We woke up nice and early to pack up camp and head off in the direction of the Cedar Island ferry. While I'd rather not disclose how early it was, suffice to say we had ample darkness while bumbling around putting tents into panniers and I made sure to be lit up like a Christmas tree for the first hour or two on the road. All in the name of seeking tailwinds! It was a beautiful morning of riding, to the point where I did much of it with my camera around my neck so I wouldn't have to stop every 30 seconds to pull my Nikon from my bag. As we reached the 'safe' 10 mile vicinity of the boat terminal with lots of time to spare, Zack and I slowed down to a more leisurely pace and stopped at the convenience store just a mile before the dock so we could have a snack and use the restroom. With lots of time for chatting, we somehow wound up with an invite from a fellow named Tony to taste a fresh seafood fritter. There was no way we could pass that up. So, with a clear timeline of when we needed to dash out the door to make the ferry sailing, we followed his car the half-mile back to his house where he whipped up some seafood, ham, and vegetarian sandwiches with delicious homemade slaw for us to eat there and pack for the road. I was so taken by his gesture and generosity and was really pleased that Zack was there to share it with (not to mention eat the seafood as I could not have it because of the crab). We ran out the door, hopped on our bikes, and met up with Sam and Courtney just in time to walk onto the boat.
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A friendly Ocracoke ferry worker who had lots of insight about the area he was happy to share. |
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A fellow Canadian on the boat with his wife |
The crossing was really enjoyable and I wound up talking to several different people who had lots to share about the region and things to do in the area. We got off the boat and headed down the road to a highly recommended spot where I got a local fish burger. Delish. The ride up Ocracoke to the second ferry crossing was simply glorious, with a huge shoulder, little traffic, a tailwind, and beautiful surroundings.
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Zack enjoying the ride on Ocracoke |
On the second ferry, we had a pow-wow of decision-making. The verdict was: book a hotel in Nag's Head, about 50 miles from the dock. Now, riding this far after 4pm might not seem like a logical choice, but with sweet tailwinds and brutal headwinds to follow the next day, I thought it made sense. Riding in the dark on a flat island with great winds is not ideal but certainly worth avoiding slogging against 25mph gusts the next day. To summarize, we all made it there in the end. I actually really enjoyed the ride as there was very little traffic and beautiful stars and moon. The minor flooding and sand spots on the road as well as bridges certainly made it an adventure, but it made that evening's pizza and refreshments that much better. It was a day of 'personal growth' perhaps, for the group, but I'll never forget almost hitting a deer with my bicycle. Turns out that the headlights of a bicycle are even more mesmerizing than that of a car sometimes!
The next morning, we headed out slowly north from Nag's Head in search of a St Patty's day parade. We wound up coming across a float of cyclists and were invited to be in the parade. By the magic of circumstance and kindess that bicycle travel seems to attract, we wound up being shown around to free hotdogs, a community celebration, the Wright brothers memorial at Kittyhawk, some lovely bike paths, and made some new friends! Valerie and Robert even led the way to their friend Linda's, our WS host for the nights. Linda was kind enough to let the four of us take over her kitchen and we got to share a delicious meal with everyone cooking up something. The contrast of the past 48 hours, with a 100 mile day followed by one of 25 miles, was a reminder that there is no 'better' way but that we are all simply along for the ride on an adventure such as this.
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Zack and Courtney in their St. Patty's Parade attire, staying warm and cheerful in the cold winds |
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