Wayward Explorers

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.  

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.

Oh what a night!  The Explorers were a little worried about how close their campsite was to the bridge spanning the north and south portions of the Delaware Seashore State Park.  The traffic was a little heavy and loud.  As it turned out, that was the least of their concerns.  The wind was so heavy all night that they couldn’t even hear the traffic, but sleep was difficult because of the wind.  Throughout the night it felt like someone as pushing in on the wall and the ceiling of the tent, and that the floor of the tent was trying to lift up under them.  Sidekick Sue was heavy-eyed when Captain Mark’s alarm went off at 6:00 am as part of their plan to get to a hotel before the rain came.  Looking around outside, the Explorers saw that they weren’t the only ones that had trouble with the wind.  The closest neighbor had ditched their flattened tent during the night and went to sleep in their car.  The Explorers were thankful their REI tent survived as they had no car to run to.  

The same wind that tortured them all night was a Godsend in the morning.  The wind was blowing from north to south, so it was actually at their back as they headed down the strip of land connecting Delaware to Maryland.  Their plan was to only do about half a day of riding (about 20 miles) and finish up before the rain that was supposed to come around 10-11 AM.  They were also pushed to finish up before the wind changed, as they knew it would with a storm system coming up from the south. 

With the wind at their back, the ride actually went quite smoothly.  The road was flat with a wide shoulder and it was actually pleasant despite the gloom.  They road down the Coastal Highway through Bethany Beach.  The first half of the ride was like the day before…. swamp on one side, sand dunes on the other.  The Explorers took a quick rest on Fenwick Island where the scenery changed to tourist attractions like miniature golf, escape rooms and beach restaurants. 

The tourist kitsch continued right into Ocean City, Maryland where they entered the Boardwalk at 27th Street.  Near the end of the Boardwalk, they cut over to the Harry W. Kelley Memorial Bridge and followed it to the “mainland”.  There was no time to linger in Ocean City, but the Explorers weren’t too disappointed as they had spent a few days exploring Ocean City before.  They stopped at Dunkin Donuts to charge their electronics and figure out a where to stay.  They got a good deal on a Microtel across the street (with an suite upgrade for Wyndham members) and planned to stick around a few days to wait out the rain, do laundry, and rest their sore behinds.  

The rain today turned out to be far less than expected, but the Explorers could use a day to recharge none-the-less, especially given the lack of sleep from the previous night.  In watching the news, it appears that the weather system they are seeing IS part of the hurricane working its way through North Carolina now, so they are hoping that it will die down over the next few days, so they can continue their trek.  

Tomorrow will be spent in the hotel, so unless something more exciting than laundry happens, the Explorers won’t bother to post an update tomorrow.  

The Explorers packed up early and left Jellystone.  Sidekick Sue hesitantly joined Captain Mark in eating a protein bar for breakfast (don’t tell him, but it was tasty).  The first part of the ride looked very much like the last few days… cornfields and pea farms.  As they got closer to the shore, there were more and more brand-new looking housing developments carved into the farming landscape.  Apparently, selling land to developers is a lot easier and more profitable than trying to run a farm.  

The first town of any significance was Milton, where the Explorers stopped to take a rest and grab refreshments.  There was a bike shop that was opening in 10 minutes, so the Explorers walked around town a bit waiting for it to open so that Sidekick Sue could buy some new biking gloves.  There was a great outdoor movie setup across the street with rows of composite Adirondack chairs and a truck that somehow transformed into a screen and sound system.  Seems like a fun alternative to the drive-in.  

About 15 miles into the day, the Explorers jumped onto a bike path which was a welcome escape from the shoulder of the road and traffic.  The path led to Lewe’s Beach, which is right where the Delaware Bay meets the ocean.  The Explorers skirted the outskirts of town, opting instead to use their time in Rehobeth Beach which was several miles further south.  After a few miles there was another paved bike path that started through some of the new housing developments and then turned to packed gravel, winding through the woods and then between the houses near the beach.  

The path popped out in front of the Crystal Diner in Rehobeth Beach where the Explorers went to eat lunch.  Captain Mark was trying to negotiate a seat with an electrical outlet (to charge the devices) but the waitress didn’t seem to understand English too well.  So Captain Mark took charge and found an outlet and asked for the nearby table.  The Explorers had a nice long lunch while their devices charged (they will be at a state park tonight without electric).  After the meal, they asked for refills on soda and the waitress asked if they were “to go” (was that a hint?), but the Explorers weren’t quite done charging, so they hung out.  (The restaurant was not busy so they didn’t feel “too” guilty).  As they were packing up, the owner came out to ask them about their trip.  She is a biker too, and was very interested to hear about their plans.  

After lunch, the Explorers parked their bike down near the boardwalk and took in the sights.  They stopped in a few stores and did some window shopping (any real purchases would necessitate throwing away something they already had packed… no room for more stuff or more weight).  

The final part of the ride was about 10 miles down a skinny land bridge between Rehobeth Bay and the ocean.  Even though the land wasn’t very wide, the Explorers couldn’t see the water because of tall marsh grasses on one side and sand dunes on the other.  They finally reached their destination, Delaware Seashore State Park, which is spilt into two sections (north and south) by a huge bridge that crosses an inlet between the two.  The Explorers pitched their tent on the southern side, showered and ventured out on a walk to stretch their legs, first walking under the bridge to the beach, and then walking over the bridge to the northern campground and back. 

With the hurricane hitting Florida today, the Explorer have their eye on the weather.  It looks like there might be some time in the morning to bike to Ocean City MD to find a motel to “hole up” for a few days until the current weather systems pass.  Sidekick Sue is sore and ready for a recovery break.  She suspects Captain Mark is just as eager to take a break, but won’t admit it  🙂  

The Beach at Delaware Seashore State Park

Another relatively uneventful day.  The Explorers left the Residence Inn after a hearty breakfast.  Yesterday, Sidekick Sue lost one of her biking gloves.  This morning, she went to put on her back-up pair, and they are mysteriously missing too.  Duh!  A quick Google search showed it might be a couple of days before they get to a town with a bike store.  So Sidekick Sue unhappily saddled up for glove-less day of riding.  (As silly as it might sound, biking gloves are padded in a way that helps ones hands from going numb while gripping the handlebars).  The first part of the morning took the Explorers through historic downtown Dover, over cobblestone streets and past colonial buildings.  

Gradually, the scenery became more rural again.  They passed hundreds of cornfields, and some other fields that they think may have been peas, although they didn’t stop to investigate.  Every so often, they passed a new subdivision with a prestigious name…. obviously a tract of farmland that was sold off to a developer.  There were lots of cars about, but very little in the category of amenities like stores or gas stations.  The route today was extremely flat compared to prior days…. not even one torturous climb (although Sidekick Sue dreads going back up the downhill that led to their camp ground tomorrow).

It was around noon before the Explorers reached the town of Felton, which seemed to have some significant buildings like a post office, a school and a library.  The Explorers were searching for their morning soft drink refreshment and were just about to turn around and give up when they saw they were just about to intersect with their old friend, Route 13.  Sure enough, there were a couple of gas stations at the intersection and the Explorers finally got their morning refreshment.  

The afternoon scenery matched the morning.  More cornfields and the mysterious fields that might be peas.  The Explorers had no idea how much farmland there was in Delaware.  They were expecting the state to be much more developed.  

The official route to their campground would have taken the Explorers through more farmland, so they diverted to the good-sized town of Milford, which had plenty of stores and restaurants.  The went to Food Lion and Wawa to stock up on protein bars for the morning, since there would be no breakfast at the campground, and no restaurants nearby.  They popped into Polisenos Pizza for their late lunch/early dinner and then jumped back on the bike for the last 8 miles to the campground.

The campground for the night was a Jellystone Park featuring Yogi bear.  As it is mid-week in late-September, the place was relatively empty with the pools and amenities locked up.  That didn’t stop the campground from charging the Explorers a $12 amenities fee. 🙁  At least they were able to negotiate a tent site with electric that was near the showers so they didn’t have to hang out in the laundry room to charge their electronics.  The sun is setting at 7:00; a sure sign that summer is officially over.  

The Explorers spent a quiet night at Lums Pond State Park in Delaware.  Sleeping in a tent isn’t always comfortable, but it got dark fairly early, so the Explorers got a good amount of sleep (after a battle with a few daddy-long legs spiders that had gotten inside the tent).

In the morning, the Explorers packed up and headed back to the “official route”.  Instead of backtracking to the C&D Canal Path, they took surface roads to get to the St. Georges Bridge which they needed to get across the canal.  The Explorers had motored under this same bridge last year when then were bringing their trawler up the East Coast.  Even after taking surface roads to get to the entry point on the bridge, the bridge itself was a solid upward climb, although it had a separate lane for bikes, which was appreciated.  It was one of only two major hills encountered today, and the Explorers were lucky to tackle it early in the day, while they were still fresh.  The road crossing the bridge was Route 13, which was a bit busy.  The Explorers were happy to see the route turn off of Route 13 to quieter streets.

Although the weather was fabulous again, the portion of the ride after the bridge was rather unremarkable.  The majority of it was through farmland and the Augustine Wildlife Area (we did not see any wildlife except turtles).  The Explorers were surprised to see so much rural, undeveloped land so close to the Delaware River, although much of it was wetlands, which is likely protected from development.  They did recognize a nuclear plant that they boated by last year while on the Delaware River.

On finally reaching the small town of Port Penn, the Explorers were looking for a place to rest and get a soft drink.  On slowing down to ask a resident if there was a convenience store, the resident just laughed and said the only place to go was the local combination bar/liquor store.  The Explorers decided to pass on the bar before noon and press on, thinking the next town couldn’t be too far away (they were wrong).  During their next break, by the side of a rural road, Captain Mark decided to re-evaluate the route, which was recommending a turn into more cornfields.  He realized that if they turned the opposite way, they were close to Route 13, which they had left hours earlier.  The Explorers left the recommended route and headed toward Route 13 which was a divided highway that was still considered to be “bike-friendly”.  It was a busy road, with 55 mph traffic, but there was a wide shoulder, stop-lights to help regulate traffic and help with turning, and places to stop and rest (most notably, a few Wawas).  

The best part about the new route is that it was almost flat, allowing the Explorers to make much better time than they had in the first 2 days.  Less than 5 miles from their hotel, the Explorers stopped for their afternoon meal at Mama Mias Pizzeria (operated by a Middle-Eastern guy watching soccer in Arabic) for a good meal, and then headed to their hotel, a Residence Inn in Dover, DE that Captain Mark scored with points.  The hotel was a luxury, after camping the night before.  The only snafu was that their laundry room was closed because new machines are being installed in the morning.  As laundry today was NOT an option (three sets of smelly biking clothes each), the resourceful, Captain Mark snuck the laundry next door to the Fairfield Inn and was back in time to look at maps and plan for the next day.