Saturday Summary: Week 2 — Relax, Recharge, Shower, and Laughter

Reedville, VA (60s & our first 70!) → Lexington, VA (60s) | November 7–13

After a full and frantic first week, Week 2 was more like a long exhale, the kind that resets your shoulders, your mind, and your entire sense of pace. Most of the week was spent at Kim & Tom’s home in Reedville, VA, where comfort, warmth, and friendship was in plentiful supply. Kim, a former colleague and retired NPS Ranger from the Harriet Tubman National Historical Park in Auburn, has always been one of those people with whom you instantly connect. We share a mission, a sense of humor, and a love of good storytelling. Don and Tom hit it off just as easily having met a few times in the past. What I expected to be a fun stop turned into something far more important: a recalibration of our journey.

Rest, Laughs, and a Masterclass in Trip Planning

Kim and I spent many hours around the kitchen table talking about routes, national parks, weather patterns, non-obvious detours, and everything I hadn’t even realized I wasn’t considering. I already knew she was well-traveled, but this week showed me that she’s basically a walking, talking NPS encyclopedia. She helped me discover blind spots I didn’t know I had, and somehow made it fun. Meanwhile, Don attempted to work inside the bus… which lasted all of half a day. The cold drove him inside to Tom’s desk, which Tom had generously cleared for him. One of the many simple acts of kindness set the tone for the entire stay.

Then came the weather extremes: one glorious 70°F day (our first of the trip) followed by an arctic blast with frost warnings. To finish off our time with them, we got a faint but magical appearance of the Northern Lights. The colors were subtle, but it was still inspiring to witness something so rare this far south. Of course, Kim captured it beautifully, confirming that her phone camera is dramatically better than mine.

Colonial Williamsburg & Lucky’s New Best Friend

We used that warm day to explore Colonial Williamsburg, a long-anticipated stop for me. I didn’t realize the entire historic district is open to the public for free. You can wander freely, but the building interiors do require a pass for entry.  Lucky immediately chose Tom as her buddy for the day. The two of them wandered along the paths like old friends. We stopped for Williamsburg Rootbeer break in the sunshine. That warm, golden day will stick with me for a long time.

Aggi & Lucky: A Comedy of Sensory Limitations

Reedville also introduced us to the sweetest ongoing comedy of errors: the dynamic duo of Aggi & Lucky. Lucky is deaf. Aggi is blind. Put them together and you get the canine version of “Who’s on First?”

There were moments when Aggi would head toward her sofa, unaware Lucky had chosen that exact stretch of floor as a napping spot. Of course, Lucky couldn’t hear Aggi coming, and Aggie couldn’t see Lucky. They would bump, freeze, freak out, and then search for us to help out. Tom must be the dog whisperer with his gentle ways and of course, treats, he quickly won Lucky’s heart.  Lucky also inherited one of Aggi’s sweaters,  a soft, cozy, very “retired art professor” look that suits her perfectly.

Leaving Reedville: Rejuvenated & Fully Charged

When it was time to leave, (an early morning departure) we felt genuinely restored. We left with:

• A sweater for Lucky

• Two pillows to help us sit comfortably on our bus sofa.

• An oil funnel (thanks to Tom — a man who knows exactly what travelers need)

• A stack of used books, handpicked with Kim during our bookstore outings — some for fun, others for trip-planning

And perhaps most importantly: Every device we own was fully charged. Every worry I’d carried was lighter. And every laugh we shared added just enough buoyancy and encouragement for the road ahead.

Meals for the road

Before fully settling back into life on the road, we made our first official “travel day” grocery stop at an Aldi along the route—an oddly exciting milestone. After being spoiled by Kim and Tom’s home cooking, we found ourselves filling the cart with many of the same things we’d enjoyed at their house. I focused on planning three simple, road-friendly meals: enchiladas (because I spotted cilantro, and I can never resist cilantro), a soup-and-salad night, and pasta with the kale-pesto sauce Kim swore by. I grabbed a vegan pre-cooked Mexican mix for the enchiladas—perfect for us since we’re avoiding raw meat in the bus to reduce contamination risk. It felt good to stock our tiny pantry with meals that were both comforting and realistic for bus life. Of course, we also had to pick up some snacks and sweets.

Lexington, VA: Mountains, Rodeos, and Beer

Our next stop took us west to Lexington, VA, landing at the Virginia Horse Center — a massive, quiet, mountain-framed spot with electric hookups (a blessing in freezing weather).

At check-in we learned the regional rodeo finals were happening onsite that weekend. At first I was thrilled. I’d never been to a rodeo, and this is exactly the type of happenstance that I was looking forward to on our trip. But after researching the animal welfare issues connected to rodeo events, I couldn’t justify going. So instead, we stayed tucked in the bus and enjoyed a cozy night.  We wish all of the participants of the rodeo a safe and enjoyable experience and that for all of the animals as well. We did venture out to Devils Backbone Brewing Company, an enormous and lively brewery where we sampled a few pints and filled our growlers for the weekend. A perfect little adventure that didn’t require moral conflict.