Post 5. 26 May, Rest Day in Lexington

On the Blue Ridge Parkway, starting Day 6

Well, it's good not to be riding today!  Six days ticked off, over 300 miles, and over 13,000 feet climbed.  Staying last night and tonight in a Holiday Inn Express, and this morning doing emails and generally pottering. The first rest day is a sort of milestone......... but I still refuse to think about how far there is to go to the end.

The ride on Tuesday (after I wrote Post 4) was hilly and hard.  Leaving Charlottesville I went through well-heeled residential areas (think Virginia Water, for the sense of space, shaded wooded gardens, and general affluence).  Switchback hills till I began to climb properly up onto the Blue Ridge Mountains - and the weather became very humid and threatening (a big thunderstorm had been forecast).  Rain did come (the first time I have put on the rain jacket) and I expected it to last a long time, but fortunately it was over in 20 minutes.

On the Ridge I was rescued by an angel!  Truly.  Had planned to stay in a Motel up at Rockfish Gap, but called at the Visitor Centre just beside it, and took advice from the volunteer 'Trail Angel' there, Tom.  (The Centre is on the long-distance Appalachian Trail, and these volunteers give a lot of help to hikers.)  He advised me to avoid that motel as it is very run down and there is no food and little hot water (slightr disadvantages!).  Instead he said go on down a couple of miles off the Ridge to the Quality Inn in Waynesboro - and he would pick me up from there in his truck the following morning!!  Which he did.  True kindness and generosity, and Tom, if you are reading this, a thousand thanks again.

Yesterday I had 27 miles of superb cycling along the Blue Ridge Parkway.  Delightful - no commercial traffic, few cars, vivid greens on the trees, and stunning views on either side.  But it included long climbs and long descents, so average speed was slow - but it didn't matter.

One strong impression I have is the sheer space in this vast country.  Most things seem BIG!! Virginia is big; it's taking me 12 days or so to cycle across it, which is almost the length of the UK.  The Chinese restaurant where I ate in Waynesboro could perhaps seat 150 people.  Trucks sometimes seem incredibly long.  And once I have had to wait at a crossing for a freight train to pass.  Because I am a bit odd like this, I counted the trucks - 146 (big ones!). My arithmetic calculated the train to be nearly a mile long!!

Meeting up this evening for a meal with a couple from Cincinnati, Ohio, who are doing the Trip.  They will, I'm sure, give me lots of very useful advice;  I sense I am not yet properly managing where best to stay, eat, etc, though there are lessons learned on these things each day.

Thanks again for the encouraging emails folk keep sending, and it is SO great to talk to Janet and the family frequently..........

More from Christiansburg in a couple of days time.

Ken