Day 67 - 68 Miles to Breaks, VA

Thursday, July 31 - 68 miles to Breaks, VA, 3,900 total miles. Virginia, my last state! And only 9 more days til I finish! Ate breakfast at the B&B - cold cereal, orange juice, coffee, banana, and a peach. It was a tough one today. The heavy rain began before my tent was taken down so it is soaking wet - no way am I camping tonite. It rained most of the day and mostly it was pretty refreshing. Had 4 significant climbs but the one on Rte. 611 was horrible and tough as places in the road were washed away. But I made it. Coal trucks went by & I was covered in road grime although at times there was no traffic. Snacked on a bagel, apple, and plum. Stopped at a dairy bar for lunch and the workers were surprised that a customer came in. I asked, "what do you have?" and the reply was "not much." I ate a loaded hamburger (lettuce, tomato, onion, ketchup, etc.) and a chocolate milkshake. No wildlife today.

I ended up at Breaks Interstate Park, one of only 2 interstate parks in the nation. Breaks is on the border of Virginia and Kentucky, 7 miles east of Elkhorn, KY and 8 miles south of Haysi, VA. Breaks is the Grand Canyon of the South. The lodge is on top of the mountain and I had to run the heat to get warmed up when I arrived. People were wearing sweaters outside. And for the first time in ages, I took a bath. I had to get all the grime off of me! Dinner was at the lodge restaurant which had a nice view looking across the mountain. Ate meatloaf, mashed potatoes, green beans, salad, and pecan pie ala mode.

Footnote - Eastern Kentucky didn't live up to the negative hype heard from other cyclists. Drivers were courteous, roads in good shape (lack of guardrails, though), and no dogs chased after me. Trailer homes, however, are placed right at the edge of the road, not the shoulder. Scary.

I kept the heat on last night!