Boone, Day 4: The Bike Ride…

Saturday was our last full day in Boone and we didn't have any set plans, so after breakfast (which by the way, my grandmother went to too much trouble to fix breakfast for us, we kept telling her cereal would be perfectly fine, she just wouldn't believe us!) we discussed our options. My parents insisted that I had been down the Virginia Creeper Trail years back and I insisted I didn't remember anything about it. Of course, since I'm telling the story, we all know how it ends, right? You got it! I had not been down the trail, apparently I was already married and she was thinking it was me, when really, it was Stacey...darn sisters! ;) We had thought about taking Ava last year we just didnt' have the time, so after talking and making a phone call to see about time and rentals, we all made a beeline to get ready. We left Grammy's and traveled through Tennessee to get to Virginia.  We used the company called Blue Blaze bike rentals and the guy was super nice and made everything easy. We were all fitted for our bikes and had them loaded up and we hopped in the shuttle.

 



The trail is an old rail bed and 34 miles long, but we were only doing a portion of it- the portion that is mostly downhill. They shuttled us up to Whitetop Station, the highest point on the trail and boy were those roads winding roads! Luckily I do better climbing mountains than coming down out of them! Ava and Trevor had these little tag-along bikes that hooked to the back of an adult bike. Brody decided to ride a bike on his own. The portion of the trail we were doing would be 18 miles from Whitetop Station back down to the bike rental shop in Damascus.



Ava was super excited to ride on the tag along, until they started going- then it became D R A M A! Have mercy on our souls because the child cried for the first 3 miles of the trail!

 



We stopped at Green Cove Station for a photo op and to check and see how everyone was doing. Everyone, except for Ava (and subsequently her 2 parents) were doing great! So Ava and I had a little pow-wow about how it was only going to be miserable if she didn't change her attitude, then I sent her off to play on the playground to hopefully get her to where she was enjoying herself. When it came time to hop back on the bikes and continue on, she started to cry before we even made it over to the bike and I reminded her that she can either have fun or be miserable, it was her choice, but I would choose to have fun. Only by the grace of God did I make it through her thick skull, because she didn't cry getting on the bike and within a matter of minutes she was back to her happy, fun loving self and we didn't have any problems the rest of the trip- actually it fueled her drive to want to ride a bike without training wheels. \



Adam took a video of her riding behind him as they were pedaling down the trail and she thought it was the coolest thing ever- she kept wanting to watch it. I also have to say these tag-alongs were the neat too- she could pedal to her heart's content but it didn't' matter if she did or didn't- but she thought she was doing something! Actually when we were going down the trail and Adam stopped pedaling (and started coasting) she flipped out and said 'Pedal, Daddy, pedal!!' while her little legs were going 90 mph trying to keep them going- haha!



The entire trail crosses over 47 trestles, so it was neat to cross over the water so many times.



 



Lunch break...we didn't really stop, and by stop I mean get off our bikes and actually take a break, except for one time, we found a campsite along the river and we decided to stop and eat some snacks. And give the kids a break- but they were all having so much fun.



On the way down, we passed a crowd of people standing near the bank and realized someone had fallen down off the side of the trail, so dad pedaled fast and hurried ahead of us to go get help. Luckily it happened only a few miles outside of town. We didn't stick around to see what happened, so I hope she was ok. Mom also had to go to the bathroom, and there obviously aren't many restrooms along the way, so we hurried back into town.



The last few miles of the trial, as you were coming back into town, it flattened out and we all had to work a little harder. You know, you wouldn't want to say you went on an 18 mile bike ride and not work at least some of the distance! There is a little ice cream place right as you are coming into town, we said next time we will plan to go earlier in the day so we have more time to enjoy the town and bikes.



With dad speeding ahead and with mom needing to use the restroom, we made it back a few minutes before Jason, Jenny, and the boys, so Dad and Ava went over to a caboose next to the shop and found Virginia Creeper- fitting since we were on the Virginia Creeper! :) The bike ride was really fun and beautiful as we pedaled along rivers and through valleys and the weather the entire trip was just unbelievable, of course it helps we were coming from 90+ degree days in Florida.



We all made it back and quickly freshened up/cleaned up and got ready to go out to eat. My Aunt Ann and Uncle Scott had been at a wedding that was a short distance away so they decided to come for a quick visit. We all went to eat at Sagebrush (of course, where else would we go?)



It was Jason's birthday (and Father's Day for all the dads, AND Aunt Ann and Dad's birthday on the 22nd) so we had lots to celebrate. Grammy and Big Papa had them bring dessert out for Dad, Aunt Ann, and Jason and gave Jason this killer Apron. I'm still waiting to see a picture with him wearing it while grilling...better yet, he can just invite us over and grill for us then we can see it in person!! ;)



After dinner we all went to walk through a park on the campus of App State. And this happened...are they not just the sweetest! (for the moment)













One of the times we were riding around Boone I had mentioned that they have these tunnels that students can use to cross under the road- to avoid the traffic and Brody desperately wanted to go walk through one, so we did him one better and we walked through 2! The things kids think are so neat, right?! Forget the 18 mile bike ride- we will go walk through tunnels!



On our way back to Grammy's car, which we all - all 11 piled in!, we passed this pond where these ducks came running up to us! I'm sure they were hunting some food and we didn't have any, but B, T, and A thought it was so funny! Next time I'll remember to carry a pack of crackers.