Day 4 - Palmyra, Virginia to White Hall, Virginia

Sunday April 24, 2016, 39 miles(62.75 km) 

I got a bit of a late start leaving the church this morning.  It was a great place to stay.  The day started in the countryside and then passed the homes of two Presidents on the way to Charlottesville.

One thing that has surprised me is the lack of Confederate monuments I have seen on this ride.  I did spot one in Palmyra but I think is the only one I have seen thus far.

Palmyra Confederate Monument

The first Presidential home I road near was that of President James Monroe, the 5th President of the United States.  The home is known as Ash Lawn and is now owned by the College of William and Mary, the college Monroe had attended.  I didn't ride up to the home as it was a considerable distance off route and uphill. (I didn't need any more hills to climb)

Road to Ash Lawn

I next came to the home of President Thomas Jefferson, Monticello.  I didn't stop here either as I had visited Monticello the week prior on my trip out to the start of my ride.

I next stopped by Michie's Tavern which was established in 1784 and moved 17 miles to its current location in 1927.  It is a very popular restaurant especially on Sunday's,  they have a buffet serving Southern  fare including fried chicken and barbecued pulled pork, was very tempting but the wait was longer than I wanted. 

Michie's Tavern

The ride through Charlottesville was uneventful but quite stressful as there were cars everywhere.  It seemed like every student at the University of Virginia was either out driving or had parents visiting who were driving.  Fortunately they had bicycle lanes through part of the city but not all.  Didn't take the time to take any photos, it would be a great city to visit and walk around.

After leaving Charlottesville I rode on mostly quiet country roads with many newer large homes.  Most were probably homes of college professors or doctors the the University medical center. As I road further I started to get glimpses of what was to come as the Blue Ridge Mountains came in to view.

Blue Ridge Mountains In A Distance

I spent the night camped on the grounds of the community center in the small community of White Hall, Virginia.  The night was a bit noisy because the community center was at the intersection of two roads that had traffic through the night and also because a home near by had a "sound maker" that played bird calls all through the night.  I think there were about 10 bird calls that played over and over, the only thing that drowned it out was the real birds that started about 5 am.