Day 11. 500 mile Journey to Salem. Gainesville, VA to Warrenton, VA. About 15 miles. 46,000 steps. Overcast much of day. High 75. Flat and rolling hills. Deana Bass Williams and Le Forest joined us again for the day. Hooray!!!! On a another note. Today was Kate’s last walk with us, FOR NOW. We will surely MISS HER!!! Great day for everyone. Good rhythm. Strongly positive vibe! Morning break was story of the day! Amy de Court, C’79, surprised us at our morning break by joining us AND with her incredibly thoughtful goodies!!! Check out the photos and explanations! We can’t thank you enough for your caring and thoughtfulness!! We bought sandwiches at mayhugh’s store and were delighted to also find HAM BISCUITS – 3 days in a row!!!! And, while on this break we also toured Greenwich Presbyterian Church, hosted by missionary Austin House. Hard to explain, but that whole experience was very moving. For lunch, we ate those mayhughs-purchased sandwiches and shared a live FB session on the Peace, Love, and Salem FB page. After a gorgeous afternoon walk, we were greeted by the Warrenton mayor, Carter Neville, at our hotel. We had a wonderful time interacting with him AND saw him again at dinner when he stopped by our outdoor table! He is now a huge Salem supporter! 6 of us had a delicious dinner at Denim and Pearls on Warrenton’s highly charming Main Street, where the mayor sought us out and spent a few minutes with us. They close Main Street to cars on Friday night and make it a wonderful, family friendly evening. We had a TREMENDOUS time! Really good day, save some uncomfortable blisters for some. I can’t even imagine the original walkers with THEIR shoes!! Early morning tomorrow. 20 miles to go before we sleep!! Happy weekend to everyone!!
– Lucy Rose C’76
Leg 11, we traveled 15 miles from #gainesvilleva to #warrentonva And….. Crossed over the 200 mile mark! Catching up on pre-Virginia photo when we were given an @Audi for our documentary crew! Thank you @flowaudi for your #sponsorship for #mysalemjourney Yes, every road is not easy or open. Most are country roads, narrow shoulder and kinda dangerous. Country stores which say “no public restrooms” does not mean that we will not be allowed to use, just ask nicely. Thank goodness!! Salem Alums who surprise us ON THE COURSE with homemade treats and inspirations is the stuff that makes me crazy happy. Do you know how awesome Salem Alumnae are? Like your mother, sister, best friend, fairy godmother all wrapped up together. We finished our day in downtown #warrentonva which is so stinking cute that I have a low key crush going. Seriously considering a vacation home here.
– Frances Cronlund C’98
Day 11 Journey to Salem
215.84 miles so far🎉🏃♀️
Met so many kind people along the way today. Some alums, some strangers. The Mayor of Warrenton, VA came to meet us at our hotel soon after we arrived and he was interested in learning more about Salem Academy and College, and he was happy to share some about Warrenton. He brought his precious dog, Dusty, with him. Virginia is rolling out the red carpet for us! Nice to have a little shorter day today, too! #journey2salem #mysalemjourney
– Debbie Faires A’82
