50 States, Day 201

  50 States Day 201, Fredericksburg to Williamsburg, 122 miles
 
"Experience is the child of thought, and thought is the child of action."
~Benjamin Disraeli


Broken promises: No, we're not touring another battlefield, I should have checked with the travel agent. QG informed me that we agreed to visit the Capitol today. Off we went, plugged into the scoot, the gauge reading 48 degrees. No sweat. Well, actually, we could sweat if we turned the electric suits up. However, low heat made for a pleasant ride.

The trees showed signs of the end of autumn, many totally denuded and others morphing to brown and death like. Yet many spots treated us to reds, oranges, yellows and browns. The anomalies, however, are becoming more infrequent. Using the GPS on the phone (I know, aren't we modern?) we rode to the Capitol and took a couple turns around it for a parking meter.



First, we were treated to a magnificent statue with Washington at the top and others (Henry, Lewis, Monroe, Marshall...), each highlighting a facet of skills.  Richmond, Virginia is another place with an amazing history. Their Capitol building stands white against the sky (the one and only white building so far), a huge monument at the top of a hill. And while the peasants enter under the building, clever people built the tunnel into the building, with educational themes along the hallway. Up a few stairways and we're treated to a view of the rotunda, with the pale yellow (candlelight is the actual color) walls accented with white.



The place teems with historical figures: seven Presidents, Henry Clay, Patrick Henry, Robert E. Lee, George Mason (author of the Virginia Bill of Rights and paved the way for the Bill of Rights) and Edgar Allan Poe. Paintings of governors adorn the walls, dating back to the late 1600s. 



Another painting depicts the First Legislature in the New World, circa 1618 in Virginia. Wow.  We stopped to talk to the information lady in the center desk downstairs, and she was not only a wealth of information, but exuded a passion for her State House. One reason it shows so well is in 2004 they did a major restoration ($409 million!) to fix extensive water damage, to restore the building to its former glory, and to refurbish the place for the arrival of the Queen of England. Apparently she got over our winning independence.


Currently the building encountered Spielberg, Tommy Lee Jones, Sally Field and a plethora of other actors for the upcoming movie, (PP!) Lincoln. Can't wait to see it. Time ticked onward and we meandered out of downtown and onto I-64 to
Williamsburg, all freeway with thousands of vehicles passing us. Apparently 60 is ridiculously slow. We rode into Willytown and found a quaint little motel, where Raymond greeted us with unusual enthusiasm.
"I haven't checked in anyone this fun in a long time." My, aren't we fun? Interesting, as we ride day after day and sometimes it feels like just another day. People like Raymond are like a slap in the face (a simile!) to wake us up to our wonderful journey. Thanks, Raymond for not really slapping us in the face. Either he loved us and hooked us up, alone, in the back building, or sent the biker trash to the back to keep them out of the main stream of society. Hopefully 'A.'



We hiked to a restaurant recommended by Raymond, 2nd Street Bar and Grill. The walks do us good.

Now, ridden, toured, walked and fed, Quilter Girl!

It was a nice day to ride.  The journey began on back roads from Fredericksburg to Richmond, with only a few locals for traffic, they wound around cute old houses and lots of woods.  We had a quick lunch at Subway in Richmond as we grabbed string cheese for breakfast, then on to the Capitol.  This was one of my new favorites, love the yellow walls!  
Dinner was awesome tonight.  The restaurant is famous for their burgers, so I wasn't expecting something so elegant.  Linen tablecloths and napkins, low lights and comfy booths contributed to the great ambiance.  Kevin had pork
ribeye steak that came on top of mashed potatoes with special sauces decorating the plate.  I had a great burger with BBQ sauce and smoked Gouda.  It was very tasty.  Hooray for a restaurant that serves Diet Dr. Pepper, Kevin's favorite.  No more war tomorrow, just a Colonial village.

QG

Tomorrow we tour Colonial Williamsburg, where people dress and act in the Colonial Way. Practicing my, "Hail there, fair fellow. Art thou a friend of the King or perhaps a lover of independence?" It will be fun.


 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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