I really wasn't sure what I was going to do Saturday.  It was already well into the day.  It was too far to ride to see family and spend any good time with them and then make it back in the evening.  But I wanted to ride.  I decided I would ride to Colonial Beach and scope out the situation for the upcoming 1st Annual CB Bikefest.  I do have ties to CB as my folks own a spot of land that is undevelopable at the moment, and have owned it since the early '60s.  The day was hot and humid and a ride was a better alternative than working in the yard and being a vegetable the rest of the day. I like the fact that good riding roads are out my back door despite being close to 3 interstate highways.  I took a few state roads and a few U.S. Highways, all meandered through the country side as I made my way toward the Northern Neck.  Most of the Northern Neck is little affected by real progress.  I saw signs of dial-up internet access, and Wal-marts that looked intrusive.  I avoided all the interstates as I trotted along and made my way to "The Trail", state route 14.  This road is a great casual riding road with a few places of interest, like Downtown Stevensville, where even the Google Maps car has not ventured down some of the roads.

I made a few stops to rehydrate and just to be leisure, since my ride was without schedule or real destination.  Once I arrived at Colonial Beach I just shook my head and wondered how they will pull off the Bikefest, but I'm sure it will be enjoyed by all who attend.  Colonial Beach is very quant with one road that loops around from the main highways, US 301 and SR 3.  Once I arrived it was time for me to start heading back, but it was dinner time.  I took my chance with a little place called Ola's Country Kitchen.  It was a small place, suitable for the most of all of 20 people.  It was a very basic menu, mostly consisting with things that go with gravy, including a hamburger.  I went with a bacon cheeseburger with fried onions with onion rings and no gravy.  I felt like I was at my aunties’ house, very casual and friendly.  When I discovered Ola's, I had already passed it so I made a loop in McDonald’s parking lot that joined a small gravel drive that led to nowhere.  What I didn't see was the hole at the edge of McDs parking lot as I used the gravel drive as my egress.  The drop came with a thud as my regulator took the brunt of the drop and the forks recovered. Oh, well, no other visible damage and I didn't let it hamper the day.  Just before I stopped at Ola's, I stopped at Shady Lane Seafood Carry-out and gots me some a dozen crabs.  I brought them home with me to snack on the next few days.  This is reminiscent of when I wore a much younger man’s clothes. 

On my way home I chose to take the big roads to avoid much of the night creatures on the back roads and made it safely and sanely around 9:30pm.  A nice 250 mile, seven hour ride will spent.