Richmond was the capital of the Confederacy during the Civil War.  It is not surprising that a historian would love to visit the many battlefields in the vicinity.  I remember the name of Mechanicsville because of that, but I did not take any time to explore the sites on this trip.

My research told me that this was built in the 1970s as a bank branch.  It is a decorative windmill that is distinctive and it remains an eye catcher.

Ashland, like so many towns that I have seen along these bike routes, got its start from the railroad.  In the mid 1800s a mineral springs was expanded into a destination to attract visitors.  The local horse race track also was a draw for travelers.  Unlike other town this community has been able to sustain itself.

Because of the attractions the train stopped.  At some towns like the next one, Woodford, if you wanted the train to stop you needed to wave your handkerchief. At night you would need a lantern to be seen.  With a train going through, entrepreneurial individuals started producing wood wool or excelsior.  It is the slivers of wood that come off the logs as they are trimmed.  It is mainly used as a fill in packaging.

The Manahoac indigenous people lived in this area. You may see from the route map the  many water ways and the Chesapeake Bay.  I thoroughly enjoyed the Michener book about the area.

It is rough to bike into urban areas.  You really need to do some extensive research.  I am not doing that in this case.  Above is what I got from Google Maps for a suggested bike route.  Below is the suggestion from Ride GPS.  I have used Ride GPS twice on long rides.  The app will give you audio turn by turn directions and it is nice to keep your eyes on the road and off the map.  I will not bother with any photos of Washington, D. C.

The section above is from Adventure Cycling Association which has a map set for this route.  I am not using this set of maps for this virtual trip.  If I were actually doing the route, I would invest in them; they are worth the investment.  I have used them and they are geared (no pun) for bike tours.  Service clues help you find bike shops, lodging, WIFI,  and points of interest. 

This section again gets into taking some ferries.  You need to look ahead to the next day's route.  The phone allows me to check the schedule of  boats.  

How did Virginia get this slogan.  Research tells me it originated from a marketing company in 1968.  I am not sure that there is research to support this claim.  What is your experience?  Let the adventure move on.

You know that I find history exciting and I would have to stop at Jamestown.  It would be my first visit.

The Outer Banks are a 200 mile stretch of barrier islands that form a line along the coast of North Carolina. 

The Labrador current from the Arctic Ocean travels south and in this area meets the Gulfstream current coming from the south.  This area can have some of the best surf along the coast. 

Due to the treacherous waters this section is also known as the Graveyard of the Atlantic.

i thought that I would find many lighthouses like in Michigan.  There are seven coastal lighthouses in North Carolina. 

I see Rodanthe on the map and remember a movie starring Diana Lane and Richard Gere.  I see that it is based on a book by Nicholas Sparks.  I see a pattern in the settings of his books. 

I must have been in third grade when I started reading chapter biography books.  I remember that a book about the Wright Brothers was one of the first that I read.  Near me, in Michigan, at Greenfield Village their bicycle shop is on display.

This protected area was established in  1974. This is the northern most Atlantic coastal swamp.  This ecosystem is the home of many species of plants, animals, birds, and fish.

This is one of the biggest bases in the country.  We have several bases throughout the Great Lakes too, but I did not think about seeing one on this trip. Now I will be moving into Virginia.

My Covid medicine round of 5 days is complete.  I have been doing easy rides inside, but today I went outside for an hour ride going easier than normal.  I felt find, but when I got home I napped two hours.  People in my age group keep telling me that the lingering fatigue is what to expect.  Now I know that will be my case too.

It is going to be hard to be patient and with the nicer temps, I will want to go outside for longer rides.  My kids keep reminding me not to push myself.

This was my fourth day of quarantining for Covid.  I qualified for taking Paxlovid for five days.  One more day to go.  During these days I have stayed separately to not re-infect Linda.

Linda spent last week quarantined and I wore a mask.  I was not surprised to test positive.  She had mentioned a sore throat, body aches, and chills.  On Saturday, my throat felt a little different.  During the night I woke up with chills and in the morning tested.  The University  of Michigan Medicine contacted my primary care doctor.  Later in the day I received my prescription.

My biggest symptom has been the fatigue.  I have spent a lot of time in bed and not doing much activity.  No biking on Sunday, day 1.  On Monday I started  with a 20 minute session on the exercise bike.  After dinner I got on for another 20 minutes.  Each day  of the next two days I added 20 minutes.  I was pleased to be able to do this and hope that I can continue to add more each day.

Our May weather has been wet and cold.  I would not have gone outside to ride anyway.