West Virginia

Day 13 Parsons, WV to Weston, WV

Stats:
60 Miles
4:45 time

We have had such an awesome stay in Parsons, WV. The local church that hosted us was amazing – church members even shuttled us to their various homes in town so that we could all take showers. I went to the home of a young couple who had a three year old girl named Neveah. It was so nice to be in someone’s home with showers and a TV! They were super sweet and it was wonderful getting to know/connecting with some of the people we meet along the way.

Today’s ride to Weston was stressful. There was very little shoulder on the major highway we were on and it was filled with debris…not fun at all. After lunch I was riding with Elise and I signaled for her to move over and take the lane so that an ambulance could get by. As we got closer we realized that the ambulance was for one of our bikers who had crashed. It was so scary not knowing what had happened and if everyone was ok. While Mellon had some serious road rash and a cracked helmet, she walked away from the scene like a trooper. We called the van and had Laura pick her up so she could get to a bike shop and get a new helmet.

Needless to say, we all rode the remaining milage with serious caution and called out probably every bump and hole in sight. Mellon (Mary-Ellen=Mellon) is in great spirits and I am sure she’ll be back on her bike before we know it!

I have to say that I am totally freaked out by the number of dogs that are unleashed that chase us while riding. I know it sounds ridiculous, but it is terrifying to be chased and clipped into your pedals. Hopefully, once we get out of the more rural areas, dogs will not be as much of a concern...

Every once and awhile, I kind of forget to recognize the immense generosity that we get from our hosts and all of the people we meet along the way. Literally everything that we eat and all the places we stay are completely donated. Yes, we often joke about "donation magic" (all of the free stuff we pick up along the way from local businesses when we tell them about our endeavor) But it really is amazing that so many people are willing to give up their time and energy to help us out. It's a good feeling and it makes it feel like this is truly a collaborative effort to help make housing more affordable in the U.S.