Day 15/16 Charleston rest days

Charleston sweet Charleston, how do I love you? Let me count the ways:

- a town big enough to have all the amenities but small enough to have all the charm
- great food in great restaurants
- great bars with fantastic happy hours and beer selection, also great food
- potentially the most picturesque town ever, gorgeous. Walking around is just history and immaculate homes no matter where you go
- European bike atmosphere. People ride the same bikes they do in Denmark, very neat
- friendly people at every turn, from bartenders to just random folk on the street everyone is great
- cinnamon rolls at wild flour
- region specific bars (Boston bars, Chicago bars, etc)
- she crab soup, so crabby, so soupy
- history literally everywhere, houses here MUST be a minimum two hundred years old because it seems like everything is a historical house
- great vibe, everywhere you turn Charleston just feels right

Charleston I love you, I'll miss you every day from here on out.

Trip stats
Hours riding: 1:25.13
Day miles: 9.90
Total miles: 907.96
Average speed: 6.9 mph
Max speed: 13.2 mph

Day 14, Georgetown SC To Charleston SC

October 5, 2014

What a day, much better than yesterday. For starters it was cool in the morning, almost cold even. I went to a little cafe for breakfast in Georgetown and it was great. I ate some power food, southern omelette and some grits. The grits were good but I definitely googled how to eat grits... I didn't know if I should butter them, salt them, ketchup then or even give them the jam. I ended up with salt and pepper, felt classic.

After that it was a straight sixty five miles to Charleston and I just grinded it out. Kept a good pace and everything, powered by breakfast.

When I got to Charleston my hostel wouldn't check me in until 5 pm so I went to "fuel" nearby for food and football. Apparently, "fuel" was featured on diners, drive ins and dives and oh boy, rightfully so. Had some pork tacos that knocked off my socks. I need to buy new socks they were knocked off so hard. Incredibly delicious, amazingly so.

I'm going to spend the next two days here resting up and taking in the town. I might eat everything, hopefully so. Hopefully I enjoy this town, it looks like a neat place.

Trip stats
Hours riding: 4:32.30
Day miles: 67.24
Total miles: 898.05
Average speed: 14.8 mph
Max speed: 30.7 mph

Day 13, Little River SC to Georgetown SC

October 4, 2014

Today was a tough go of it, no question about it. It was another hot day and there was a headwind the entire day also, but there was something that was much much worse. There is a Harley Davidson rally in Myrtle Beach which I cycled through and it was brutal. Literally a million loud as all get out bikes just blasting at me down the highway. I am not the biggest fan of the highway, but these bikes were just pelting me with noise the whole time, awful. So awful. I had to take moments away from it just so I could collect myself. I officially hate Harley's now, I'm not cycling down the highway just yelling into everyone else's face, so why are they? So frustrating.

I did eat some lovely soul food at 'Aunnys' in Georgetown SC which made everything all better. Probably some of the best fried chicken, fried shrimp, cornbread and collards I've ever had. When i told the server I'd only had collards from up north side said, "honey, if you ain't had collards from the south you ain't had collards". Turns out I ain't had collards until now. So good.

Georgetown South Carolina is a weird place though, they have a rice museum. Most of their history involves rice apparently.... But now they have no rice. Such a weird thing to have as history. Rice.

Trip stats
Time riding: 4:58.36
Day miles: 62.80
Total miles: 830.80
Average speed: 12.6 mph
Max speed: 25.6 mph

Day 12, Wilmington NC to Little River SC

Today was a day of great expectations and little delivery. The wind was in my face, it was blisteringly hot and there was just fun stops along the way. I got going at a reasonable hour but just never had any speed behind my pedals. For some or another big miles weren't happening. I might have to reconsider my mileage plan because getting to a hundred miles is so dependent on an early start and not stopping for much. Yesterday I stopped for coffee, shade, lunch, sunscreen and a ferry. Gotta enjoy it so I'm not going to be married to the long miles anymore, 80 miles is more likely the pace going forward.

I passed through Carolina Beach and it is a town of champions if I've ever seen one. Glory runs through the veins of its citizens and they aren't humble about it. When you walk into their town you know that you are amidst greatness.... Well, as great as the 2009 Schweppes great seafood chowder champion can be.

Also saw an alligator today, he lives in a golf course. Retired alligator.

I did cross into south Carolina today also which is very exciting. That makes two states that I've passed through now, I'm making progress even if it isn't as fast as I'd like. Hopefully this is the barbeque state because I was surprised by how much seafood there is in north Carolina.

BBQ: Southport smokehouse in Southport North Carolina.

Just ordered a brisket on a bun because I wasn't too hungry but boy did it deliver. Maybe the most tender brisket I have ever had. I drenched it with their secret "tangy" barbeque sauce and I was dreaming. Smokey, moist, full of flavor, delicious. Very pleased.

Trip stats
Hours riding: 5:41.59
Day miles: 75.48
Total miles: 767.99
Average speed: 13.1 mph
Max speed: 27.1 mph

Day 11, Surf City toWilmington

Overall today was a dud of a day, just a write off really. I think my legs were a bit tired from my push yesterday so I lacked a little bit of the mustard I needed to really knock off the miles. Plus I stopped in at a TD Bank and opened up an American account PLUS I broke another spoke. I broke the spoke somewhere within my first twenty miles so I just limped into Wilmington over the final thirty miles.

Surprisingly the bike did alright with the broken spoke, held up nicely. Got it fixed at a local bike shop and bought a new front handlebar bag. My hope is that a bigger front bag can move some of the weight forward and off my rear tire. I'm tired of these spokes breaking and if this works it should make for smoother sailing. After that I just took the rest of the day off, my achilles was starting to get a little sore and my day had been wasted at the bank and getting the spoke fixed anyway.

I'm going to try and push for Charleston for Saturday night but it would mean back to back big days. If it doesn't happen then I'll have to figure something else out as it happens. Maybe Myrtle Beach, maybe something else, not sure yet.

Christian ponder is the worst quarterback ever. I can't believe I made such an effort to watch this football game and Teddy didn't even play. I'm getting a Teddy jersey, this settles it.

Trip stats
Hours riding: 3:56.54
Day miles: 53.64
Total miles: 692.51
Average speed: 13.5 mph
Max speed: 26.5 mph

Day 10, Otway to Surf City

Today was a big riding day though I didn't know it when I woke up. The amount of dew that falls during the night is bordering on ridiculous. It may as well rain each night because everything is soaked come morning time. The tent is just drenched with dew so much dew. Basically, all of the dew made for a late start because I tried to give everything time to dry. So much moist.

BBQ: Down the road I ate some lunch at Fat fellas BBQ and grill in Newport. Had the small BBQ plate with butter beans and fried squash, hush puppies on the side. It made me realize that north Carolina pulled pork is big on vinegar, strong vinegar flavor. Not so much about the smoke or the sauce, the meat itself is strong with vinegar. It is different but also really good, balances out the meat in a nice way.

After that I had to just jet through the southern heat because my campsite was mikes away and I had wasted the entire morning. I think I drank 2 gallons of water all day and just sweat it out, saved time on bathroom breaks I guess.

Did make my goal and arrived in surf city before the sun went down and watched some of the baseball game at a local bar. My campsite is just by the water and I'll be able to hear the waves while I sleep, so luxurious.

Tomorrow is the Vikings game so I'm going to probably motel it so I don't miss the game. Love football.

Trip stats
Hours riding: 7:42.16
Day miles: 112.48
Total miles: 638.86
Average speed: 14.6 mph
Max speed: 30.8 mph

Day 9, Hatteras to Otway

September 30, 2014

Big ferry day and a big day for strange meetings. Firstly, I had to take the ferry from Hatteras to Ocracoke. It was a nice ferry, an hour long crossing and free to ride (take note BC ferries). On that ferry I met Tim who had just completed a walk from Los Angeles to New York. Apparently he self sorted himself in his car so his 3100 mile walk actually took 4700 miles of walking. The man was passionate about walking I have to say that. Spoke about it very fondly. He was driving to Florida before heading home to San Francisco but you could tell he wished he was walking.

Next ferry was from Ocracoke to cedar island, two and a half hour crossing and only three dollars (take double note BC ferries). On that ferry I met Scott and Ivan who are doing the exact same trip as me at almost the exact same time. They started from Wilmington last Saturday and ate going to Florida then San Diego. They are only trying to do sixty miles a day though so we had to part ways after the ferry. I'm a man craving miles, I need them, I want them.

I also had a guy hold the door open for me at a convenience store who insisted I not call him a gentleman. I laughed and said thank you and then he launched right into a tirade about the government. Holding the door open for someone I guess gives you discourse for expressing your opinions on the government. "Don't call me a gentleman because that's what they have in the white house and I don't want to be like them. Better to be a gentleman than someone who can run the country. Don't call me a gentleman." Thanks for holding the door regardless crazy man, sorry the government is out to get you.

After that I blasted out to Otway and am in a nice campground. I ate too much but that should just mean a good sleep. Still got my eye on the Vikings game on Thursday, need to make sure I watch that. Everything else is secondary at this point.

Excited about morning camp coffee also, so fresh.

(Camera picture of riding with Scott and Ivan)

Trip stats
Time riding: 3:38.47
Day miles: 49.74
Total miles: 526.37
Average speed: 13.6 mph
Max speed: 27.3 mph