Random Acts of Kindness

Day 60, May 31, 2011, Random Acts of Kindness

99 miles, averaging 15.3 mph

Route from Myrtle Beach to KOA Kampground, Wilmington, NC

Best Moment – Certainly the best moment of the day and possibly the entire month was the random act of kindness that I was the recipient of this morning.  In Shalotte, NC, I stopped for a coffee break at a very cool looking place - Jumpin Java Espresso Co, Inc.  I was standing in line behind an African American woman.  She asked if I was having coffee and when I told her I was going to she said that she was going to buy my coffee.

What?  Why?  You don’t have to do that!!! “No, I want to and I am going to,” she told me and went on to explain that “her mission in life was to make someone’s day a little better. “  Every day she was going to do that and if she could make someone smile for the day she was accomplishing her mission.  Daniel, the owner of the place told me that she does this all of the time.

Well, dear lady, I don’t know who you are, but I smiled all of the way to Wilmington and I am still smiling as I write this.  What a wonderful mission.  Thank you!  Thank you! Thank you!  Makes me really ponder what is important.

Worst Moment – The heat combined with the humidity is brutal.  I know that it is only 97, but that isn’t Phoenix’s 97 dry degrees.  The heat index is over 100. 

I left Ruby around 7 this morning.  I had to still travel on Highway 17 North for a ways.  There was Hwy 65 that would take me along the beach and was supposed (according to what I could see) reconnect with 17.  I took it. It was a beautiful ride along the beach homes and condos.  The problem is that there wasn’t a sign indicating when I needed to turn away from the beach to connect with 65.  I had to do a bit of backtracking – though it was only about 6 or 7 miles and was certainly a beautiful detour.  I can see why people like Myrtle Beach!

Shortly after leaving Myrtle Beach, I crossed into North Carolina.  Another state!  There was some great scenery and great bridges along and over the Intra (not inter, as I’ve probably posted) Coastal Waterway.

The first real town I rode into after crossing into North Carolina was Shallotte.  It looks like an amazing small town.  They had lovely colorful flower baskets on the bridge over the Shallotte River and on the lampposts on Main Street.

After a few “tricky turns” I came to a long straight away to the ferry that would take me over the Cape Fear River from South Port to Fort Fisher.  Approaching South Port, there were signs indicating the schedule.  I saw that there was one at noon, I was about 3 miles away and it was 11:47.  Yikes!!  I really pedaled all out and just made it as they were bringing in the gangplank.  Yeah!!  I really worked up a sweat.  The ferry had a drinking fountain with cold water and a soda machine.  I drank several water bottles full of cold water and ate my lunch on the passenger deck as kids were feeding the seagulls. Yum!!

The small country churches are back again.  I didn’t see many in Florida, but here there have been several.  One of the message boards that really caught my eye today was this, “If you don’t like the way the cookie is crumbling, try the Bread of Life”

Coming into Wilmington, I was along the Cape Fear River – on River Road.  This was great ride on a bike path and not much traffic.  

I saw much of the Port of Wilmington, crossed lots of train tracks, and finally came to Market Street – the address of the KOA is 7415 Market Street.  I was at 3^rd Avenue and went through the entire town.  Wilmington is another historic beautiful southern city.  In one area I cycled through, every house had a historic marker plaque. 

 

Atlantic Beach

Day 59, May 30, 2011, Atlantic Beach

0 miles, averaging mph

Route from Ruby to Atlantic Beach

Best Moment – I think that I could get used to riding a day and then right away having a rest day. 

Worst Moment – There really weren’t any even minor annoyances other than that the waiter at dinner, while efficient, wasn’t very friendly - he even had my nickname growing up and for the same reason.

This morning I took Rocket to Wal-Mart. Since my shorts were falling down, I got a pair a size smaller.  They fit great.  As I was checking out, the clerk told me, not only was it Bike Week, it was Black Bike Week.  (That explained a lot.)  Two weeks before it had been White Bike Week, and for both bike weeks, some come early and some stay week so it is about three weeks of insanity.  I think that most of the bikers had to go to work tomorrow, because the place really quieted down.

It was a really relaxing day, we went to the beach and just read and people watched most of the day.  I’m reading yet another book about Enron called the Conspiracy of Fools. 

Neita got her lobster for dinner!  We went to Greg Norman’s.  It is on the inter-coastal waterway – a very nice setting.  I had ahi tuna with a bourbon and bacon glaze.  Very tasty.  After dinner we walked around the shops of Barefoot Landing, which is built on and over the water.  I’m certain that any kind of souvenir anyone would want could be found along with several ice cream shops, fudge stores and even one called Candy Miles! 

Back on the bike tomorrow and no rest days until we get to Kitty Hawk.  We’re headed for the Outer Banks!  

It's Bike Week Here, Yikes!

Day 58, May 29, 2011, It’s Bike Week Here, Yikes!

121.5 miles, averaging 15.2 mph

Route from Charleston to Briarcliff RV Resort, Myrtle Beach, SC

Best Moment – I had dreadful anticipation about crossing the Arthur Ravenel, Jr. Bridge.  It is a two-mile long cable stay bridge over the Cooper River, and is the longest bridge of this nature in the US.  It sort of dominates the Charleston Harbor.  I knew that there would be lots of traffic and that there were several lanes that would merge onto the bridge.  I can’t tell you how happy I was when I got to the bridge the traffic was very light and when all of the lanes had finally entered the bridge, and I was able to get to the far right, there was a huge bicycle and pedestrian lane!  Awesome!

Worst Moment – Being a holiday weekend, traffic today was very heavy, the shoulders on Highway 17 that I took all the way here were intermittent, and there were normally bone rattling rumble strips to keep cars where they belonged the roads, but could really shake a bicyclist too when the shoulder disappeared completely or there was cast off tire rubber on what there was.

The bicycle shops in Charleston look really interesting.  Although they weren’t open when I rode by, I would have certainly checked them out had I been in the city longer or needed something for the bike.  The first one had this cool bicycle.  The second one I saw had the following message on its sign “60 calories per city mile.” Then I would find out that it was bike week in Myrtle Beach.

Well populated along the road are stalls where the locals sell sweetgrass baskets.  There have been such stands along Hwy 17 since the 1930’s.  According to a road sign, “making baskets out of the sweetgrass with palmetto leaves has been a craft handed down in some families since the 1700’s and is one of the oldest forms of African art in America.”   

The route was mainly flat, with the exception of the giant bridges that cross the Inter costal waterways.  I had to really gear down to get up and over some of them.  The scenery was more forests and waterways.  Really beautiful!

Coming into Myrtle Beach I saw that it was Bike Week.  They don’t mean bicycle week – they really mean motorcycle week – you can only imagine my disappointment - wish they were more specific.  There were thousands of motorcycles cruising the entire 20-mile stretch of Kings Highway from South Myrtle Beach to Briarcliff, where we are staying.  It sounded like a constant loud drone of a huge beehive. 

These motorcyclists weren’t especially considerate of bicyclists as they liked to turn right in front of me, pull out into the intersection instead of stopping at the stop line, and rev up their bikes just to see how much noise they could make.  They are very noisy.  The women have chosen very interesting the attire to ride on motorcycles.  Normally, their kind of clothing is more prevalent on a beach or swimming pool.  And, while it is just my opinion, it looks like several of them should be burning the 60 calories per city mile rather than cruising up and down Kings Highway on their noisy, gasoline-powered bikes.  

Tomorrow is another rest day.  I could get used to that, and might not mind the over a century days if they are bordered by rest days. 

Charleston's Cool!

Day 57, May 28, 2011, Charleston’s Cool!

0 miles, averaging mph

Route from Oak Plantation Campground into Charleston

Best Moment – Oh Wow – it had to be the coconut cake at the Noisy Oyster I had for lunch after I had shrimp and grits.  Amazing. 

Worst Moment – Trying to find a place to park even something as small as Rocket was very frustrating.  There were lots of folks walking around Charleston.

Around 10 this morning, after meeting and talking with our neighbors on both sides, (more on them later) Neita and I took off on Rocket for Charleston.  We are staying about 10 miles on the west side of town.  It was a bit of an interesting ride.  The traffic goes fast here.  One of our neighbors was from the Tucson area.  He had been retired for some time, but his wife just retired.  They had recently purchased their RV and were going to spend about 2 – 3 months traveling around the country.  The other couple was from central Florida on their way to upstate NY to spend the summer. 

We scootered around Charleston looking at amazing old homes, interesting eating-places, and funky art galleries.  We had made reservations for the noon boat that would take us to Fort Sumter.  There are only three trips a day from Charleston to the island.  Our National Park Service guide gave a 10-minute history of the fort. 

The first shots of the Civil War were exchanged here.  Also the first casualties of the war were suffered here, but the deaths were not really in combat.  After all other negotiations for peace had broken down, the Union recognized that all the other fortifications around Charleston harbor were not defensible and abandoned them in favor of Sumter and moved their 180 troops there.  The South amassed a huge force. This made the Union commander realize he would not be able to defend the fort and asked to withdraw.  There was a 100 cannon salute as the Union lowered their flag and it was a problem with this salute that resulted in the first two casualties of the war.  By the time it was over, more than 650,000 people were killed.

It is amazing to visit such a historical place.  To think that the fort was built on a sand shoal with granite imported from the North.  Original construction of the fort began in the 1830’s as a means of defense for the important southern route of trade.

After hearing and seeing so much history, we were a bit famished.  We took Rocket to the Market Street area were there are lots of shops, Charleston’s Market Place (read big flea market), and amazing restaurants.  However parking is not one of the things that is plentiful in downtown Charleston.  With trying to dodge the pedi cycles, horse drawn carriages, pedestrians, bicycles, and automobiles, I was more than ready to park anywhere – nearly.  We finally found a public garage.

After the great lunch, Neita had shrimp quesadillas, which were quite tasty.  So were the shrimp and grits with ham gravy, and of course the coconut cake. Yum.

We walked the old section of the city – south of Broad.  Toured one of the historic landmark homes and took a different route to find Rocket.  Charleston is really a beautiful city.  To think that the city has been here for over 300 years and was once the richest city in the US is really something pretty cool.

I’m nearly as tired as if I had ridden a century.  All of this tourist stuff is wearing.  Tomorrow is over a century.  I changed the route again.  When I looked at where we had planned to stay, I realized that it wasn’t very close to the route and by following the route maps would have been something in the neighborhood of 150 miles.  I could take a more direct route, by not following the bike maps, but that was still 110 miles.  We had planned on staying in Conway which is only about 20 miles from Myrtle Beach which is where we had planned to stay on Monday night.  So tomorrow will be about 125 miles, but then I get to have a day off and spend two nights in Myrtle Beach.  Yeah!

Charleston

Day 56, May 27, 2011, Charleston

58.3 miles, averaging 14.8 mph

Route from Walterboro to Oak Plantation Campground, Charleston, SC

Best Moment – Today I arrived at the campground around noon.  This gave Neita and I time to spend some time exploring Charleston.  And we are here tomorrow too!

Worst Moment – The road into Charleston was extremely narrow without any shoulder and lots of traffic.  Today’s route was probably one of the scariest ones that I’ve been on so far.

Today’s route was fairly short and through more pine forests.  There were lots of logging trucks and lots of interesting buildings.  The Ashley River Road  (highway 61) is a main way into Charleston and has many of the historical plantations along the river that are now open for the public.

Getting into Charleston early, I got cleaned up and Neita and I headed out on Rocket to explore the plantations.  There were three along the road, we stopped at The Magnolia Plantation and toured the home, the swamp and the gardens.  The home had been built before the Revolutionary War, and though it was burned to the ground two times before the Civil War, somehow survived that “Unpleasantness,” as the Southerners referred to the Civil War.  During the war, the family was at one of their other homes in the North.

Magnolia had been a rice plantation and it was quite interesting to learn how rice is grown in the Low Country.  The Ashley River is brackish and as the tides would come in and go out, the fresh water, being lighter would be on top of the salt water.  Rice needs fresh water. There were water gates that would let the slaves flood the fields and they would let water into the rice paddies by tasting the water.  As long as it was sweet, the water would continue to flow into the field.  Once the water tasted salty, they would close the gate.  Rice needs the water to help support its stem.

The river was the main source of transportation between the plantation and Charleston.  Commerce depended on the tides to be able to move up and down the river in flat-bottomed boats. 

The gardens of the plantation were very lovely.  They had both formal (where the object is to control nature) and informal gardens (where you are enhancing nature and letting it take control.)  (My gardens at home must have been informal.)  As we strolled the gardens, we could hear the “cawing” of the plantation’s many peacocks. There were azaleas, gardenias, hydrangea,, and many other shrubs and flowers in bloom.  

During the home tour the guide told us about many of the activities of the family that has owned and still owns the plantation for the three centuries that it has been around and the guests that have been there.  Audubon was there and the home has a collection of some of his drawings.  During the 1920’s it was quite a party, hoping place, where jazz and booze flowed and guests were entertained, It is quiet possibly where the Charleston was first danced.

Another exciting ride home, as thunderstorms were threatening on Rocket through rush hour traffic.  We made it safe and sound.  Even got home in time to pick up a DVD to watch. 

I Couldn't Stop Smiling

Day 55, May 26, 2011, I Couldn’t Stop Smiling

101 miles, averaging 15.4 mph

Route from Statesboro, GA to New Green Acres RV Park, Walterboro, SC

Best Moment – As I was riding this morning (in fact most of the day,) I couldn’t help but smile.  Just thinking about all of the places I’ve seen since this ride started and how lucky I am to be able to undertake such an adventure made me smile.  It was a wonderfully cool morning with beautiful roads and great scenery.  

Worst Moment – Two flat tires in the same day has to count for the worst moment.  The one good thing about it is that only one of the flats was the rear tire.

As I left the RV around 7 this morning, I rode into downtown Statesboro.  It really is a beautiful southern town.  There were the old courthouse, and municipal buildings along with colorful country gardens.

Then there were miles of well-maintained, empty country roads through the pine forests with just enough hills to make it fun.  (A few rollers here and there.) 

Then came the challenge – a right turn onto CR 82 also known as Reedsville Road which was not paved but deep sand.  Can you see the bicycle tire track down the middle of the road?  It is there.  The quads really got a workout for the 2.5 miles of that.  (And here only a few days ago I was perplexed why the GPS would route me on a sandy road – apparently that is just the way it is – sometimes.)

Just after crossing the Savannah River, I entered South Carolina – the ninth state of the adventure.  One of the things that I’ve noticed about South Carolina is that there are a lot more historical markers than there were in Georgia.  Perhaps it is that I’m just on a better traveled road, or maybe there was more that happened in South Carolina.  Much of the route was along Sherman’s march to the sea and it is well marked with signs telling what he burned.

Perhaps it is very touristy, but I stopped at one of the roadside places advertising peach cider – free samples.  I can’t say too much about the peach cider, but they did have Moon Pies, Pecan Pies, and Peach Cobbler.  I got one of each.  The pie is Pecan pie is for Neita – it is really good.  The Moon Pie was gone in a couple of minutes.  And the Peach Cobbler is “put up” in a sealed glass jar.  It has chunks of peaches and chunks of pastry – should be interesting. 

The New Green Acres RV Park is quite nice – just not quiet. It is right next to I-95. That makes for easy access, I’m sure, but also lots of traffic noise.  It has a beautiful swimming pool – not open yet for the season.  It is 95 degrees, what do they want?

Statesboro

Day 54, May 25, 2011, Statesboro

0 miles, averaging 0 mph

Route – around Statesboro, GA on Rocket

Best Moment – Having the bike all tuned and ready for another 4,000 miles.  When I picked it up from the shop, I could tell it really had needed a tune-up.  It really is a much more comfortable bicycle to ride and feels so much more solid than the Cannondale.  (Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love riding the road bike, but on roads that I know.)

Worst Moment – The shop suggested that I replace the rear tire.  I was thinking – “didn’t I just do that?”  I had, but the inner layer was starting to show through – just asking for more flats.  I replaced the rear tire.

Statesboro is very much a little farming community.  It is a good thing that Georgia Southern University is here, or there might not be much of a town. Many of the small farming towns are being abandoned in favor of larger cities.  And Savannah is only 50 miles to the east.

I gave Neita three choices of things to do today and told her that she had to pick two.  While she didn’t choose the Georgia Southern University Botanical Gardens, I was able to talk her into a visit.  What a unique place.  There wasn’t anyone else around.  The gardens were supposed to open at 9:30.  We were able to walk through the gardens but the home wasn’t open.  There was another family walking in as we were leaving nearly an hour later.

They were very lovely.  One could almost imagine folks coming to visit up the magnolia, holly, and azalea lined front entrance as the Blands (they originally owned the home) waited to greet their guests.  There were lovely flower gardens, vegetable gardens and a collection of azaleas.  One of the most amazing shrubs was this huge gardenia bush.

After seeing all there was to see at the gardens, we took off for the Meinhardt Vineyards.  It was quite a trek.  The last mile or so was on a sand road – a little dicey on Rocket.  I had to keep one foot down just in case.  The vineyard mainly specialized in muscadine wines – not like anything I’d tasted before.  Even the drier wines were very sweet.   The winery was a very beautiful place.

Spent the rest of the day resting and relaxing – it’s a big day tomorrow – at least 95 miles.  It should be a bit cooler as we get closer to the coast.  I think that Walterboro was 10 degrees cooler today than Statesboro.  YEAH!

Georgia Backcountry

Day 53, May 24, 2011, Georgia Backcountry

69 miles, averaging 15.8 mph

Route from Jesup to Parkwood RV Park and Cottages, Statesboro, GA

Best Moment – Having someone stop and ask me for directions!  I was consulting the GPS to make sure that I was on the right track.  It was an area where there wasn’t good cell service and a girl pulled up and asked me if she was going the right direction to get to Glenville.  Like I would know?  I got out the Georgia map and found that, yes she was going the right direction.  A good thing.

Worst Moment – Those rumble strips are a real shocker and are sometimes impossible to avoid.  Quite a shaking. 

Today, I decided that it would be faster to follow the GPS and its route to Statesboro.  Things worked well until the first turn – it looked like this – 

a sandy unpaved road that I was supposed to follow for .7 miles.  I ignored it.  The GPS recalculated.  Then the second left turn looked like the first, another recalculation.  

No more sandy roads – just beautiful Georgia backcountry. 

I was on the Cannondale again, but there were some hills, which cut into the great average speeds that I had the previous two days.   

This countryside is just amazing.  Most of the route was on deserted country farm roads through pine forests, and farms.  There were acres of corn.  It looks a bit stressed and in need of rain.  Then there were fields of onions.  These had been harvested and were lying on the ground.  This is the area where the Vidalia onions come from. 

I got to Statesboro early and took in the Novara in to the bike shop for a tune up – 4,000 miles. 4,000 miles ridden so far!! We are here two nights since the re-arrangement of the schedule so we had cable to watch American Idol. 

Georgia Pines

Day 52, May 23, 2011, Georgia Pines

72 miles, averaging 16.4 mph

Route from Folkston to Beaver Creek Campground, Jesup, GA

Best Moment – The iced watermelon Neita had in Ruby when she arrived was a special treat especially after a day of 104 degree temperatures.

Worst Moment – Riding to the sidewalks for self-preservation again I was surprised when I came to a curb that didn’t have the cutout for wheel chairs and bicycles was quite a surprise.  Not a lot of fun on any bike but really not fun on the Cannondale. Though having flat tires always should be a "worst moment," I am sort of getting used to them.  I was able to change the one on the rear tire today in about 10 minutes. 

At 7 this morning, as I was leaving the campground we stayed at last night, the manager came out to ask me what I was doing in the campground and if she could help me?   I let her know that I had spent the night in the red motorhome and was getting ready to leave.  “Oh,” she said, “I didn’t know you was with them.”

Just outside the campground was this interesting sign.  Wonder if they mean alcohol?   I’m not really sure what alchol is.  Shirley, at the Beaver Creek Campground told us that down around Folkston, is the area known for moonshine and marijuana. 

The road this morning was a nice two-lane highway through the Georgia pines.  I had the fresh pine scent for most of the way to Jesup.  From Folkston to the town of Jesup is only about 60 miles and that is sort of what I had anticipated the ride would be – around 60 miles.  

When I got to Jesup, I searched for the address of Beaver Creek Campground and found I still had another 12 miles to go.  Bummer!  As it was I still beat Neita here though she arrived about 15 minutes later.