The CCSO members participating in the 2009 Police Unity Tour were up early this morning.Breakfast started at 0600 and within an hour the last of our luggage was being loaded into the trailer. Bikes were unloaded, tires checked for air, and everyone topped their water bottles off for the start of a long day. We attended a memorial ceremony honoring fallen officers in tents overlooking the Elizabeth River at 0730, and the first pedals started turning toward Washington, D.C. at 0805.
The Florida and California chapters started the day together in Portsmouth and were joined by the Virginia chapter about 10 miles into the ride at the Suffolk Fire Station. Our morning breaks are short and usually consist of bagels, fruit, water and Gatorade. Just seven miles down the road we made our second stop at the Carrollton Volunteer Fire Department. Another eight miles and we took a break at Deer Park in Newport News, Va. This third stop was the point at which the Florida and California chapters split away from the Virginia chapter again. The Virginia chapter heads straight across the state toward Richmond and we head north on Route 17 towards Tappahannock.
Our lunch on day one is my favorite stop during the tour. After riding through the historic Yorktown Battlefields, we gather in a grassy picnic area on the beach. The only downside to this picturesque location is that the riders have a clear view of the very large Coleman Bridge they will have to ride across as soon as lunch is over. But for now, everyone is enjoying the delicious barbeque from world-famous (or, at least, Virginia-famous) Pierce's Pitt BBQ. Yummy.
- Krista Williamson, CCSO -
