Gateway Motel Breaks Interstate Park, Rosedale VA 19.30 Wednesday 24^th March (Day 10)

Icy start again today, so back on with all the waterproof gear. Mike complains that wearing tights and undershorts gives him a VPL. In the overall scheme of things, I don’t think this is one of our biggest problems.

We can’t face eating in the garage for a third time so cycle six miles into Honeker and eat in a diner, the Farmers Café. Lovely little place with a bunch of good old boys sitting around a table putting the world to rights. They discussed the Health Bill (against), the War ( against) and The Dixie Chicks (for). Two bowls of oat meal, scrambled egg and toast, my favourite breakfast now, and then back on the road.

The road was quite busy to begin with and early morning mist didn’t help but gradually the sun came up and we started removing items of clothing (not as we went along… you know what I mean).

The road quietened down after 12 miles and after we passed through a town called Council there was a period of about 7 miles of fairly flat road in warm sunshine, some of the nicest cycling so far. Very load bullfrog chorus all the way.

We reached Birchleaf and could have had lunch but decided to press on to Breaks Interstate Park, 13 miles away. This was our intended stopping point for the day but we were going well and thought that if we could get there early, we could have lunch and carry on for another few miles, cutting down on tomorrow’s long run.

It didn’t quite work out like that. The climb into Breaks was very long and it was getting hotter. Mike was quite happy, rhapsodising about the smells, sound and sights of the countryside. I was absorbed in an internal soliloquy that consisted of variations of just two words.

When we reached the entrance of the park there was a ranger who gave us good and bad news. The good news was that the Break Gateway Motel was open and it was a good place for an overnight top. Also we had reached the highest point in the park and it was all downhill from here to Kentucky, The bad news was that the motel restaurant was closed till next week . There was a diner 8 miles away but that would mean cycling 8 miles back uphill to the motel – not a good idea. There was nowhere else to stay remotely within range, so we booked into the motel – we’d worry about food later.

It’s a very pretty place at the bottom of a valley with a stream running nearby. We unpacked and while Mike planned the next days’ route I checked the TV for the weather report. At lease I intend to until I discovered the Western Encore channel, which shows nothing but old cowboy films and TV series. I quickly found myself engrossed in Yellow Tomahawk, with Rory Calhoun; a wonderfully politically incorrect film, full of people of scalps.

There is a small general store near the hotel from which we managed to rustle up a three course lunch/dinner consisting of , crisps and a salsa dip, microwaveable roast beef and Irish stew dinners, followed by bread and processed cheese, This was washed down with Budweiser and a bottle of Australian Merlot. It could have been a lot worse. We had the beer sitting outside our room watching some other residents throwing horseshoes up on a hill.

There is no internet again or phone signal which is really quite irritating. Amazing how quickly you come to rely on them. Apparently they can’t get a signal down in the valley. So nothing really to do after dinner but revise tomorrow’s route, watch an episode of Gunsmoke and turn in.

From our guide book;

Breaks to Hindman 70 miles

“Start the morning with a long descent from Breaks Interstate Park into Kentucky. At 3.4 miles you cross the state line. Today’s ride goes through the heart of Appalachia coal country. You’ll be travelling on 2 lane roads and one 4 lane road with a wide shoulder. It’s a long tough day, perhaps the hardest of the trip with minimal accommodations (sic)”

Can’t wait.