Pocomoke, last city before Virginia

58.3 miles
12.5 mph aver.

Today's ride was supposed to be in the wind at 10-20 mph but it was not.  We had a really nice ride all the way to Princess Anne where we ate lunch.  We had 43 miles behind us and it was only 11:30.  We started talking about riding all the way to Onancock, 47 miles away.  We decided we would see how we felt when we got to Pocomoke.

After lunch we started down hwy 13 and in a few miles we hit those 10-20 mph winds head on.  For a while they were more 10 than 20 but 6 miles from Pocomoke the 20 mph wind kicked in.  When got to the hotel there was no doult we were stopping.  We have been really lucky with the weather and none of our riding days have been challenging and we decide not start today.

Tomorrow we have 32 miles to go and we are looking forward to another nice country ride.  We still have the 30% rain and the 10-20 wind but expect another great day. 

Taking a break along the road

Ferry across the Wicomico River



A barge coming down the river

The tug pushing it

A King snake we saved along the way

Crossing the final bridge to Pocomoke

St. Michaels to Oxford to Cambridge

Yesterday 12.5 miles
32.8 miles plus riding around town
10.9 mph aver (really much faster but we just coasted around town)

We got up this morning and rode back into town for breakfast. After eating and loading up we started for Oxford. It was 8:30.
We caught the ferry about 7 miles down the road and pulled into the city park around 9:30. There was a band playing “barber quartet” type music. We sat and listened to them for about an hour and talked with a few folks in the park. We pulled out to a very sunny and uneventful ride to Cambridge with one exception; we had to cross the bridge over the Choptank Bay into Cambridge.

The bridge is about 2 miles long with a steep grade towards the center. Susan hates crossing this type of bridge. It’s not the bridge, but the water. After ten minutes of hard riding we made it to the other side and in a few miles we were at the hotel.
We dropped the trailer at the hotel and jumped back on the bike and rode into the historic district. We rode around the harbor and along the bay and back to town before stopping at an Irish pub for lunch. Of course we’ve stopped at an antique mall as well but the bike won’t even go by them anymore without stopping.

Tomorrow we head for Pocomoke, MD. It could be a tough day. We are headed south with a SSE wind of 10-20 mph. The ride is 55 miles and the first 18 are down hwy 50. It has a wide shoulder but the traffic noise is loud and it runs dead south into that headwind. There is also one unknown.
We have to cross the Wicomico River. There is a ferry but it can be erratic at times. If it’s not running it will mean a big detour, 16 miles. That will make for a long day.

This is just a side note observation we have made on this trip. These have to be the heaviest folks we have every seen up here. From the kids, the young people and the adults, they are all fat. I’ve heard for so long how the south, with all the fried food, has such a heavy population that I have been amazed at all the fat folks up here. Just something I’ve noticed. Also a lot of smokers. Fat smokers. You think about it and that’s not good. Well, at least I don’t smoke.

Our riding buddies for the first time this trip

On the ferry to Oxford

Coming into Oxford

A band in the park at Oxford

The bridge into Cambridge

 The Cambridge harbor

The bike still can't pass an antique shop without stopping



Rest day in St Michael

Today we took it easy.  We went to one of our favorite shops in St. Michaels,  The Gatsby's Collection.  Check out their web page.  http://www.thegatz.com/

Tomorrow we have a our shortest travel day.  We ride only about 22 miles to Cambridge.  Tomorrow is the first day with no rain in the forecast.  Today was partly cloudy but no rain.  A nice day.

 St Michaels

I have this picture from a previous trip but I just had take it again.  This is inside an ice cream shop.

The following are from the coolest shop you will ever go in. The Gatsby's Collection.



A hilly ride to St Michaels

53 miles
10.8 mph aver


Today we rode in sunny shine the whole day. It was the hilliest day by far though. The 40 miles to Easton was rolling as well as some short climbs by Susan’s definition. She says any grade you can’t climb faster than 6 mph is a hill. I agree. We had 2 or 3 hills today. We had lunch in Easton and browsed the shops for about an hour and then headed to St Michaels. After checking into our hotel we rode into St Michaels. I sat in a pub and drank a few adult beverages while Susan browsed and a few more shops.

After four days and a couple hundred miles we are taking a day off tomorrow. St Michaels is a good place to spend a day and we might ride into Easton again. It’s only 8 miles from us. The forecast is the same as today, 60% rain. It has been beautiful all day.

 The Chester river leaving Chestertown

 The bridge we had to cross by the side walk

 The rails to trails going into Easton

Riding through the Delaware countryside

56 miles
12.4 mph aver.

Today’s ride was really different from yesterdays. Yesterday we rode 25 miles up hwy 1 through Ocean City and Fenwick Island. We could have been riding down the Grand Strand at Myrtle Beach. We had stores and quick shops the whole way. Today we rode through the Delaware countryside and did not see a store until we arrive in Chestertown.

The traffic was almost nonexistence as we rode over country roads. Again the ride was rolling so we coasted down grades and pedaled up them. There was very little wind and it was at our back. There was also no bathrooms so Susan wasn’t real happy about that second cup of coffee she had for breakfast. I tried to tell her. The bad part was it started rain about two hours into our ride.

Now, we have rain gear that includes rain pants. They keep the rain out but they keep the sweat in. You get wet either way but at least sweat is warm. That’s the plus. The real downside is those ¾ length lycra bike pants are a little tough to pull up when they are wet, especially when you are in a hurry along the side of a farm road. It’s funny how you don’t see a car for hours and then when you have your pants around your knees here comes the whole community. It was really sort funny from my point of view, though Susan never did see the humor in it. I bet she will cut back on coffee tomorrow. All in all it was a nice ride, even with rain, for most of the time; but about 5 miles from Chestertown it all fell apart.

Our turns and roads where right with the queue sheet until then. We were riding along expecting the next turn to be John Powell Rd and right with the mileage up came Fox Dell Rd. Since our road dead ended into it we turned left like the queue sheet said. It did not take long to realize we were lost. It was so rural we couldn’t even find someone to ask where we were. Using our compass and a road map we finally got back on track but not before we burned up 4 miles going the wrong way. All told we added 6 miles but we did make it.

After checking in we dropped our stuff in the room and headed back to town. The rain had stopped about an hour before we arrived so the sun was shining. After Susan made a few purchases we stopped at a coffee shop and had a donut. Not a bad way to end a bike day.

Tomorrow we turn and head back south. Rain is still being forecasted and the winds will be 5-10 from the SSE. We are headed that way so it looks like a head wind. What would a ride be without a head wind.

Delaware countryside

Mud mill Pond

This is right before the rain started

 Downtown Chestertown

On the Road to Delaware

65 miles
12.5 mph aver

Today was going to be the bad day.  We got up to a light rain and wind.  After loading up we pulled out with rain and wind and the prospects of a long day.  The wind was a cross wind the first 5 miles and then a really tough head wind for a few miles.  Then we turned north.

As we pulled on to Baltimore Ave in Ocean City it was still raining but the wind was at our back. For the next 55 miles we had a great tail wind and by 9:00 it stopped raining.  That was good because when we stopped for breakfast at McDonalds, I noticed Susan getting ready to walk in.  She had her hood pulled over her head with her sunglasses on and she looked like the Unabomber.  I told her she had to lower that hood or they would think we were getting ready to rob’em.  She took that well.

We rode the next 17 miles to Fenwick Island and our third state of the trip, Delaware.   Here we had to cross a high bridge.  Now, Susan not only dislikes bugs, she does not do good on high bridges over water.  With only a little hyperventilation though she made it over and the rest of the way was great.  We are now looking out our window to a sunny day.  Tomorrow the forecast is the same as today but the wind is only 5-10 mph from the ESE.  Tomorrow we are headed WNW to Chestertown.  We can only hope it is as bad as today.

Just add the sunglasses

After a hot shower in the room

Sunny day to Berlin

47 miles
11.8 mph aver

Today was supposed to be our biggest chance of rain.  It was beautiful all day.  We got up early and had another hotel breakfast.  By 7:30 we were on the road to a sunny day.  The ride across the causeway was nice with low traffic and soon we were headed north to Berlin, Maryland.  The terrain  was rolling and not as flat as the past two days.  It was not bad and I actually enjoyed the coasting down the small grades.  It was down one of these grades that we almost crashed

As we coasted along about 20 mph the tandem began to shake violently from side to side.  It caught me so by surprise that I almost lost control of the bike.   Then I heard Susan screaming;
“It’s on my leg’ it’s on my leg!!”
“What’s on your leg?!?”
“Stop it’s on me!!”
“What’s on you Susan?”
“Stop, STOP!!”
“OK, OK I’m stopping”

With the bike sliding to a panic stop with a loaded tandem and a trailer trying to jackknife we finally came to a halt.  I turned around quickly to help get the creature that was killing her. 

“What is it, what it is??”
“It’s a bug on my leg!”
“It’s a what?!?”

I looked down and removed a little worm that was on her ankle.  As we rode off with Susan still hyperventilating  I’m trying  to figure out just what the heck happened.

Tomorrow is our long day, 64 miles.  The rain is predicted at 90% chance with 10-20 mph winds from the ESE.  We are headed north.  It could be worse.

 The causeway

 

 A bottle forest

 What is this place?  Anyone know?

 Nasa

 Some jobs you just shouldn't advertise.

 Downtown Berlin

 The hotel

 Relaxing on thr porch

The hotel front door

Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge

20 miles
8.6 mph aver.

I woke up early this morning to thunder and pouring rain.  By 7:30 when we got  up it had stopped.  The weather channel was calling for thunder storms during the day.  After eating the hotel breakfast we headed for the Chincoteague National Wildlife Refuge under partly cloudy skies.

It was really a nice and relaxing ride (as you can see by our average mph).  We rode bike trails through the forest and to the beaches and around huge estuaries.  The ponds were full of snapping turtles.  We even meet one walking down the road.   The squirrels were everywhere as well, but looked different from the gray squirrels of home.  After 3 ½ hours or so we rode back to town under sunny skies and ate BBQ at Woody’s.  If you ever make it here eat at Woody’s, especially if you like Carolina mustard sauce.  It was great.   After eating we rode into town for Susan to make her required shopping purchase.  I swear we will lugging twice as much by the time we get back.

Tomorrow we head out for Berlin MD. We’ve been there before and will be staying at the historic Atlantic Hotel (http://www.atlantichotel.com/).

 The beach was deserted

 Some beach art

 A snapping turtle taking a walk

 Local squirrel.  Check out those ears.

 Light house we did not climb up.

The refuge trail.

Day 1 on the road

43 miles
11 mph aver.

Last night the rain woke me up.  I laid awake thinking of what needed to be waterproofed and if I should change the route for a more direct way.  After getting up at 7:30 and walking outside the rain had stopped but it still looked cloudy.  We pulled out at 9:45 with a few sprinkles but that was it.  The sun would come in out the rest of the day but no rain.  It has been cool though, with the high today 65.  We also had our head wind for the last 20 miles but it all in all it was a good day.

We arrived at the room after eating lunch around 2:00.  We dropped off our stuff and headed back out.  Susan toured a few shops while I sat on the benches and catnapped.  We did manage one exciting moment though.

After pulling up to another  shop Susan’s credit cards fell out of her travel pocketbook.  She check and one was missing.  We hopped back on the bike to go back to the last store she was in.  While riding back, about a half mile down the road, I spotted the card lying face up on the side of the road.  We did a quick U’y and she rescued it.  Now she zips up the pocket she puts them in. Duh.

Tomorrow we will send the day exploring the Island and going to the beach.  It was a good day.

Susan trying too wake up with that cup of coffee

 A cat taken a break

Susan taking a break

 A rocket ship at the NASA center along the way to the island

The last bridge along the causeway