The Thin Blue Ride - Part 2 Day 92 - Charles City, VA to Yorktown, VA

Sunday, September 8th, 2019

Ride Report: 44 Miles, 4,230 Total Miles, 15.6 Avg. mph, 1,096 Ft. Climbing, 3,794 Calories.

Today's ride report reduces what was a monumental task to one short line.  But I think it deserves something more.  Something like this quote from H. Jackson Brown Jr. author of inspirational books, "When facing a difficult task, act as though it is impossible to fail.  If you are going after Moby Dick, take along the tartar sauce."

Today, I opened the (figurative) tartar sauce.  Today, The Thin Blue Ride became something to remember instead of something I get out of bed every morning and do.  Today the ride became the past.  Today, I earned the right to brag about my past - just a little.  Today, when I touched Delta's front tire against the Victory Monument in Yorktown (the end point of the T/A) I cried.  I'm getting emotional just typing this.  When Susan asked me how I felt when Delta's tire touched the monument, I told her it was a mixed bag.  I was glad to be done.  I regretted that the ride was over.  I was in awe of the accomplishment.  I recognized that never in my life will I do something this physically demanding again.  All these feelings just bubbled to the surface of their own volition.  My chest got tight, it got hard to breathe, my eyes watered up and I had to put my head down to collect my thoughts.  I guess it's probably hard to describe, and that's probably for the best.  One had not ought to be able to describe these things - it seems that it would detract from their doing.  After a time with my head down, I collected myself and we got on with the obligatory pics.

And speaking of pics, my apologies to the reader, but there are a ton in today's post.  There was just a lot going on.  Here we go...

Every ride has its traditions.  Just after the start of the final stage of  the Tour de France, the victor toasts his accomplishment using champagne in little plastic stem ware glasses along with members of his team - to include the team manager and sponsor, who are in their chase car driving beside the victor.  Here at The Thin Blue Ride, the drink du jour is Diet Pepsi.  But this is still me with the team sponsor/manager.  Susan fills both roles - we're on a bit tighter budget than a Tour team.  We didn't want to chance me riding beside The Rig so we took the pic in the parking lot, but I am sitting on Delta.  He's just too short to show up in the pic.  Right after this the flag dropped and I was off. 

And I had made it about 100 yards when I saw this and had to stop for a pic.  Note the cyclist in the letter "O" and how the artist used an actual bike tire with spokes, rim and wheel as the hole in the "O".  Very...artsy.

We were back on the Virginia Capital Trail for the first 21.5 miles and followed it to it's starting point near Jamestown.  This was the longest wooden bridge on the trail.  Delta loved it.

Shortly we went across this bridge, which is at the confluence of the Chickahominy and James Rivers.  This shot shows the Chickahominy (the smaller of the two rivers) over my left shoulder.  Wow - that's a big river.

It didn't take too long and we made it to the first (and only) break location of the day.  The parking lot of the Jamestown Settlement.  While we were there, this group pulled in all riding Can-Am trikes.  So naturally, we chatted 'em up and took a pic with 'em.  OK - this is a test.  Which one doesn't match the others?  That's right - me.  I didn't have a trike.  Delta only has two wheels.  Other than that, I fit right in.

Me and Delta with the sign for the Jamestown Settlement.

And before we managed to get out of the parking lot, Paul and Alice showed up.  They were looking for the Virginia Capital Trail and planning to ride it maybe as far as Richmond.  Well then - I happened to know just where the trail started and provided directions.  We talked with them for a while and managed to get an invitation to their place in Louisiana to "Ride and catch alligators" as Paul put it.  Sounds great - now I gotta convince Susan about the alligator thing. 

As we started toward the Colonial Parkway for the final run in to Yorktown, we ran across this sign.  Too good to pass up.  When I looked at the pic I immediately noted the colors pretty much matched my Trans-Am jersey.  Hmmm...  Those folks at the ACA are pretty clever.

Me on the Colonial Parkway.  The road is maintained by the Park Service (the same guys who do everything in their power to NOT provide cell service in National Parks) and is concrete.  However, they used rather large rocks as aggregate for a more authentic look.  It also provides a more authentic feel to my posterior.  It was pretty rough - but I'm only gonna do this once, so it was worth it. 

Delta looking down the Colonial Parkway.  Readers who click on the pic to open it will be rewarded with a look at The Rig in the distance.  Susan had just passed us on her way to Yorktown. 

A profile shot of me riding next to the James River.

They strive for authenticity on the Parkway.  Note the brick facade.  Every overpass was like that.  It was an odd sensation riding under an Interstate Highway with a bridge that looked like this.  Odder still, seeing a tractor trailer pass over between the trees.

Me with another of those bridges over my shoulder.  But shortly we had to take a detour from the Parkway.  There's a tunnel near the center of Williamsburg in which bicycles are banned.  Probably best - it's not very wide and likely very unsafe.

But the good news is that the detour takes us through a historic part of Williamsburg.  I'm not certain, but think that these buildings date from Colonial times.

I know the building in the background here dates from Colonial times.  This because the detour takes us right through the heart of Colonial Williamsburg.  Check out the guys wearing the old school clothes.  And people think I look odd in spandex pants.  They're actors who, if pressed, act as though they know nothing beyond Colonial times.  The horse plays his part as well.  I've read that there was horse poo all over the streets in the days before automobiles.  Yeah - same here.

Me and Delta in front of the Colonial Governor's mansion in Colonial Williamsburg.  Some nice tourist took this shot for us.  Susan and I actually toured the mansion 30+ years ago when she came to DC for my graduation from the FBI's National Academy.  It's way cool inside, but we won't revisit it on this trip, having seen it once already.

Susan and I had arranged that when she got to a parking lot near the Victory Tower, she'd unlimber her bike and ride out to meet me.  That way we could ride the final mile or two together.  Kinda like when she rode down to the beach with me at Astoria.  This is a screen shot of me using "find a friend" on my phone to see where she was.  I'm the blue dot, she's SS.  You can see Yorktown, "behind" her.

I found her!  Is she cute as a bug or what?  She also brought two full bottles of water with her.  Good thing - I had run out a few miles back.

We started up the first hill on the way back and she drops me like a hot rock.  Typical.

On our way to the Victory Tower, the route goes right past the beach at Yorktown.  No better time for the ceremonial front wheel dip that signifies riding the USA from coast to coast.  That's the Yorktown bridge in the background.  Kinda a traditional pic amongst T/Aers.  Note the thumbs up by yours truly - youthful exuberance run amok.

After that it was time for the team sponsor/manager to get in on the act.  We had a similar pic from the shore in Oregon, but with a rusted out shipwreck as a backdrop.  Nothing like that around here, so we substituted a little girl wearing pink water wings.

Then it was off to the Victory Column.  This baby is the official end of the Trans-Am.  Map 12 is now history.  It was authorized by an Act of Congress within a few years of the end of the Revolutionary War, but according to the info. board nearby, construction didn't start until 100 years later.  Sounds like the Federal Government we all know and love.  Apparently it's been a long running issue... 

It was when Delta's front tire touched the wall behind me that I got all emotional.  I'm mostly recovered by this time.

I thought it only fitting that Susan join me for a pic at the Victory Column, since without her help I'd not have made it this far.

This is the blah-blah sign that the Park Service put up regarding the Victory Column.  I speak in jest - it really provides some interesting information.  Click on the pic and enlarge to read it.

And this is my reward for getting here.  My last Hostess cupcake - with three Tylenol.  They've become a staple for the last couple of weeks of the ride.  Both of my shoulders have become sore and ache after I stop moving for the day.  Makes getting out of bed a bit of a chore.  I think I described this in an earlier post and it has gotten a bit better since I began riding Sig for most of the time lately.  But since Sig got to ride away from the Pacific, it was Delta who got the honors at the Atlantic.

But this brings up another topic.  Apparently the people at Hostess thought I was entered in the Trans-Am Race.  It follows the same route, but left from Oregon a week earlier than we did.  Once the Legal Department at Hostess got wind of this, they've been after me mercilessly.  They cancelled my contract and are threatening to sue for damages.  Fine, have at it.  I think I can cover four boxes of cupcakes.  My manager is reaching out to Tylenol right now to see if they're interested in my story...

Finally, there is this: as planned at the start of the blog, we will now move to Part 3 of the trip.  There will be some travel involved, some investigation of local points of interest, some history, and some lazing about.  But as always, you'll read about it here on The Thin Blue Ride.

Till next time.