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.
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