Update 4/16
Day #55
Today: Henderson, NC, to Blackstone, VA (76 miles)
Total miles: 3066
Tomorrow (plan): Chesterfield, VA
Last night, I used the computer in the hotel business center to update our journal entries; but I was unable to finish, so I got up early to complete the task. This put us a little behind schedule, and our route for the day had become a little bit longer yesterday when we decided to go to Henderson rather than Warrenton. Bottom line: from the beginning we knew today was going to be a long day. We left at 10:00 AM after breakfast at the motel, and there was not a cloud in the sky. However, there was a strong, cold north wind of about 15 - 20 mph with gusts up to at least 30 mph, and this blew directly in our faces for the entire day. After we had pedaled for about an hour we stopped at a convenience store, and I happened to glance at the odometer; it read 3000 miles, the last time on this trip that we'll see triple zeros. Our route took us along part of US Bike Route 1, including the impressive dam at Kerr Reservoir. As we encountered more rolling hills and the wind continued to blow, we started to wonder if we could make it to Blackstone before dark. We had learned there was a motel in a town about 12 miles before Blackstone, so we knew we could stop there if necessary. When we got into that town and found the motel, Susan assumed her normal duties as chief motel room inspector. Both rooms she inspected failed to meet her standards, so she announced that we would have to press on to Blackstone. It was 7:15 PM by that time, and I was afraid we would not be able to get there before dark. In spite of my protestations, she decreed that if it got dark we would "stealth camp" in a pasture by the road rather than stay in the motel. Having learned from almost fifty years of marriage that "yes, dear" is the answer that seems to cover all situations, I wholeheartedly agreed and off we went. Luckily, there were only about two other challenging hills in the next 12 miles, and we were able to make it to Blackstone by 8:00 PM, just as it was getting dark. We found a motel that met the inspector's standards, went to the nearby Pizza Hut for a late dinner, and then retired for the evening.