Month: October 2022

Today was the final segment of the trip into Columbia, SC. After a nice hot breakfast at the Comfort Inn, the Explorers loaded up their gear for the last time. The first segment of  the ride took them on the Route 1 for about 5 miles before heading a little north along backroads and skirting around the edge of Camden, SC.  The Explorers had originally considered taking Route 1 right into Columbia, but since it was loud and busy, they opted to follow the route Google had chosen.

The Explorers took their first break at a convenience store called Wildwood Market.  They got their morning sodas and a snack which they ate outside on the curb.  The next segment of the ride turned out a little longer than it should have been because the Explorers encountered  a detour.  There was a sign indicating a bridge was out in a few miles.  Normally, in a car, Captain Mark would have been inclined to drive a few miles to see if the bridge was passable.  However, being on a bike, an exploratory trip like this might add an extra 4 miles onto a day which was already going to be over 40 miles.  The Explorers opted to “play it safe” and follow the detour around the bridge.  Using Google maps they could see that there were roads in a “triangle” that would take them southwest and then northwest to rejoin their route after the water crossing.  They further decided to “cut the corner” by going through a subdivision.  That choice did save distance,  buy much to Sidekick Sue’s dismay, they ended up on an unpaved road with two sizable hills.  

Once they met up with the original route, they started entering what was clearly the suburbs of Columbia.  They rode down Robin Hood Road, with all the side-streets named after references to the story of Robin Hood.  Ironically, there was one huge mansion, enclosed by tall spiked fencing that was surrounded by smaller, poorer homes.  The next major neighborhood was a series of upscale subdivisions that were all part of a larger “Summit-themed” development (which also involved riding to the summit of the development before a nice long downhill on the other side).  

The Explorers rode for several miles on HardScrabble Road, which was under some heavy construction.  Todd had warned the Explorers about this road the previous day, and recommended avoiding it, but the Explorers decided to “give it a go” since they had already tried the Route 1 alternative and hadn’t liked it.  In the end, they felt like they had made the right choice; because of the construction, the traffic was less heavy and moving slower than what they had seen on Route 1.  Shortly before leaving Hard Scrabble Road, they took a break at an Exxon station, eating some protein bars before the next segment.  

There was one more long road before reaching the boundaries of the City of Columbia which had several hills,  but much to Sidekick Sue’s delight, seemed to have a lot more coasting downhill than climbing.  Once in Columbia, the Explorers wove through some city blocks to the campus of the University of South Carolina – Columbia, where Todd and Sidekick Sue’s sister, Cathy, work in the School of Education.  Based on their plans from the day before, they located the Cool Beans Coffee Company, where they had arranged to meet Todd (on his bike) to “guide them in”.  Todd was already there when they arrived, so they ordered a cookie and a drink and sat down to talk about the final leg of the trip.

Todd offered a “quicker, more hilly route” or a “ longer, flatter route” and Sidekick Sue quickly chose the latter.  Either way, they knew they could not avoid the big hills on the road leading to Todd and Cathy’s house.  The Explorers followed Todd through s relatively easy course, taking dirt shortcut into the subdivision.  After the last big hill, the Explorers were glad to pull into the familiar driveway and declare the ride over.  

Sidekick Sue’s sister Cathy is not actually home.  She is teaching abroad this semester in Taiwan on a Fulbright Award (just like their father had 58 years ago when they were young), so the Explorers cleaned up and treated Todd to dinner Grill Mark’s downtown.  Captain Mark and Sidekick Sue enjoyed their first draft beer(s) in over 3 weeks; it was wonderful.  They went back to Todd’s house and had a few more Coronas while Zooming with Cathy, who was just starting her workday in Taiwan.

Plans for the next day include: sleeping in, doing laundry, disassembling the tandem bike, eating grilled chicken, and then having Todd drop them at a hotel near the train station where they have to catch the Amtrak at 4:00 AM to get back to their car in Phoenixville.

The Explorers are sore and tired,  but feel accomplished:

Miles travelled: 889

States: 6 (Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina)

Days on the road: 23

Days pedaling: 21

Days of rest: 2

Ferry Crossings: 3

Campground nights: 6

Hotel nights: 16

Nights with family: 1

Little Debbie snacks  and Diet Cokes consumed: Too many to count.

Breakfast at the Residence Inn is always reliably good.  This morning, the Explorers enjoyed the extra bonus of meeting the happiest breakfast attendant they have ever encountered.  She asked Sidekick Sue how in the world her husband ever convinced her to do this trip.  This is something that still puzzles Sidekick Sue.

Since they were already on the west side of Florence, the Explorers were quickly out of the urban area and onto backroads.  They climbed an overpass over Interstate 95 and then crossed under Interstate 20.  Like most the roads in SC, these roads were not bike-friendly, but at least they were not crowded, so there was plenty of room for drivers to pass safely.  They were passed by one speed demon who passed a little too close and were rewarded with watching the driver get pulled over by the cops.  The same driver passed them again later, this time with a lot more control.  The scenery along the road was much like the days before, although it seemed that there was a lot more trailer homes, abandoned property, poverty and trash along the roads.  As they had seen over the last few days, there were numerous properties with “no trespassing” signs, one  that promised the opportunity to test the theory of “the afterlife” for those dared to trespass.  The Explorers were only chased by one pair of guard dogs today.  

The Explorers’ first break was to be Tex’s Grocery, but when they arrived, it looked closed. Although it is Sunday, in a very religious region, the Explorers got he feeling that it had been closed for a long time.  They considered veering off-route to a Dollar General, but decided not to add more miles to a very long day.  Captain Mark found another convenience store, but it was another 6 miles away, so the Explorers were already at 16 miles before managing to take their first break at a general store in Oates, SC where, once again, their bike set-up attracted a lot of attention.  They planned their next stop at a natural spring that was along their route.

Sure enough, the natural spring was just as promised…. although a pipe had been installed to direct the stream of water as it gushed out from an underground aquifer. Captain Mark refilled his water bottle and said that it tasted quite good.  Sidekick Sue opted to finish the Diet Coke she had picked up at the last stop.  The Explorers chatted with a woman who was filling up dozens of water jugs.  She said she arrived to “beat the church crowd” and sure enough, while we rested, several other cars pulled to join the queue.  

Captain Mark had trouble scouting out another stop along the route Google had suggested.  There were just no amenities along the route, so instead, he found an BP station slightly south where the Explorers took a nice long break, snacked and charged their phones.  Their new route, which was south of the original one, put them on Route 34, which like roads earlier in the day, had little shoulder, but also very little traffic.  The cornfields and soy bean fields were replaced with miles and miles of cotton fields.  The flat road gave way to rolling hills, something the Explorers have not had to deal with since their first few days of riding.  

The Explorers were about halfway through their last segment for the day, when they saw a friendly face approaching in a car from the other direction waving at them.  It was Sidekick Sue’s brother-in-law, Todd, who had decided to take a Sunday drive to scout out some routes into Columbia for them.  An avid biker himself, he knew the route that Google was suggesting was not passable for bicycling.  Once he reached Camden, he decided to continue on a bit on Route 34 to see if he could find the Explorers.  It was quite extraordinary that he found them, especially since they wouldn’t have been on Route 34 at all had Captain Mark not diverted to find a gas station.  Not only that, but they were only a few miles away (and a few more hills) from turning off Route 34.

The Explorers were so glad to see a familiar face but turned down his very generous offer to tear down the folding bike and chauffeur them into Columbia.  They figured that would be “cheating” and they were so close to their goal, they wanted to see it through.  They decided instead to jettison their camping equipment, which had not been very useful since leaving the Outer Banks.  Todd took their camping gear and they made plans to meet up at the University of SC (where Todd and Sidekick Sue’s sister Cathy work) tomorrow so that Todd can lead them to his house using his tried and true bike route.

After Todd departed, the Explorers finished the last 6-7 miles to their hotel, the Comfort Inn.  They still had to tackle several more hills,  but agreed that lightening their load made a difference.  Captain Mark noticed the the bike computer showed they were moving 1 mph faster, just by losing the weigh of the camping gear.  Today was another long ride…. they finished up at 51 miles.  After getting settled and showering, they headed next door to the Fatz Cafe for some southern cooking.

ONE MORE DAY!!!!!

The Quality Inn in Mullins outperformed it’s counterpart from the night before.  The Explorers enjoyed a real breakfast with eggs and sausage.  The only drawback was a lack of a laundry room, so the Explorer had to break into their “emergency” biking clothes for the first time on this trip.  A hotel with a laundry will be a priority tonight.

The ride out of Mullins was actually quite enjoyable once the Explorers got away from highway exit area.  As the Explorers went west, they went through the nearby town of Marion where the Google route detoured north on farm roads and to a nice wide bike path.  Unfortunately, that didn’t last too long before the Explorers were guided back to highway 76, a fast-moving divided highway with about 6 inches of shoulder.  To add insult to injury, much of the tiny shoulder had rumble strips, causing some major brain-shaking every time the Explorers hit them.  

This nerve-wracking highway continued for several miles until shortly after the Great Pee Dee River crossing where, to the Explorers great relief, the shoulder widened to a generous 3-4 feet.     It was still loud and busy, but felt a great deal safer.  While the wide shoulder didn’t last all the way to Florence, the Explorers turned off of highway 76 shortly after the shoulder shrunk again.  

First, the road was somewhat of a maintenance road, parallel to the highway.  After passing the Florence Regional Airport, the Explorers veered away from 76 down some backroads, eventually returning to 76 which had now transformed into a regular city road.  After a long series of twists and turns that basically took them from one side of Florence to the other, the Explorers popped out in “hotel central” which had no fewer than 5 Marriott-branded chains alone.  But there were also Hiltons and many of the other “standards” at this popular confluence of Interstates 20 and 95.  After a relatively short but stressful day of riding (30 miles), the Explorers checked into their Residence Inn, did their laundry, ate at Chili’s (so many choices tonight) and “hit the hay” to rest up for a longer trip the next day.  

The Explorers left Whitesville after a lackluster breakfast at the Quality Inn; there were no eggs or bacon, the best option was a soggy microwave sausage on a biscuit.  The riders took their first break after only 8 miles since there was a good convenience store at an Exxon to get their morning soda, as well as supplement the light breakfast from the hotel. There were a lot of curious locals asking about their bike and their trip.

As they started their daily ride, the Explorers were both feeling extra pain from the long ride the day before.  They both had legs that felt like lead, and their speed was a bit slower than the day before. Their second break was just on the side of the road by a farm.  Today’s route was very desolate without much traffic ( only one logging truck), and the route had a a lot of turns as they worked their way west. Because they were no longer following the Adventure Cycling Maps, Sidekick Sue was navigating using Google map on her phone, calling out turns to Captain Mark. 

The scenery was much like the day before, with occasional farms, but more often just fields with sporadic trailer homes.  Once again, they noticed the large number of “no trespassing” signs except today there were a noticeable number of guard dogs as well, several that were unchained and chased them down the road. Sidekick Sue was bracing for one to chomp her on the leg, but luckily once the dogs got close, they seemed to back off, perhaps because the tandem bike with a two people, and plenty of gear was a lot bigger than they imagined when they started their pursuit.  

In the afternoon, they crossed into SC… finally, the last state on the route.  Their final rest stop was in Nichols, SC at another Exxon. This place was packed and was obviously a popular meeting place for locals in this small town.  When Sidekick Sue was checking out, the clerk was asking lots of questions about where the Explorers started their trip and where they were going and they had a nice conversation.  Snack in hand, Sidekick Sue joined Captain Mark outside at a picnic table, and before they knew it, people were coming out of the store to ask questions, so word must have travelled fast.  Captain Mark went back in the store to fill his water bottle and had trouble getting out of the store.  The Explorers laughed about their celebrity in this small town, but it was a real taste of what it must be like for a “real” celebrity who just wants to get a snack.

One thing the Explorers have noticed throughout both North and South Carolina is the huge number of churches, even out in the middle of a rural area.  It appears that there are more churches per square mile than they’ve ever seen.  They’ve also noticed a high number of nice, friendly inquisitive people.  Maybe the two are related?

The Explorers stopped one more time at 37 miles.  After that, the road got wider and turned into a divided highway (still no shoulders).  The hotel for the night was another Quality Inn.    Captain Mark took care of the bike; he has started storing the bike in the infrequently-used stairwells in the hotels. It’s easier than getting the hotel staff involved and no one has raised any concern (so far).  Compared to the Quality Inn from last night, this one had relatively few surrounding restaurants and businesses, leaving the Explorers to resort to fast food at Taco Bell for dinner.  The travelers are very worn out, mostly due to the long ride the day before.  Tomorrow is a shorter biking day, hopefully giving their tired legs (and butts) a well-deserved break.

In the morning, the Explorers left the Burgaw Motel.  There was no breakfast at this small town motel, so they ate their protein bars in their room before setting out.  The ride started out on a busy divided highway, but they turned off soon to a less busy road, but still a road without an adequate shoulder.  The problem of the day was “logging trucks”.  Every 10-15 minutes, they were passed by a huge logging truck laden with a truckload of logs.  And then every 10-15 minutes, an empty logging truck came from the other direction.  Sidekick Sue did a quick Google search of “saw mills” to see where these trucks were going and coming from, thinking they could figure out how to get off this route, but discovered that there were numerous saw mills were located in the area.  Apparently, they were biking through “logging central” in NC, and were likely to encounter them on any nearby route.  

The Explorers took their 10 mile break at a gas station and got their morning refreshment (and a Mega Millions ticket).  At the next breakpoint (20 miles), the gas station was closed and there were still logging trucks going back and forth.  It wasn’t until the 30 mile point, when they took a break at an intersection in the middle of nowhere, where they finally turned down a road that wasn’t on the lumber route.  

The ride today featured less farmland, more swamps and lots of Cypress Trees (with their Cypress “knees” sticking up through the swamps).  They crossed several rivers and streams and passed miles and miles of wildflowers.  There were occasional homes, mainly manufactured home and trailers.  Oddly enough, many were peppered with “no trespassing signs”, although there did not seem to be anything worth trespassing for.  The Explorers supposed that people living out in the middle of nowhere must really value their privacy.   Either that, or the postings were necessary to discourage hunters.  

At the 44 mile mark, in Lake Waccamaw, NC, the Explorers took a break at a Sunoco station that had indoor seating with electrical outlets, so they took some extra time to recharge and look at maps.   They treated themselves to some “Little Debbies” snacks that they are seeing more and more in this part of the country.  They searched online and discovered the company is based out of Tennessee, so that makes sense.  

After a good break, the Explorers finished the last part of their ride into town. At

57 miles, this was now their longest ride of the trip.  They checked into their hotel, a Quality Inn, and showered. 

They walked to a local restaurant, Ivy’s Cafe, which had delicious food, great service, and great company. It was obviously the place to be in town. The only drawback was the walk there and back, which, like everywhere they’ve stopped in NC, had no sidewalks along a busy highway. 

After returning to the hotel, Sidekick Sue watched the final Jan 6 hearing ( which is why this blog is late), while Captain Mark arranged for their Amtrak tickets home. 

Only four more days of biking……

The Explorers left their hotel outside of Jacksonville, NC.  They started out on a busy divided highway, temporarily found a diversion on a rail trail that took them through downtown Jacksonville but, after crossing the Jerry J. Popkin Bridge over New River, they ended up back on busy Route 17.  After another mile, they were able to turn off onto 258, a smaller road that led to route 53 where they pedaled the rest of the day.

Route 53 was better that Route 17, but still not optimal for biking.  It had one lane in each direction with a middle lane for turning.  There was no shoulder to speak of, so the Explorers had to ride on the right side of the lane, forcing passing traffic to swing into the turning lane to pass.  They got lot of “beeps” and they still aren’t sure if they are friendly beeps, alerting them to a passing vehicle, or angry beeps telling them to get off the roadway.  

Since heading inland, the Explorers have noticed that NC doesn’t prioritize safe passage for either bikers or pedestrians.  Sidewalks seem to be required for new construction, but these sidewalks just end if the next lot is undeveloped or contains an older building (which is obviously grandfathered from having to install sidewalks).  The road have no shoulders at all.  There are occasional bike route signs or “share the road” signs, but drivers don’t seem that used to “sharing the road”.  Luckily Route 53 was fairly rural, but the Explorers still held their breathes every time they were passed by huge tractor trailers and logging trucks.  Sidekick Sue really loved the yellow daisy-like flowers growing wild along the sides of the road.

The first stop of the day was after only 8 miles since it was their last gas station before leaving the city.  The second stop was a gas station around the 21 mile mark, and the third break was in an empty parking lot.  During the first two stops, they encountered multiple local residents that were very interested in their story and amazed to find that they’d come all the way from Philly.  One of them even got his wife on the phone to tell her about this crazy couple on a bike.  She wished us good travels.

The ride today was short…. only 36 miles.  Captain Mark would have preferred to stop after 45 miles, but there were just no hotels in the area.  The Explorers are also finding that there aren’t many campgrounds now that they have left the coast, so they have been staying in more hotels than planned.  For the same reason, tomorrow, the Explorers will have to ride 55-60 miles to find a decent place to stay.  Sidekick Sue is dreading this ride, especially since it is supposed to rain.  

The Explorers ended their day in Burgaw, NC in the Burgaw Motel (the only option in town).  It’s an older motel, but the desk clerk was very accommodating, giving them a larger room on the ground level (at the smaller room price) so that they could roll their bike indoors for the night.  After getting settled, they walked into the historic district of Burgaw.  Some of the buildings seemed to be very well preserved, including the old Woolworths (which is now a thrift store).  A few stores looked particularly attractive, but on closer inspection, the Explorers noticed signs on the doors indicating that they are “movie sets” not real stores.  A little digging showed that the town is being used to film a Fox Comedy called “Welcome to Flatch” which the Explorers are not acquainted with, but may try to watch, just out of curiosity.  The Explorers grabbed a quick dinner in town.  On the way home, they found a nice recreational path that wasn’t on Google Maps.  It was a much nicer walk back to the hotel than walking on the busy shoulder of the road with no sidewalks.  

The most exciting part of today’s journey was that the Explorers have decided to take a day of rest after today’s bike ride.  Both Explorers are sore and fatigued and ready to spend a day with their legs elevated.  This is only their second day of rest on this trip and it seems overdue.

The promise of a day off, after one more ride, was enough to get Sidekick Sue motivated.  The route today wasn’t very glamorous.  The first 20 miles along Route 24 was extremely busy with 2 lanes of heavy traffic in both directions and a narrow shoulder.  These rides are not fun at all because the Explorers are always worrying about the traffic coming up behind them. The traffic is loud, and it is hard for the Explorers to communicate, even on a tandem bike.  Plenty of drivers have no patience with cyclists and won’t change lanes to accommodate, often passing within a few feet.  On the right of the route was the edge of the Croatan National Forest, but it provided little comfort for the travelers on the road.  The Explorers took a few breaks, first at an Exxon station, and then at a Walgreens.  The only good part about the busy roads are the numerous places to stop.

After the first few hours, Sidekick Sue pointed out that Google Maps had an alternative route branching off that would redirect them a little more north and then west again.  Captain Mark confirmed that his Adventure Cycling Association maps suggested the same route.  They were thankful to turn off onto Route 58 which cut up through the National Forest and then crossed over toward Jacksonville through farmland and subdivisions.  On the rural roadways, it is more difficult to find decent places to take breaks, and the roads are not always well-paved.  The Explorers were counting on a place called Hunters Crossing for their final break of the day and a well-deserved snack.  It turned out to be one of the worse “convenience stores” they have encountered…. depressingly few choices for drinks or snacks, but plenty of bait and animal feed.  Still, it was nice to get off the bike for a bit and stretch.  As they approached Jacksonville, NC, they had to get back on a busy road for about a mile to get to their hotel where they were going to stay for two nights.

In a minor glitch, the Fairfield Inn they had chosen was under renovation, so the entire entry way, dining room, and laundry room were out-of-service.  Luckily the renovation was well-managed and the Explorers were told they could still expect their breakfast in a conference room, and could use the laundry room next door at the Sleep Inn, so they decided to stay.  

Sidekick Sue was excited to see a Chili’s just a short walk away, so they walked to dinner to stretch their legs. Tomorrow will include a few short walks (laundry, grocery store, dinner), but mostly ibuprofen, elevated legs and hydration (and most importantly, NOT sitting on a bicycle seat).  🙂

The Explorers left the Cedar Island Ranch Motel after a decent night’s sleep.  They headed up Route 12.  Like the day before, there was very little traffic coming up behind them because there wasn’t a lot of places for traffic to come from given that the traffic generally had to come over to Cedar Island via ferry.  

After the first few miles, the Explorers biked into the Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge.  They were basically surrounded by marshland on both sides.  They saw lots of egret-type birds, both bright-white and brown and one water snake wriggling through the water.   They passed through several swarms of very aggressive mosquitos with Sidekick Sue swatting at Captain Mark’s back and trying to wriggle her own jersey around since there was no one to watch her back.  Still, buy the time they reached their first 12-mile break at a Dollar General, they had both acquired a new set of mosquito bites.  They enjoyed their morning caffeine (soda) break, and managed to find a new tube of “Boudreax’s Butt Paste”, a baby diaper ointment that works pretty good as a chamois cream without the high price.  Their grand-daughter highly recommends it. 🙂

After leaving the wildlife refuge, the mosquitos became less of a problem.  There were still intervals of swampy land, but now they were interrupted with intermittent groupings of homes.  The road was very flat except for the inclines on several bridges that the The Explorers had to climb in order to cross spanned creek outlets; they saw lots of fishermen both along the shore and in flat-bottom boats moving through the channels.  They took their second break at a “Jim Dandy’s” which seems to be a popular convenience store in the area.  There, they found the protein bars that Sidekick Sue is willing to eat (since she really doesn’t like protein bars) which they need for breakfasts (when not at a hotel featuring breakfast) and for a mid-morning energy boost.  They made one more rest stop at a defunct gas station before heading into the Beaufort, Morehead City area which was much more urban.  

Captain Mark’s had planned a route to go to Morehead City and stay in a hotel, which was a little off the official route, because he wasn’t expecting to be able to find their shopping list items as they rode through the swamp.  Sidekick Sue was happy to learn that he had already booked the hotel, so she was still going to get a comfortable bed for the night, even though they no longer had to  search around for supplies.  The Explorers had been to Morehead City before.  It was their second night’s stop during the 2021 trip to bring their trawler from Myrtle Beach to Plattsburgh NY.  They had even had to stick around for a few extra days because Sidekick Sue had to go see an Ophthalmologist because she had experienced a little medical emergency, a vitreous separation in her left eye and needed to make sure it hadn’t ripped the retina.  She had been worried about ruining their trip, right at the onset, but her retina was fine and she was given the green flag to continue.  Whew!  There were no such issues on this trip (just sore butts), but the Explorers stopped briefly at the town docks,where they had stayed the previous year, and then headed to their hotel (which took them right by the ER and the ophthalmologist’s office that they had walked to the year before).  

Another 8 mile ride took them to The Holiday Inn where they are staying; it is on the opposite side of Morehead City.  They dined at a Waffle House, having some great breakfast food for dinner and retired to their room to enjoy the comfortable bed and what was left of Sunday football.  Captain Mark is busy planning for the next few days because the Explorers are getting close to the point where they need to veer off the Adventure Cycling Association trail for good and start heading inland to Sidekick Sue’s sister’s house in Columbia, SC.

Well, the Explorers were woken up again early by a rooster crowing.  Still, they got a good night’s sleep, as camping bedtime comes early when  the sun goes down.  Because they are traveling light, they aren’t carrying any camping lanterns or extra gadgets.  Luckily, this camp site had electricity, so they could use their phones for entertainment.

The first stop in the morning was a nearby Food Lion to get the morning sodas (caffeine) and some more protein bars.  Today was a light day for biking because the Explorers needed to take two ferries to move across the islands at the southern end of the Outer Banks to get back to the mainland.  There wasn’t much to see on the first 19-mile ride, just the dunes on both sides of the street.  Around the 10 mile break, Captain Mark found a closed store that provided a place to rest and stretch.  The ride down to Hatteras Island was fast and fun because the Explorers had a strong wind at their back.  They were able to reach speeds of 15 mph (which is fast for their heavy bike laden with saddle bags).

After another 9 miles, the Explorers lined up for the first ferry.  There were several of lines of cars waiting and the next ferry was still 40 minutes from departure.  Luckily, being on a bike assured that the Explorers would be allowed to board the first ferry.  They were pointed to a staging area for bikes and told they would be boarding after the cars.  There was a marina and a little shopping area next door, so the Explorers left their bike and wandered around the Boardwalk a bit.  When they returned to their bike, the cars were starting to load.  They had a nice long chat with some “surfer dudes” waiting to get on the ferry in a pick-up truck full of surf boards.  The surfer dudes indicated that they had seen the Explorers twice on their trip down the island, and labeled them as “their heroes”.  They were very sweet and told the ferry attendants to make sure they saved room for the Explorers on the ferry.

After the cars were loaded, the Explorers pushed their bike up the ramp and found a place to secure it before going into the passenger lounge.  This ferry ride was a 40 minute ride.  The actual distance between the islands was not too far, but the ferry had to go out, make somewhat of a wide U-turn and head toward the next island, presumably to stay in deep enough water.  

When the ferry landed, the cars were allowed off first, so the Explorers were the last ones off.  It seemed that they had been dropped in the middle of nowhere.  There was nothing but a ferry terminal and the road to the end of the island.  Once again, the ride was remote with dunes on both sides of the island.  One advantage was that there was absolutely NO traffic behind the Explorers, and wouldn’t be until the next ferry arrived, so they felt safe using more of the road instead of hugging the shoulder.  

It was a 13 mile ride into Ocracoke.  Once they got within 3 miles of the next ferry terminal, it began to look more like a small beach resort town.  Along the beach were HUGE beach houses, and people were scurrying around in golf carts.  The Explorers stopped for a late lunch at a cute waterside bar and grill called SmacNally’s.  Captain Mark had a craving for fudge, so they backtracked to the Ocracoke Fudge & Ice Cream Shop that they had passed earlier.  Then they headed to the ferry terminal to wait for the next ferry.  This time, they were told to take a position in front of the waiting cars.  As they sat on the corner, the same surfer dudes from the last ferry came whizzing by in a golf cart cheering for the Explorers. 

The ferry ride from Ocracoke to Cedar Island was much longer, over 2 hours.  Again, they secured their bike and moved into the passenger lounge.  Because of the length of the trip, a lot of people left their cars and came up to the passenger lounge for a better view.  The Explorers took advantage of more time to charge their electronics and cruise the internet until they lost their cell service around the midpoint of the ride.  Gradually, cell service returned as they approached Cedar Island.  There was a beautiful sunset to watch from the upper deck.  By the time they reached Cedar Island, it was nearing 7:00 PM, so there was not much light left for safe travel.  Always thinking ahead, Captain Mark had made a reservation at a small motel right next to the ferry terminal.  It lacked signage and was none too fancy (looks more a storage unit building than a motel), but the Explorers agreed it was better than setting up a camp site in the dark.  There was no office and no check-in; the Explorers let themselves in with a code that had been texted to Captain Mark.  It was a modest room with comfortable beds, a small TV, a microwave and a fridge.  Although it was a short day of bike riding (only 32 miles), it was a long day including the ferries and the waits for the ferries.  The Explorers hit the showers and enjoyed the “luxury” of a little TV.

The Explorers woke up to the sound of the rooster cock-a-doodle-doing.  Sidekick Sue couldn’t wait to leave this campground.  Even a promise of a rest day wouldn’t have tempted her; she wasn’t about to shower in the bug bathroom again.  

The Explorers left Kill Devil Hills (which thankfully is just the one hill that the Wright Brothers used), and continued on down the outer banks.  They took the beach road as far as they could, avoiding the traffic on Route 12.  The Outer Banks is beautiful, but the main road was not built for biking.  They passed through Nags Head, which seems to be the “hot destination” town with hotels, restaurants and attractions.  A number of them appeared to be closed for the season, which probably ended around Labor Day.  

One thing the Explorers noticed was that the beach didn’t seem very accessible for anyone that didn’t have beachfront property.  Every driveway had signs warning “no beach access”; some driveways had gates or chains.  There were very few public access routes to the beach.  The Explorers wondered how the folks in rows of houses across the street could ever enjoy the beach; they are more accustomed to the rules in California, where public beach access is required.  

Eventually the beach houses and the beach road ended, and the Explorers had to merge back onto Route 12.  Luckily, the traffic was lighter, but still not too bike-friendly.  There were miles and miles of desolate road with the Sound on one side and the ocean on the other.   Most of the time, the ocean was not visible because the dunes were built up so high on the side of the road, but there would be an occasional break for the Explorers to see the water.  Their ride took them across the 3 mile Marc Basnight Bridge that connects Bodie Island to Hatteras Island over the Oregon Inlet.  It was a pretty incredible sight, but a little harrowing as the traffic was speeding by.  

The ride continued through the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge (saw lots of turtles in the swampy area by the side of the road).  The Explorers passed through another more populated area which was their last chance to decide if they wanted to stop for the day or continue on to the next possible area (which would mean another 50 mile day.  Sidekick Sue was definitely leaning toward the first option, but after stopping for a nice lunch at “Sheila’s Kitchen” at the KOA Cape Hatteras Resort, she decided she could move on (another 16 miles… ugh).  This agreement came with the promise of ice cream at the final destination.

There was another 15 miles of very desolate cycling on the narrow strip of land between the Sound and the Ocean.  There was evidence of damage caused by Ian, standing water and sand on the sides of the roads.  Apparently, the road had been completely closed earlier in the week, as some dunes had been breached and the road itself was below sea level.  The road was opened, but there were still bulldozers moving sand around, trying to rebuild the berm along the side of the road.  Unfortunately, there was still a lot of sand and water on the shoulder of the road, so the Explorers had to ride in the lane, making the more aggressive drivers very unhappy.  

The Explorers took a break at one of the entrances to the Cape Hatteras National Seashore to go look at the ocean.  It was beautiful, especially with the sky and water so blue.  As the Explorers got closer to Avon, NC, their destination for the night, they reached the Dairy Queen, which was supposed to be the stop for the promised ice cream.  Alas, it was closed for the season, so the Explorers had to “make do” with a chipwich from a local convenience store.  They got to their campground, but without a reservation because no one was answering the phones all day and the office was closed.  Of course, Captain Mark wanted to just “set up and deal with in the morning” while Sidekick Sue wanted to follow the rules, call the after hours number and get permission.  Luckily, someone called back before the Explorers came to blows, and gave them a site for the night.  

Sidekick Sue was so relieved to see a clean bathroom AND laundry room that she took a long hot shower and got the laundry going.  She is hoping that there are no nearby roosters to crow in the morning.