Today was gloriously warm and sunny, which made it a perfect first exploration day in this city.
I had planned to visit the Phipps Conservatory today, but unfortunately I ended up on a Google-maps/construction/road-closure wild goose chase instead. I will try again tomorrow!
But I still had a wonderful day. I checked out of my hotel at 11 am, and pedaled down to the lovely Point State Park, with its iconic fountain that I later learned was just turned on again a few days ago. People were out walking, cycling, and sunbathing around it, and it was a cool sight to see.
After that, I was ready to go meet my friend (and erstwhile Portland neighbor/fellow HOA board member from my condo) David, for lunch. The ride to the restaurant was really cool, first crossing one of Pittsburgh’s beautiful yellow bridges, and then meandering along a riverfront bikeway corridor with copious, glorious “graffiti.” It was something to behold, and that art continued for probably at least a quarter mile.
It was great to catch up with David, who is a very interesting person with a very interesting and ever-evolving life. I was so glad he could find time in his busy schedule to meet up.
After lunch, I began my efforts to see the conservatory. Although I did not achieve that goal, I did enjoy more bike paths, parks, bridges, and other worthwhile sights in the pursuit.
Around 6:00, I crossed yet another beautiful yellow bridge to reach the glorious old-Pittsburgh home of my new Warmshowers hosts, Ben and Mara (and their elderly but spry and friendly dog Colby).
I settled in and met their neighbor, and then headed straight back out again to meet more local friends, Stentor and Christina, for dinner at a nearby Mexican restaurant. We got the food to go, and ate it in a beautiful park with a lake. Sadly, I did not capture a photo of the people, nor the park, but a good time was had by all.
I’m looking forward to two more days here in this cool city. My tentative plan is to visit the conservatory and some in-town spots tomorrow, and then cycle out onto part of the GAP trail the following day.
—
Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a one-hour phone or video call with me!
Want to be notified of future blog posts? Use the green “sign up” button to subscribe!
Want to support my vision financially? I am in the process of manifesting $50,000 in lieu of a “salary” for the year of this journey. You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons and supporters!)
The sun finally came back out in Waterford this morning, leaving us with a glorious last day for me to spend with my folks. It had been a wonderful week at the homestead, and it was finally time to move on today.
We had a leisurely breakfast together, then headed out in the early afternoon to Harpers Ferry, West Virginia again. That’s where my train would depart from, but first, we had to try the highly acclaimed vegan restaurant Kelley Farm Kitchen, which coincidentally sits only a few hundred yards from The Barn, where I had attended my high school classmates’ birthday party just two days ago. (What are the odds?? I’ve only been to Harpers Ferry a handful of times in my life, and the previous time was nine years ago.)
Our meals were as delicious as we had hoped, and the portions were very large, so I took half of mine with me on the train and ate it for a late dinner.
After the meal, we went down to walk very briefly around the deeply historic town of Harpers Ferry, before getting my rig across the tracks and ready to board when the train (also very briefly) would stop, arriving from DC.
We said our farewells on the platform, and my parents and the conductor helped me to load my rig onto the train. Fortunately, despite the (unusual) lack of space in the luggage racks, the conductor seemed entirely unperturbed about it, and simply stood the trailer up and propped it against the wall, in the common area right next to the exit door. I guess he must have moved it out of the way of boarding and departing passengers at each stop along my route—no simple feat, with its bulky dimensions and 72-lb heft. Yay for easygoing, solution-oriented conductors!
The scenery along this train route was breathtaking in the evening light. This is a gorgeous part of the country. I wish it were easier to take clear photos from a moving train with dirty windows, but I trust you can still get the gist. There were also several sections of magical wooded hills directly outside the windows, with the evening light slanting through them. Sadly, those scenes are nearly impossible to capture on camera, but I enjoyed them in the moment.
We paralleled waterways for nearly the entire 6-hour ride, and it was beautiful to see while the light remained. I also happened to be seated in the very back row of the entire train, so I was able to look out the back again, which is always fun.
Once we arrived in Pittsburgh, at about 11:30 pm, it was an easy task to disembark and reassemble the rig on the platform. The local temperature was perfect, with no wind, rain, nor excessive humidity.
I was struck by the beauty of the exterior of the station at night. On my one previous trip to Pittsburgh—which lasted only 24 hours, from 5 am to 5 am(!)—I had exited and entered the station downstairs, and found it aesthetically lacking, looking quite Greyhound depot-ish. I had never realized how grand the upstairs entrance was, and seeing it lit up in the darkness tonight was really a treat.
The short bike ride to my hotel passed without incident.
It’s very late now, but I’m excited for my next few days here. I already have both lunch and dinner plans with different local friends tomorrow, and I’m also looking forward to touring the Phipps Conservatory (and its Japanese garden!) and meeting my new Warmshowers hosts.
But now, some sleep!
—
Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a one-hour phone or video call with me!
Want to be notified of future blog posts? Use the green “sign up” button to subscribe!
Want to support my vision financially? I am in the process of manifesting $50,000 in lieu of a “salary” for the year of this journey. You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons and supporters!)
My restful time here is drawing to a close. This past week has been wonderful, connecting with my parents and my childhood home.
I’ve done almost no “outside” socializing here (except by phone) although I was spontaneously invited to the 50th birthday party of twin middle- and high school classmates of mine yesterday. I enjoyed celebrating their milestone, and meeting some of their other friends and family, as well as seeing a few other old classmates, most of whom I had not seen in more than 30 years! (I’ll refrain from posting the one group photo we took, since I haven’t asked permission of all the people in it.) My mom knew the birthday girls’ mom, though, so she joined me at the party.
We were lucky to make it there—in Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, where we’ll be returning tomorrow for me to catch the train to Pittsburgh—because several days of steady rain had created flood warnings in the area. The creek in our own driveway was high (the photo of it I’m posting is from my second day here, before the rain had begun) but we managed to get the car through it.
One other excursion during my time here was to the quaint post office in the quaint town of Waterford (founded by Quakers in 1733). It was always a charming and welcoming place to visit to pick up the mail in my childhood. We lived out on a rural road, so the post office was where the mail was always delivered. I have fond memories of enormous Sears catalogs (I used to long for their canopy bedroom sets, which in hindsight would have been laughable in my various unfinished bedrooms, with curtains in lieu of doors) and handwritten letters from faraway friends and relatives.
The post office still holds this charm, and I even received my package of vitamins there. (Hopefully I can get back in the habit of actually taking my vitamins! I’ve gotten very slack about that.)
I also strolled all around the property here, admiring the fields and wildlife. Sightings included one snake (though I didn’t get a good enough photo to post) and one large snake skin, as well as a vulture, many squirrels, and four cute groundhog babies.
The old (and recently restored) barn was looking venerable at the edge of the fields my 81-year-old father continues to mow.
I did some reading while I was here, too. This included some very moving excerpts from my mother’s memoirs that she is slowly writing, as well as an unexpected opportunity to do some copy editing/proofreading on a Portland friend’s wonderful novel.
I got to celebrate Mother’s Day with my mother in person today, for the first time in 32 years. It happened to fall on the 50th anniversary of the day that my folks signed the papers to acquire this property (affectionately known as “Toad Hall,” after Mr. Toad’s residence in The Wind in the Willows) six months before I was born in 1972.
A few days earlier, Mom had baked a wonderful vegan strawberry-rhubarb pie for me. What a treat!
It has all been a treat. Tonight, my last night here, we even had a video chat with my sister and her partner in Seattle.
I kind of wish I could stay longer here. But… the road beckons, and time is steadily moving onward. Tomorrow, we are planning to have a late lunch at a highly rated vegan restaurant in Harpers Ferry, and then I will board the train to Pittsburgh, to begin my next chapter!
—
Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a one-hour phone or video call with me!
Want to be notified of future blog posts? Use the green “sign up” button to subscribe!
Want to support my vision financially? I am in the process of manifesting $50,000 in lieu of a “salary” for the year of this journey. You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons and supporters!)
I’ve been here at my family home just outside of Waterford, Virginia for three days now, hanging out with my parents. It’s been really cool so far! I’ve got another few days to go, before continuing on my journey, next to Pittsburgh.
The past day or so has been quite rainy, and the rain is forecast to continue for the next couple of days as well. But when I first arrived, I encountered beautiful golden-hour light that made for some lovely strolling and photography. I hope you enjoy these scenes of trees and fields.
The house is a special part of it all, too. This coming Sunday, May 8th—which happens to be Mothers Day too, of course—is the 50th anniversary of my parents’ signing the mortgage on this now-250+ year-old stone farmhouse and its surrounding 30 or so acres, back in 1972. I’m so excited to be able to be here for this anniversary! (And I was born exactly six months later, on November 8th, so this has been my family home for my whole life. I count myself very lucky.)
When they bought the house, it was an enormous hovel. Despite the grandeur of its size and stone work, pretty much everything else needed replacing, including floors, roof, electricity, plumbing… the only plumbing that first year was a single cold-water faucet in a rusty old utility sink. The toilet was an outhouse, and the “shower” was the garden hose. (My father was commuting to work in a suit and tie at the time.)
As for electricity, the makeshift kitchen had only one outlet, so if my mom wanted to use the oven, she had to unplug the refrigerator.
(Did I mention she was pregnant that summer?)
There were peacocks roaming around when they bought the place, and in the course of that first year, they saw a group of wild pigs making their way across the overgrown lawn. Black rat snakes (not poisonous, but up to six feet long) were all around, both outside and inside the walls. And of course squirrels, groundhogs, raccoons, opossums, skunks, and plenty of insects and spiders.
Also within the first year was Hurricane Agnes, which flooded the barn area rather dramatically.
All this is to say that although the place is beautiful and picturesque now, getting from there to here required a staggering amount of time, work, money, and patience.
I’m glad to be here now, especially at this special time, and also especially during the springtime. I left for college in Portland in the late summer of 1990, and I believe this is the first time in the intervening nearly 32 years that I have seen the property with the dogwoods blooming.
More photos to come in the next few days. I hope you enjoy these.
—
Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a one-hour phone or video call with me!
Want to be notified of future blog posts? Use the green “sign up” button to subscribe!
Want to support my vision financially? I am in the process of manifesting $50,000 in lieu of a “salary” for the year of this journey. You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons and supporters!)
What a ride yesterday! It ended up being about 27 miles, much of it on the Washington & Old Dominion (W & OD) rail-trail. I had biked the full 45 miles of this trail in September of 2019, on a folding bike loaned to me by Michelle, who I stayed with in Centreville. (The following month, I got my Brompton!)
This time, I did a few miles of the trail on my way to Centreville from DC, and then I did about 15 miles of it again yesterday, from Herndon to Leesburg, where my parents picked me up to take me back to Waterford.
At first, leaving Centreville, I once again enjoyed the seemingly northern-Virginia-specific amenity of tar-paved sidewalks next to major roads. They felt safer than riding in the road, but were also wider than conventional sidewalks, and no concrete seams!
Shortly after I departed Michelle’s place, though, I realized I had not refilled my hydration pack before I left. I noticed a park area on the map coming up, and decided to make a detour from my Google maps route to see if I could find a drinking fountain or tap to refill it.
I did not find such—it turned out to be more of a creekside-path type of park—but the detour took me at least half an hour. It was rather scenic, but the path was full of roots poking up through the tar in spots, and at one point, I encountered a creek-forded area of the path, with water running across it.
This gave me pause, since I like to keep the bottom of the trailer as dry and clean as possible. But I also had to laugh, because the “homestead” in Waterford where I grew up happens to have a hilly, gravel, quarter-mile driveway, with a stream running through it! During my childhood, we always used to laugh about visitors arriving in their cars, stopping at the creek and wondering what on earth to do. (Answer: just drive on through it!)
So, I figured it was pretty apropos that I would encounter such a thing on my way there. I gauged the depth, and decided that if I pedaled slowly and steadily, the trailer should be fine.
Sure enough, I made it through without incident. I remembered the rain from the previous day, and wondered if perhaps before the rain that part of the path had been dry.
It also then occurred to me to count my blessings that the water was not any deeper. There would not have been an easy way across if it had been too deep, and the trail up until that point had been rather hilly and bumpy, so backtracking would not have been much fun.
I continued on, and got back onto major roads for a while.
But then another park showed up, and I thought I would try again for a water tap.
Along this creekside path, I found a little free library! Wow. I’ve seen them all over cities, but did not expect to find one out in the woods. Pretty cool.
Before too long, I encountered something extra cool! Ahead on the path, I saw several people standing with their fancy cameras pointed up.
No one said anything, nor even acknowledged me. I stopped and carefully looked up in the trees. It took me a few moments, but I finally noticed the owl peering out of a hollow in a tall tree stump.
Wow!
Everyone was fully intent. I took a couple photos with my old phone camera (if you look closely you can see the owl) but then I was kind of ready to move on. But no one would make eye contact with me to give me a signal that it was OK to proceed. I didn’t want to disturb the bird… but I did have a destination to reach.
Finally, I just slowly walked my rig forward, through the people (who still did not acknowledge me—kinda rude, I judged) and continued on. The bird stayed put.
Not fifty yards later, though, what should I see but another ford, and this time too deep to cross.
Doh!!
I briefly considered unpacking everything and carrying it piece by piece to the other side, but balked at this delay and hassle.
I consulted my phone’s map. Fortunately, I wouldn’t have to go too far out of the way to get to another road and avoid it.
I went through a cool tunnel—almost flooded, but thankfully not—and then found myself in the path of a beautiful cherry tree with blossoms fluttering over the path. What a beautiful time of year!
Before too long, I reached Herndon and the start of the W & OD trail. It was as picturesque as I had recalled—even an old railcar on the side of the trail—and I enjoyed the ride.
At one point the trail was closed for maintenance, but thankfully there was a gravel alternative—normally intended for pedestrians—directly parallel, for the several hundred yards of the closure. There was also a nice shaded bench there, where I stopped for a rest, and a short few steps away, a little pond area.
It was all very pleasant.
I arrived in Leesburg in the late afternoon, and my parents brought me back to the homestead.
I think I will be here, resting and regrouping and enjoying family connection, for about a week. I’ll have time to catch up on phone calls and such, which will be great.
I don’t have much in the way of “plans,” though, and therefore my blogging may be pretty sparse this week. I do plan to share some photos of the homestead at some point.
After here, my next destination will be Pittsburgh; I’ll catch the train there from Harpers Ferry, West Virginia, not too far from here.
For now, though, it’s a week of childhood memories and relaxation!
—
Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a one-hour phone or video call with me!
Want to be notified of future blog posts? Use the green “sign up” button to subscribe!
Want to support my vision financially? I am in the process of manifesting $50,000 in lieu of a “salary” for the year of this journey. You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons and supporters!)
Yesterday was my “latest” bicycling day, in terms of going from one town to another: I started in the afternoon, and arrived late in the evening. The trek was about 35 miles, with about 950 feet of elevation. (That Custis trail had some hills on it; oof!)
I had enjoyed the Hillwood Estate in the morning—with a lovely creekside bike path on the way back—and then enjoyed a nice homemade lunch with Mike and Marya, before heading out to my friend Michelle’s place at about 1:30.
Mike took a farewell picture of me with my rig, before I pedaled down their NW DC street.
I got stuck in traffic on M Street in Georgetown for quite a while; the streets were narrow enough, and my rig wide enough, that I couldn’t squeeze next to the cars, so I had to just “be” one of them.
But finally I made it onto the Key Bridge to cross the Potomac. On the Virginia side, I quickly joined the Custis Trail, and then eventually the W & OD (Washington & Old Dominion.) That path had been widened in some areas since I last biked it, about two and a half years ago, which was cool. There were also some very lush green spaces on the sides of it.
Once I got near Vienna, I had to get onto roads, although in many cases the roads had nice tar-paved “side paths” next to them: not really sidewalks, but separated paths that felt much safer than riding in the roads with the fast traffic.
When I finally arrived in Centreville, just before dark at 8:00, I was greeted by Michelle, her sweetie Mars (who turned out to be an avid prog-rock fan!) and her two adorable dogs Goliath and Gretta.
Today was rainy and very quiet. Tomorrow, I plan to continue on the W & OD all the way out to Leesburg, where my parents will pick me up from the “homestead” outside of Waterford. I haven’t seen them, and the homestead, in those two and a half years; I’m excited!
—
Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a one-hour phone or video call with me!
Want to be notified of future blog posts? Use the green “sign up” button to subscribe!
Want to support my vision financially? I am in the process of manifesting $50,000 in lieu of a “salary” for the year of this journey. You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons and supporters!)
Yesterday, I finally got to visit this Japanese garden I’ve been wishing to see for years! Every time I had tried, over the past few years, I found I was visiting the area on a Monday, when they are closed. This time, though, I made it on a Saturday.
The Japanese garden is part of the Hillwood Estate, which also includes many other gardens, as well as a mansion. A local couple from the Buy Nothing Travelers’ Network kindly toured me around, sharing one of their guest passes from their membership, which saved me the $18 admission fee.
It was a beautiful place. Here are some of my favorite photos from the day.
Then yesterday afternoon and evening, I biked the 35 miles from my friends’ house in NW DC to my other friend’s house in Centreville, Virginia. I’ll plan to do a separate post with those photos.
—
Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a one-hour phone or video call with me!
Want to be notified of future blog posts? Use the green “sign up” button to subscribe!
Want to support my vision financially? I am in the process of manifesting $50,000 in lieu of a “salary” for the year of this journey. You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons and supporters!)
What a glorious day, visiting an incredible place.
I got a late start to the day, but enjoyed my much-anticipated meal at NuVegan: lasagna and collards, both perfection.
Then I headed east, to the arboretum. It took me about 40 minutes by bike, mostly a pleasant journey.
When I arrived, in the late afternoon, the light was beautiful. It had not occurred to me that there would be an extensive azalea section of the arboretum, but there was, and it was in absolutely top form in this season, so I spent most of my time in that section.
One area of the azalea garden was blocked off, though—apparently annually—because of nesting bald eagles. How cool!
Later, I visited another section on the other side of the arboretum, full of wooded trails and lovely handmade-looking wooden bridges.
Finally, I explored the middle hill area, with the “Capitol columns.” It was a pretty cool feeling to stand near and among them.
I loved my time at this arboretum. I hope to visit again sometime when I can devote more time to walking around, but it is hard to imagine a better time of year to visit than right now. (If you happen to be in the DC area, I highly recommend a visit!)
When I got back to Mike and Marya’s place, they had been working to assemble their Friday dinner tradition of a vegan charcuterie board. It was a delight to experience! The spread included olives, various breads, and some vegan meats and cheeses they had picked up on last week’s trip to New York City. (They also gave me several recommendations of places to try when I get there in a few weeks.) They also treated me to a special gin and tonic, made from a grapefruit-infused gin and garnished with a wedge of fresh grapefruit.
Today has been wonderful. Tomorrow, I’m looking forward to finally experiencing the Japanese garden at the Hillwood Estate!
—
Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a one-hour phone or video call with me!
Want to be notified of future blog posts? Use the green “sign up” button to subscribe!
Want to support my vision financially? I am in the process of manifesting $50,000 in lieu of a “salary” for the year of this journey. You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons and supporters!)
It was a bright and beautiful but chilly morning (39!) when I embarked yesterday. I had a nice breakfast with my Charlottesville Warmshowers hosts, and then showed them how I put together my rig—including folding and unfolding the bike—before pedaling off toward the train station. It was just about two miles, mostly downhill.
Once I arrived, the Amtrak station attendant was charmed by the rig! This was a nice contrast to the struggles I’ve had with other station personnel around the country. In fact, anticipating a possible struggle, I had walked right up and asked her how I would need to comply with this particular train (the Northeast Regional, a train I had not yet experienced) and she said there was no baggage car, so I could just talk to the conductor and then carry everything on.
Wow, OK, simple!
So I started converting the trailer to its push-cart mode, which I thought would make it easier to board. That’s when I discovered the wheel wells (not sure if that’s the right term?) were getting very dry and not easy to use. I was so grateful for the fact that I had just yesterday visited the bike shop and got some new cleaner/chain lube. And furthermore, that I had kept it in a very accessible position within my luggage.
I proceeded to sprawl out all over the floor in the middle of the small station—with other passengers looking on—taking things apart, using toilet paper to clean parts… but I was much happier afterward, with a much more easily “convertible” trailer.
Boarding, however, turned out to be a challenge. The stairs to the coach cars were the same steep and narrow steps on Viewliner trains, but this time I had to get the folded bike and trailer up them, since there was no baggage car. The conductor helped me to lift the bike up the stairs, but refused to help with the trailer, presumably because he could see that it was oversized and could surmise—correctly—that it was also overweight. I had to quickly switch the wheel position again, then turn the cart sideways and do my best to heft its 72 pounds up the steps. I made it partway up, dragging it behind me from up the stairs, and then another kind Amtrak employee gave me a hand from the platform.
After that, I had to drag both items sideways down a hallway before I found a place to stash them.
Sadly, by the time I reached my seat (no empty ones left, so I got the aisle, with no phone charger and minimal view) I had begun a weird/inexplicable coughing fit. Thankfully, at the last minute on the platform I had made the switch from my cloth mask to a KN-95, so I felt less “contagious” to my seatmate—who was also masked—and the rest of my train-mates. (The federal mask mandate on transportation was lifted just a few days ago, so most people in the car weren’t masked at all.)
I was embarrassed by the coughing, though, as well as physically uncomfortable, and now also scared that I might be getting COVID.
Oof.
The coughing eventually died down, and the rest of the ride passed without incident. I dozed a bit.
Once we arrived in Washington, though, the crew did not open most of the train’s doors, only the ones in the café car, a couple of cars down from me. This had been the case for the earlier, shorter stops, but the conductor had announced that beforehand, with what seemed to me a strong implication that once the train reached DC—which was a half-hour stop, and he even said you could get off for a smoke break—they would then open all the doors.
But no.
My heart sank. I knew I would at least have time to get off the train before it left, so that was a relief, but the thought of piecemeal carrying first the bike, then the trailer, through at least one whole car length sounded incredibly daunting.
I got the bike to a door area, and decided to leave it there and return for it after getting the trailer out.
The trailer was every bit as heavy and awkward and bulky as I thought it would be to get through the adjoining car. Fortunately, a kind fellow passenger offered to help after a while, and grabbed one wheel. Even for the two of us, though, it was very challenging to heft this through such a narrow aisle of seats, some occupied.
We finally got it down to the end of the car, and then I needed to get it down the steps, off the train. Another kind passenger—on his smoke break on the platform—also offered to help, so together we managed to get the trailer to the platform.
At that point, I climbed back up the stairs to return for my bike, and then the train attendant said she would open the other door for me. I appreciated this, but she seemed annoyed about the whole thing.
I finally got the bike down to the trailer, and put everything back together on the platform. (Again, so thankful for just having lubed the wheels in their quick-release chambers!)
I made my way down to the small elevator, and just barely managed to fit the rig on when it arrived.
In the station, I used the restroom, and got a compliment on the Brompton from a woman in there who said she used to have one, and now regretted having sold it.
Then it was time to see if I could find a free rapid COVID test nearby: I didn’t want to risk endangering my DC hosts, or those afterward.
First I paused for a few photos of the beautiful station, inside and out, but then made my way over to a nearby Safeway that Google Maps indicated offered rapid testing.
I got there and found out they didn’t. They could only sell me a $99 home-testing kit.
Argh.
I was texting my hosts—my friends Mike and Marya—to let them know of the delay. Marya soon replied with a list of DC testing sites. By that time, I was already on my way to another one—George Washington Medical Center—which also told me they didn’t offer rapid testing.
I went to a local library, since Marya’s list indicated that they offered free at-home rapid testing kits to DC residents. They required proof of residency, so I was skeptical, but I thought I could try it, and maybe they wouldn’t ask.
(I did have on me a home test kit that I picked up on the way—Pam, if you’re reading, I think you gave it to me; thanks! But I couldn’t remember where I had stashed it, and for some reason I felt more comfortable biking around town to find a testing site rather than taking apart my rig on the street to find it.)
Once I arrived at the library, though, the big sign outside indicated that the test results would arrive in 3-5 days. The website had clearly indicated these were rapid tests. Apparently not.
By this point, it was about 2:00 pm (the train having arrived at 11:30, and my having last eaten—a locally made cookie I had purchased at the natural food store the previous day—right before boarding at about 8:30.) I was getting hungry and tired.
I decided to hit up the nearby restaurant DC Vegan for some lunch (ordered inside with a mask, of course, then consumed outside) and it was quite tasty and filling. While I sat, I noticed a CVS pharmacy right next door.
So after the meal, I went in to inquire about at-home tests. They had one for $9.99.
Sold!
I biked over to Mike and Marya’s place. Mike was still out at work, and Marya was in Zoom meetings indoors. They had said it was OK if I administered the test on their porch.
So I sat in the pleasant afternoon, behind their lovely cherry tree, and read the instructions, and administered the test.
Fifteen minutes later: Negative!
Whew!
But what a day.
I caught up with the two of them (and their cute cat Nikki) over a homemade dinner of pizza and salad (and a martini!)
Today, I’m looking forward to visiting the National Arboretum. (And experiencing the magic of NuVegan again; they live just a few blocks away from the original location!)
—
Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a one-hour phone or video call with me!
Want to be notified of future blog posts? Use the green “sign up” button to subscribe!
Want to support my vision financially? I am in the process of manifesting $50,000 in lieu of a “salary” for the year of this journey. You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons and supporters!)
Last evening I pedaled out from Robbi’s house during a brief lull in the rain, and the landscape was lush and amazingly beautiful. I had to take a photo, even just from her parking area, to capture the feel.
When I then cycled through downtown before arriving at my new hosts’ place just northwest of town, the rain was misting, giving the area a saturated look.
Today, though, the sun came back out again, and despite a very mild chill in the air that kept me inside until late morning, it turned out to be a gorgeous day.
I explored all around town, including the local natural-foods store (since 1975) where I looked for, and found, the Twin Oaks tofu. I had hoped they would have a deli section where I could sample sandwiches or salads made with that tofu, but unfortunately there was only a juice bar. I’m glad I did get to taste it at Living Energy Farm.
I also visited several local parks, with both forested and open spaces. The sunlight made everything beautiful.
When I reached downtown, I enjoyed walking the iconic Charlottesville brick-laid pedestrian mall. I stopped for lunch at the all vegan Botanical restaurant, and even visited local bike shop Blue Wheel Bicycles, where my bike got a once-over, the chain got cleaned up a bit, and I walked away with some new chain lube.
Finally, I headed over to the University of Virginia. I had visited this campus in the late ‘80s, when I was looking at colleges to attend. I had only a faint memory of that tour, but I think I did recognize the quad when I saw it today. Of course Jefferson’s signature domed architecture makes an important appearance on the campus, and it was beautiful to sit beneath a tree and enjoy the architecture and atmosphere.
Then I headed back to my hosts’ place, where we had a lovely dinner. After dinner, JoAnn gave me a tour of the yard, which was in beautiful bloom at this time of year. They have lived in this 1928 house for 40 years, so they had put lots of effort into the front and back landscaping, including many native plants.
I topped off the evening and waning light with a refreshing outdoor shower. What a neat experience!
Tomorrow I’ll be up earlier than usual to catch the train to Washington, DC. I’m excited to see friends, and do some more sightseeing and vegan dining!
—
Do you have your own dream or project, and would like some support or collaborative brainstorming about it? Use the green “contact” button above to schedule a one-hour phone or video call with me!
Want to be notified of future blog posts? Use the green “sign up” button to subscribe!
Want to support my vision financially? I am in the process of manifesting $50,000 in lieu of a “salary” for the year of this journey. You can make a one-time or monthly contribution, or even become a Fairy Godfunder! (Heartfelt thanks to all my patrons and supporters!)
