Day 67: A fork in the road

(Max Meadows, VA -> Roanoke, VA)

I (Anna) have a situation to present to you: you’ve biked 40 miles and you come to a sign that says: Road closed, local traffic only, detour left. You have 3 choices: 1. Continue on the road and hope that there is a way through the road. 2. Go on the detour route (which goes under the highway and appears to go the long way around). 3. Go on the interstate for 1 exit and get back on the road. Be aware that it is illegal to bike on the interstate… Please choose one path.

As it turns out, we are different people. Travis forged ahead & convinced and angry construction worker to take him across the bridge that was being built. Sean was thinking ahead & called Travis. Now warned about this angry construction man, Sean still chose to forge ahead but was rejected at the bridge and had to bike back. He then chose the interstate, and in a further stroke of bad luck, was pulled over and given a ticket. Maceo decided to brave the bridge too, and was greeted by a more friendly construction man (maybe the other guy was on a break??) who kindly let him cross. Cole & I decided to go forward too, until this man in a pickup stopped us and said that there was physically no way to cross the river because there was no bridge (which doesn’t really seem to be true?!) and also he had seen a cyclist who had gotten a ticket on the interstate (...). So we took the detour, which was really extensive and added 5 miles and an extra 1,000 feet of climbing to our route. Sad. Asia avoided this conundrum by driving.

We had started the day biking off with our host, who took us down some backroads that even the Internet did not know existed. Asia was the driver today. Her only consistent visitor was Maceo, though. Cole & I did a self-support, and Travis and Sean are too fast to keep up with ;)

Anyways, we all arrived in Roanoke by one way or another (Travis and Sean both got flats later on). First of all, our incredible hosts in Roanoke own a coffee shop! This is my dream. And they kindly let us eat there, and I had a latte and homemade yogurt and it was a very good day.

Day 65: The Final State Crossing

Today we crossed our last state border on our journey across the country- Kentucky to Virginia. I drove today. The morning started with a beautiful breakfast made by our host Sherry.  She made warm banana pancakes and bacon. The morning ride was blurred with a heavy fog that laid on the road. Anna, Asia, and Cole took the Komoot route and Maceo and Sean took the Google maps suggested route. There’s been an ongoing debate into which is better. After the first stop for Maceo and Sean, I tried catching the other group. However, I lost signal 15-miles into following their route and did not want to risk getting lost. The next stop was at the state border, near a city named Pound. We stopped for a photo-shoot at the Virginia sign. The group was so happy getting to the state border because they climbed a huge hill (8% incline). The gas station had benches inside which came as a relief to the riders.

The second half of the day was getting to Saint Paul, Virginia. I stopped once for Maceo and Sean at Wise, Virginia. I called my mom again, and talked about the current news back home. I also drove to the other group for a stop right before they climbed their last ascent. It was a lot of driving back and forth, but I honestly think it was worth it. For dinner, Asia and I cooked chicken and veggie lettuce wraps and potatoes. This was a dish that reminded me of my mom’s cooking so I was really happy. For dessert, we at the delicious Cherry Cobbler that Sherry had given us. We are resting for another big day tomorrow. It is so surreal that we only have five bike days left.

-Travis

Maceo and Anna getting to the state border. Someone is working on his tan.

Asia and Cole getting to the state border. Don’t you just love their facial expressions!

Love and hearts all around

Day 64: Kentucky Fried Chicken

Today we taught at the Apollo Learning center in Hazard. After the crash of Apollo 13, they built a bunch of these learning centers around the country as tribute. We taught about 80 students who came in from the local middle schools.

After teaching, we went to get fried chicken at a local stop in Hazard. It was the best fried chicken I have ever had.

A coal mining company unexpectedly shut down in the area recently. Our hostess in Hazard was putting on a special dinner to help the unemployed miners and their families. It was hosted at the local elementary school and she invited us to join. There were about 10 families there. We had an excellent pasta dinner. After dinner, the miners were given basic supplies like toiletries, cleaners, school backpacks, socks, etc… It was a very humbling and educating experience.

Day 63: Hell For Certain

I started off the day behind Maceo and Travis. We were headed to Hazard KY, a ~70 mile not too much elevation day.

After 10 miles I got a flat from a staple in the road. This is something like my ~15th flat of the trip. I don’t know why I get so many compared to the others, who have like 2 flats each. After getting help from Asia, I continued on, following google maps.

At ~20 miles, I turned onto a loose gravel road, which turned into a overgrown ATV trail through the woods. Thanks google. I turned around, took a 4 mile detour, and got back on route. I haven’t seen the car yet (turns out Asia was lost as the driver).

At mile 50, I turn onto a road called Hell For Certain Road. Still haven’t seen the car yet, so I’m hungry and thirsty. Hell For Certain Road is incredibly steep for the first 4 miles, and then it turns into a gravel road. I immediately got a flat upon entering the gravel section. I haven’t had service all day, and I already used my spare tube. I’m stuck.

So I have to wait by the side of the road for an hour till a car comes by to help me out. I get on the back of an ATV with Jack, and put my bike on my lap. Jack drives me to his house, loads me into his truck, and then drives me to my end destination. So thankful for his kindness!

Day 61: Onwards and Upwards

(Elizabethtow, KY -> Danville, KY)

Today, we said goodbye to Bo (our host) & Gunner (the cutest little doggie) & also the other dogs whose names I never could remember (also cute…).

We rode off to a gorgeous sunrise. This morning was one of my favorites on this trip - the golden sunlight filtered through the trees. The light breeze fluttered through my hair. The mysterious fog covered everything in a sleepy blanket. The fluffy cows and elegant horses stared at me and my mechanical contraption with curiousity. The (slightly bumpy and unkept) road lay before like a silken ribbon. Dogs of all sizes chased my bike as I desperately tried to outrun their scary yaps. Yada yada. Kentucky and I have a love/hate relationship.

I did my own day today - a self support! So I had my water stop at this nice lady’s house, my lunch stop at McDs, and my coffee stop at a book store. 10/10 would recommend. It was nice to have a day to myself. Cole ran the support team today while everyone else biked. The landscape is really changing - the hills are getting bigger and the trees/vegetation is getting denser…

When I reached Danville, I ate an incredible bagel with (whipped!) cream cheese & a smoothie. I then ventured to the town square historic site. Danville, Kentucky has the most history of any place that I’ve never heard of! Danville’s motto is "City of Firsts.” Why, you ask? Well, I’m here for the answers. It housed the FIRST courthouse in Kentucky. The FIRST Kentucky constitution was written and signed here (I’m slightly confused about this fact, because were there multiple constitutions?). It was the FIRST capital of Kentucky. It had the FIRST U.S. post office west of the Allegheny Mountains. It hosts the FIRST state-supported school for the deaf. Also the FIRST place that I personally have tried an orange creamiscle donut (can’t say that I reccomend). Pretty cool, huh? Some very Kentucky-specific firsts.

The lovely congregation we are staying at got dinner for us, so we settled around a yummy dinner of sandwiches, salads, soup (shout out to the soup fans out there @travis), and chips.

Some people (Maceo & Sean) want to get up early to bike through the sunset, while other people (me) will be sleeping. Tomorrow we really enter the Appalachians!

Day 59: Mosquitoes Bites and Dog Chases

Today we left Fordsville, KY and heading toward Elizabethtown, KY. Since today is only a 60-mile ride I drove all day. Overall, I feel it was a great day as the driver. The stops were calm and peaceful. Moreover, there were no bike problems so everything seemed to run smoothly. At the first stop I got the team an iced coffee treat and donuts. This stop was at a gas station. The next stop was at a church. While it had shade, there were lots of mosquitoes; probably not my greatest stop as a driver. Finally the last stop was outside a Subway. For the people that stopped, they got to drink ice-cold strawberry lemonade. At one of the stops I was able to talk to my mom, which was a delight. Story from the road: A couple riders were actually chased by dogs along the road. Somebody even said they thought they were going to get bit! Luckily, crisis was averted.

The road to the home we stayed at in Elizabethtown turned to gravel. I would imagine it must have been hard to ride with our road bikes. Bo was a great host and he allowed us to stay in the cabin he built. The cabin is actually quite an accomplishment; he has been working on it alone for 6 years, while also being a student at a local college. The property actually spanned many acres. It was large enough to have chickens, cows, horses, donkeys, deer, and 3 dogs all running around. For dinner, Bo and his mom cooked up some great spaghetti and garlic bread. Yum! The night ended in the cabin, resting up for teaching tomorrow!

-Travis