Mountain Bike Monday - Pedal the Pavement

Yesterday Dynamo and I took a little ride over to Williamsburg to ride the Capitol Trail, which is an in progress 50 mile paved route that will connect Richmond and Williamsburg. Previously only about 7 miles was complete of this Wburg portion, but yesterday roughly another 4 was in progress!



We headed out from our starting point at the Jamestown Settlement. (That's a great place to park.) This is mile 0!



It's a smooth paved path winding through farm fields and over water! The bridges are amazing!



Selfies on the bridge (kids, don't try this at home!)...





The path was well marked and well traveled! Riders and runners of all ages out enjoying the trail!



We reached the Chickahominy River Bridge at about mile 7...



Of course we stopped at the top for pics! I wish you could tell the magnitude of this bridge, but pics just can't describe!





When we got to the end of the bridge there was more trail to our surprise! It said closed, but not officially! It was in progress! So, we ventured a little farther...



There were some unpaved sections as well as no trail markings yet...





It was so exciting to see more progress!



Soon, it will be complete!! These frogs won't be too happy once all the traffic starts rolling by!





We rode all the way to the end of that leg (SS Sub Shop), stopped for a brief moment, and turned back...



It's truly amazing to see what has been accomplished! So much dedication and heart! It's unbelievable to think that when finished it will be a 50 mile route from Richmond to Williamsburg! Think of the tourists that will come too! How exciting for our state!



Please take some time to go explore the trails! Several portions are complete and you can see which ones here.



It was a lovely ride, a little over 22 miles. Once we got back we rode over to check out the Eco Discovery Park, hit Fresh Market, and then enjoyed the evening sunset on the Jamestown Ferry back home!

Mountain Bike Monday - Ridin' It Up!

On Friday, we took the day off and went for a short ride at Poco in the early morning.



There's nothing more beautiful than the sun glistening through the damp green leaves in the early morning at the park.



There had been a little rain overnight, so everything was crisp and clean.



The leaves were sagging a bit from the weight of the water.



When you rode through the canopy of low leaves, you would get a whack from the wet leaves. It actually felt refreshing!



In my opinion, the morning is the best time to ride...



Everything is fresh and new. Not worn out from the day.



There are also very few riders out early. You have the time to be peaceful, quiet, and alone with nature. There were beautiful tulip poplar blooms everywhere!



We had a lovely time riding together. The ride was good.



We did stop for a few more pics than usual!



It was too pretty not to stop and enjoy it!



Usually I look forward to seeing this sign...



But, for some reason I didn't on Friday!

And...

On Saturday we met Mom and Dad at the Jamestown Settlement to do the kid exchange. They watched Charlie for the day while we got in a good long training ride.



I was in charge of mapping out our ride. We were shooting for 35 miles. This is all in preparation for our 50 mile ride this Saturday - The Cap-2-Cap!



First, we headed out on the Capitol Trail that we caught from the Jamestown Settlement. This was Mile 0 on the route.



There was lots of farmland at the beginning of the route, but then we ventured into a beautiful wooded area.



There was a really nice bridge at the start...





The scenery was lovely and everything was well marked and safe.



We had never travelled this section of the trail...only the Charles City portion. So, this was new for us.





This trail took us 8 miles out to the Chickahominy Bridge.



It's a beautiful bridge today, with a dedicated bike lane.



Up until a short while ago, this bridge was a rickety little draw bridge that honestly was a little sketchy to cross.



It was a whole different feeling being on top of the bridge on a bike rather than in a car.



Talk about a long way down! But, we had to stop at the top and take our self photo...



It's just so amazing to be on top of the world!



We turned around and headed the 8 miles back to the car. Along the way we saw red birds, deer, blue jays, and even a baby groundhog!

We hopped on the Colonial Parkway for our 10 mile trek to Colonial Williamsburg.



If you've never ridden the Parkway, you should do it once.



The scenery is lovely!





The cars go at max 45 mph. The buses are more aggravating than anything!



There was such a lovely smell in the air. It's a beautiful spring scent of honeysuckle and wild roses.



There was a dairy farm along the route. It appeared to be very old, but the view they had was breathtaking.





Do you see the 3 crosses?





There were lots of bridges and pull-offs. The locals seemed to know where the beaches were.





We got to Colonial Williamsburg and stopped to refuel. I got a Pepsi! I think that really helped me regain my umph!! Strolling the streets we saw a beautiful garden of foxgloves in full bloom!



I've never seen so many in one place! I've tried to grow them without much luck. Now, with Charlie eating everything they would be a bad idea. They are poisonous to dogs.



We headed out of downtown, past William & Mary back towards the car. There were some bike lanes along the road, so this was a plus!



Once we reached the car, we headed back out on the Parkway towards Jamestown Island...



We could see the Ferry the whole time.





The weather was perfect.



Just as we got back to the car, the rain started. We felt great after completing a successful ride. We completed 36.5 miles! I think we're ready for this Saturday's ride!



Hope your weekend was great!