We got up early and rode on the Greenway to downtown for morning coffee. Cups is a favorite of Billie and JD. There’s a tall shelf where regular customers can leave their own cup. Coffee is ordered by cup size: A, B, or C. Get it?

The Roanoke Greenway is about half completed with about 35 miles of paved trail. We stopped at Black Dog Salvage (of DIY Network’s Salvage Dawgs fame) to look around. This is one of Thais’s favorite kinds of stores and she would love this one, it’s huge and things are organized and well-presented.

Yes, there is a black dog. In the evening we went to Hits for ice cream and to listen to the Flaky Biscuits play. Billie works with Jeff (second from the left) who learned to play the guitar just 5 years ago. A local college student played the hammer dulcimer – beautiful sound. The Roanoke star on the hill above – the world’s largest fre-standing illuminated man-made star built in 1949. It’s 88.5 feet tall and is made from 2000 feet of neon tubing.
Miles = 16

We spent the night at a motel in Marlinton where there was NO cell service because we were in the National Radio Quiet Zone, a 13,000-square-mile area of eastern W Virginia. Why? The Green Bank Telescope is the largest moving structure on Earth, fully steerable to peer into deep space and collect radio emissions. It has a reflecting surface of 2.3 acres. Radio stations, cell phone towers, and wifi might interfere with reception so are not allowed.

We drove to Renick this morning and started riding AFTER the rain stopped.

It was just Donna, Billie and me this morning. One 15-year-old bottom was too sore today. JD drove to Caldwell, our ending point and rode toward us until we met up. The rain left the trail perfect for message-making.

Wild mountain laurel.

Ready to bloom.


Miles = 21

We got up early, loaded the bikes and gear and drove to Marlinton, W Virginia, about 2 hours away.

The Greenbrier River Trail is 78 miles long and covers some of the most remote areas of WV. Because of the crushed limestone surface, today I rode a mountain bike (my first time) – most noticeable difference was the loud noise the tires make. We rode upriver with a 1% grade (no complaining about climbing today).


JD and Rickey were ahead but stopped and shouted to ride to the left side (tail end) of this copperhead.

Moments later we saw 3 deer fording the river and heard dogs barking at a black bear up a tree. The welcome-to-WV sign says WV is “wild and wonderful.” Yup.

A 299 ft-long bridge leads up to the Sharp’s Tunnel built in 1900.

The view from the bridge.

Lunch in Clover Lick then we headed back. No lights in Sharp’s Tunnel,

and there are rocks big enough to cause an spill, so walking was the smart thing to do.

Miles = 30

Today, Billie made gluten-free English muffins – a first for me.

Delicious!

I didn’t bring my whole bike, just pedals, shoes, helmet, and mirror. Billie arranged for TWO bikes for me to ride depending on the riding surface. JD swapped out the pedals and got the bikes ready for tomorrow’s adventure.

We went to dinner at The Home Place in Catawba. On the weekends or when Virginia Tech has graduation, it could take 2 hours to get a table. The placemat explains why and the food is really good.


L-R: JD, Billie, Rickey (Billie’s 15-year-old grandson), Jackie and Herb (JD’s brother).

Sacramento – Las Vegas – Chicago – Charlotte NC. This is what you get when you select the cheapest ticket available. It also means there are more opportunities for flight delays, so I arrived in Charlotte at 1:20 am. Thank you Billie and JD for driving from Roanoke to pick me up.
Going home is Charlotte – Houston – Portland – Sacramento. Almost a nationwide tour.

Downtown Sacramento,
Ambrosia Cafe for a late lunch

with Dave and Phyl.

Lunch was good, but our main purpose was to look at the art exhibit recently installed. The artist, Kathy Dakan, fulfilled a lifelong dream to present 20 years of collected (mostly) pen-and-ink pointillism drawings. I first met Kathy and husband Glenn at Westside School when I taught her two older children, Shane and Tyrah.

Dick has a new grandchild! Ella Rose was born today to Mike and Nicole in Boulder CO.
8 lbs 4 oz, 21″. Isn’t she beautiful?

Retreat? Or 4 days at a foothills spa with gourmet cooking? That’s what it’s like when I visit Maria and Tim. Their backyard is beautiful. It starts with not-a-swimming pool – not allowed in Lake Wildwood – but rather a “water feature” that you can splash around in. Duh, I didn’t take a picture of this. Going up to the next level is a putting green. M&T set up a chipping net so Maria could practice for a golf tournament next weekend.

Further up the hill,

Tim’s garden with a tall fence to keep out the deer. The entire plant including roots is inside the black plastic container.

Maria is a great cook and Tim is a master on the barbecue. Grilled swordfish, tuna tartare, cheeseburger salad better than the restaurant that invented it (Lefty’s in Nevada City) and Up-the-butt chicken.

Yum!

Maria had to work periodically and I found time to make a “Hawaii dress” for Sophia.

Sally at the Sacramento Public Library did a great job organizing the kickoff event for the summer reading program. The Friends of the Library provided the funding.


Deno from the Natomas Farm.



The trick roper was a big hit.

And now, everyone is ready to begin their summer reading!

This tour was led by Anne Fenkner, an arborist with the Sacramento Tree Foundation.
There was quite a large group.

Sidewalk rerouted to accomodate the tree.


The rows of palms were planted in the 1930s and lined the trolley tracks up to the turn-around.

Phyllis and I both thought this tour was excellent.