We had a rather short day on the road … passing a couple of additional colorful cars;
several old barns and abandoned houses;
the predictability of many “Stars and Stripes” waving free in the wind;
and perhaps not surprising, a single “Stars and Bars”;
more gorgeous median color;
more county and community water towers;
and the sleek lines of a cable-stayed bridge.
After a quiet afternoon at our campground in Doswell, VA
we headed for downtown Ashland for Debbie’s birthday dinner
at
aptly named as the former Richmond-Fredericksburg-Potomac rail line runs down the middle of the street in front of the restaurant.
Currently owned by CSX, it is an active set of tracks.
This train was carrying nearly 100 hopper cars of coal
As in the Northeast corridor, AMRTAK also uses the CSX lines
Just a block away was the Ashland Depot … and active AMTRAK stop.
And, while Philadelphia has it Love Park …
Ashland can boast it’s LOVE Train Luggage Truck.
Founded in 1858,
Ashland has a memorial building mural
Which also memorializes that it is the home of Randolph Macon College.
Many towns are dotted with wildly painted horses, cows and even dolphins. However, in Ashland, vividly decorated bikes are ubiquitous. In May 2015 Ashland Main Street Board member Nancy Cozart and her sons created five Bike Gardens as a project to promote the arts and to welcome our visitors for the UCI Road World Championship Bike Race which ended Sept 27, 2015. In five months over 120 bikes were uniquely decorated and strategically placed at businesses, schools, churches, organizations and many homes throughout Ashland and Hanover County. Bikes were even placed on the rooftops with lights! News coverage on the Bike Gardens was plentiful! Bike Fever continues as more and more have since been gathered from a local dump and from others disposing of old and unused bikes.
H A P P Y B I R T H D A Y
D E B B I E