Day 1 - Charlottesville VA to Paintsville KY 350 miles

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Covered 4 states on the first day. Okay it was 3 really as I left Virginia for West Virginia only to return to Virginia. Made me think of gerrymandering but its that Virginia heads far to the west and West Virginia dips south with one of its fingers. It was certainly Virginia’s day. So much beauty on the back roads. Living in it you would think it would become tiresome. But with miles of roads that follow babbling creeks and rivers and the backdrop of Appalachia and let's not forget the wild flowers. Incredible stuff aided by the Garmin GPS that allows you to adjust a slider effectively for beauty. The downside is the time beauty takes. But hey falling behind just adjust the slider and a new route appears with time and mileage from where you are at the time. Cool.




A large part of the ride was through Lexington VA and on and off Craig River Road and route 460 which skirts to the south of I64 and takes you through the Washington and Jefferson Forests. Boo made a friend along the way as you can see from the pictures. I am going to have to keep an eye on them.




South-west Virginia and Kentucky are in a poor state economically. We talk about that from various perspectives, for example, health disparities, but it is all the more real when you see it, talk to people and try and get an IPA. So much potential left behind. Trump and Biden posters on display even each with their own bylines, 2024 and sucks, respectively. Immediately followed by billboards that declare “one nation under God.” Something is seriously amiss, but we know that already.




Riding for 7 hours at 70 - too many sevens - is tiring, but rewarding too. By late afternoon one seems to become in harmony with bike and road and the miles slide by. Its such a great experience. Let’s see if I am saying the same in a few days. All being well, Missouri tomorrow

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