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Thursday, September 18, 2008, Front of Mason Lodge, Yorktown, Virginia
WE MADE IT TO THE EAST COAST! Well, we made a major milestone today, pedaling all the way to the east coast. It was a thrill.
We got up earlier than usual and left about 7:45. I knew we could make it all the way to Yorktown if we had a good day. So we left and Mom packed up to follow us later and feed us snacks. We kept seeing signs in front yards saying "No Olf". No idea what it means. When we got to Waverly, we ate at McDonalds, always a treat, especially the all-you-can-drink sweet ice tea. We were making good time, despite the fact that the breeze was against us. It was exciting to arrive in the town of Scotland, where we took the ferry to historic Jamestown. Such a neat place with so many old buildings. Once there, all the little ones got on bikes, and we rode the old Colonial Parkway, which connected Jamestown with Williamsburg and our final destination, Yorktown. Beautiful, safe, and scenic. We rode through Williamsburg and saw the old buildings and shops, still as they were in the 1600s. As we approached Yorktown, anticipation was building; we all wanted to see the Atlantic Ocean. It was a race against the sun because it was getting late. Finally, we arrived at sundown and stood under the memorial where General Cornwallace surrendered to George Washington, ending the Revolutionary War. Then we headed to the waterfront and dipped our front tires at the mouth of the James River, which flowed into the Atlantic, and took pictures, capturing this important milestone. Unfortunately, because it was such an important place, there were no cheap places to stay and no nearby campgrounds. Finally, after much looking around and unsuccessful attempts, we found a man cutting the grass in front of the Mason Lodge, who let us put up the tent in the corner of the grass for the night. What a relief. It was already late and dark, so we were very appreciative. Still no showers, so I rode to a gas station for a sponge bath. 110 miles.