Days 28 & 29 - Elkins, WV to Harrisonburg, VA to Ashland, VA

You would think after all this time I would have learned how to import pictures, but again, they are a little bit of a jumbled mess at the bottom - not in the order that I thought I put them in.

Yesterday - Saturday we rode from WV into VA!! We are almost there! Still can't believe it. We woke to cool temps and lots of misty fog. It was actually beautiful, just difficult to see with your sunglasses on. The sunrise was again, breathtaking as it climbed through the fog and tried to break the chill. (Yes, the chill, we have been so fortunate with the weather - the rest of the country is melting)
Today was another day of climbing - I think Lon said about 10 ridges. I kept waiting for the climbing to get 'really bad' so it never really seemed that awful. There were parts that did pitch up to a 10%+ grade but nothing crazy. We had a lot of 3-4 mile descents that I tried to do with confidence. About mid-way through the ride as we crested one of the climbs overlooking German Valley - I asked Lon - "OK, so is the descending we've done indicative of what I can expect for the remainder?". He said the last one is pretty tight and twisty with about 20 hairpin turns. "Holy Crap!" But as it turns out that having done 70% of my descents on wet or rainy roads - I have built up some confidence and that last descent was killer! Dare I say that I even opened it up a little bit and let my bike have her way as we careened down the road. It was actually fun and I didn't even have the 'fear of death' on my mind! After the descent, Veronica and I rode through this tunnel of trees that was incredible! Brand new asphalt, a slight down hill so we picked up speeds of ~26mph for about 4 miles - sweet! Then we rode some rollers until we were about 2 miles from the hotel and get this - cruel and unusual punishment - a big steep climb short, but steep!
As I rode and climbed a lot - I had a lot of time to think - as you do when you ride - all day long everyday......Anyway, I realized that this trip has really helped me to relax and not worry so much about everything and everyone. I am always trying to 'fix' things - well NO MORE I say - I'm putting that aside, if someone needs my help by all means then I'll be there but no more am I going to try - they say insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results - well this will definitely be a change for me. I also thought about how very fortunate I am to be able to come on this trip - my awesome husband who totally supported me 100% from the very beginning (even though that meant we weren't going to the Tour de France this year) (Thanks Babe!) Also, work Sue, Susan and Matt - I can't tell you how much I appreciated the time! I have many others to thank too! (more on that in the after-post)
I know I talk about butterflies a lot, but seriously, they change from state to state - today it was the large black winged with a big blue bottom 'smudge' on it's wing. They are gorgeous and I love to watch them play.
We wound up having dinner at Ruby Tuesdays (again) but it was really good. Ann, Susan, Michelle, and Mark - poor Mark was stuck with the "girls" but he said he learned a lot. (Yeah, be afraid, be very afraid!)

Today - Sunday- Harrisonburg to Ashland
Today we road up to Skyline Drive (part of the Blue Ridge Parkway). It would be our final climb - sounds so strange doesn't it? I felt GREAT today! I didn't even sleep well last night. I kept it in my middle ring the whole way up - no granny! And got to the top and cruised down on the other side, this descent was killer because it was easier to see the turns in most cases - so look out I went over 35-40 mph going down - oh ya - I had to tell myself, "You Rock" a few times but decided I better not get too cocky - I could bite it at anytime!
I got to the stop and Paul was there and we took off and rode with Janae for a bit. Today's ride was gorgeous - so many trees everywhere and the views and smells were amazing. As we came up to the second stop we ran into Walt and Bob. So off we went on to the lunch stop - don't ask me why I was in such a hurry today - I didn't even know there was a pool at the hotel! Once at the lunch I told Micheal that I was going to catch him before we got to the hotel. At some point after lunch we(Paul, Scott, Walt) passed he and Tom while there were stopped. Paul said -see you passed him - well, that isn't what I wanted - so as they passed us later - Micheal gave chase and I had to pursue - I can't help it. It was a blast and eventually, the whole group came together and we all rode into the hotel together at a very good clip. It was cool to come in with one of the earlier groups - plus I got to spend some time in the pool with Roger, Micheal, Tom and Scott. I also went to dinner with some folks I hadn't gone out with before to a local place called the Laundromat - it was actually a little bistro and quite delish!!
Well, tomorrow is the final day were we all ride to a rendezvous point and then all ride to the water together. I'm not sure how I will feel about this tomorrow. I know I will be sad to see it come to an end and say goodbye to so many amazing and interesting people, but I also know that this is a dream of mine that I can say I have fulfilled. Life's passions are what keeps us all going isn't it? I will have obtained this one.

Saturday -
Virginia (last state - yeah! and boo-hoo)
This young girl that was dressed in 1800's clothes at the top of the climb - she said she liked to dress like that and wave at cars - plus she kept Tim J company at the rest stop

a little fawn I saw on the way

This was just hilariously WRONG - dare I say hillbilly yard art - he also had some eagle bird like thing but his cracked me up - yes that is a baby in the one hand and a stick with a skull on it in the other. I took it and got the heck outa there!

Top of one of the climbs - Germany Valley

Lon - at the rest stop - taking good care of us!! Look at that huge smile too!

Look at that big fat tree - this was a long a rural country road

We saw the Seneca Rocks - info if your interested

Does that bridge look safe too you?!

Morning mountain mist - top of the first climb of the day

Tweasles in the morning

Morning descent

Riders cresting a roller

Breakfast in the mist

Sunday
Dinner with Walt(OH), me, Jonathon (Australia), Tom (ID), Steve (PA), Roger (Germany), Craig(CA)

Look how far we've come!

Last rest stop of the day! Scott, Micheal, Tom, Paul, Dave, Jim

Montpelier & Bob

Civil War Re-enactment