I got up and headed out, dreading the upcoming climb over "Big A" mountain. The much-talked about climb was very tolerable, but the three climbs that followed were not. Still, I was excited because today's destination is Breaks Interstate Park -- on the border of Kentucky! I am almost done with Virginia and its steep, shoulderless roads.
I stopped for lunch at an interesting little restaurant called Wicker's Manna. When I say interesting, I mean that in the freakish, wax-museumish sense. The entire restaurant was ordained by God (and, presumably, the baby Jesus too.) The menu sported biblical quotes and the closed-circuit television sported four channels -- each offered a different televangelist. I ordered pizza, and it wasn't exactly a blessed event. Still, it was cheap and the people were nice.
The day's ride was pretty much like the previous sixteen days: I rode a bike for seven hours. Word of my trip has apparently preceeded me, as every bug in Kentucky was waiting at the border for my arrival. A couple of enterprising horseflies jumped the gun to get first crack at me, and they kept me company on my last tough climb.
Click here to see my triumphant arrival at Breaks Interstate Park, the gateway to Kentucky!
I finally reached the park, then climbed yet another mile to the campground, where I found that Jan and Titia had arrived about fifteen minutes earlier. I discovered that the park's only restaurant completely sucked, which was a bit of a downer, since today is my birthday. Still, reaching Kentucky was the best present I could give myself. Completely whipped, I fell asleep easily in my tent. Sometime between dinner and bedtime, I managed to snap this shot:
