I'm staying the night with Dan and Jan, two wonderful hosts and my sister-in-law's parents. Tomorrow is the last day of the self-supported ride. I'm heading to State College. It should be about 60 miles with one mountain on the way.
For those who are interested, I rode 90.09 miles from Catonsville to E-town on Friday with a top speed of 42.4 mph. There were a few hills, mostly up, but at least one down as the top speed will attest. Today was 76 miles, mostly flat, but a few good hills right at the end.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Made it to ETown
I pulled in just after 5:00 last night, a few minutes after my brother got home. I got a good night's sleep and this morning we ran some errands. His wife is coming home from a conference today, so we'll be off to pick her up at the airport shortly. At some point in the next few days, I'll actually write up the last few days of traveling. For now, I'm enjoying visiting. Monday I ride up towards Selingsgrove, then on to State College on Tuesday.
Thursday, June 23, 2011
Safe and Sound in Catonsville, MD
Since leaving Ashland, VA, I've been to the USMC Museum, Prince William Forest National Park, and Arlington, VA. I rode by the Kennedy Center this morning on my way to Maryland. Tomorrow I will make it to Pennsylvania. I'll update my adventures at some point while I'm at my brother's house over the weekend.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Short post from Ashland, VA
I rode the 65-70 miles from Williamsburg to Ashland today. It rained a bunch early on, and threatened to continue all day. My wet computer did not give me speed or distance updates, hence the approximation above. When I arrived in Ashland, the town was without power due to a very large tree falling. It took out some power lines and landed across some railroad tracks. Power came on around 5:30 or so, which allowed me to get a warm shower in.
Tonight's hosts, Bruce and Eve, are both math professors, so we had some fun talking shop about both bikes and math. Tomorrow I am heading to Prince William Forest National Park. I'm hoping to camp in a historic Civilian Conservation Corp cabin tomorrow night, as more rain is in the forecast. Hopefully all my clothes will dry by morning. We'll see. I won't have internet tomorrow, and I doubt I'll have any cell coverage. Wednesday I'm heading to Arlington, so I'll post from there.
Tonight's hosts, Bruce and Eve, are both math professors, so we had some fun talking shop about both bikes and math. Tomorrow I am heading to Prince William Forest National Park. I'm hoping to camp in a historic Civilian Conservation Corp cabin tomorrow night, as more rain is in the forecast. Hopefully all my clothes will dry by morning. We'll see. I won't have internet tomorrow, and I doubt I'll have any cell coverage. Wednesday I'm heading to Arlington, so I'll post from there.
Sunday, June 19, 2011
I'm in Williamsburg, VA
Friday, I got a late start out of Washington, leaving around 10:30am. It wasn't a problem, though since I was only riding about 45 miles up to Mackeys, outside Roper. Mackeys is a small community on the Albemarle Sound. There is a marina there, and a number of waterside homes. I had a Warmshowers host who offered me use of the apartment above his garage.
David, my host, wasn't able to get to the house until late in the evening due to his work schedule, but he left me the code to get into the apartment. It was a great space, bigger than my place in Atlanta, with a full bath, and a great upstairs patio. I arrived by about 2, and after cleaning myself up, I did a little reading and took a nap. I woke up when the neighbor came over to water the garden and check up on me.
At the suggestion of David, and his neighbor, I headed to the marina where there was a local restaurant. I met a couple of locals in the restaurant, who ended up buying me a beer to go with my very local crab cakes. The crabs for my dinner were actually caught by boats leaving from the Mackeys Marina. The meal was great. The crab cakes were just crab meat and seasoning, no filler. The sides were tasty, and by the time I was done eating, I was stuffed and had to pass on the brownie sundae.
When I returned to the house, David's wife had made it in, so I joined her, and her neighbor to socialize for a while. Around 10:30, David made it home from work. We spent some time chatting before heading to bed. Early on Saturday, David made me a great breakfast of pancakes, grits, coffee, and OJ. I got an early start, heading out at 7:30 since I needed to cover 80 miles on Saturday.
I saw a flat road with a bit of a tailwind, pushing me towards Chesapeake, VA. I rode 81.45 miles by 1:30, including all my stops. I pulled into the driveway of Larry, my host for the evening to find a note taped to the door. He and his family were out and about, but they left the back porch open for me, with a giant pitcher of water waiting on the table. I got in, got comfortable, and took a much needed nap. Shortly after I woke up, Larry and his family arrived home. Larry made me a great spaghetti and meatball dinner, then helped me map out my route for today.
Since Larry is an early riser, we both turned in early, and got up about 6. Larry made me a great omelette to start the day, then rode out with me to get me on my way. We rode about 10 miles together to get me to the first major road of the day, then he turned off for a fast ride while I settled into a comfortable pace for the day. Since the weather report was questionable, I decided to go past Chippokes State Park and head into Williamsburg, where I could find a motel if needed.
Well, it was needed. After crossing the James River by ferry with lots of cars and a bunch of very friendly Harley riders, I turned towards Jamestown to explore. I ran into some other riders, and joined them in a leisurely ride around Jamestown Island. Then I took the Colonial Parkway towards Williamsburg. It was a longer ride than I expected, and I got caught up in some rain. After 78 miles, I made it into town and found a room. Now its time for some R&R before I look for dinner. Tomorrow should be about 65-70 miles up to Ashland. I'm getting close now. See many of you soon!
Friday's Mileage: 45 miles
Saturday's Mileage: 81.45 miles
Sunday's Mileage: 78.1 miles
David, my host, wasn't able to get to the house until late in the evening due to his work schedule, but he left me the code to get into the apartment. It was a great space, bigger than my place in Atlanta, with a full bath, and a great upstairs patio. I arrived by about 2, and after cleaning myself up, I did a little reading and took a nap. I woke up when the neighbor came over to water the garden and check up on me.
At the suggestion of David, and his neighbor, I headed to the marina where there was a local restaurant. I met a couple of locals in the restaurant, who ended up buying me a beer to go with my very local crab cakes. The crabs for my dinner were actually caught by boats leaving from the Mackeys Marina. The meal was great. The crab cakes were just crab meat and seasoning, no filler. The sides were tasty, and by the time I was done eating, I was stuffed and had to pass on the brownie sundae.
When I returned to the house, David's wife had made it in, so I joined her, and her neighbor to socialize for a while. Around 10:30, David made it home from work. We spent some time chatting before heading to bed. Early on Saturday, David made me a great breakfast of pancakes, grits, coffee, and OJ. I got an early start, heading out at 7:30 since I needed to cover 80 miles on Saturday.
I saw a flat road with a bit of a tailwind, pushing me towards Chesapeake, VA. I rode 81.45 miles by 1:30, including all my stops. I pulled into the driveway of Larry, my host for the evening to find a note taped to the door. He and his family were out and about, but they left the back porch open for me, with a giant pitcher of water waiting on the table. I got in, got comfortable, and took a much needed nap. Shortly after I woke up, Larry and his family arrived home. Larry made me a great spaghetti and meatball dinner, then helped me map out my route for today.
Since Larry is an early riser, we both turned in early, and got up about 6. Larry made me a great omelette to start the day, then rode out with me to get me on my way. We rode about 10 miles together to get me to the first major road of the day, then he turned off for a fast ride while I settled into a comfortable pace for the day. Since the weather report was questionable, I decided to go past Chippokes State Park and head into Williamsburg, where I could find a motel if needed.
Well, it was needed. After crossing the James River by ferry with lots of cars and a bunch of very friendly Harley riders, I turned towards Jamestown to explore. I ran into some other riders, and joined them in a leisurely ride around Jamestown Island. Then I took the Colonial Parkway towards Williamsburg. It was a longer ride than I expected, and I got caught up in some rain. After 78 miles, I made it into town and found a room. Now its time for some R&R before I look for dinner. Tomorrow should be about 65-70 miles up to Ashland. I'm getting close now. See many of you soon!
Friday's Mileage: 45 miles
Saturday's Mileage: 81.45 miles
Sunday's Mileage: 78.1 miles
Friday, June 17, 2011
Day 9 to Washington, NC
Yesterday, I got off to an 8:30 start out of Jacksonville, heading north to Washington. Early in the ride, a Marine on a triathlon bike pulled up next to me to chat for a couple of miles. He was waiting for his car to be worked on, so decided to get a ride in. He was great company, and I found myself pedaling at 20 mph while we talked. While I enjoyed his company, my legs were glad when he dropped off to take a phone call and I could slow down without looking weak.
The weather report was pretty questionable. Severe thunderstorms were predicted, so I opted to grab a motel rather than camp out last night. There were very strong winds last night around dinner time, and this morning the parking lot is very wet, so I think I made a good choice.
Today I have a short day, riding up to Roper, NC. I have a Warmshowers host again tonight and tomorrow, so I'm not sure what my internet access will be. It looks like I'm only riding about 45-50 miles today, so I should be off the road fairly early. Tomorrow is a longer day, with about 80 miles planned. After that, I'm going to be reassessing my route. More later.
Thursday's mileage: 73.24 miles
Thursday's top speed: 24.9 mph
The weather report was pretty questionable. Severe thunderstorms were predicted, so I opted to grab a motel rather than camp out last night. There were very strong winds last night around dinner time, and this morning the parking lot is very wet, so I think I made a good choice.
Today I have a short day, riding up to Roper, NC. I have a Warmshowers host again tonight and tomorrow, so I'm not sure what my internet access will be. It looks like I'm only riding about 45-50 miles today, so I should be off the road fairly early. Tomorrow is a longer day, with about 80 miles planned. After that, I'm going to be reassessing my route. More later.
Thursday's mileage: 73.24 miles
Thursday's top speed: 24.9 mph
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Day 8 Unplanned Changes
Of more than one variety. The day did not get off to the best start, as my wake-up call never came. I got up naturally about half an hour late, and grabbed some breakfast before packing up and heading for the ferry across Cape Fear River. It was a pleasant enough 5 mile ride to the ferry dock, where I had all four of my panniers inspected by TSA. It's not just for airports anymore.
After a leisurely ride across the river, with sea birds hovering above the aft deck, I landed and rode through Kure Beach and Carolina Beach, two tourist towns. I stopped for lunch in Wilmington and stopped by a bike shop to make a small bar tape repair. About 10 miles outside of Wilmington, the first unplanned change occurred, the tube in my rear tire. While riding on US-17, I picked up a long thread from the steel-belting of a car tire. It went through both my tire and the tube. Luckily, it's a very small puncture on the tire, so I think it should be ok. I replaced the tube on the side of the road, and resumed the ride. This happened about 40 miles into today's ride, and somehow, while changing the tire, I reset the day's odometer.
I continued on past Surf City, today's planned stop, after stopping by the campground and being less than impressed. I looked for places to stay on Topsail Island, but couldn't find anything affordable, so I continued on past Snead's Ferry, and rode along the perimeter of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejuene. I made it all the way to Jacksonville, with an estimated mileage of about 83 miles. I grabbed a motel room to get internet access, and had a pleasant dinner at a little Italian restaurant down the street. The staff was so impressed with the story of my trip, they made me an extra large portion and brought me an extra salad on the house. Everything was very tasty, and with a full belly, I returned to the motel to watch Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Right now, it looks like Boston should win it.
Tomorrow, I've decided to ride about 70 miles to Washington, NC where I have found a campground to stay at. That will make Friday a short ride to Roper, NC. That day should be right around 50 miles, and I have a Warmshowers host at the end of that day.
That will put me one day ahead of my original schedule, so I should reach Elizabethtown, PA on June 24th, barring any additional changes.
Time for the third period and then to bed. More later.
After a leisurely ride across the river, with sea birds hovering above the aft deck, I landed and rode through Kure Beach and Carolina Beach, two tourist towns. I stopped for lunch in Wilmington and stopped by a bike shop to make a small bar tape repair. About 10 miles outside of Wilmington, the first unplanned change occurred, the tube in my rear tire. While riding on US-17, I picked up a long thread from the steel-belting of a car tire. It went through both my tire and the tube. Luckily, it's a very small puncture on the tire, so I think it should be ok. I replaced the tube on the side of the road, and resumed the ride. This happened about 40 miles into today's ride, and somehow, while changing the tire, I reset the day's odometer.
I continued on past Surf City, today's planned stop, after stopping by the campground and being less than impressed. I looked for places to stay on Topsail Island, but couldn't find anything affordable, so I continued on past Snead's Ferry, and rode along the perimeter of Marine Corps Base Camp Lejuene. I made it all the way to Jacksonville, with an estimated mileage of about 83 miles. I grabbed a motel room to get internet access, and had a pleasant dinner at a little Italian restaurant down the street. The staff was so impressed with the story of my trip, they made me an extra large portion and brought me an extra salad on the house. Everything was very tasty, and with a full belly, I returned to the motel to watch Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals. Right now, it looks like Boston should win it.
Tomorrow, I've decided to ride about 70 miles to Washington, NC where I have found a campground to stay at. That will make Friday a short ride to Roper, NC. That day should be right around 50 miles, and I have a Warmshowers host at the end of that day.
That will put me one day ahead of my original schedule, so I should reach Elizabethtown, PA on June 24th, barring any additional changes.
Time for the third period and then to bed. More later.
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
Day 6 to Pawleys Island and Day 7 to Southport, NC
I got a good, early start from Ladson on Saturday after Doug made me a wonderful bowl of oatmeal. I got on the road at about 6:45am and rode a flat 77.81 miles to Pawleys Island. I arrived a little after 1pm, and was met by the Taylor clan at the Pelican Inn, a historic bed and breakfast on the island. After a quick clean-up in the outdoor shower, I headed to the dining room for a tremendous lunch of pulled pork, homemade macaroni and cheese, black eyed peas, and sweet tea. After filling my belly with such great fare, the banana pudding was brought out.
After a good day in the saddle, and a delicious lunch, I took three steps outside the dining room, and landed myself in the nearest rope hammock, the first of three that I would test-nap during my stay. If you've never napped in a genuine, South Carolina rope hammock, I strongly recommend it. Very comfortable, and the gentle rocking is very soothing.
The nap concluded, I headed down to the beach, to play in the very warm Atlantic Ocean. I had a great time riding the waves as the tide came in, and watching kids make a sand fort for the tide to destroy.
Later in the evening, I joined a family of other guests in a game of electronic Uno. It was a great deal of fun. There was talk of going to look for crabs after dark, but it was turtle nesting season, so we couldn't have any artificial lights on the beach. The decision was made to turn in rather than look for crabs so I could get up to watch the sunrise over the ocean.
I was comfortably asleep when a giant thunderstorm rolled in around 3am. It woke me up and I got to listen to the rain and watch a bit of a light show for about an hour. Then I rolled over for a little more sleep before heading to the beach to watch sunrise from another rope hammock. I got a few pictures of it, but I haven't downloaded them from the camera yet.
I had another incredible meal at the Pelican Inn, complete with orange juice, coffee, eggs, sausage, baked french toast, and fresh fruit. What a great way to start the day! As I was finishing breakfast, I got a surprise. The Taylor's had made me a boxed lunch! And boy did it come in handy. About 30 miles into the ride, I was ready for a break and stopped for lunch. It was a great ham sandwich with spicy mustard, some snack mix, a moon pie, and boiled peanuts! That last bit was the best touch. I had mentioned my inability to find an open boiled peanut stand the night before, so the girls cured my craving!
Today, I rode 82.21 miles to Southport, NC. I passed through Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, and Shallotte, NC before arriving in Southport. I left at about 10:30 and pulled in around 6:30, with many stops for water, my boxed lunch, and my first milkshake of the trip.
This evening, I relaxed in the pool with a group of North Carolina National Guardsmen. There are about 450 of them in town this week to do training. Tomorrow, I'll be heading to the ferry to Kure Beach, and I'll be riding to Surf City.
More next time I have internet access.
After a good day in the saddle, and a delicious lunch, I took three steps outside the dining room, and landed myself in the nearest rope hammock, the first of three that I would test-nap during my stay. If you've never napped in a genuine, South Carolina rope hammock, I strongly recommend it. Very comfortable, and the gentle rocking is very soothing.
The nap concluded, I headed down to the beach, to play in the very warm Atlantic Ocean. I had a great time riding the waves as the tide came in, and watching kids make a sand fort for the tide to destroy.
Later in the evening, I joined a family of other guests in a game of electronic Uno. It was a great deal of fun. There was talk of going to look for crabs after dark, but it was turtle nesting season, so we couldn't have any artificial lights on the beach. The decision was made to turn in rather than look for crabs so I could get up to watch the sunrise over the ocean.
I was comfortably asleep when a giant thunderstorm rolled in around 3am. It woke me up and I got to listen to the rain and watch a bit of a light show for about an hour. Then I rolled over for a little more sleep before heading to the beach to watch sunrise from another rope hammock. I got a few pictures of it, but I haven't downloaded them from the camera yet.
I had another incredible meal at the Pelican Inn, complete with orange juice, coffee, eggs, sausage, baked french toast, and fresh fruit. What a great way to start the day! As I was finishing breakfast, I got a surprise. The Taylor's had made me a boxed lunch! And boy did it come in handy. About 30 miles into the ride, I was ready for a break and stopped for lunch. It was a great ham sandwich with spicy mustard, some snack mix, a moon pie, and boiled peanuts! That last bit was the best touch. I had mentioned my inability to find an open boiled peanut stand the night before, so the girls cured my craving!
Today, I rode 82.21 miles to Southport, NC. I passed through Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, and Shallotte, NC before arriving in Southport. I left at about 10:30 and pulled in around 6:30, with many stops for water, my boxed lunch, and my first milkshake of the trip.
This evening, I relaxed in the pool with a group of North Carolina National Guardsmen. There are about 450 of them in town this week to do training. Tomorrow, I'll be heading to the ferry to Kure Beach, and I'll be riding to Surf City.
More next time I have internet access.
Sunday, June 12, 2011
Day 5 to Ladson, SC
I got a good, early start this morning from the KOA. I had camp broken down by 6:30am, and rode down to Waffle House for an early breakfast with some coffee. I was on the road before 7:30, and rode US-17A for a good long way. It was a quiet Sunday morning without much traffic. I made great time and pulled into Ladson around 12:30.
My hosts for the night are Doug and Carol. Doug is a retired Army Colonel and a very long distance cyclist. He did a ride from Vancouver to Georgia a few years back. His journey makes mine look like a weekend jaunt!
Carol made a great spaghetti dinner, and Doug and Carol's daughter joined us for the meal. This evening's agenda is to watch South Carolina in the College World Series Super-Regional and flipping back to catch a little basketball.
Tomorrow I head to Pawleys Island. It should be about a 75 mile day, give or take.
Today's Mileage: 65.49 miles
Top speed: 22.9 mph (another flat day)
My hosts for the night are Doug and Carol. Doug is a retired Army Colonel and a very long distance cyclist. He did a ride from Vancouver to Georgia a few years back. His journey makes mine look like a weekend jaunt!
Carol made a great spaghetti dinner, and Doug and Carol's daughter joined us for the meal. This evening's agenda is to watch South Carolina in the College World Series Super-Regional and flipping back to catch a little basketball.
Tomorrow I head to Pawleys Island. It should be about a 75 mile day, give or take.
Today's Mileage: 65.49 miles
Top speed: 22.9 mph (another flat day)
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Day 4 to the campsite
I had a great time in Savannah yesterday and this morning. My hostess, Annette, and her friends Gary, Gregg, and Gregg's wife were outstanding hosts. Skoshi the dog was a fun bundle of energy. The five of us went out for Mexican before heading to a rooftop bar to watch ships on the river. There weren't a lot of ships, but we had fun seeing the sights from a good, high vantage point. Gregg and his wife had plans for early this morning, so they called it a night at a respectable hour. Gary, Annette and I did not. I got a great walking tour of Savannah after dark, including a few of the famous ghost stories (and non-ghost stories).
This morning, there was no alarm so despite the late night, I got a decent amount of sleep. We went out for a great breakfast before resuming the walking tour of Savannah, which Skoshi particularly enjoyed. Around noon, it was time for me to set off on the bike. I had planned to ride the giant bridge along US-17 to cross into South Carolina, right up to the point I encountered the "Bicycles Prohibited" sign. That sign was strategically located after the last turn-off point before the bridge on-ramp. One slightly hair-raising u-turn later, and I was off the bridge.
I pulled into a parking lot to reassess my route, when I met the nicest set of tour bus drivers. One of them told me to load my bike into his bus, because he was going to drive me across the bridge. So for the second time on this trip, the Trucker got put into a vehicle for a short portage. On the other side of the bridge, after many thanks, I unloaded from the bus and headed north into South Carolina.
It was a short day in the saddle, just 43 miles, and it was mostly flat with a few gently rolling hills. The terrain was not very interesting, but I saw lots of motorcycles passing me by. I pulled into the KOA just south of Yemassee around 4:30, pitched the tent, and got cleaned up before taking advantage of the pool and hot tub. A short ride off towards the interstate found me dinner, and now the sun is going down, so I'm going to get ready for bed.
Tomorrow I'm heading to Ladson, SC. It should be about 65 miles to my next Warmshowers host.
Today's Mileage: 43.36 miles
Top Speed: 21.4 mph (it really was flat)
This morning, there was no alarm so despite the late night, I got a decent amount of sleep. We went out for a great breakfast before resuming the walking tour of Savannah, which Skoshi particularly enjoyed. Around noon, it was time for me to set off on the bike. I had planned to ride the giant bridge along US-17 to cross into South Carolina, right up to the point I encountered the "Bicycles Prohibited" sign. That sign was strategically located after the last turn-off point before the bridge on-ramp. One slightly hair-raising u-turn later, and I was off the bridge.
I pulled into a parking lot to reassess my route, when I met the nicest set of tour bus drivers. One of them told me to load my bike into his bus, because he was going to drive me across the bridge. So for the second time on this trip, the Trucker got put into a vehicle for a short portage. On the other side of the bridge, after many thanks, I unloaded from the bus and headed north into South Carolina.
It was a short day in the saddle, just 43 miles, and it was mostly flat with a few gently rolling hills. The terrain was not very interesting, but I saw lots of motorcycles passing me by. I pulled into the KOA just south of Yemassee around 4:30, pitched the tent, and got cleaned up before taking advantage of the pool and hot tub. A short ride off towards the interstate found me dinner, and now the sun is going down, so I'm going to get ready for bed.
Tomorrow I'm heading to Ladson, SC. It should be about 65 miles to my next Warmshowers host.
Today's Mileage: 43.36 miles
Top Speed: 21.4 mph (it really was flat)
Friday, June 10, 2011
Day 3 to Savannah
Hot and humid again today, but not quite as hot as yesterday. And today, there were no hills! That kept my top speed down, but my average speed up. While riding, I was consistently above 17 mph, which made the miles fly by. I got a slightly earlier start this morning, taking off from Mac's around 6:30 after some good coffee. Mac sent me off with a great frozen green tea that kept me going throughout the morning.
About 5 miles into the ride, I stopped at a small country restaurant for breakfast--pancakes with cane syrup and a country sausage. Very tasty, and great fuel for the day. 5 hours later, I still wasn't hungry. Thirsty, yes, but not hungry.
After that, it was lots of miles, with frequent stops for water, popcicles, and an ice cream or two. At one stop, the owner of the shop refused to let me pay, because she was so intrigued by the crazy guy on a bike. There were also a lot of logging trucks passing me today. It reminded me of riding in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
I made it in to Savannah a little after 3, got cleaned up, and now we're getting ready to find some dinner.
Today's mileage: 83.33 miles
Top Speed: 24.7 mph
About 5 miles into the ride, I stopped at a small country restaurant for breakfast--pancakes with cane syrup and a country sausage. Very tasty, and great fuel for the day. 5 hours later, I still wasn't hungry. Thirsty, yes, but not hungry.
After that, it was lots of miles, with frequent stops for water, popcicles, and an ice cream or two. At one stop, the owner of the shop refused to let me pay, because she was so intrigued by the crazy guy on a bike. There were also a lot of logging trucks passing me today. It reminded me of riding in New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
I made it in to Savannah a little after 3, got cleaned up, and now we're getting ready to find some dinner.
Today's mileage: 83.33 miles
Top Speed: 24.7 mph
Thursday, June 9, 2011
Day 2 to Vidalia
I made a little over 86 miles today in the heat and humidity of Central Georgia. I got a bit of a late start, heading out at 7:00am, and road a bunch of hills right from the word "go." Things smoothed out after about 40 miles, but by then the heat had turned up. I found myself stopping for water a lot more often today than I did yesterday. Got a lot of encouragement from the folks I met when I stopped. Around 4:00, I made it to Vidalia, and my host for the night, Mac, offered to spare me the insanity of navigating Vidalia. Since it was hot, and I'd gotten a solid 86 miles in, I gladly accepted the offer. After a nice hot shower and a change of clothes, we headed out to dinner, where we put together a much simpler route to Savannah. Now it's time to rest and get ready for tomorrow. I didn't forget yesterday's pictures. I promise to post them, and today's pictures, sometime in the near future.
Special note to all the Archers reading this: I went to McAfee's Country Store to meet up with you, but no one showed up. I might have been 150 miles from the normal starting point, but really, I think someone else could have been there...
Tomorrow it's on to Savannah.
Today's Mileage: 86.65 miles
Top Speed: 31.3 mph
Special note to all the Archers reading this: I went to McAfee's Country Store to meet up with you, but no one showed up. I might have been 150 miles from the normal starting point, but really, I think someone else could have been there...
Tomorrow it's on to Savannah.
Today's Mileage: 86.65 miles
Top Speed: 31.3 mph
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Day 1 to Milledgeville
The alarm went off at 4:00am this morning, and after just a single swat at the snooze bar, I got up and moving on this years adventure. A bit of breakfast, some last second clean up (can't leave dirty dishes for 4 weeks), and a thick application of sunscreen for those post-sunrise hours and I was off.
Well, almost. Everybody has to forget something when they travel, right? So I had the bike loaded, the door locked, and I was just getting ready to push off when I noticed I hadn't put any waterbottles on the bike. Now in some parts of the country, that little oversight could be overcome. Here in Georgia, where it was 72 at 5:00am, 87 at 10:30am and 95 by 1:00pm, such an oversight could be a disaster. Good thing I noticed and fixed the problem before I left. :)
I wandered my way through several intown neighborhoods until I got to Columbia Rd. I took that south to Rainbow Rd, and then followed Rainbow through its obligatory namechange, then turned on Browns Ferry Rd, aka GA-212. I was able to follow GA-212 past the monastery in Conyers, through Monticello (the town where My Cousin Vinnie was filmed) and the Oconee National Forest, right into Milledgeville. I think I could count today's turns on my fingers if I had to.
Since BRAG (Bicycle Ride Across Georgia) stayed here in Milledgeville either Monday or Tuesday night, I was able to get a decent rate on a room at a hotel with a pool. Guess where I'm heading in about 5 minutes?
I did take some pictures in Monticello, but elsewhere, while there were interesting things to get on camera (a cyldesdale, many head of cattle, the Buddha house, and some strange birds, none were located near a safe place to stop and take pictures. Just trust me when I say that were all photo-worthy.
I'll try to post the pictures after my swim, or maybe I'll make you wait and wonder about how great the pictures are. If you haven't seen the quality of my photography, look at some old posts and re-read that last sentence with your sarcasm-detector turned up.
Today's Miles: 88.94
Today's Top Speed: 31.3 mph
Tomorrow's Destination: Vidalia, GA (Home of the famous onions, and according to one of my brothers, also home to carrots that want to be just as famous)
Well, almost. Everybody has to forget something when they travel, right? So I had the bike loaded, the door locked, and I was just getting ready to push off when I noticed I hadn't put any waterbottles on the bike. Now in some parts of the country, that little oversight could be overcome. Here in Georgia, where it was 72 at 5:00am, 87 at 10:30am and 95 by 1:00pm, such an oversight could be a disaster. Good thing I noticed and fixed the problem before I left. :)
I wandered my way through several intown neighborhoods until I got to Columbia Rd. I took that south to Rainbow Rd, and then followed Rainbow through its obligatory namechange, then turned on Browns Ferry Rd, aka GA-212. I was able to follow GA-212 past the monastery in Conyers, through Monticello (the town where My Cousin Vinnie was filmed) and the Oconee National Forest, right into Milledgeville. I think I could count today's turns on my fingers if I had to.
Since BRAG (Bicycle Ride Across Georgia) stayed here in Milledgeville either Monday or Tuesday night, I was able to get a decent rate on a room at a hotel with a pool. Guess where I'm heading in about 5 minutes?
I did take some pictures in Monticello, but elsewhere, while there were interesting things to get on camera (a cyldesdale, many head of cattle, the Buddha house, and some strange birds, none were located near a safe place to stop and take pictures. Just trust me when I say that were all photo-worthy.
I'll try to post the pictures after my swim, or maybe I'll make you wait and wonder about how great the pictures are. If you haven't seen the quality of my photography, look at some old posts and re-read that last sentence with your sarcasm-detector turned up.
Today's Miles: 88.94
Today's Top Speed: 31.3 mph
Tomorrow's Destination: Vidalia, GA (Home of the famous onions, and according to one of my brothers, also home to carrots that want to be just as famous)
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
T-minus 8 hours
The alarm is set for 4am, with an ETD of 5:00am tomorrow morning. It's supposed to be hot, so I'm going to try to get in some miles before the sun comes up. I'm riding from Atlanta to Milledgeville, which is about 90 miles total. I'll be passing by the famous Conyers' Monastery, the town of Monticello, GA, and hopefully arriving in Milledgeville in time for a late lunch. Tomorrow night is a motel night, so I should have internet to post any good pictures I take...
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Draft of the Plan of the Adventure
| Day | Date |
| Start | End | Mileage |
| 1 | 06/08/11 |
| Atlanta | Milledgeville, GA
| 90 |
| 2 | 06/09/11 |
| Milledgeville, GA
| Vidalia, GA
| 90 |
| 3 | 06/10/11 |
| Vidalia, GA
| Statesboro, GA
| 45 |
| 4 | 06/11/11 |
| Statesboro | Yemassee, SC
| 75 |
| 5 | 06/12/11 |
| Yemassee, SC
| Ladson, SC | 75 |
| 6 | 06/13/11 |
| Ladson, SC | Pawley’s Island | 75 |
| 7 | 06/14/11 |
| Pawley’s Island | Shallotte, NC | 65 |
| 8 | 06/15/11 |
| Shallotte, NC | Wilmington, NC | 90 |
| 9 | 06/16/11 |
| Wilmington | Maysville, NC | 70 |
| 10 | 06/17/11 |
| Maysville, NC | Bath, NC | 70 |
| 11 | 06/18/11 |
| Bath, NC
| Roper, VA
| 90 |
| 12 | 06/19/11 |
| Roper, VA
| Suffolk, VA | 85 |
| 13 | 06/20/11 |
| Suffolk, VA | Chickahominy River Park | 55 |
| 14 | 06/21/11 |
| Chickahominy | Ashland, VA | 50 |
| 15 | 06/22/11 |
| Ashland, VA
| Stafford, VA | 60 |
| 16 | 06/23/11 |
| Stafford, VA
| Arlington, VA
| 55 |
| 17 | 06/24/11 |
| Arlington, VA
| Catonsville, MD
| 45 |
| 18 | 06/25/11 |
| Catonsville, MD
| Elizabethtown, PA
| 90
|
This plan is of course subject to change due to weather, whim, or interesting things on the side of the road.
Friday, June 3, 2011
2011 Adventure!
Four days until the start of the 2011 adventure. This time, it's Atlanta to State College, PA, along the Atlantic Coast. It's more miles, more days, more heat, more humidity, but less hills. I'm also hoping to add more fun to the list. I'll be staying with some old friends, some new WarmShowers friends, camping, and occasionally looking for a motel with a pool. I'll be adding three new states to the list I've ridden through, and I'll be riding at least a couple of ferries.
I'll post the first draft itinerary sometime soon so you can follow along at home, or meet me on the road if I'm coming near your town. Right now, it looks like I'll be averaging about 70 miles a day, but that of course is subject to change.
I'll post the first draft itinerary sometime soon so you can follow along at home, or meet me on the road if I'm coming near your town. Right now, it looks like I'll be averaging about 70 miles a day, but that of course is subject to change.
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