Garmin Stats and Maps
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| Getting on the TransAm |
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| Myrtle says 'C'mon, let's go!' |
I continued on the Atlantic Bike Route 1 south for about 30 miles. The roads were very nice and smooth with little traffic. Yesterday, I had a section with a lot of traffic and there really wasn't enough room on the road so this was a big improvement. There was also no wind and temperatures got up to the high 70's. I had lots of climbing today. Many of the hills were 8-10% grades. The riding was constantly up or down.
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| Weathered barn |
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| Historic markers |
Today was a big day for me on this tour. I got on the Trans America Bike Route 76. This would be the turnaround point and from now on I would be heading west. Heading home. Today may have been one my biggest mileage days as well. I did 68 miles with about 3,000 ft of climbing.
Day 57 Ride Video
The TransAm is the most popular cross-country bike route. It is also the oldest bonafide route. The TransAm was designed by the Adventure Cycling Association for the bicentennial in 1976. A few hundred riders made the inaugural ride. There were a few groups. Some rode west to east and others east to west. The route is designed to ride west to east to take advantage of the prevailing winds.
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| Pavillion at Mineral Firehouse |
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| Tent setup without fly |
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| Mineral Firehouse |
Because the route is so well established there are lots of services. Many parks, community centers and churches are open to cyclists. Tonight I was staying at a firehouse in Mineral that has a big field with a covered pavilion for cycists to use. There is no fee to stay at these places. When I arrived, another cyclist was there with his tent already set up in the grass. This tourer was from Switzerland and had started in Yorktown to do the TransAm east to west. This was the 1st touring cyclist I had seen in a long time. Seeing more cyclists was something I had looked forward to when getting on the TransAm.
There are huge fires in Alberta Canada that have been burning for many weeks already. The smoke from these fires is noticeable in the air. The skies are hazy and I can feel irritants in my throat and eyes. Not good.
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| Bridge is out! |
I have both the digital and paper maps for the Trans Am bike route. The paper maps are from 2019 but I expected the digital maps to be updated more frequently, especially with road closures. Today, I came across a bridge being replaced and had to find a detour. This was in an area with big lamb farms and I knocked at a farmer's door to get information. The farmer cheerfully gave me clear directions and I was on my way. This detour probably added 6 miles to my planned route. Luckily, I had an easy day. The roads today were very smooth and quiet. The ride was a joy.
Day 58 Ride Video
I had a funny thing happen when I came to a place called Kent's Store. It's the actual name of the town and I thought I going to see a market. The only thing in Kent's Store is a post office. Very funny!
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| Palmyra Methodist Church |
I made my way to the Palmyra Methodist church. No one was there when I arrived. There was a phone number for the pastor who explained where the key is to let myself in. The church has a kitchen, bathroom and separate room for cyclists. I put my sleeping pad and bag on the floor and made myself comfortable. No one else showed up.
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| Sleeping pad set up on the floor |
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| Myrtle and trailer settled in the front room |
The next day's ride was very historic. I went passed James Monroe's Highland House as well as Thomas Jefferson's Monticello. The area was very upscale with lots of manicured lawns and horse farms. Unfortunately, I couldn't go into either house because it isn't safe to leave my stuff unattended. These tourist attractions are well known for professional thieves. People see the beautiful estates and are lulled into a false sense of security letting their guard down. Hopefully, I can return with my truck and rv trailer to visit these wonderful historic homes.
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| Which way? |
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| Hotel room in Charlottesville |
The traffic really picked up coming into the university town of Charlottesville. There were no campgrounds and I made my way to a hotel.
Day 59 Ride Video
The scenery so far in Virginia has been very beautiful. The roads are in good shape but there are no shoulders. I am constantly checking my rearview mirror to see if traffic is coming up behind me. I've only had a few people express annoyance at my being on the road but many drivers pass on blind corners which makes me very nervous. Occasionally on these blind corners, cars coming toward me are just about run off the road. Many times it seemed impossible that the cars didn't crash but, somehow, they never did. I really wish people would drive more safely. I'm very surprised that the bike route is on such narrow roads that feel unsafe.
The next day was overcast with lots of smoke haze from the Canadian fires burning. The winds are stronger today and I was hoping it might blow the smoke out. There also lots of 10-14% grade hills. Up and down all day long on very narrow country roads.
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| Cookie Lady's House |
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| aka Afton Bike House |
I made my way to Afton and the Cookie Lady's house. June Currie was one of the 1st people to take care of cyclists on the Trans Am bike route back in 1976. She started out offering a hose for water and freshly baked cookies. After a few years, she actually opened her home for cyclists to stay. She died many years ago but her daughter has kept the house open. I called to make sure I could stay and Nicole said there are 7 couches and to just pick one to sleep on. The Cookie Lady's house is on a very steep road that leads to the Blue Ridge Parkway. After a lot of huffing and puffing, I was happy to stop for the night.
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| So much stuff |
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| Floor, ceiling and walls |
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| Even bikes on display |
Again, I was the only cyclist at this stop. The house is chocked full of memorabilia. There must be hundreds of postcards cyclists have sent to the house after finishing their ride. There are tire tubes, bike parts, stickers, and flags from all over the world as well as sweaty and stinky socks, shorts, bandanas, and shirts. Once I had a look at all the 'stuff', I started to see that the house wasn't just dirty, it was filthy. It hadn't been cleaned in probably years. The couches were more than well-used. I found a broom and dustpan to sweep out the front room of spider webs and dirt balls. I also spent some time cleaning the kitchen and bathroom. I cleaned enough to put down my sleeping pad. There was no way I was going to sleep on any of the disgustingly dirty couches.
Day 60 Ride Video
The Cookie Lady's House is probably the most famous stop on the Trans America Bike Route. I was sad to see it in such poor condition. I wish Adventure Cycling could buy the house and turn it into a biking history museum.
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| Getting on the Blue Ridge Parkway |
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| Myrtle is ready for climbing |
The next day, I continued climbing up the steep hill. Within a few miles, I was on the Blue Ridge Parkway. This is also a well-known biking road. There is no commercial traffic allowed. Today was the Friday before Memorial Day and I wanted to be at my destination before the road was crowded with RVs pulling trailers.
Day 61 Ride Video
The ride was gorgeous with lots of climbing. The road goes along the spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains with views looking down on the lush Shenandoah Valley. The road was beautiful but there was also lots of smoke haze obscuring the views.
Tonight, I was camping at a brand new campground in Love, VA. I was probably the 1st camper on my site. The Love Ridge campground asked $60 to set up a tent in a site with no electricity or water. They did have a very nice bath and kitchen house. Everything was brand new and sparklingly clean. Unfortunately, even though the site was smooth surrounded by beautiful woods, it wasn't level which I find very annoying.
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