This is going to be a short post about the past couple days because I really want to get to a new post about today, I'm trying to keep some sense of order here if you can't tell.
Yesterday I started off the day staring a 130 mile ride in the face. That was the last thing I felt like doing, but you don't get to the end of the day without putting in the first mile. As I was fumbling through my maps I realized that one section of the route met up with the route again three sections away. Helloooooo shortcut!!!!! I'm finding out that everyday on this trip, you always find what you're looking for. There are just so many options out there and so many different paths that if you can't find a way out or a better option then you're not really looking hard enough. Life lesson number 5641.
I started the day from Reidsville, GA and ended near the Okeefenokee Swamp in Folkston, GA. Monday night in Reidsville was spent at a $40 hotel (the Indian woman behind the counter gave $2.80 off because I chatted it up with her for 30 minutes or better). While riding to Reidsville earlier that day I crossed the SC/GA border. This was the worst concentration of loose dogs that I've seen yet. Pitbull after pitbull after....Cujo? Who the heck owns these dogs and haven't they ever heard of a leash? After the dogs I hit a stretch of dirt road that Jess and Mike warned me about. They were right, it was soft and I almost crashed numerous times. The whole stretch of the road I was praying, "please God, no dogs, please!!!!" I guess you could say I'm one of those "Oh Shit" believers.
Ok, so that is over with. I rode past huge Vidalia Onion farms, guys spraying the heck out of pecan trees, corn field after wheat field after oat field, and all else that makes Georgia what it is. While in Statesboro, GA I learned that SC actually producesore and supposedly better peaches then GA. As the peach juice was dripping offs hands I had to agree. I stopped at Vandy's BBQ in Statesboro and needed to look up a review for the place online before eating there because the outside of the building looked so bad. The review confirmed what I thought when I saw the large smoker out back, one of the best BBQ joints in Statesboro. When I went inside to order everybody stared at me for about the first 10 minutes (common occurance down here that I'm becoming very accustomed to). "What's everybody order here" I ask the woman as she walks up to my table. "Large plate, potato salad and stew combo." It was good to the last drop. The plate came with four pieces off Sunbeam bread (as it should have because Sunbeam must have given Vandy's their sign back in 1970. One huge Sunbeam Bread sign hanging from the front of the building with "Vandy's Bbq" underneath it in small letters. Anyway , I used every last breadcrumb to make sure that nothing was left on the plate, slurped up the rest of the sweet tea, and wished I had another stomach so I could order another.
I wish I could post more frequently because every minute something new happens that is worthy of a sentence. I used to wonder how travel writers filled up a whole book but now I understand.
After my departure from Reidsville and finding the shortcut I found Jeff Greenberg. As it turns out, Jeff is going to Key West via bike also. This is a long story about how we met, but we did so we rode together. Jeff looks about 10 years younger then he is and has the enthusiasm of someonewho is 20 years younger. I pushed Jeff to ride way past his intended mileage on Tuesday, but it was worth it. We shared a pizza at Mikey's Pizza in Folkston, GA and then found a great campsite for $5 per tent. There were beautiful Magnolia trees all around with moss hanging from the limbs. In the middle of the night I had a friend who wanted to get into my bag of food. I moved quick in the hammock and let out a pssssttttt sound which sent the critter straight up into the air and then intothe woods. Jeff helped me to hang my food off a tree just in case he came back.
In the am it was time for another day of riding.
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Sunday, May 25, 2008
A Day of Rest
After a night of food, sweet tea vodka and cheap concession stand beer I decided to sleep in. This is not an easy thing to do when you're accustomed to waking up at 6am. Up at 6am, 6:40, 7:15, 7:30, enough is enough, I'm up already. At the hostel I had some great coffee and a bagel with Nutella for breakfast. Fritz, one of the staff members at the hostel, had some great biking stories and was really friendly. Him and a friend once stayed in an abandoned bus during some bike touring adventure. They only had two hours of sleep because the mosquito's were so bad in the bus. The next day of riding, Fritz's friend Steve fell asleep while riding, rode into Fritz's back wheel, crashed his bike and split his chin open. They rode 12 miles to the hospital, stitched up Steve's chin and finished the ride. That's hardcore!!!
Finding the hostel was a great deal. I was really lucky in that somebody cancelled their reservation for last night so I swooped in and booked it up. Considering I was three blocks away from the hostel when I found this out I was very relieved. My other option would be to spend $250 on a hotel room that I would sleep in for 8 hours.
Brett Treacy was the person who introduced me to vodka sweet tea. Brett is a musician in the Charleston area who is making a go at his passion in life. You can hear Brett's music at www.myspace.com/bretttreacy .
After a little r&r this morning I finally left the hostel and hit the road. It took me a long time to decide if I was going to ride route 17 to Port South instead of taking the Adventure Cycling route. Yesterday I told a group of people to be careful about riding 17 and today I'm riding it myself. White knuckle riding for a little bit, but not too bad after awhile. I ditched off rt 17 for a bit and nearly crashed when a road turned to sand. There wasn't any traffic on this road so it would have been a little spill, but definitely woke me up. I met a couple guys who where fishing for catfish and spot tail bass on the side of the road. After that I found a Peach Cider Shop and sample peach, cherry, muscadine and I think it was blackberry cider. I had to buy some red raspberry sauce (it's sauce not jam Jenni) and sent it back home with some other goodies. If you get a sweet tooth then try some of that raspberry sauce on some ice cream Jenni....unbelievable!!!
The woman behind the counter found me a hotel room for the night that cost $30. I was going to camp at the KOA bit for $10 more I don't need to setup camp and I'll be able to gain atleast a half hour.
Stealth camping isn't much fun in the south because of the heat and the bugs. Showers wash away a hard day of riding and ready you for tomorrows coat of sunblock.
I plan on putting in a good day of riding tomorrow. Right now I'm about 70 miles from Statesboro, GA which will conclude section 5 of my 7 maps. After I pass Statesboro I'm going to travel 37 more miles to Reidsville, GA and camp at a State Park. Tuesday night will be camping at either Atkinson, GA or Folkston, GA depending upon how fast and far I can ride. Folkston is about 10 miles from the FL border so I'm going to try hard to push through.
Depending upon how the heat treats me I'm thinking of attempting a 200 mile day someplace in FL. Tuesday I'm going to ship home the cold weather gear and some spare hardware. If I drastically lighten the load and ride a 18 mph average then I think a 200 mile day is highly possible. Easy to say after a nice light 60 mile day.
Time for me to recharge the batteries. If you're reading the blog then don't forget to post so
e messages. It's nice to hear what everybody is up to.
Untill next time, may the peach cider be chilled and the vodka sweet tea find it's way to NY.
Brad
Finding the hostel was a great deal. I was really lucky in that somebody cancelled their reservation for last night so I swooped in and booked it up. Considering I was three blocks away from the hostel when I found this out I was very relieved. My other option would be to spend $250 on a hotel room that I would sleep in for 8 hours.
Brett Treacy was the person who introduced me to vodka sweet tea. Brett is a musician in the Charleston area who is making a go at his passion in life. You can hear Brett's music at www.myspace.com/bretttreacy .
After a little r&r this morning I finally left the hostel and hit the road. It took me a long time to decide if I was going to ride route 17 to Port South instead of taking the Adventure Cycling route. Yesterday I told a group of people to be careful about riding 17 and today I'm riding it myself. White knuckle riding for a little bit, but not too bad after awhile. I ditched off rt 17 for a bit and nearly crashed when a road turned to sand. There wasn't any traffic on this road so it would have been a little spill, but definitely woke me up. I met a couple guys who where fishing for catfish and spot tail bass on the side of the road. After that I found a Peach Cider Shop and sample peach, cherry, muscadine and I think it was blackberry cider. I had to buy some red raspberry sauce (it's sauce not jam Jenni) and sent it back home with some other goodies. If you get a sweet tooth then try some of that raspberry sauce on some ice cream Jenni....unbelievable!!!
The woman behind the counter found me a hotel room for the night that cost $30. I was going to camp at the KOA bit for $10 more I don't need to setup camp and I'll be able to gain atleast a half hour.
Stealth camping isn't much fun in the south because of the heat and the bugs. Showers wash away a hard day of riding and ready you for tomorrows coat of sunblock.
I plan on putting in a good day of riding tomorrow. Right now I'm about 70 miles from Statesboro, GA which will conclude section 5 of my 7 maps. After I pass Statesboro I'm going to travel 37 more miles to Reidsville, GA and camp at a State Park. Tuesday night will be camping at either Atkinson, GA or Folkston, GA depending upon how fast and far I can ride. Folkston is about 10 miles from the FL border so I'm going to try hard to push through.
Depending upon how the heat treats me I'm thinking of attempting a 200 mile day someplace in FL. Tuesday I'm going to ship home the cold weather gear and some spare hardware. If I drastically lighten the load and ride a 18 mph average then I think a 200 mile day is highly possible. Easy to say after a nice light 60 mile day.
Time for me to recharge the batteries. If you're reading the blog then don't forget to post so
e messages. It's nice to hear what everybody is up to.
Untill next time, may the peach cider be chilled and the vodka sweet tea find it's way to NY.
Brad
The Charleston Spur
This morning I'm in Charleston, SC at another hostel. I can smell the coffee brewing and can't wait to grab myself a cup. If I had to choose only one bad habit, coffee would be it. Beer and wine have their place, but coffee is King.
Last night I met up with a couple guys from the Charleston area at a burrito joint. After eating, they introduced me to vodka sweet tea and we went over to a Reggae Festival. It was a pretty good time.
Time for some coffee, I'll be back later to talk all about the rest.
I'm back. Yes Jennifer, I'm a changed man. There isn't much time for beer or wine when you're riding 100 miles a day. It just slows you down. Coffee on the other hand, gives you a boost of energy, a change of attitude, and time to reflect. When I hit Key West, I may decide that a margahrita or pina colada is in store, but nothing kick starts the system like a good ole cup of joe.
Right now it's about 9:45 am and I'm headed off for a short day with a late start. The decision to take the Charleston spur probably added 25 miles to my trip but if I don't take a little time to drink in the culture then the backwoods towns and some of their constiuents start to get really stale. I've done 96.57, 103.67, 87.55, and 112.72 mile days for the past four days so when I leave Charleston today I'll probably rest up with a 60 mile ride.
The heat is here and here to stay. Hydration has become more important then ever. I apply a liberal coat of sunblock every couple hours and after about 10 minutes of riding I can feel the perspiration pushing out through the sunblock like small leaks in a dam. It's a never ending battle. I need to find some sunblock that holds up to exercise while also protecting from the sun or else I cook.
Yesterday I met up with another couple, Mike and Jessica, on a tandem who were biking from Miami to Bar Harbor, ME. I was sweating my butt off and they told me they were thinking of stopping and putting on arm warmers. I can only hope that I acclimate to the heat as they have...and hopefully before Florida. These two were putting in 100 miles a day and staying at hotels in the evening. You can check out their site at tandemadventure.com . Most people I meet tell me how Georgia can be a little rough in some of the back towns but once you hit Florida life is good again.
I also met four guys from Michigan who flew to Savannah, GA and are traveling to ME, then over the top of the lakes and back to MI. I'm not sure these four are going to make it because after two days of traveling they were already looking for faster routes. It seems as though the route I'm taking parallels route 17 in a lot of areas but route 17 is very sketchy to ride on. They were talking about jumping on 17 to save some time...not a good idea, but each to their own.
Before hitting Charleston I stopped and talked to a guy on the side of the road who was selling shrimp. He was probably around 20-24 and he bought shrimp from his uncle who has a shrimping boat at McClellanville, NC. He used to bring 150 lbs of shrimp up to some restaurants in West Virginia (where he grew up) but his transmission in his truck went and now he sells shrimp off the side of the road north of Charleston. The numbers don't work out that well because he buys the shrimp for $4.50/lb, sells it for $6/lb and he sold about 30 lbs yesterday. I guess that he's banking on developing a customer base so that he can move more shrimp in the coming weeks. Maybe he just likes to sit on the side of the road and relax?
So, now I'm off again. I'm almost done with my section 5 map which means I only have two maps left to go. The Statesboro, GA to St. Augustine, FL section is 287.5 miles and the last leg to Key West, FL is 521.5 miles. As of today I've rode 1609 miles and I have about 950 left to go. With the light day today, I should be in Key West on or about June 5th. Finkle has mentioned that he may meet me down there for a couple days and maybe see his sister in Ft. Lauderdale. We'll see how it works out.
So, until next time, may you never forget to take some time for yourself and always remember that no matter how far you need to go you'll always get there if you're moving in the right direction.
Brad
Last night I met up with a couple guys from the Charleston area at a burrito joint. After eating, they introduced me to vodka sweet tea and we went over to a Reggae Festival. It was a pretty good time.
Time for some coffee, I'll be back later to talk all about the rest.
I'm back. Yes Jennifer, I'm a changed man. There isn't much time for beer or wine when you're riding 100 miles a day. It just slows you down. Coffee on the other hand, gives you a boost of energy, a change of attitude, and time to reflect. When I hit Key West, I may decide that a margahrita or pina colada is in store, but nothing kick starts the system like a good ole cup of joe.
Right now it's about 9:45 am and I'm headed off for a short day with a late start. The decision to take the Charleston spur probably added 25 miles to my trip but if I don't take a little time to drink in the culture then the backwoods towns and some of their constiuents start to get really stale. I've done 96.57, 103.67, 87.55, and 112.72 mile days for the past four days so when I leave Charleston today I'll probably rest up with a 60 mile ride.
The heat is here and here to stay. Hydration has become more important then ever. I apply a liberal coat of sunblock every couple hours and after about 10 minutes of riding I can feel the perspiration pushing out through the sunblock like small leaks in a dam. It's a never ending battle. I need to find some sunblock that holds up to exercise while also protecting from the sun or else I cook.
Yesterday I met up with another couple, Mike and Jessica, on a tandem who were biking from Miami to Bar Harbor, ME. I was sweating my butt off and they told me they were thinking of stopping and putting on arm warmers. I can only hope that I acclimate to the heat as they have...and hopefully before Florida. These two were putting in 100 miles a day and staying at hotels in the evening. You can check out their site at tandemadventure.com . Most people I meet tell me how Georgia can be a little rough in some of the back towns but once you hit Florida life is good again.
I also met four guys from Michigan who flew to Savannah, GA and are traveling to ME, then over the top of the lakes and back to MI. I'm not sure these four are going to make it because after two days of traveling they were already looking for faster routes. It seems as though the route I'm taking parallels route 17 in a lot of areas but route 17 is very sketchy to ride on. They were talking about jumping on 17 to save some time...not a good idea, but each to their own.
Before hitting Charleston I stopped and talked to a guy on the side of the road who was selling shrimp. He was probably around 20-24 and he bought shrimp from his uncle who has a shrimping boat at McClellanville, NC. He used to bring 150 lbs of shrimp up to some restaurants in West Virginia (where he grew up) but his transmission in his truck went and now he sells shrimp off the side of the road north of Charleston. The numbers don't work out that well because he buys the shrimp for $4.50/lb, sells it for $6/lb and he sold about 30 lbs yesterday. I guess that he's banking on developing a customer base so that he can move more shrimp in the coming weeks. Maybe he just likes to sit on the side of the road and relax?
So, now I'm off again. I'm almost done with my section 5 map which means I only have two maps left to go. The Statesboro, GA to St. Augustine, FL section is 287.5 miles and the last leg to Key West, FL is 521.5 miles. As of today I've rode 1609 miles and I have about 950 left to go. With the light day today, I should be in Key West on or about June 5th. Finkle has mentioned that he may meet me down there for a couple days and maybe see his sister in Ft. Lauderdale. We'll see how it works out.
So, until next time, may you never forget to take some time for yourself and always remember that no matter how far you need to go you'll always get there if you're moving in the right direction.
Brad
Friday, May 23, 2008
You one of them Yankee boys?
Tonight somebody asked me if I was a Yankee boy? I didn't get the chace to see what he looked like because ether his mother or his girlfriend hushed him up and they walked into the grocery store. Maybe he didn't know that the war was over and he was wondering if he should use his musket on me? It's a little silly down here sometimes. On Wednesday I went to a bike shop in New Bern, NC and the guy there told me that I didn't want to stay in Maysville because it was a black town. I thought the town was perfectly fine. The ni e campsite in Belgrade that I talked about before, they warned me not to stay there because of roamers. When I did check in to the site I was surrounded by a family from MI who's son was soon leaving for Iraq, a fisherman who stays for the week and a few other people who were preparing for the Memorial Day weekend. It seems as though we create our own fear. As I told Jennifer today, black or white, some of the people I've met are just so worried about how tough they are that they act like idiots.
Dr. John Hall is the man from Alaska who is biking around the US and raising money for Breast Cancer. Visit his site, and donate, at www.bikeridearoundamerica.org . Yesterday I met Kim Diorio too. You can read about Kim's trip at www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/springtime2008 . Today I also came across a couple guys from Holland who are headed to Bar Harbor, ME. I believe they started in AZ. Jan and Frans were their names.
At the Carolina Beach campground last night Iet a couple who gave homemade mango salsa, flank steak, and boiled peanuts. What a great treat. That salsa was amazing. I hope to stay in touch with these guys because I think the recipes they have must be amazing.
It seems as though people got a little worried when I said I thought about throwing I the towel. Thinking and doing are two very different things. I don't think there is anyway you could not think about going home once or twice during the trip, there is plenty of time to think. Right now I'm about 240 miles from GA. I got a really late start today but with a good push I was still able to put in 85 miles. It was a good day because I'm figuring out how to maintain 18-21 mph on the flats. Without a headwind I'm really able to fly. The trick to maintaining the speed is keeping your cadence at 95-107 rpm. 100-103 is optimal for me. The other good part about that rythym is that it minimizes crapping, joint acts, and sore muscles.
So far I've had my rear wheel trued up twice, my bottom bracket has a clicking that let's me know when my right foot is at bottom dead center, the drivetrain looks like it went through a coal conveyor, my front deraileur pivot pin needs to be pushed back into place twice a day, and I'm on my second set of bike gloves.
Tonight I ate a small pizza, 10 wings, a banana, a powerbar and a 20 oz soda. I think I go through about 60-100 oz of Gatorade each day and probably 6-8 bottles of h2o (24 oz each). I'll need to cut back on these eating habits when I'm back home.
Time for bed so I can get an early start in the am. Until next time, may you find your inspiration to push through and don't let anything stand between you and a perfect sunset.
Dr. John Hall is the man from Alaska who is biking around the US and raising money for Breast Cancer. Visit his site, and donate, at www.bikeridearoundamerica.org . Yesterday I met Kim Diorio too. You can read about Kim's trip at www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/springtime2008 . Today I also came across a couple guys from Holland who are headed to Bar Harbor, ME. I believe they started in AZ. Jan and Frans were their names.
At the Carolina Beach campground last night Iet a couple who gave homemade mango salsa, flank steak, and boiled peanuts. What a great treat. That salsa was amazing. I hope to stay in touch with these guys because I think the recipes they have must be amazing.
It seems as though people got a little worried when I said I thought about throwing I the towel. Thinking and doing are two very different things. I don't think there is anyway you could not think about going home once or twice during the trip, there is plenty of time to think. Right now I'm about 240 miles from GA. I got a really late start today but with a good push I was still able to put in 85 miles. It was a good day because I'm figuring out how to maintain 18-21 mph on the flats. Without a headwind I'm really able to fly. The trick to maintaining the speed is keeping your cadence at 95-107 rpm. 100-103 is optimal for me. The other good part about that rythym is that it minimizes crapping, joint acts, and sore muscles.
So far I've had my rear wheel trued up twice, my bottom bracket has a clicking that let's me know when my right foot is at bottom dead center, the drivetrain looks like it went through a coal conveyor, my front deraileur pivot pin needs to be pushed back into place twice a day, and I'm on my second set of bike gloves.
Tonight I ate a small pizza, 10 wings, a banana, a powerbar and a 20 oz soda. I think I go through about 60-100 oz of Gatorade each day and probably 6-8 bottles of h2o (24 oz each). I'll need to cut back on these eating habits when I'm back home.
Time for bed so I can get an early start in the am. Until next time, may you find your inspiration to push through and don't let anything stand between you and a perfect sunset.
South Carolina Bound
People in the South like to talk. Right now I'm in a coffee shop trying to write this post, write up some postcards, and just take care of some catchup but this guy keeps talking to me and will not stop. I'm literally typing away right now ad he's talking about his friend from 20 years ago. Plus he just asked me about where I went to school and as it turns out he went to Clarkson so he's probably not going to stop for the next 20 minutes.
Anyway, last night I stayed at Carolina Beach, NC in a State campground that was fantastic. I caught the sunset right before I checked in and I'm very happy about that. The next time I see a sunset that nice will probably be in Key West.
Really, this guy has to stop!!! I don't care that you were accepted by RPI and Tufts, nor that you're a pilot, or about your friend who likes to bike. I just need to write my post.
Ok, so a couple nights ago I stayed just south of New Bern, NC in a small town called Belgrade, NC. Once again I found a campsite that was fairly inexpensive and sandwiched between a small river ad the highway. Due to the fact that you can no longer ride through Camp Lejeune (Marine Base) I had to find an alternate route. This was a little sketchy because I had to ride for a stretch on route 17. With a little care this turned out to be a fairly safe route considering the amount of traffic.
Now the guy has a friend. Supposedly they have all the worlds problems figured out by 11am but then Democrat comes in and screws it all up. They have also told me to be very careful about housewives in SUV's. It's painful to listen to these two.
I met a guy the other day who is probably about 60, from Alaska, and his wife has breast cancer. He started a bike trip from Santa Barbera, CA, biked to FL, I met him in NC, now he's going to Bar Harbor, ME, across the top to the West coast and then back down to Santa Barbera. This was a big deal for me because I met him on a day when I was getting sick of riding. When I have some more time I will dig out his info and post his website just in case anybody would like to donate or read about him.
Gotta run.
Anyway, last night I stayed at Carolina Beach, NC in a State campground that was fantastic. I caught the sunset right before I checked in and I'm very happy about that. The next time I see a sunset that nice will probably be in Key West.
Really, this guy has to stop!!! I don't care that you were accepted by RPI and Tufts, nor that you're a pilot, or about your friend who likes to bike. I just need to write my post.
Ok, so a couple nights ago I stayed just south of New Bern, NC in a small town called Belgrade, NC. Once again I found a campsite that was fairly inexpensive and sandwiched between a small river ad the highway. Due to the fact that you can no longer ride through Camp Lejeune (Marine Base) I had to find an alternate route. This was a little sketchy because I had to ride for a stretch on route 17. With a little care this turned out to be a fairly safe route considering the amount of traffic.
Now the guy has a friend. Supposedly they have all the worlds problems figured out by 11am but then Democrat comes in and screws it all up. They have also told me to be very careful about housewives in SUV's. It's painful to listen to these two.
I met a guy the other day who is probably about 60, from Alaska, and his wife has breast cancer. He started a bike trip from Santa Barbera, CA, biked to FL, I met him in NC, now he's going to Bar Harbor, ME, across the top to the West coast and then back down to Santa Barbera. This was a big deal for me because I met him on a day when I was getting sick of riding. When I have some more time I will dig out his info and post his website just in case anybody would like to donate or read about him.
Gotta run.
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Stormy days and Head Winds
I thought I was doing really well yesterday by putting in 127 miles. I finally hit some flat ground and rode from Richmond, VA to just across the line into North Carolina. By "just across" I mean that I rode until I saw the sign, took a picture of me by the sign and then proceeded to make camp about 50 ft from the side of the rode just beyond the sign. The weather is getting warm and humid which means that their are more mosquito's, spiders and insects. I think I received a spider bite on my arm last night and I definitely pulled a tick of my ankle this afternoon. The easy, sterile, clean world that we usually live in just isn't the same as this adventurous one. The sleep that you get in the hotel room bed is a million times better then sleeping in the hammock someplace wondering what the heck those noises are. I just can't seem to get used to the noises. Whenever I become comfortable with the sounds that I'm hearing something new chimes in.
I can't remember who told me this but supposedly 80% of all animals live in the transition areas (percentage could be off but it's close). So, if you're transitioning from the water to a forest or from the forest to a meadow then you have a very high concentration of wildlife there. Last night I slept right near the transition from corn field to forest and it was the noisiest spot yet. Animals all around. Some singing, some yelling, some chattering and some just humming while they went about their normal routine.
I've carried a small container of pepper spray with me for the past year or so on my bike. Until today, I had never used that spray and never wanted to. The dogs in the backroads of VA and NC are not tied up though. So far I've been fortunate in that they usually do not see me until I'm right up close to their house and they can't catch me. Today a dog saw me early and went on the chase. I pulled out the pepper spray and hit him with some right as he was about 3 ft from my ankle (and gaining). Nothing makes you feel worse then hitting a dog with some pepper spray and then riding in the middle of farm country with nothing to think about except Fido waiting for the sting to wear off. Better that his eyes sting for a few minutes then my leg have puncture marks in it from his teeth....well, better for me atleast.
A storm rolled into Northeastern NC today. Parts of this area and southern VA have tornado advisories. As the storm rolled in the wind became unbearable. I rode 73 miles today and every single one of them was into a headwind. Yesterday I could maintain 16-18 mph on the flats pretty easily but today I was struggling to maintain 10 mph sometimes. I'd see a nice little downhill grade that would be easy to hold 20-22 mph on yesterday and the wind would nearly blow me backwards, up the hill. This was about as demoralizing as it gets. Atleast with the hills, you finally get to the top. With the wind it just keeps right on coming. So, after the 70 miles of riding I was completely exhausted and the storm was getting close. I found a Holiday Inn Express in Plymouth, NC and checked in for the night. Before I was able to get a shower I crashed on the couch and took an hour long nap. This is the most tired I've been on the trip so far. I think that tonight I'll order some Pizza Hut and watch some television.
There have been times in the past few days where I've thought about throwing in the towel. The poverty in the backroads of VA and NC is very depressing and their isn't much to see. I went into a roadside market yesterday only to find that the floor was worn to the subfloor, the heat was an old potbelly stove in the corner of the room, the shelves were 90% bare and what they did have for sale was some cheap, cheap beer, malt liquor, pork&beans, and other canned goods. I asked the woman where everything was and she told me that they don't stock much anymore 'count of all the breakins.
Lots of houses around here are just cinderblock boxes placed near a road. When the wind picks up it seems like half the fields are going to blow away. The dust and soil just start whipping around in the air and it floats across the road like a mist of fog creeping down the mountainside.
I rode by one African-American woman yesterday who turned around and told me, "I can ride a bike but there ain't no way I can ride as fast as you." She had a smile on her face from ear to ear and looked like one of the happiest people in all of NC. It was nice to finally see somebody with a smile on their face. They're few and far between in this area.
It's about time for me to order that pizza. Hopefully the storm passes over tonight and I'm able to get in a good solid day of riding tomorrow. I can't wait to get out of this area and back into some nice towns with coffee houses and sandwich shops.
Until next time, may your neighbors be smiling and your pizza be hot.
I can't remember who told me this but supposedly 80% of all animals live in the transition areas (percentage could be off but it's close). So, if you're transitioning from the water to a forest or from the forest to a meadow then you have a very high concentration of wildlife there. Last night I slept right near the transition from corn field to forest and it was the noisiest spot yet. Animals all around. Some singing, some yelling, some chattering and some just humming while they went about their normal routine.
I've carried a small container of pepper spray with me for the past year or so on my bike. Until today, I had never used that spray and never wanted to. The dogs in the backroads of VA and NC are not tied up though. So far I've been fortunate in that they usually do not see me until I'm right up close to their house and they can't catch me. Today a dog saw me early and went on the chase. I pulled out the pepper spray and hit him with some right as he was about 3 ft from my ankle (and gaining). Nothing makes you feel worse then hitting a dog with some pepper spray and then riding in the middle of farm country with nothing to think about except Fido waiting for the sting to wear off. Better that his eyes sting for a few minutes then my leg have puncture marks in it from his teeth....well, better for me atleast.
A storm rolled into Northeastern NC today. Parts of this area and southern VA have tornado advisories. As the storm rolled in the wind became unbearable. I rode 73 miles today and every single one of them was into a headwind. Yesterday I could maintain 16-18 mph on the flats pretty easily but today I was struggling to maintain 10 mph sometimes. I'd see a nice little downhill grade that would be easy to hold 20-22 mph on yesterday and the wind would nearly blow me backwards, up the hill. This was about as demoralizing as it gets. Atleast with the hills, you finally get to the top. With the wind it just keeps right on coming. So, after the 70 miles of riding I was completely exhausted and the storm was getting close. I found a Holiday Inn Express in Plymouth, NC and checked in for the night. Before I was able to get a shower I crashed on the couch and took an hour long nap. This is the most tired I've been on the trip so far. I think that tonight I'll order some Pizza Hut and watch some television.
There have been times in the past few days where I've thought about throwing in the towel. The poverty in the backroads of VA and NC is very depressing and their isn't much to see. I went into a roadside market yesterday only to find that the floor was worn to the subfloor, the heat was an old potbelly stove in the corner of the room, the shelves were 90% bare and what they did have for sale was some cheap, cheap beer, malt liquor, pork&beans, and other canned goods. I asked the woman where everything was and she told me that they don't stock much anymore 'count of all the breakins.
Lots of houses around here are just cinderblock boxes placed near a road. When the wind picks up it seems like half the fields are going to blow away. The dust and soil just start whipping around in the air and it floats across the road like a mist of fog creeping down the mountainside.
I rode by one African-American woman yesterday who turned around and told me, "I can ride a bike but there ain't no way I can ride as fast as you." She had a smile on her face from ear to ear and looked like one of the happiest people in all of NC. It was nice to finally see somebody with a smile on their face. They're few and far between in this area.
It's about time for me to order that pizza. Hopefully the storm passes over tonight and I'm able to get in a good solid day of riding tomorrow. I can't wait to get out of this area and back into some nice towns with coffee houses and sandwich shops.
Until next time, may your neighbors be smiling and your pizza be hot.
Sunday, May 18, 2008
White Roads, The Last Outpost and 1000 Miles
I want to start this post with a link to another site for some great people that I met along the road. Louie and Becky Berry have made a life of bike touring and living simply. Check out their adventure at www.blueberryrides.com . I think they threw a picture of me in there someplace around May 12 or 13th (could be off by a day or two).
Back to business. After breakfast with Karen, Rob and Jacob I headed off towards Fredericksburg, VA. This was an ambitious ride considering my 10:30 departure. I rode through bike paths until my face was blue and finally ended up at Mt. Vernon, VA. People on bike paths like to see if they can past a guy with a trailer. Or, if you're behind them then they do not like to let you by. I like it when you ride right behind them for 3 or 4 minutes and then when you feel them backing off a bit you drop the hammer, "Hey Pal, make room for my trailer." One thing good about the bike path is that you can have fun.
I'm not sure what the best bang for your buck is in terms of calories. The $.25 peanut butter fudgesicle rates right up tthere but I think the 7-11 Big Bite hot dog takes the cake. The problem with the big bite is that you need a half hour digestion period before you can really start cranking again.
The roads are white in parts of PA, VA and MD. Not really blacktop and not really gravel. If the usual road is 2 parts pavement and 1 part rock then some of these roads are definitely 1 part pavement and 4 parts rock. They shake your toenails loose and leave you squirming on the saddle in a desperate attempt to find the one square inch of your backside that holds the least pain.
In Fredericksburg I met a homeless guy who offered me $6 that somebody just gave him. I must have looked pretty bad. He then proceeded to tell me about people who travel and eat edible greens. A lot of people consider edible greens weeds when they're really valuable sources of nutrition. I'm thinking that if I try to go from ME to Key West on edible greens off the sides of the road then I'd still be in Kennebunk. Hey, if he can live off that stuff then more power to him.
Today was the push to Richmond where I met up with my future mother-in-law for dinner. We had an awesome dinner at California Pizza Kitchen and spent some time catching up on the important, the not so important, and the not so important that is really important. You know what mean?
This is the last outpost (coined by Mrs. Darlene Hancox) in that it's my last stop with planned visits from friends and family. The road is pretty lonely and I've looked forward to these visits but now I think I can start logging more miles per day. Speaking of, today I hit the big 1000 mile mark. One milestone down, more to come.
Until next time, may the greens be plentiful and the roads be black.
Back to business. After breakfast with Karen, Rob and Jacob I headed off towards Fredericksburg, VA. This was an ambitious ride considering my 10:30 departure. I rode through bike paths until my face was blue and finally ended up at Mt. Vernon, VA. People on bike paths like to see if they can past a guy with a trailer. Or, if you're behind them then they do not like to let you by. I like it when you ride right behind them for 3 or 4 minutes and then when you feel them backing off a bit you drop the hammer, "Hey Pal, make room for my trailer." One thing good about the bike path is that you can have fun.
I'm not sure what the best bang for your buck is in terms of calories. The $.25 peanut butter fudgesicle rates right up tthere but I think the 7-11 Big Bite hot dog takes the cake. The problem with the big bite is that you need a half hour digestion period before you can really start cranking again.
The roads are white in parts of PA, VA and MD. Not really blacktop and not really gravel. If the usual road is 2 parts pavement and 1 part rock then some of these roads are definitely 1 part pavement and 4 parts rock. They shake your toenails loose and leave you squirming on the saddle in a desperate attempt to find the one square inch of your backside that holds the least pain.
In Fredericksburg I met a homeless guy who offered me $6 that somebody just gave him. I must have looked pretty bad. He then proceeded to tell me about people who travel and eat edible greens. A lot of people consider edible greens weeds when they're really valuable sources of nutrition. I'm thinking that if I try to go from ME to Key West on edible greens off the sides of the road then I'd still be in Kennebunk. Hey, if he can live off that stuff then more power to him.
Today was the push to Richmond where I met up with my future mother-in-law for dinner. We had an awesome dinner at California Pizza Kitchen and spent some time catching up on the important, the not so important, and the not so important that is really important. You know what mean?
This is the last outpost (coined by Mrs. Darlene Hancox) in that it's my last stop with planned visits from friends and family. The road is pretty lonely and I've looked forward to these visits but now I think I can start logging more miles per day. Speaking of, today I hit the big 1000 mile mark. One milestone down, more to come.
Until next time, may the greens be plentiful and the roads be black.
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