What are the odds of Joan Baez and me being in the same town on the same night ? As it turns out, pretty good. A few days ago, I was Googling for things to do in Charlottesville and came across the web site for the N Telos Wireless Pavillion. It is an open air concert venue in Downtown Charlottesville and Joan Baez was playing there last night. So I went online and got a ticket.
Were it not for the haze, you could see what was behind us. At the beginning of my ride, the elevation was near 4,000 feet. We were at about 2500 here.. Riding over the Continental Divide in Yellowstone in 2009, Connor and I were at 10,000..
It was advertised as a 10 minute walk from my Hampton Inn, but it looked longer and it was hot, so I took a cab uptown. I saw people of all ages, but a lot of them looked like they really enjoyed the '60's. While waiting in line to get in, the woman in front of me asked how many times I had seen Joan Baez. When I told her this was my first time, she raised her eyebrows, telling me this would be her 45 th time.. I wasn't sure what to say...
Dave Matthews of Dave Matthews Band fame got his start in Chartlottesville and supposedly had something to do with getting the Pavillion started. The Indigo Girls opened the show and played with a forgetable group of kids from Atlanta. When they finished and the stage was reset for Joan Baez, she walked out. For a woman of 72, she looks great. When she started to play, her guitar skills and voice were amazing. She had just two very talented musicians in her band, her performance was simple but elegant. It was fun. Afterward, I caught a free bus back to my hotel. I felt quite urban, navigating my way up, and then back downtown.
This morning I was doing some last minute trip planning and navigation. I normally get that squared away the night before but I went right to bed after the concert. So I left Charlottesville and headed to the south and west to a town called Troutsville to access the Blue Ridge Parkway.
You enter the parkway from the side, and there are just two choices, North and South. I headed to the north to get started on my way back home..
The speed limit is 35 mph and the roads almost demand you stick to it. My truck sits up high on a straight front axle and was not built for high speed cornering so I needed to pay attention all day. As a side note, lots of people ask if my truck has air conditioning. The scoop in front of the windshield in the picture below raises and lowers with a handle under the dash. As you can see, the A/C was on today...
The views are spectacular and there are countless areas to pull off on both sides of the road. I was headed North, so I looked right to the East, and left to the West.
There was very little traffic, but of the little I saw, the largest majority was motorcycles. The Harley Davidsons have their signature throaty exhaust, while the Jap bikes are silent save the for the wind noise. I followed a Harley for the first few miles of my ride and would have swapped places with him in a minute.. That bike sounded awesome..
After awhile, I pulled off to stretch and came across two Harley guys heading back to their homes in Wisconsin. I offered to take their picture, so they returned the favor with my camera..
Cell and internet service came and went during the day. More than once, the following notice popped up on my phone..
I only passed through one tunnel today. With the rough terrain, I expected a few more. And as always, there was a light at the end..
I came to the end of the Blue Ridge Parkway in Rockfish Gap, then immediately entered Skyline Drive. There is a 15 dollar charge there, but the roads were noticeably improved and there was a lot of repair work going on to benefit future drivers. Skyline Drive ends in a town called Front Royal, Virginia, so that is where I am staying tonight. I asked around a bit about the origin of the name Front Royal, but never got a clear answer. I had a nice day of driving and gawking, but the ride required my strict attention with the '53 and the road conditions.
With the exception of the annoying oil leak, my truck is running great. I think I know the problem and could take a shot at fixing it, but I only like performing surgery on the road when really neccesary. For now, I will live with it.. Tomorrow I will keep heading north and east, landing in Macungie, PA, the site of the truck show. It is only about 215 miles so I won't be in a rush. And best of all, Dunkin Donuts is right next door to the hotel, so there is no morning walk neccesary....
Beautiful, beautiful country. I have been trying to remember where my aunt grew up. I think it may have been Greenville which is just south of Staunton. Of course I'm not sure there really was a name for the "town" in which she grew up.
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