Philadelphia to Raleigh

Riding 5-8 hours per day, planning my next move, and visiting with people is leaving me with surprisingly little free time.  I intended to do a blog post between Philadelphia and DC but after DC I increased the mileage, which left me a bit worn out physically and psychologically.  There appear to be plenty of state and federal parks along the NC, SC, and GA coasts, so I hope to relax more with shorter days and some camping.

Madeline and Lily mapping my journey in their pajamas. 

The ride from Philadelphia to Raleigh was a surprising whirlwind cultural experience and a frustrating first hand experience with America's car-centric urban/suburban planning.  This leg of the trip was also my first experiences utilizing WarmShowers.org (WS), a glorified couch-surfing website for bicyclists.  WS is fantastic and makes travelling by bicycle an even more incredible experience.

My stay in Philadelphia with my friend, Faez, was a nice break from the road.  I got to attend Sunday night dinner at his parent's, which was the best Indian food I've ever had accompanied by a conversation covering global history, economics and politics.  Philadelphia is a surprisingly vibrant city, full of young people, good restaurants, bars, parks, and cafes.  After years of decline, people are moving back into the city and the population is on the rise.   There are an abundance of bike routes, sidewalks, and public transit making everything easily accessible without a car.  I love this aspect of city life.

I rode out of Philly on the Schuylkill River bike trail 20 miles to Valley Forge National Park.  The trail was good as far as bike trails go: mostly paved, well maintained, scenic and went somewhere people want to go in a direct route.  The park was shutdown along with the rest of the federal government so I had the place mostly to myself.  No bathrooms or visitor center available, but plenty of peace and quiet.

According to the park brochure, the hardships and suffering the Continental army soldiers experienced at Valley Forge were not as bad as is often thought relative to the times.  The worst problems apparently came in the spring months when warmer temperatures and lack of sanitation caused outbreaks of disease, killing around 2,000 of the 12,000 soldiers.

Valley Forge marked the change from urban to rural.   Moving west into eastern PA there is rolling farmland with small towns interspersed with big box store plazas.  I stayed in a small town called Eleverson with my first WS hosts, Mark and Sue.  Mark and Sue greeted me with smiles, and arriving felt like coming home to my parent's house.  We quickly got into a hiking/bicycling conversation and after a hot shower we had a nice vegetarian meal and conversation.  I got a great night's sleep, impressed and overjoyed by Mark and Sue's hospitality and generosity.  Turns out this is the norm for WS. 

The next morning I rode into Amish country on my first rainy riding day of the trip.  The Amish on bicycles and horse buggies were the only other non-cars I saw out in the rain.  Seeing them on the road made me feel a sense of solidarity, and as an environmentalist I can relate to the conflict and difficult choices they must face in going against the grain.  On the other hand I had to focus on avoiding the trails of manure lining the sides of the roads.  I imagine this was a much greater problem when horses were the main form of transportation for everyone. 

I stopped in downtown Lancaster PA for a hot beverage and bagel.  Just before getting back on my bike a young guy named Andy approached me.  This was the second time on the trip a stranger has approached me to talk about finding Jesus.  I apparently appeared to be someone that was looking for something and according to him my trip and our meeting was no accident.  I spent 20 minutes standing in the increasingly heavy rain talking to him, trying to understand his view on life and sharing mine with him.  Though a vain attempt I enjoyed the conversation and it gave me something to think about for the next couple hours, namely how incredibly different individuals can see the world.

The rain kept getting harder.  For the last 10 miles the rain was so hard I was riding through streams of rushing water coming down the hills.  Visibility was horrible, it was rush hour, and the roads became hilly, making for one of the least pleasant riding experiences of my life.  I arrived at the home of another WS host, Bob and Kelly, soaking wet and grateful to be going inside.

Bob opened the door and told me to come on in, bike and all.  I reluctantly went in leaving a trail of water through their living room and kitchen.  They didn't have a garage so my bike stayed in the kitchen.  I got a hot shower and use of the dryer, and Bob ordered a cheese-less pizza.  The next morning the rain continued.  Before Bob and Kelly left the house they told me I should stay another day and wait out the rain. I waited until 10AM thinking the rain would stop, but it didn't, and I decided to take them up on their offer.  What a good decision that was.

The York area ended up with 5-10" of rain.  Bob, a middle school teacher, got out of work early due to flooding concerns, and both Kelly and Bob came home around noon.  We hung around the house watched a movie, multiple episodes of It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, and Kelly baked cookies.  Then we went out for a Sushi dinner.  So much better than riding in pouring rain all day!  I hope to see Bob again for a ride through the Canadian Rockies in June 2014.  After this experience I am forever grateful for WS and look forward to reciprocating the hospitality.     

Bob and Kelly, the nicest young couple east of the Mississippi. That is my bike behind them in their kitchen.  

Overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of my first two WS hosts, I rode with a big smile on my face the next day toward Laurel MD to visit my cousin, Heidi.  After 4 miles on the unpaved Heritage bike trail I opted to get back on the road.  The bike path added about 15 miles to the ride, was washed out from the rain, and had the annoying habit of crossing the railroad tracks every mile.  The road was good riding until Hunt Valley.  From there through Baltimore and into Laurel was like one big box strip mall road with heavy traffic.

With the proliferation of big box plazas and automobiles we have managed to create roads that are as unfriendly as possible to pedestrians and bicycles.  Bike lanes, bike paths, and sidewalks were an afterthought at best in most areas I rode through.  Where they did exist they were sporadic and don't seem to go anywhere people want to go.  The only other people I saw walking or on bicycles were people wearing a big box store or fast food restaurant uniform.  What a challenge it will be to change this.
  

Despite the difficult roads, my visit with Heidi was a good one.  She treated me to an excellent dinner at a vegan restaurant called the Great Sage in Clarksville MD and I got to catch up with a cousin I don't get to see enough.  After a good night's sleep and some laundry I headed through DC to Alexandria where I spent the night with another WS host.  There were plenty of tourists walking around DC despite the shutdown, but getting inside any of the buildings was out of the question so my visit was brief. 

Alexandria, VA is a fancy town south of DC, which was refreshingly bicycle and pedestrian friendly.  The Mt Vernon bike trail connects DC to Alexandria and the city itself has bike routes and sidewalks. Scott, my WS host, is a dedicated bicycle commuter, riding to DC daily.  He prepared a great dinner and we had an engaging conversation about politics, which is, of course, popular topic in the DC area, especially given the shutdown. I don't think we came up with any great solutions, but hopefully ruled out moving to Canada as a good option.  The next morning Scott joined me for the ride out of town.  Having some company and someone to do the navigating  was a welcomed change. 

The route to my next WS host, Dave and Sue, in King George VA, was not so nice. Most roads I was on in VA are not bike friendly.  The roads rarely have shoulders and many of them are literally divided highways with 55 mph speed limits.  On the other hand, drivers are incredibly courteous and patient, which I think is related to the slower pace of life in the south.  My stay with Dave and Sue was brief, but they treated me to dinner at a local Italian place and I learned a bit about Dave's passion for bikes.  He has an impressive shop in his basement and has been working with a local group building the King George Rail Trail.  He also commutes 30 miles/day to work, which is all the more impressive after my experience on the roads of VA. 

From King George VA I rode to Richmond.  My WS host south of Richmond, Deb, was incredibly kind, again surpassing my expectations of how trusting and generous strangers can be.  She planned to leave the garage door opener in the mailbox so I could let myself in if she had left before I arrived.  I got there in time and Deb greeted me with a hug before heading out to dinner with a friend.  I had the entire upstairs of the house to myself, with a plush bed and private bathroom.  I only got to speak with Deb briefly, but she was clearly happy to help a fellow cyclist.

Richmond is about 160 miles to Raleigh and I decided to make the trip in two 80ish mile days. South of Richmond southern culture really starts to show.  I saw numerous Civil War monuments and museums, and along the roads signs marked historic events, many of which related to the Civil War.  I wasn't far south of Richmond before I saw my first Confederate flags flying, which I am not sure what message they are sending.  Are these symbols of cultural heritage or outright racism?    

On my way to South Hill VA I stopped in a small town called Alberta, a former passenger train town with a dwindling population of 500.  The owners of the general store, Chuck and Cheryl, were true to the spirit of Southern hospitality and offered me a free sample of their Brunswick stew.   I asked what was in it and Chuck joked "squirrel, opossum, road kill, whatever".  Part of me thought he was serious.  I suspect those were the ingredients at some point.  

    

Brunswick Stew and a biscuit from the Alberta VA General Store. There is a long running feud between Brunswick County VA and Brunswick County GA as to where Brunswick Stew originated.  Chuck explained Brunswick County VA has records dating to 1828 showing Brunswick stew came from Brunswick county VA, 50 years before Brunswick County GA. 

While in the General Store another local walked in for some ice cream.  He was around 70 and wearing a hat with a Confederate flag.  He invited me to a tour of the historic passenger train car in the center of town, an attempt by the "caboose committee" to develop tourism.  Before we left the general store the conversation with Cheryl and Chuck turned to how our country has gotten off track and is morally corrupt.  On my way out she asked me if I was a praying man.  I thought about having another religious conversation but it was getting late so I deflected the question with, "Sometimes.  Depends on if it is raining."  She let me get away with that.

Out by the train car the older man told me he had been working on restoring the train for some time and was hoping to have a museum behind the municipal building.  However, he said the town council wouldn't allow it, noting there were "too many blacks" on the council.  Then I noticed the Confederate flag hanging in his windshield and the Confederate flag collar his dog was wearing.  That confirmed at least part of what the Confederate flag meant to this guy.

He kept on talking and while he was telling a story about a hearse he once drove, another man, who was black, walked up.  Given what I just heard I was surprised to see how friendly the two were as the conversation went on.  However, the black man gave me the clear impression he tolerated the old white man like someone tolerates a crotchety stubborn grandparent that is set in their ways.  They both wished me well and told me to be safe before I rode out of town.

I rode into South Hill VA, a small town, but much bigger than Alberta as it has an exit off the interstate with a Wal-Mart and fast food restaurants.  Like most of the towns I rode through the storefronts downtown are mostly empty.  I didn't have a place to stay and it was dark so I camped in the woods next to a baseball field.  Next time I need to camp I will be sure to arrive earlier to find a good spot and eat dinner in the daylight.

The ride from South Hill into NC was on nice country roads, though still no shoulders. Closer to Raleigh the big-box plaza highways returned and Raleigh has turned out to be a poor city for bicycles.  I've had plenty of good company in Raleigh, staying with my Aunt Lisa, Uncle Joe and cousin Greg, and my dad flying in from CT for the weekend.  My grandmother is now also in Raleigh and doing well at 96 years old. I also got to visit old UConn friends, Frank, Neil, Bianca and Bren, who are now making Raleigh/Chapel Hill their home.  All in all, a great visit to Raleigh.

Me, Dad, Aunt Lisa, and Grandma in Raleigh