Days 5 & 6: Virginia Beach

Jim's update for today:

No computer yesterday, so I should try to remember if
anything intresting happened. Stayed in Onley, VA.  Rt
13 from MD to the tip of the Delmarva peninsula is
soo long.  It's not an interesting road, but very
straight with a good road surface and mostly great
shoulders.  Bought "Flatlands" at a cute bookstore
across form the hotel.  It's one of those books you
know you should have read but never got around to.
Very weird.
 Today, more Rt 13.  Home made crab cake sandwich and
home made frifris.  Fresh spring hay being mowed.
Wonderful smell.  Wisteria many places along the road.
So fragrant.  Lots of farmland in VA newly tilled or
one foot high with amazingly green winter wheat.  Too
many fields (probably thousands of acres) poisoned,
readied for no-till corn planting.
 When I reached the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnels, I
again put out my thumb.  No bicycles allowed.  It took
about 15 or 20 minutes, but a really nice Pakistani
man from Brooklyn stopped for me and took me the 17
miles to the mainland.  I could have headed straight
south toward N. Carolina, but as it was already
afternoon, and I was tired, I headed east east to VA
Beach.  Some very busy roads with no or terrible
shoulders and some now so busy stretches of Rt. 60
through a state park. Also bad or no shoulders, but
not so busy and sheltered from the wind by trees on
both sides.  Wind was a factor today.  It was from the
west, but seemed in my face most of the time, so my
milage, not counting the bridge/tunnel is about 57.
 Really nice, inexpensive Day's Inn, one block from
the ocean.  It's summer here.  bikini girls and
college boys with giant kites.  Para-sailers out at
sea.
 I'm going to stay here two days because as I
entered the town of VA Beach proper, I developed a
squeal in my rear wheel.  Bike shop in town was closed
and opens again tomorrow at 11:00 am.  A day's rest is
probably a good idea anyway.  I stopped along the way
today at a large Ace Hardware and bought a 100%
cotton, chenille car wax mit for my behind.  It seems
to be the most vulnerable part of the trip. Tuesday on
to NC and the Outer Banks with a repaired wheel.
 My camera is plugged in, but there's a strange,
restrictive internet program running that won't allow
me to get to any other drive or even to the "Start"
button.  I'll look for an internet cafe on the
boardwalk to send you some photos.

Love you all,

J