Friday 20 April - trains and teddies

Mechanicsville - Louisa
65 miles
5 hours and 45 minutes in the saddle
28.8 mph max speed
11.1 mph average speed

Today the sun appeared and we have for the first time since arriving in the US needed to apply sun cream. The ride has taken us through farming country with gently rolling hills. We have seen flowering dogwood and imposing mansions - all very idyllic.

Today we stopped for lunch in Ashland, a nice little town which also had a public library so we were able to check e-mails and sort out a few other things. It is hard to imagine doing this trip without Internet access. What did we do before Internet and mobile phones???

Stephen at Ashland Station and AmTrack train on its way

We have experienced our first dog chase. Two pesky pups intent on having a couple of weary cyclists for dinner came from nowhere and chased us for a mile (!) down the road. The lactic acid was pumping as we hit 20mph on a slight incline with headwinds. At least it up'ed our average speed for the day. I am reluctant to use the pepper spray in case the owner decides to take revenge on us. Gun ownership is high in Virginia...

Our stop for tonight is at the Whistlestop B&B in Louisa. Its name is very appropriate since the train line is just across the road. 5 minutes before a train arrives it starts whistling and then its carriages rattle past. American trains are long, very long. The owner of the B&B has added her own very personal touches to the house. Our room, the teddy bear room, is packed with teddy bears from floor to ceiling. There are bears in all shapes and sizes, pictures of teddy bears and endless merchandise with a teddy bear theme.

Teddies at Whistlestop B&B