I really can’t believe this!

Today was an AWESOME day! Our celebration actually started last night. We found a Ponderosa Steak House that had a buffet. Paydirt! We figured, what the heck, a few extra pounds won’t hurt us. So we ate…and ate….and ate. Who knew that you could actually be asked to leave a restaurant. So, we left, called a cab to take us to our hotel next door and tried to get some sleep. I don’t know about Ray, but I actually was so excited that, even in my completely fatigued state, it was hard to fall asleep.

Ray woke up about an hour early this morning. He was like a kid at Christmas. He was up and ready to ride in 35 seconds. I, on the other hand, was like Dad at Christmas. I almost told him to get back in bed or all the presents would be sent back to Santa. But the excitement of our final day started jazzing me up as well, so I started what has become a daily routine of making sure I have everything packed, on my bike and ready to go.

I got my coffee and went outside to call Mary Ann. The day was already warm, but bright and beautiful. We had a quick breakfast at the motel. It appeared that we would have a lot of stops along the way, so we didn’t eat a lot. Due to the heat and a projected distance of over 100 miles we got an early start. Since we stayed in the Richmond vicinity last night, most of the first hour or so of riding was a little hectic, with lots of traffic.

It also was a little disjointed. We have pretty much had the same agenda every day. Today we didn’t. We were going through an area rich in history. The old Social Studies teacher here wanted to read every historical marker, and there seemed to be one around every corner. On the other hand, Ray had one goal and that was to get to Yorktown and the end of the TransAmerica trail! So, we played yo-yo for much of the morning.

The temps were hot, but the humidity was low as we circled the Richmond area and moved south toward the James River. So, with flat land and little wind, we were really enjoying the ride. When we got about 50 miles out, we hit the Capital to Capital Bicycle Trail and the ride got even better. The trail will eventually go all the way from Jamestown to Richmond. While only parts are now complete, the riding on it is nice.

We cruised down to the settlement of Jamestown, then hit the Colonial Parkway. This road, between Jamestown and Yorktown, is very much like our Natchez Trace so we again had beautiful, easy riding, much of it right on the shore of the James River. We hit colonial Williamsburg and got off the Parkway to cruise through downtown. I needed some food, so we found a cafe right near William and Mary University and I ordered a hot dog and fries. Ray just ordered a drink. I realized that his agenda was still intact. While I ate, he was like a puppy, pulling on his leash the whole time.

So, I ate pretty quickly and we got back on the road. We high-tailed it to Yorktown and rode into the historic little village as giddy as teenagers. We followed the TransAmerica course to its official end, at the base of the Victory Statue in Yorktown and let the celebration continue. As we looked out over the water toward the Atlantic, the good fortune we have had began to sink in even more than it already has. It was a sweet moment. And while all our friends and family couldn’t be there, we met a very nice couple there who were visiting from California. They got so excited about our trip and were so much fun, they became, to me, representatives of everyone who has been so kind and so supportive of us. It was a great end of the official trail.

For the record, today’s ride was 105 miles. That gives us about 3,700 for the entire trip. The girls arrive tonight. Tomorrow we will ride the wife ferry over and dip our wheels in the Atlantic. I will have a report tomorrow, then within the next couple of days, post some closing thoughts and some words of thanks.

In the meantime, thanks for checking in. The whole thing has been fun. Today was awesome.