Day 2: Williamsburg, VA to Glendale, VA

Monday May 21, 2012,  49 miles - Total so far: 62 miles*
    * Miles ridden on the TransAm route
    Odometer miles - Today - 54.9   Total to date - 82.2 miles

Off to a great start!

The first riding day making progress to the west.  We left this morning from Williamsburg.  I took a leisurely ride through the Colonial Williamsburg area before riding along the Colonial Parkway to Jamestown - the same ride my wife and I did on Saturday morning.  Then we continued on to the northwest arriving at the Willis Methodist Church near the tiny town of Glendale, VA.  The route basically follows the James River, so there were many signs noting the old Virginia plantations which were built years ago on the river.

The Capitol building in Williamsburg

The Governor's Mansion in Williamsburg

Thomas Jefferson sitting on a bench in Williamsburg - looking very bronze these days

A Great Blue Heron standing along the shore of a swampy area beside Colonial Parkway

The weather was moderate, temperatures in the low 70s, with dark clouds in the distance threatening possible rain in the afternoon.  Fortunately we got only a few sprinkles late this afternoon after everyone had arrived at our destination.

Along the way I made a stop at Shirley Plantation.  I didn't take a full tour but I snapped a couple of photos because this is a stop I also made on my ride in 1976.  It doesn't look like much has changed with the plantation in the last 36 years.

Shirley Plantation - 1976

Shirley Plantation - 2012

The church is a long-standing stopover point for TransAm cyclists.  They've made the church and adjacent Sunday School room available to us along with a full kitchen.  We had a great meal prepared by Nicole and Wendy.  But the highlight of the stay here was the shower.  Since the church doesn't have a shower Nicole found a very large folding ladder from which she hung the solar shower bag.  With a couple of strategically placed tarps we had a top-notch outdoor shower.  Everyone raved about her ingenious creation - almost as nice as the Hilton.

Willis Methodist Church

Our outdoor solar shower - top-notch accommodations!
(If you look close you can actually see the water pouring from the bottom of the bag.)