BILL (retired engineer/teacher) took us to Budget, Billy, Bikes

Gravel trail to Marietta-thanks to Chris

Hear siren, pull in driveway, stop in front of us (are they coming to get me?) Need to move-coming to this house

Chris (bike angel today) saw us looking lost-came over to help-took time to take us to new trail to Marietta-still had to bike 20 m

Dripping tunnel on trail

Made it to another state-poop in our lane from horses (Amish)

Reward for making it up & down mt-we were afraid

Road under construction-would have been there except for Chris-did I say thank you—below we are on river break

REISTERTOWN, MD to MARIETTA, PA  82 M, 11 MPH, 7:13 BT, REACHED FASTEST SPEED 39.3 MPH, 8:00 to 6:40. BLUE NOTE MOTOR INN-$60.  Thank goodness for rest day. Up early, call taxi Thomas-just got up-can come at 8:30. Motel calls Bill (retired engineer, teacher). Loves to take long camping trips across country. Say good bye to good friend Billy. 50-no rain-few hills-jacket comes off. Glad to be off trails & on rds.Little traffic, hills doable-feel good after rest day. See cows, horses, sheep-lots of farms. Can’t stop when biking down a hill at 25+m or going up hill at 5mph. 40 m stop at White Ford-OR sees gas station-I see pizza cafe-don’t want to sit on curb to eat. Pizza place is packed-$4 get 2 pizza slices & drink-OR gets potatos $4. 2m into PA. Now have long climbs-turns into steep climbs-have to walk bike. Fastest downhill ever 39.3 mph. 2 lanes, no shoulder-9% grade-cars go 30 mph. Finally make it to water-flat-take break & pictures. Tell our story to man there-says more hills into Columbia-go to leave & FALL OFF BIKE- rt in front of him. Offers to drive us to town. OR waiting for me-6 miles to go- more hills & bridge. Ride around Columbas looking for motel. BIKER across street comes over. CHRIS is so helpful-takes us to new trail into Mrietta even though he still has 20 m ride home. Part of trail gravel-maybe a lot of it. Get to Blue Note Motor Inn $60. Unpack & bike to Italian Rest-get hamburger. OR eats pasta & gets big dessert. Very difficult day-could not have done it yesterday. No internet-too tired anyway.

Stayed up late again last night. Woke up to RAIN & COLD-50. OR packs & goes to bkft. I’m thinking I DON’T WANT TO BIKE TODAY. Suppose to be a 75 m day, no place to stay sooner-hills. Can’t do it-call Thomas-cab driver-going to pick us up at 8. Go tell OR. Says it’s going to stop-mentally don’t want to be cold & wet. OR is so patient & understanding-go back to room. Go to Target next to motel-buy cookies, tea-don’t have tape for side. OR buys shaver-very cute & kissable now. Not raining-could have biked. Read Austin newspaper online-take nap-eat-almost worthless on trip. OR reads book on kindle-not sure how many books he’s read. Get nice email from Wayne-still praying for us. Tomorrow we bike-I think.

ARMAND-Subway & McD smoothie for dinner

Tiger, Sparky & my dinner-left over Italian, sweet tea, cookies
Armand outside wondering why we didn’t bike today

BETHESDA TO REISTERTOWN, MD 54 MILES, 10.1 MPH, 5:16 BT, 7:00 TO 3:30, (4-36 MPH-2MPH when walking) RAMADA INN ($72) Up early & packed. Bob is dressed like a teacher-rides bike to school. Offers me oj & toast. Hugs all around-hate to leave. Bike trail is 2 blocks from house. Very few people on trail-nice then bumps-lots of steep hills-glad I went to bike shop on way to DC ($10 to have gears adjusted). Reach top speed of 36 mph. Now have problem-rt side is really hurting still from fall. Lot of pressure on steep climbs & bumps. Have to walk-2 mph. Stop at 20 m-ch mk & donuts-30 m for taco. Cold & drizzzle all day. Streets not marked-stand on corner while IA goes back. People just fly by-2 young girls in truck stop to help. Ask for street-get out phone to help me. IA is back. Now major rd construction for last 5 m-groves & more bumps on rd ready to be paved-other side is done. Get to Reistertown-ready to quit- in lot of pain. Check for motel-none close-lots of traffic-no place for bikes. I see Avis/Budget rental across street-tell IA want to rent car to get to motel. BILLY says car is $80-that’s more than motel. Another person who goes out of his way to help. Checks prices of motels (on phone), calls a  cab, lets us leave our bikes there overnight. Thomas takes us to Ramada-old looking on outside but room is very clean & nice. Italian rest. next door-very good. Every day is different-truly blessed for the people that come into our lives.

SPARKY & TIGER REST IN PARK ON TRAIL

DEER ON TRAIL

END OF 15 MILE TRAIL FROM BOB’S HOUSE

ANOTHER COLD & DRIZZLY DAY

TRAIL IS BEAUTIFUL

BILLY @ BUDGET/AVIS-couldn’t bike any more- too much traffic on road. Billy checked prices of motels, called us a cab, let us leave our bikes there. So nice & helpful. Will use BUDGET when we finish trip.  Sparky & Tiger at Oakley Farms-slave cabin

ALEXANDRIA, VA to WASHINGTON DC, to BETHESDA, MD  40 MILES. GOT LATE START-10:00 AM. 2 m to Mt. Vernon-20 tour buses lined up-keep going on bike trail all the way to DC. Stop at boat ramp-eagle picture. Go over bridge-look at map-Dwayne asks if we need help. Tell our story-says we motivated him-asks if he can pray w/us. Hold hands & he prays for us-reminds me when Mary Ruth did the same before each biking day-after yesterday we need God’s help. Bike trail to DC-bumpy, congested (runners, walkers, bikers, skaters, dogs), stressful w/traffic going both ways. DC is amazing-100,000 people here today-beautiful day. Stop at White House-didn’t see Obama. Too many people- get back on trail to MD. Not as many people-biker tells us Bethesda is 15 m away. Pass biker-asks about ride-now just want to find motel. Bethesda-trying to use GPS-same biker stops & asks if we need help. Has smart phone-calls several hotels-$270 & up. Susan is a teacher-knew there was a  reason we hit it off. She biked across America w/brother in 80’s. Can’t take us home-calls brother-he’ll take us. Go on dirt trail-trouble keeping up. Get to his house-golf clubs sitting in front yd-just getting home from golf. Standing in front yd to welcome us like family-Susan bikes away. BOB & TALI are bikers-toured Ireland on honeymoon. Also did RAGBRAI (ride across IA) last yr-IA wearing RAGBRAI jersey. Invited us to dinner-went w/Tali to pick up Indian food-made sure some of it was vegan. Not eaten Indian food-not sure like it. Dinner-daughter Miriam & boyfriend there too. Can’t believe they included us on MDay. Clean my plate, get 2nds. Miriam & boyfriend leave to go back to Baltimore. More we talk, more we have in common. Bob & I are teachers-going to retire this yr. (also has law degree) ran marathons, plays golf & tennis-like Armand. Tali bikes & does triathlons. No tv in house-went 20 yrs without 1, no cell phone-have flip phone but rarely turn it on. Tali just had knee surgery-go for walk after dinner. Rubarb pie for dessert-pie don’t eat-try small piece-clean plate. Have room downstairs- picture of daughter Hannah-w/loaded bike-graduated from hs & biked across America w/friends. There bikes are down here too.

ARE THERE BIKE ANGELS? People who out of the goodnes of their heart-stop & help total strangers. SUSAN didn’t have to stop or try to help us find a place to stay, but she did. BOB & TALI didn’t have to open their house to us but they did. Certainly hope we see them again.

FREDRICKSBURG TO ALEXANDRIA, VA  71 MILES, 11.4 MPH, 6:10 BT, 7:00 to 4:00. Best Western ($100) Brft-meet Sonya & Gram-talk instead of eat, take 2 muffins. Much less traffic on Sat-hills (4-32 mph) Feel good after rest day-like hills-pass IA. Tells me to stay behind him-can’t worry about me getting lost & read map. Won’t get lost-can’t find broad side of barn. Saved us couple of times when I read signs-no outlet, dead end. Nice ride-not much traffic-get to Comfort Inn in Lorton-no room-kids on field trips-only motel in town. Call Cindy-getting hair done. Need to go on-get off route to save a few miles. Pictures show what horrible mistake we made. Really thinking I could be killed before Mother’s Day. Get to Best Western-call Cindy-comes & go to dinner-Thai-excellent. Takes us to her parent’s house-Cousin Eldora & Jack. Julie, John, Chris come over too. Have ice cream & cookies & then Eldora makes me root beer float. Last summer, Eldora, Jack, Cindy, Julie, John all went to Norway. Good visit-tell them we’ll see them on way home. Now Cindy has to take us home.

IA in DC

TIGER & SPARKY

EAGLES ?? AT BOAT DOCK

TX, TIGER, SPARKY AT WHITE HOUSE

BIKE ANGEL SUSAN-BIKED ACROSS AMERICA W/BROTHER

OUR NEW BEST FRIENDS-BOB & TALI-took us in & fed us

IA & DWAYNE-helps us w/directions & then prays with us

Safe & sound-afraid that we weren’t going to make it

Chris, Cindy, Julie, Eldora (COUSIN), Armand, Me, Jack

MUD, GRAVEL, SAND-NEVER GET OFF MAP ROUTE

FINALLY CROSSED HWY-WORST & SCRARIEST THING SO FAR

CROSSED LITTLE BRIDGE-GOOSE IN YARD

SONYA & GRAM (GA)-cyclist & motorcycle-coming to Austin for motorcycle ralley-  can stay with us