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.
