Day #68 October 17, 2007

Day #68
Wednesday October 17, 2007
Waynesboro, VA to Meadows of Dan, VA
226 beautiful miles today (27,407 - 27,633)
13,166 miles total
34 states total (+Wash DC & Canada)

I got up about 5AM so I could do more than 122 miles today. Here it is at 6:45, I am sitting in the local greasy spoon, Weasie’s Kitchen. All your local “old timers” are here. The sun is just beginning to lighten up the sky behind the mountains that I rode on yesterday. I can see them from the table where I am sitting. I’m looking forward to another beautiful day.

5:30 PM
I have ridden over 178 miles of the Blue Ridge Parkway today. I can remember all the way back to Day #9, which was August 1st, when I rode the Chief Joseph Highway (WY state route 296) which goes from the NE entrance of Yellowstone Nat’l Park to Cody, WY. I thought IT was beautiful! I think I have found its competitor. I often caught myself actually saying out loud “Whoa!” as I rounded a curve, or climbed the hill, or pulled into an overlook turnout. The trees, it’s as if some of them were SHOUTING with their colors. Some just popped! The mountains and hills, some far off in the distance, were peppered with reds, oranges, yellows and every shade in between. Today, the Blue Ridge Mountains were like a carpet, all woven together to create a fantastic tapestry. And today, God was the weaver, and I got to observe His weaving. “Wow!” is all I can say.

Early this morning, I stopped after breakfast at a wayside picnic area. You had to drive off the main parkway 100 yards. The grounds were laid out in a large loop. In the center was a pair of restrooms. Scattered throughout the grounds, arranged around the loop were picnic tables and parking spaces. This must have been about 8AM. It was still, quiet and very peaceful. Squirrels were all over the ground. The leaves were crunching under their feet. Then I saw the deer. I had already seen 3 right on the road earlier, but I probably saw 12 here in the picnic area. I counted 4 fawns. One young buck stood between me and the bathrooms for over a minute. He was frozen in place, standing broadside to me, with his head turned back just staring me down. I watched, moved as little as possible, and snapped off a couple of pictures before he bounded away.

The ride today WAS better than the ride yesterday, just as John and MJ said it would be. I couldn’t believe it. And I’ve already heard from a local, that it gets only better as I get into North Carolina. How can it?! At one point I got behind a motorhome. As it approached a turnout to let me by, I saw their tags were OREGON! So instead of passing, I pulled along side and asked where in Oregon. Albany, OR is their home and they were on their way to New Orleans I believe. Amazing that on the Blue Ridge Parkway I would meet someone from that close to home.

Tonight I am camped at a motorcycle only campground. There is only me and one other couple here. They are from somewhere in NC, and are camped for 4 days, just to ride and see the sites. They are up here nearly every weekend he told me. There is a big pavilion in the campground, that looks nearly new, which has 2 cast bronze plaques, a large perpetual plaque, and large oval shaped portrait of a guy on a motorcycle. They are all in honor and memory of the man in the photo, but I don’t know what the story is behind it all. I hope I can find out before I go tomorrow. Also, the owner of the campground, his sister and her husband are here visiting, and they are from Seattle, WA. Another NW connection.

It has been an absolutely fantastic day of riding today…but rain is in the forecast for tomorrow sometime. We shall see. “Into every life, a little rain must fall.”