Here we are in Richmond

Day 18:

Today was spent in much the same way as day 16, excepting the fact that today we had a headwind against us all day making the uphill sections twice as torturous and the downhill sections half as speedy. Nonetheless, we managed a 46 mile day ending in Richmond Va. We started the day following the bicycle touring maps given to us by 'bike mike', but after realizing that following the map meant the difference between making it to Richmond today and making it there tomorrow, we disregarded the map and simply followed US 1, shedding nearly 20 miles from the trip.

I have always had a certain respect for truckers, bus drivers and the like, and still do, but the more time we spend on the road, the more I dislike (and in some cases fear) the 'I spent a lot on this vehicle and therefore am a good driver' motorists. A good portion of the day was spent (to the discontent of many travelers) in the center of the right lane of the highway to ensure that this type of driver was forced to pass us in the other lane, after we were startled one too many times by a passing car too busy to move to the passing lane for the bicycle riders on the shoulder.

In an homage to Peter Fonda in Easy Rider, bryce added this accessory, which we discovered on the roadside early in the day, to his pack. An entertaining tribute, so long as our trip doesn't end the same way theirs did.

In Richmond at Steve Crandall's house for the night.
The weather will tell us if we leave tomorrow or later.

Goodnight.