Jeremiah Watt

I am very close to being done with this bike trip, and now details begin to play into the whole process., things like what roads thru a city like Norfolk, where to ship my bike from etc. But anyways let’s not get ahead of ourselves with it all.

I was up and riding, cold but riding, its just before 8am, and I have all my cloths on and still my toes are a hurting from the damp cold of the Atlantic Coast. I ride for a few miles and come to the Hungry Bear quick Stop into which I head for coffee and a biscuit to aid in the warming process. It’s a very welcome break, the toes were really stinging, and yet I had had even colder mornings than this………..the difference must be the humidity.

From there I head further east and ride the narrow back roads of coastal Virginia, logging would seem to rule in this area and you have to be aware of the fast moving log trucks here.

I stopped in Stoney Creek to see if there was a Library to which the answer was NO, but I was welcome to make use of the computer set up behind the counter at this tiny Pharmacy. I thanked the fellow and jumped on to get some names of bike shops and campgrounds in and around Norfolk area , with that done I could head on down the road. I was just leaving and getting my bike turned around when Billy Towlin came along on his scooter.

Billy was heading in for some medication, his health not being the best, he started having heart problems back when he was 39. Has now had 4 strokes, and two by pass surgeries, but thanks to great Doctors and the Love of the Lord says Billy, I am still here today. There was no mistaking the thankful heart that Billy had for the Lord, we stopped and Prayed together and Billy commented on the greatest generation on earth, that being the group of veterans whom fought in the second world war, and what a loss will be felt in this country when the last one passes away.

Billy genuinely feels a sense of urgency for the country given the attitude shown by the youngest teens in the USA today. There is no way to know what will come about, and I feel that the best youngsters in the world today are without doubt US kids, they do have a much different attitude towards our country than did thier grandparents.
I rode on from there to Homefield, to be honest the country was now getting just a tad boring since it was so flat, with much more Pine trees now than ever before, and logging was the largest source of income for this region. At Homefield, I would turn south and head towards Courtland, but before I got there I would go thru Littleton and Sebrell on my way to Highway 58,

Smithfield Virgina, not that I am in that town, but one of my stops relates to that specific town which derives its fame from the delicious smoked Hams that they make there. I stopped at a road side Hog Sale, there were many trucks lined up, all carrying hogs to this tiny local marketplace. While I stood around watching what was going on, I talked to Moore, a fellow in charge of moving the hogs down the alleys at this sale barn, and he told me that the best end of these hogs would go to Smithfield to the smokers in the region. It was a fun stop, mainly because I found out just how famous the Smithfield Hams indeed were, and have been for a long time. But also for the noisy distraction that the hogs added to my ride.

I doubt there is anything that can attain the decibel level of that of a shrill squealing hog, being prodded down a barn alley or a sale barn. The place had a hog smell, and that alone made it time to move on before that smell got into all my clothing as well.

I rode on just down the road and there was a small Produce and BBQ stand on the side of the road. I decided to get some juice and maybe some fruit to eat. Now this particular stand had some unusual fruit. This is the sort of fruit that is grown as a specialty item. I bought two varieties of Apples, they being an Arkansas Black Twig not commercially grown for over 60 years, and also a Stayman variety. I ate the Black Twig first, it is a larger apple with a deep Red skin, the apple was very crisp and quite sweet……..I had concluded that this had to be the better of the two.

The Stayman has a very mottled skin color, not a real attractive appearance, but tin the end this was the apple that I thought had to be one of the best I had ever ate. With a belly full of apple, and some Gatorade it was time to hit the road to Courtland and then on into Suffolk.

I was a little lost in Courtland and stopped at a feed Mill to ask for some directions from two fellas standing outside the Mill. Now each of these fellas was older than I, and they were real puzzled looking when I stopped in front of them and pulled out a map to ask for directions. What the Sam%$$#@ ya doin with this here rig, says Art the older of the two. To which I replied I was just riding across America with it, and I am not sure of which roads to take at this point of my journey. Well *&%%$# says Art, you likely to get run plumb over on that road out there 58. Heck we ain’t looking for some idiot on no bicycle out on the road………ain’t no body rides no bike round these parts says Mort a helper at the Mill.

What ya wanna ride a fool bike across USA for anyway, this some kind’a money makin ride, asks Art. No, I try too assure them I am no soliciting funds for a Charity, I am just riding for the pure fun of it all a challenge to myself to see if I can make it. Well that is the &$#@dest thing says Art, to need to ride a bicycle a’crost America just to see if ya can. SO, I ask now that they have expressed their excitement over my ride, do you fellas know of a backroad that I can ride that will get me down to Suffolk and keep me out of the heavier traffic.. Well says Mort, they ain’t no real good road to take since the big ol swamp stops you comin from the south, and two rivers stop ya from the north, best ya kin do is ride out on the 58.

Where does ya sleep at night asks Mort? Well, I sleep each night out on the ground, I have a tent but we are on the ground I tell him. $#@@&% says Mort, ain’t that just a little cold? Well yes I tell him, but not unbearable cold, just a little chilly is all. Where does ya eat, asks Art? Ah, the eating, yes once again its not great but hey we do eat I tell them. Now its mostly noodles and soup but I do get fed I assure them. And you decided that ya wanted to do all of this here sufferin for fun, says Mort. Man I am sure glad I ain’t needin no challenge in my life………….they both had a good laugh and I felt that maybe my time was done here, no matter what I said I was not going to win them over to the sport of cycling.

So, I hit the road south and east on 58, it was a 4 lane road with about a 6 foot shoulder. I could really crank the tail out on this road with a good surface and someplace to ride. I was determined to make it as far as I could towards the city of Norfolk, and then pull over to camp for the night with just just one day ride left.

And so it was that at the junction of #13 and #58 I rode past a Church and made camp in the bushes right behind this church. There were no comforts like a Pavillion, just the sanctuary of the Church. I had ridden 75 plus miles at an average of 17.4 miles per hour for the day. I felt pretty good about it all, and was in a good position to be able to finish up the ride the following day.

Good Night and God Bless