YEAR THREE: Bedford County, Virginia

Joe and I were supposed to do this trip in November. Unfortunately, the days we picked were the days we got hit with weather below 20 F. with wind gusts up to 40 mph. So we didn't go. In a way, I was relieved. I'm always worried about how we will be treated as a couple. Bedford County is adjacent to Lynchburg, the home of Liberty University, founded by the late unlamented Jerry Falwell. There is even a Jerry Falwell Expressway. Maybe I worry that people will be mean nore than I should. In November, I took a Saturday to spend a few hours in Belmont County, Ohio, close enough to go and come back, instead of going to Bedford County.

We were in Washington with my family for Thanksgiving and we will be with Joe's family in New York City later in December. It seemed foolish to plan another trip, even three days. Sill, it looked like the weather would be reasonable December seventh, eighth and ninth, so I went solo. I booked a cheap motel on the edge of the Town of Bedford.

I drove over the mountains, through Grafton, Philippi and Elkins, West Virginia , and Highland and Warm Springs, Virginia. I lunched early at a sub shop in Elkins; there isn't much on the road after that. US 250 climbs over one set of mountains, winding around each peak. The sun shone, and at the higher elevations the trees glistened with the light on the icy branches, like Christmas tinsel, beautiful. Once you get over the mountains, you hit two-lane US 220 through the Shenandoah Valley, past The Homestead, where I stayed in August in Hot Springs. From the valley, there is another set of mountains. I crossed these on VA 43, another two-lane, winding road. I thought it would be flat then, but next up were The Blue Ridge Mountains, right on the edge of Bedford. Part of VA 43 follows Blue Ridge Parkway.

From west to east, there are four parts of Bedford County. First is The Blue Ridge. There are three peaks in the area, The Peaks of Otter, including the highest point on Blue Ridge Parkway in Virginia. At other times of the year, it's a great place to hike or picnic. It was cold and windy when I arrived; the picnic areas were closed for the season.

A few miles down the road, across rolling hills and farms dotted with pre-Civil War mansions, is the Town of Bedford. It's small, pretty, with a historic downtown. There are beautiful old homes north and east of downtown, but the main commercial area is east of town along US 460.

Moving east past Wal-Mart, there are farms, forests and villages. I drove through this area without paying much attention.

The eastern end of Bedford County is suburban Lynchburg. I saw many new developments, including large apartment complexes, lots of strip shopping centers, some with a better class of stores (Kroger instead of Food Lion) and a surprising number of Mexican restaurants.

I looked up Macy's to see if there was a more upscale area. There is one in River Ridge Mall, technically in the City of Lynchburg, so not Bedford County, but I went there for lunch. It's located on a hillside also occupied by Liberty University. A community college is across the street.

I went looking for Lynchburg's Reform synagogue, also on the west side of town. After lunch, I resumed looking for historic sites in Bedford County.

In the suburban neighborhoods outside Lynchburg, I found Poplar Forest, Thomas Jefferson's retreat home from his retirement years, a two-day ride on horseback from Monticello, his family home near Charlottesville. The house is semi-restored. There is a tour. I got there at 3:30 on a cold, damp afternoon. I was the only one on the tour with Deborah, the guide. She was certainly knowledgeable about the house and its history. I don't always enjoy house tours, and I was nervous, because when Joe and I toured Jefferson's Monticello on December 26, 2012, I passed out mid-tour. I was tired for this tour, but thankfully held up better. The house, its history and the restoration are fascinating.

I crashed at my motel for an hour. I hadn't seen a restaurant where I would want to have dinner. The first night, I ate at a storefront Chinese restaurant near WalMart. Despite rain and near-freezing temperatures, I drove to the Kroger in Forest, the upscale suburb of Lynchburg, back near Poplar Forest. Tanner, the nice young man at the deli counter, dished out a dinner of chicken parmigiana, tortellini in a balsamic sauce and a "superfood" salad ( kale and other unidentifiable greens, quinoa and I'm not sure what else). I ate in the store.

It was 252 miles to my hotel from home over the mountains. I went back on main roads and interstates. It was 286 miles. I stopped more on the way back, but the time traveling was the same. There was snow in the mountains along I-64 on the border of Virginia and West Virginia. The roads were clear and there was no rain or snow. I passed near Roanoke, through Fincastle and Covington, Virginia, stopping for lunch on US-19 in West Virginia before heading home on I-79.

I didn't interact much with people on this trip. The people at the motel, the clerks and tour guide were all friendly enough. I was only put off by the long line of people at a restaurant in the mall with a lately deceased homophobic owner. I also noticed how many grossly overweight people I encountered. Not blaming anyone for that.

This was an exhausting trip. I don't like to think this, but maybe 800 miles alone in three days is too much for me. Still, I like to get away and explore a new place. My favorite places were Jefferson's Poplar Forest at the east end of the county, and Blue Ridge Parkway and The Peaks of Otter in the west.