51 miles
This was a somewhat rough day that didn't really go as planned. I had planned on making it a very short rest day but a couple snafus made it a bit longer.
Leaving Wytheville the traffic was a bit heavy but the views along the road were very nice.
Shortly after passing through Max Meadows (below) the transam route started to parallel a noisy freeway. Unfortunately I screwed up on my map reading and went about 2 miles in the wrong direction, adding to the time spent next to the freeway.
A bit before Draper I ran into a group of four cyclists on road bikes. One of them was a bit jealous of my trip and we talked for a while during a stop at a restaurant/store in Draper. The heat that day must have fried my brain since I can no longer remember his name. He gave me directions to a great restaurant near the campground that I was planning to stay at.
Draper restaurant/store:
I took another wrong turn in the next town (Newburn). It didn't add any miles but it did take me about 10 minutes of consulting my maps and the navigation app on my phone to sort it out. While I was staring at my maps a police officer stopped to see if he could help and also to question my sanity for being out bicycling in the heat.
After a great meal at a restaurant near Claytor Lake State campground where I planned to stay I headed in to find a site. It turned out that no sites were available. Nor were any available at the private campgrounds nearby. A clerk at the private campground said there was another campground in Radford, about 12 miles further on. With a stomach full of a beer and more food than I had intended to cycle on I headed on to Radford.
The river near Radford was very nice but I was unable to locate the campground the clerk mentioned and nobody I spoke with in town had heard of it. Since there were no other campgrounds or hostels until Troutville, an entire day of riding away, I ended up checking into a motel.
Highway 11 bridge over New River in Radford:
View from the bridge of a few people in inner tubes and rafts floating downstream:
Tom, I am the jealous cyclist you met in Draper, VA. I finally found your blog. After reading it I am even more jealous. It sounds like you had an amazing journey. Congratulations on completing such a major accomplishment. I am glad you enjoyed the restaurant I recommend.
ReplyDeleteRob K.