Tuesday, November 14

Richmond



After fumbling around the city for a while, I found National Battlefield Park, the Civil War memorial/park/museum. I will be leaving shortly for Towson, MD, to see my old friend Josh, whom I haven't seen in a good long while.

Virginia

The ride last night after dinner was long and dark. At one point, a deer crossed the road in front of me, the third or fourth time that's happened so far on this trip. At first I thought it was a car turning onto the road, but it didn't have headlights, so I slowed down, saw it was a deer and slammed on the brakes as it strolled past. I finally got to Staunton River State Park shortly before its posted closing time of 10pm and camped for the night. The leaves made a good cushion for my tent and I had the campground all to myself. The Virginia state parks system is very impressive - there's a sign at the entrance boasting "voted best state parks in America" and I believe it - and they even had laundry machines which I used in the morning.
Then I rode 150 miles to Richmond, where I currently sit at the 3rd St Cafe eating french toast and satisfying my caffeine addiction. (Free refills were undoubtedly one of the greatest inventions of the 20th century, but with coffee they have a downside.)