Virginia 'Cookie Lady' Welcomes 11,000 Cyclists Since 1976

June Curry never planned to become a legend among American cyclists, but that's exactly what happened when she put out a water hose in 1976.

The retired store clerk from Afton, Virginia, noticed something during the bicentennial bike tours that year. Cyclists were traveling a 33-mile stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway with nowhere to stop for water, food, or rest.

So June and her dad made a simple sign that read "Water for bikers" and set out a hose. She started baking cookies and making peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for every cyclist who passed through her tiny mountain town.

Nearly five decades later, she's still at it. June has now welcomed over 11,000 cyclists from all 50 states and 50 foreign countries, all documented in a logbook at what cyclists call "the bike house."

When her uncle passed away, June transformed his house next door into a cyclist haven. She stocked it with four sofas, blankets, pillows, and carpeted floors where travelers can roll out sleeping bags for the night.

For years, June offered everything for free. Now living on just $292 monthly from Social Security, she keeps out a cookie jar for donations, and cycling clubs often chip in to help.

People warn her about letting strangers stay in her home, but June trusts cyclists more than anyone. A bike tour leader once explained why to her: cyclists move too slowly to run away, they're already carrying more gear than they want, and people looking to do harm usually take the easy way, not the grueling path of cross-country cycling.

Sunny's Take

At 70-something years young, June has no close family left by blood. But she's built something even more remarkable: a chosen family of thousands who share her love of the open road and human kindness.

Her simple act of hospitality has created a safe haven that cyclists seek out specifically, a bright spot on long journeys where they know they'll find rest, sustenance, and genuine care from someone who asks nothing in return.

One hose and a handwritten sign grew into a nearly 50-year legacy of generosity that proves the best things in life really are free.