Shenandoah Valley; Fill Her Up; A Less Than Mellow Ride; Escaped Ax Murderers? Tennessee!

Good thing we didn’t take The Bus on this narrow bridge over the Shenandoah River near our campground.  This is typical of rural bridges connecting small communities in the Shenandoah Valley. Major four lane bridges can be 20 miles away, but might be the only access when the river is running high in Spring. Canoeists and kayakers have to portage (carry their boats) around these bridges or risk entrapment and serious injury or drowning. 

These photos illustrate the blue haze that usually hangs over the mountains of Virginia. The Blue Ridge Mountains are beloved to hikers, cyclists, equestrians, and leaf-peepers. We were too early for peeping, since mid-October usually finds the fall colors in prime display. 

Once on I-81, we needed to refuel, since we had avoided topping off our diesel tank due to the outrageous prices in New York State (up to $4.45/gal, compared to $3.89 in Northern Virginia). It was also a good opportunity to check tire inflation, which is 115 psi, as compared to an automobile’s 30-32 psi (we have two tires on the front axle and four on the rear; the back tires are called “dualies” because there are two on each side). Here is The Bus with some of her cousins in the Pilot Truck Stop. 76 gallons later the tank was full (it holds 100 gals) and my wallet was $300.00 lighter. Ouch! 

We decided to break up our 330 mile day with a bike ride at Carvins Cove Natural Reserve outside Salem, Virginia. The one and a quarter lane wide road in was more than a bit challenging, very steep and narrow since we had the full rig of bus and tow car. Yes, Bob, I cleverly had Suzanne driving this section; this shot is of the easy part just before the overhanging trees and switchbacks... 

The young kid on the phone at the mountain bike shop said that this ride was “not very aerobically challenging”... well, either he is another 16 year old punk who was setting up his elders or has never ridden the trail we rode. This wasn’t a Mellow Ride, it was HARD! Here is Your Correspondent trying to catch his breath while his Lovely Bride has hardly broken a sweat. 

It wasn’t like Suzanne was trying to push me to exhaustion, because I thought I heard her gasping for breath as well, but I ask you, does this woman look tired? No! 

We headed back to The Bus and met a local paddler, Jim, getting ready to launch his beautiful kayak. We told him about our week-long trip to Barkley Sound in British Columbia, and paddling with orcas, and by coincidence, that trip is on his bucket list. I think our raving about it convinced him that he has to go kayaking in BC sooner rather than later.  

While I was showering (Ah, the joy of traveling with your own bathroom), Suzanne met a group of escaped ax murderers. (Well, it makes for a good headline, don’t you think? As journalists often say, “Never let facts get in the way of a good story!”) Actually, they were a group of “old guys” and high school kids, all volunteers, who were creating a new hiking trail where there are now just trees and thick underbrush.

It was a long day’s driving, and right at 1800 we pulled into the Kingsport, Tennessee, Wal-Mart parking lot. I opened a very palatable Chardonnay while Suzanne created fabulous crab cakes, a favorite recipe from her mom Ruthie. It’s tough being on the road...