Damascus to Marion

30 miles. The last "rest" day.

Since we are closing in on the final leg, today is considered a rest day at 30 miles. It sure was restful. There are no more short days or off days left.

We didn't set alarms and woke up when we woke up; It's one of life's simple pleasures. Alarms make me angry.

The laziness continued at Mojoe's, where we drank coffee for a few hours and relaxed in big leather lazy boy chairs. I love hanging around cozy coffee shops, there haven't been many on this trip. So we just chatted, sipped, and avoided the day. Neither McKinley or I ever seem to be in a hurry to move, which is probably why we make such great travel partners.

The riding was easy and beautiful today; everywhere I looked, the southern Appalachians surrounded us. Though we're still in the mountains, the number of hills are becoming less and less as the days pass. I'm not complaining. And I'm loving being in the Appalachians. Each day gives us Skyline Drive-like views, it's just astounding.

We decided to cut the day short in Marion after landing at a cozy cafe for dinner. This just makes tomorrow longer, so we will have less loitering time. Dang.

A reunion of all of the friends I have made out here is in the works since we all seem to be finishing around the same time; DC is where it's at. First there's Ross and Bob, who I rode with for a few days in Oregon; they rode the TransAm to the Northern Tier. Then there's Kim, who ended up also hopping up to the Northern Tier to ride with Randy. And Leslie, who I met in Mitchell, then saw again in Baker City; she stopped riding due to a knee injury, but will be in DC for an internship. And of course, McKinley, who is staying with her friend Kevin for a few days. Also, the great Andy from Baltimore is coming since he was never able to ride with me. I'm so excited for this reunion and hope that all of the pieces fall into place. The players who will be missing: Whitney and Promise; they will be headed up to the city for a while, so I will see them in a few weeks. And of course, Pete and Lauren, who are now in Boston preparing for grad school. A Beantown reunion is also up for discussion; I hope to visit them in the fall.

Here's to the next few hundred miles, there isn't much time left here.