Up at 6:30-RAINING-COLD/50–RAINING. Go to breakfast-strawberry waffle. PACK-still raining-keep looking-keep waiting. Weather-rain all day-thunderstorm coming-head wind. What do we do? WANT TO STAY WARM & DRY-WANT TO STAY HERE W/heat on. In 34 yrs of marriage never had a day like this. Stay inside all day, take nap, never want to hear about Trump again-nap again-find British det shows. Finally 5:00-rain lets up-cross rd that traffic never lets up-Chipolte. UT goes to McD for smoothie-Dunkin Donuts for dessert. Ready to bike tomorrow-MAYBE

RICHMOND TO FREDRICKSBURG, VA  78 MILES, 11.3 MPH, 6:52 BT, 7:00-5:00. QUALITY INN $70. Up at 6:30-raining & cold-out at 7:00-mistake  not to make sandwich. Traffic getting out of town-then back rds all the way to town. Stop in Ashland at 20 m-eat apple cobbler & h6ot ch. Cold & wet-train stops here goes to Fred.-told you need ticket-can use your phone. Show him mine-haven’t seen that in yrs. OR wants to go to stote-next stop is 20 m-can make it. Whits group camping here tonight. Hills-gears not shifting right-have to walk couple hills. 40 m stop for tangerine-only food for 50 m. Fredricksburg-stop at 7-11-donuts & ch mk. Stop at visitors center-Comfort Inn 4 m but lots of  traffic. Have free night-pass cheap motels-keep going-ok, maybe not a good idea. Lots of traffic-hill-bridge-no bike lane. Comfort Inn-no free night-go to Quality Inn next door-turn heater on. Go to Panera Bread-$30-not good. Talk to Martha, Jenn & John-feel better after difficult day. Going to see my aunt Eldora & cousin Cindy tomorrow in Lorton. Cindy told me it was known for a prison & tells about prisoner escaping. Hope we have more positive stories tomorrow. OR has been sleeping for an hr.

Bakery in ASHLAND (20 M) WHITNEY’S group camping here

Don’t know who this is-only picture in RICHMOND

Rds wet all day-so were we

Group room at hostel-sorry I did not make peanut butter sdwh

50 m & only a little tangerine to eat-Sparky & Tiger are sad

WILLIAMSBURG TO RICHMOND, VA  61.5 M, 12 MPH, 5:12 BT, 8:30-3:45, HOSTEL $93. Up early, don’t want to miss group. 1st ones to bkft. Their leader puts out lunch-make your own peanut butter sandwich. All ready to leave-oh, oh-someone has flat tire. Whitney ready to leave-most leave-fast-some don’t make light. NEVER SEE WHITNEY AGAIN.  OR hangs back-I catch up w/Terri (OR). Terri & I end up biking side by side for most of ride. Enjoyed talking to her-OR & I don’t talk much. Terri fully loaded (50 lbs)-sets pace around 15 mph. OR finally catches us on bridge-follows today for 1st time. 50 m Terri turns rt to church where they spend night-people will feed them. Biker comes up-just finished path all the way into town. Stop close-biker tells us about hostel-have free night at motel. Town-hills-oh, oh-going to rain-just make it to hostel-$93 for private room-no choice-pouring now. Really large, fancy, new hostel-give us umbrella-Thai for dinner. NO TV-OR SLEEPING AT 8:30.

OR ON 60 MILE BIKE PATH INTO RICHMOND

TIGER & SPARKY IN $93 HOSTEL

Getting ready to leave (in new rain boots) Last time we see Whitney-in hurry to bike 50 miles to church

TAKE PICTURE BUT NO TIME TO VISIT

OR FINALLY CATCHES UP TO US

MY OR & TERRI FROM OR-beautiful bike path

Tiger & Sparky wanted off the bike

SAYING GOOD BY TO MY NEW BEST FRIEND FOR A DAY

WILLIAMSBURG, VA-Ate brft at Econolodge-very nice motel. At 11 biked 2 miles to Rodeway $63-checked in. Whitney shows up-drove in from LA. Call Fran-drives in from Va Beach to take all 3 of us to lunch. Was 69 (my age now) when we biked across America in 2002. Now at 83 she leads rides & bikes way more than me. She is my hero😊She just got back from a yoga retreat. Wonderful seeing her-a joy to be around. Whitney has a group meeting. We walk to historic Williamsburg to be tourists.

DAY 18-7:30 AM-WHITNEY & GROUP LEAVE IN RAIN TO BIKE 12 M TO DIP TIRES IN ATLANTIC. We go eat brft-RAINING-watch 4 or 5 Law & Order. Whitney is back. Rain stops-bike to bike store-get little rain booties. Go back to historic district-very informative & intetesting. At 4:30 go to Art Museum-history & songs from Civil War-stay in museum until 7:00-could have spent day. Group is having dinner-we go eat Mex food-raining again. Whitney comes over to map rap for last time. We are going to start out biking w/them in morning-unless raining.

People are all dressed in clothes from that time period

Whitney & OR group-will take turns cooking each night

CAPITAL WHEN IT WAS LOCATED IN WILLIAMSURG
WORKING HARD TO BUILD NEST

STARTING IN RAIN-TO DIP TIRES IN ATLANTIC

FRAN FROM 2002 CROSS COUNTRY-83 & STILL BIKING

WHITNEY & ARMAND-1 BIKES TO OR-1BIKES TO BOSTON

BRFT ROOM AT ECONOLODGE-WILLIAMSBURG

ARMAND & WHITNEY MAP RAPPING

TIGER & SPARKY AT RODEWAY INN, WILLIAMSBURG

ARMAND PAID PRICE FOR NOT PAYING ATTENTION TO ME

SUFFOLK to WILLIAMSBURG, VA  57 MILES, 12.3 MPH, 4:38 BT, 9:00 to 4:30. ECONOLODGE LODGE $60. Up after 8-still sore from fall. Went wrong way-man said he would show us way. 9:45 when we finally get out of town. Absolutely beautiful-finally have hills. Oh-oh, starting to rain-keep going. Just get to 1st little corner store we’ve seen in 40 m. Eat hot dog so I can stay inside-pouring-man says rain until 3 AM. People come from church-get beer & scratch offs. Rain lets up-off we go. Steep downhills-afraid because rds wet. Get to ferry at 2:45-ready to load-1st ones on. Free-2 ferries go back & forth 24-7. Get to Econolodge-$60-very nice-huge room w/double sinks. Lost shoe today-go to KMart next door. Buy shoes, UT buys golf shirt & shaving  cream. Has not shaved on trip. Tomorrow Fran is coming from VA Beach to visit us. She is my hero-met her in 2002 going cross country when she was 69-she is still biking more than me. Tomorrow Whitney gets here to start his trip to OR. We have  rest day.