Leaving the hostel, we had a fairly smooth to the KOA we were staying at. It was our first time staying at a KOA on the trip and we greatly appreciated the vast amenities. We celebrated by making “breakfast for dinner” with eggs, bacon, and pancakes! We went to bed to prepare for a long day crossing the Blue Ridge mountains.
After 69.3 miles and some pretty intense climbs, we crossed Blue Ridge Parkway and hit a pretty monumental milestone: no more serious elevation for the rest of the trip. We coasted down our last mountain and screamed victoriously. We arrived at our Warmshowers for the night in Crozet and set up camp in the backyard. After doing our laundry for the last time and taking some nice showers, we got some Barbecue and settled in for the night.
The next day we rode through the Virginia Countryside and finished the day at the fire station. We grabbed some food at the Mexican restaurant in town and talked to one of the fireman about construction and fire safety.
We woke up the next day excited to ride through Richmond, where we would start the Virginia Capital Trail and mark the “Beginning of the end.”
As we rode through the city, we saw countless upscale, colorful houses and were reminded of London. That’s one of the remarkable things about this trip. We’ve seen so many different environments that we would never think to be in our own country.
We started the trail and rode for about eleven mire miles until we reached the church we were spending the night at. The actual hostel was closed because of COVID but we were so grateful to have even a place to camp. My aunt texted me in the morning and said she had a close family friend in Richmond who offered to meet with us and bring us Dairy Queen! We of course accepted and had a great time visiting with them and definitely enjoyed our Blizzards.
When we put down our tent that next morning, all we could say was, “Wow. This is the last day… The last time.” It was a strange feeling to do the “lasts”. Last time eating breakfast at a gas station, last time starting our ride.
The day was rainy, but good. It some ways I felt like it was cathartic. It was the sky’s dramatic release of all the rain we could’ve had on the trip but just missed. It was our psyche’s reaction to the last day of a three month journey. Or maybe it was just a consequence of Hurricane Delta like the Weather Channel said. Either way, the rain was nice. At least until we got soggy.
Maybe it was our excitement, maybe it was the fact that we didn’t have to deal with any cars, but we were going fast. Usually we would finish 62 miles by 5pm, but we had to call our families to say it would be more like 3:30pm. And even then, we had to take an extra long lunch to not arrive before then.
Once the trail ended, we were about to go onto Colonial Parkway when we saw “Spoke & Art” a hotspot for cyclists to get some food, coffee, and energy for their rides. We parked our bikes and enjoyed the awning where we enjoyed a respite from the rain. We got hot food and drinks and talked to some other passing cyclists who had the same idea as us.
We were congratulated for our efforts and felt very proud of ourselves. As we traversed the last twenty miles, a sense of accomplishment and warmth was spreading inside my cold, wet body. We passed through Jamestown, then Williamsburg, and it got serious when “Yorktown” started popping up on roadsigns. We pedaled triumphantly.
About a mile from the finish line, we took of our safety vests and rain coats and prepared for our arrival. After all, we couldn’t finish the trip looking shabby. We approached the American Revolution Museum and saw both of our families waiting to cheer, video cameras up.
Tears were shed, and hugs were given, and we took pictures with a George Washington statue and our families. We said goodbye to each other and the epic adventure that was these past three months, looking forward to the many to come.
A Funny Moment of the Week: In Richmond, we stopped at a sketchy gas station for lunch (I’m so sorry I didn’t register the WaWa) and I ate the most mysterious of meats in a frozen cheeseburger. Ew! I also had to convince the lady inside it was an “emergency” for me to use the bathroom when Paula was just allowed in! I’m convinced Redheads just get special treatment :,(
What We’ve Learned: We are strong. And badass. We crossed the country on two bicycles and said, “Eh, that was pretty alright!”
I’ve also learned that there’s no one in my life as strong and amazing as Paula. She truly is the best friend I could ever ask for or find in a million lifetimes. All the memories we’ve created will stick with me forever and I wouldn’t want them to be with anyone else.
Lastly, we’ve learned that I will always hate oatmeal and that Paula will always hate canned ham.