Friday, May 22, 2009

Day 11, Christiansbug to Wytheville.

This is the biggest river we crossed yet. It's called The New River. It is the second oldest river in the world, and the oldest in the U.S. I'm serious, I'm not making this up.

That's Paula, Lisa is riding shot gun. I'm safely out of the line of fire in the back.

This butterfly begged me to take his picture. True, or False?

Actually Paula took this shot. I was too busy riding.

She took this picture also. I had my hands full trying not to get runned over.

I took this shot while riding my bike. Talanted, wouldn't you say?

These things are all over the place. At first, I thought they were planted by the county or something, but they are everywhere.

I just don't get it. If everybody is trying to save water, then what is this?

Lisa and I stopped at his store for a cold drink. I wish I could have recorded the store owners accent. It would have blown you away. I was totally amussed by it, until I realized that it was I who sounded funny to them.


Today we did our most mileage yet. It includes about 5 miles of being lost. But hey, mileage is mileage. We logged 64.23 miles. We got our average late start. Left the Super 8 at about 9:00AM. The first 5 miles was hectic as we had to navigate through an inter state junction. Being from Molokai, this is a huge deal. Let me set the scenario. You have this local boy who is used to riding his bike on lightly traveled two lane roads all his life. Then all of a sudden, he finds himself smack dab in the middle of a freeway junction with about 50 stop lights facing every direction, with a hundred and fifty cars, trucks, and trailers all wanting to run you over. You wait for the light to change, but it seems to take forever. You want to cross, but when you look around, you notice that everyone is looking at you and revving their engines as if saying, "Go ahead, Make my day."

Once that was over with, it was duck soup. The rest of the day found us traversing rolling hills. The climbs today didn't seem as steep as some we have encountered in the past, but there were a few that seemed like they would not end. How can that be? I wondered. The down hills seemed short, like we were being short changed. Of course this is all in my imagination. But I needed some excuse to justify how hard I was sweating. My eyes were burning to the point I had to stop and wipe them dry cause I couldn't see. Lisa on the other hand, didn't sweat at all. At least that's the way it seemed to me. Little did I know that she was popping energy boosting drinks and pain killers every chance she got. "Cheater!" I wanted to yell. But again, It's probably all in my imagination. All in all, we did good. Tonight we are staying at the Travelite Motel in Wytheville. They have wifi and is in walking distance from several good places to eat.

Gotta go shower, See ya. Ted.

7 comments:

Anonymous said...

You go Ted!
Just give em the shaka sign and roll on;)
Glad that you lightened your load a bit. I bet that it made a difference.
Have a good day. It is beautiful country out there. Other than the crazed motorists.
kevin

Anonymous said...

Hello to Ted and Lisa. I found your site on Fabian's blogsite. I was sorry to hear that he had to abandon his trip for the time being. I really hope he will be back to finish the trip after his knee gets better. You have the most beautiful pictures. What type of camera do you use?
I hope you are enjoying the journey. Pat and Virginia are in Damascus tonight. They are actually staying with college friends since all of us have graduated from Emory and Henry college which is close to Damascus. There is a bike path called the Creeper trail that goes from White Top through Damascus and into Abingdon. Pat and Virginia did go down highway 58 into Damascus unsure of whether the surface of the bike path would allow their loaded bikes passage. It is sort of loamy. There are B&Bs in Damascus but I do not know the costs. There is one called the Lazy Fox. there are outdoors and bike shops there. One is called Sundog. There is another one on the main street in Damascus. I can not recall the name though. I hope you all have a safe and wonderful trip. I will continue to visit here and watch your travels. If you need anything I will try to help out. My email is bajlamb@comcast.net

Beth Lamb

Anonymous said...

I hope you are doing well. I am still following your trip. The pictures are incredible. What kind of camera do you use? I was sorry to hear that Fabian's knee has caused him to head home early. I hope he will return to complete this trip when he is well.
Pat and Virginia took a zero day in Damascus with friends from our college years. I think they needed the rest. I am so glad the weather has been good to you all so far. Damascus is close to where my whole family graduated from Emory & Henry College.
There is a bike path that is a loam path that goes down from White Top through Damascus and on to Abingdon. Pat and Virginia came on down highway 58 to Damascus for fear that the path was too loamy to support a loaded bike well.. There are some bed and breakfasts in Damascus but I do not know the costs. One is called the Lazy Fox. There is also "The Place" for AT hikers to stay in. I think it is free. Atl least it was there when Pat and I hiked on the AT a long time ago.
I wish you good luck. If there is anything i can do from a far, do let me know. I will keep following your travels.

Beth Lamb

Beth Lamb said...

I hope you are still doing well. I was saddened see that Fabian had to stop his trip due to his knee. I hope he will be back on the trail when he recovers. Pat and Virginia have gone to Damascus for a zero day today. They are actually staying with friends in Abingdon.The college our whole family graduated from is nearby and is called Emory & Henry college. It is very close to Meadowview. There is a restaurant called the Harvest's Table there started by Barbara Kingsolver's duaghters. She actually lives nearby. She is a writer...
Poisonwood Bible and many other books more recent.
I hope you all have a safe and fun trip.If you need anything please do not hesitate to contact me. I will help if I can. I will continue to follow your journey. Pat's blog is:
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/pdlamb

Good luck to you and Lisa.
Beth Lamb

Anonymous said...

Ted,

it looks like some unsettled weather is coming your way. Hope it is not too bad today.
The rest of the week looks like there is a chance for scattered rain every day.
Ahhh, rain is a blessing, but watch out for the lightening.
Aloha,
kevin

Anonymous said...

Hello Ted,

Your writing is so dramatic. How well you can tell a story. But all in all it is entertainment:-)lol, Fern

Renee said...

Aloha, Ted and Lisa--

The running water pipe you saw could be drainage from a farm field or other such property. Water is precious, but sometimes it collects in spots where we don't want it, like our basements.

Ride on!
Renee and David
Colorado