Date: November 15, 2009
From: Wytheville, Virginia (pronounced with-ville)
To: Christiansburg,Virginia
Route: Followed route in morning. After lunch took Hwy. 11 to Christiansburg
Miles Today: 56 miles
TOTAL MILES: 3,454 miles
Top Speed on this trip: 54.1 mph
Weather: Sunny 70s
License Plates Collected: 5 Montana, 8 Wyoming (2 motorcycle) and 1 Idaho (found in WY), 2 Colorado, 1 Kansas (Gifted from David of Baldwin City), 1 Missouri (To be sent to Grammy’s by our new buddy, Kansas City firefighter Shawn), 1 Illinois, 4 Kentucky (2 Gifted from Beth and Garry Feltus, one gifted from cousin John, one from Hwy. 127), 1 Virginia
Flats: 10
Broken Spokes: 3
Cracked Rim: 1
This morning we got a terrific surprise when our new friends George and Will James showed up at our hotel at breakfast time. Will brought Gregory his school picture with his address and phone number on the back and a Wythe County Virginia pin for his collection. Meeting George and Will really made our stop in Wytheville something special. It was such a nice treat for Gregory to have someone his own age to play with.
The weather today was outstanding and the riding was pretty casual but unfortunately Mike was in a funk and was pretty shut down all day. This really put a damper on things for me and I kept trying to get him to tell me what was going on but he wasn't talking. I knew his teeth were aching but I also had a feeling there was more going on. Later I found out that part of it was our lack of alone time and I know we are both feeling a bit worn down and looking forward to achieving our goal. We both feel like Gregory is holding up better than we are!
Gregory found his first Virginia license plate today so that was pretty cool and he got to make some animal friends when we had a short stop at the Draper trail head for the New River Trail, a rails to trails that runs through this area. We were way overdue for lunch by the time we figured out how to get down off of our route and over to the services closer to the Interstate. I actually ended up flagging someone down to see if we could make a turn through a residential neighborhood to reach the Wendy's sign we could see in the distance. It is a good thing I did because Mike had hit the wall. He wasn't really talking but I knew he was frustrated and hungry.
We spent a good amount of time at Wendy's and used our gift card from our friends Blue and Craig to eat a big lunch including ice cream for dessert. Thanks guys! We talked with all the folks seated around us about our journey. As we get closer to the end, the reaction we get from people is one of astonishment at the miles we've accomplished and our time spent on the road. We just keep plugging away but we do take time to marvel at how far we've come, what we've seen and the people we've met.
On the way through Christiansburg we spotted a dentist office and took down the number on the sign. Once settled in our hotel Mike called and left a message in hopes of an appointment tomorrow. We think he might be having trouble with his root canal but the whole left side of his mouth is aching so it is hard to tell.
I have to mention that Gregory was quite proud of himself because he picked up a RoomSaver.com booklet at Wendy's with all sorts of discount coupons for Virginia hotels/motels. We first stopped at an Econo Lodge and the rate was right but after Gregory inspected the room he decided it didn't pass the "sniff test" and for Mike it was the bashed in door that sent us on our way to the other side of the Interstate. We were so pleased we moved on because for only $10.00 more we got an outstanding room at the Quality Inn. They made fresh baked cookies from 5-10 P.M. and had a huge continental breakfast in the morning.
The first thing I did when we got to the room was put a warm compress on my right eye. It has been bothering me for a couple of days now and I've developed some sort of sty on the edge and underside of my upper eyelid. It is almost like a blemish and I made the mistake of trying to pop it. Yeowwww! It bled a bit and I had to keep the compress on for some time. I'm wondering if I might need to see a doctor tomorrow as well… I took a power nap before dinner which can be both good and bad. I usually don't feel like getting up but I know I must fuel the engine so I force myself. Tonight I was really glad I did because dinner was a nice treat at the Cracker Barrel adjacent to the hotel. The food was delicious. (I had lemon-peppered trout and turnip greens with ham and lots of butter and vinegar) Gregory and I also had a great time looking around in their Country Store. We played with toys, sampled lotions, smelled holiday candles and just took pleasure in seeing all of the fun holiday goodies. Though I know the holidays are way too commercialized I still love the traditions that the holidays bring including listening to holiday music, baking cookies, trimming the tree and family gatherings.
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