Bike Odyssey 2014 – Monday, May 19 – Shenandoah

Leaving Baltimore and John Millen, our couchsurfing host, behind, we headed for Frederick’s leafy civil-war era streets, then on to Front Royal and the Skyline Drive. No words can describe the majesty of the views across forest slopes and plains, from the mountains, and no photos either, without a panoramic wide-screen lens.

Frederick seemed like a town where a person could find sweet anonymity, and a decent meal when required. On the grounds that a holiday is a time for weird drinks, I ordered a blackberry mocha latte in a nice little cafe with sidewalk tables. The latte was gross, wonderful, and unrepeatable.

Checking email an inesecapable part of the day, while hot news is pending: no word from Sam and Maeve, their baby now 5 days overdue; good news of my friend Robert’s heart treatment today; heart-stopping praise for my new novel from an old friend, a noted writer, performer, and reader; and finally the relief of a painting of Claire’s, missing after being sent to the UK earlier this year, returned safely home. For all of which speedily delivered news I must say I’m grateful to the internet.

On arrival at the Big Meadows campsite (named, as Bill Bryson in his book on hiking the Appalachian Trail notes with amused satisfaction, not for its large meadows but for a man called Meadows), we put up our tents, Joe directing the proceedings and then sitting down to brew up tea in his portable device, while I retreated to the Lodge to write this post. Temperature quite cool; how will we fare overnight? I’ll report. But what a gorgeous day of biking, yet again. Bodies and bikes completely happy; and the sheer physical pleasure of motorbiking, hour after hour, a very special joy.