ES11 - Last Day to Daytona

Miles 53

Well you would have thought that on the last day of riding the riders would have slowed down and smelled the roses a bit more. It was a sunny day, roads with bike paths, and favorable winds. So off everyone went with the Big Dogs recording split times and making sure Stuart didn't chase them down. I rode with Hank and his friend Ron who joined us for the day. I do have to admit we didn't let much grass grow under our wheels.

This was the day of the Bikers. And I am not talking about quiet cyclists. The October Bike week was just ending and there were over a 1000 bikers participating. We had no problem with them on the road. They gave is plenty of space as they went by. It was a little tricky getting through downtown because the streets were packed. At one point we gave up and got on the sidewalk.
And at the hotel it was really questionable who was rowdier - cyclists celebrating the end of a great journey or bikers just celebrating. I do have to admit the bikers lasted a lot longer into the night.

It was a great trip. My husband, Norm who joined us in Daytona, said we talked more about the challenges (rain, rumble strips, logging trucks) than the good days. And that is true. Meeting those challenges without any serious injuries made us all stronger as riders and brought us closer together as friends.

I am grateful for the opportunity to become even closer to my fellow XC10 riders: Chris, Stuart, Michele, Sam, Dougie, and Bill. And I made lots of new friends along the way. Of course Hank is very special as we spent many a mile on the road together starting in Charleston. His companionship made for very enjoyable riding. He is a high class man.

Thank you Tracy, Tom, Mac, Robin, and Carol for your superb support. Crossroads is definitely the company to ride with. Everyone was always upbeat and so helpful. And they even listened to us complain about 17S and eating at Denny's.

I have officially been titled a Runaway cyclist by Doc Olson. So there will definitely be another adventure down the road.

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ES11 - Fernanda Beach FL to St. Augustine FL

Miles: 60

Today was a wonderful riding day. This is the kind of day we have all been looking for. The sky was blue and there was a tailwind all day. Coming through Amelia Island the roads were treelined. Then we crossed a bridge and were in marsh lands and then sand dunes covered with scrub trees. We had one 10 minute ferry ride where we got to see some mighty big pelicans.

There was some traffic coming through the outskirts of Jacksonville. After a few miles we had bike paths for nearly all the rest of the trip. It was really nice coming down along the ocean. And we never saw a single logging truck all day long.

One more day and the trip will be over. That will be a sad thing.
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ES11 - Brunswick GA to Fernandia Beach FL

Miles: 63

The riding today consisted of sunshine and 100s of logging trucks going by at 70 mph. The sunshine was great. I think it was the first day I have left the hotel without a jacket. The logging trucks were not so nice. In fact they could be rather scary at times.

We are now at the ocean at Amelia Island. The beach here is very pretty. We have been told the next two days of riding will be extremely nice.

Today was the final state crossing into Florida. It is hard to believe we only have 2 days of riding left.

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ES11 - Savannah GA to Brunswick GA

Miles: 85

After a great rest day in Savannah, we left in the fog this morning. It was a little dicey getting out of town. It took about 20 miles before the fog lifted. And today we were once again on 17S. Sometimes there were shoulders but most of the time there were rumble strips or no shoulders. We are all a bit tired of 17S.

Today we stopped at the smallest church in the US. It really was a small church. There were seats inside for 12 parishioners. We also came across a couple fishing with their grandaughter. They had 6 or 7 poles dangling in the water. But I guess the catching wasn't very good because of the high tide last night. But the little girl was pretty excited when Hank gave her a package of M&Ms.

Remember the Kingston Trio song MTA? Well Ilze and I made up a song to that tune. Then Hank, Ilze, and I sang it at route rap tonight.
"Let me tell you a story of a man named Bubba
On 6 tragic and fateful days
He put his cue sheet in his holder
Kissed his wife and Robin
Went to ride on 17A.
Did he ever return
No he never returned
And his fate is still u learned (poor old Bubba)
He may ride forever on the rumble strippy shoulder
He's the man who'll never return."

On to Florida tomorrow.
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ES11 - Beaufort SC to Savannah GA

Miles: 48

Today was a day when you had to be certifiably insane to get on a bike and rode down the South Carolina roads. The rain was coming down and gusty winds were blowing. The prediction was for several inches of rain and continuing rain. But off we went. We rode through some areas that would have been beautiful if it was not raining so hard. As it was you had to just put your head down and watch for the puddles in front of you and the cars behind. We were soaked within 10 minutes but never got too awfully cold. Fortunately I was riding with 3 other riders all day. It was a day you needed strength in numbers. The picture is of a very wet Hank, Mike, Charlie and Jan at the end of the ride. Tomorrow is a day off in Savannah.
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ES11 - Myrtle Beach SC to Charleston SC to Beaufort SC

Miles to Charleston: 82 of 116
Miles to Beaufort: 82

I didn't get the blog written yesterday because of a long day of riding and visiting with family in the evening.

The ride to Charleston was scheduled to be a very long one. So I decided to ride to the first SAG, then take a bump to the second SAG and ride in from there. To ride the entire way, I might have been on the road until 6 pm. I had not realized how far down the ocean Myrtle Beach extended. It seemed like it would never end. The majority of the day was spent on 17S. There was a lot of traffic and the small shoulder was filled with a rumble strip. It was not a pleasant ride.

One interesting part of the day was a Harley rally that was occurring. We were at the second SAG when Harleys started arriving. There was over a 100 of them and they completely filled the parking lot of the store. It turns out it was a charity ride to raise money for indigent women with breast cancer. It was really interesting talking with them.

The other riders really enjoyed the Ravenel Bridge. The view from there is amazing. I heard that Will Smith's yacht was docked on the Charleston side.

Norm was waiting at the hotel when I got there. Then a while later our friends John, Michele, and Nickolai came. We all met Robert, Jill, Charlie, and Cate downtown for dinner. That was really fun. After dinner we went to hear Robert play jazz. Bill, Doug, and Chris (riders) joined us. It was a very nice evening.

Today we rode down 17S for 30 miles. More rumble strips. Then we got on countryside roads. The ride became very pretty. Hank, the senior citizen of the group, pulled me all day. That made it so nice. We stopped at a historic church that was burned twice. Once by the British and once by the North. Incredible that a building of that size was out in the middle of nowhere. However the mosquitoes tried to carry us off while we were looking at it.

Rain is in the forecast. I hope it doesn't come down too hard tomorrow.
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ES11 - Jacksonville NC to Myrtle Beach Sc

Miles: 72 of 109

As you can see from the miles, this was not a good day for me. I was riding well for thje 72 miles. The problem if that was the worst combination of roads and traffic I have ever encountered. There was an area through a wildlife preserve that was really nice. But then we went around Wilmington and it was a nightmare. Then we hit 17S and the shoulder consisted of a big rumblestrip which left no room to ride. So at the second SAG I decided I wasn't very excited about riding alone on those roads. So I am not happy about the day. Maybe I should have kept riding. I guess tomorrow is another day.
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