Update #36 - Sept. 04, 2003
Hillsborough, NC - 7,659.2 miles (12,254.7 kms.)

Because of things not under my control, I had to change my route. I had hoped to either end my ride across the country either at Virginia Beach, VA or Kill Devil Hills (Outer Banks), NC. It has been a long ride across the country that started at Aberdeen, WA on May 22nd. I've traveled nearly 3,700 miles across the country so far. Hurricane Fabian and the tropical depression in the Gulf of Mexico has made me reconsider riding along the ocean in Virginia and North Carolina. Rain and strong winds don't make good riding partners.

I had a good time with some new friends (Mark and his wife, Kim, and all of their pets) in the Christiansburg area. From Christiansburg, it was an uneventful ride through the rest of the Appalachian Mountain Range and over the Blue Ridge Parkway. The ride through Roanoke went okay.

I spent last weekend in the Lynchburg area. From Lynchburg, I headed south to the Raleigh, North Carolina area. It took me four days to ride to Hillsborough (north of Chapel Hill) where I'm staying for the night with a friend that I met five years ago. Chuck is also an avid cycle tourist that I met through the Warm Showers Cyclist Hospitality List.

Along the way, I had several rooms donated through churches. Monday night was spent at the Comfort Suites in the Altavista, VA. I stayed there five years ago when I passed through the area before. Tuesday night, I spent at the Watson Memorial United Methodist Church in Chatham, VA. The pastor is new to the church but I feel very strongly that he will do good things there. Once a month, the church provides a meal on a Saturday for anybody that needs one in the county. It was l ast week and they provided almost 800 meals.

From Hillsborough, I will be riding through Chapel Hill and then to Wilmington (at the Southeast corner of the state). It should take me either four or five days to get there. Once on the coast, I'll pretty well stay on it during the rest of my trip south back to Florida.

I'll try to post an update as often as I can if there are any changes in my plans.