Day 64 - Our Last Day On Bikes (August 4th, 2024)
City To City: Toano - York Town
Miles: 25
Miles Total: 4,289
Flats: 13
After a good night's sleep and a hearty breakfast of eggs, sausage, and juicy cantaloupe. We chatted around the breakfast table, waiting for Matt to return from Mass. Since we only had twenty- five miles to go, and it was our last day of biking, we were in a relaxed mood.
Since Matt and Mark were going to stay with Kim and Ron another night, they unloaded their packs and were able to travel light.
All during the ride it was bittersweet. We were finally biking the last few miles of the journey and would be glad the physical pain would be over. But on the other hand, we were sad that the entire adventure would end, and with it, Matt and Mark.
Our warm shower host, the staff from the church had suggested that we take a different route because a major road had been closed for a while. So, when we got to the road closed sign, did we decide to take the suggestion of making a detour? No! We didn't! We stuck out our tongue at the road closed sign and barreled right through after we stopped to consider the best way, and apparently, the best way was right through the construction. At first, the road was fine but had dried mud on it. Then the concrete disappeared, and we rode away on packed dirt. We passed digging equipment, but luckily no one was around. At one point, the road became sand, and of course the heavier some of us were and had smaller tires, the more the sand affected us. So, Henry had the most trouble with the heaviest bike and the thinnest tires, Matt and Mark kept riding without a struggle thanks to their heavy-duty gravel tires. My dad was struggling but was able to make it through.
Have you every heard someone say, "Focus on what your doing." Well, apparently I, a sixteen-year-old haven't learned that lesson yet. I had been taking pictures with my phone of the guys ahead of me and I wasn't looking at how much space I had with Henry directly in the head of me. So, we Henry stopped, I slammed my brakes and stopped too. Well, after that, I could only get started once I could get back on the packed dirt. Luckily there wasn't a long stretch of sand.
For the last five miles, we biked along the Atlantic Ocean. We were so close to arriving at the beach in York Town. During those last miles, everyone pedaled with a spring in their spin. The mood was light and cheery. We all faced forward but a happy conversation was going on, and whoever was talking at the moment, the rest could hear a smile hindering their words. It felt like forever, and a tenth of a mile stretching forever. Then we were there. Our bikes on the bustling beach. Kids there with sand toys and parents under umbrellas.
Henry went to set up the GoPro on some rocks, so the video could see our faces. Then together, Matt, Mark, Henry, my dad, and I dipped our front wheels into the Atlantic Ocean with relief, excitement, joy, and pride for completing such a wonderful, exhausting, and adventurous journey with emotions all over.
We had done it. Biking around 4,289 to 4,350 miles across America from Astoria, Oregon to York Town, Virginia in 64 days, including seven full rest days.
My dad yelled at the camera, "All The way from Astoria, Oregon, to York Town, Virginia!!" People nearby gasped at my dad's comment and looked stunned. They then asked us if we were serious, and once we confirmed it, they congratulated us and offered to take some pictures with all of us in it. After a few snaps of the camera, we headed off to wash our sandy tires off, then to the church, to drop things off.
A man from the church came over and took us not to the church but to a house to the side of it. It was a beautiful, big modern beach house. With a big kitchen and dining room, with a vast open space, and an upstairs with another living area and bedrooms. We got things settled, and we went out to lunch, for fish and chips. At a local restaurant, the employees said the place was full, so we asked about the table in the back with five seats. But it was for locals only. The employee then asked the manager, and we were able to eat at the table that was reserved for locals. Then went sightseeing, before taking a dip into the ocean.
While sightseeing, we met two guys working out. Well, their goal was to get so many feet of elevation gain, which resulted in them running up this one hill about eighty times. A while later we passed by them again, and they were walking up the hill. We walked to the visitors center, where we got a free admittance because it was a free day. Later we all ended up in the theatre room and a movie was on about the history of York Town. But my dad and Mark sitting side by side didn't make it through. They were sound asleep, with their heads on their hands, nodding off. The movie wasn't boring, but with air conditioning, being tired, and sitting down, they had no way of winning against falling asleep. But they woke up in time to see the last five minutes of the movie, before it was over.
After showering, we had extra time, to go and get ice cream. With last-minute plans, Mark and I went to Ben & Jerry's to get four pints of ice cream and bring it back. Before we left, all of us, ganged up on Mark and commanded him not to pay for any of the ice cream. Mark protested a bit, before he finally caved in, to our satisfaction.
While we ate our ice cream, and before Kim and Ron came by so we could all go out to eat dinner, we recorded a conversation about our takeaways so we could remember this moment forever.
Soon after, Kim and Ron came by, and Kim got a tour of the beach house, and loved it. Then we walked down to a fancy restaurant, where we had delicious appetizers and dinner.
Then the sad goodbyes came. Matt and Mark couldn't stay too long at the beach house, and eventually needed to go back to Ron's and Kim's house. With hugs and wellwishes, they left, closing the door behind them, the latch clicking shut.
That night, Henry, my dad and I were so excited to get home the next day, but sad to say goodbye to a wild and adventurous journey, but every journey must have its end.
wow this is indeed a journey you will remember.
ReplyDeleteWhat a great conclusion. That sounds so bittersweet♥
ReplyDelete