ERIC'S MILES FOR MUSIC, DAY 4, 10/4/2023:
Day 4 of the 24th Annual Cycle North Carolina’s
annual Mountains to Coast bicycle tour: Mebane to Henderson
Today’s 63-mile ride was a bit of a reprieve from the long ride yesterday but was a proper warm-up for tomorrow’s 75-mile or 101-mile ride (the option is completely up to the rider on the day). Our first rest stop at Eno River Farm brought out the color of region which had some of the finest mums for sale along with acres of regional vegetation. Over the course of the first 245 miles, we have been visually treated to a wide array floral across at least two planting zones with more to come.
After ascending 1000 feet over the next 15 miles, we stopped at Stagville’s Horton Grove, a 165-acre State Historic Site. It is one of the few plantation sites in the United States that focuses on the lives, culture, and labors of enslaved African Americans. I managed to snap a photo of the Bennehan House (built between 1787 – 1799) which was the center of the early plantation complex. At the end of 1865, over 900 people were enslaved on this site.
The ‘Miles for Music’ (MFM) campaign is now 60% complete in terms of miles traversed toward the actual goal of completing the journey. It also happens to coincide with the BRO’s regular Wednesday evening rehearsal which I will unfortunately miss due to the MFM campaign. Nevertheless, I feel extremely fortunate to play alongside a talented group of musicians as we prepare for our upcoming concert entitled ‘The Well-Tempered Wizard’ with selections from Bach, Grieg, and Saint-Saens, just to name a few. The cello section has a delightful and talented group of instrumentalists, so if you are unable to pledge for this campaign, please purchase tickets for the upcoming October 28 and October 29 concerts to watch us in action.
Fun Facts from Eric’s Ride on Day 4:
Total Mileage: 63
Total Elevation Gain: 2725, ft
Average MPH: 14.5
Workout Time: 4:15:57