Passed into South Carolina

 Avoiding any possible Hazardous debris on the campground road I walked my bike out to the road.  With the wheels rolling by 8:00, I left Holden Beach and headed for Myrtle Beach.  It seemed like forever riding in North Carolina so passing into South Caroline was nice.  For the next fifty-one miles the roads varied between back and main roads.  Once again the shoulders were near to non existent.  Thank God for my rear flashing light and my flag.  It kept the cars at bay.  Only one Bridge over the Inter coastal waterway was a bit tense.  The trick is to ride enough into the lane to force the cars and trucks into another lane.  If I hug the side of the road to closely, the traffic passes me with less room.  Also, overt hand signs let’s the drivers know my intentions far in advance. 

After two stops for food and drink, I made it to my warm showers destination on the western side of Myrtle beach out a few miles from the shore.  Kai and Zander, my warmshowers hosts newly married a week ago, were very welcoming.  This includes their two Siamese cats.  One was just rescued and was hiding under my bed until we made friends. I was tge first one to break the ice. Their  house is a tasteful row house in a large suburban development, next to a pond and access to a swimming pool.  Sander cooked me  up an Aldi’s pizza and with a cold IPA it was a good way to chill down..  A road trip to the grocery store I picked him up a six pack of IPAs and two bananas to ward off the leg cramps. Turns out he is a woodworker, the second in three days so bonded well. He being  thirty-four and me Seventy-one, we have that common bond of fine woodworking.  I encouraged him to contact me with any woodworking questions he might have. I want to pass on what I know so the art doesn’t die. 

With all my trips most everyone is younger than me by a significant amount but it never gets in the way of good camaraderie.  Zander has bicycled both the north coast of Australia and New Zealand.  North Australia is very tropical and you stay clear of the beaches because of the lurking  crocodiles submerged in the water. Some bikers are braver than I am.

Tomorrow my destination is forty-five miles south to a campsite in Georgetown. First I will have to bicycle south east to the Myrtle beach madness. Further south into the country the traffic thins out considerably.