John Aylward Photography

Today’s Highlights:
If we had turned left out of the hotel this morning and traveled down busy Rt 17, we would have reached Georgetown in 55 miles. Instead we turned right, headed north, then made a long lazy loop to the northwest and meandered around South Carolina. Forty-three miles later, we were about 20 miles due west of North Myrtle Beach in the town of Conway. And, ninety-seven miles later, we finally reached Georgetown. However, it was a beautiful day, and the roads were very flat and mostly smooth. The 97 miles was an easy ride, and I suppose we got to see just a little more of SC.
My only challenge today was a very stiff and painful achilles tendon. It started out mild, but half way through the ride, I was mostly pedaling with my left leg. It’s a good thing that the roads were so flat.
I hooked up with Kirt and Brenda on their tandem bike a few miles into the ride. We took turns following each other. It is really nice drafting behind a tandem, because all that mass reduces the wind resistance significantly. But I took my turn in front too. Best of all, I got to take pictures of them. I stayed with them until the first SAG stop at mile-35.
For the next 52 miles, I cycled alone. It’s a lot easier to stop for pictures when I’m not trying to stay with other riders, and I enjoyed looking around a little more today. Interestingly, most of the route was through pine forests which were being logged. There were clear-cut areas, which always look very messy and sad, and some newly planted sapling, some new growth forest, and some mature forests. Once in a while, a big logging truck would pass by. The trees they were hauling were not very big – maybe 12-18 inches in diameter. They were being hauled to a paper mill near Georgetown.
I reached the historic section of Georgetown, SC around 1:30, and was pleasantly surprised. It’s a very beautiful town with a waterfront, marina, lots of very good restaurants and shops. And, in the blocks off the main street there are beautiful, large old homes with manicured yards.
At the hotel, I met up with Alan, Rene and Barry. We cycled back one mile to the historic district and had an excellent lunch at The Atlantic House. Dinner tonight was at Aunny’s Country Kitchen, also in the historic district. It was a small family run kitchen with a very homey feel.
By the way, I will probably stop talking about the humidity. After all, we are in the deep south now and it’s just soggy all the time. This morning started out comfortable, but it did hit 102 on the road before the end of my ride. It gets hot, but I am getting used to it.

Day 19

Statistics:
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Time: 9/1/2016, 4:02:40

Duration: 06:41:17

Ascent/Descent: 6479 ft 6377 ft

Distance: 96.94 M

Today’s Highlights:
We had our second rest day of the trip today. After leaving the seaside town of Portsmouth NH, our route dictated that we cycle over 1200 miles in 17 days before seeing the Atlantic Ocean again. Who planned that! Along the way, we saw miles of lush, green forests and farms, crossed many rivers and climbed many hills. Variety is good, but it is especially nice to be seaside again and be able to gaze out to the horizon and listen to the waves all day and night. There was a colorful sunrise this morning, followed by an overcast morning with a little rain. By 2:00 pm the sun was back out and the humidity continued to drop. The afternoon and evening were most pleasant.
I caught up on chores today, like bike cleaning, laundry and email. And I worked on my trip pictures some more. Overall, it was very relaxing. The rest was important, because we have to cover 100 miles in each of the next two days.

Day 18

Today’s Highlights:
We had our most comfortable day of cycling so far on this tour. Although it was warm and humid by most standards, it was far better than the passed week. Partly cloudy skies and some shady country roads also kept the temperature comfortable. We cycled 60 miles of flat, smooth roads, with only a couple rough sections. I joined Rene, Barry, Larry, Steve and Alan all the way to the South Carolina state line, and we moved along quickly in a paceline. Our route continued through small farms similar to the past few days. Without much interesting scenery, I mostly took pictures of my fellow cyclist.
At the NC/SC state line, I continued on alone to the hotel. After crossing over the Intracoastal Waterway, I cycled three miles along Ocean Blvd to the Best Western. I finished the ride just before noon, and later joined several riders at a beach side restaurant for lunch. Our hotel is right on the beach, and my hotel balcony looks directly on the ocean. This is by far the best stop of the trip.
Seven riders are ending their trip here, by plan. I will really miss Gregg, Don and Donna, who cycled at my speed and were always cheerful and good company.
We were on our own for dinner tonight, so five of us went to the best seafood restaurant within walking distance (one mile is short for us). Dinner was awesome.
Tomorrow we have a rest day right here on the beach. Nice!

Day 17

Statistics:
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Time: 8/30/2016, 4:59:2

Duration: 03:55:23

Ascent/Descent: 1583 ft 1879 ft

Distance: 59.00 M

Today’s Highlights:
Our 72-mile ride today seemed easy. The route was fairly flat on good rural roads, and we had the wind with us most of the time. The temperature ranged comfortably from 70 to 85 under an overcast sky, with only a brief period in the 90s when the sun shown through, but it was so humid that I was soaked and dripping for the entire ride. After cycling the first 12 miles by myself, a group of about 10 riders caught up to me moving like a train. I hopped in line and picked up some speed for the next 15 miles to the rest stop. It was nice to be in good company.
I left the SAG stop on my own again and reached Elizabethville 47 miles into the ride. The Corner Cafe was a recommended stop, and I had been looking forward all morning to getting apple pie. I went in and found out all they had were eggs and pancakes, but the waitress told me where the town bakery was. Just as I was about to leave, Don, Donna and Gregg showed up also looking for a treat. So off we went to Burney’s Sweets & More one block away, and we all enjoyed the most delicious pastries. It might have been the best treat of the entire trip. I cycled the remaining 25 miles to Whiteville with them, and after checking into the hotel and cleaning up, we went to a Chinese restaurant for lunch. I really enjoyed their company and getting to know them a little more.
Tonight we are having a pizza party in the hotel. There are no restaurants close by (the China King doesn’t really cut it for dinner), so pizza delivery is the option tonight.

Day 16

Statistics:
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Time: 8/29/2016, 5:00:1

Duration: 05:18:36

Ascent/Descent: 878 m 834 m

Distance: 117.41 km