Cross and tired....

Have just inexplicably lost the whole of today's post and am too tired to re-do it all. Potted version:

Very hot, at least 96 degrees this afternoon and 80 in the shade at 9.00am. Followed the Shenandoah valley to Harrisonburg, a total of 65 miles and despite following the Old Valley Turnpike Rd we still managed to do 3,000ft of ascent. Our hotel is allegedly in Harrisonburg, in the same way that Cribbs Causeway in Bristol is in the same city as Emersons Green (allegedly). Lunched in a Methodist Church (don't ask) and afternoon break in a cemetery. Currently sitting in long trousers and fleece jumpers, despite the temperature, as all our other clothes are in the washing machine!  Day sight-seeing tomorrow and there is so little to do here that it is even possible that we will end up in the Quilt Museum - or possibly not.

Just a few food related thoughts to end the day:

Anyone for a deep fat fried peach pie?  No, well make it apple or blueberry if you must.

A bag of 'No Bake Nubbins'?  I have no idea either

Finally 'Holymoly Potato Donuts' anyone??  Not sure if these are donuts made of potatoes, donut shaped potatoes or potato shaped donuts.  I am assuming they are not potatoes made of donuts, although I suppose anything is possible.

And a special welcome back to 'Zingers' - you have been missed.  Move over Mrs Freshley.....

Not many photos today, it was so hot we kept pressing on.

The long and winding road.

Well it was an interesting night last night in our rustic retreat, but not one I plan to repeat anytime soon. Chris had his feet hooked over the end of the mattress (gives some idea how long this bed was) while I clung to the side like a limpet. One of us turned over and the other was likely to fall out. It was also boiling hot ( no fan or AC) so sleep was limited and it was quite a relief to get up. Today was the only day that breakfast wasn't included and we were waiting to be royally fleeced for cereal and toast. First of all there was no cereal, apart from sugar coated kids cereal, and toast was $2 per portion. We discovered that a portion was two slices and given the small loaves the yanks typically use we ordered 3 portions between us. The waitress said she was sure an extra slice on our portions wouldn't matter (Alan Sugar won't be hiring her anytime soon) and she eventually returned with 2 plates piled high with toast, about 6-8 slices on each!  We were only charged $4 in total, which must make it the bargain of the trip.

We headed off along Skyline Drive in warm sunshine, trying to make as much ground as possible before it got too hot, eventually stopping at Elkwallow for cold drinks and a snack at around 11.30am, or lunchtime as the Americans call it ( I begin to understand why so many of them have dinner at around 4.00pm). We met a bunch of Sunday cyclists on their flashy lightweight bikes and they were fascinated to hear what we were doing - for our part we were fascinated by how unprepared they were for anything to go wrong.  Straight after this stop we climbed 1,000ft, being passed by three of these riders, only for the heavens to open at the top in a short but torrential downpour. Waterproof jackets on we headed down, passing them on the way as they were so cold they couldn't handle the bike - they seemed to think our jackets were some miracle new invention!!!

As quickly as it started the rain stopped, the sun came out and it got progressively hotter and more humid. The day overall was 57 miles with 4,000ft of ascent but 7,000ft of descent. It still felt hard, but the last 10 miles were good. We are staying in a good motel tonight - AC, two 5ft beds in the room, a shower with a decent flow of water plus tea and coffee on tap in the lobby. The only downside is that the only place to eat within a sensible distance is MacDonalds (or Dunkin Donuts), so we had to do battle with another single figure IQ employee.  It proved impossible for her to subtract 4.69 from 6.89 and after many attempts she went from over-charging us to under-charging us until I finally gave her the correct money as my final offer.

Last night there was a local event that we are sorry to have missed - The Doggone Safe dog bite seminar. This consisted of a slide show followed by role play and skits. I am desperate to know if you were allowed to be the dog in the role play and go around biting participants you didn't like, throws up endless possibilities.  The local paper here (here being Front Royal) has a wonderful section on recent indictments and the Crime of the Week - featuring lots of things being done unlawfully and feloniously! 

Anyway early start tomorrow to beat the heat, so off to pack up the panniers.

Currently top of the fat and sugar hit list is Mrs Freshly's carrot cake - you read it here first

Climb every mountain!

Our trip to Sal's pizza place resulted in a surprisingly good pasta meal - pasta, bread and salad (Scotty, think St Louis with knobs on). It was pretty quiet and we got chatting with the waitress, who sent us off with half a French stick and butter for breakfast.  We decided not to stay for breakfast at the B&B as they didn't serve until late and we wanted to get some of the climbing out of the way before it got too hot. It was pretty sweaty up the first hill, straight out of town as we climbed about 2,000 ft up to Swift Run Gap and the entrance to Shenandoah National Park. Sadly it just kept on climbing, although it was now a more gentle gradient with plenty of shade offered by the trees.

There are 75 scenic overlooks on the Skyline Drive and we religiously stopped at all of those we passed, but it was rather hazy and the views weren't great - however it managed to make the riding harder as once the bikes are loaded the hardest thing to do is get started, especially on a hill. We arrived here (Big Meadows) at lunchtime. We had only cycled 25 miles but had climbed 4,000 ft in total, so felt more tired than 25 miles would lead you to suppose. Our accommodation here is not what we expected - when we were here in 2007 we had a lovely room in a wooden building, a bit more basic than a hotel in the valley but generally fine. This time we are in a 'rustic' (read ramshackled) cabin with the smallest double bed I have seen in a very long time. A couple of 'average' USA sized adults would never fit in - or certainly not at the same time. The lighting is reminiscent of Victorian England and the shower is likely standing under a blocked watering can. 

We took a walk along the Appalachian Trail, trying to visit Lewis Falls. It was supposedly a mile from Big Meadows but after walking for well over 30 minutes we abandoned and turned round, only to realise that we must have descended nearly 1,000 ft. We had a few drops of rain, but it didn't come to anything - however they are forecasting another heat wave next week ( we just missed the last one where temperatures were over 100 degrees Fahrenheit).  We are staying at over 3,500ft tonight and for the first time this holiday it has cooled off enough that we feel we need our fleeces on. The wifi is also pretty dodgy so I'll leave you with a few photos and tell you some of the oddities tomorrow.

 

And they are off!

So we finally get on the road, although the first two days are a bit of a phoney war.  Bearing in mind the heat we decided that a first day of 53 miles with over 6,000 ft of ascent was a bit optimistic so we split the day in two. Accommodation was a bit of an issue so tonight we are staying in an over-priced B&B, with decaying grandeur being the best description. The building operated as a hospital during the civil war and I'm not sure much has changed since (apart from the owners I guess). The only AC unit in our 'suite' is cunningly placed in the corridor between the bedroom and the sitting area, so the only place at an acceptable. Temperature is the corridor - lucky bikes!

Last night we went to World of Beer, where faced with 500 bottled beers and over 20 more on draught, Chris nearly went into meltdown. I was a little surprised when a 'small' glass of wine was served in a full tumbler, but somehow I managed to finish it!  Back at the hotel we packed the panniers, which are much emptier and lighter than usual. Given that the 10 day forecast does not have a max temperature below 80, or a minimum below 60, hat, gloves, leg warmers, long sleeved cycling tops and waterproof trousers all seemed like unnecessary weight, so we are travelling lighter than ever before - probably as well given the ascent .

Today was only 30 miles and the first 10 just got us out past Charlottesville airport. After that the roads got much quieter and the fat and sugar hits improved immeasurably - welcome back HoHos et al. We stopped at a tiny store and filling station for a cold drink mid morning. There were 2 fuel pumps - on the furthest side of one it said 'Sorry, out of order -  go to other side'. On the other side it said 'Sorry, out of order - go to the other pump'. On the other pump it said 'This is the other pump - go to the other side, this side not in use'.  On the other side it just said 'Out of order'!!!!!!  You might think it would be simpler to put up a sign saying 'Sorry no gas', but where's the fun in that?

We got to Stanardsville by lunchtime as it was only 30 miles and have been trying to fill time since. We are currently taking advantage of 'Happy Hour' on the second floor balcony so we can access wifi - we are in an annexe where there is no signal. Breakfast doesn't start until 8.30 and with the predicted heat and the ascent tomorrow we want to get away earlier. Apparently they are going to leave Continental breakfast in our room so I'll be interested to see what appears. Shortly we are heading to 'Sals' for dinner - the food here is expensive and a bit posh, which by the look of it shouldn't be a problem at Sal's!!!

Pictures are of our salubrious 'elevenses' spot and a sign for the Bugmart, which the Mechanic seemed to think might be useful - can't imagine why he wanted me in the photo......(also our B&B)

Lost before we even get started!

It seemed like a good idea to go for a test ride this morning, to recce the route out of town and to check that everything had been tightened up correctly. A side benefit was to get back into riding on the right hand side of the road. We soon discovered that the map we have only has selected roads on it, with no obvious clue as to why they were the chosen few. This led to our first few extra miles. Second discovery was that the route instructions I had printed off Mapquest interpreted the word 'Highway' differently to other websites, meaning we were being led in a demented series of circles to get to where we wanted to go - more extra miles. Finally we got stuck in a tailback when an oversize motor home got itself stuck under a railway bridge, blocking the narrow road in both directions. Luckily we found out what the problem was and scooted down the outside of the queue to squeeze past before the entire queue started reversing to try and let him get out. Happy Days.

Our 5 mile jaunt turned into 20 with 1,000 ft of ascent! However to brighten my day we managed to pass yet another example of why some Americans appear to live in their cars - a drive through Library??!!  I thought a drive through lumber yard was pushing it, but this took the biscuit (or cookie was you would say over here).  We also liked the following sign in the window of the College Inn (on the campus of the University of Virginia): Weekend breakfast served here - Free delivery of beer, wine and ice cream.

Events we are sadly missing:

'Talking to Extraterrestials -how to communicate with Enlightened Beings'. Promises to help dissolve your cultural amnesia.

A course on Advaita (non-duality spirituality - keep up there!)

Heart/Math training - reduce stress by bringing your heart, mind and emotions into Coherence.

Angel Therapy - Akashic Records Readings, Reiki, Holistic Health Coaching. Sessions by e-mail, Skype, phone or in Rio

I lost the will to live even once never mind several times (see Past Life Regression sessions) half way down the first of three columns of these events.

Anyway enough rambling, we are off to World of Beer to set us up for the start of the cycle tour tomorrow. Hot and sunny again by the sound of things. Pictures are of cyclists refuelling and a cycle tool station we found for use by the general public in the centre of town - Mr Mayor take note!

Phase 1 completed, Phase 2 launched.

After posting my thoughts yesterday we decided to take the bikes up to the Amtrak station and get them checked in early for the trip today. The guy on the desk was really mega unhelpful and implied they couldn't take bikes, that they needed to be in a  cardboard box and that they were too big. We stood our ground repeating that we had travelled with them before, until finally he got an actual baggage guy up to help. Laconic Yank takes one look, says 'Sure, we take them all the time and those bags are way better than cardboard boxes, not oversized either.' Job done, but a few anxious moments.  Today we also checked in our other bags so we didn't have to manhandle them on and off a crowded train. This left us with an easy journey on a very comfortable train with masses of leg room. Two and a half hours later we were decanted in Charlottesville and the bikes plus bags were off-loaded as we got to the baggage car. Our hotel was only 0.2 miles away, so I headed off with one bag, while the Mechanic guarded the rest, checked in and dumped the bag in our room, repeated with bag 2, then we walked both the bikes round.  We got some strange looks, but we are getting adept at ignoring them.

2 hours or so later the bikes were reassembled and stored in a meeting room, the staff here being more helpful than we could have dared to hope for.  The Mechanic is very impressed with my choice of hotel, a couple of hundred yards from World of Beer - featuring at least 500 different beers, or so it says.  We went out to eat at a local diner and thought you might like to savour the thought of one of the dishes - the 'West Monte Cristo' sandwich. The description is pictured below and for the uninitiated 'powdered' means sprinkled with sugar. Read it and weep.

Nearly as mind blowing was our server tonight when we ordered dessert. I asked for one hot fudge Sundae and one caramel sundae. He thought a bit and then asked if I wanted a hot fudge or a caramel sundae. I said I wanted one of each, so he thought a bit more and then muttered a bit until ringing up the wrong amount on the till. I pointed out that he was undercharging me, so he thought a bit more and said that he had put in the price of a hot fudge sundae with caramel on top. I said (again) that I wanted one hot fudge sundae and one caramel sundae. Long pause, then a light seemed to go on in his head and he said 'so you want one of each?'  Give me strength..............

Today's teaser: who knows what 'Bachata' and 'Kizoma' are. We missed out tonight and sadly won't be in town for the Recorder Society meeting.

Finally how many different types of police does one City need. In DC we clocked the following:

Secret Service, Transit police, Capitol police, Federal police, Amtrak police, Military police, District police and plain old Police. 

Things you never knew about pillows (and never felt you needed to ask)

This is quite a posh place we are staying in (accidentally I hasten to add), which we have deduced from the fact that not only does our room have only one light bulb not working but also a shower that doesn't need a degree in advanced engineering to operate. The clincher though is the presence of a pillow menu! Each bed has 4 different pillows, the pillow menu describes 6 different types of pillow, none of the pillows are labelled. I won't bore you with the full descriptions but there are down feather pillows, sound pillows, incorporating speakers so you can plug in your 'device' and play yourself a lullaby(!!!???), hypoallergenic pillows (to counteract your reaction to the down pillows), magnetic therapy pillows, buckwheat pillows and Swedish memory pillows. I apparently have a seventh variation - bloody uncomfortable pillow!!!   Sadly we have arrived too late for International Pillow Fight day, held annually at DuPont circle in the posh area of DC - I would have been betting on the Buckwheat pillow myself.

Anyway, today started off warm, wet and humid, very overcast and depressing. We started with a tour of the Capitol building, or a small part thereof and then the Library of Congress, where you go through security on the way our rather than the way in! By the time we emerged the sun was out and it was scorching hot. We walked 

down to the White House, had lunch in a shady square and then hopped back on the open top bus to see Georgetown and other areas of DC not covered yesterday. As you will see from one of the photos the sun didn't shine all day. After this Chris wanted a return visit to the Air and Space museum, so I left him there and wandered back through the parks, wrote some postcards, had a shower and am now waiting for him to reappear.

One thing we haven't managed to do is take a ride on the equivalent of a Boris bike. I was rather hoping they would be called 'Barack bikes' or (even better) 'Bama Bikes', but rather boringly they are just bike share rentals. I don't think poking fun at politicians is quite the national sport it is back home.

Tomorrow we head to Virginia to rebuild the bikes and start the holiday proper. Pictures are of The White House and the delights of sight-seeing in the rain