July 3, 2008 - Thursday - Day 3
USA/MEXICO/CANADA
DOUBLE CROSS COUNTRY
& THE TRANSCANADA HIGHWAY
-- OR BUST - SUMMER 2008
Miles Today -308 - Total Miles - 585 Average Daily (Travel Day) Miles - 292
9am-7pm - 10 hours -
Charlottesville,VA to Hickory,NC
(-staying at a Days Inn Motel -)
(VA-NC / Routes I-64, I-81, I-77)
-THE DAY SUMMED UP: THE GREAT HIGHWAY. FRIENDS ALONG THE WAY. THE WONDERFUL WEATHER. THE TERRIFIC TRAVEL - WHAT JOY!!!! -
The sun creeping into the pleasant room awoke me around 7am. I was shortly out and about, and Mike was lounging on the couch watching some morning news show. I inquired if there was any GOOD news coming from the TV. Nope.
But I expressed enthusiasm for the day and the journey. With wide eyes Mike noted, “You have a new world every day for yourself.”
Mike and I shortly headed down to the gym room for my morning run and bicycle ride. Moochie came along for the walk and he carefully visited, became reacquainted with, and left his calling card at every phone pole and light stand along the way….
I was pleasantly surprised that there were already folks there working out on the exercise devices. Mostly young women in their tight shorts, and sweating men. On the machine next to mine a young twenties-something fellow was pounding away running with the TV on the wall in front of him blaring the cartoon network. The pretty woman beside him, who he clearly knew, chided him for watching the cartoons. He fumbled to change the station that was actually on by accident, and I piped over in a friendly way, “Yeah, I was wondering about that!” He returned my smile with a laugh, and deadpanned that the remote control was “too complicated” for him…
As I ran back up to the top and Mike's place, I realized that this complex of housing, Jefferson Ridge, is carved into a mountain, really a foothill. And it's a delightful place to be sure.
Mike and I sat and chatted over the scrumptious bowl of cheerios, frozen blueberries, and raisons that he had prepared. I mentioned how one of the hardest things to do is to leave folks, new friends or old. I mean the inertia is for the staying, the saying good-bye to people is almost always hard, and the going back into the uncertainty of the road - away from the safety of a home - is difficult. But with a wisdom in his words, and a perceptive glint in his eye, But Mike, looking over at me with a keen eye, noted, “I can see you are already out on the road.” And it was true - my mind was rushing to the highway, and looking forward to streaming to the southern part of the country and whatever lay ahead.
We said our good-byes out on the parking lot.I began the day by filling up the tank just past the big road entrance. And then I went about two more miles out of the way to grab a picture of a “PennyLane” sign that I noticed when riding to town with Mike yesterday. I have a friend at home, named, of course, Penny, who would appreciate it.
And it was just a marvelous day on the highway. The Vulcan performed magnificently and raced up the mountainsides with enthusiasm and power unused. The passing was sure and controlled. With a flick of my right wrist on the throttle, the machine totally effortlessly flung me along. Under the blue and patchwork clouded sky it was glorious. The air was mainly cool much of the day - and the surroundings all mountain green. I secretly thought and wished I could bottle some of this glory in nature for what I knew lay ahead in the west - endless barren countrysides and 115-degree scorching!
Along the way down the mountain grades of the superslabs were side emergency run-offs for the truckers - just in case of brake failure. These side roads which have a steep incline always prompt extra care by the imagining of such a problem.
I followed my directions to little Fincastle. But I must have written something wrong, and had to stop at a store to ask about the way. As it happened, two ladies were there who were going right to the place, and they suggested I follow them.
As I happily trailed the two ladies through the ever increasingly rural area, and as we approached Fincastle, I thought to myself, “You just know you're getting into the boonies when you see a street named, 'Bloodhound Lane.'”!!!
I went up the Main Street hill and then down the other side, and it wasn't long before I came to number 40, and there was Mary on the cutest of porches. I decided to park around the side of the house because of the steepness of the hill in front, and soon Mary and I were embracing like long lost buddies.
We went to visit Mary's Jaguar that was under a little roof. Since I'm not much of a car person, a lot of what she said was lost on me. She opened the hood and showed me the impressively large engine. I noted the jumping jaguar on the hood. She said that was a “leaper”, and it sat on the 'bonnet' of the car… “You gotta talk the talk!!!,” noted Mary.
Mary was very proud of that car. It wore the license plate, “OBSCN XS” (“Obscene Excess” for those who don't read the license plate language!) On the plate holder was the admonition, “Get in. Sit down. Shut up. Hold on.” She blared a little Stevie Wonder form the car radio. She was into it!!!!!
I met her son, David, who was sitting in a room with a couple of computers and was working. Looked a little like my set up at home. I mentioned, “What a world!” And he responded thoughtfully with, “Yeah, it makes you wonder what it's going to be like in twenty years!!!!!”
As we left the room Mary asked me if I had noticed the router on the wall. I said I had. She then told me that David names everything, and that router was named “Marley”. I gave a blank look not getting the connection, and she mentioned that all the wires coming from out of that router was like Bob Marley's hair!!!!
Shortly, as Mary and I chatted on the porch, a charming 19-year-old woman came by who was the girlfriend of John, Mary's grandson. Stephanie has a cute smile with a wonderful cleft chin and the pinkest brightest most outlandishly loud toenail polish in the world. I told her that if anyone was ever drowsy, that he or she would only have to picture that nail polish to be awakened!!
Stephanie had just signed up for six years with the air force. One could tell Mary had mixed feelings about that! I asked Stephanie why she joined up - out of love of flying or patriotism or what? And she said she had always wanted to fly and loved doing so.
We went into the garage where there was an old Buelle motorcycle and also an airplane partially built. It was George's (Mary's husband) workshop before he got too sick to be at home.
I had a conversation with Dave, who works from the house, and hopes he'll be able to continue doing so despite some job situation changes. We talked about what it was like to own a business as opposed to working for one. I said that there were many plusses and minuses about being the boss, but the absolute worst part was that when something went wrong…. there was no one else to blame!!
Shortly, we hopped into the Jag and headed to a country club near town, and Mary treated me to a delicious salad. The view from the seats was spectacular of many miles of rolling far away hills, green trees, and blue sky. I noted a bunch of new construction projects even out here in the rural area. Big houses, expensive mansions, most already in foreclosure said Mary, were also sprouting like mushrooms on the mountainsides.
We then went to the nursing home where Mary's husband, George, is living for the time being. Mary and I strolled arm and arm into the place, and she delighted in walking through the halls with the younger guy on her arm. I had a big wide smile on my face. George, despite his multitude of problems, still has a twinkle in his eye beaming up from the wheelchair. And this beam is even stronger when talking about his old motorcycles, airplanes, and such things. He seemed to enjoy hearing about my trip. The guy is battling cancer, a hernia problem which has produced an alien-ish protrusion in his belly, and leg bone problem which has produced one leg about 10-inches shorter than the other. Still, he's clearly a fighter, and is working hard at rehab. I give him credit.
Mary loves motorcycles, too. George had a few and would take her on rides. One time though he passed when he shouldn't have, and that scared her. So she wouldn't ride with him, and so she went out and learned how to ride one herself. Got a Honda 500 she did. And she enjoyed the riding for many years. As she would talk about it, I could see the distant look in her eye - a look that shimmered with memories, wishes, and far off places. And to me, that combining with the problematic shape George is in, reinforced my conviction that people just MUST do things while they CAN do them. And not put anything off…
On the ride back from the nursing home in the Jaguar, I wondered about the weather, and we both looked up, and Mary drew on one of her many wonderful descriptive expressions, “It's not gonna rain if there's enough blue in the sky to make a Dutchman's pants.” I retorted with, “Yeah, but how big is the Dutchman??”
We got out of the Jaguar in the sloping driveway, and Mary noted somewhat proudly about the fact that we made it back with, “Well, we beat the statistics yet again…..”
After I got the picture of the 'Shalom' sign on Mary's door… I said sheepishly, “I guess there's not a big Jewish population here in Fincastle…” Mary with a shine in her eye and a droll sound in her voice replied, “Not to my knowledge…. one in town at the moment.” That was one of many smiles this wonderful lady prompted onto my face during our time together. Clearly a lady who embraces life to the fullest, and a character, to boot, I wish we lived closer.
We didn't have time for her planned motorcycle ride with me, and that was somewhat disappointing. But we said our good-byes, and I headed across the little town to the big highway. Stopped at one local gas station and stood blankly on my bike by the pump - sort of stupidly perplexed by the fact there was no place to put a credit card. ( I was reminded of the story of two thieves, after serving long sentences in jail, who were foiled in their escape in a stolen car because they didn't KNOW about the modern pumps needing credit cards!)
The Blue Ridge Parkway signs were beckoning me like Sirens from the side of the road for most of today. I have such good memories of bicycle rides along those peaks - especially the Philly to Dallas 2,000 miles ride!!!!
Crossed into North Carolina around 4:30pm. Stopped at the Welcome Center, and checked out the ad circulars there for motels. This, by-the-way, is the best way to find the lowest price for a room for a night. Those coupons take a big chunk out of the fee. It's less than AAA fee or any other specials - often by a LOT.
I took out the computer and got instantly on-line with the VZ wireless device, and answered a few emails while munching on the hummus sandwich and the soy cheese sandwich that Mike had so kindly made for me this morning. They were scrumptious and helped me through the rest of the day.
It was mostly straight highway riding this day on the big interstates. Some motorcyclists like what is referred to as 'twisties' like the curvy roads going up and down mountains. Not me. Give me straight road any day! It was a fabulous day on the bike. Even after the 300+ miles I just didn't want to get out of the saddle.
Rolled into Hickory and wasn't sure at which motel to stay, but the Days Inn looked much more attractive from the outside than the Ramada just across the street, and so I thumped up to the office door. The large man with the kindly face behind the counter had an accent of some odd kind and a speech impediment and so was very hard to understand. He gave me a few rags that I requested to clean off the squished remains of the numerous flying things that gave up their life smashing into my windshield. (Guess the fellow figured it was better than me using the room washcloths!)
After getting the gear into the room, I strolled across the highway for a bag of chips and apple juice at the convenience store. Then went to the nearby Wendy's for a potato, a salad, and a lemonade. Brought them all back to the room, and while taking care of the day's accumulated emails, greedily gobbled most of it down.
I went on-line and paid my Pennsylvania sales tax (ugh!), had a nice Skype session with Ellie catching up on the day's news from her neck of the woods, and im'ed a bit with my sister Lil.
After a shave and shower, worked on these journal pages until a bit too late, and then, not able to keep my eyes open a second longer, fell to sleep in the cool room.
(To view many of the photos associated with the trip, check out
http://www.photostockplus.com/home.php?tmpl=45&user_id=42473&event=196141)
