Wednesday, June 17, 2009
2: Rainy Day
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| Stoker's Log Day Two |
| 6/17/09 |
| From Peace Valley in Doylestown, PA |
| To Lancaster, PA |
| 86.8 miles (yes, again) |
| 10.7 avg mph |
On the second day of our journey we were awoken by a rooster. (Technically our alarm rang first, but that's not as poetic.) We gazed groggily out of the misty windows, ate more pizza and muffins, and packed up far too slowly. Before leaving we got a tour of the lavender farm and gift shop barn, which also houses the dojo where Fricker does akido. (At least one word in that sentence is probably spelled incorrectly).
Oh, and Kyle found another friend.
Eventually we did get on the road, headed to my parents' house in Lancaster. It was supposed to be about a 70 mile trip, but somehow it ended up being 86.8, the exact mileage from yesterday. We met a number of charming people on our travels today: a trio of female cyclists, a boisterous man taking his daughter out for DQ, a couple also planning to ride a tandem across the country, several very nice fast food employees, and a young boy playing in the park who was quite the fan of our bike.
We were in the park in the first place because I had spotted a swan family and subsequently went crazy with my camera; most of the aftermath is on Flickr.
The riding itself was much less enjoyable than these breaks. We were slowed down by climbs, including one that went on for over four miles. Our knees started to protest loudly, and my left achilles felt like it was being crushed by the back strap of my shoe. And then the rain came. It wasn't bad enough that we couldn't ride in it, but it sure was miserable. It was especially bad for Kyle, who had a steady stream of water on his lower legs; until he stopped and dug out his heavy cycling tights he couldn't get warm and neither could his joints. To make it worse, it was getting dark. We were fully prepared for night riding, but that didn't mean we were looking forward to it. We were so cold, so miserable, so desperate to make it to Lancaster. And just when we felt like we were getting close, the road we were supposed to follow disappeared. Suddenly we were headed through downtown Lancaster with me navigating, something that will probably never happen again but which went surprisingly well. I probably shouldn't be proud of being able to maneuver through my hometown, but with my lack of navigational skills I'll take what I can get.
We rolled into my parents' driveway just as the sun was setting and apparently a few minutes after my father had gone out to look for us. After such a difficult evening it was wonderful to have my family there to comfort and feed us (and to loan us clothes and a bed -- thanks bro!). A warm shower and a meatloaf dinner later and all was well with the world once again. ← 1: It Begins | Home | 3: Night Ride →
| posted at: 06:27 |
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