'round the lake...

do i have the best wife or what??

here it is, sunday, late morning, sunny skies, temps projected to be in the high forties/low fifties. i've just finished cleaning up the kitchen from my usual sunday routine - morning paper and breakfast in bed for the wife - when she says, why don't you go for a ride? i'm thinking, huh?? i'm heading out of town tomorrow for a trip, i had planned to do a couple things around the house and spend time with her. now she's tempting me with a ride. on such a beautiful day...

after a little back-n-forth with the, 'are you sure?' i decide to accept her offer before she changes her mind. i run upstairs and ask my son if he wants to go - knowing he won't turn down the chance to go for a ride. i figure once i enlist him, we'll have to go!!

we decided a ride around the lake, with a stop for lunch, would be a nice ride. we geared up and headed out...

i considered seeing if our neighbors wanted to go, but decided to spend time with my son on this ride. as we're cruising away from our subdivision, we we see our neighbors at a stop sign. we wave as we go by. it's a good feeling you get inside when you know you're out for a ride and they're stuck in their cage. i can imagine they were wishing they were with us. thoughts of them fade as quickly as we do from their view. we're off for a wonderful day.

in short order and one stop for gas, we make it to gatrells in virgilina, va. we've been here once before. i like the place. it's got that small town, this-is-where-it-all-happens feeling. i'm sure many politics have been discussed and decided over a couple of beers here.

right now, it's kind of dead. in fact, it doesn't even look like it's open. we were here on a sunday before and they were open. maybe they have new hours with the new year. checking the sign, i realize we're a little early - they open in thirty minutes. we decide to wait.

my son decides to call his grandpa to rub in the fact we're out riding today. while he's doing that, i start snapping a few pictures... pretty soon a guy comes out of the building and asks if he can help us - in that don't-think-of-causing-any-trouble tone. i explain we're out riding and decided to stop here for some lunch. we talk for a couple minutes and he introduces himself. i think he said his name was rusty. even though they're not open yet, he invites us in and says he'll start serving food as soon as the grills are heated. i'm really liking this place...



we head in and grab some food - after waiting for the grills to heat up. but that's not a bad thing. this place has character. every time you look around the room, you pick up a little more. with all the vents going on, this is certainly the meeting place for the town. car shows, parties, bands, drinking games with no alcohol. they certainly keep it family oriented.



after eating and before heading out for the rest of our journey, we take a couple more pictures.

the grocery store across the street...


the fire station - again, across the street...


the rest of the ride was great - stomachs full, heading down the road. a mix of two lanes and four lanes. i need to replace some of those four lane roads with two lanes.

the ride around the lake is beautiful. coming out of boydton, winding through the two lanes. mostly tree lined roads, with some openings around farms - gorgeous scenery. the roads twist and turn, finally opening up and bringing you across the dam. i wish i could just look over the lake as we're crossing the dam - it's an amazing site. but i decide it's better to keep my eyes on the road and only take the occasional glance. especially considering the ninety degree turn at the end of the dam!!

we finally make our way home - content with another day's riding. what a refreshing and relaxing feeling getting home after a ride like this...


you can check out the 2008 ride map to see the route - this one in blue...

(and in case you're wondering, i didn't make it in home to take my wife to lunch. although she did manage to make us a wonderful dinner!!!)