Almost through Virginia! :)

Submitted by eagle on Wed, 08/24/2016 - 01:27

Riding further north, today I got to a nasty site of the Civil War, where there were around 100,000 casualties. Tomorrow, heading onward through the state.
Virginia wasn't one of those states that I had a strong impression of before arriving. Other than historical stuff, it's a somewhat woodsy small state around halfway between the northern and southern borders on the US's east coast. It has a few more medium cities than I thought, although not really any major metropolis. It mixes some northern and southern traditions, for example growing northern-style corn and soy but having fought with the confederate states. By the way, after seeing enough historical markers in the south, I'm now fairly sure that the confederate states won the war! ;) (just kidding!)

"Sic semper evello mortem tyrannis" ("Thus always I bring death to tyrants")
Rock & Roll! :)

Ladysmith, VA! :)

Submitted by eagle on Mon, 08/22/2016 - 21:54

Tough day of riding, with lots of uphill, although beautiful sunshine all day. Low population area, although just arrived in the pleasant town of Ladysmith. The library here is within a residential development, which is a funny situation I've never seen before.

Rock & Roll!!!!!! :)

Richmond, Virginia! :)

Submitted by eagle on Fri, 08/19/2016 - 19:37

Here in the present capital of Virginia, which was once the capital of the confederate states...
Riding in, lots of beautiful urban architecture and vista, from its history as a big trading port that connected the Virginia interior with the seas... George Washington, before becoming president, surveyed the area, and played a sizable role in getting vital canals built in the area... Today, the water runs through the city, creating a pleasant "canal walk"...

The city's also somewhat hard to get around without a car, although it seems like they're working on that...
Now in the library, which has a law section, and when I looked over the first book I came across was "CORPUS JURIS SECUNDUM: VOL. 66 - Neutrality Laws to Nuisances"... jajajaj! :)
Rock & Roll!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Historic! :)

Submitted by eagle on Fri, 08/19/2016 - 03:45

This area has so much history that you can practically go from first settlements up until the 19th century with many of the main players living and fighting and loving and dying here. So much to learn and enjoy!!!!!!! :)
Now in Varina, Virgina. Try saying that ten times in a row quickly! :)

BTW a product I have recently come to appreciate is "buttery spread":

Rock & Roll!!!!!!! :)

American Reflections

Submitted by eagle on Thu, 08/18/2016 - 21:14

Having ridden between the beginning and ending coasts of America, it's amazing how much things have progressed!!! :)
BTW, another funny juxtaposition: the old historical stuff where the Brits first landed, with today's shopping centers full of chain stores and restaurants! :)

Rock & Roll!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Historical America!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

Submitted by eagle on Thu, 08/18/2016 - 00:36

WOW! :)
Made it! :)
To the heart of America.
After a bunch more riding -- somewhat slow progress, with so many interesting things to see, and me being so lazy in all the heat and humidity and splendor! :) -- got to the dense cluster of many historically important parts of the USA and the Americas. Here, in the triangular area including Colonial Williamsburg, Fort York, and Jamestowne, early Asian American colonizers of the continent met English and other European colonizers and Africans. This is where the English first settled North America, and where they later became Americans and fought off the old country.
It's really cool to experience the area firsthand... To feel what it was like, with the natural scenery as well as remnants and reconstructions of the built environment.
Now pausing along the pathway to the new capital of Virginia, Richmond. More later...

Rock & Roll!!!!!!!!! :)

The River

Submitted by eagle on Mon, 08/15/2016 - 19:21

Today I went across the James River. The old-fashioned town here doesn't have a bridge you can go across, just the big old bridge-tunnels, so I loaded up onto a bus. Feels great to get back out in the open air again, continuing to ride northward! :)
There's a NASA center here, which is a kind of funny juxtaposition with all the older history of the English first settling here, the big American wars, and so forth.

Rock & Roll!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

LifeFLOW3D

Ads