Virginia

This morning Jackie, the mom, and I woke from a great night of sleep camping outside of the Hindman Settlement School. It was overcast and relatively cool compared to past days. Our goal for the day was to make it to Virginia, about 70 miles away. The ride today had 4 very large climbs. We played leapfrog for most of the day with the couple who has been camping at the same location as us for the past several nights. It was fun to see them at the top of a hill, around a corner, or at the next turn. They also helped us battle off all of the crazy dogs we saw. None of the dogs today were very threatening, but it is still a pain to be on such high alert, wondering where the next one is going to jump out from. It began torrentially raining several times throughout the day and we were waterlogged. The mom, Jackie, and I decided to stay in a motel just over the Virginia border. Great success! As we crossed into Virginia, Jackie and I marveled over how pretty their welcome sign is. Perhaps the best yet. Only one more welcome sign to go, and we have high hopes for North Carolina. I almost want to google what it looks like but I don't want to ruin the surprise.

There was a BBQ smoke shack across from the motel and we all ate delicious southern BBQ. After that we did laundry and relaxed in the motel. Tomorrow we are riding to Rosedale.