Day 15 May 26th

Berea to Bardstown 89 miles on trail but 120 since I got lost
I missed two turns today which added on a lot of extra miles. I missed the first turn because it was blown over by a tornado. An old man stopped me and told me about it and said how most bikers miss it and he turns them all around if he can. The second turn I missed because the street signs in this county are different. They are carved into posts and impossible to read if you are going past them. So I did 60 miles by lunch and was completely wiped by the time I stopped. I G-chatted with Ali at the library for a bit and she told me how one of Greg’s friends called her over the weekend and was hitting on her. He texted “you make me sweat.” I probably would have done the same thing if I were in Greg’s shoes.
There were at least 4 sun showers which were very welcome in the heat and even though you can’t really drink the water it helps with your thirst. There was a strong wind in my face for a while after lunch which really bothered me since my spirits were a little down from all the extra miles. Luckily the road is flattening out. There are still a lot of hills but they are much smaller and have a lower grade.
My feet are killing me though. My shoes were soaked from the heavy rain yesterday and they didn’t dry overnight so my feet were soggy all day and I’m paying for it now. I’m in a camp ground and just got another shower and was even able to shave. It took me 20 minutes to shave my face since it was so thick. I went to an all you can eat KFC buffet for dinner. I felt like I was going to throw up on the ride back because I was so full. Its supposed to thunderstorm tonight but I’m exhausted and hopefully I can sleep through it.

Day 14 May 25th

Elkhorn to Lexington by cab, Lexington to Berea 50 miles
I called the cab at 7 and was packed and ready to go when it got here at 7:30. I didn’t say goodbye to the guys since it was early and they said they usually sleep till 9. I feel kinda bad about it especially since I don’t have any of their contact info. The cab ride was fine and there were a lot of good views of the mountains. I’m pretty glad I didn’t have to ride through anymore of them though. Alex the cab driver was alright. He told me he worked about 18 hours a day and smoked 5 and a half packs of cigarettes a day.
I got to the bike shop around 11 and everyone there was great. They helped out a ton and they even offered my free doughnuts. I left by 12 and all I had to do was stay on Route 25 to get to Berea. It poured as I left Lexington but everything that was packed away stayed dry. I was soaked but it wasn’t too bad since it was pretty hot out.
I met some really helpful ladies at the Berea tourist center and they let me use their own computer and told me where an all you can eat Chinese place was. Yesterday James had told me how he had been staying at fire stations and they would let him shower there and everything. So I decided to give that a try and it really worked out great. I got my third shower of the trip and am camped out behind their station. It might get loud tonight but it’s free and I got a shower so there are no complaints. I spent about 90 minutes in the Chinese place and took a break to write and call home between servings. This is the first time all trip where I am actually full and its great. When I got back to my tent I spent some time hanging out with the firefighters before bed. They were a lot of fun and had a ton of good stories and kept me laughing.

Day 13 May 24th

Elkhorn City
I woke up today to the sound of a banjo and some song from the 1860’s. It was raining a bit so I stayed in my tent and read one of the books I brought along. When I finally looked at my clock after what seemed like hours of reading I learned that it was only 10:45 and I was ¾ of the way through the book. I finished the book just in time for the reenactment that afternoon. It was kinda dumb since you decide on your own when you are going to get shot. But I got a bunch of pictures and now I can say that I’ve seen one. There was a person dressed as Lincoln and I wanted a picture with him but I couldn’t find him once it was all over. Most people packed up to get ready to leave right after the show was over and only on tent was there by nightfall.
I started reading my second book in the afternoon as everyone was leaving and while I was doing that I heard three voices that didn’t have a Kentucky accent and they sounded young. So I turned around to see three guys about my age on bikes. Thank god. James, Jed, and Sean live in Chicago. Jed and Sean are traveling together and James met up with them and coincidentally is living in Chicago but originally from PA. We got dome food at the dinner and killed some time before setting up camp. We tried to get a case of beer but we learned that Elkhorn is a dry town. Sean made a fire and we all sat around talking under some trees while it rained around us. My tent let in some water from around the zipper but its easy to get out and as long as I keep the dirt out it doesn’t get to annoying.They were all really cool guys and I would like to have spent more time with them but they were only doing about 50 miles a day and I wanted to make up for lost time.

Day 12 May 23rd

Elkhorn City

I spent most of the day in the library trying to figure out how to get out of here. I finally found a taxi that could take me to Lexington but it was going to be pretty expensive so I figure I’m going to be eating only peanut butter for the next few days. That’s what I had for breakfast lunch and dinner today. I tried to see if the cops could give me a lift anywhere but they were no help. I went to the station 3 times and there was only someone there once. Since half the town is down at the reenactment you could probably loot the entire place.
They had a reenacted battle today but I missed it to stay in the library and try to figure everything out but there is one tomorrow and the library is closed so I’ll probably go just to kill some time. Their library actually has a Wii and an X-Box They fired a cannon tonight and I was able to get a good video of it and will try to post it later if I can figure it out.
There are about 30 civil war era tents in front of me and one is actually a covered wagon. Every person staying in the tents is dressed up too. I can’t imagine how hot it must get in all the wool they are wearing. Even the kids are dressed up. And there are at least 2 people here named Bubba.
Berea is only 40 miles from Lexington so losing my map wont be a problem. Making a route wont be nearly as bad as leaving DC since there wont be anything close to the amount of traffic.

Day 11 May 22nd

Honaker, VA to Elkhorn City, KY 58 miles
The day started out good. I got enough sleep and no one bothered me. I charged my phone while I ate a peanut butter sandwich outside the library. There was a big climb right outside of Honaker but it wasn’t going to be as bad as the day before. On the way down I met a guy named Danny who was going to San Francisco. He seemed ok and he was setting a good pace for me to follow. I lost him when I had to repair my tire. I was fixing it in the parking lot of a pharmacy and a nice lady came out and offered me some Gatorade which I was very appreciative of. There was another climb through Breaks Interstate Park but again wasn’t as bad as the day before but maybe worse than the morning. On the way down I had to fix my tire again but this time there was a lot more traffic, little shoulder, and no one offering me something to drink. I made it to Elkhorn City by 2 after 40 some miles and had lunch at a diner. The ladies there said I could probably make it to Hindman, where there is a library, free camping, and where Danny was going. It was going to be another 60 miles but they convinced me to give it a try.
Disaster. My second tube is totally messed up with holes. So I decided to switch it out for the first one which only had one hole. I got it fixed and rode for a few miles toward Hindman. But this tube became flat after a few miles and I was completely out of patches to fix the holes. I had patched 5 holes that day on my two tubes. Plus the wheel wont fit through the rear breaks which makes me think that the rear wheel is bent and causing the tubes to rip also. Now I had a 10 mile walk back to Elkhorn City. The road was very curvy and dangerous with little shoulder and cars passing at pretty high speeds. Eventually a man name Lythe picked me up and offered me a ride into town. We stopped at a mechanic he knew but the mechanic didn’t know what to do to fix the bike and didn’t really have any suggestions. Lythe dropped me off in the middle of town. They are actually having a civil war reenactment this weekend and I am camped by a group of confederate soldiers. Even the kids are dressed up like it’s the 1860s. I had BBQ and a blooming onion for dinner which lifted my spirits for about a minute. I really don’t know what I’m going to do about my bike. I’m going to try to get my old tire back from the store in Radford but I still have to get to a major city with a bike shop. Elkhorn only has about 1000 people in it and very few services. I’m probably going to have to hitch hike or pay someone to take me to a major city like Lexington, KY but even that is a 3 hour drive. Maybe a re-enactor is going that way but it’s going to be tough to find out. I’m really worried that this is how my trip is going to end.
I also forgot my pants when I was getting dressed outside the Honaker Library so now I only have a pair of mesh shorts and I think my map fell out in Lythe’s truck. But if I make it to Lexington it shouldn’t be that hard to pick up the trail again because a new sheet of maps starts pretty close to there.
What a terrible day.

Day 10 May 21st

Rural Retreat to Honaker 90 Miles
I picked a terrible place to sleep last night. I was on the side of a steep hill with two foot high grass. I couldn’t get comfortable on the incline and was worried about the tent flipping over from the incline and the grass propping it up. But this forced me to get out of bed early and I was completely packed by 7:45. I had an omelet in the local diner and got myself ready for the tough morning in front of me. It was 30 miles mostly up hill and took me over two and a half hours to get to the top of the ridge. The ride down was great though. I hardly needed to pedal for 15 miles. I had Subway again for lunch in Damascus, VA. After lunch it was mostly down hill but I knew that another hard part was looming. Hayter’s Gap is 4.2 miles long completely up the side of a mountain. It climbs from 1600 ft to 3050. There are no rest areas or flat parts. It took me almost 45 minutes where I was averaging about 5.6 mph. I was dripping sweat by the time I got to the top of the hill. The way down was fun but not as much as expected since I had to hold onto the break most of the way so I wouldn’t go off the edge. It was another 12 miles from the bottom to Honaker and I only had one more hill to go but I was exhausted. I got my bike up to 40.5 mph on the straightaway down it though which was fun but a little scary. I got to Honaker a little before 5 and headed for the library only to find that it closes at 1 pm on Thursdays. So now I’m killing time in another Subway eating more Doritos and having lemonade. I’m planning on sleeping out of my tent since it s a nice night and it will a little less attention. Plus the library doesn’t open until noon on Fridays so no one will be around. My hip isn’t hurting anymore and my butt is only slightly. My knees have been hurting right when I get start riding in the morning but its gone after a few miles.

Day 9 May 20th

Radford to Rural Retreat 57 miles
Sarah dropped me off at the bike shop in the morning after a few bowls of cereal for breakfast. I got my wheel fixed and my front bag is more secure. I left Radford at around 11 and didn’t really have a destination planned. It was pretty hilly and only managed 13 mph average for the day. The view was more of the same cow farms and mountains as the backdrop but I was sure to take pictures since it was pretty nice. The weather was perfect today. 70 degrees, sunny, and no wind. My arms got a little burn and I have to make sure I get some sun tan lotion for tomorrow. The burn stops where my gloves are so it’s like a watch tan but for my entire hand. I made it to Rural Retreat around 5 and decided to spend the night here since they had a library and a Subway for dinner. When I asked for directions to the library a man told me about how another cyclist was hit by a car on the road I had just come up and he had to be taken out helicopter. I spent a few hours today starting this blog and it’s going to force me to get to a computer more often but its relaxing and something to do when I’m alone. I don’t have a camp yet but I think I can hide behind a hill close to the Subway I’m at.

Day 8 May 19th

Christiansburg to Radford 13 miles
Bad day. It started out good at Colin’s with breakfast and goodbyes. I made it to the bike shop in Radford where I had to get my wheel fixed from my fall and that took over an hour. But I made it back on the road before too long. After I left the town the bike was getting a little bumpy but I thought it was because of the poor road condition but my back tire was slowly deflating. I tried to fix it with the other patch Colin had given me but I found that there were three holes and there wasn’t anything I could do on the road. So I decided I had to make the 5 mile walk back to Radford to get the tire fixed. I decided to get a new rear wheel since people were telling me that this one probably wasn’t strong enough to carry the extra weight. But this was a problem because my gears aren’t compatible with most wheels used in the US. Dave, the mechanic, figured out a way for him to fix it but it would cost $100 and the gears weren’t going to work as well. But I was confident that the new tire would be able to get to me through the entire trip.
By now its 6 pm so I called the Lee family who I was planning on staying with last night but never made it. They said it would be fine with them if I stayed the night and even offered to pick me up from the bike shop. Thad Lee is a doctor specializing in geriatrics and Sarah is a nurse who teaches at Radford University while also getting her PhD. I had raviolis waiting for me when I got in and my second shower in two days after dinner. I spent most of the night talking with them and got to spend the night in their guest bedroom. Today is my brother Greg’s birthday and it was good to talk to him on the phone while I was at the bike shop. I also ran into Mike and Dan at the bike shop. They were going to be staying in town until Thursday because Mike’s sister lives close by. So we wished each other luck and said goodbye.

Day 7 May 18th

Lexington to Christiansburg 97 miles
Got up after a bad nights sleep on the hard ground. I went off to grab breakfast at the store right by us and left Mike and Dan eating their packed cereal. The store was closed until “10ish” and since it was only 9 I decided to find a McDonalds. It was a little off trail so they fwouldnt find me but I felt I could catch them. Along the way I stopped at Natural Bridge which is a 500 million year old bridge carved out of the mountial by a streem at the bottom. Its one of the 7 wonders of the natural world and I thought that the $10 was ok. I was able to use my GWorld to pretend I was still a student for the reduced rate.more hills through the Catawba river valley but great views of the mountains and farms. I ended up crashing at one point. It was totally my fault. I thought I missed a turn and went back to check. When I was turning arround I hit some gravel and my rear tire came out from under me. My hip hurts pretty bad but whats worse is that I popped my rear tube. Fixing that wouldn’t be a problem but my spare tube had a hole in it too. This one was brand new and right out of the box so I was pretty upset. Eventually another cyclist, Colin Krause, came by and offered some help. He gave me some patches to fix my tire so it was good enough to ride. We got to talking and he offered me a place with him and his girlfriend, Becca. His house was only 3 miles away and the place I was planning on staying was another 12 so it was a no brainer to stay with him since I was tired and it was getting late. He’s a member of WarmShowers.org which is a group of people that put other cyclists up in their houses and gives them a place to stay for the night. When we got back to the house Colin help clean my chain and even check my breaks. I got my first warm shower with soap and shampoo. They both invited me to dinner and I was happy to treat and the least I could do. I got to sleep on their futon and was so appreciative after the long ride. I never did see Mike and Dan and I probably left before they did.

Day 6 May 17th

Afton to Lexington 55 miles
Dan cooked pancakes and bacon for breakfast which was pretty good and especially since it was free. I slept on the sofa last night and it was great. We left the Cookie Lady around 10:45 and had a big climb ahead of us. It was supposed to be one of the hardest days of the entire trip but it really wasn’t as bad as I expected. I was a little slowed down by Mike on the climbs. He had only quit smoking 2 weeks ago and did no training for the trip. But it wasn’t that bad since it gave me a chance to rest and take pictures from the top of the mountains. The weather wasn’t very good though. It was cold and raining which actually made us look forward to the uphill climbs since it would get our hearts pumping and there wouldn’t be a biting wind.
By the time we came down off the Blue Ridge Parkway the sun was coming out. I got my bike up to 39 mph and probably wont be able to or want to top that. We rode along the South River which was probably one of the best parts of the trip so far. It was mostly down hill and we were able to do about 18 mph without much effort. The road was great with no traffic and picturesque views.
We camped in a parking lot at Washington & Lee University. We didn’t think we would have any trouble since school was out and there was hardly anyone on campus. But after we had all fallen asleep a cop came by and woke us up. Campus security followed and told us that we would have to leave. They made us cross the bridge out of Lexington so it wasn’t their jurisdiction and told us to camp by the river. Our first place was perfect with soft ground and no passing traffic. This place was the opposite with hard soil, cars passing all night, and runners with dogs going by in the morning. Needless to say i didnt get much sleep and was missing the Cookie Lady already.

Day 5 May 16th

Palmyra to Afton 60 miles
I had a good nights sleep under the bridge. Someone in a car saw me in my underwear right after I went to the bathroom so I hid back in my tent until they left. I made it to Monticello by 11. I took the tour of the house and saw the graveyard. I thought the $20 was a little expensive for the hour that I spent there but I figured I wouldn’t be back again or at least not for a long time. I got some more bread and peanut butter in Charlottesville and decided to eat it over on UVA’s campus. It was graduation weekend and everyone had their family their and were all dressed up. It was funny watching the people walk by looking at me cover in sweat and eating a peanut butter sandwich on a bench.
As I was packing up two guys asked me where I was going and before I looked up I answered “Oregon.” When I looked up I saw that they were on bikes with gear and it was clear they were doing the same thing I was. Their names were Dan and Mike and they were doing the Trans Am to Oregon too. They’re both cool guys and only a year or two older than me. I told them I was going to Afton and spending the night with the Cookie Lady. They seemed pretty happy with that since it was only another 30 miles and they said they were a little hung over from drinking the night before. They told me that they had been volunteering at farms along the way in exchange for a place to stay and some food and had just left one outside Charlottesville.
The Cookie Lady is this sweet 88 year old lady living by herself who puts up bikers in an apartment with food, shower, and a bathroom. The place was stocked with food and we could eat all we wanted. I had a box of mac and cheese plus two grilled cheese and some popcorn. It was an outdoor shower and was my first one since leaving but it was cold water and there was no soap or anything. I got to sleep on a sofa which was fantastic. The room is probably the most cluttered place I have ever seen. It is covered in post cards from bikers, riding jerseys, tires and tubes, and newspaper articles about her, cycling, and the dangers of drinking. She only had one rule and that there was no drinking. I was fine with this and so grateful to be sleeping inside that I was ready to say that I would mow her yard to do any other chores she needed.
The Cookie Lady, June Curry, made me realize how much it sucks to get old. She told us how she takes 20 pills a day, has broken both of her arms, had a stroke then fell and messed up her vertebrae, and is deaf on one side and pretty bad one the other. But she’s a great lady and we were so appreciative of what she was doing. Especially since this was the first night there was rain and lightning.

Day 4 May 15th

Altee to Palmyra 89 miles
I was woken up twice in the night by kids walking past my tent and once again by a train in the morning. The kids didn’t really know what to make of a tent being back there but I was glad I had my mace next to me. McDonalds for breakfast and was on the road by 9:35. Most of the way was flat except for a few hills. I messed up my gears when I was about to climb a pretty steep hill so I coasted back to the bottom and planned to fix the gears and start the climb from scratch. But when I got to the bridge at the bottom I got a closer look at the creek that it passed over. It was really picturesque and I thought I could use a break and wash off a little. After that I decided to keep my bathing suit closer to the top of my pack.
I reached the post office in Bumpass and sent home some shirts and a book that was a little heavy for me to be carrying. A few miles up the road I stopped at a gas station to refill my water and met two other people doing the Trans America Trail. I didn’t get their name but they were a father and daughter from Alabama. She had just graduated college and he worked for the government down there. I rode with them for a little bit but had to leave them because they were only doing 15 more miles when I was planning on doing about 40 more. The daughter had a pretty good deal going on since her dad was the one paying for everything.
There were more hills along the second part of the day with a lot of creeks and horse farms. The best part of the day though was when i rode past Cooper Vineyard. They had a sign out front saying they have vine tasting everyday from 11-5. I had 3 reds and one white. My favorite was the Cabernet Franc 2007. Its a definite step up from Charles Shaw. But what made the tasting even better was that it was all free!
I got to Palmyra after about 6 hours of riding and immediately went to the diner for dinner where I got a sandwich and a big bag of Doritos. I left my bike under the bridge in town and went to take a look around the river. When I got back to my stuff, I saw this guy in a truck eating his dinner. It was pretty weird someone like that but I guess he could say the same thing. His name was Ryan and he worked on the county’s computer system. We talked for about an hour as I washed my feet off in the river.

Day 3 May 14th

Yorktown to Altee, VA 103 miles
I left camp a little late today, around 9 am, but thought it was alright to get an extra half hour of rest. I was glad I did since my odometer put me at over 100 miles for the day.
My ass isn’t as bad as yesterday and I'm sitting in a comfy chair writing in the library which is only 100 feet from my makeshift campsite, aka the woods behind the parking lot. But its right on trail so I wont have to ride an extra 12 miles before I pick it up like I did this morning. The roads were pretty flat and in good condition most of the way. I hope that most of the trail will be like this with good roads and minimal traffic. I didn’t stop in Williamsburg or Jamestowne along the way since I still had another 70 miles to reach my goal for the day. My brother Greg peed on a fence in Williamsburg when we were there about 10 years ago and we have never let him forget it so finding that fence would have been the best part of Williamsburg probably. I did see Shirley Plantation though so my mom would love that.
There were a few sun showers which were very welcome in the heat.
I read on my map that there is a log book for everyone who is cycling across Virginia to sign and saw that someone left Yorktown on the 12th and another group left o the 9th. So now I have someone I know I'm trying to chase down.

Day 2 May 13th

Warsaw to Yorktown, VA 93 miles
What a long day. I got out of bed around 7, packed by 8, had bagels at McDonalds, and on the road by 9. It was surprisingly flat most of the way but there was a terrible headwind that dropped my speed to 12 miles per hour. But most of the way I was coasting pretty easily at about 15mph. I lost my Ipod! I was keeping it in a small bag with my wallet and when I went to get my wallet for lunch it fell out and I didn’t notice until about 20 miles down the road. So now I have no entertainment on the road. I wasn’t planning on using it much until I got to places like Kansas where there isn’t much to see or much traffic but it would have been nice to listen to some music when it’s dark and there is nothing to do at night in the tent. I guess I'm stuck with reading and writing in my journal.
The road leading into to Yorktown was a little treacherous. I planed it out and there were only a few options I could have gone with but the roads were not very friendly to bikers. There were lots of tractor trailers and the shoulder, if there was one, was in disrepair. But I made it safe and that’s really all that matters I guess.
Yorktown is a quaint little town on the water with a few touristy shops, restaurants, historical sites and a beach. I crashed on the beach for a little bit since I was spent after the long day of riding. The battlefield there reminds me a lot of Valley Forge back home. There are more ramparts in Yorktown but a lot less buildings.
I found a camp site a few miles from the official starting point of the Trans America Trail. I was a little shocked that it was $30 a night just to set up a tent but I was exhausted and figured it would be a lot less than any hotel I could find. After setting up my camp I went to a pizza place and eat a large pizza by myself. The people there were shocked that I was able to eat the whole thing but Leo, Andrew, and Sean should all know better especially after riding over 90 miles.
I'm really excited about starting the actual trail tomorrow. The weather forecast is calling for rain though. Let’s hope that these roads have more of a shoulder.
My ass is killing me from sitting in the seat for so long but it should get better over time. It’s only 9 o’clock and I should be able to pass out in no time tonight so hopefully I will be well rested for the day tomorrow.

Day 1 May 12

DC to Warsaw, VA 85 miles
Today was a great way to start off my trip. Ali came over in the morning with bagels and mimosas. She also brought a few of my friends. Andy, Raquel, Ryan and Joe all came over to see me off. Ryan tried to get me to shotgun a beer but I had to refuse because it was about 9 in the morning. After Ali and Andy left, Ryan and I went to get a few more things I needed at the bike store. On the way there my back tire was locking up because I there wasn’t enough space between the gear and the rear rack that was holding all my stuff. They were able to fix it in about 5 minutes and I was officially ready to begin.
I accidentally took the wrong bridge over the river and wound up in the wrong area of Anacostia but it only took me an extra 5 minutes to get out of there and find my way again. Further up I asked some firemen for directions because I thought I had missed a turn and they ended up turning me onto a shortcut that saved me a few miles. I reached La Plata, MD around lunch time and saw a hot dog stand where I met Pat Reilly, his wife and daughter. They have the hot dog stand every Tuesday and were very nice to me. They told me that I wouldn’t be able to ride my bike across the bridge I was planning on taking because there is no shoulder but they called a friend of theirs that is a cop and she said that they would be able to drive me across as long as I got there before 4 pm. I reached the bridge in time and got a ride across the river with my bike in the back of a maintenance truck. I stopped at a supermarket along the way to pick up some more lunch. I’ve been carrying a loaf of bread and peanut butter the entire trip and having that most days for lunch and sometimes dinner since I’m trying to do this as cheaply as possible.
Most of the ride was great with rolling hills that weren’t too hard to climb up and were a lot of fun to go down. I my top speed was 36 miles per hour which feels a lot faster when you’re on a bike. The weather was perfect with little clouds and about 70 degrees but most of the way was in the shade of trees on each side so it helped to keep me cool.
When I reached Warsaw, I asked a lady if there was anywhere to camp and she told me about a site outside of town that I headed to. She didn’t tell me it was about 8 miles away so after about 3 miles I gave up and pitched my tent in the woods off the side of the road. I was kept up most of the night because I thought that the people in the house next door were either spying on me or going to come out and yell at me. I swear I thought I heard someone typing onto their cell phone.