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

What's with these tunnels

We pulled out at 5:00, gassed and ready to go. The drive to Roanoke Rapids was uneventful and we got there around 11:30. We were back on the road today by 9:30 with the GPS telling us we would be in Onancock by 12:30. Of course it didn’t take into account that the tunnel through Norfolk VA was closed due to an accident  and we spend over an hour getting through Norfolk.

As we ground to a stop on a 6 lane parking lot I punched “detour” on the GPS. We lucked out and we were able to turn off on an exit. The GPS detour guided us through a series of lefts and rights that got us about a mile down the road into a bigger mess. We then turned around and got back on I-264 headed out of Norfolk and found a road that looped around Norfolk. As we got on US-13 we couldn’t help but feel superior to the dumb schmuks still sitting in line. It was about then we saw the road work signs and a nano-second later our two lanes of traffic stopped. We pulled out the map and found another road around and did a u-turn and headed for I-64. With the sound of the GPS “lady” screaming she was “recalculating” reverberating through the truck we headed off again. Lord, that voice is annoying.  Finally we made it to the bay bridge. As we paid our $12.00 and started across the bay a flashing sign told us to expect delays at the tunnel. I hope this is not divine intervention trying to keeps us from starting this tour. Oh well, it is Friday 13th.

The Tunnel but no delay

 

The truck loaded



The packing wars and some business

Let me get the business out of the way first. To keep from sending out mass emails I setup a way to follow us by just adding your email address. I’ve had some questions about how it works. It is a “gadget” at the upper right that will email you each time the blog is updated. It has a spam trap in it to keep your email address from being collected, and it sends you an activation email that you will have to click on to approve it. If you don’t “click it” it won’t add you to the update list. That way you can still opt out if you want to. You can also join the blog as well and it will do the same but takes a few more steps.


OK. As the time gets closer it’s good to see the weather is not letting us down. I expect rain of biblical proportions to be moving in by Saturday at the latest. Sometimes I think I should add out riggers to the tandem. The rain gear is packed, but I don’t believe it will stay there long, and everything else is stuffed into waterproof bags. Yeap, it has the makings of another epic bike tour. Now if we can only have some wind. (Link to Chesapeake local weather). http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/USVA0574

As you know, if you have followed past tours, we are deep into the packing wars. I already have everything packed and wrapped and placed in our trailer bag. Susan has almost decided on what might look good with her hot pink cycling shorts. Now if she can just come up with something that will go with her fuchsia jersey she might be able to move on. We have, in the interest of family peace, left the hair blower, curling iron and how many bags of makeup decisions for last.  While I'm running around checking the list and repacking my stuff Susan watches "Biggest Losers"  and wonders aloud if her new 3/4 length pants will look OK with her biking shoes.  But tomorrow will be the big test.

I will get off early to load and pack the truck.  Susan will probably stay late.  I will be be sitting in the truck with my hand on the switch, covered with a thin layer of dust, just waiting.  But she will show up, and after watering every plant in the house, doing a couple of walk throughs, checking every light and appliance twice  she will get in the truck.  We will start out and half way to Spartanburg she will ask me if I closed the garage door.  And no matter how irrational it will seem, I will probably turn around and go back and check.   You just can't break with tradition.

Headed back to The Eastern Shore

It’s that time of the year again; our annual bike trip, or as some call it, “I would rather be water boarded tour”. Again we are headed to the Chesapeake Bay area. We are going to bike some places we missed last year because of wind and weather issues, and we are going to spend more time touring, almost 10 days.


This year we are going to travel up the East Coast for a couple of days. This will take us to mostly new places we have not seen before. Then we will cut across Delaware to the furthest point north we are biking, Chestertown, MD. We think we will spend a few days there and then start back down the bayside hitting some of our favorite places along the way.

This will be our third tour of the Eastern Shore. We really enjoy this area because it’s, well……., flat, and Susan would tour a junkyard if it was flat. We also love the towns we go through and the coastal scenery. Here’s our itinerary for this trip until it changes:

Starting again in Onancock, VA
Chincoteague Island, VA
Berlin, MD
Milton or Milford, DE (depends on if Milton requires more time to explore, any suggestions?)
Chestertown, MD
Easton, MD
St Michaels, MD
Cambridge, MD
Salisbury, MD
Onancock, VA
Along the way we plan on two non-touring days as well.

As everyone who has followed us in the past knows, we will toss the itinerary in a heart beat if the weather or wind is an issue. But as it stands now, the above is the plan. This will probably do it for us on the Chesapeake so we are looking forward the tour.

PS
I added the Yahuda Moon bike strip to the top.  It is my favorite biking cartoon and will update daily.  That's worth checking us out each day.  You can also add your email to the email gadget at the top and it will send you an email when there is an update.