Day 6: The Cookie Lady (Charlottesville to Afton, VA - 27.8 mi)

By special request, for Kinsey:


Ride now, ride now! Ride to Afton! Suddenly Aaron cried to the Randonee and the bike sprang away. Behind him his bike shorts blew in the wind, a brown horse upon a field of green, but he outpaced it. After him thundered the knights of his castle, but he was ever before them. Guillermo rode there on his trek, the white horsetail on his helm floating in this speed, but Tony could not be overtaken.



Behold! Trees of cherry sprang from the soil of Corzet! nourishing the battle-stricken warriors as the sun dried the clothes dripping from their metal steeds.

Crossing the hills of Corzet, Curry mountain awaited the riders. Back and forth, the steep and winding road was unforgiving and never-ending, but with a fire in their veins, their legs push them towards the Manor of the Cookie Lady. And then all the host burst into song, and they sang as they flew, for the joy of battle was on them, and the sound of their singing that was fair and terrible came even to the City of Afton.




After continental breakfast and some Dharma & Greg at the Charlottesville Budget Inn (we're really roughing it), we didn't get on the road until 10:30 or so. We stopped at the local Harris Teeter grocery store to buy provisions, i.e. pasta, cans of olives, sundried tomatoes, hot sauce, etc. You need some spice in your life.



The ride this morning was pleasant, although it was cloudy at times. Our goal was to get to Afton, to the home of the Cookie Lady, which is only a 28 mile bike ride away. We made this our goal despite the short distance because, for one thing, Afton comes right before the Blue Ridge climb, which has some of the steepest and longest hills on our trip. Also, the Cookie Lady has been hosting bikers at her house since 1976, when the Trans-America trail first opened. If we're going cross-country, we may as well stop there and become part of the tradition. So Afton it is.


In the middle of the ride we came upon an unexpected but pleasant surprise. Chile's Peach Orchard in Crozet, VA, believe it or not, had some of the best soft serve ice cream we've ever had! The vanilla had the perfect consistency and flavor, and the chocolate had tiny speckles of real chocolate in it. We ordered it in Sundae form, with fresh peaches and whipped cream.
On the recommendation of one of the employees, we then went out to pick fresh cherries which are in season this time of year. All in all, we spent at least an hour and a half at this place, but since our destination was so close, we didn't sweat it. The Cookie Lady was just 10 miles and one big hill away.

After leaving the orchard, we were on our way to the famed Cookie Lady's house. Things got progessively hillier, and all we knew was that she lived at the top of a steep hill, and after each hill we climbed we expected to see her house. After a steep, but short, hill, we stopped in front of someone's house wondering whether that was it. But there was no sign, no indication of either cookies or a lady. So we continued to climb. Then we hit a hill steeper than any other, and it curved, but after going around the bend, instead of flattening out as we expected, it just kept going up. And it kept curving. And after every curve, instead of flattening out as we expected it just kept going up. This went on for quite a while, and as we reached the top, winded and exhausted, we surely expected to see the Cookie Lady's house. Nope! Nothing but an antique store! So we called June Curry, the Cookie Lady, and asked her for directions. "We're near the antique store," we said. She didn't sound like she knew what we were talking about, which was scary because that meant we weren't too close. Luckily it turned out she was just old and either didn't hear us correctly or just plumb forgot about the antique store! She lived next door.

Unfortunately June Curry is very old now, 87 actually, and she had a stroke a few years back, so she isn't in top form. She is still sweet though, and buys groceries (yes, including cookies) for all of the bikers. She has a small brick house next door to her own which she calls The Bike House, and that is where all of the bikers stay when they spend the night. It has 5 rooms, and outdoor shower (cold water!), a kitchen fully stocked with dishes and food, and all sorts of bicycle memorabilia dating back to 1976. You can imagine the catalog of stories she has stored in her mind about bikers and the town she lives in. Well, she talked our ear off for a good 45 minutes about Crozet's railroad, and what it was like to date back in the olden days ("You and your date would go to church together because that's really all there is to do here in Afton.") Ms. Curry lives alone, and it's understandable that she just needs an ear every once in a while.

She was born in 1921 in the house she now calls The Bike House, and has lived there almost all her life. She was married and had a child, but her husband left her and she moved back with her father and uncle into the house she grew up in. She was living with her father in her 50's the first time they saw bicyclists pedaling up their hill. "We were suspicious at first. We had heard about all of the motorcycle gangs, and we thought 'Oh dear, they must've taken to bicycles too!" They gave them water, and before the first group was done drinking another group came up the hill and was waiting in line. They put up a sign which read "Water For Bikers" and they kept it going ever since. "Let me tell you something about bicyclists: When I had my stroke a few years ago, the doctor said I could go home after 10 days on the condition that I have a 24 hour nurse. The cheapest I could find was $10 per hour, which I couldn't afford on my $300/mo social security check. When the Adventure Cycling Association found out, they posted a bulletin on the internet and received donations from bicyclists from all over the world! People who had come and stayed at my house over the past 30 years! I received enough to pay for a nurse for the next full year. It wasn't friends or family, just bicyclists. You guys are a part of my family whether you know it or not."

Outside the bike house.




Tony says: "I am the walrus."

After a dinner of angel hair pasta with sundried tomatoes, olives and canned chicken, and of course some cookies and milk, we went to sleep so we could tackle the Blue Ridge Parkway....