Trish & Phill's Tandem TransAmerican

Tour 2003 

May 12th Charlottseville to Afton Cookie Lady 48mi

We started today in the sun, It was really nice to feel warmth early in the morning. Within a hour it became overcast and stayed that way most of the day. The scenery on the way out was just magnificent.

We climbed and climbed today. By the time we had finished our ride we are in the Blue Ridge Mountains.

Tonight we are staying with June Curry better known as the Cookie Lady, she has been offering hospitality to cyclists for many years. She started off with a simple sign outside her home offering a cool drink of water as they passed by climbing a huge hill. Her hospitality has now graduated into a house to stay in and food to eat. See turns no one away. The woman has a heart of Gold. We gave her a couple of little gifts our son had sent along for her. She was over the moon and suggested she could were them as earings.

More photos in the photo gallery

Her house is full at a boot with thing cyclists have left as memorabilia for her.

She has a visitors guest book that we read and see that there is a couple from Melbourne Australia one day in front of us who are also doing the TransAm route. I wonder if we will ever catch up to them?

The scenery today was obviously rolling hills with breaks in the woods to allow us to look beyond the close fields to see magnificent views beyond.

After this ride today up these serious hills our confidence has soured in our riding ability, this section had really bothered me and tested ability. I feel we passed the test today ! Having said that we are still awful slow and right now I'm aching. So bed at 8.15 for us. 

Page owned & maintained by Trish Collins email to  trishphill@aapt.net.au.  Last Updated 28/07/2003