Friday on the road (Holston -> Marion VA)

We chose to continue on River Road Friday morning, and climb back to US 11 later, rather than backtrack and climb right away up US 19. Our ride on the river road was sweet, though punctuated by tire problems, and our climb up Hayter's Gap was old fashioned work. A beautiful road that took us up from the Holston River over into a lovely valley full of cattle and homes, but a climb that took the tuck out of us. Past Meadowview we rejoined US 11 and headed toward Chilhowie for lunch and laundry. There we met Steve Fulks, an Oklahoman cross country cyclist riding from Oregon to Yorktown, VA along the Adventure Cycling Transamerica Route. Seated on a fully faired recumbent and pulling a two wheeled Burley trailer, his white beard sharpened by his browned road patina and sparkling attitude, he was eager to hear, and praise, our kids' work. Later in the day we met again, at the Subway up in Marion, where we shared more stories and he asked more questions. Please go read his journal at " www.grandpalosthismind.com " He became our road hero fast. Hungry Mother State Park was chock full tonight (a Friday night on a Fourth of July week), so we are forced into an EconoLodge, and the special "two footlongs for 9.99 deal" at Subway, which, by the way, should be an official sponsor. We love it! Today was 41 miles and it felt sluggish. Tomorrow we're hoping to put the flat gods behind us and rip off some miles in the morning. We'll slide by Wytheville and the intersection of I-64 and I-81 late morning, fly into Pulaski and the "Wilderness Road Museum" early afternoon, slip past Radford to Claytor Lake State Park. The weekend crush on campgrounds may hurt us again, so we'll be creative (and not call ahead!). The kids are great, the land is lovely (and they know it), and the peoople we meet nicer (they know that too).
--PJClements