Day Ten: Goodbye Eastern Shores, Hello Old Friends!

Distance: 34 miles

Song of the Day: Son Volt — I’ve Got to Know

Disclaimer: We became so wrapped up in living room adventures with Donna, Paul and Maggie (Maggie 2 yrs old) and I didn’t have much time to blog today. Maggie needed help repairing a giant robot (glug-glugs and bloop-bloops were awry) and Donna’s Budae Jjigae kept us at table for over an hour. WE LOVE THESE PEOPLE!

8AM: Diner waitress oversold Holiday Inn breakfast, warm food wasn’t appetizing or ever particularly safe to eat, so we stuck to fruits, cereals, yoghurt and soy milk.

Stretch and run a ‘flight check’ outside Holiday Inn, meet Frank and Elmira who go bezerk over our trip. As we acclimate to “lifestyle” things have begun to normalize, but still rejuvinating to observe excitement generated among those who don’t conceive a 4,500 mile bicycle adventure as a practical option. Elmira insists on embracing Lizzie. Everyone feels awesome.

Steered clear of Route 13 all day. Stuck to 600 backroads and shot all the way down to Chesapeake Bay Bridge. Roads and weather were phemenal for riding thoughout day, despite gloomy, overcast sky. Son Volt’s A Retrospective: 1995 — 2000 was a perfect accompaniment served over up bluetooth speaker on my bike but pointed back to Lizzie’s (I rode in the lead today.)

When a passing car becomes a noteworthy event, you’ve hit deep country.

I love the straight planed pines on the tree farms.

Hit the Virginia State Nature Reserves on tip of shore, stop at visitor center to chat with retired local about happenings about town and finish our coffees. Check the weather — still nasty but it’s working for us, very little rain today so, you know, I don’t need no weatherman to tell me ‘bout the weather…

Cockpit view

We didn’t believe it until we saw it but internet bike tourism fables from the internet circa 2008 still true: there actually is a state employee who can call to request an ad-hoc lift across the Chesapeake. Evidence below:

Pickup truck towed us over Chesapeake Bay Bridge. We hit a state vending machine and picked up great snacks for $0.50 apiece before tossing bikes & bags in the truck.

Short jaunt from bridge dropoff to Paul’s house in Virginia Beach:

Zip over to Afghani food at Mezari Kebab in Paul’s car — utterly delicious. Lizzie practically licks her plate:

Maggie did an excellent job eating her dip code in the car sit later. She was particularly excited that mommy “gave her the first lick.”

Too exhausted and satiated with Paul and Donna revelry to blog any more. Photo bomb:

Maggie, two years old, already knows where to find the email button!

Paul: “Kyle is a terrible person”

Maggie: “I’m a terrible baby!”

(Laughter, then a lull)

Kyle: “Not much to say after that…”

Maggie: “You can’t say nothing!”