The final day of the ride is always a little sad for me. I am just not ready to go home!
Bethany Beach was in my mirrors by 8am as I had a long road ahead of me. The plan was to stop somewhere along the way for breakfast and of course, I was thinking local business. Fifty miles before I reached the restaurant, I saw the sign for Holly’s and that became my breakfast destination. If it was the hometown diner that I expected, I knew that I’d be eating more calories than I needed.
Holly’s, a restaurant celebrating 57 years in business, is advertised as the “Meeting place of the Eastern Shore”. I was hopeful, based on appearance, that I’d be a happy customer.
Doesn’t this remind you of the good ol’ diners from yesteryear?
Unfortunately, it wasn’t quite the nostalgic experience that I’d hope it would be.
The staff was uninterested, not a smile on a face to be seen, and the food was just so – so. I did like the memory of the 50 States placemat and the gun over the door. The cash register is no longer in use, but I love that it still sits there on the counter.
My timing was perfect as I made it back over the Cheapeake Bay Bridge (woo hoo!) and around Washington DC without hitting rush hour traffic. Once near Warrenton, I was able to leave the beltway / highway system behind, and get back to smaller state roads.
Warrenton is a town of less than 10,000 people in Fauquier County, and like many Virginia localities, has a history that spans the Colonial-Revolutionary Era, the Civil War Era, and the Reconstruction-Civil Rights Era. My very brief stop and walking tour was no where near long enough to explore this town, whose historic district was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983.
On the grounds of the Courthouse is a small collection of historic items. This first item, according to the marker, is a naturally formed, ancient stone that was used as a mounting block for carriages and horses … but also as a slave auction block.
That sure stops you cold, doesn’t it?
As I rode those last 200 miles towards home, several things crossed my mind:
1. Produce Stands – all along the road through Delaware and Maryland I passed produce stands. The fruits and vegetables looked so fresh! This is NOT the time to be on the bike!
2. Bus Stands – many of the rural homes have covered bus stands at the end of the driveway to provide protection for children waiting for the school bus. The stands are evidently paid for by local businesses and it was disconcerting, to say the least, to see advertising for the local funeral home on the side of child’s school bus stand.
3. Money – I’d be riding down a road in the most rural part of a county and I’d see houses and farms falling down at the seems. The Churches? New construction, flashy signs, big paved parking lots. Hmmm ….
4. Bikes – I saw very few bikes throughout the 7 day ride. I’m guessing bikers don’t think of this year’s ride route as a bike destination.
I knew that I was drawing near to home when I began to see mountains behind me …
… and mountains in front of me.
Around 5pm, after being on the road since the morning, I was thirsty for that end of the ride day beer. Unfortunately, by riding Rt 11, and not the interstate with it’s multitude of restaurants, made finding a beer difficult! I finally found a small place that was open outside Buchanan, and pulled up to talk with the elderly gent sitting on the porch.
“Do they sell beer here” I asked?
He replied with a “Maam?”
I repeated “Can I get a beer here?”.
He looked at me with a long look and said (picture the guys outside the Courthouse in Mayberry) “Nooopppe” (said with a long drawn out drawl). Sadness!! Now, please understand, I LOVE Andy Griffith! I still faithfully watch the show whenever I can! And I love Appalachia and SWVA. But I really, really wanted a cold one!
Ah well, it was time to just kick it in gear and get on home.
Even though I am rarely ready to go home, I am comforted by the view of local scenery and the realization that home is a good place to be. The rain started to fall as I pulled into the driveway of Liz and Wilson’s home. They took the traditional end of the trip picture, and handed me a bag that contained some food for dinner … AND also inside that bag? A lovely cold beer!!
Nothing like friends to welcome you home in style!
Yep … that’s me … after 12 hours on the road!
And that’s my helmet … boasting several new stickers.
So after riding almost 1900 miles in 2 weeks (1400 during this 7 day trip), I was home.
A cold beer in my hand, my family and friends checking in to make sure I’d arrived safely, and the sound of rain falling on the roof. Seriously?
I could not have been more content!
Life on the Bike and other Fab Things 
I love your writing and insights AND your photography!
Thanks Liz! and you were just the face to see at the end of the journey!
I am always amazed when I visit civil war era locations. Around here they are everywhere. It is a haunting experience for me to stand there and know that people fought and died on that spot, or that so many worked and died in slavery all around me. Our eastern and south eastern states are just dripping with history.
My favorite photograph today (that you took) was the mountains in your mirror! The photo of you was great! You looked tired, yet very satisfied. It is a good look.
I was telling my book group this evening that seeing that stone, and so many other examples of the tragedy of war, was such a hit of reality. Even though we KNOW that bad things happened … to see it, makes us feel it.
Thanks for the comment about the “traditional end of the trip” photo. 🙂
Well thank you for taking us on your tour! What a shock to see slave auction blocks. However the irony of stepping stone and the slave block was not lost on me.
Good insight … exactly!
I just love your end of ride shots and that you come home to such smiling faces! I admire your get-out-and-go attitude about life! I need it to spill over on me…and getting some of those photography skills of yours while I am at it wouldn’t hurt!
Ah Jaime … when I had a child at home and was attending grad school at the same time, I didn’t take a vacation for 4 years. No exaggeration! I’m making up for lost vacation time 🙂 and you will, too!
Another great post LB. It’s really unfortunate when you have your hopes up about a Old Time Diner and the food isn’t awesome. My wife and I were staying in a hotel on Rt. 9 in upstate NY (Queensbury) near Lake George one time and one of the prerequisites to me picking a hotel to stay at is it must have a place to get good coffee within walking distance. My wife has to have coffee as soon as her eyes open (and not that crappy hotel coffee). Long story short there was a bakery across the street called Gambles which had great coffee and in addition to being a bakery they also had an old school breakfast and lunch counter and served great food. I used to go every morning to get coffee and come back about 45 minutes later and she would say what took you so long and I would have to confess that the people were so friendly and the lunch counter I couldn’t leave without shooting the breeze with them every morning. In any case I started to feel sorry for you that you had to wait so long for a cold beer, LOL 😀
Gambles sounds great and it sounds like my kind of place!
What a great post and thanks for allowing me to come along on your trip (would love to, actually)
Glad to have you along, Mike! We’ll just have to keep taking virtual rides for now. But someday, I’ll get back out west on the bike!
Keep me in the loop…
Perfect ending for a perfect trip…..Thanks for the tour! 🙂
So glad to have you along!
Looks like a fabulous trip!!!! Great images.
Thanks Robyn … it sure was a good one and I can’t wait for the 2014 trip!
Well heck, that diner did look promising. Like right out of an old Bob Newhart episode. It’s too bad the server was none to happy, that’d make a diff. I could eat breakfast food all day long and we often go for pancakes at supper.
You just can’t outrun your past, so I’m glad these towns acknowledge the good with the bad. Hopefully you do better when you know better.
You look so happy posing with your bike there! A lot of miles and smiles under your belt on that trip, was there a favourite town? How do you collect the stickers?
It’s funny, a friend told me that he and his wife love that diner … I must have hit it on a bad day (or who knows what might have happened right before I got there).
You know Laurie, I am one of those people who is constantly saying “oh I could move here”. Each time I enter a new one, I think “this is the one”. I think that means I can’t make a decision.
As for the stickers … I have to really search sometimes!! Magnets are easier to find, but I usually persevere! 🙂
The image of the mountain/bike … that’s a good one. and the other images too ! Seems like you had a great adventure … you look very pleased with your self !
Pleased, happy, satisfied – YES! It was awesome!
Isn’t it wonderful when coming home means mountains? Your trip went through such gorgeous places with such interesting history. I love that you posted with so much detail. Thanks for the ride!
Coming home to mountains: My friend Ruth and I drove to Atlanta this weekend to watch a game, and it was great to see those mountains in the distance …
This year’s bike trip was a blast and I really was not prepared for the multiple history lessons. It was like having a bonus to the trip!
Thanks again for takeing me up in this trip.
I am sorry to hear about the restaurant.
All the best.
m
Thank you, Marcelo! Glad to have you along!
I didn’t want it to end, either!
and now … I think about the 2014 trip! Where will the ride take me?