Virginia Capital Trail – 41.7 Miles – 5/6/17
Christmas gifts between Jim and me oftentimes involve brief
but elaborate travel schemes which we promise to bring to reality during the
year. Sometimes we succeed, sometimes we
just shrug it off as good intentions.
For 2017, I suggested biking the Virginia Capital Trail. Since Jim is a strong cyclist and I am not,
the perfect solution: going tandem.
The Virginia Capital Trail is a 52-mile paved recreational
path between Richmond and Jamestown near Williamsburg. Fully completed in 2015 and constructed
specifically as a multi-use, non-motorized trail (for pedestrians, pets, cyclists,
skateboarders, e-bikes, wheelchair accessible), the trail is separated from motorized
vehicles. For much of the distance it parallels Route 5, which parallels the
James River – combining history with recreation with springtime. What could be better?
The Virginia Capital Trail Foundation’s website offers an excellent FAQ section, links to shuttles, list of
attractions, rules of the trail, interactive and downloadable maps, everything
you need to know for planning your fun.
Our good friends Dave and Cheri, from back in our Virginia
Tech college days, and Dave’s brother, Andy, helped plan this two-day
trip. Jim arranged for a shuttle service
to transport us and our bikes to our start in Richmond. Dave arranged for an overnight stay at a
B&B in Charles City, Virginia – which turned out to be THE highlight of this epic adventure.
I own one hybrid bike and Jim owns four road bikes (no judgment)
but no tandems. However, his contacts
in the Charlotte cycling community include the Tailwind Tandem Club, which
offers group rides, information, and trial rides. We met up with Jim’s friends for a test run
and did well enough to drive away with their loaner bike and small panniers for
our stuff.
Here is an informative article about tandem cycling, what’s better about it,
what’s not. The basics: the front rider (Jim) is the captain and he
is responsible for steering, braking, power, etc. The rear rider (me) is the stoker and I must
pedal with enthusiasm, look good, wave, take photos, etc. The key is starting: the captain straddles the bike, feet on the
ground, and stabilizes the bike. Next the stoker sits on her seat, puts her
feet on the pedals, positions them horizontal to the ground. Then the captain
pushes off. Both riders pedal as hard as
possible to keep it all balanced as speed increases. Yeah, YOU try it!
On a stellar Saturday morning, Jim and I took a couple of
turns around the Jamestown Settlement (living history museum) parking lot on the tandem, getting our
strategy and signals in sync as we had been taught. Cap Trail Bike Shuttle
picked up our party of five and we were committed. My stomach butterflies settled down a bit as
we drove along Route 5, getting a good look at the trail, its gentle grade and
attractions along the way. Gonna be some
fun!
Unloaded at Great Shiplock Park and ready for
takeoff
Dave and Cheri
Andy
Captain Jim
4 legs + 2 wheels = lots of power!
Maybe not my best side…
My view all day – over Jim’s shoulder
Only eight miles in but we’re not in a hurry, right? It’s the journey, not the destination! Lunch at Ronnie’s: barbecue, collards, deviled eggs mac and cheese, sweet
tea.
Back on the trail, Jim and I were having fun testing our
speed, relatively effortless on flat, straight pavement. The euphoria screeched to an abrupt halt,
though, when Jim hit the brakes and started patting his bike jersey pockets. “I don’t think I have my credit card.” Well, there aren’t many places to put a
credit card on a bike jersey or spandex shorts, so it had to be back at
Ronnie’s.
Cheri: what do you mean, go back???
Our friends went on to Dorey Park while Jim and I retraced
to Ronnie’s, no longer effortlessly having fun, now working way too hard for my
fitness level. Jim’s card had been found and was waiting for him at the cash
register. I don’t suppose we could Uber
back to where we left off? Add six hard extra
roundtrip miles to our day and you’ll see that I wasn’t so cheery by late
afternoon.
Catching up at Dorey Park
Two-lane Route 5 through Charles City County traces alongside
the James River and passes by centuries-old James River Plantations, the
homeplaces of several famous families of Virginia. Berkeley Plantation was home
to Presidents William Henry Harrison and Benjamin Harrison. Shirley Plantation was the birthplace of
Robert E. Lee’s mother. Sherwood Forest was the home of President John Tyler. Each site offers walking tours of its
antebellum homes and extensive grounds. Each
also played a part in the Civil War, occupied by Union troops as headquarters
or as hospitals. [Do your history
homework before you go, it will add much to the experience.]
We took the side road to visit Shirley Plantation, but were immediately
distracted by Upper Shirley Vineyards (not a part of the plantation).
Really, just a bathroom stop and a drink of water…okay, maybe a little
wine…or a bottle or three…do they have cheese and crackers...oh, we can just sit heah by the rivah...
We did not make it to Shirley Plantation. Moral: visit the plantation first, then the
vineyard.
Back in the saddle, the last few miles were harder for me. Jim
spends hours each week on a bike and he was feeling great, but my back was
aching and my thighs were cramping. I had to stop several times to sit on the
ground – yuck. (I blame it all on those
extra six miles.) Fortunately, there are no photos of this phase of the trip.
We passed through the teeny town of Charles City Courthouse,
making a quick ID of the restaurant where we planned to have dinner. We have no car – are we biking back here from
our B&B? No way am I doing
that! (Arrangements had been made for
transportation.)
Courthouse Grille – deelish!
We found the turnoff to our home for the night and there it
was – with a three-quarter-mile gravel driveway to slow us down, and worth
every inch. North Bend Plantation exceeded all expectations.
The briefest history: North Bend Plantation was built in
1801 by John Minge for his wife Sarah Harrison, the sister of William Henry
Harrison (POTUS #9). The plantation was supported by slave labor and was
occupied by Union soldiers during the civil war. The property passed out of family hands for a
time but was re-acquired by descendants in 1916. The current owner is Mrs.
Ridgely Copland, widow of George F. Copland, a who was a great-nephew of Sarah
and William Henry Harrison. Ridgely and
George opened their home as a bed and breakfast in 1984, and Ridgely, at age
80, continues to graciously host guests.
Currently North Bend Plantation’s acreage is greater than
when first established and still actively farmed. The main house is 6,000
square feet with many original furnishings.
Its back entrance was once the front entrance. Just about every table,
photograph, book and china teacup has a story.
We were met at the front door by Ridgely, an endearing woman
exuding a combination of charm, hospitality, wit and humor. Although she has welcomed thousands of
visitors to her home, she was genuinely glad to meet us and we were captivated
by her gracious manner. [Her regional accent was very familiar to me, as I grew up in a rural county just 75 miles away.] Ridgely took us
on a tour of the house, sharing stories at every turn, showed us to our rooms
on the second floor, and settled us on one of the back porches for lemonade ("Store-bought - who's got time to make lemonade?")
We were torn between staying to hang on Ridgely’s every word
and going to the restaurant, but she promised to chat later. We quickly cleaned up, went to dinner, and
returned. Our host encouraged us to open
a bottle of wine and meet her by the fire in the living room.
Ridgely told us about her husband’s aunt who had written
about growing up at North Bend. Her writings
were transcribed into manuscripts and given to family members. Sitting by the fire, Ridgely read stories to
us from this book and we were transported to a different time. We were there for hours, listening and
learning about family and local history. Mindful that our host sees her
husband’s ancestral home through the rose-colored nostalgia of ownership, she
willingly answered questions about the ownership of slaves and work on the
plantation. [As a native Virginian myself, I struggle with the history I was
taught as a child and the brutal truths I learned later.]
Dave asked if the writings were published, and Ridgely
replied, oh, no, of course not, they were just intended for family. However…They were written so long ago, who could
possibly mind if they were shared? Dave
encouraged her to think about publishing.
Ridgely had extensive knowledge of family trees going back
over 200 years and could find a connection between just about any two people
with a Virginia background. She was able to link her family
with my mother’s family in Brunswick County.
Oh, if only we had arrived at North Bend earlier in the
day! Walking around the grounds as night
fell, we decided on a late departure in the morning.
[Postscript: A few
months later Dave helped Ridgely with copying and publishing her husband’s
aunt’s memoirs into an e-book.]
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