Washington & Old Dominion Trail - Day 2

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

I was up at 6, courtesy of a wake-up call from Rita. Because of the long day yesterday, and up late working on the blog, figured it wouldn't hurt to have a little help.....and I needed it. By 730 or so, we were on the road heading back to the 7-11 in Herndon, where we stopped yesterday. Today was supposed to be a shorter day, thanks to the 24+ miles yesterday. According to our info, we have only 21+ miles to complete the walk. Although both of us are a little sore from the long walk yesterday, we are also ready to get going again. Baring unforeseen incidents, we should complete the walk in 2 days.

Jon's wife Laura dropped us off at the 7-11 around 815, and we set out toward DC. We walked through Herndon, and on to Reston. Although we're walking through one of the most congested areas in the USA, much of the time the trail seems far from civilization. We came to Reston, and passed a large Oracle office building, a golf course, and then stopped at a 7/11 to pick up a couple of items. As we walked on, we climbed a short, but steep hill, called Buckthorne Hill. It was significant only that most of the trail is relatively flat. At the top of the hill is a bench called Papa's Bench, dedicated to a father, and for resting after the climb.

We passed by Hunter's Station, designated as a flag stop along the railroad. We came into Vienna, and passed the Freeman House and Museum. It was getting near lunch time, and the map indicated there was a McDonald's at Mile 11 on the trail, so that's where we planned to go. We asked a biker about McDonald's, and he said there wasn't one. We looked around town and found the Vienna Inn, and stopped there for lunch and resting. After a lunch of hot dogs and clam chowder, we went to the register to pay. The young woman asked about our walk, and remarked that she hated to walk. "If I could get a Segway in my house, I would use it to go room-to-room!" There was no mistaking how she felt about walking.

We walked outside and rested a while longer, then set out for Arlington. We had about 7 miles to the beginning of the Martha Custis Trail. We passed through Dunn Loring, VA, which I had never heard of, but it has an interesting history. The trail through Arlington was a little confusing.....not so well marked for a stretch. After a couple hours of walking, we reached the intersection of Washington & Old Dominion, and Martha Custis Trails. We rested for a while and started out on the final 4+ miles of the trip. This trail shadowed I-66 most of the way into Washington, and the closer we came to the city, the busier it became. Mostly bikers, and they ride about as crazy as auto drivers! This trail was well marked and rolling, but nothing extreme. After an hour or so, we reached the end at Theodore Roosevelt Island.

But, the Washington Monument was still in the distance, so we set off for that. After crossing the Potomac, we could see it in the distance, but weren't sure how to get there. We walked toward the Kennedy Center, and asked a woman directions. She sent us back the way we came, around the Lincoln Memorial, past the WWII memorial, and finally at the monument around 7pm. Lots of people playing softball and kickball on the lawn, but we were happy to just stand there, rest, and watch them. Our walk today ended up being longer than yesterday, about 25.5 miles. After a few pictures, we walked to the Metro Station and took the train to W. Falls Church. It was nice to be moving and not walking.

Jon Jr. met us at the station, and before long we were sitting around the table recapping the day, and having a nice dinner prepared by Laura and Anya. We completed the walk in 2 days, our goal, but maybe it was a 3 day walk. But, we have lots of time to rest, and think of other places to explore at 3mph.

About the pictures:
Jon at Herndon Station;
Entering Reston;
Marker at Hunter Mill Road Crossing;
One of only a few animals we spotted;
Finally at Washington Monument.

Washington and Old Dominion Trail - Day 1

Monday, April 25, 2011

A month or so ago, a friend from Gastonia, Jon Childs, invited me to walk the Washington and Old Dominion Trail with him. Asking the walkingman to go for a walk is like asking a kid if they want ice cream.......of course we do. The trail is 45 miles long, and our goal was to walk it in 2 days. It starts near the Village of Shirlington in Arlington County, VA, and terminates in Purcerville, VA. Jon has family in nearby Leesburg, VA, and was going there this weekend to return 2 granddaughters to their parents, so we decided to do the walk this week. His drive from Gastonia to Leesburg brings him within a couple of miles from our house in Daleville, so he picked me up on the way and we arrived in Leesburg late Sunday evening.

We were up and ready to go by 715 this morning, and Jon's son, Jon Jr., drove us to Purcerville Station. (We started at the end of the trail because it is closer to Leesburg.) It was a little foggy, but already 60+ degrees, heading toward the 80s. The trail is a paved path about the width of one automobile lane, divided by a broken line......looks exactly like a 2 lane highway. The first 8 or so miles were probably the nicest we walked........tree lined, and wandering through the countryside. Most of the people we encountered were on bicycles, although a few were walking or jogging. There was a heavy, sweet smell in the air from the hundreds or thousands of shrubs that lined the path. I know their name, just can't think of it right now.

We passed through (or near) small communities named Hamilton, Paeonia Springs, Clark's Gap, and Leesburg. There are numerous side trails, leading off somewhere. It seemed a creek or stream followed the trail almost the entire day. There are occasional benches to rest along the way, a even a port-a-jon or 2. Lots of beautiful homes in the area, many of them on large plots of land, and some ranches and farms. We stopped for rest after about 8+ miles, and I converted my long pants to shorts.....it was getting warm. So far there's not any places to eat along the trail, but our info shows there is a Partlow's General Store at mile 28, about 9 miles away. So that's where we headed.

We passed houses near the trail, one had a large jar of "sun" tea sitting on the back deck......I thought that was a Texas thing. Along the way we passed a group of women pushing strollers and leading dogs, and a group of bicycle policemen (maybe 20 or so) on the trail. Maybe they were training or something. We crossed Goose Creek, and stopped for a few minutes to look at a huge hole in the ground......the Luck Stone Quarry. We passed a sigh for Ashburn, VA, which I understand is where the Redskins practice. And finally we reached mile 28, expecting to see Partlow's General Store. When it wasn't where it should have been I thought we were going to have a meltdown. But, from my other walk, I knew this is not all that unusual, so we pushed on.

After another mile we came to an intersection, and there was no Partlow's. Instead the building is now occupied by Carolina Bros Pit Bar-B-Que, and it was open. Before long we were enjoying a plate of 'que, and a Cheerwine.....worth the long walk. After eating and resting an hour or so, we decided to walk 6 more miles to a 7/11 convenience store at mile 21.5, and stop there for the day. We passed by Sterling, VA, and finally Herndon, and then came to mile 21.5......no 7/11. Finally at mile 20 we came to an intersection and there was the 7/11. We'd walked a total of 24.5 miles, and both of us were ready to call it a day.

Jon Jr came to pick us up, and soon we were back in Leesburg, refreshed after a shower, and sitting down to a nice dinner prepared by Laura and Anya. Jon had never walked over 12 miles before today, and he held up well. Tomorrow we'll walk the final 20 or so miles, the last 4 being a side trail that ends at the Washington monument.

About the pictures:
Leaving Purcellville;
Rest area and one of the side trails;
Carolina Bros. Bar-B-Que, and a satisfied customer;
The 7/11 is supposed to be right here;
Sitting down to dinner with: Laura, Jon, Jon II, and Anya, surrounded by the daughters Yatia and Megan.

Visit To Woodhill and Tryon Schools

March 24, 2011

Tuesday, March 15, was a busy day for the walkingman. The morning was spent with the 5th graders at Woodhill Elementary school in Gastonia, and after a quick lunch, on to Bessemer City to Tryon Elementary to talk to the 5th graders there. Eating lunch with a teacher is an interesting event.....they are accustomed to 20 minutes for lunch, so not much time for talking! I have a connection to Woodhill....my son attended many years ago when the school first opened. In fact, Ms Upchurch had found a picture of him helping plant a tree at the school.

I was greeted at Woodhill by Ms Angela Upchurch, who coordinated the events for the day, and also was the driving force behind the students following the walk. Mr Jacob Barr, principal, of Woodhill, was also on hand to present me with a Woodhill Hornets t-shirt. As we walked down the hall to the room, I saw a poster and messages on the wall about the walk. Good work by the students.

I was impressed by how the students used the walk as a learning experience. In addition to social studies and geography, they used it for reading and grammar. Hopefully the blog didn't teach them any incorrect grammar. They had lots of questions, and each of them had kept a journal of the walk....very impressive. After talking to the class, two student reporters, Jennifer and Madison, interviewed me for a school paper. The interview will also be included in the school section of the Gaston Gazette.

Then to lunch (20 minutes), and then a short drive to Tryon. I was greeted by the principal, Mr Terry Usery. Whereas most students at Woodhill live in the city, most at Tryon live in the country....many of them on farms. So, each group had a different perspective of the walk. The Tryon students also used the walk in many different ways. Each of them has created a chart of the places I visited, with information such as temperature, altitude, terrain, etc., about each. It was a great learning experience for them. It seemed like no time when the school buses were arriving, and the students had to leave.

As I said, it was a busy day. I had been invited to talk to the Men's Bible Class at First Presbyterian Church, in Cherryville, NC. My brother-in-law, Roger Davis, was a member of this class, As you may remember, Roger died of cancer during the walk. My sister Nan was invited to attend the meeting. I was greeted by Dr Bill Lowe, Pastor of the church, and other members of the class. I know many of you are probably Baptist who pride themselves in their dinners, but these Presbyterians really did it right. The menu: country style steak, mashed potatoes, green beans, corn, biscuits, and cake! Southern comfort food at its best.

Talking with the men was different than with the students. Many of them had been to the places I visited, plus a couple of them were truck drivers who understood about the long, desolate, stretches in the western states. So, lots of good discussion and questions. Unfortunately I didn't get pictures from the men's class. I always take out the camera, then get to talking and forget.

I hope everyone is doing well.....it's getting warmer here in VA, so Spring is a-coming. I go to Greenfield school each Tuesday afternoon, and walk with the Trekker's Walking Club. They love to walk, and love to talk. This week I took a compass and showed them how to determine the direction we were walking. They caught on pretty quickly. After showing one student that we were walking west, I told him, "if we keep walking West we will find the teacher and other students." His response, "yes, I can see them up there!" Well, I meant if we couldn't already see them!

About the pictures:
Principal Barr and some Woodhill students,
The hall decoration at Woodhill,
Some gifts from Woodhill and Tryon school students and teachers,
The Trekker's Walking Club with the walkingman.

Visit To Greenfield Elementary School in Daleville, VA

Monday, March 7, 2011

I hope everyone is doing well and getting ready for warmer weather. The daffodils are just coming up around here, and buds are swelling on the trees....Spring always perks us up. The people who live around me have learned if they stop and ask questions about the walk, they'll most likely be there a while!

Last Thursday, I went to Greenfield Elementary to talk to the students about the walk. The morning was spent with Greg Bowyer, the PE teacher, and his classes. I talked to all the students in the school (I believe) with the exception of the kindergarten classes. We talked for a while, then went outside where I put up the tent, and talked about the tent and the walking cart. They thought the tent was a little small. Oh, did those students have lots of questions!

Lunch was in the school cafeteria, and then met with the third graders. Ms. Alisa Gunter and other teachers had a reception for me, including cake, chips, and juice. They also gave me some gifts....a t-shirt signed by all the 3rd graders, Sundrops, Snickers bars (what made them think I ate stuff such as that?), and other things. The cake was decorated with the slogan on my business cards. The 3rd graders have followed the entire trip, and know as much about it as I do. I had one walkingman t-shirt with me, so decided to give it to the first student who could name all the states I crossed during the walk......in the order I crossed them.

One boy raised his hand and started naming......"CA, AZ, NM, TX, LA, ??"....he couldn't finish. Another boy, Charlie Floyd, raised his hand. "CA, AZ, NM, TX, LA, MS, AL, GA, SC, NC", he said without a pause. I have to think about it, and I did the walking. Congrats to Charlie, and thanks to all the students for their encouragement and support.

I was also invited to join the Greenfield Trekkers. This is a group of students and teachers who stay after school on Tuesdays and walk for about an hour or so. Ms. Beth Umbarger, Principal of Greenfield Elementary, and her staff, place an emphasis on building a strong body as well as mind. In addition to the walking program, they also have a running program.

The walk has been in the local news in this area. The Botetourt View, an insert in the Roanoke paper that focuses on news from Botetourt County, published two articles recently. One about the walk itself, and the other about the visit to Greenfield. Cathy Beason is the reporter for the paper.

Finally, before the walk started, we had a contest for the grandchildren. They had to guess the total miles walked, with the number of days being the tiebreaker. The winners are:
1st place: Carly,
2nd place: Kevin,
3rd place: David
Each received a savings bond.

That's it for now. Next week I visit the schools in Gastonia, the Cherryville Presbyterian Church Men's Bible Class, and my friends and co-workers at Wachovia. I'm looking forward to that. But this week, it's work on the taxes! Take care.......Jeff.

About the pictures:
Some of the gifts from Greenfield Elementary,
The school,
Ms. Gunter (beside me), and a few of the 3rd graders.

Chillin' In Daleville, VA

Thursday, February 23, 2011

I told you I'd be back, but it's been a struggle. In addition to the walk ending, the weather here has been the "blahs", so that just adds to the letdown from the trip ending. But, better days are-a-coming, so that's positive. I have been trying to organize the pictures from the trip, as well as my thoughts, in order to put together some type of "program" for the schools and other interested groups.

Believe it or not, I still have stuff packed in the backpack and on the cart....just can't get around to dealing with it yet. I'm back to walking the 8+ miles each day on my normal route. I've decided much of walking is mental. Why? Well, several people who came out to walk on my trip far exceeded their normal walking miles.....and none of them seemed the worse for wear. Plus, my 8+ mile walk each day seems to take about as much out of me as the 20+ I usually did on the road. If we can just get our minds to go away for a while, I think we can walk pretty much as far as we want. Just a theory, nothing scientific behind it.

I did an interview today for a local paper, and will add it to the blog when it is published. Also, I have added several news articles about the walk.....the latest from a Raleigh, NC newspaper and TV station. I will be visiting schools in Gastonia, NC, on March 15, and also a church men's class. Shortly after returning to VA, I visited Doug and Sarah at Outdoor Trails store. They were a big help in getting the right gear to take on the trip. I know, although they won't admit it, the first time I walked in that store and told them what I was going to do, they probably thought I was wacky! Would have loved to have heard their conversation when I left that first day.

Do you remember the Cooley girls....Maggie and Caroline? I'm still trying to figure out how they found me......do you think Mick helped them? Anyhow, a while back their Dad sent me an email with something very special included. It's a song, and he said it reminded them of my walk. I've added a link, so don't miss that......a very special reminder to me of all the nice people I've met along the way.

Several people have asked if I'm going to do a "recap" of the walk.....kinda a planned vs. actual sort of thing. I am, but still sorting out my thoughts. I hope everyone is doing well, it'll soon be Spring. The picture is at home in Daleville, leaning on the transportation of choice....my Ford F250......since I don't as yet have one of those beautiful Paint horses.

Until the next time, take care. If you're ever sitting around with nothing to do, take a little walk. Leave the headphones at home, and just meander along, seeing the sights, hearing the sounds, and smelling the smells. You'll feel better when it's over.........Jeff.

Visit To Gastonia, My Other Hometown

Friday, January 28, 2011

Our visit to Gastonia has been short, but very busy. We arrived from the beach late afternoon Wednesday, and stopped at the Hampton Inn for a room. It was full, as often happens during week days. The Marriott Courtyard across the street had rooms, so we decided to stay there. After checking in, I decided to do a little visiting, so stopped by the Gaston Gazette to see Kevin Ellis. Kevin is the feature writer who did several stories about the walk.....all on the front page of the paper. We had a nice visit, and then next to Lawing Auto Repair, a local garage where I used to hang out while living here. They were good supporters during the walk, calling me several times while I made my way across country.

I left there and stopped in at Minges Printing to see Gene (the owner) and Anita, his right hand (wo)man. Gene and Anita printed the business cards and the posters displayed on the cart. Gene and I have known each other for many years, and always have lots to talk about.....this time was no exception. From there, back to the motel for an evening of TV and computer. Thursday morning I had breakfast in the motel, and headed out for more visiting. Rita needed the car to visit her Mother, so this was the first day I've had a good walk since last week. I walked downtown to the bank and to get a haircut (still get haircut in Gastonia), and then back to Minges Printing to order more business cards and posters for the grandchildren. I hung out there for a while, and then walked back to Lawing Auto for more visiting.

Visited there for a while until lunch time, then Rita and I went to Tony's Ice Cream for lunch. Tony's has been in business in Gastonia since 1915, and it feels like the 1950's when you walk in the place. After lunch, drove her back to her Mother's, and back to visiting. Stopped by to see my buddy, Mike Friday, for a while. Then back to Minges printing to pick up the order (they did a rush job for me since I'm leaving for VA tomorrow.) Then went to pick up Rita, and visit my mother-in-law for a while. She is in her 90's, living in an assisted living home, and struggles to understand exactly why I was walking across the USA.....I can only imagine. Then back to the motel to rest a while before dinner.

Jack Bradshaw had invited us to dinner with him, his wife Patsy, and Jon and Laura Childs. We met them at 6, had a nice meal and lots of talking about the walk, and happenings in and around Gastonia. Jack and Jon were two supporters of the walk......both came out on the road to visit and walk with me, and Jack and Patsy had me stay in their condo at N. Myrtle Beach. Both are "walkers" themselves. It was great to see them. After dinner, we stopped by the grocery store to get a supply of my soda of choice, Sun-Drop......can't get them in VA. Then back to the motel and start getting ready to head out tomorrow. It's always busy when we come down here.

We were up early this morning, ate breakfast, and headed out to run a few more errands. Then drove to Charlotte for the interview with Keith Larson.....which was a little disappointing. It almost appeared he wasn't expecting me or something, the interview was over before it really got started. Oh well, guess the walk is old news now! Then drove back to VA......it's the first time I've been home since late August. Some snow on the ground, but not much.....but it's cold. It'll take weeks to get all my stuff straightened out, so there'll be no time for "walk" lag for a while. It'll be nice to get back into some type of routine. Over the next few weeks I'll be visiting the students who have been following the blog, plus have been asked to speak to a men's class at a church in Cherryville, NC. So, still a few things going on that allows me to ease out of the walking mode, rather than stop immediately.

About the pictures:
Jon and Laura Childs, Jack and Patsy Bradshaw;
Gene and Anita, Minges Printing;
Charles Faulkner, Spindle Center Barber Shop;
Tony's Ice Cream.

Leaving The Beach

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

The couple of days at N. Topsail Beach was nice and relaxing. Thanks to one of the blog followers, John Woods, for allowing us to use his place. The weather was less than ideal, but that's what you get on the East Coast during the winter months. We visited my cousin, Nancy Dudley in St. James Plantation, and my brother Robert, in Carolina Beach. Robert drove us out on the beach in his Jeep, and that was fun. Because of the weather I haven't walked for a couple of days (already getting soft!), but hope to be able to when I get to Gastonia. We'll pack up this morning and head west to Gastonia for a couple of days, then on to VA on Friday.

I will be doing an "in studio" interview on the Keith Larson Show on Friday morning, January 28, at 11am. Keith is on WBT 1110 in Charlotte, NC. I hope you will be able to listen in, if not, we'll try to put a link on the blog. The pictures are: The walkingman in front of John Woods' house in N. Topsail Beach; Mayor Art Schools of Emerald Isle presenting the key to the city. (do I look pleased or not?)