This morning started out as a repeat of the day before with the weather app indicating “no rain” but the reality was a steady misty rain as the Explorers left Virginia Beach, heading down the Boardwalk past all the fancy hotels. Spots along Boardwalk were covered in sand and impassable, possibly from the recent winds, so the Explorers moved out to the road, which was congested and busy.
Leaving Virginia Beach, it was very urban. Gradually, the area became less developed. They stopped at a Food Lion on their way out of town to stock up on protein bars, since they expect to be at campgrounds for the next several nights and won’t have the luxury of a prepared breakfast in the mornings. Today is supposed to be the last day of gloomy skies and rain left over from Ian’s storm system that has been swirling over the East Coast for days.
Today’s plan is to ride 30+ miles down the peninsula between Knotts Island Bay and the Currituck Sound to the community of Knotts Island (which is not actually an island) to catch a 2:30 ferry over to Currituck.
The ride was very rural again. The farms gradually gave way to swamps as the Explorers passed through the Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge, the Princess Anne Wildlife Management Area and the Mackay Island National Wildlife Refuge. Despite all the preserved land, the only wildlife spotted was a deer and a lot of hawk-like birds. The Explorers spotted two military jets as well, although they were out of place in such a desolate area. As such, the Explorer’s rest stops were just along the sides of roads.
Shortly before reaching Knotts Island, they passed into North Carolina. As they got closer to the ferry terminal, there was a little town with a church, a post office, a mini-mart, a Dollar General, and lots of cute houses. The ferry is free and it makes 4 trips a day to Currituck. The signs indicate that the school bus has priority; apparently the kids on Knotts Island have a 45 minute ferry ride as part of their commute to school each way. Lucky for the Explorers, there were only 3 cars waiting for the ferry, which can accommodate about 17 cars, so there was no worries about fitting aboard. The Explorers arrived nearly an hour early, and had to wait outside, so they were chilled by the time they boarded the ferry.
Once they got their bike safely stored, the Explorers moved to the passenger lounge which was warm and dry and had electricity to charge their devices. It was nice to rest while someone else did the traveling. The Explorers peeled off some wet layers hoping to get dry on the ferry crossing.
Once in Currituck, the Explorers had hoped to stop at a little cafe called “Pass the Salt”, but learned that it was closing soon. So they headed to the only other option… an unusual McDonalds that was part of a convenience store/gas station. The Explorers had been able to avoid fast food until this point, but everything tastes good when you’ve worked up an appetite. The Explorers stayed nearly an hour, charging devices and getting dry. By the time they left, they were mostly dry and the outside temperature had climbed a little.
They campground was another 5 miles away on Bells Island (which is also not an island). The sun broke through the clouds just a tiny bit as they rode to their campground giving them hope that there is actually going to be some sunshine in the morning. The Explorers are eager to end this cold, wet part of their trip. When they arrived at the campground, the owner had left for the day, but left them instructions on where to set up, and even offered “his chair” outside the office where the Explorers could access electricity. The campgrounds amenities are “very rustic” so the Explorers rushed through their showers (no lights in the shower room) and got ready for an early bedtime.
