Franklin to Williamsburg VA | road ride | Komoot Alan Wright went on an outdoor adventure with komoot! Distance: 89.0 km | Duration: 07:01 h

www.komoot.com/tour/2835437...

Tomorrow load up on more hx w start in Williamsburg & then ride on Capital Trail into Richmond. First serious trail ride on this trip thx to hard work of @railstotrails.org @railstotrails.bsky.social

Birds - I’ve riding thru bird migration corridor. Seen lots of raptors, blue birds, cardinals, bob whites, cat birds & passed thru swamp, ponds, vernal pools where they stop on trip north. But v hard to get pics of birds

Fabulous afternoon ride thru v isolated pine tree farm area & finally to Scotland VA to catch ferry across James River to Jamestown. Clear sunny skies w cool temps & no wind. Endorphins flowing…

Pissed didn’t get selfie w/him but at hx site long talk w curator Thomas. He talks racial hx on tours he leads. Said things not so good around here, lots of entrenched bias & separation & no jobs so ppl move to cities. Showed him these pics took few miles back down road. “Yup, thats it.”

Came to road work project & took a break next to traffic flagger. Jonathon said nice day & asked where I’m going. Nice convo laughing at my craziness. So told him from Boston w lots neighbors & friends diff race/ethnicity. Whats it like here? He said alright but mostly segregated & not lots of jobs

So have to talk about Race; can’t get it off mind esp Civil War hx. Have had v diff exp as pedal north - go into Black store & get warm greetings & questions. White ppl not so much mostly ignored. In restaurants mostly a mix & seems like ppl get along. But Blacks & Whites living in Very diff places

But for the fence this dog & his brother would have torn me apart as did not see them coming. Sigh, some animals so much nicer than others…

Past cpl days had more dog danger than ever b/f - this is hunting area w/lots bloodhounds. Rmbr was asked if carry gun f safety but dogs r the danger. Trapped by 2 begging me to ride past them f the chase so waited for a passing car & kind lady escorted me past. Keep pepper spray close at hand!

Taking break at cute & clever old corner store front. Be sure to read Coke signs closely

Left Franklin ‘stink town’ (paper mill) VA this morning anxious to roll awoke 6 but too cold so rolled back over. McDonalds egg muff followed by Starbuck coffee - finishing now after 13 m

Peanut butter is an essential fuel. And Teddy Bear the best!

Not discussed so far is how planned routes/days; 3 essentials: @komoot.bsky.social , @eastcoastgreenway.bsky.social & Google Maps. In FL had to plan 2 mn ahead as so much booked esp campsites. That was handicap as hard to know how far can ride in day but after easy esp as Komoot v good at mapping

So far Virginia doing as good as NC documenting history. The sign about building of an ironclad was along the Roanoke River near where I would have camped had it not been so cold last night.

The fake gas station was built behind a fancy house in countryside; the brick small buildings were in dead downtown Conway NC where the only open biz were a Dollar General & Exxon gas/convenience store

Passed into Virginia to immediately see signs of the big fight over gerrymandering. A lot rides on the mid-term elections this fall; perhaps the fate of the planet?

Duke Energy & Dominion Energy r known f being slow to get off coal & oil to produce electricity. Dominion plant here using wood chips to generate power prob as plentiful feed stock in this pine tree harvesting area.

There r many signs offering to buy mobile homes which is weird as r lots run down &/abandoned that must not have been sold. But other weird is they r NOT mobile but trailer homes as in hauled to site by trailer & then bolted to cinder block fndtn. Maybe name ‘mobile’ attempt to add some romance?

Greenville to Scotland Neck | road ride | Komoot Alan Wright went on an outdoor adventure with komoot! Distance: 82.2 km | Duration: 08:02 h

www.komoot.com/tour/2832101...

Scotland Neck to Franklin | road ride | Komoot Alan Wright planned an outdoor adventure with komoot! Distance: 84.8 km | Duration: 03:12 h

www.komoot.com/tour/2832211...

Magnificent oak trees everywhere

Who knew that deer are an agricultural product? Wonder how the methane output compares to cattle?

Cold start at 10 am but had to shed rain pants after 10 m as wet w sweat. Now devouring lunch w bunch of very large men

RFK Jr rants about bad American health is right about food (high junk status in South) but v wrong about vaccines & never mentions role of car dependency on metabolic imbalance (high calories in & v low out) & hlth stimulus of exercise. Sitting in cars to drive short distances to get groceries?

Fossil fuels been tremendous success in elevating living b/c of high energy density. Batteries unlikely to pwr heavy equip like harvesters, bulldozers. Prob is instead of ration use to most efficient/productive & reduce CO2 emissions, we waste. Was mistake to abandon pssngr rail.

As Chair advisory agency on effects of aviation use on Boston area residents, facing push by industry to promote ‘sustainable aviation fuel’. Suspect endeavor as sources & tech not adequate. SAF could be made from waste such as cooking oil but all of that now used to make diesel to fuel ag equipment

Passing thru Greenville it looked like working hard to revive old downtown area - new streets & sidewalks, hip stores & lots of outdoor art. Healthcare & education largest employers but some industry; still v low avg incomes: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greenvi...

Lots of cotton crop w some peanuts, wheat, more pine &, apparently, deer. Lots of hunting stands sprinkled in woods & along recently harvested pines

Saw 1st Confederate flag on trip, expected more as had seen lots on cross cntry trip esp in west but maybe South is tired of it? Seems like is racial harmony at least B, H & W working side x side in stores, restaurants but signs of wealth appear w/Whites - cars, houses, farms. What reparations?

Slow start as 31 & cloudy (feels 23) so hunkered down in motel waiting f above freeze @ check out time. Short ride today no rush. Today leave NC f VA. Am used to rural areas so expect to see small towns but here far btwn & what appears to be extreme poverty in scattered clusters of trailer homes.