I left Vienna after 5 nights saying goodbye to the mechanics at Bikes@Vienna and Tom's house. The route followed many of the cycling paths I had taken a few days earlier on the trike tour to Washington DC. I followed the Mt Vernon trail along the Potomac River on a very nice day. Maybe 5 miles from the town of Mt. Vernon, I met an older man cycling on the trail. He was very friendly and we struck up a nice conversation. After a couple of miles, he asked if I would like to stay at his house in Mt Vernon. Walt is 80 years old and doesn't carry a mobile phone. He didn't have a way to let his wife know of his invitation and he had never done this before. Janet was outside the house when we arrived and it took a bit before she understood what he was asking. Once she understood, she immediately invited me in and we hit it off right away. She, certainly, didn't expect to be hosting a stranger overnight and was a great sport about it. Their home is very comfortable in a beautiful old neighborhood and they offered me my own room and bathroom. Myrtle and the trailer were locked up securely in the garage. They made me a delicious dinner and we yakked the night away. This was a very special encounter and I will always remember Walt and Janet's generosity and kindness.
Day 54 Ride Video
Elevated bike path over marshland
Beautiful scenery
Walt describing where we are
In the morning, after a hearty breakfast, Walt escorted me to the Atlantic Bike Route that I would take south to meet up with the Trans America Route. We rode right passed George Washington's Mt Vernon home. There is so much history in this area. It was wonderful to ride with someone who knows where they are going. I couldn't believe my luck to run into Walt - what a nice guy! Most of the day's ride was on cycling paths or in bike lanes. This was terrific. I did almost 60 miles with 3,000 ft of climbing to an RV park in Stafford that allows tent camping. It was a few miles off the route.
After breakfast with Walt and Janet
Trail signage
Atlantic Bike Route
I was given a site that didn't have electricity or water. There was a big thunderstorm forecast overnight. I spotted a large covered pavilion and asked the owners if I could set up under it. No problem. The site I was in didn't have any level areas and everything would be wet in the morning. Being set up under the pavilion was going to be much more comfortable and there was also electricity so I could charge up my gadgets and e-assist batteries conveniently.
RV park camping before I moved under the pavillion
Day 55 Ride Video
Overnight, the storm was quite loud and violent but I was warm and dry. The skies were blue in the morning but the roads were still wet. I'm using Adventure Cycling Maps and they only give the narrow route information. Getting off the route, like I was, meant trying to figure out where I could get back on. There was a market listed on the map and I made that my 1st destination. Once I was back on the route, it was well-marked and I had no problem finding my way.
Squirrel in the campground
Camp setup
KOA camping
My seat covered
Day 56 Ride Video
I continued on through Fredricksburg which is a big town. There was lots of traffic. A few miles beyond is a KOA that has tent camping. The prices for setting up a tent were high. I have a KOA card that I use for RVing and I had racked up enough points to bring the price down to $5 from $60. Much better. The site was in a level grassy area and also had electricity and nice showers were available. I had ended the day fairly early. Sometimes to go further means doing a bigger mile day than I am comfortable with. Sometimes it's ok to do less than 30 miles.
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