Spring Training 2024. Day 1.

We drove to North Carolina to find some warmer weather and sun. To get some Spring training cycling in, like the Blue Jays and Dunedin. 

Nice drive. New York. Pennsylvania. West Virginia. Virginia. North Carolina. 

West Virginia makes me sing John Denver (out loud) and makes me realize mountains make me happy. Even when they cut a tunnel through the rock!

We took two days, why not?

We listened to The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store. Great story. Wonderful characters, and 14 hours of distraction, which was the perfect amount of time (we finished the book making dinner at our air BNB). 

Staying in West Virginia overnight has the incremental benefit of biscuits and gravy at the hotel breakfast buffet, which is a mighty fine way to start yer mornin' 

Asheville looks like it is going to be a fun place to explore. Nestled in the mountains, with one neighborhood called South SLOPE, um, yes it is hilly. Friendly people at the welcome center loaded us up with maps and guides. We should be all set to fill our 2 weeks. 

Today (Tuesday March 19), was officially day one of CYCLING.

We came for warmth, did I mention that? We woke up to -3 degrees! (Toronto was -1 this morning), but, it did warm up and it was sunny, and we had a great day. (And Toronto got ❄️!)

We drove to Old Fort (yes the sign on the highway had been altered with white paint to make the "o" in Fort an "a", and yes it made me chuckle). 

The ride we did was called PUB and two murals, so we dutifully found the two murals (three actually)...

The above two were on the route, the one below in town beside the visitors center. 

The cycling was great.  My new shifters are amazing. And traveling pannier-free is a joy. 

Quiet winding country roads, mostly freshly paved.  Butterflies and blooms everywhere. Very little traffic, and when there was a pick up truck, they were always patient (even the black ones!). John Denver was definitely singing me along the way .. take me home...country roads....to the place....I belong...

Until we came across the dogs. Yes rural Americans have DOGS, and once we went by a "junk yard" Jim Croce replaced John D and "meaner than a junkyard dog" was the tune for the rest of the ride. 

Blooms! I swear the trees are all bursting before us, and the drive back to Asheville was more colourful than the drive this morning. Magnolias are almost done here 😳

And these white trees all in bloom, I must find out what they are, they are everywhere and gorgeous.

Picnic lunch by a little stream and then we finished the loop. 

We did end up at the Old fart oops FORT, which was a quiet little park with some history and some obstacles 😉..

As per the name of the route, the ride ended at a Pub. There are many breweries here, so we started our brewery tour today at Hillman's, which we loved because dogs are welcomed. 

A great first day of training, good average speed, some fast down hills and lots of good climbs. 

A few words of wisdom I found in the restroom at the Brew Pub today...