Island hopping

 If it weren’t for a heavy dew leaving my tent drench in condensation, I would have left well before nine.  The whole place still floating in water left me with no other option but to lay my tent out to dry on the newly paved road leading to my site.  The sun did its thing and rolling around 9:00. Before turning onto the main road, I stopped off at the Hatteras Lighthouse for better look.  Having been moved in 1999 due to coastal erosion, I wanted to see the original site. In the process I met up with three park rangers who were fascinated with my bicycling trips.  Asking my permission first they took my picture.  I gave them my card. They want to put my picture and story in their news letter using only my first name.  The park service is always promoting good health through hiking and bicycling and thought I would catch peoples’ attention.

Breakfast came in the way of a delicious bakery on the outskirts of town. Now it was 10:00 and I needed to crank it up to make the ferry in Hatteras.  Just as I arrived at the terminal the departing ferry had loaded its last car.  They let me on and a minute later we were on our way.  The ferry made this huge arc to avoid the sand reefs which in turn made for a one hour ride.  Once on the Island of Ocracoke, fourteen miles lay between and the ferry to Cedar Island.  The last ferry out was at 1:00 or 1:30 and I was bent on getting there on time. With a slight headwind the bike made about eleven mph.  Sands dunes on the roadside kept the crashing surf at bay for the road appeared to be at sea level.  Straining to keep my bike speed up given the heat and humidity,  I arrived at the ferry drenched with sweat. I missed the boat, it departed at 1:00 leaving me on the island until tomorrow’s 7:30 ferry.  Nice try but no cigar. There were two campsites to choose from but first the body needed refueling.  On the steps of  a local funky grocery store after buying lunch inside, I chilled out and topped off the tank. Thinking that I was campground bound,  I just happened to check Warmshowers.  Alas, there was a member on the Island.  Dave Jones answered the phone and took me right in.  Turns out that Bruce and Nancy Nisley had stayed there last night.  Dave’s house is raised up to prevent flood waters from destroying the place. . So my tent rests on his cement floor at ground level seven feet below his first floor. Last year Hurricane Dorian inundated his ground level space with four feet of water, no harm was done.  

With the tent set up, clothes in the washing machine and my body and soul refreshed with a warm shower, I hoofed over to the nesrby brewery for a beer and dinner.  Once back at the house Dave and I jawboned and then than I called it a day.  Tomorrow, the day starts at 5:30 in order to make the 7:30 ferry to Cedar Island.

 

Cruising the outer banks

     Today was a day all touring bicyclists wish for, perfect weather, with the wind at your back, the traffic mild and scenery beautiful.  Somewhat sore this morning after yesterday’s ordeal, I took a bit longer to get load and moving.  Route 12, border the beach was a block behind my hotel and a dream to ride on based on anyone’s standards.  Two miles down the road I turned off to go see the Wright Memorial museum where the initial four flights took place.  No longer is there sand, it is all grassed in with sizable  granite markers marking how far each flight flew.  A nice modern museum is adjacent to the field. A replica of their first plane is in the main room with several wondering side rooms detailing every facet of their quest to make a flying machine.  December 17,1903 and the temperature was near zero they pulled off what most people believed to be impossible.  The museum, though small, is well done and worth seeing.

   Back on the road, I left Kitty Hawk for the dunes and marshlands which stretch for miles. Two lanes of traffic at a much slower speed and a wider shower.  One long bridge but a seven foot shoulder and a  high guardrail made for a low stress rude over it. The sound of the waves and the singing birds was with me much of the day.  Having the wind behind me didn’t hurt either, averaging  around twelve mph made the miles fly by.  In Rodanthe, I stopped at a small country store market for lunch.  With thirty-four miles behind me, I almost called it a day and stopped at one of three camp grounds in town. Twenty-four miles ahead was a national camp ground where the Cape Hatteras light house stands. Wanting at least fifty miles on the odometer, I pressed on. The sun was shining and the wind pushed me along at almost thirteen mph.  Arriving at Buxton much sooner than anticipated was a plus for the day.  Sixty miles went quickly and 75 degrees most of the day.  Turning  off onto Lighthouse road led me right to the Hatteras lighthouse. A mile further I arrived at the campsite run by the National Park service. No one was manning the reception building at the gate. Only through an 800 number could I secure a reservation. The phone reservation system only frustrated me but I was rescued by ranger probably a bit older than me. The place was half flooded from days of raining so he let me in for free and directed me to a dry site. Once set up, I had to walk barefooted through two inches of water to teach the bathhouse.  What followed was a cold water shower activated by an overhead pull cord.  Not much fun but  it cleaned me up. Next came the ride back to town where I had a sumptuous seafood dinner including two IPAs and a coconut cream cake. The ride back to my site Required my headlight and rear red flashing light.  It was really dark. Before crawling into my tent, I gazed at the cloudless sky snd took in the beautiful array of stars. No light pollution out here.

I ate the bear instead of him eating me

  Camping at the state part was easy and enjoyable. The seashore, sand dunes, scrub live oaks and high grass made for a beautiful setting and a nice place to mellow out.  The body clicked on at 6:45 after a long nights sleep.  Once the sun goes down when camping, there is not much to do but sleep. The tent came down and everything was ready to go including breakfast by 8:25.  Leaving  of Virginia Beach was easy enough with a few bike/pedestrian paths and a few miles side walks.  Once the road narrowed to two lanes I could get out on the road.  But today unlike other days, the roads were devoid of shoulders.  Cars had to go around me which had me constantly looking  in my rear view mirror.  Based on a state park employee’s recommendation I rode to Knots Island where there was a ferry to a Currituck.  A very pleasant ride as well as saving me at least fifty miles of riding around the inlets. The ferry was free as they all are on the coast of North Carolina.

Once in Currituck the ride changed dramatically.  Four lines of roadway with fast moving traffic and only a two foot shoulder. Thinking I would find a campsite soon I pedaled onward.  No such luck, not even hotels, just commercial businesses, restaurants, churches and thousands of large billboard advertisements.  The short of it all Is I had to tough it out for thirty-six miles.  The cars gave me room but it took some seasoned nerves to tolerate this stressful stretch.  Running on empty, I reached the 2 1/3 mile 158/Currituck bridge which connected the mainland with Kitty Hawk and the outer banks.  Rather than ride on the side of the road, I made decision to take the whole lane which pushed my comfort level into the red zone.  Crazy sounding but the cars pulled over into the passing lane giving me plenty of room with the sun at my back snd wearing bright clothes, cars could see far off and make a safe lane change. With a stiff breeze in my face, I shifted down which slowed me up. My legs needed a break but I kept cranking unmercifully.  What a relief it was to conquer this monster bridge.  It is in the same league as the seven mile bridge leading to Key West.  I stopped and found online an RV park down the road three miles.  Four lanes of traffic again and the RV park was one large semi permanent huge RVs  with no room for campers like me.  Fortuitously, there was a decent motel next door.  After 77.68 miles, the body needed a rest.  After checking in and cleaning up, I went door to Hurricane Mo’s and had a feast. My body had been tested plenty of food and water are a necessity step in staving off a sore tomorrow. 

Back at the room I began researching the bridges I will need to ride over as I ride south on the outer banks. One can only take so much of these four lanes of fast moving traffic with an insufficient shoulder.  If the bridges are danger for bicycles I may opt for inland country roads.

Finally over the bay bridge and tunnel

 This morning came earlier than I wanted but the show must go on.  Lee Ann cooked me a delicious breakfast and off I pedaled to the Chesapeake Bay bridge and tunnel forty-eight miles south. Unlike yesterday day’s maze of confusing back roads, Dave Fick’s directions got me to Seaside road which I stayed on for the duration. The entire way was pleasant country side with very light traffic.  Corn, soy beans, farms, winding roads with very subtle undulating hills and a slight tail wind made the ride a pleasant one. Let me not forget to mention the numerous Trump signs along the way. Forty-nine miles in total with only a twenty minute break for lunch.    Seven miles on the four lane route 13 brought me to the toll.  Dave rendezvoused with me at the parking lot by the tolls and loaded me and my bike on his super duty F250 ($85,000 worth of truck!).  The twenty-two mile over bridge and tunnel went quickly as Dave gave me the run down of the four way tunnels under construction.  To ease my ride through the congested Norfolk area, he drove over to the state park a few miles east where I could camp.  At first the park service person at the gate said the park was full but at the office they had a spot for me. Bizarrely, my name and address was already on their enrollment list.  It must have been because of the state and federal parks  I stayed in across the country.  Dave was kind enough to take me to the local super market and let me stock up on food for dinner, breakfast and the road.  I always carry food like sardines/smoke oysters, cheese, chocolate and fruit ( usually an orange) for those times out in the country where there are no stores for miles.  We talked for awhile and then he headed off; a great guy he is.  Setting up my tent, a study of my map for tomorrow, adjustment of my new iphone holder and a luke warm shower followed.  After dinner at the picnic table visited by a few mosquito and a friendly squirrel looking for s hand out, I sauntered down to the beach to check out the view.  The bridge was in the distance and stretched over the horizon out of sight. Tomorrow I will cross over into North Carolina and head towards Kitty Hawk.

Too many confusing back roads

 8:25 out of the camp ground, beautiful day.  Trying to navigate my way south proved to be a confuse mess of back roads that Google map couldn’t get straight.  In total I rode 43 miles, seven more than it should have taken me. With my derriere feeling the pain, I arrived at Dave and Lee Ann’s mansion (literally).  Taking the elevator to the third floor, Lee Ann got me settled in.  A cold beer followed with snacks to tide me over until dinner.  What a place, Dave has every toy imaginable, cars, boats, motorcycles, bicycles and plenty more.  Retiring as an investment banker ten years ago, he moved to Pungoteague, Virginia where he bought land on the water front, built a palatial estate and started an oyster farm.  He and his wife bicycle Europe and motorcycle around north and south America.

Having arrived 14:00, I had time to properly install my new iphone holder and tighten up my seat. Dave was busy remove a wall in the furnace room so Lee Ann and I had a good time talking.  After a hot shower and shave, I had access to the washing machine and drier to wash my clothes.  Dinner followed which included broiled oysters over the fire pit outside. A delicious dinner followed.  We got along very well, very easy people to be with.   Tomorrow I ride south to the bridge/tunnel where Dave will meet me, loaded my bike onto his Tesla and take me to the other side.  What a great guy he is.  I will miss them both.

Fifty miles to a space launch

   Out of the rack and on my way by 8:06, fifty-one miles  with the wind at my starboard aft quarter giving me a good push almost the whole way. Stopped at Ruby Tuesdays in Pocomoke, Virginia well into the eastern shore.  I needed a hot lunch in a decent restaurant after a cool morning ride.  In my search for evening accommodations, I discovered a nice camp ground eighteen miles south of me, Tall Pines Harbor Camp Ground. Arriving before around 3:30, I checked in and set up my tent next to a couple who had done some short rides around the Eastern Shore. Once cleaned up and chilled out, I made contact with a warmshowers couple, Dave and Lee Ann about thirty miles south of me. Bruce and Sonja Nisley had stayed with them and had a great time.  Things began to ramp up at this point.  Dave mentioned a NASA rocket launch from Wallop, Va east of me at 9:15 tonight. Expressing my enthusiasm for the space program, he asked me to join him for the launch within sight of the launch pad. Then he called back asked me to join him and Lee Ann for dinner over at a funky dockside restaurant in Saxis.  They picked me up in there Tesla, the butterfly doors opened automatically to my amazement.  An incredible machine with an amazing array of high tech gadgets including autonomous driving.  The acceleration was incredible. Dave drove like he was on a formula one race track explaining along the way that the whole area was only two feet above sea level and the government was not going to save it from the rising sea. Houses along the way had been raised but county being one of the poorest in Virginia, most residents would be forced to move.  

The restaurant was a shack on the edge of a dock on a huge tidal salt water marsh. Crabbing and oysters were subsistence business covering this whole lower Chesapeake area.  Dinner was delicious and I footed the bill knowing that I was staying with them tomorrow night and that Dave would be driving over the Chesapeake bridge (twenty-one miles) the day after. Before leaving the restaurant he had his Tesla perform and animated rock tune with the lights keeping the rhythm and the butterfly doors going up  and down.  It was the most amazing  performance. I put it up on Facebook.  Next we drove to the site where we were to watch the rocket launch.  Right on the tidal marsh with a full moon lighting up the place and the tide extra high just shy of flooding out the parking lot.  The launch was spectacular about two miles way but very visible. There was a ten second sound delay and the ground shook upon its arrival.  What a display of awesome power as the rocket lifted into the sky, something I won’t forget.  

He took me back to my camp site after giving me the route I should take to their house tomorrow.  What an evening I had!

Beautiful day, the wind persists

 A really nice hotel I left in Wildwoods this morning  but quite frankly the place was a ghost town.  An 8:38 departure and an eleven mile ride got me  to ferry to Lewes with a half hour to spare.  The ferry filled completely half of which were these huge RVs.  I don’t get it, why?  These vehicles must be an enormous hassle to park somewhere not to mention how much fuel these things consume. Perhaps half a million dollars is spent to acquire one of these monsters.

The ferry left on time and  I was in Lewes bicycling south in less than two hours.  My goal was Ocean City, Maryland but the persistent wind has worn me down.  After stopping off at a bike shop in Fenwick Island to purchase an iphone holder, I was really to pack it up for the day.  But in my rear view mirror a bicycle kept gaining on me.  He pulled even with with me on a one hundred dollar Walmart bike.  One tire was yellow, the other lyme green.  We struck up a conversation as we rode block after block all eight-three of them.  Ocean City is one long strip of high rises and restaurants.  Ugly is a good word for this place.  Being worn down, Phil’s presences inspired me to keep pedaling through this concrete jungle.   He brought to the route 50 bridge where we departed.  I thanked him for the company.  

Why anyone would ever want to live in Ocean City is beyond me. Phil happen to have purchased a condominium there but lives in Fells point, Baltimore.  With the pandemic he and his wife do not get along being together all the time so he moved to his condo.  This covid 19 virus has turned our lifestyles upside down.

 A few miles down the road after crossing  the bridge, I found a Micro hotel where I checked in for  the night.  There were no warmershowers and one campsite said because of the virus, no tent campers are allowed. The bathroom is  the issue. RVs are self contained bu  tent campers need a bathroom which opens up the chance for spreading the germs.

Settled in, I walked to a Wawa super convenient store and rounded up some dinner and breakfast for tomorrow.  So for, over two hundred miles are behind me.  Perhaps I will slow down for the next two days.