Month: October 2022

The Explorers got a fairly early start; leaving the campground without having ever having talked to the guy who ran it (they had slipped their money under a door as instructed).  The bad news was they had to backtrack about 4 miles to get back to the main road; there was no way to “short cut” to it.  The good news is the sun finally started to come out after several days of gloom and rain.  It felt good to be riding in shorts again, with no rain coat.  

Once back on the route, the road was the worst, most dangerous road the Explorers had traveled on this trip.  It was two lanes of busy, 55 mph traffic in both directions, with a very skinny shoulder.  The drivers were not very welcoming of bike traffic, and several vehicles passed way too closely for safety.  The Explorers took their 10 mile break at a gas station and got their morning soda, but still had to negotiate the scary road for another 5 miles.

Finally, the route turned off a side road that took the Explorers through some swamps.  The mile 20 break was by the side of the road in Grandy by a golf course.  They enjoyed the peace of the side roads, which weren’t any better as far as having a decent shoulder, but at least the traffic was lighter and friendlier.  

Unfortunately, it was necessary to rejoin the highway in order to cross the bridge over to the Outer Banks.  They took a final rest stop at an Exxon station right before the bridge where there was indoor seating for the Explorers to have a snack and make plans for the evening.  Crossing the bridge to the Outer Banks was even worse than the highway.  Not only did the Explorers have the same skinny shoulder and unfriendly traffic, but they had to climb to the crest of the bridge (which means they are going very slow) AND they had a concrete barrier on their right with traffic passing closely on the left.  Not a bike friendly route at all.  

After crossing the bridge, they detoured to a Harris Teeter grocery store to pick up more protein bars (they have 3 more campground stays before the next hotel).  From there they could take backroads to the town of Kitty Hawk.  It was nice to ride down the less crazy beach street, looking at all the beach houses and catching glimpses of the ocean when there were dips in the dunes.  

The Explorers had their daily meal at a restaurant called Spanky’s and then returned to the road that ran parallel to the beach.  They took a right back toward the main highway in order to stop and visit the Wright Brothers Memorial and Park.  It turned out to be paid-entry national park, and the Explorers had not thought to bring their National Park Pass. Nonetheless, they decided to fork over the $20 bucks to enter, as Captain Mark, having read a great biography on the brothers, is a fan-boy of the Wright Brothers (and Engineering in general).  The Explorers visited the exhibits and then stretched their legs by walking up Kill Devil Hill to see the memorial.  It is a grass covered hill, but back in the day, it was a huge sand dune that the brothers used to launch their gliders.  Many years ago, grass was planted to stabilize the dune so that the stone memorial could be built.

The Explorers had to get back on the busy road for another mile before turning off on a paved bike trail headed to their campground.  The campground is by far the most minimalistic campground the Explorers have seen on this trip. There are chickens running around and a rooster crowing every few minutes.  Sidekick Sue rates the bathrooms as the most disgusting so far as they are coated with spider webs and bugs everywhere.  There isn’t a clean surface to set down your things or even sit on a toilet seat.  Ick!

The Explorers must have found some extra energy today with the sun returning.  They hit a record with a 50+ mile day.  Sidekick Sue’s Fitbit recorded over 33,000 steps which was a new record.  

Captain Mark looking over Kitty Hawk from Kill Devil Hill.

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. 

The Explorers needed to be a little disciplined this morning because they needed to leave by 9:30 AM to ensure they would be early for their appointment for the 2:00 PM shuttle that would take them across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnel.  They got up early enough to pack up and have a good breakfast before leaving.  It was a little more than 30 miles to the entrance to the bridge, and the Explorers need to leave extra time to figure out the process.  

While at breakfast, the Explorers checked all the weather forecasts and were thrilled to see that it was no longer supposed to rain all day….. in fact,the rain wouldn’t be starting until about 2:00 which is when they would be getting shuttled across the bridge.  Stepping outside, the Explorers were disappointed to see that it was still misty,with spitting rain, despite what the weather apps were saying.  There was no heavy rain all day, but the light misty rain came at intervals all day long.  On the bright side, it was never enough rain to soak the Explorers, but enough to provide a chill and make the Explorers yearn for sunshine.

Shortly after leaving the hotel, the Explorers left the busy highway to merge back with the Adventure Cycle Association bicycle route.  It was probably the most rural day so far.  Their 10 and 20 mile breaks were just at random corners in the middle of farmlands.  This route did not go through any town centers or pass by any stores or gas stations, keeping Sidekick Sue from having her morning caffeine.  

Sidekick Sue got bored and curious as they passed through the farmlands after seeing several fields (that she had previously concluded were peas) that were dried up with the pods still attached and unharvested.  Surprisingly, she still had a good cell signal on her phone, and a little research about crops on the Delmarva peninsula, revealed that the crop in question aren’t peas at all…. they are soybeans.  Apparently soybeans aren’t harvested until they are dried out and all the leaves fall from the plants.  In addition to the cornfields and soybeans, the Explorers saw their first cotton fields, and what appeared to be a commercial tree farm with rows and rows of assorted landscaping trees.  

The Explorers 30-mile stop was at a Welcome Center which turned out to be closed on weekdays, so once again, they came up short.  They were hoping to get advice on how the process worked to meet the shuttle across the bridge.  The entrance to the bridge was only a short distance away, so the Explorers decided to go up to the toll booth to figure it out.  

There was an administration building next to the toll booths, so the Explorers circled around the back of it and found an open door.  They were waved to a waiting area while a driver was rounded up.  It turns out the “shuttle” across the Chesapeake Bridge was basically someone finding a worker with a truck to drive us across, as it is impassable by bicycle.   It was a comfortable, warm wait, with a bathroom, and a vending machine with $1 sodas (Sidekick Sue was in heaven).  Since the Explorers had arrived early, they expected to wait awhile.  After a short wait, one of the female workers waved them along and said “I’m ready to take you”, and they followed her out the back door.  The challenge was to fit their tandem bike and all their saddlebags in the back of a short pickup truck that was already full of traffic cones and other equipment.  Eventually, they got everything packed, squeezed into the front seat of the truck, and made the trip over.  The view from the bridge were impressive, especially as the water was still very choppy from the remainder of the hurricane weather.  The network of bridges and tunnels were definitely an engineering marvel.  The tunnels allow the big ships to pass over the traffic.  The span was 23 miles from toll booth to toll booth, and their friendly driver dropped them off at the administration building on the other side.  

As they came off the bridge, the Explorers were back on busy Route 13.  They found a Dunkin Donuts to get out of the rain for a bit, while they booked a hotel room for the night (it was still too wet to camp).  As they started biking again, they wanted to get off of Route 13, so at the first opportunity, they turned down a side street to get back on their charted, less-busy, route.  After several miles, they jumped on an official bike path.  While the bike computer suggested leaving the bike path, Google Maps showed that it continued through First Landing State Park, so the Explorers decided to trust Google.  The paving got a little rough and bumpy, but it was passable, and would get them near their hotel in only 4 miles.  Unfortunately, a few miles in, the paved path disappeared and turned to dirt, which was pure mud from all the recent rain.  So the Explorers had to double-back a bit to get back to the route recommended by the ACA.  The criss-crossed to Atlantic Ave and followed a parallel bike path down to the full-service Marriott they had booked.  Plans changed when they realized that this Marriott didn’t have a self-serve laundry (and laundry was a necessity tonight), so Captain Mark got on the phone with Marriott (it’s good to be Elite status) and got re-booked at the Residence Inn which was less than a mile down the road.  Because it is off-season, they got a great oceanfront room.  The staff was wonderful, helping them find indoor storage for the bike.  

They grabbed some food at a pizzeria (seems to be a theme this trip) down the street and went back to their hotel to do laundry.

It was only a matter of time before the Explorers had to endure some bad weather in the wake of hurricane Ian.  Today was that day, but the Explorers still consider themselves lucky because 1.)  The wind continued to blow at their backs, which made pedaling much easier and even decreased their time and effort considerably AND 2.) Although it was supposed to rain all day, only about a third of the Explorers ride today was through significant rain.  They benefitted from  a small break in the clouds that seemed to rotate around them for awhile instead of blowing over as the weather models predicted.

Captain Mark and Sidekick Sue were in no hurry to get moving in the morning.  The rain was predicted to be heavy early in the morning with a break around 10:00 am, so they took their time at breakfast and left Pokomoke City, MD at around 9:45.  Originally, the radar was saying there would be an hour of reprieve from the rain, but subsequent predictions kept adding time, 15 minutes at a time, and the Explorers got a full 2 hours to cover the first 20 miles with just a bit of misty spitting rain.  They crossed into Virginia after the first 6 miles.  The scenery remained relatively unchanged from previous days…. rural farmland, flat, straight roads, and old abandoned farmhouses.  The only thing new that they noticed in Virginia was the addition of numerous solar farms, which they had not seen in Delaware or Maryland.  The Explorers stopped frequently to check their location and route because they were not following the Adventure Cycling Association maps.  Because their previous hotel was “off the route”, they decided to chart a more direct, straight route to their destination. As the peninsula narrows, they will eventually connect back to the maps in their bike computer.

The Explorers typically stop at the end of each 10 miles (or every hour), and it was at the second stop when the rain picked up.  It was a light rain, but enough to soak through their shoes and chill them to the bone.  After the third hour, the Explorers stopped in at a Royal Farms convenience store, which has been one of their favorite chains on the trip because they tend to have an indoor seating area.  The Explorers took advantage of a roof over their heads to have a snack, get out the maps to plan the rest of the day, and make hotel reservations for the night.  They reserved another Holiday Inn, 15 miles away in Exmore, VA.  Another day’s ride from Exmore will put them at the end of the peninsula where they can cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge over to Virginia Beach.  Sidekick Sue learned something new on this trip because she was previously unaware that Virginia had a little bit of land on the Maryland side of the bridge.  

After the break, worst of the rain gradually slowed, and returned to a light mist, making the final leg of the trip more comfortable.  Once again, the Explorers ran into Route 13, and decided to stay on it for awhile because it has more amenities then returning to the farm roads.  They found a mini-mart to take their 40 mile break so Captain Mark could reserve tomorrow’s passage over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge, and Sidekick Sue could plot out their route to the hotel.   They decided on a route that would take them off Route 13 for awhile because the wide shoulder they had previously enjoyed kept “disappearing” and travel on that road didn’t feel so safe anymore.  About a half-hour later, they arrived at their hotel and enjoyed warm showers and dry clothes.  They ventured out one more time in the misty rain to grab a bite to eat and re-stock on protein bars at the local Food Lion.

Captain Mark and Sidekick Sue spent the whole day yesterday in their hotel room.  They did laundry and repacked their bags, surfed the internet, and watched lots of TV.  Although a huge storm system was supposed to pass through, it seemed to pass a tiny bit north of where they were in Ocean City, MD, so all they saw was some short periods of fairly light rain.  Even so, they thought it was the right choice to take this day of rest to recover their muscles and catch up on their sleep.  

Due to hurricane Ian, numerous bands of rain continue to swirl about the area.  The Explorers had already decided to leave today, despite the predicted rain.  They made a plan to get up early and try to get most of the ride done in the morning when the rain was predicted to be the lightest.  Captain Mark was able to convince Sidekick Sue to ride in the rain by promising a warm hotel at the end of the ride instead of pitching a tent in the rain.  

So this morning, they started down a fairly busy divided highway.  It wasn’t really raining, but it was very misty.  Every so often a spitting rain would start to fall.  Before long, they cut down some side roads and once again, saw the same scenery they had been seeing on the whole peninsula….. corn fields, pea farms, and some occasional housing developments.  As they had been on previous days, the roads were relatively flat and very isolated.  

Sidekick Sue and Captain Mark had an “aha” moment during their ride today.  The peninsula they have been on for the last few days is the Delmarva peninsula.  Sidekick Sue had been seeing the name Delmarva everywhere…. on businesses and signs.  It suddenly dawned on them that Delmarva stands for Delaware-Maryland-Virginia, the three states that share this peninsula. In fact the Explorers should be crossing into Virgina on their next ride.  They will continue to the tip of the peninsula for the next few days before taking a shuttle across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge.

The Explorers bike nearly 40 miles today.  Their first stop was at the only gas station/convenience store they saw today.  The second was in front of a community center, and the third in front of a firestation in Girdletree, MD.  There were no signs of any restaurants, so the Explorers snacked on protein bars for lunch.  

Captain Mark reported that their pace today was 12 mph, which was better than previous days.  (not an impressive speed, but good for their very heavy-laden tandem bike with its little wheels).  The Explorers are unsure if the “day of rest” contributed more to their speed or if it was motivation for not wanting to get stuck in a major rain event.  The Explorers were headed to Pokomoke City, MD for the night (which they kept jokingly calling Pokémon City).  

Because they started early and cycled a good pace, the Explorers got to their Holiday Inn Express before 1:00 PM without getting drenched.  They were wet, but wondered if it was from the light rains and mist or if it was really from sweating inside their rain gear.  They ended up managing to miss all the incoming major green blobs on the radar which seemed to keep changing shape in the nick of time.

After warm showers and a fresh change of clothes, the Explorers relaxed a bit before heading out to see what there was to see in Pokomoke City.  They ate at a small Italian cafe and then walked around the small downtown area that was mostly closed for Sunday.   They walked down to the Pokomoke River which passed through downtown, with the major thoroughfare on a draw bridge over the river.  This made the Explorers curious as to how navigable the river is by boat.  After a little investigation, they learned that the mouth of the Pokomoke River is on the Chesapeake Bay and it can be navigated approximately 20 miles inland to a point near Snow Hill, MD.  After that, the depth decreases dramatically, and only a small boat (with local knowledge) could navigate.  

Even after returning to the hotel, the heavy rains that had been predicted never materialized.  Of course the predications for the next day call for more rain, but the Explorers hope to set out again in the morning, and with any luck, will have another day like today.