50: b&b break, shell, david & marcia, sweet dreams, magical, nottoway, slow men, a virtuous woman, train station, first cow, thermal drone deer recovery, hard luck, "god," giddy

May 6, 2025

Blackstone to Amelia Courthouse

The B&B was a nice break from the cheap hotels, and not that much more expensive. Instead of smelling like disinfectant, it smelled clean, like the entire room had had a good tumble in the washer, then air-dried in a field of lilacs in France, and the bedsheets were silky soft. The stairs were the creakiest I've ever heard in any house, each plank a different pitch, each board a different volume, and walking on them created a symphony of groans and creaks that sounded in some respects similar to me getting out of bed in the morning.

When I was talking to Ed yesterday he asked me if I had a reservation because there's only one place to stay in Blackstone (there are now two). I had, but would've been shocked had I found that I was unable to secure a room. Surprisingly, in this town of 3,352 people, there's a hotel with 113 rooms.

Attaching my panniers to the bike, I looked down and spied this shell on the walkway. When I first saw it, about the size of a pencil eraser, I thought it empty and abandoned. Then I noticed....

Just as I was leaving the only other lodgers came back from a tour of the town, and I ended up talking with David and Marcia for a while. We ended up mostly discussing politics, which is on everyone's mind these days. They're visiting their godson and are staying in the B&B another night. I wouldn't have minded staying another night as well, but I have places to see and people to meet.

Because today is a short mileage day, and because the weather is so perfect, I decided to tool around town a bit before leaving, something I rarely do.

First I stopped at Sweet Dreams and ate a muffin that I'm sure had more calories than I'll burn during today's ride.

Coming back to Main Street from Sweet Dreams something occurred which I found to be incredulous: when I pulled up to the stop sign, a driver completely stopped in the middle of downtown and motioned for me to go ahead. Still wary from having pedaled North Carolina, I wondered if this was a trap. Was this his way of enticing me into the street so he could start honking, or run me down? But no, he was actually just being friendly.

Later in the day as someone passed I could see him lift his arm. Anticipating that the next thing I saw would be his middle finger, I was again surprised when he gave me a friendly wave. What kind of magical place is this???

Several times today, cars refused to pass even when there was nothing but empty road ahead and no risk. They crept up behind me, driving so slowly I thought they were heading to a convention of mother-in-laws.

A single car behind me would become two, then five, then eight.... I felt so guilty holding up traffic that I eventually pulled off the road, even if I was going uphill. When I gave them a wave, I received a smile and a wave in return.

One person passed me and waved by turning on his rear wiper blade so it gave a single swipe. What made it even funnier is that it was broken so it hung down and wiped off the section below the window instead.

If Ed were here and asked me what I found to be the most surprising thing about this trip, this would be somewhere near the top: There was a dramatic difference in the drivers as soon as I crossed the border from North Carolina to Virginia. I expected there to be a gradual change... initially seeing a few scattered drivers who were respectful, then more, until the unpleasant drivers were the exception. This, at least over the course of a hundred miles or so. Instead, the change was immediate and marked.

Magical.

As I was leaving town I tried to go Thisaway, but found it's...

probably the steepest climb all day, and short

no train station anywhere around, or even a house within sight

This is the first cow I've seen on this trip, which is a bit surprising. It also appears I'm the first biker she's seen.

Alfalfa? Rye? I'm seeing more and more with each passing day. It looks really lovely as the wind sweeps across it.

Is anyone else enticed by side roads like this with old abandoned, derelict houses?

Not having any luck? Come join us! We suck, too!

I regularly see doors on the second floor and assume there was some king of ramp.

these decorated the roadside in a lot of places

I don't think so, pal. You get in MY way and I will Run. You. Over.

I'm not sure what this is.... a capped well?

The quotes completely change the meaning of the statement.

The moth that flew into my mouth today was a first, but it just hit my front teeth. An experienced cyclist never opens his mouth unless he's looking down at the ground.

Today was spectacular, and one of the best riding days since I started this trip, right up there with the ride from Jacksonville Beach to Fernandina Beach. The temperature never rose above 73F/22.2C, I had a 10-13 mph tailwind, and the hills were almost all a gentle 1%-2%. I literally didn't even break a sweat during my 26-mile ride.

After a 15-year hiatus from bike touring, I took a trip in 2020. Heather called me "giddy" during the planning and the riding. Of course I denied it, but there was something to her statement.

This entire trip has been such a wonderful experience so far that I'm having to be careful.... I'm pushing against that giddiness border, and if events continue in this current arc I'll eventually stop blinking, start maniacally giggling, and begin telling random strangers that they need to take a bike trip.

Hopefully, I'll have a headwind or something tomorrow. A flat tire would be okay, too.

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Today's ride: 26 miles (42 km)
Total: 1,365 miles (2,197 km)

Rate this entry's writing	Heart	10
Comment on this entry	Comment	7

Gregory GarceauThere is something incredibly quaint about a rear wiper blade wave, and I'm amazed you recognized it for what it was. As jaded as I am, I would have thought "the electronics in that dude's care are malfunctioning."
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1 month ago

Jeff LeeI've also noted the marked difference in driver behavior in adjacent states. Good example: Rural Illinois (where we lived for several years) is generally great, but as soon as you cross the Mississippi River into Missouri, the drivers are among the worst in the country.
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4 weeks ago

Larry FrahmMark, you've made your entire ride a very interesting and enjoyable read.
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4 weeks ago

Mark BinghamTo Larry FrahmThanks Larry! You just made my day!
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4 weeks ago

Mark BinghamTo Jeff Lee"Worst in the country" Missourians would have to be reeeaaalllllyyy bad if they want to compete with North Carolina.
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4 weeks ago

George (Buddy) HallYou wrote: "There was a dramatic difference in the drivers as soon as I crossed the border from North Carolina to Virginia." I was waiting to see how you evaluated the people/drivers of Virginia before I offered my take. The folks of Virginia were tops in my opinion when I rode the Transam - extremely polite and caring. I even overheard a political discussion in a restaurant, and both sides were very polite to each other - hard to imagine these days. Here's what I wrote in my journal; "The kindness of the folks in Virginia was nothing short of extraordinary. They were the nicest, most polite, considerate people I have ever met." I think this politeness must extend to how they drive.
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3 weeks ago

Mark BinghamTo George (Buddy) HallI couldn’t agree with you more.
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3 weeks ago