Day 4 - What Can I Pitch besides the Tent To Make these Panniers Lighter???????

June 24
Mineral, VA to Charlotesville, VA
59 miles

This was my (Kath’s) main query for the day while riding through the most bucolic scenery. Yes, except for those pesky conservative laws, I could be a Virginian. Bucolic – landscape so beautiful it almost makes you a little ill. Oh, I forgot – riding through ROLLING countryside. Is it possible to ride slower than 4 miles an hour and stay upright? Yes, you can! Slower than a Virginia turtle, which happen to dot the roadside. Some are raised dots, some are (sadly) flat dots. But the real reason for mentioning turtles is that Mary Lou has threatened that if I don’t quit helping the lil’ snappers cross the road, we’ll never make it out of the state. So I leave it to PETA to take up the cause. Oh wait, they’re too busy going after fly swatters.

Today we rode by more history and gave it a friendly wave. James Monroe’s estate- an awesome tree-lined driveway winding up a big hill. Sorry James. We really gave Monticello an honest effort, but ,no, we weren’t allowed to ride our bikes up to old Jefferson’s front porch. I think if you extend his politics to present day, he’d have supported our biking initiative. However, our initiative was mos’ def’ not supported by the frantic volunteer calling after us, “Maam’, Maam’, ya’ll may not ride up there!!”

Oh well. So we rode on into lovely Charlottesville. Fabulous commercial pedestrian walkway. Large scale photography exhibit hanging from the trees, cool restaurants, book stores, interesting architecture. A happening spot. Visions of a warm summer eve sipping wine as vibrant nightlife flowed around us, floated away as we rode further and further from the historic downtown to our comfy, but uncoolly situated hotel. Not even a crisp glass of Pinot Grigio and an excellent wood-fired pizza could lure us back through hilly Charlottesville. Our quads are on fire! But we’re having FUN!

Tomorrow, first stop – FedEx.