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.