Lots of History

Day 67, June 7, 2011, Lots of History

122.4 miles, averaging 14.3 mph

Route from Suffolk to Richmond KOA, Richmond, VA

Best Moment – All of the way from Suffolk to just outside of Richmond, I didn’t see a single store and hardly any cars. I was completely on back country roads with names like, Blackwater Road, White Hill Trail, Lake Prince Drive and Five Forks Road – just to name a few.

Worst Moment – Two century rides within two days is brutal – especially in this heat and humidity. I don’t know what the humidity was, but it was 98 degrees at one point.  And in spite of liberal applications of chamois cream, I’ve developed a rather painful case of saddle sores.  Hopefully an evening’s rest and short day tomorrow will improve the condition.

As I mentioned, today, I was on small backcountry roads from the time I left Suffolk until just outside of Richmond.   The flat countryside has been replaced by rolling hills. I went through some very lovely lake areas and saw acre after acre of corn and grain ready for threshing. (It looks like there is more irrigation done here because most of the corn appears very healthy though there is still some that looks water starved.)  But there are still beautiful displays of wildflowers.

Virginia has a lot of history.  There are of course the Revolutionary War sites, buildings and historic areas and then the Civil War battlefields, buildings and historic areas.  This is the area where Jeb Stuart was shot and later died.  I stopped at one National Park for the Seven Days Battles at Malvern Hill. Standing at the Union’s position I got a tremendous sense of awe for the historic significance of the field that is there now. 

As I rode into the nearly deserted parking lot – there was only one green Ford Taurus in the whole area, the Park Ranger got out of that car to come over to talk with me.  I imagine that she sees lots more people on weekends.  She explained a little about the battle that had taken place.  The Union forces were much superior and had the advantage during the July 1, 1862 battle, but for some reason decided to retreat to the James River.  Had they pressed their advantage then, who knows how much the war would have been shortened.  She indicated that Lincoln hadn’t even issued the Emancipation Proclamation yet. (It wasn’t issued until January 1, 1863.)

The photo of the cannons represents only two of the very many more cannons that the Union army had pointed at the Southern forces.  The battle was so fierce and noisy that it could be heard in towns as much as a hundred miles away.  The weather during this battle was fiercely hot (much as today) and very humid (also as today.) 

After riding nearly a 100 miles since the day began, I rode into Richmond.  It is another beautiful and historic southern city.  This is where Patrick Henry gave his “Give me liberty or give me death,” speech at St. John’s Church.  I only wish that I had felt like spending more time enjoying its charms. It is also a hilly city – for moments I thought that I was riding in Tallahassee again. I finally pulled into the campground about 6 pm - exhausted. 

Hundreds of Wow Moments

Day 66, June 6, 2011 Hundreds of Wow Moments

108.7 miles, averaging 15.6 mph

Route Kitty Hawk, NC to Davis Lakes Campground, Suffolk, VA

Best Moment – This morning as a raccoon crossed the road in front of me, I thought about all of the wow moments.  I’ve had the opportunity to see lots of wildlife much more closely than any other way other than at a zoo. There have been fox, deer and alligators, cardinals, woodpeckers, egrets, hawks, pelicans, and, today the most amazing small yellow bird.  The wildlife sightings aren’t the only Wow Moments, I have seen some really incredible scenery and been in some amazing historic areas.  Every day there is something that makes me think, “Wow, this is really special!”

Worst Moment – Unfortunately as I rode into Virginia, there was no “Welcome to Virginia” sign.  There had been, but it was missing and hadn’t been replaced.  That’s okay since almost immediately, I was in Suffolk and their street signs indicated that I was indeed in Virginia. 

After a restless night, I got a fairly early start on the day.  Last night it seems that everything that could go wrong did.  Somehow, when we turned off the air conditioner, last night (who needs a/c at the beach, right?) we accidentally turned on the heat and woke up about midnight all sweaty.  Well we did need the a/c then so it ran for awhile.  I was just starting to fall back asleep when because the a/c had shut off, I could hear the shower dripping drip – drip – drip.  Then around 2:30 someone decided to celebrate the 4^th of July early by launching a number of noisy fireworks on the beach across the street from where we were ( I saw the spent firework casings when I took Duncan for his morning walk.   Almost sounded like shotgun bursts.

I was glad to start the day and rode away from the coast and over the 3.5 mile bridge/causeway over Currituck Sound.  The maps had warned that there wasn’t any shoulder on the bridge, well the maps were wrong and it was a great ride. 

The entire day was just beautiful small country roads with hardly any traffic or if I was on major roads, there was a huge shoulder.  Nice. These were certainly farm roads and I went through acres upon acres of wheat waiting for harvest, corn mostly waiting for rain, and other seedlings that sort of looked like they might be soybeans struggling to get out of the ground.  When going through the cornfields, it was easy to tell who had irrigated – their corn was lush, beautiful green and nearly 6 feet tall.  Those who had not had corn looking very parched, stunted, and sort of had a bluish tint.

Just before crossing into Virginia, I rode through The Great Dismal Swamp.  The area has significant historic and environmental significance.  George Washington was here, and formed a company to drain part of the swamp.  Later a canal and railroad were built and still later the canal became part of the Underground Railroad. The swamp currently serves as a bird preserve and national wildlife refuge.  

With today’s ride, I’ve completed 11 full century rides, and several that were close to 100 miles, and ridden in 12 states.  Another Wow moment. 

Here are a couple of more Wow’s from today.

Wilbur & Orville

Day 65, June 5, 2011 Wilber & Orville

0 miles, averaging 0 mph

Route around Kitty Hawk on Rocket

Best Moment – It was all good, but the coconut cream pie for desert at the Black Pelican had to be the highlight of the day.

Worst Moment – For a beach lover like Neita, I know that the rain that started around 9 this morning and lasted for about three hours was a hardship.  It never really cleared up, but it did stop raining so we were able to explore.

Question:  Do you know what the Wright Brothers did to finance their experiments in aviation? 

Answer:  They had a bicycle repair and assembly shop and even used some bicycle parts in the construction of their “flying machines.”

After the rain stopped, we headed south from the RV Park to see the Wright Brothers National Monument about 8 miles from Ruby.  The park had a very interesting historical film about the flight and the experimentation that the Wrights went through for their flight.  It was sort of amazing to see the lengths of the first, second, third and fourth flight.

The first flight was on December 17, 1903 and was 120 feet.  The brothers had three more attempts that day - each a bit longer with the longest (and last) being 852 feet and lasting 59 seconds.  The monument to the brothers is the largest constructed for a living person.  Orville attended the dedication in 1932.

Spending a couple of hours walking around the grounds was enough and we scootered around Kitty Hawk seeing lots of sand dunes and beach homes for rent or sale.  There are a couple of 2 bedroom, one-bath homes just off the beach with asking prices of $600,000.  They looked like they needed some TLC, but it’s the beach. 

Went to the Black Pelican for dinner – it’s across the street from Hurricane Moe’s, within walking distance from Ruby and a nice restaurant.      

Kitty Hawk Rocks

Day 64, June 4, 2011, Kitty Hawk Rocks

58.8 miles, averaging 14 mph

Route from Avon to Kitty Hawk RV Park, Kitty Hawk, NC

Best Moment – Our neighbors in the RV Park told Neita about the greatest happy hour in Kitty Hawk at Hurricane Mo’s.  It is just a short walk from our park and featured 10-cent shrimp, 25-cent wings, and $1 tacos.  About 4 we walked there, and was it ever hoping!  We had a feast of shrimp and wings!

At the table across from us was a delightful couple (Graham and Alicia) who live here and their son and daughter in law (John and Deborah.)  We struck up a conversation with them and had an amazing visit.  Graham and Alicia told us a story about one of their trips to (of all places) Riverton, WY. 

Their intended destination was Cody!  However because of flight delays missed their connection out of Denver and were routed to Riverton because the agent told them that it was close to Cody.  (All of this, and they didn’t even know that I’d grown up in Riverton and Cody.   And Riverton and Cody are about 150 miles apart.)  It was quite a comical tale about how they ended up taking a taxi since there are no busses, trains, and only one flight a day into these Wyoming towns.  Also the car rental agency wasn’t affiliated with the national franchise, so they would need to return the car to Riverton, if they chose to rent the too small car the rental agency had.  (Their party was 5 people and the only car available was for 4 people.)

Worst Moment – Across Pamlico Sound, there are wildfires burning.  The smoke from these wildfires is quite heavy.  After I got beyond where the fires were, I could see the smoke rising, the cloud of smoke spreading across the Outer Banks and the sound.  What a tragedy, the area is so dry and needs rain so badly.  Later we met Holly, a farmer’s wife who told us that if NC doesn’t get rain this week, they are in danger of losing their crops. 

Had a great ride through the Outer Banks today.  Not too much traffic a great wide shoulder to ride on and there wasn’t even much of a headwind.  Across Pea Island I rode through the lovely and not overly touristy beach towns of Salvo, Waves, Rodanthe, and then crossed the 3.5 mile bridge over the Oregon Inlet onto Bodie Island and rode on to Nags Head and Kitty Hawk.  I saw the Bodie lighthouse.  There are beautiful beach homes for rent all along the coast.  I’d like to come back here – it is very beautiful!

Along the Atlantic side of the banks there are incredible sand dunes.  I got to Ruby about 2:30.  Neita was already on the beach. (No surprise there.)  Later, after happy hour, we took Duncan down to the water.  He’s pretty smart about avoiding having the waves crash over him and sort of waits for his ball to come to him, even though sometimes he doesn’t see it because it doesn’t come back in line with where he saw it go into the water.

Tomorrow’s a rest day.  Hope to explore Kitty Hawk a bit and just relax.  There is a chance of rain.

The Outer Banks - Wow!

Day 63, June 3, 2011, The Outer Banks, Wow!

96.8 miles, averaging 12.8 mph

Route from Newport to Sands of Time Campground, Avon, NC

Best Moment – Having Neita & Ruby pull into the Sands of Time at the exact same time I did.  Since she was on the later Cedar Island Ferry and there was a wait line for the Ocracoke Ferry when I was there, I was concerned that she might also have to wait to get on Ocracoke Ferry.  Since she was 2.5 hours behind me after the Cedar Island Ferry, she could have been delayed even further, but wasn’t. 

Worst Moment – Well, if there has always been a worst moment, today’s would have been the head winds – they were brutal and continuous.  The route was basically flat, with little traffic and few stop signs, I should have been averaging at least 15 or 16 mph, but really worked hard to make 12.8 mph.

After riding for about 35 miles through rural NC / Outer Banks countryside, I got to the Cedar Island National Wildlife Refuge.  (Taking the photo I was attacked by biting flies – should have used the Skin-So-Soft.)  The road then went through 12 miles of coastal swamps until I got to the Cedar Island Ferry Terminal.  Very cool. 

There are only a limited number of ferries crossing the Pamlico Sound from Cedar Island to Ocracoke Island.  It is a 2.25 hour ride.  Neita had made reservations for the 3:30 crossing, but cyclists didn’t need reservations.  There was always room for bicycles & pedestrians.

I was at the terminal about noon for the 1:00 o’clock boat.  While waiting, I met a lot of folks that were headed to the Ocracoke Folk Festival.  It’s a free folk music festival, art show, and quite the place to be, or so I was told.  Bob & Pam (two other cyclists who were only taking their bikes as transportation on Ocracoke), and Libby (a liaison for the NC Community Colleges) tried to convince me that I ought to change my plans to spend the weekend.  Several of the entertainers were on the ferry as well, and one of them was even performing on the boat.  There was even a free potluck dinner tonight and a jam at the castle.  Sounds like it would have been fun.

Ocracoke Island has amazing beaches, beautiful homes and looks like a place that would be fun to spend more time at.   Battling the headwinds through the 14 mile Cape Hatteras National Seashore Recreation Area, across Ocracoke Island, I arrived at the Ocracoke Island Ferry just as they were getting ready to leave.  I was the last passenger to get on for the 40-minute crossing. 

I met Pam & Mike from Glendale, AZ and had a wonderful time talking with them about “home.”  They started their “Outer Banks Vacation” by flying to Orland and were planning on driving to Washington DC before heading back to Phoenix.

It was nearly 6 pm by the time I got to Hatteras on Pea Island and I still had about 20 miles to go before I got to the campground.  The scenery was amazing!  It was so much fun to watch the kite surfers.  They use these huge kites and a surfboard to skim across the water.  With the winds as they were, the surfers could go very fast and “catch air.” 

Amazing scenery – just amazing!  While it doesn’t get dark until nearly 8:30 here, now, the sun was setting over Pamlico Sound.  Since the bank is so narrow, the folks living in this area can watch the sun set and rise over water.  This certainly is an ideal place for summer, beach weather.

 Here's a shot of the Hatteras Lighthouse in the distance. 

The A/C Feels Good!

Day 62, June 2, 2011, The A/C Feels Good!

53.1 miles, averaging 15.3 mph

Route from Jacksonville to Whispering Pines RV Resort, Newport, NC

Best Moment – I think that the best moment is when I had a call from Neita around 10 this morning letting me know that Ruby was fixed.  Good thing it’s working because temperatures are running in the low ninety’s – about 10 degrees above normal for this time of year. There had been a capacitor that needed to be replaced.  The repair shop took care of it and she was on the road – nearly at Whispering Pines.

Worst Moment – It is pretty tough to have a worst moment on a day like today – it was a great route, the RV was fixed for only $150, the scenery was beautiful and we even had a chance to explore the beginnings of the Outer Banks on Rocket, but if there were any annoyances, it was the lacking street signs three different times today.  There were a lot of turns (check out the red line in the photo - that's the route - the insert is the route through Jacksonville.)  Fortunately I was paying very close attention to the map and the mileage and only had to go back about a mile one time. 

Since Neita was on a mission to get Ruby fixed, and left before 7 this morning, I did too.  The route started going through all of the back roads of Jacksonville.  I was quite surprised to see the Ethridge Furniture Showrooms – that is even how Neita’s family spells it.  Who knows, she may have distant relatives down here.

Once out of the suburbs, I was on back roads through beautiful farm country and saw lots of small fields surrounded by forests and tiger lily bordered roadways.  From the looks of the thirsty corn, this part of the country really needs rain.  I’m hoping that it will rain for them after I leave the area.   

I got to the RV Park around 11:30 and met Neita as she was talking to one of the hosts about what to do in the area.  He suggested either going to Beaufort (in NC it is pronounced Bowfort as opposed to SC’s Beaufort’s – more common pronunciation), Swansboro, or we could visit Emerald Isle. We chose historic Beaufort.  It is a charming fishing like village about 10 miles from the RV Park.  After a bit of walking around, we were a bit parched and stopped at the Rhum Runner for a beverage.  They didn’t actually specialize in rum drinks, but did have a very nice local IPA called Sisters of the Moon.

It is a beautiful quaint place to visit.  The local Historical Society has guided tours of three of the homes, a graveyard tour and a double decker bus tour.  There is also a self-guided walking tour that we took.  As many of the port cities, near here Beaufort, NC had to contend with pirate raids.  In 1997 a pirate ship alleged to be Blackbeard’s flagship, the Queen Anne’s Revenge, was discovered just two miles off the coast of Beaufort.   

Two Months Down

Day 61, June 1, 2011, Two Months Down

64.8 miles, averaging 14.1 mph

Route from Wilmington to Cabin Creek RV Park, Jacksonville, NC

Best Moment  - Lunch at North Topsail Beach was so very picturesque.  This walkway was at the very northern end of route 210 on the island.

Worst Moment – Last night we only had 30 amp electric service for Ruby.  With it being so bloody hot here, the air conditioner had a tough time cooling things down.  Around 8, there was a loud pop and fizzle and the front air conditioner starting acting really strange.  We thought it might be caused by the low power.  It isn’t any better today with full power.  Neita, Duncan, and I are staying in the bedroom since the a/c back here sort of works.  Neita has an appointment tomorrow morning with a service that is going to squeeze her in.  Let’s hope everything gets fixed. 

The route today was again through the coastal lowlands. A couple of  interesting sights were the blueberry farm and the shot of the waterways.  Seeing the berries growing on the bushes was pretty cool, but there wasn’t any good way to photograph the field. 

The wildflowers have turned from the daisy and lupine variety to embankments of lilies.  Beautiful.

After North Topsail Beach I headed north away from the water.  There are wildfires burning and there was a sign that there was dense smoke – it wasn’t bad when I passed, but I saw where the fire had been – there were still crews on location. 

Jacksonville is very close to Camp Lejuene – a Marine Corps base.  In fact the family next door to us was busy making signs to welcome their loved one home from Iraq.  He arrives tomorrow.

So today makes it two full months since the Big Ride began.  I can’t still quite believe all of the country that I’ve seen and people I’ve met, and that I’ve actually bicycled the entire way.  Wow!

Neita isn’t having a good day so told me to let her readers know that she isn’t blogging today – except for her martini, she isn’t having a good day.  Her blog is www.rubyandrocket.blogspot.com, in case you hadn’t checked it out.  And In case you are interested in making a donation to the Lance Armstrong Foundation so they can help people whose lives are affected by cancer, here is my link http://grassroots2011.livestrong.org/billsbigride197