As you read the following consider it to be a brain dump of my random thoughts and memories from each day.

DAY 43: Sunday, May 22, 2022

62 miles (1795 total – let’s call it an even 1800!)

Cotuit to Provincetown, MA

Gaslamp B&B

82 degrees is too hot to be riding 62 miles, especially with humidity and hills. But we did it. About 15 miles after leaving Cotuit we were on the Cape Cod Rail Trail, praised by many as a lovely means for traversing the Cape. But like so many rail trails we found it boring 

with just a few glimpses of water and no small towns or even coffee shops to tease us into stopping. But, having ridden along the coastline of the Cape before, we knew this was our safest option so we rode the rail trail for its full length of 25 miles.

In Wellfleet we stopped at PB Boulangerie for a shared lunch of quiche, salad, and raspberry tart, which would power us for the last 20 hot miles. And don’t let anyone try to convince you that the Cape is flat. The first few miles after lunch we rode first along the coast then inland on windy, hilly backroads. Then we were on Route 6 for about 10 miles. It had a decent shoulder, but it was hot and we’d average about one climb every mile. Then the last 5 miles into Provincetown we rode on Route 6A along the western shore of Truro. Aside from being tired and hot, it was a pleasant way to end a six-week adventure.

DAY 42: Saturday, May 21, 2022

69 miles (1733 total) Barrington, RI, to Cotuit, MA

Home of Mark & Kathleen

Since taking the ferry to Cape May in New Jersey we haven’t had an established bicycle route to follow so we’ve been mostly using googlemaps, or the lady in the phone – we call her Agnes – to give us directions. This morning she gave us three different routes to choose from to get from Barrington, Rhode Island, to Cape Cod. With Heather and Libardo’s help we chose what we thought would be the most rural one and it worked out really well.

We were on the road by 7:45 with fog and a soft drizzle. Before long it was warm enough to take off our jackets. We rode through farm country and semi-rural residential areas, passing nurseries and farm stands and young children playing baseball. The riding was pleasant, mostly on quiet country roads. We didn’t pass through any towns until we approached the Cape.

We rode along the Cape Cod Canal for about four miles before crossing the Sagamore Bridge, not a very pleasant experience. At least there was a sidewalk, but we decided it was best to walk the half mile across as there was only a sidewalk going against the traffic and no barrier.

Once across the bridge we had about 15 miles on sometimes narrow roads to our friends’ house in Cotuit. We made good time for the day, arriving by 4:30.

DAY 41: Friday, May 20, 2022

41 miles (1664 total) Narragansett to Barrington, RI

Home of Heather and Libardo

Today’s riding was fascinating. It brought home to me how much bicycling brings you to places you wouldn’t normally see.

We started out along the water, passing the Narragansett beach, then continued on Rte 1A, staying away from high traffic roads. 

After about 10 miles we came to the little town of Wickford on the water and stopped for tea and a shared second breakfast, sitting outside, enjoying the sunshine.

Then we were back on Rte. 1 with four lanes of traffic, marginally acceptable shoulders, and lots of business on either side of the highway. Finally we got off on a road that was indicated on googlemaps as a bike route that took us along the water into Providence.

Rob and I lived in Providence from 1987-1995 so we’re pretty familiar with Rhode Island. Yet, today and yesterday we saw parts of the state that were completely new to us. We’d never been to Charlestown or Narragansett and today we saw parts of Warwick and Cranston – neighborhoods and parts overlooking Narragansett Bay – that are very lovely.

From Cranston we rode directly in Providence, following a designated bike route. The route took us along the water, skirting the downtown. On the approach we rode through an industrial area, past enormous piles of scrap metal and over dozens of disused railroad tracks. We passed through the industrial area where I once worked as a software engineer and stopped for lunch in a park before crossing a bridge to East Providence.

From there we only had seven miles to our friends’ house in Barrington, seven miles on the Great Bay bike path. The bike path took us over a bridge that wasn’t there when we lived in the city, a new bike and pedestrian bridge that paralleled the highway. Part of the bike path was also new.

We arrived at Heather and Libardo’s house around 3:30, with plenty of time to visit as they juggled their busy lives working and parenting two adolescents.

DAY 40: Thursday, May 19, 2022

29 miles (1623 total) Stonington, CT, to Narragansett, RI

The Atlantic House Hotel

Another state bites the dust.

I didn’t know it was going to rain today until we woke up and heard it raining. Which was fine as long as the wind wasn’t blowing, and it wasn’t. We only planned to ride 40 miles and cut it back to 30.

We had a very pleasant day. The inn we stayed at served a delicious continental breakfast and their bright common room that overlooked the water and the rainy day. The extensive offerings included croissants, yogurt, hard-boiled eggs, cold cereal, home-made muffins and scones and assorted breads, a savory pastry with leeks and feta cheese (my favorite!) and fruit. The day couldn’t have started any better.

The staff at the inn were so accommodating; they told us we could ignore the 11:00 checkout time, and we did, only getting on the road – in the rain – around noon. The owner offered to give us a ride to where we needed to go. We declined. We thought the rain would stop any time soon anyway. We kept thinking that all afternoon.

After about ten miles when I saw a little diner that was open I asked Rob if he wanted to stop, thinking we could wait out the rain for a while. He said he wasn’t hungry so we kept going. After several miles he said he regretted that decision. He was hungry and cold. I was neither but I kept my eyes peeled for another diner.

Around Charlestown we got off Route 1 onto 1A and arrived at the Charlestown library. Thinking that may be as good a place to stop as any if there were no coffee shops or restaurants in our future, we parked our bikes outside. I went in first to inquire about a nearby place to get something to eat and the young man behind the desk told me about The Cove about a mile down the road. We were glad he did. Otherwise we might have stopped at the first place we came to, a third-rate pizza joint. But I was holding out for clam chowder to warm me up.

I didn’t get clam chowder. At least not for lunch. We found The Cove and the first thing I saw on the menu was lobster roll, fries, and cole slaw. I couldn’t get past that. We’d just gotten to New England. How else to celebrate but with a lobster roll. And let me tell you, I don’t think any lobster roll I will ever have again will match this one. It was full of enormous chunks of lobster, graced with a thin coating of mayonnaise. The fries and cole slaw were equally delicious. We both order hot tea to warm up, and took our time leaving, letting the food settle just in case we had hills to climb the last ten miles. (Only gradual ones.)

After lunch the rain still had quit but it had slowed to a drizzle and 11 miles slipped by easily enough. We arrived at The Atlantic House Hotel where we had a room overlooking the ocean.

With a late lunch we were in no hurry to head out for dinner. By the time we did, the rain had stopped and the sky cleared, somewhat.

We walked over to the Coast Guard House, which was crowded and noisy and we were lucky to get a table. The food was top notch. We both had clam chowder and a salad and the rolls were fresh out of the oven. Actually we were lucky to get the clam chowder. Our server told us they were running low and she’d better go check and she came back and said there were three bowls left. They brought ours out right away. It was right up there with the best I’ve had. The house salad dressing was also superb. A simple dinner, simply delicious.

DAY 39: Wednesday, May 18, 2022

50 miles (1594 total) Wading River, NY, to Stonington, CT

The Inn at Stonington

This morning we passed through the agricultural part of Long Island. Farm stands selling asparagus, fresh eggs, tomato and strawberry plants; vineyards galore. 

We started out on a road paralleling the main highway thinking it might be quieter, but it wasn’t. So when we had a chance to take Route 25, we did. Not much more traffic but a decent shoulder. And easier to put in faster miles. At that point we’d stopped at a deli for a break and shared a vegie omelette sitting outside in the sunshine. The weather was perfect for riding. As we finished, I looked at my watch. “If we push it we could make the 12:00 ferry.” We were up for the challenge of riding 22 miles in less than two hours. No pee break, no stopping for pictures, no stopping. We made it in the nick of time.

This was another expensive ferry – $66 for the two of us and our bikes. And it wasn’t anything fancy and only an hour and twenty minutes. 

Once off the boat I stopped to check googlemaps and realized we had a long bridge to cross. As I was doing some research to determine if bikes could cross the bridge, a long-distance cyclist pulled up. He said he’d just crossed the bridge; The pedestrain/bke lane was tight, but protected from traffic and definitely rideable. We talked a bit, until he had to catch his ferry to Long Island. He’d ridden extensivel in South America but not in the U.S. He was heading to NYC then to points unknown. We told him about Adventure Cycling and gave home our maps.

Then as we were on the approach to the bridge out of New London we got stopped by a cop halting all bike and pedestrain traffic. Evidently Kamala Harris was in town and going over the bridge so all traffic was halted. Fortunately that stop only lasted about 15 minutes.

We had 15 miles to Stonington on roads with pleasantly rolling hills. I suddenly realized how much I missed having hills these last five plus weeks. The flat riding is easy, but when the scenery is mundane, the riding is just not all that exciting.

It felt really good to be back home in New England. With our trip winding down and a night of camping behind us, we treated ourselves to a night at the Inn at Stonington. We were happy we did when we found out they have complimentary wine and cheese in the early evening.

DAY 38: Tuesday, May 17, 2022

66 miles (1544 total) Garden City to Wading River, NY

Wildwood State Park Campground

New York State campgrounds are not at all kind to bicyclists. The policy is a 2-night minimum, even though the campground is mostly empty. The policy is that you must make a reservation no later than 3 p.m. on the day of, and if you don’t you will be turned away. There are no walk-ins. I asked the guy who checked us in, “You mean if we came in now (it was almost 8 pm) on our bikes and we didn’t have reservation, you would turn us away?” “I’d have to.” There’s no other place to stay within miles. It’s total nuts.

Other than that we had to pay $53 for a campsite that should have cost no more than $30, and the fact that we don’t have a fire pit (not that we’d us it, and that the showers weren’t hot – only warm, it’s nice to be camping. We ate a light dinner on our way over.

The riding today was not as crazy as yesterday so we were able to make better time. We used a combination of google maps, signs for a couple state bike routes, and a paper map to find our way and only took a wrong turn once that cost us a few extra miles. The scenery was not anything special although we had a nice lunch break on some benches in front of a fire station with a flower garden in bloom. Aftert about 7 miles (and 58 total) on a brand new bike trail we found our way to my Aunt Olga’s house in a gated commuity in Ridge, arriving after 4 for a short visit.

Then 4 miles got us to dinner and another 4 to the campground.

Tomorrow we are taking the ferry to New London, Connecticut.

DAY 37: Monday, May 16, 2022

44 miles (1478 total) West Long Branch, NJ, to Garden City, NY

Home of Cousin Steven and Jeanine

Today was truly an adventure. First thing this morning we made a quick decision to try to catch the 9:10 ferry from Atlantic Heights to NYC rather than the 12:20. We’d been planning to take the morning to meander through Rob’s home town of Fair Haven but severe thunder storms in the forecast changed our minds. We were on the road by 7:30 and zoomed through an easy 12 miles, arriving at the ferry with time to spare. Along the way we passed luxurious beachfront property.

This ferry was the most luxurious of our trip so far and we paid for it – $62 for us and our bikes. And it wasn’t any longer than any of the North Carolina ferries. But the views were certainly something else – the New York skyline and the Statue of Liberty is always awe-inspiring. As we passed the Statue of Liberty I thought of my grandparents who came to this country through Ellis Island, looking for a better life. My father’s mother came when she was 18, by herself.

We had no specific plans upon our arrival in the Big Apple around 10:30. We were expected at my cousin Steven’s sometime later in the afternoon, just 22 miles away. We had a bicycle map of New York City with bike lanes and bike trails marked, and I’d heard that the city had become much more bike friendly, so I was eager to check it out. 

We decided to try the bike trail that circles the island of Manhatten. It started out okay, then we had a detour. We got through that and were cruising along; then we hit a second detour. That was enough. We rode inland to pick up the bike land on 1st Avenue to the bridge that would take us to Queens. It took us a while to get to 1st Avenue and then it took forever to work our way to 58th Street.

The cycling infrastructure in the city really is impressive. 1st Avenue runs one-way going north and the bike lane was protected from traffic on the right-hand side. There was the bike lane, a “shoulder” of sorts, and a barrier. There were specific traffic lights for bicycles and cars, theoretically protecting bicycles from left-turning cars.

The problem with safety comes from the New Yorkers. They’re all crazy. We were passed on the right and the left by bicyclists, no one using a bell or saying “on your left” or “on your right;” then there were E-bikes and motor scooters and bicycles coming at us in the wrong direction. And there were cars turning in front of us at intersections.

It was nuts. Rob thought it was Number Three Fun. I gave it a Number Two because it was something I was curious to experience.

Along about 53 Street we stopped for lunch at a classic NYC lunch restaurant. Rob ordered and turkey sandwich and I had hot pastrami on a roll. When they came, Rob said it was the biggest sandwich he’d ever had. I could only eat half, saved the other half to bring along.

Refueled we got on our bikes and continued our journey. Once over the bridge to Queens, the frenetic atmosphere immediately cooled down as we rode through places where people mostly lived, rather than worked. We had some long stretches on roads with very nice bike lanes that were mostly protected from traffic and felt pretty safe. Then once we got further out on Long Island, the A+ infrastructure disappeared and was hit or miss, mostly miss.

Before arriving at my cousin’s house I wanted to stop at my childhood home in East Williston. I don’t think I’d been back since we moved when I was 9 years old. First we came to the train station and fire station and library. I remember walking to meet my father at the train station. My father was a volunteer fireman and would take us to the station on rainy Saturdays and let us climb on the fire engines and get us a Coke in those bottles that came out of the big red refrigerated cases.

Our house was less than a quarter mile away, which explains why my parents let me walk alone to the train station or even across the tracks to buy groceries my mom needed. When we got to my street I pointed out the house on the corner where the family got the first color TV and the older boy teased me incessantly. 

The street looked like the kind of place you would find on Leave It To Beaver. And in many ways it was. We’d play kick ball and SPUD in the middle of the street and when the ball went into our grouchy next-door neighbor’s yard, no one wanted to go get it.

Today the houses are all well-cared for with manicured lawns, except the one I grew up in. Mine looks tires, in need of a good washing. Otherwise, it looks the same. My sister says that the same people who bought the house from our parents in 1964 still live there. That would make them really old and that would explain why the house is looking rather beleaguered.

So far the day had been gorgeous, little sign of the pending storm. But just as we left for the three miles to Steven and Jeanine’s house, the heavens opened up. We didn’t bother putting on rain gear, just tried to outrace the thunder and lightening. We got wet. And just as we arrived, the rain stopped.

Steven welcomed us warmly and right away we had a much-needed beer. The riding, even though only 44 miles, had been emotionally taxing. Jeanine and Steven cooked us an incredible chicken dinner with salad, orzo, and asparagus, and Steven’s sister Linda joined us for dinner as well, bringing home-made cookies. One of their grown sons also popped in. And I have to say that this was all with only a couple days notice on my part.

As I said, the day was quite an adventure.

DAY 36: Sunday, May 15, 2022

30 miles (1434 total) Seaside Heights to West Long Branch, NJ

La Quinta Inn & Suites

Today was a huge improvement over every day last week. Our friend Doug picked us up in the morning and we went for a several hour sail in Barnegat Bay. It was a beautiful morning, albeit a little foggy.It was peaceful and beautiful out on the water.

We took Doug up on his offer to drive us a few miles further, as there was a long bridge – almost a mile – that my research last night showed we’d have to walk over, in the opposite direction. So we started our ride today in Seaside Heights, a beachfront community with rides and arcades.

Our riding today was pretty much all beachside communities. A mix of boardwalks, arcades, amusement park rides and very high-end residential communities. We passed a few middle class homes, some older beach homes, and mostly high end homes. So many of the houses were enormous. Obviously a lot of people in this country have a lot of money, just not us.

The riding today was relaxing, a real joy after the last week. We had a slight tail wind. Traffic lights slowed us down as did dodging pedestrians when we rode on brief stretches of multiuse boardwalk. We stopped to play mini-golf. The course was a challenging one. I did so badly I didn’t even total up my score. Rob got his revenge for sure.

We’re staying at a LaQuinta with no restaurant or grocery stgore nearby. But we’ve discoverd that sometimes local restaurants will deliver. The front desk person gave us a pile of menus and we ordered dinner from an Italian restaurant. Rob had his usual – lasagen – and I had eggplant parm. It was very satisfying.

WEEK FIVE STATISTICS

May 8-15, 2022

• 214 miles; average of 43 miles/riding day or 31 miles/day overall
• 2 days off
• 0 flat tires
• 1 ferry ride
• Longest day 50 miles
• Nights spent
  • 2 Warm Showers
  • 0 Campground
  • 5 Hotel/Motel/B&B
  • 0 Family/friends

DAY 35: Saturday, May 14, 2022

0 miles (still 1404 total) Egg Harbor City to Toms River, NJ

Quality Inn

Once again, Rob and I got kicked out ot the EFM (“Every F*****g Mile” Club). Given the weather, how I was feeling, and a desire to sail with our friend Doug tomorrow, we took Doug up on his offer to drive us to Tom’s River and put us up in a motel for the night. The original plan was to help get the sails put on his boat so it’s ready for the morning sail, but the rain was relentless. Instead we enjoyed a leisurely lunch at a place right on the water, sitting next to a space heater and watching the rain pour down.

We can only be grateful that everything lined up today. We had a relaxing morning visiting with our Warm Showers host Doug, learning a bit about his family’s history that predates the Revolutionary War. Doug started his career teaching school then got into the well drilling business and has recently been infected with the bike touring bug. He lives on a large piece of property with multiple buildings, a pool and gazebo, and has acquired other pieces of real estate here and there. His house is well over a hundred years old. Just a few years younger than us, Doug is at the stage in his life where he’s working on downsizing. A very kind soul, he let us know early in the morning that if we wanted we could stay on an extra day.

We’ve met so many kind people through Warm Showers.

As we watched the rain come down this morning, and while we were driving on the highway, and while eating lunch, we could only be extraordinarily grateful not to have to be out in it.

This week has really sucked for riding. Thankfully it has had its bright moments.

DAY 34: Friday, May 13, 2022

50 miles (1404 total) Cape May to Egg Harbor City, NJ

Warm Showers Host Doug

Today was rough. Not necessarily the riding, although it wasn’t stellar. The wind had died down, but it was still overcast and at one point it started raining. We were on busy highways all day.

What made the day rough was that I came down with an intestinal bug during the night which made the entire day a struggle. All I really wanted to do was find a place to lay down and rest.

Once again, a Warm Showers host came to our rescue. Our destination for the day was the little town of Egg Harbor City and a search for miles around brought up not a single hotel. We’d found a few private campgrounds which was the plan until Doug responded to my request for a place to stay. He said he had no food in the house for dinner but all I wanted was a place to lay down and rest. We stopped at a grocery store where Rob picked up a tuna and macaroni salad. At that point I couldn’t even look at food.

When we arrived at Doug’s after 5:30, we sat and visited for a little bit. He had glasses of ice water out for us, which was exactly what I needed. I turned down the offer of fruit. I excused myself to shower and went to bed.

DAY 33: Thursday, May 12, 2022

50 miles (1354 total) Berlin, MD,  to Cape May, NJ

Warm Showers Hosts Mark, Carol, and Christian

I am so tired of this friggin wind. It wasn’t as constant as the past few days but when it hit, it hit hard. We had a spot after a bridge crossing on the way to Dewey Beach where I really struggled to keep my good humor. Plus, the wind was cold.

Today’s riding took us  through the tourist towns along the Maryland coastlines with their multitudes of high rise hotels and condominiums. When we arrived in Ocean City this morning I was so glad we’d stopped in Berlin yesterday so we didn’t have to stay in one of the hotels along the beach. We rode along the boardwalk for a bit, watching the bulldozers and graders working to get the beach ready for the summer tourists. The tacky shops and arcades along the boardwalk reminded me of Hampton Beach in New Hampshire. 

For many miles we had hotels and condos on our right and strip malls with T-shirt shops and beach supply shops and restaurants on our left. Then just residences, some pretty high end. In Delaware every community we passes was gated.

We zipped through Delaware in a few hours and I didn’t take any  pictures so maybe I can’t even prove we were there. It was too cold to stop and take pictures.

The last 7 miles we rode on a bike trail through woods and residential communities that took us most of the way to the Lewes-Cape May ferry. The ferry ride was a pleasant hour and a half that Rob and I  used to plan our strategy for the next couple days,

We were fortunate in having a place to stay in Cape May. Carol and Mark opened their home to us on short notice and prepared a dinner of shrimp, cod, rice, and salad. Their son, Christian, a professional chef, did much of the meal prep.

I’ve been impressed with the bicycling infrastructure in Maryland. We were riding a busy highway today but it felt safe because we were in a bike/bus lane. We had the same thing in Baltimore last fall.

DAY 32: Wednesday, May 11, 2022

37 miles (1304 total) Chincoteague, VA, to Berlin, MD

The Atlantic Hotel

We had another character building day. Will this wind never end? On top of the wind came rain. Not the .05” I saw predicted either. It came down hard. At least we got in a lunch break outside a church before it started.

At least the day started off well. Julie, the innkeeper, was willing to get us breakfast at 8:00 and we sat down to fresh strawberries and cream. coffee cake, and a full English breakfast of eggs, toast, mushrooms and tomatoes, bacon and sausage. If that didn’t give us enough fuel for the day nothing would.

But that wasn’t the best part of it. As we were finishing up, Julie asked us how far we thought we’d ride today. I said, “It depends on how long it takes for us to catch a ride off the island.” Then Julie said, “I’ll call my boyfriend. He’ll give you a ride.”

Sometimes the gods smile down on us.

We were able to fit both bikes in the back of Hal’s Toyota Highlander without taking them apart and I squeezed into the front seat with Rob for the 8-mile ride and we were on our bikes by 9:30. At first I thought the wind wasn’t as bad as yesterday, but I was wrong. We were riding through farm country with fields bordered by large stands of trees. We were grateful for the trees; they protected us from the wind. Every time we rode with fields on either side we were slammed. And it was cold. Today wasn’t the first time I regretted sending our warm clothes back to New Hampshire. But how would we know? The temps are 20 degrees lower than normal for this time of year.

We’d probably gone about 27 miles when it started raining. Thankfully we had the good sense to put on our rain gear before it started coming down hard. After ten miles we came into Berlin, the first town we’d seen all day that had anything other than a church. We were aiming to stop for a snack before heading on to Ocean City. But Berlin is a real town with shops and a historic hotel right on Main Street and we were wet and cold and tired. It didn’t require any discussion. I went into the Atlantic Hotel and got us a room.

After that we had a pleasant afternoon, once we showered and warmed up. We found a book store and a diner wnere we had hot tea and ice cream (an ice cream soda for me). When we passed a jewelry store I was able to buy a pair of basic earrings I’d been wanting, the kind I can keep in forever.

Back at the hotel we relaxed, napped, and had dinner in the hotel restaurant. It wasn’t the crab dinner I was hoping to have in Maryland, but we’ve been told it’s too early in the season for that.

We’ll be spending just one night in Maryland and breezing right through Delaware. Tomorrow we’ll take the ferry to Cape May in New Jersey.

DAY 31: Tuesday, May 10, 2022

37 miles (1267 total), Wachapreague to Chincoteague, VA

If I had known what the last five miles would be like, I would have insisted on bypassing Chincoteague, an eight-mile detour. But Rob and I have memories here – we visited a couple times back when Rob was doing a post-doc at NIH – and we’d been looking forward to a return visit. When we found out that the B&B we’d stayed at so many years ago is still in business and had a room available, that sealed it.

But the wind today was relentless, even worse than yesterday. We made 27 miles by 11:00, taking turns leading, when we stopped for lunch in the tiny town of Atlantic, with the only business a small sandwich shop. Rob noticed that they had milkshakes, sadly, for him, no strawberry – just chocolate and vanilla. But he adjusted. BLT and chocolate shake for me; tuna melt and vanilla shake for Rob. Our lunch gave us the strength to tackle the last 9 ½ miles.

The first four miles went about the same as the morning, but when we got to the causeway, we were in trouble. I don’t know what the wind speed was, but I’ve never ridden in anything like it before and hope to never again. We should have stopped and hitched a ride. There were several places where we could have. At one point I asked Rob if we should and he said no. I had to fight constantly to stay upright, leaning left into the crosswind that threatened to push me off the road. Finally, with less than two miles to go, and a long bridge, a gust of wind almost blew me over. I’d had enough. I stopped, got off, waited for Rob, and said, “I’m walking the rest of the way.” We agreed there is no way we are riding the causeway back tomorrow, when the wind is supposed to continue. We’ll hitch. There were plenty of pickup trucks passing us today. Hopefully there will be plenty tomorrow and one will stop and give us a ride.

We arrived at Miss Molly’s Bed and Breakfast around 1:30 and collapsed on the bed. After showers, we both napped. The inn is as we remember it, with a beautiful gazebo porch out back and lovely Victorian furnishings throughout. But we won’t be enjoying the porch on this visit. Nor is it likely we will visit the wildlife refuge to see the wild ponies. We did go for a walk through town before dinner. 

What we immediately noticed when we came into town were the large hotel chains and condos built up along the water. None of that was there back when we discovered the island. We walked along the main street and saw cute shops along with empty storefronts and old houses across the street from new hotels and condos.

Our 39th wedding anniversary is coming up in less than two weeks. Rob has declared that – budget be damned – we are starting the celebration now. Actually, I think it started last night. We’ve had a couple lovely dinners out, enjoying our visits to towns that are more alive than the ones we stayed in on our ride through Pennsylvania last fall.

DAY 30: Monday, May 9, 2022

40 miles (1230 total), Kiptopeke to Wachapreague, VA

Wachapreague Inn

No way could we have done 80 miles today. With a 20 mph headwind all day, we were quite proud of ourselves for doing 40. We weren’t miserable, but the riding wasn’t high on the fun meter either. In addition to the wind, it was rather chilly, and we have minimal warm riding gear. Hopefully the wind and cool temps will pass in a couple days.

We started riding around nine o’clock after a hearty B&B breakfast. When we stopped at a church for a picnic lunch the sun was out and I had hopes that the wind had died down. It hadn’t. We made it to our destination around three o’clock.

Our route kept us on a quiet country road. We didn’t pass a single store and only touched the outskirts of a couple towns, that weren’t even all that big.

Wachapreague is a very small town on Bradford Bay. There’s the motel where we are staying, a restaurant, marina, a few official buildings and a shop or two.

DAY 29: Sunday, May 8, 2022

4 miles (1,190 total) Virginia Beach to Kiptopeke, VA

The Baywood Bed and Breakfast

This morning, with rain and strong winds (25 mph coming from the north) in the forecast, we decided we were due for a day off. We had a noon reservation for a shuttle over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel and found a bed and breakfast on the other side that was reasonably priced. We had about three miles of riding to the bridge/tunnel and about a mile after we got dropped off.

The riding wasn’t terrible so we’re hoping we can put in some miles tomorrow. Even though the strong north wind will persist, the rain will have stopped. But what concerns me is the cold weather. We have no cold weather riding gear. But we’re tough.

I’ve spent the afternoon trying to catch up with this blog. Rob spent the afternoon crunching numbers trying to figure out how many miles we need to ride to get to P’Town.

WEEK FOUR STATISTICS

May 1-8, 2022

• 377 miles; average of 54 miles/riding day or 54 miles/day overall
• 0 days off; 0 flat tires; 4 ferry rides
• Longest day 88 miles
• Nights spent:
  • 2 Warm Showers
  • 0 Campgrounds
  • 4 Hotel/Motel/B&B
  • 1 Family/Friends

DAY 28: Saturday, May 7, 2022

88 miles (1,186 total) Kill Devil Hills, NC, to Virginia Beach, VA

Warm Showers Host Diane

We hadn’t planned on riding 88 miles today. It just sort of happened. We had about 44 miles to get to our last North Carolina ferry, from Currituk to Knotts Island, and the ferry only ran four times a day. So we figured maybe we’d make the 1:00 or maybe the 3:45. We could camp about 10 miles past the ferry or ride all the way to Virginia Beach. Either way, we weren’t rushing but we got an early start at 7:30 and had gotten 20 miles in when we came to a place for a second breakfast. As we were ordering I checked my email and found a message from Diane, a Warm Showers host I’d emailed last night. She said that, although she was out of town for Mother’s Day, with rain in the forecast, we could stay at her place.

That decided it. If we didn’t linger over breakfast, and kept up a solid riding pace, we could make the 1:00 ferry. Then we’d have from 2:00 on to ride the 40 plus miles to Virginia Beach. We were up for it. But before getting on our bikes, we enjoyed a shared crab omelette that would get us to the ferry.

We arrived with time to spare for the ferry and both of us caught a short nap in the deserted passenger lounge. Once off the boat, we quickly realized the weather had changed, not for the better. The temperature was dropping and the wind picking up. 

But we were feeling strong and the countryside in this last part of North Carolina was really lovely. We’d been passing through agricultural land and just off the ferry we passed a lot of marsh. Then in Virginia more farmland and horse country until we came to the suburbs of Virginia Beach. Finally, in downtown Virginia Beach we rode along an oceanside bike path with hotels towering above us on one side, tourists everywhere. It was cold and windy. I began to wonder if we’d come to regret sending our warm clothes home at the beginning of our trip.

Only a few people walked on the beach and no one was swimming. The promenade appeared new and full of fun outdoor sculptures and restaurants, but too crowded for my tastes. I was really happy to be working my way to a private home, hot shower, and simple home-cooked meal. After riding about five miles along a frontage road, we popped onto a highway with a wide bike lane and ample opportunity to ride strong and fast to our destination.

All afternoon I contemplated the simple joy of clean laundry.

We finally made it to Diane’s by 7:30, after a dozen hours on the road. Neither of us had the energy to walk the couple blocks to a grocery store. We were happy we’d stopped at a farm stand earlier and picked up a tomato, zucchini, onion, and a quart of fresh-picked strawberries.

With rain and high winds for tomorrow, and high winds coming from the north for the next few days, we know that we have some challenging riding ahead of us.

DAY 27: Friday, May 6, 2022

60 miles (1098 total) Buxton to Kill Devil Hills, NC

Quality Inn

Today was terrific. Starting out at 8:00, we had another day of riding where we fairly flew, covering 60 miles by 2:30. That included a morning stop for a snack on the beach and a lunch stop at a campground. We pretty much spent the day riding through the Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreation Area. Virginia is in striking distance.

We were happy to get in our miles quickly because that allowed us to spend a couple hours at the Wright Brothers National Memorial. I was curious as to why the memorial is located in the town of Kill Devil Hills when everyone knows the first flight took place in Kitty Hawk. It turns out that what used to be Kitty Hawk in 1903 when the first flight took place is now in the town of Kill Devil Hills.

Exhaustion got the better of us and, although we had a campground picked out, we decided to stay in a Quality Inn on the beach instead. We then enjoyed a walk on the beach to dinner at a Thai restaurant.

DAY 26: Thursday, May 5, 2022

28 miles (1038 total) Cedar Island to Buxton, NC

Cape Pines Motel

Today did not score very high on the fun meter. What the winds gave us yesterday in tail winds, they took back today in head winds when we struggled to maintain an eight mile per hour pace. And we had two ferry rides, both of which were a disappointment. On the first, a two and a half hour ride from Cedar Island to Ocracoke, the passenger lounge was over air conditioned with no views and it was not the best weather outside. The second didn’t even have the passenger lounge open so we were left standing on the deck with our bikes for an hour and fifteen minutes (a ride that should have taken 40 minutes). But at least we couldn’t complain about the price. The first was $3 each and the second was free. North Carolina has a bunch of ferries and they are definitely no-frill and low-cost.

The first ferry was a short walk from our motel room. We disembarked in Ocracoke a cozy old fishing town that now caters to tourists, with a mix of new and old buildings, a small museum, and a working lighthouse. 

We learned that there is a cemetery in Ocracoke where the bodies of four British sailors are buried. They are the only bodies that washed ashore from a British ship that was torpedoed by the Germans during WWII.

After a second breakfast and a tour of the town, we got on our bikes for the 14-mile ride to the next ferry, to Hatteras. The headwind was brutal. We decided, even before boarding the second ferry, that we’d call it a day after another 11 miles of riding would take us to Buxton, where we found an affordable motel. Dinner was just a short walk down the road and we were entertained by a musician who had a voice like Paul Simon and played guitar, drums, and harmonica.

DAY 25: Wednesday, May 4, 2022

72 miles (1,010 total) Swansboro to Cedar Island, NC

Cedar Island Resort Motel

We started our day with oatmeal and tea cooked on our campstove outside our motel room overlooking the water.

We hadn’t planned on riding 72 miles today but the miles just flew by and we didn’t want to stop. This was probably our most fun day on our bikes. We had about ten miles first thing on a busy highway then the rest of the day we had quiet roads.

I’d like to think that our easy riding was because we are getting in pretty good shape but Rob says it’s the tail wind we had all day.

We arrived in Newport after our first speedy 20 miles and stopped at a coffee shop where we got egg, bacon, and cheese croissants that were delicious. We read a USA Today newspaper, catching up on the news about the Supreme Court leak, and I worked on a blog post.

Then after another 20 miles a stop for lunch at a convenience store. This one had a porch with a wooden swing on it. Rob wanted ice cream but they didn’t sell any since they took out their freezer to put in lottery tickets. So we stopped at the next convenience store, with about 20 miles to go. This one had Edy’s ice cream and waffle cones. The kid who scooped it gave me at least three scoops of Death by Chocolate. Same for Rob, and he charged us $1.98 for both. What a deal!

While we were eating our ice cream several cars pulled up and people got out and left their cars idling. I couldn’t understand that. Guess they don’t care about the price of gas or global warming.

As Rob was getting on his bike a woman asked how far he was riding and when he said to Boston she said, “Lord have mercy!” Also today when we were stopped at a traffic light a driver asked how far we were riding. We said 40 – 60 miles a day. He asked where we started and when we said Orlando, he said, “No shit!”

The Cedar Island Resort has a motel and campground. We were too hot and tired to tackle setting up camp, plus we want to pack up quickly tomorrow morning to catch the 7:30 ferry to the Outer Banks so we got a motel room. And happily for us there was a restaurant next door that had decent food and a decent price.

DAY 24: Tuesday, May 3, 2022

48 miles (938 total), Snead’s Ferry to Swansboro, NC

Waterway Inn

This was another day when we had a choice of either 50 miles or 90. We chose the shorter day after Ray told us that Swansboro is a quaint little tourist town on the water.

We rode here easily, this riding pleasant and unremarkable. We arrived around 1:30, had lunch under a shelter by the docks, then found the Waterway Inn, a sweet little locally owned motel, also on the water, about a mile and across two bridges from downtown Swanboro.

After checking in we showered and relaxed then walked back over the two bridges to browse through a few shops and get an early dinner. 

DAY 23: Monday, May 2, 2022

52 miles (890 total), Wilmington to Snead’s Ferry, NC

Warm Showers host Ray

After a delicious breakfast that Julian made for us – pancakes made with oats, bananas, and other stuff mixed in a blender, we got on the road around nine o’clock. As we left we agreed that we’d better not wait another 38 years before meeting again.

The miles slipped by easily, still with no rumble strips to contend with. What a change that makes.

We rode out of Wilmington and on back roads then to Surf City and North Topsail Beach. Although we were riding with the ocean on one side and marshes on the other, we didn’t really get much views of the water, as the street was lined with houses. But the houses were lovely, mostly new and painted in myriad colors, mostly pastel.

We didn’t find any inviting coffee shops along the way so we stopped about 4 miles from our Warm Showers destination for a beer and to catch up on some blog writing. We arrived at Ray’s house around 4:30 and enjoyed sitting out on his back deck overlooking the water. It was rather amusing talking to Ray, as every story we told about a place we’d cycled, he’d mention that one family member or another lived there. 

DAY 22: Sunday, May 1, 2022

29 miles (838 total) Southport to Wilmington, NC

Home of Julian and Amy

What a change the North Carolina riding is from Georgia and South Carolina! No more rumble strips and real bicycling infrastructure – bike lanes and appropriate signage.

After breakfast in Southport we hopped on the 8:30 ferry to Fort Fisher and then had pleasant riding into Wilmington, through Kure Beach with its multitude of colorful homes, then on to Wilmington, where Rob had made arrangements for a visit with Julian Kieth, a graduate school colleague.

Connecting with old friends as we ride around the country has been an absolute joy. Since Rob and I met when we were both in graduate school at CU Boulder (I quit; he didn’t) I know all his former colleagues. Julian and Rob only overlapped by one year. My memory of Julian is that he stayed with us when he first rolled into town. Rob didn’t share that memory, but Julian confirmed that I was right.

We arrived at Julian and Amy’s around noon. After showers, laundry, and lunch we drove into downtown Wilmington for a brief tour of the waterfront.

After so many years it’s great fun to find that we still have so much in common with an old friend. And, as well, getting to know Amy was a treat.

WEEK THREE STATISTICS

April 24 – May 1, 2022

• 347 miles; average of 50 miles/riding day or 50 miles/day overall
• 0 days off; 0 flat tires; 1 ferry ride
• Longest day 82 miles
• Nights spent:
  • 1 Warm Showers
  • 3 Campgrounds
  • 3 Hotel/Motel/B&B
  • 0 Family/Friends

DAY 21: April 30, 2022

61 miles (809 total) Atlantic Beach, SC, to Southport, NC

The Inn at River Oaks

More zigging and zagging again this morning to avoid the highway and then Rob wanted to stop for a second breakfast and we seemed to be doing a lot of stopping for other things like sunblock and pain killers and bathrooms and lunch so we didn’t make very good time until the afternoon when we seemed to pick up steam and arrived at our lodging for the night around five o’clock. 

We’re happy to be in a state where the highway people don’t see a need to put rumble strips everywhere. It makes riding on roads with narrow shoulders lots better.

Southport is a sleepy tourist town except near the water where there are several restaurants, all with crowds outside waiting to eat and at seven o’clock the music starts. 

Our dinner at The Frying Pan was pleasant enough. I ordered shrimp and grits because I’ve determined that, just like lasagne, everyone makes it differently. So I’ve got to give it several tries. But, although I enjoyed the shrimp and grits that my cousin’s husband cooked. I’ve decided that I’m done with trying grits.

After dinner we walked around the waterfront and historic area. I’m intrigued with the signs that seem to idolize the people who fought for the Confederacy. I wonder how we would look at monuments and historical signs applauding the actions of those who fought for Nazi Germany. Fighting for the right to own and rape and torture other human beings is wrong and should not be honored in any way.

DAY 20: Friday, April 29, 2022

41 miles (748 total) Pawley’s Island to Atlantic Beach, SC

Apache Family Campground

A full and fun day starting off with a visit to the Brookgreen Gardens in Myrtle Beach. It was founded in 1931 by Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington when they purchased four large plantations.It caught my attention because of its large collection of sculptures. But the property also includes historical displays and sites from one of the plantations, giving due credit to the work that was performed by enslaved men, women, and children. Also on the property are animals of the low country who were injured and not able to be released back into the wild.

We lingered at the Brookgreen Gardens until well after one o’clock and hadn’t gone far when we came to a mini-golf course. We knew we would be bypassing the main stretch of Myrtle Beach which probably has hundreds of mini-golf course, so we had to stop at the first one we came to, lest we miss them all. We both got a hole in one and Rob was upset when I beat him by two strokes so now he wants a rematch.

The Adventure Cycling route that we’ve been following had us doing a lot of zigging and zagging to avoid U.S. 17 and we finally made it to an expensive private family campground that cost $70 but that was a lot cheaper than a hotel which would have cost at least $170 and at that low rate would not have been on the beach. Our campsite was close to the water and we had dinner on a pier and then went for a walk on the beach. This whole area is crowded with high-rises and music coming from bars, so much different from the raw beauty of much of the west coast.

So far the riding has not been what I would call stellar, but we’re seeing a part of the country that we wouldn’t normally venture into and learning a lot about the places and people and history.

DAY 19; Thursday, April 28, 2022

51 miles (707 total) Honey Hill Campground to Pawley’s Island

Happy Birthday to me! For my birthday I got to go for a bike ride and out to dinner, doing exactly what I love to do.

The riding wasn’t anything special today, but it was pleasant enough. Mostly quiet back roads line with trees which can get a bit boring, but I guess the point is that we are seeing what there is to see in this part of the country.

After leaving our primitive campground we didn’t come to any town of substance until Georgetown at 36 miles where we stopped for ice cream. We arrived at a Best Western where we had a room booked by 3:30 and were happy to just spend a few hours relaxing and planning the next few days.

While we are technically staying in the town of Pawley’s Island we are not on the actual island, but staying on U.S.17, nothing too special. Tomorrow we’re going to stop off at a botanical garden and sculpture park and then ride through Myrtle Beach where Rob is hoping we can find a mini-golf course. We’re aiming for Wilmington by Sunday.

We have a new sense of urgency. A good friend in Colorado is having a birthday party (70th) on May 29. We have plane tickets for May 27.  We figure, at our age, we can’t take anything for granted so we really want to try to make it. 50 miles a day should get us home in time. Or we can take a train from NYC.

DAY 18: Wednesday, April 27, 2022

55 miles (656 total) Mt. Pleasant to Honey Hill NFS Campground

One of the positive things about staying with Warm Showers folks is learning what they love about living in a part of the country where I may be riding and thinking, why would anyone want to live here? It’s happened before. In this case, I’m thinkiing that it’s already hot and humid in April, there are no mountains, rumble strips everywhere. But Pip certainly set me straight. She and her husband came to Charleston ten years ago for a work opportunity. They were only supposed to stay for three years but loved it so much that they decided to stay. They got green cards and Pip received her U.S. passport yesterday. What made them enamoured with their life in South Carolina is the water and all the boating opportunities.

Today’s riding was good. No treacherous roads. Even the short bits we had on U.S. 17 weren’t bad, with a wide smooth shoulder. But mostly it was on quiet country roads.

After our first ten miles we came to Isle of Palms, a small seaside town where we met up with another cycling tourist, Cindy, who we first met yesterday in Charleston. We stopped at the town beach where Rob went for a swim then spent the day riding together.

We’re camped at a primitive campground with the only amenities being picnic tables and vault toilets. No water. But a couple other campers helped us out with that and the mosquitoes weren’t bad, so we had a pleasant evening.

Cindy began her trip in Key West and is riding all the way to Bar Harbor.

DAY 17: Tuesday, April 26, 2022

14 miles (601 total) James Island to Mount Pleasant, SC

Warm Showers Hosts Pip & Mick (although Mick is out of town)

Today was a lazy day exploring Charleston, South Carolina. That is, once we got through the harrowing experience of riding over two bridges to get there. One with a decent shoulder, the other none, both with speeding rush hour traffic. Once we got into the city, our task was to find breakfast. Two people we asked both suggested the same place and, happily, it was neither closed nor crowded. We shared an omelette stuffed with shrimp, crab, and mushrooms, with sides of a biscuit and grits. 

The only tourist site I was interested in seeing was the Slave Market. Learning more about the slave trade was very sobering, to say the least. I hadn’t realized that slaves were brought to North America by the Dutch and did much of the work of building New Amsterdam. Several drawings depicted how the enslaved people were packed into the ships; it was truly inhuman. But what did lift my spirits was learning that the slave revolt at Harper’s Ferry was not the only one. There were many revolts and many ways in which the enslaved people worked to undermine the authority of their owners.

Of the 15 people who owned more than 500 slaves, 8 of them lived in South Carolina.

We saw a lot of horse and carriage tours in progress. I asked the fellow working at the Slave Market if they talked about the role that African Americans played in building the homes and economy of Charleston. He said no.

After lunch we wandered through the historic area of Charleston to get a feel for the city. Then we skipped riding over the bridge to Mt. Pleasant and took the taxi ferry instead. We didn’t know that was an option until this morning. It was an enjoyable ride. Then we had just a few miles to our Warm Showers home and got to stop at a Trader Joe’s along the way. That was a convenient stop as we were out of food and tomorrow we are venturing into the countryside with few stops along the way and we’ll be camping at a National Forest Service primitive campground.

DAY 16: Monday, April 25, 2022

43 miles (587 total), Jacksonboro to James Island, SC

James Island County Park Campground

Our original plan was to ride into Charleston first and then head to the campground, but around lunch time we decided to opt for heading directly to our campground instead. Fortunately we weren’t on US 17 with its limited shoulder, rumble strip, and heavy traffic, for very long. But we did have to cross a short bridge to James Island which turned out to be a nightmare. The fellow in a visitor center said he was a cyclist and that we should definitely walk over the bridge on the sidewalk, which sounded good in principle. But the sidewalk was so narrow we barely fit on with our loaded bikes; there was no shoulder and traffic was speeding past us with what felt like inches to spare.

I have to say right now that the number of cars passing us all too close is way higher than anywhere else we have ever ridden.

But we did arrive alive at the campground and had a couple hours to set up camp and relax. It turns out that my cousin’s daughter and her husband live in James Island. They came to pick us up and we enjoyed a delicious dinner out in Charleston. And on the drive in we discovered another bridge off the island with a much bigger shoulder. It’s always nice to have options.

DAY 15: Sunday, April 24, 2022

82 miles (544 total) Bluffton to Jacksonboro, SC

Edisto Motel

There is nothing in Jacksonboro other than a Circle K, and Dollar General, and the Edisto Motel which, while recently given a facelift, is still past its prime. In the same family for several generations, once upon a time it also had a restaurant that served as a community gathering place and served award-winning food. The building that once housed the restaurant still stands, empty.

For $55 (cash only) we are happy for this motel as it is the only lodging option for many miles, which is why we rode 82 miles today. But we decided at the beginning of this trip that we wanted at least one day a week to really push ourselves. This was that day. And, aside from sore hands and butts and being tired of the traffic, it was a pretty good day. 

Gary, last night’s Warm Showers host, rode with us the first five miles to make sure we found our way back to the highway. As we approached Port Royal we got on the Spanish Moss Trail which we rode for ten miles (getting sidetracked briefly for a detour). After a highway stint we found lunch at a local restaurant serving “low country” food. We both had po boys; Rob had his with fried flounder and I had fried shrimp, Then mostly peaceful riding on back roads with enough highway riding to make us not impressed with South Carolina riding. 

Highways aren’t bad if they have wide, smooth shoulders. But what we’ve found in South Carolina so far is much like Georgia. Narrow shoulders with rumble strips making them just about unrideable.

The only options for dinner tonight were Dollar General or Church’s fried chicken at the Circle K. We opted for the fried chicken and cooked up some ramen noodles to go with it.

We were pleased that we made good time today, finishing 80 miles in 9 hours and 45 minutes. The miles go by quickly when it’s flat and there’s no wind.

WEEK TWO STATISTICS

• 232 miles; average of 46 miles/riding day or 33 miles/day overall
• 2 days off; 0 flat tires; 0 ferry ride
• Longest day 74 miles
• Nights spent:
  • 1 Warm Showers
  • 1 Campground
  • 2 Hotel/Motel/B&B
  • 3 Family/Friends

DAY 14: Saturday, April 23, 2022

29 miles (462 total), Savannah, GA, to Bluffton, SC

Warm Showers hosts Gary and Lois

Rob and I wanted to see a little more of Savannah before getting back on the road. We’d found out about a couple walking tour companies that focused on African American history, but they were completely booked but Georgine had some other ideas.

My cousin Paul agreed to give us a ride into Savannah, saving us some not-fun miles and giving us more time to play tourist. He was also interested in joining us for our first stop at the Pin Point Museum.

Just over the Skidaway Island bridge is a museum on the site of an oyster and crab processing plant on the land that has been owned by an African American community since the 1890s called Pin Point. Coincidentally it was the home of Clarence Thomas. 

After Paul dropped us off in downtown Savannah we visited the Owens-Thomas House and Slave Quarters where they have done an excellent job of acknowledging the role that enslaved people have played in creating the luxurious life of the owners of the house.

We left Savannah at 2:30 for a 30-mile ride to Bluffton. Our route took us past the mountains of shipping containers and through a wildlife refuge. The roads were okay and traffic not too awful. When we were about 5 miles from our destination, our Warm Showers host Gary met us and brought us to his house over bike paths and quiet residential roads.

Gary and Lois, both in their seventies, have done their share of long-dislance touring. They knew exactly what we needed upon our arrival – showers and a beer.

DAYS 12 & 13:  April 21 & 22, 2022

Savannah – Two days relaxing and visiting family on Skidaway Island.

Thursday we spent a lazy morning waiting for the sun to come out and for Georgine’s brother Paul to arrive from Atlanta. Then Jim took us all on a boat ride. Friday morning, after Derek and Tasha left (heading back to their home in D.C. where Tasha would be sworn in as a U.S. citizen on Saturday), we went for a 3-mile walk around Skidaway Island to one of the marinas. In the afternoon we took my friend’s advice and checked out the Prohibition Museum in downtown Savannah. Everyone agreed it was a good idea.

DAY 11: Wednesday, April 20, 2022

74 miles (433 total) Townsend to Savannah, GA

Home of Georgine and Jim on Skidaway Island

The only saving grace about today’s riding was a stop on the outskirts of Richmond Hill at Bubba’s Bistro for sweet tea and fried green tomatoes. (Rob had a beer. He always does when I enjoy a sweet tea.)

The riding was awful. We had a few stretches on back roads which were mostly pleasant although the scenery was unspectacular. Just lots of trees, occasional marshland, some areas of unsightly clearcutting, and modest or rundown homes. When we were at Bubba’s our server told us she’d seen us riding on the road she lives on. She told us that her house looks out onto the water and she sees all sorts of wildlife – dolphins, gators, boa constrictors, rattle snakes, and birds of all kinds. She said that the pamphlets enticing people to come to Georgia don’t talk about the snakes and other dangerous critters. She never goes fishing without a sharp knife at the ready.

We had far too many miles – at least 30 – on State Route 17. There was only a narrow shoulder and half of it had a rumble strip, right next to the white line which left us hugging the soft side of the road. You couldn’t take your eyes off the road for a minute or you’d drift onto the rumble strip or off the road. Throw in lots of speeding traffic and a head wind. Aside from occasional clumps of wildflowers there was nothing else to distract from the wretchedness of the ride. I told Rob that this was up there with our worst days but – hands down – I’ve never felt so scared for so many miles. The last few miles on 17 we didn’t even have a shoulder to ride on and cars were passing with what felt like inches to spare.

We were relieved when we finally made it to my cousin’s upscale neighborhood on Skidaway Island and could relax riding past the beautiful homes and landscaping. We arrived at Georgine and Jim’s home just after 6 and can now look forward to a couple days visiting with them, their son and daughter-in-law, and my other cousin Paul who is driving down from Atlanta tomorrow.

DAY 10: Tuesday, April 19, 2022

46 miles (359 total) Jekyll Island to Townsend, GA

Given how flat it’s been we figured with just around 45 miles to ride we could have a relaxing morning at our luxury hotel. Plus there was no need to hurry to get to a Motel 6 in Townsend, where we had a reservation.

But we did get up early for a round of croquet on the professional croquet green in front of the hotel. We didn’t really follow any rules and I have no idea who won, but it was fun to get out. Then we walked through the historic district, peeking into the windows of the former homes of the many rich and powerful people who were members of the Jekyll Island Club.

Before leaving we stopped for tea and pastry on the veranda and I made a phone call to set up a walking tour while we are in Savannah. I am particularly interested in learning about the whole history of the area, not the white man’s history. For example, in the hotel, there’s a framed photo of Christophe DuBignon that says he came to Jekyll Island after fleeing the French Revolution and started a large successful cotton plantation. But it says nothing about who did the work that made the plantation successful. Slaves? How many?

So I was asking the woman who works for the Savannah tour company if they talk about the history of African Americans. Interestingly she told me that some people don’t want to hear that history.

When I hung up, the gentleman at the next table said, “I couldn’t help but hear your conversation. I study the Civil War.” I felt a little badly that my phone call might have disturbed him, but in this case it lead to a fascinating conversation. He told me about a woman who is a descendent of the slaves who came to this region who gives tours in Savannah focusing on her people. The gentleman, Bruce, is from the area but now lives in Montana. He has a Ph.D. in history and is visiting the area researching the history of slavery during and after the Civil War. He told me that southerners began rewriting history even before the Civil War ended. They knew they were losing. At the beginning of the war the leaders said the war was all about slavery. At the end of the war they said it was about states’ rights. He also said the slavery was far worse than we could ever imagine. Women and men were frequently raped. The white women knew what their husbands were doing but were powerless to stop them. After the war white southerners were determined to make it impossible for blacks to ever succeed. 

We got on the road shortly after 11 o’clock, the first day it was cool enough to wear a windbreaker, and the first day we had significant wind. Riding the causeway was pleasant. In Brunswick we picked up the state highway 17 again and were on it for about 18 miles. That was not so much fun, lots of traffic and not a great shoulder.

In Darien we stopped for a snack and found a place on the water serving a Tuesday special of two shrimp tacos for $12. We couldn’t turn that down, especially with seating right on a river. The tacos were delicous. We asked the server if they were local and she said yes. She told us that her husband is a shrimper and that she came from six generations of shrimpers. I mentioned that we’d learned about how Georgia has a law that shrimp nets have to have a system for releasing turtles and she said they call it a “turtle shooter.” She said that after the shrimp season her husband gets paid to go up to South Carolina and pick up turtles that are in areas where they might get injured by motorboats and release them in safer waters. I asked if she’d ever done any shrimping and she said she sure had; her daughter took her first steps on a shrimp boat.

From Darien we rode along a quiet county road that was quite please and another 18 miles brought us to Townsend and our Motel 6. Quite a contrast to last night. We had dinner next door at the Huddle House restaurant. Burgers, fries, and ice cream sundaes for $27.

DAY 9: Monday, April 18, 2022

14 miles to Jekyll Island; 17 miles (unloaded) around Jekyll Island (31 total for the day, 313 total for the trip)

Jekyll Island Club Resort

Again, just as with our previous camping adventure, we had to forego breakfast in the interests of escaping the no-see-ums. Less than a mile from the campground we came to a Waffle House. A quick stop in for breakfast before hitting the road seemed like a good idea, but quick and inexpensive did not translate to tasty. Waffle House definitely fits the description of greasy spoon. My meal of scrambled eggs, toast, and grits did not sit well with me and I told Rob I thought we should give Waffle House a pass from now on.

But our breakfasts did fuel us enough to easily crank out the miles to Jekyll Island. We arrived at 9:00 and were able to check into our room right away. We spent a couple hours at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center, then lunch on the veranda of the hotel followed by a bike ride around the island. We topped off the afternoon with a swim in the pool accompanied by a beer.

DAY 8: Sunday, April 17, 2022

52 miles (282 total) Fernandina Beach, FL, to a private campground just outside Brunswick

Happy Easter! (But we didn’t celebrate the holiday.)

On the road at 8:40 we sailed right along, stopping only for bathroom breaks until lunch at 30 miles on the Satilla River in Woodbine, Georgia. We started on some back roads then most of the day we were on Route 17, a state road with a good shoulder and not much traffic. After lunch, more easy riding until we arrived at the Southern Retreat RV Park and Campground at 2:30. It wasn’t overpriced and had a pool and a shelter and lots of no-see-ums. The no-se-ums are very appropriately named. You feel them biting, but you can’t see the damn things.

We very much appreciated the shelter, which we had to ourselves, when the promised rain finally came with a vengeance. One lightning strike and bang of thunder actually scared the bejeesus out of both of us. But the rain eventually let up and we slept well in our tiny tent with the sound of frogs doing their mating calls.

One thing that really struck me during our ride today was the stark contrast between the comfortable middle-class housing developments of northern Florida and the forlorn houses and trailors of rural southern Georgia. We passed one abandoned house after another falling in on itself.

WEEK ONE STATISTICS

• 230 miles; average of 38 miles/riding day or 33 miles/day overall
• 1 day off; 0 flat tires; 1 ferry ride
• Nights spent:
  • 3 Warm Showers
  • 1 Campground
  • 1 Hotel/Motel/B&B
  • 2 Family/Friends

DAY 7: Saturday, April 16, 2022

We spent a lazy day with Larry and Sue. They cooked us a breakfast of blueberry pancakes, bacon, spice cake, and fresh fruit. Then I worked on my blog while Rob tried out a few of Larry’s guitars. (He has a roomful.) After lunch we drove to Amelia Island and went for a long walk on the beach then Rob and I went for a swim. (It was too cold for Larry and Sue, the newly minted Floridians.) 

The excitement of the afternoon was watching a van get towed out of the sand. The driver thought that his two-wheel drive vehicle could make it through the soft sand. He was pretty stupid. The van was in up to the top of its tires. His wallet was $200 lighter after a jeep winched him out.

DAY 6: Friday, April 15, 2022

30 miles (230 total) Huguenot Park Campground to Fernandina Beach, FL

Home of Larry & Sue

Two years ago, after picking up a rental minivan at the Orlando airport we stopped over for a night at the home of Rob’s cousin Larry and his wife Sue. The difficult circumstance of having to cut our adventure short was softened by the warm welcome they gave us. We looked forward to visiting them again, this time arriving on our bikes as we’d originally planned to do.

Given the swarming no-see-ums at our campground, which was perfect but for them, we didn’t even try to cook breakfast, but packed up as quickly as we could and were on the road before 7:30. We had beautiful riding on paved bike trails through state parks, past birding sites, and over three long bridges, on our way to what we hoped would be a delicious breakfast. Which we did eventually find, but not without serious searching, as the first woman who recommended a place didn’t have the name or location correct.

We arrived at Larry and Sue’s just in time for lunch. A round of mini-golf (I got three holes-in-one, Rob got two) and dinner out topped off the day.

DAY 5: Thursday, April 14, 2022

41 miles (200 total) St. Augustine to Huguenot Park Campground (north of St. John’s River Ferry in Mayport)

We had a lovely breakfast at Mary’s Cafe, compliments of Best Western, then I took some time to download photos and work on my blog. It rained briefly so we didn’t get on the road until after 11.

Today was a leisurely riding day. with the wind at our backs and flat riding along a quiet stretch of A1A.  We rode through the Grana Polomato Matanzas Research Reserve and through very rich neighborhoods, so rich we couldn’t even see many of the oceanfront homes set back from long driveways and carefully tended landscaping. 

We stopped for lunch on a grassy spot next to an inlet with houses on either side where Rob thought he saw an alligator but it only moved when the wind blew so we decided it was a lawn ornament or beach toy that had blown off someone’s lawn. We stopped at Joe’s Clam Shack in Jacksonville Beach where Rob had a beer, I had a couple glasses of sweet tea, and we ordered some fries. Even though the place was practically empty, we sat at the bar to avoid a half hour wait for a table, due to short staffing. 

The St. John’s River Ferry in Mayport was waiting for us when we arrived. It cost a dollar and took about ten minutes, our first ferry ride of this trip. Then just a couple miles to the Huguenot Park campground where we had a site reserved on the river. 

It was a lovely site and we looked forward to a lovely evening sitting in our chairs relaxing with a beer. Until the no-see-ums found us. We covered ourselves with bug netting and insect repellent and made it through dinner okay. Then we seemed to escape them when we went for a walk to the beach as the sun was setting. The dunes and the seagrasses were breathtaking in the early evening light.

DAY 4: Wednesday, April 13, 2022

13 miles  (159 total) Crescent Beach to St. Augustine, FL

Best Western Bayside

With the sun rising as late as 7 a.m., how could we not start the day without a walk (Rob) or run (me) on the beach? 

We were on the road by 8:30 for a leisurely ride into St. Augustine, the oldest city in the United States.

I have to say right now that, while Florida drivers are the worst we’ve encountered, and I have heard from multiple people that Florida has the worst record for motorists hitting bicyclists, I have been impressed with the bicycling infrastructure throughout the state. Lots of bike lanes and signs to share the roads. In the case of yesterday and today we’ve had our choice of riding in a bike lane and riding on a wide sidewalk. We’ve done both, in some cases choosing the sidewalk because of more shade or just to get away from traffic. But the road tends to be smoother. Going over a bridge we chose the sidewalk when there was clearly no shoulder but then saw the symbol allowing bicycles to take the full lane.

Overall, motorists have been pretty considerate. In one case when we were stopped at a light the driver next to us asked if we were turning or going straight.

Once in St. Augustine we had the rest of the day to explore. We visited the Colonial Quarter and the Castillo de San Marcos where we learned about St. Augustine’s history.

During our travels, bicycling the perimeter of the United States, Rob and I have quickly come to realize how geocentric our sense of history is. Growing up in the northeast our U.S. history has all been about the British who came first to New England, Plymouth and all that. Settlements elsewhere were taught in school as an afterthought.

Did you know that, from 1693 until 1763 (when the British took over Florida) slaves who escaped to Florida could remain free as long as they became Catholic and pledged allegiance to the Spanish King? 

Did you know that the first St. Patrick’s Day parade in North America took place in 1601, 19 years before the landing of the Pilgrims?

We had a most amazing dinner at the Casa Reina Taqueria, just down the street from our hotel. I ordered the Tequila Lime Grouper: “Paneed grouper with tequila lime cream sauce, pico, cilantro and fresh guacamole. Served with black beans and white rice.” 

My first forkful, of the beans and rice, took me by surprise. Never have I had beans and rice that tasted so great; it took me a while to even get to the fish, which was equally delicious. Rob ordered a honey glazed salmon that he enjoyed as well. Our desserts disappoint. Rob had flan de queso (velvety cream cheese custard topped with a caramel glaze and orange zest) that just melted in your mouth. I ordered churros with a Mexican dark chocolate dipping sauce that had a kick to it.

DAY 3: Tuesday, April 12, 2022

41 miles (146 total) Ormond Beach to Crescent Beach, FL

Joy and Howard’s condo on the beach

Lovely riding today and leisurely, a nice break after yesterday’s long miles. Joy, our Warm Showers host, escorted us for the first 15 miles so that she could show us the way to avoid both backtracking and riding on busy roads. After Joy left us we came to Route A1A at Flagler Beach with lovely beachfront riding. We looked forward to our arrival after 20 miles at the Java cafe that Joy and Howard both raved about, where they met. But, sadly, it was closed. No worries, we’d find something else soon enough. But we didn’t.

We passed by some hugely enormous residences that were too big to be single family homes. But they were. I checked. Only one front door, one two-car garage and a single-car garage, likely for the golf cart. Then a sign saying “A Private Coastal Golf Community.” Might as well have said, “Unless You Are Rich You Can’t Live Here.”

At almost thirty miles, and lunch time, we came to a small diner, also closed. The proprietor suggested we try the Atlantic Grill, just a mile down the road. It was very luxurious, part of The Hammock Beach Golf Resort and Spa. We felt very rich as we enjoyed crab soup and other delights while sitting outside overlooking the golf course and private beach.

Then 10 relaxed miles to Crescent Beach and Howard and Joy’s condo. First to the pool to cool off and relax with a good read. Then a walk on the  beach. Paradise. 

DAY 2: Monday, April 11, 2022

65 miles (105 total), Titusville to Ormond Beach, FL

Not a bad day for two old cyclists who did no training for this ride. Our excuse? Bad weather.

Our Warm Showers stay last night was an A+. As so often happens with Warm Showers, we arrived as strangers and left as friends. After dinner Karl and Carol took us on a drive to the Cape Canaveral National Seashore, then we stopped at their favorite ice cream place. The evening was topped off with a game of Mexican Train Dominoes at their next-door neighbors. When Carol wrote her Warm Showers profile she said that she is an early-to-bed person. That did not happen last night.

With a long day ahead of us we got off to an early start this morning, on the road by 8:30. Following Carol’s advice we got on a bike path that ran alongside Route 1. But then we didn’t pay attention when we started chatting with a cyclist who rode alongside us and didn’t bother investigating when we could no long see the highway. We had a pleasant ride along a quiet paved bike path that took us five miles out of our way, inland. But it connected to another bike path that brought us to where we needed to be along the coast.

After 25 miles we stopped for lunch at one of the benches along the trail. Not long a very large cyclist came along and asked if we minded if he stopped, as it was his turnaround point. We made room for him. The small talk worked around to alligators and he said he’d seen one not too far back and Rob said he’d heard that you better not take a nap next to a pond where a gator might live. The cyclist said, “I seen a Mexican laying out on a blanket near here, his girlfriend sitting beside him. I came by a few days later they were gone.”

I pondered that, while the conversation went along onto different things. I couldn’t leave it alone.

I said, “I’m curious. How did you know he was Mexican?”

“I don’t know. He was dark complexioned. I didn’t talk to him or nothing.”

I said. “There are plenty of Americans who have dark skin.”

I was still pondering this as we got back on our bikes. I could have said, “Don’t you know Americans who have dark skin?” But very likely he doesn’t.

After 40 miles we got back to the coast and the Adventure Cycling route. We were making good time and neither of us needed to stop so we just kept going but when we did need some nourishment – we agreed that milkshakes were in order; it was hot – we couldn’t find any nice local place on the water and after riding inland for a stretch we found a Burger King. It does in a pinch.

Then we were back along the water, passing one public park after another. They were so lovely we had to stop a couple times. We were making good time and arrived at our Warm Showers destination shortly after 5.

Howard and Joy were great hosts. About our age, both retired, avid cyclists, we had a lot in common and enjoyed getting to know one another. Before we’d even unpacked they offered to let us stay in a condo they owned on the beach 40 miles north. We said yes.

I was particularly impressed with both Howard and Joy’s generous spirits. They take in every cyclist who contacts them, even those with sketchy online profiles. They help the latter clean up their profiles. Whenever they see a cycle tourist on the road they invite them to spend the night. They fix up junk bikes for homeless people. Howard is a woodworker and when I asked to buy one of his creations, he told me to just give him $15 for shipping, said he didn’t need any more than that. I said he did.

DAY 1: Sunday, April 10, 2022

40 miles, Winter Park to Titusville, FL

Warm Showers hosts Carol and Karl

Massuchusetts drivers have nothing on Florida drivers. During our drive down here on I-95 a car came speeding by us, weaving in and out of traffic at an incredibly high speed. A few seconds later a police car followed but I didn’t think fast enough to catch the speeding white car. But the thing that astounded both of us was, that wasn’t the only car speeding like that! During our time on the interstate in Florida there must have been a dozen cars recklessly flying in and out of lanes cutting closely in front of and behind the other cars respectfully going just ten miles an hour over the speed limit.

So we couldn’t have been at all surprised when, a mere half hour after we began our bike ride this morning, we witnessed a car accident. We’d just crossed a busy intersection, cars stopped at a red light, when I heard brakes screeching and then – CRASH! – a car ran right into a pickup truck stopped at the red light.

Somebody else had a bad morning. Not us.

We left our friends’ house in Winter Park shortly before 11:00 and shortly after found ourselves on a lovely bike path along a river for several miles, passing by playgrounds, soccer fields, swimming pools. Then we were mostly on State Road 50. Not a great road – lots of traffic – but still a decent shoulder. And flat. We did have a bit of a head wind. As is always the case we passed beautiful places to stop and rest when we didn’t need to stop and rest and then when we needed to stop and rest and eat lunch, nothing. We had lunch outside a post office in the town of Christmas.

We arrived to a warm welcome, before 4:00, at the home of our Warm Showers hosts, Carol and Karl. Married in 2013, Karl is a retired coal miner and postal worker from West Virginia and Carol a retired surgery technician from Ohio. They have a beautiful home overlooking a small pond.

Thursday, April 7,2022

We`ve all met that person. The Rigid Rule Follower. Who will even go so far as to make up rules to bolster their argument. Because for them, having power is way more important than being nice.

We were on our bikes at 6 am, on our way to the C&J bus terminal, less than 3 miles away. The morning was crisp, the clouds for the coming rain only just beginning to gather. Rob, up ahead, pointed back at the sunrise.

We pulled into the C&J parking lot, wheeled our bikes inside the terminal, only a handful of people inside.

“You can’t bring those bikes in here,” yelled the woman behind the counter.

We wheeled them outside, parking them by the bus bay. I went back inside to buy our tickets.

“Your bikes can`t go on the bus like that. They have to be in a box,” said the woman behind the counter.

I said, “I spoke with someone on the phone and a bus driver just last week and they said it would not be a problem.”

“Well, I’ve been working here twenty years so I should know the policy. And I don’t even know if there will be enough room for them. The bus is going to be pretty full.”

“We have to get to the airport to pick up a rental car. We`re kind of counting on it.”

“If that’s what you were told we’ll make it work. But Devin will have to see when she loads the luggage.”

Outside, we waited for the bus as more people arrived wih their luggage. The Logan Airport bus pulled into the bay. The door opened and a short stocky woman jumped down. I put on my cheerful friendly demeanor and walked up to her. “I’m afraid we’re going to be your problem children this morning. We have two bicycleles we need to get on the bus.”

Devin was not happy. She insisted that she had to get everyone’s luggage on first and still have room for more at the next stop. But after a while she helped us squeeze our bikes onto the shelf in the extra luggage bay. We were good to go.

The driver of the Downtown Boston bus was standing nearby. I asked him if we’d be able to get the bikes on the bus when we return. He said, “Oh, it won’t be a problem. I always have plenty of room.”

We stood in line to board the bus.

But not so fast. The Rigid Rule Follower came outside, paper in hand. “I printed this out from the website,” she said and handed it to me. “Bicycles need to be in a box.”

But it didn’t say that. It said, “Bicycles will be acceped subject to space availability, preferably in a hard-sided, padded case designed for bicycles.”

Our day went smoothly after that. Devin suggested we wait until the final terminal to get the bikes out as it woiuld be safer and she was extremely helpfuil. The shuttle to the rental car was empty and we wheeled our bikes right on. Picked up the car, loaded the bikes in and we were on our way.