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……
