Total distance: 401.78 miles
Average speed: 9.0 miles/ hr
Time on bike: 5hrs and 6 minutes
We left Rural Retreat this morning in foggy, overcast weather which quickly turned into a beautiful day. We had a very pleasant ride to Damascus through a state park and over a small mountain range. We got to Damascus early afternoon and treated ourselves to a huge lunch at a local diner. For the rest of the afternoon we ran errands!
Damascus is an energetic trail town because the Appalachian Trail and a bike trail runs right through it. It has 7 bike
shops because it is located right next to the Virginia Creeper Trail, a popular biking spot. The shops are mostly bike
rental and shuttle services. Tourist can rent a bike, be shuttled to the top of the mountain, and ride effortlessly down
back to the shop! I am pretty sure the trail runs for about 35 miles, but I'm not certain!
After stopping at 3 bike shops we quickly realized that absolutely none of them sell parts, they just rent bikes! We were
not able to get a spare link for my bike but hopefully in the next town! We then stopped at the local Outfitters store to
pick up some more fuel for our stove and bought inflatable sleeping mats (50% off!). We walked across the street to the
grocery store and picked up some supplies to restock our snacks and get dinner for tonight. We even treated ourselves to
a scoop of ice cream at a ice cream shoppe! Yummy!
This evening we took a 3 mile detour to Tennessee... just to say we have been there and take pictures with the sign!
We are staying in a local hostel at a Methodist church so we were able to unpack our gear and take a nice warm shower! We
are looking forward to talking with some of the hikers tonight! The two cyclist we met a few days ago on the road are staying at the same hostel tonight too!!!
Questions Continued.....
How much are you averaging a day in expenses?
We allotted 50 dollars a day for the two of us. As of now we are averaging 36 dollars a day. We buy food from fresh
produce stands (which tends to be cheaper), we try to camp in places that are free, and we mostly cook our own food to
save money. We realize there will be unforeseen expenses such as trips to the hospital or potential bike issues.
How do you charge electronics?
We have two cell phones, two kindles, and a computer, all of which need to be charged. we have a solar panel that we use
during the day and a rechargeable battery pack if there is no sun. I've become more skilled at finding power outlets and
have taken to carrying my phone charger in the handlebar bag so I can quickly charge my phone when an opportunity arises.
Are you having fun?
We really don't want to look back on this trip and only remember misery so we do a couple of things to avoid this. We
take it slow, go our own pace, don't beat ourselves up, and have fun! The best part is we don't have any set plans so there is nothing to be upset over if something doesn't go right! We are totally flexible and can't be phased by the little things. We are having a blast and already talking about where we can tour next!
We like that we have everything we need on our bikes and that we are free to go where ever we want! It's so weird to
think that you can actually live on 40 pounds of gear yet most of us have tons of material goods that we hang on to. it's
definitely a different kind of living but I think it suits us just right! It just goes to show that you really don't need
any of the fancy gear to have a great time, half of our gear is either repurposed or used, but with the love and support of
our families we really do have everything we need.
Mary and Joe
PS Mom, I'm still alive.