of short, painful, repetitive climbing that is required to move forward, as I have experienced in the last week or so ... and it looks to continue for the coming weeks.

My, oh my.  The routes suggested on the Adventure Cycling maps take cyclist off into some very extreme back roads loaded with short ups-and-downs.  Having had my fill of such climbs, I have opted to ride the main highways (not Interstates) so as to  minimize the number and the steepness of climbs required.  Even so, the climbing is relentless, tiring ... and quite often demoralizing.

There are bright spots, tho.  The other night I was most fortunate to spend the evening with Wendy and Steve Richards at their farm outside of Lexington, VA.  Tucson friends Claire and Bob Rogers are also visiting.  Wendy and Steve (couple on the left in the above picture) have been living on the farm for thirty years and have built a beautiful calming oasis.  It was so good to spend time talking, laughing and relaxing with friends.

Time to start loading up the bike and heading out on the road for another day of climbing.  Even though the days are difficult, the scenery is beyond beautiful ... my, oh my.

Contrasting Days (May 22, 2015)

After reaching Charlottesville on Tuesday after a long and tedious day, on Wednesday I decided to do the short ride out to Monticello and just take it easy.

What a beautiful day it turned out to be ... both from the stand point of weather and personal enjoyment.  After reaching Monticello, I took the tour of Thomas Jefferson's residence, then spent a couple of hours just roaming around and soaking in the history and the beauty of the estate.  Wonderful break from the daily biking experience.

After leaving Monticello, I did another short ride into Charlottesville and got a motel room, with the intention of heading on to Afton on Thursday.  The fabled "Cookie Lady" was based in Afton;  She offered lodging and cookies to over 15,000 touring cyclist prior to her death in 2010 ... kind of a landmark for those riding the TransAm.  This area is extremely hilly, and makes for (me) very tiring days, so the reasonably short distance of 35 miles was not looked upon (by me) as an easy day.

Upon waking Thursday (yesterday), rain was falling and the high temperature for the day was projected to be in the mid 50s.  Not being overly motivated, and having no schedule deadlines to meet, I opted to take the day off.  Felt a relief not heading out into the wet and cold.

This morning the weather again is beautiful ... but the hills remain.  Next few days promise to be hard on the legs.  Motivation was added yesterday when I received a message from Claire Rogers ... she and Bob are visiting friends in Lexington, VA, which I will be reaching in the next few days. 

Good weather and the promise of seeing good friends.  That is a real contrast to the grayness of yesterday.

It's Hard out Here: #2 (May 18, 2015)

Then maybe it is not so hard.

Had a very nice ride from the Willis Methodist Church to Ashland, VA ... 38 miles of back roads filled with history, reasonably nice weather and relatively courteous traffic (I'm looking  at you red Volvo!!!). 

Found a bike shop in Ashland, VA that had what I needed to keep riding (tire and brake pads), so am feeling good.

Because there are predictions of extreme thunderstorms tonight, I opted to motel it tonight.  Ergo, the nice room in the adjacent photo ... no need to expand the photo to feel the humanity.  The Civil War was horrific ... my life is good.

In a couple of days I will be in the Charlottesville area, home to my favorite structure ... Thomas Jefferson's Monticello residence.  It is a model of design perfection, all the while with a few overt imperfections that make the structure perfect.  During my working career, I kept three pictures near my desk ... two out-dated photos of my sons, and a picture of Monticello.  I am not sure if there is a more perfect/flawed structure to be found than Monticello.  And as for my sons ... perfect, with a few imperfections.

Sometimes I just have to smile ... life is so good.

Beyond Horrific (May 18, 2015)

Not sure if you will be able to to see what the adjacent photo shows ... click (a couple times) on the photo to enlarge and witness the humanity of the individuals.

The photo is of injured Union soldiers left behind by a retreating Union Army ("Thanks guys, see you later.") because the Union Army did not have the capability to transport their wounded after the fighting during the Seven Days Battles (not to be confused with the 1967 Israeli/Palestine war).

Horrific, plain and simple.  Very disturbing.  As I recall, the term "saw bones" (referring to doctors), came out of the Civil War.

Beyond horrific.

It's Hard Out Here (May 18, 2015)

It's a hard life out here on  the road ... heat, humidity, bugs, traffic, primitive campsites ... it is hard.

Then things change.  I spent this past evening in the Willis Methodist Church facilities in Glendale, VA.  Pastor Mark and Juanita Osby are so welcoming to cycling tourist; takes the stress of all of the negatives of touring out of one's mind.

Upon arriving at the church, I called Juanita and she met me to open the doors.  She gave me a quick tour of the facilities ... area to spread out sleeping bag, restroom, shower (with towels, I might add), wifi, and most amazingly ... a full kitchen.  She opened the refrigerator and said, "Help yourself to anything in the refrigerator and pantry".  My eyes locked onto the stack of pies!!!

After settling in, I cooked up a batch of spaghetti, all the while savoring the use of the full kitchen ... the meal was excellent.  But the slice of apple pie ... oh, my.

Looking at the sign-in books that cyclist use to express their thanks, Willis Methodist has been welcoming we travelers since June of 2005.  Since the  Trans America (TransAm) route has been active since 1976, I would suggest that they have been hosting for much longer.

The history of the areas around Williamsburg and Richmond is over whelming.  Just about a half mile from this church is the site Malvern Hill, one of many sites of the Seven Days Battle between the Union and Confederate armies.  The combined losses were (approximately) 1,000 killed, 3,500 injured and 2,000 missing or captured.  The conditions must have been horrific ... I wonder how the generals were able to motivate the soldiers to march great distances and then fight.  As I say, horrific ... and this was just one of many, many battles fought in and around Richmond.

Compared to what the soldiers experienced, I guess it really isn't too hard out here.

I Prefer the Bike (May 16, 2015)

Alternative  modes of travel offer positives and negatives.  Being on this bike ride, I naturally do not have the option of getting in a car and driving (other than renting, but the cost to rent and drive hundreds of miles is too great).  I wanted to get from Savannah, GA to Richmond, VA faster than my bike could do, so I opted for Amtrak.

Everything about the process of ticketing and shipping the bike went well ... the negative part is the actual travel on the train.  The train left the station at 8:30 PM and arrived in Richmond at 4:30 AM, which meant there was eight hours of attempting to sleep in the "coach class".  I will say that the seats are wider and roomier than airline coach seating ... but my-oh-my, are they uncomfortable when one tries to get some sleep.   While indeed the seats are roomier, I should mention that my seat-mate, whom I am sure is called "Tiny" by his friends, had a definite impact on my space.

So, after a most uncomfortable night, I de-trained at 4:30 AM, repacked everything, and waited for sun-up.  When I asked the Amtrak folks if they had a map of Richmond, their looks were one of amazement ... "Maps, why would we have maps ... the trains just follow the tracks."  Not having a map, I then relied on Google Maps (bicycle beta version).  I think Google gets paid for the amount of turns and obscure routes laid out.  I spent a great amount of time and energy trying to get to Highway 5 (New Market Road), which would lead me to Williamsburg.

After a lot of stopping and turning, searching and yearning for a way out, I happened on to the group in the adjacent photo.  Yesterday morning was Richmond's "Bike to Work Day" celebration.  Looked a lot like Tucson's Living Streets Alliance .... as a matter of fact, the event is put on by the local bike/pedestrian advocacy group named Bikeable Richmond.  I had a wonderful chat and some very tasty coffee with these folks.  All of the built-up stress from trying to sleep on the train and finding my way per Google melted away.  To top it all off, Sean (he in the yellow jersey) rode with me out to Highway 5.  Ah, the biking gods were looking out for me.

Had a good ride eastward on to Williamsburg, meeting two solo riders who are heading west.  This area is quite beautiful and has just a tad bit of Revolutionary and Civil War history.  I tried to stop at all of the road-side signs pointing out historical names and events, but I would probably still be out there had I not cruised by some of them.  Interesting area.  I think a person could spend quite a bit of time just researching and visiting the various points of interest.

Today I will be riding the 12 miles over to Yorktown (Atlantic Ocean once again), try to find a new tire and then head west tomorrow.  Feels good.

Feels good to know I won't be taking a train anytime soon ... viva le bike!!

Quick Update (May 13, 2015)

Pulled into St. Augustine, FL, this past Sunday, May 10, and immediately headed to the beach to take a look at the Atlantic Ocean.  Felt good to have reached this goal ... approximately 2350 miles and just under seven weeks since leaving Globe, AZ.  Beautiful day and beautiful city in which to finish.

Shared a wonderful meal and mini-celebration with Cynthia and Rawley, the couple I had met back at the Prada store in West Texas.  Nice way to finish. Funny how mini-communities develop while on the road.  I have been emailing/texting with five other cycling tourists ... folks I may not have spent more than an hour or an evening with ... but the friendships are real.

I am now heading to Savannah, GA.  The plan is to take Amtrak to Richmond, VA later this week, then head west on the TransAm Route.  Thanks to Linda Matson for helping me decipher the mysteries of the Amtrak system.

Georgia ... hot and humid.  Even though it seems to be a derogatory slur aimed at the Arizona desert, I will take the dry heat.

'Tis time to hit the road for another joyful day ... hope the wind is going my way.

Uninspired (May 6, 2015)

I read recently that one's view of the world is controlled by one's point of view.  I think there is truth in that adage.

My point of view of late has been one of visual boredom.   I left the green alleys of the wooded areas and headed to the Gulf Coast of Florida thinking I would be tantalized by the white beaches and blue Gulf waters.  But what I actually saw were huge beach houses built on stilts and twenty-to-thirty story condominiums lining the shore line ... and lots of traffic.

So I headed back to the  Southern Tier (green alley) route ... less traffic but also less visual stimulation.

Since the scenery was not stimulating new thoughts, I began thinking about the "sameness" of many areas of the U.S.  I do not have the ability to identify, or rather locate where I am, by identifying types of trees (which line the roads).  Road construction, for the most part, is uniform throughout the country.  So, when riding these green alleys, one gets the feeling they could be anywhere in the U.S. with similar weather and elevation conditions.

Towns ... depending on the size and economic strength, one sees the same national brands.   Very small villages will most likely have a Dollar General store and a gas station/convenience store (with a Subway tucked in the corner of the convenience store).  From there, as the village becomes a town, then a city, the usual national brands, with pre-designed site-adapted structures show-up ... Waffle House, Exxon/Shell/Chevron, stand-alone Subway stores, Circle K, McDonald's, Taco Bell, Pizza Hut, CVS/Walgreens drug stores, regional grocery stores, and then the national hotel chains ... then the big one ... Walmart.  Interestingly, one of the long time public dislikes of Walmart has been the negative impact of a Walmart on locally owned businesses.  Makes me wonder why all of these other companies have not received similar treatment.  Surprisingly, haven't seen any Starbucks for many a week.

Structures ... residential and commercial structures designed and built in the past fifteen to twenty years have also become quite uniform. Personal fashion and style has also become nationalized rather than regionalized.

Sameness ... everywhere.   Thankfully there are a few wayward folks, such as the individual who conceived the bay-front residence in the adjacent photo.

On a positive note, I had the good fortune to have enjoyed two lunches with friends over the past three days.  Three days ago I shared a table and conversation with Kim's mother and step-father.  They live southeast of Pensacola, and drove up to Crestview to join me for lunch ... during my travels with Kim, Kim's mother and I had many a conversation via email.  Was a joy to actually meet them.

Yesterday, Claire and Bob Rogers pulled up behind me in Chattahoochee ... they are on their way to visit family in Georgia and West Virgina.  We had been communicating as to our locations, and finally got together.  Very timely as they headed north from Tallahassee yesterday afternoon, and I head east today.  Can't (over) say how very nice it is to sit and share time with long-time friends, other than to say it is wonderful!

So,  continuing east to the Atlantic ... about six or seven more days.  Hoping my point of view will allow me to be inspired.