Radford to Wytheville, VA ( pron. with-ville) Saturday May 30, 2015

Saturday May 30, 2015  Stayed at the Comfort Inn in Radford last night.  There was a Track team, boys and girls staying in the motel.  They are competing in Regionals this weekend.  They were having a good time and making noise as you would expect from teenagers.  When I started to go to bed I asked them if they would tone it down over the next 30 minutes because I needed my rest.  They were very polite and respectful and complied with my request.

 Kelly Barker told me I should write a book or call National Geographic.  He is one positive thinking man

 Met Nancy and Jenny and their husbands at the motel.  They are working on their husbands bucket list.  And that is to visit all the Major League Baseball Parks and see a game.  This summer they are going to the west coast parks,  including the Diamondbacks and get those scratched off their list.  I think is was Nancy, unless I have their names mixed up, who told me of her friend who rode coast to coast to raise awareness of cancer. 

 Redford University

 As this picture is being taken the chimes on the clock tower at Radford University are ringing out Ten o'clock.  Can't you hear them?

 New River that flows thru Radford

 Some real red farm buildings

 The Old Wood Shed

 Go West old man, go West

 This is a real Club Sandwich with Clam Chowder soup.  Half ended up being lunch and half was dinner

 This man overheard my conversation with another couple and wanted my card with my blog.  Sorry his name slipped my mind before I made a note of it.  He wants to start riding a bicycle

Meet Clarence Ramsey.  He stopped in the middle of the street at an intersection and asked if I had a few minutes to talk to him. Sure, I said.  He got out of his car and we started talking as he was motioning cars around his car.  After about 20 minutes of conversation he told me that I was the first biker that ever stopped and talked to him.  He said they are always in a hurry. He was reluctant when I asked if I could take a picture of us together.  I asked if he was trying to hide from someone, and he said no.  He said "where do you want me to stand?"  I said "right over here by me",  and I grabbed his arm and pulled him over next to me.  I was still standing astraddle my bike.  We parted after the picture and he drove on past me down the road.   A couple miles later was a convenience mart that I was going to pull in and get something cold to drink.  There's Clarence sitting is his car in the entrance to the mart and he hands me two ice cold bottles of water and says, "I just read your card and I ain''t never had anybody with your education or money, now I don't know what your financial situation is and I don't want to know, take the time to stop and talk to an old country boy like me.  You have really made my day."  Needless to say he made my day and quenched by thirst.

 These guys and gals stared me down

This one I am walking up

Catawba to Radford, VA May 29, 2015

Friday May 29. 2015  Woke up at the barn this morning and was greeted with foggy weather.  It didn't take long for it to burn off.
   

Met John Oen today.  He stopped his truck and offered me a ride but I turned him down.  We had a great visit.  His parents, Dean and Carol, winter in Mesa and live in Sunland Village.  He gave me his card and his parents address in Mesa.  I'll stop and meet them next winter.

 Landscape shot

 No traffic lines but few cars

 This building could probably tell a few good stories

 Countryside shot

 Shades of green

 Farm setting

 Here's a typical roof shape on a barn with accompanying silos

 Notice the man starting to sit down on the side porch.  He stopped and talked to me when I got into Radford.  He said I had taken a picture of his home and I told him he had a very beautiful home.  Then he said this was the third time he had seen me today and he wanted to stop and meet me.  His name was Leonard.

 Old silos make a good climbing wall for vines

 Major remodeling project taking place on this barn

 Gave my hoss a little rest while I took some pictures

 A runaway millipede

John One whom I mentioned above

Troutville to Catawba, VA May 28, 2015

Thursday May 28, 2015  This is the morning I missed the phone calls from the reporter.  Didn't leave Troutville until 10:30 a.m. When I checked my mirror I didn't see my flags waving behind me.  So I turned around and went back to the motel and got my flagpole.
     The climb up to Catawba was wicked. I literally had to walk and push my bicycle the last 3 to 4 miles. No motels in Catawba, but they do have a very nice restaurant called the Homeplace Restaurant. They only serve dinner Family style. There was more food than I could eat, believe it or not. All the sides were in a separate dish and you just fill your plate from the side dishes.
     However, in Catawba, there is a hostel. I didn't know what this was but I sure found out. The people that run the hostel picked me up at the restaurant and took me to the hostel. There were about 30 hikers already housed in the garage that makes up the hostel. This hostel is right along the Appalachian Trail. He said I can sleep on the grass, but rain was forecast during the night. Or, I can sleep in the barn. It is an old, old barn with chickens nesting in it. I chose the barn. At least I had my privacy.

 The famed Appalachian Hiking Trail

 Here's the trail going into the forest on one side of the highway

 Here's the trail going into the forest onthe other side of the highway

The Homeplace Restaurant

 My accommodations for the night.  

 Rear entry

 View from my room

 Other residents realizing that I'm there for the night, so they'll just leave.  But they did return to check me out some more

 My bed

 The first ingredients for Egg Nog

Either she's nesting those eggs or she's getting ready to lay another one.  I didn't hang around to count

Lynchburg to Troutville, VA May 27, 2015

Wednesday: May 27. 2015  I stopped at the Roadside Market in Montvale, Virginia to get some refreshment. As I walked up to the counter to pay for my purchase a lady stepped up to me and handed me a $10 bill and gave me a big hug and turned around and walked out. I told her I didn't need this but she said that she wanted to give it to me.
     Rachel, the cashier, was very helpful in giving me directions to Troutville where there were several motels to choose from.  Troutville is where I could connect with my original route.  I had taken a couple of shortcuts to cut off some miles.  I arrived in Troutville at about 8 PM and the clerk at the desk at the comfort in quoted me a price of $99.  I asked if there was an AARP discount and she said yes that'll make it $79.  Then she asked if I was a hiker. I told her that I was a biker but I have been doing a lot of hiking pushing that bicycle and trailer up the steep mountain grades.  She said that qualifies you as a hiker, and then she quoted me a price of $49. So my room came with a 50% discount. Didn't realize that I was such a wheeler and dealer.
     Met Ron Brown in the same market. He asked me if I was getting any publicity for this ride and I said no. He says, well you need some. A few minutes later while I was outside drinking my soda he handed me his telephone and said, I've got the newspaper guy on the phone he wants to talk to you.  I talk to the editor he said he like to do  a human interest story and that he would assign a reporter to contact me in the morning before I leave the motel and interview me for the Roanoke newspaper. Well, I waited for the call the next morning and I did not hear the phone ring. The reporter had called me twice but my ringer was turned down on low volume and I didn't hear it and he did not leave a contact number and "No Caller ID" showed on my phone. Well, that would've been interesting,
 but a missed opportunity.

 Vickie and Rachel who really helped me get to Troutville

 Ron Brown who tried to get me some publicity in the local newspaper

Lynchburg, the home of Liberty University.  This may be the school associated with Jerry Fallwell 

 Clouds hanging over the Appalachians 

More clouds over the Appalachians

Lovingston to Lynchburg, VA May 26, 2015

Tuesday May 26, 2015.  My breakfast was warmed up spaghetti and meatballs left over from last night.  I wanted to get to the FedEx store in Lynchburg by  7 PM so I can send homes some excess baggage. I got there at 6:45 PM and was their last customer. It was tough navigating through the streets of Lynchburg because the streets reminded me so much about San Francisco. Very steep.

View from my motel room.  The black bag on top of the yellow bag was shipped home as excess baggage.

Roadside scenery

Hey is baled in rolls

Looks like they have their own fishing pond right outside their door

Amherst cemetery

Home along Main Street in Amherst

Another home along Main Street in Amherst

Another one

Meet 83 year old Billy White. I stopped for lunch at Hardee's and he asked if he could join me for lunch. So we had lunch together.  He was telling me about his nephew who was a pole vaulter who got a dog that was a black lab and a pit bull mix. He named the dog Boubka, after the Russian pole vaulter.  The dog is about 15 years old and was in bad health. The nephew gave the dog to Billy. Billy took the dog to the vet. Some people commented that the dog would never make it back home alive. The vet told Billy to just leave the dog with him for a few days. In a few days the vet returned the dog to Billy and the dog seemed very healthy, like there was nothing wrong with him. Billy marveled at the recovery of the dog and then he asked the vet, "Will you be my doctor"?

Another fine home on the way to Lynchburg

And another one

My first few Lynchburg, VA

One of the streets in Lynchburg that reminds me of San Francisco it is so steep