Tye River and Chincoteague with Richmond and Wintergreen thrown in

My trip to Chincoteague went very well although day one was one of those take the lemon and make lemonade out of it. I was on my way pretty early and I expected to make Richmond by lunch for my ride to Belle Isle but when I got Buena Vista I decided to play golf at the Vista Links and I ended up playing 14 holes. I then drove to Waynesboro but I-64 was closed so I waited in detour traffic for a half hour then turned around and decided to drive to Steele’s tavern and go across the Blue Ridge there. It was a lovely choice after a nap and an hour bike ride up on the cool and windy Parkway, I drove down route 56, which was a real joy, especially when I got to the Tye River, the river Tracy and I passed on our trip to Wintergreen. I had to stop and fish, even though I had little left in my legs. I waded for about a half hour, fishing some perfect looking water, but nary a bite, even though I tried dries and nymphs with a strike indicator. I did slip once and I could feel my knee bending too far so I simply fell in the water, saving the knee and only getting my sweater sleeves wet. I finally got to Massie’s Mill and it was almost 4 so I knew I would be hard pressed to even reach Richmond before the 7 o’clock start of the Miami game. I decided to head down 29 and get back on 64 in Charlottesville and I made a reservation at the Comfort Suites near Short Pump and planned to eat at the Maggiano’s in the Short Pump Town Center Mall. I got to the mall a little after 7 and went into the first restaurant with TVs and watched the game while having an okay piece of salmon. I spent the night at the Comfort Suites and in the morning I drove with a little trepidation to find the Belle Isle Parking Lot. I ended up on the other side of the river, but I made a u turn and took the first exit which led me right down to Tredegar and the parking area. The river was at flood (9 feet) and the rapids were very powerful (I would guess at least 5 and maybe 6) and I rode the loop three times before heading back across the bridge and along the canal. The ride finished I drove on to Virginia Beach and got there around 1:30 so I had time to walk along the beach and along the shops before Jenny and Paloma got there at 3. There were two miniature golf courses near where I parked and Paloma chose the Pirate one first, but then got scared and we went over to play the Jungle one. Paloma played about 9 holes and then started to put on mini plays and sing and after a snack and some drinks, she wanted to play again although she mainly put on her mini plays and sang. It was very cute and I put her in the hippo’s mouth for a photo and she loved it. We drove back to pick up Mark and then headed back to the restaurant we had eaten at before, where we had a very good meal and I gave them 1000 to help out with their increasingly dire finances. Things will get better when Mark gets a good job and he is hoping to get a job with the fire department. I stayed in the area and watched some of the other playoff games before heading to Jenny’s parents’ house where I slept in the driveway. I got up early and headed off for the Bay Bridge and then up to Chincoteague for my hour bike ride and my beach walk. I then headed back and ended up playing nine holes (2 balls per hole) at Royal New Kent and shooting a real 49 and then 100 on the two ball, mainly because I was very tired on the last two holes. I drove past Richmond and stopped just outside of Charlottesville to watch the Heat game at Applebees. The game looked like a blowout so I left and decided to go to the KOA, not wanted to spend 100 for a room in Charlottesville. The KOA was fine as they usually are and I thought about heading back to Charlottesville when the Heat game tightened up but I was too tired and the ride seemed too long. I did listen to the game on the radio and the Heat won a close one, 93-91, to eliminate the decimated Bulls. D Wade is injured and big teams like Indiana and the Spurs could cause them a lot of trouble. In the morning I drove toward the Tye and took a detour to Wintergreen where I walked around a little and looked at the Devils Knob golf course which looked stunning. I drove back to the Tye and ended up fishing at three different spots with only one two inch fish on a Prince nymph. Still, the river was impressive and I enjoyed every second. After the fishing I drove to the Parkway and decided to drive south on it, take a nap, and then take my bike ride as a storm approached. I headed down to Natural Bridge and got to my house just after 6:30 after saying hello to Chris and Danny who were setting up for camping this weekend. I did a load of laundry, did my weights and yoga, practiced for twenty minutes and then drove into town to leave off my bike and to watch the Knick game.