(Click on envelope ... yea, you've heard that enough times.)
Actually, if you put your ear to your computer, you might be able to hear the CSX trains go rumbling by at 75 mph just across the street from me. I'm at the Inn at Versailles (pronounced Ver-sigh) in the town of Versailles (pronounced Ver-sales). Don't ask me why. People around here are very touchy about town pronunciations, especially the people in Russia, (pronounced rooo'-see-a).
Anyway, back to the trains. You can be sure that there is no slowing down in this part of the state - they go flying by. But, in the interest of safety, they start blowing those train whistles - more like horns - a mile away and continue blowing them repeatedly as they pass through town. At least 20 times during the night. Just across the street.
But I'm not complaining. This is a beautiful little hotel, far too nice for a city this size. Fortunately, a big medical/dental supply company decided to build its own hotel (actually renovate a half-block of old buildings into a hotel) for the use of its executives and their guests.
Why am I staying in a hotel? To answer that, I need to tell you that for almost all of the 19 overnights, we are staying with a host family - usually a relative or a friend, or a friend of a friend - in some cases, complete strangers. That made the trip economically possible and the host families also provide a local glimpse into the community.
But, not tonight. I spent hours and hours setting up these overnight accommodations, but could find no one in this area to help us.
Not that they aren't friendly. Today I was sitting in the van waiting for Denny to arrive on his bike when a young guy in a souped-up car stopped and asked whether I needed help. That was cool.
Speaking of Denny, his ordeals with technology continue. He had problems with his primary digital camera today - having to resort to his backup camera. As if the riding weren't enough, and the journalism not already challenging, but to have to fight a technology battle every evening is debilitating.
But, with 6 days of traveling and more than 330 miles on the bike, I'm still feeling good and full of energy.
Tomorrow we head for the suburbs of Dayton - where we'll be looking for a motel. We'll be within a mile or two of Indiana before we take a right turn to the West Virginia border.
Anyway, thanks for coming along for the ride.
10:41:12 PM 
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