July 28 - Jeff

Left around 7:00 this morning. Hotel had a continental breakfast.  Pretty weak.  No bananas.   On the way out going back toward the trail, went past Lord Tortboute High School.  Looked like it rained during the night a little, but it did not rain the entire day.  Sunshine as we speak.  Little humid at times.

Went through Troutville, pop 431, Buchanan, pop 1,178, and into Lexington, pop7,042.  Stopped at the Mountain View Grill just outside of Buchanan just  across the James River.  Had pancakes and a bonus, fresh fruit.  Had no choice. All breakfast had a number.  Ours was number 3.  Talked to a couple from DC in there.  Very interested in our trip.  Nice people.  Her husband was an avid watcher of the Tour De France.  Last Monday at dinner, when Joan and Dave and Jay ere with us we talked about there being no Tour for the women.  This guy said there is one in the planning stages.

Went past a church with a slogan.  It said, “Lifeguard on duty”.  We thought great, Kylie Von Handorf came to join our trip.  It wet on to say, “see John 3:16”.  Lexington was a cool town.  Lot of history there.  Could see Stonewall Jackson’s tomb from the road.  Was talking to a guy at a church.  Took me in to show me where Stonewall actually sat in the church.  So I can say I was in the church that Stonewall Jackson attended.  What a claim to fame.  We stopped in quaint little restaurant called Macado.  Lot of character and they had Shock Top on tap.  We could not participate because we had 8 more mils to go.  Lexington is the home of VMI and several other colleges.  Went by a football stadium.  Very small.  They may not have a football team or there could be another stadium somewhere.  I hope so because it was pretty dismal.

We ended up in a place outside of Lexington called Mallard Duck Campground.  Showers and restrooms.  Jack and I got lost on the way.  Did a few extra miles. Drying out our tents and shtuff.   Jack also did extra miles earlier.  Rode up a mountain to the  Blue Ridge Parkway.  Jerry and I declined to participate.  He is an animal.

Mailbox award today goes to the Swartz’s in Virginia.  Not really different, but there were about 10 mailboxes.  It appeared that the entire family lived back on this land, everybody had their own house.  I can see the Von Handorf’s doing that.

Early in the trip, Jerry and Sue’s stove suffered a painful death.  Had to be replaced.  Jerry and Sue bought a new Coleman stove at a Kroger type place.  It began falling apart soon thereafter.  Screws would appear beneath the stove after a use.  Duct tape became our friend to keep the stove together.  Jerry e-mailed Coleman about the problem.  Last week, Coleman mailed a new stove to Jerry at his old address on Monroe Street.  Kudos to Coleman. 

Tomorrow, we head over the mountain to flatter land.

Jeff, Jerry, Jack, and Sue