Vienna Mini-Vac

BikerBuck was fortunate enough to score a weekend home-stay with friendly natives in the D.C. area between his VA and WV rides.

Mike Hutter and CJ Bordwell are a couple that Donivee and Buck met during their Tanzania Safari in 2007. We have kept in touch, so it was "just like yesterday" when BB arrived at their beautiful home in Vienna VA on a Friday afternoon.

A drive out to Dulles International Airport yielded a eye-popping visit to the National Air and Space Museum.

The Blackbird spy plane takes center stage.

The enormous hanger is chock full of every imaginable type and size of aircraft.

This P 38 Lightning is the aircraft that Donivee's father flew in Europe during WWII.

Could I show you something in a Space Shuttle?

The museum was an experience in sensory overload. Loved it. Gotta go back.

Late Saturday afternoon, Mike and CJ took BB to the District for a driving/walking tour of the monuments surrounding the Tidal Basin.  Each is unique to say the least. It was especially memorable to see the new Martin Luther King memorial. Words are useless. Just go there.

We wrapped up the evening with a fabulous supper at a fancy Mexican restaurant in the District.  What wonderful hosts! Mahalo, Mike and CJ. You are now officially obliged to visit Donivee and Buck in your choice of either country.

Almost Heaven

 

Almost heaven, West Virginia

Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River

Life is old there, older than the trees

Younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze...

Songwriters: John Denver, Bill Danoff, Taffy Vivert

 Who doesn't remember this chorus from John Denver's mega-hit that painted such a vivid picture of West Virginia? Can't you just imagine BikerBuck's drive from Vienna VA to Cass WV, with the driver reaching back into his Cowboy Buck character and belting out "Country Roads" over and over. Just like his wife and kids endured, back in the day.

Today's mission is to complete the 47th state ride on the popular Greenbrier River Trail.  It's an 80 mile R2T route that runs from Cass to White Sulfur Springs, West Virginia.  BB did a 16 mi. out-and-back from Cass in beautiful late afternoon conditions.

The crushed gravel trail is tucked in between the hills and mountains of central WV. The town of Cass is also a ski destination, thanks to it's nearby 4,848 ft. mountain that, by all accounts, gets a generous snowfall every winter.

There are well-equipped campsites every few miles for the through-riders that do the entire trail over a two or three day stint.

Each site has a Pray at the Pump fresh water supply. BB successfully watered at this one, while humming his best rendition of the K3 bromide, "Desert Pete."

BB practically had the trail to himself on this Sunday afternoon.

Unique bridge design. Remember, this was a railroad track initially.

Tunnel ahead. This one is curved, meaning that the center section has no ambient light from the outside world, for which read: "Who turned out the cotton pickin' LIGHTS!"

Typical of the best of the Rail to Trail efforts, the ride is a rolling history lesson. (Love this village's name, Clover Lick.)

The beautiful weather has been following BB for two weeks. How lucky is that?

This gentle flow must grow to a torrent in the Spring.

Trailside residence. Exhaust-free zone.

After a good night's rest at the rustic Bear Creek Lodge in Cass, BB is off to Gettysburg for a history lesson about The War of Northern Aggression.

Yes, Virginia, there is a granny gear.

The day before his ride, BikerBuck toured Thomas Jefferson's Monticello in Charlottesville. It was a fascinating and rewarding experience, one which BB highly recommends.

The Virginia bike ride was the Rockfish Valley - Schuyler loop which, at 46.2 miles,  is BB's second longest ride in his 50-50 adventure with Hawaii on top at just over 60 miles. The rolling hills are fun to ride but what goes down must come up, so thank goodness for the granny gear!

Thanks to my new best VA friends at Blue Ridge for their kind support.

"Byway" is a great description of the roads traveled.

This is where the concept of "Share the Road" is truly Do or Die.

There are several sections of the route on "real" roads. The kind with lots of traffic. The "bike lane" is that white line. Drivers are well accustomed to cyclists and give plenty of cushion.

Mind you, there is a 0.3 mile connector on US 29 where you have a whole half-yard of pavement between the white line and the goobie goobie grass. That truck is sharing a bit of it.

Country churches are many...

...the environment bucolic...

...the estates are to die for...

...the Rockfish Post Office is modest...

...the homes eclectic...

 ...and the residents patriotic.

What began as a personal challenge to ride this demanding route has turned in to a deeper discovery of how Americans live.  Observing life from the saddle is a rewarding experience in and of itself. Together with personal interactions in hotels, cafes, shops, gas stations and at gathering places this adventure turns out to be less and less about the miles. Virginia, a state where Donivee and I lived and worked and where Sara was born, has re-emerged as a cherished piece of BB's personal geography.

Travels with Harry, MD

Meet Harry

No, Harry is not a physician - though he is in the medical management business. He's an experienced cyclist from Ft. Worth TX who rides the Baltimore & Annapolis Trail whenever he's in Annapolis. Maryland. MD. Get it?

 BikerBuck had just pulled in to the parking area near the B&A trail head when he spotted the NC-State attired cyclist mounting up for a ride. BB strode over to say howdy, hoping to get some help in locating the trailhead.  Introductions were exchanged - turns out we are both Texans - and we rode off together up the hill to the trail. About 1 hr. and 14 miles later we had managed to exchanged verbal dossiers and family lineage dating back to the Alamo. Or thereabouts. Harry had to head back for a meeting and BB went on to a connecting trail. Never actually shared our last names.  As my dad use to say, "You can always tell a Texan, but you can't tell him too much." (That expression has absolutely no connection with my ride with Harry, but I had to get it in there.) And the ride was fantastic...

BB's blog readers must be sick to death of his photos of bike trails. Do they ALL look alike? Well, maybe in the photo it's had to tell one from another. But the good trails - like the B&A - are well designed, carefully maintained and ridden respectfully. It shows. BB looks for the best in every state and indeed the good ones have a lot in common. But be aware, their uniqueness goes way beyond what's captured in a photo.

The trail's neighboring property owners have made raised bed gardens along the way.

Cafes, a bike shop, stores and other businesses thrive in their unique locations right on the trail.

Trailside art is an enriching and unexpected pleasure.

Rich details about the artist.

A touching memorial to a teenage cancer victim is beautifully presented.

On the adjoining BWI loop trail, that encircles the Baltimore Washington International airport, there is a kid's park and an aircraft viewing area.

 

      Aircraft are landing every few minutes...just a couple of hundred yards from the park.Thrilling!  

And the sensations that come from one of these babies taking off so close by is awesome.

A trailside mini-park is dedicated to Mr. Sun. In this sculpture, Old Man Sol is contending with a deflated bike inner tube that's been tossed onto one of the rings. Graffiti of a new and ugly kind.

But the lovely gardens and landscaping throughout the trails leaves a lasting impression of superb planning, design and upkeep for the B&A and BWI trails.  BB was impressed.

 Back to Harry for wrap up. BB drove back to the Courtyard after the ride, parked, and went to his room to clean up. When he came back to the car, a business card was stuck into the driver's side window seal. It was Harry's card and it had a nice little message written on it to Buck. Now Harry was not staying at the Courtyard - which is miles from the trail. And he didn't have my last name, so how could he have "found" me? Don't know, but it's a great ending to the story of a wonderful ride in BB's 45th state. Only a hand full left to go!

 Tomorrow is reserved for touring Jefferson's Monticello in Charlottesville VA. Catch you on the back side.

DE-lightful!

 Wherever you go...there you are.

And when we're driving from New Jersey to Delaware, we need to get across Delaware Bay. Which means...

...getting on the ferry at the beautiful Terminal in Cape May.  The 85 minute crossing was relaxing and refreshing. Can't think of a better way to arrive at...

...Lewes. Now, BikerBuck would pronounce that "loose", but his DE native friend Mike insists that it's pronounced, "Louis." At all events the town is first among firsts.

BB camped out in the T&C at the really nice (and bike friendly) Cape Henlopen State Park. Lots of historical features such as this watch tower are accessible. It's the best campground yet on the 50-50 tour. And AAA had no trouble finding BB there to replace his dead battery the next morning.

Delaware is known as the First State. (That's the answer to quiz that appeared in the New Jersey blog, but I was just kidding about the "valuable prizes" for whomever got the answer correct.) Anyway, "First State" does nothing to actually describe Delaware. So BB proposes that they change the nickname to: The Neat and Tidy State. Just check out the above two-lane country highway....

...and the picket-fenced crops (soybeans I believe)...

...and the farmer's house...

...and the Winery...

...and the freshly mowed borders of the farmland...

...and the canal...

...and the church.

OK, so maybe the church is a little over the top. But anyway, BB thinks he may have discovered the reason why things are so darn spit-spot in the big DE...

Re-strict-ed.

Seems as if you have to pass some kind of a prissyness test before you can own property in DE.  Hey, works for me.

Say what?

A portion of the ride was on two-lane backroads that are designated as part of the ADT. This is apparently an initiative that identifies a coast to coast bike route across the mainland U.S. Worth looking into for cross country route planning.

 The day ended with a rousing drive to Maryland. Next up is the Baltimore & Annapolis Trail Park.