July 21, 1999- Outside Charlottesville, VA

Starting Mileage - 46574

We awoke to a light misty rain. We have plans to do some hiking in the Shenandoah NP. I hope this doesn't interfere. I need to use my stick occasionally. I have decided to put on a couple of additional coats of Verathane on it as soon as I can. We also got a backpack so we could carry our "stuff" that we usually forget to take with us - camera, binoculars, insect repellent, hats, water, snacks, etc. I'm ready to walk.

It was so foggy on top of the ridge that we couldn't even see the signs to point us to the parkway. Instead we drove over to the other side and followed our favorite road Rt 11 (the Lee-Jackson Highway) through the little towns (all old) up the Shenandoah Valley. The drought has definitely effected the area. It finally looks like dry; there are some parched hillsides and brownish fields. The locals are unhappy. To us it seems like it rains every day, but what do we know?

Too much rain and fog. We didn't walk.

Kind of a gloomy day. Deb's not feeling well and slept badly so we didn't drive too far. We're at a very nice Campground in Winchester, VA. We stopped around noon, went for a swim in the pool, and then walked around town for a bit. The town was founded in 17-Thirtysomething, and there were a lot of great old buildings to see. We also saw a Civil War exhibit at the town visitor center. It was pretty good considering the size of the town.

There is a nice breeze this evening and no bugs, so we have the doors open to catch the wind. Our eternal temperature is in the mid-70s and very comfortable. Am I getting used to the humidity?

We looked at a bunch of house brochures. You sure get a lot more for your money. We haven't looked at the job market though. I really liked the area outside of Charlottesville just off the Blue Ridge. Bob is still hung up on being close to an ocean.

One thing that has surprised us is the lack of campgrounds. Many towns have no facilities other than motel for the traveler. One town that wasn't really small, but it was small, had no motels even. Is it so close to Washington that they only get day visitors? It is so very scenic that we thought there would be facilities everywhere. And when we find campgrounds, they are not full. Do all the locals go to the beaches for the summer? We haven't been there yet.

July 22 Winchester, VA

Starting Mileage - 46707

We did a 45-mile ride today. We rode part of the W&OD (Washington & Old Dominion) Rails to Trails Route. It was a beautiful route through some beautiful Virginia countryside and towns. Almost killed us. The temperature and humidity were deadly. I thought Deb was going to heat up and explode. She wasn't a happy camper on the last ten miles. Not only that, but she fell down in the middle of an intersection in Leesburg. Why does she always fall in front of an audience? She had traffic stopped in both directions.

It's those damn clips again. I forget and go to put my foot down, but didn't release in time. Every time I have fallen I have been stopped. Luckily only a scrape on my elbow and 2 monster bruises in unviewable spots.

I know some people have seen me heat up and turn pink. That's why I quit wearing Bob's pink shirt, because it scared everyone else so much. This time I was so pink it was scary. And you don't cool in the humidity because it is all so wet. I doused my head, but I could barely feel it. I'm going to cut all my hair off.

I should note that along this impressively maintained trail we found the ultimate in bicycle rest areas. Not only did it have shaded tables, a telephone, soft drink machines, a water fountain with a dog dish chained to it, bike racks, a rack of maps and informational brochures, it had - believe it or not - an operating air hose to fill your tires. It was a rest area of the First Water. I was mightily impressed.

Since we had a day to kill before the start of our Cycle Across Maryland ride, I suggested we stop at Aunt Ethel's place for some free food and lodging and do a quick, one-day visit to ONC (Our Nation's Capital) on Friday. Aunt Ethel is not really a blood relative, but she's known me since I was an embryo so never try to convince either one of us that we aren't thicker than blood.

She's a great person, and the "Smith Motel" is known far and wide for its outstanding hospitality.

July 23 - Washington, DC

Ethel dropped us off at the Metro station for the ride to the capitol. Clean, fast, quiet system. Cheap ($2.15 to get to town from way out). No driving into the city. No parking worries.

I had no idea all the monuments, the reflective ponds, The White House, the judiciary and legislative buildings were all so big and so far apart. Bob had said we'd be walking a bunch, but I had no idea!

We got off the metro at the newly remodeled Union Station. It was magnificent. They did a glorious job refurbishing the structure. Beautiful marble and woodwork. Then we started to walk. Our first surprise was the lack of tourists and vehicles and bureaucrats on the streets. Maybe a couple of reasons: 1) Forecast temperatures in the high 90s probably kept the smart ones inside 2) both houses of Congress were out of session (Friday--they all fly home)

We wanted to get tickets for the Senate. It took us about half an hour to find Diane Feinstein's office, and then we found out that neither the House nor the Senate was in session that day. So we stopped at the Supreme Court before visiting the Capital.

We did a whip-through of Capitol, stopped at National Archives for a 30-minute observance of documents, wandered by the White House, saw some monuments, and then I needed shade. The Holocaust Museum was close, so we chose it to spend the rest of the afternoon.

Deb seems to be forgetting something… While walking from the Lincoln Memorial to the Holocaust Museum we noticed that the street at the end of the reflecting pool was blocked off. There were police everywhere and also a bunch of burly men in dark suits with earphones standing around looking serious. They had quite a large area blocked off. Deb asked one of the cops what was going on. He told her that a helicopter was going to land. Hmmmm…

So we waited around. About ten minutes later two helicopters landed The first was full of guys in suits with big briefcases. The second was full of Chelsea Clinton and her dad. Apparently they had been at the Kennedy funeral that morning and were just getting home. We waved. They waved.

The Holocaust museum is a sobering place. If you're out for a real fun time, don't go there.

July 24 Leaving Washington, DC (Silver Springs)

Start Mileage 46793

Vinnie's internal temperature got up to 117F. The propane refrigerator couldn't keep up with it. I had to chuck a bunch of dairy products and turkey out today.

And I fear the refrigerator may have expired. Nothing will stay cold.

We wandered thru small Maryland towns today. Since it is so hot and forecast to remain so, we decided not to attempt the weeklong CAM (Cycle Across Maryland).

I think we're going to go visit my darling daughter, Sarah, on Sunday if she's going to be home and then proceed on up to Erie for some R&R for us and for Vinnie. After more than two months on the road, Vinnie needs a thorough inside and outside cleaning, a tune-up, a good tank flushing, and a general systems check. To say nothing of Bob and Deb who can appropriate my dear old mother's house for a week until she returns from the north pole where she's squandering my inheritance puttering about the north part of the globe on a Russian icebreaker.

Besides we miss the cat.

Did Gettysburg today. Another history lecture by our national park rangers. Some walking about and looking at a lot of memorial and gravestones. Can you believe we are still fighting wars today?

We headed west across the south of Pennsylvania. Pretty, steep little mountain ranges.

It's a Saturday night in July at a FAMILY campground. So many tykes in the pool that we dare not enter it after them. Little ones oblivious to traffic hazards whipping about with their bicycles. The campsites are pretty close together. The pond is covered in scum due to heat and lack of rain in these parts. But this is the first campground where people have been outside in the evening sitting and chatting with their friends. This weekend there was a special event "Christmas in July". RVs were covered in Xmas lights, some had reindeer statures and a couple were playing carols. Too weird.

July 25 Leaving Bedford, PA

Start Mileage 46971

We called Laurie, Bob's other daughter, to get Sarah's number. Laurie told us that Sarah was off for the weekend, so we got out the map and routed ourselves north to Erie.

Meadows and hardwood forest alternating with fields of corn. Wildflowers all along side the road. It's a lot greener up here and currently feels much less humid. Consequently most of the haze we saw the last couple of weeks is diminished.

In one section of the road we saw the picture of the Mennonite buggy. Sure enough we passed one a bit further down the road. Wherever the buggies are the roads are wide with a good shoulder. Bicyclists should keep this in mind when planning routes.

The west central section of Pennsylvania was very hilly. Steep up and downs, not long, but so many of them. The rivers (French, Clarion, and Allegheny) are clear and wide. Bob won't stop. We missed the Coal Museum in Windber. He wouldn't stop at the Johnston Flood Museum. He said it was too early on Sunday morning. We noted that the town of Duddsville has seen fit to change its name to Pleasantville. Then the final insult--he won't stop for the Sweet Corn Festival, which had as guest stars "Eddie and the Slovenes" and another noted guest entitled the "Cow Polka King". We have been following The Heritage Route, but I still know nothing about it, cause he won't stop.

We did note that locals pull over for fire trucks and ambulances here.

He wants to see the cat.

So we are in Erie now. Bob's sister, Margie, swooped in to hug her big brother.

Once she left, I went looking for Bob. Where could he be? In front of his mom's computer with the top torn off and installation disks all around him. He is happy again. A computer to fool with.

Ben, Bob's son, and his girlfriend, Sharon, came over to celebrate Ben's new job teaching physics in Cleveland. I had a difficult time in a new kitchen trying to find a cuttingboard and utensils. I kept running out to Vinnie to retrieve what I needed to cook. We had a dinner at a table.

July 26 Erie, PA

Morning coffee and TV news. We have been out of touch with current events. The cat could care less that we are here. She just wants her food.

The cat had better lighten up real soon now, or we'll be having Mother Bob's "Feline Surprise" for dinner.

After one night in his mom's house with room air conditioners and fans Bob is calling to find out how much central air would cost to install.

This woman will spend $17,000 to go to the North Pole to cool off, but she won't spend a few thousand to have central air installed. What's wrong with this picture? I hope it's not hereditary.

We bought a new sound card and printer for Bob's mom. They are installed. Vinnie has a tune-up and brake check scheduled for Thursday. The refrigerator man is booked until next week. We are going to test out the fridge again to see how cold it is getting and if it is really broke.

Deb also thought of using a picture of Fats (the cat we used to have which is now being cat-sat by my mother) as her screen background so we did that, too. Poor Mom! She can't quite figure out the computer itself yet, and now she has sound and a printer to fret about. The sound should run quietly in the background, but the printer will cause no end of grief. I keep getting her things she doesn't think she needs… The Cuisinart, the answering machine, the new phone, the computer, and the list goes on. This winter, when Deb and I move it, she's going to have to have a VCR, too. I'm sure it'll blink "12:00" for as long as it's here.

Bob went to the dentist to check out his temperature sensitive tooth. I watered the yard and did some weeding. Some exciting day! Oh yeah, I balanced the checkbook.

The fun just never stops. The excitement is leaving us breathless. My baby sister came down for dinner tonight. I had to bribe her with prawns to get her here. My sister has a waytoocool car. Her remote control has a button that starts the engine from 30 yards away. I asked Deb about getting this feature for Vinnie, but I got the "You buy one more gadget, and it's the end of your sex life." look - so I dropped the subject.

July 27, 1999

We made our first Disinformation T-Shirts this morning. The first has a picture of Ben Franklin in the center, "E=MC2" below and "Sir Isaac "Fig" Newton" above it. It's quite fetching.

The second has a picture of The White House in the center, "Home of Thomas Jefferson" below and "Mount Vernon" above. I can't wait to wear them in public to see the reaction of the locals. How many of them have the wherewithal to challenge a T-Shirt? I, quite naturally, will play dumb. I think next I may start misspelling words, too. These kinds of things fill me with a great happiness and certainly make life worth living.

Another exciting day of errands. Finally got some good leveling blocks for the van. There's suddenly a shortage of refrigerators for RVs. I think it's due to the nation-wide heatwave we're having. Refrigerators are blowing up all over the place. If we need a new one, we can't get one until August 10^th or so. Right now ours is marginal. It may be OK, and it may not. It will freeze water, but the refrigerator compartment doesn't get cold enough. We're testing it now.

I checked out some local bicycle web sites this morning and discovered a local group rides on Tuesday evenings (that's today). It is very hot this afternoon and Bob is not excited about my planned ride, but he's going. Once we are on the road it is much cooler with the afternoon breeze and quite pleasant outside (much cooler than it was in the house).

It's a couple of miles down to the ride start and there were six riders just leaving as we arrived. They welcomed us and said we could join them on their leisurely jaunt and then they bolted. We were keeping up, but this is a scenic area on Presque Isle and I couldn't see anything cause I was watching the road, so we let them glide ahead. Then Bob and I slowed to a comfortable 15mph and started checking out the peninsula. I felt rejuvenated after our evening ride.

End of Week 11