Final Leg of Grand Tour,
&
Why you never want
to go riding with me!

August 9^th, 2006

muse@bikerenews.com

This past weekend, I had a very simple plan. Get up on Friday and finish the last five stops on the HROT's Virginia Grand Tour. It was suppose to be an easy ride up to Middle Neck, over to Fredericksburg and Culpepper, south on US-15 (a couple of side trips on US-60), and head home on US-460. Once again, that was the plan.

Well the short version is that I made all five stops. I left on Friday and returned on Sunday. The trip was 1,200 miles. WHAT? The plan I described above is basically a 50-mile radius around Richmond. How in the heck could I end up traveling 1,200 miles? Again, the short answer is that's what I do.

The first indication that this would not be a typical bike trip was on Friday. Instead of mounting up Friday morning, I needed to get a few chores out of the way. After my domestic duties were completed, I decided that a nap was in order. First character flaw - I start when I feel like it.

Well I got on the road at 11:00. As I was heading for I-64, a local bank's sign let me know that it was already 97 degrees. I figured what the heck, some days the wind chill factor works against you and some days it works for you.

Approaching the North Hampton ramp to I-64, I was lucky to learn from the warning sign that the HRBT was backed up with 20-30 minute delays. I quickly adjusted lanes and headed for I-664. I followed I-664 up to Newport News and got off the interstate at US-17.

Once again this is where checking off roads that I travel gets in the way of riding from point A to point B. I could have gotten to my first destination by riding up US-17 to VA-33 and over to VA-14. But I would not have been able to ride the last section of VA-33 that I hadn't ridden. So, I got off US-17 in Gloucester (on VA-14 / 3) with the intent to ride it up to VA-33. Unfortunately, I missed the turn onto VA-3 west and ended up in Bavon (Located on the Bay). Second character flaw - I get lost.

I back tracked my way to VA-3, rode it up to VA-33, followed it east to Stingray point, turned around, rode until I found VA-14 north, and found Stevensville. At this stop (which is two abandoned buildings) I was checking out my route to the next stop, when I heard a car stop and a voice say, "You can't get there from here." I looked up and saw a grinning State Trooper. He asked where I was headed, and I told him "believe it or not, I am where I'm supposed to be." I explained about the tour, and before I could tell him the question I had to answer, he pointed to the two different gas signs on the abandon buildings and told me that people come looking for those. I thanked him for stopping, and he told me to be careful. Again, I like nice people.

I then rode up VA-14 to US-360. Instead of turning west and heading for Culpepper the fastest way, I turned east so I could pick up VA-3 and ride to Culpepper. Third character flaw - I head east to go west.

Well VA-3 was pretty uneventful, unless you call riding through Fredericksburg at 5:30 PM in 99-degree heat exciting. The smartest thing I did was to apply sun block a couple of times during the day. At every gas station, I was sucking down water like it was free beer at a NASCAR race.

My plan was to ride to Culpepper take US-29 down to the stop west of Madison, a small Mercantile Store in Syria, and ride back up to Culpepper to US-15. Let me state for the record, that the ride down to Madison and certainly the side road to Syria was the best of the day's ride. When I hit the asphalt with no markings and the trees covered the road, the temperatures dropped and sidewalls got a workout.

As I was making my way back to US-29 from Syria, a thought (that's right - a thought) came into my head. I could ride US-29 south and that would finish up that road on my travel map. Besides, I figured US-15 is closer to Virginia Beach when I decide to finish up that road. Fourth character flaw - I change my mind in the middle of the trip.

So, I headed south on US-29. It was getting late, but I figured I could make it to the next stop, Michie's Traven in Charlottesville, before the night engulfed me. As you can see from the picture, I was cutting it close. I then headed back to US-29 south determined to squeeze a couple more miles out of the remaining twilight.

My hope was to make it to Amherst, where US-60 intersects US-29. The next stop was located off of US-60. On the way to Amherst, I was reminded of why I do not like traveling at night. I was moving along at about 60 mph when I noticed a car starting to pass me in the second lane. I slid over to the right side of my lane. As I watched the car pass me, I looked back down the road and coming into my headlight on the side of the road was an adult doe. The only thing I could think to do was give a machinegun tap dance on my horn. The deer looked up and bolted back into the trees. I rode the rest of the way to Amherst, with my heart in my throat.

Just off of US-29 on US-60 I found a McDonald's and the Amherst Inn. It was time to call it a night. After the high temps, the Bambi Terrorist, and 475 miles, I was done for the day.

Next article will wrap up the Virginia Grand Tour and convince you to never go riding with the Purple Bike Bum.

Ride Safe (Especially those Red Knights out in Sturgis)

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