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Saturday 22nd
71 miles
7hrs 45mins
I was up by 6:00 loading the trailer and getting the bike ready; water bottles filled, rain gear packed, maps in holders, air pressure checked, straps pulled, bungees stretched. I wondered if I had planned for the dozens of little things that could go wrong. A quick look at the sky reminded me the weather channel was calling for 40% chance of showers, and that was the best it was suppose to be all week. By the time I finished my prep work breakfast was being served; oatmeal cr�pes stuffed with cheese eggs and mushrooms with a slice of ham, waffles with raspberries, and a bowl of fruit. At least breakfast was perfect. By 8:45 we were off. |
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We are off! |
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The route I had chosen was through the Virginia back roads and traffic was almost nonexistent. We rode through the little towns of Parksley, Bloxom, Hallwood and Temperanceville before turning onto the first major road of the day. Highway 13 runs north-south through the Chesapeake peninsular and is the major throughway, and although traffic is heavy, it has an 8� shoulder to ride on. The shoulder made it safe, but the noise was unpleasant. Also the clouds had cleared and the temperature had soared and all that asphalt was hot! We were glad to pull off into the town of Pocomoke for a coke and a break. We had our first 38 miles behind us. |
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Taking a break in Princess Anne |
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Maryland, my Maryland |
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At fifty miles we pulled off of highway 13 into the town of Princess Anne and finally had lunch and some AC. Now was decision time. Do we stay the course and go to Salisbury or head back into the countryside and on to Whitehaven? Salisbury is a big town. Just that. A big town. No allure. No cachet. No charm. Whitehaven on the other hand is a lazy little fishing village long on appeal and enchantment. Then again Salisbury is 14 miles away, and Whitehaven is 22. But Salisbury is up highway 13, cars, heat, noise, and Whitehaven is through the county, quiet, shade, and a cool ferry ride. Ok, Whitehaven it is. Plus the allure of quaint little shops didn�t hurt the argument either. |
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As we started biking the Upper Ferry Road towards Whitehaven the temps had reached the mid-nineties. It was really beginning to wear on me, but Susan was still going strong. When we reached the ferry landing just standing in the sun waiting for the ferry was a chore and we still had about 10 miles to go. After crossing the river I began to have trouble with leg cramps and was sinking fast. This was beginning to be a tough day. I started to think of those Shaolin priest in the TV show Kung-fu. All they had to do was pick up a red-hot vase with their forearms and carry it across the room. How bad could that be? I was pedaling across melting tar and hot gravels for miles on end with legs that cramped on every pedal stroke while Susan sang �How Much Is That Doggie in The Window�. Now that�s torture. Finally the water tower for Whitehaven rose above the trees and our first day was almost over. As we rounded the bend we slowly coasted to a stop. Stretched out in front of us was an old 100 year hotel, the gray weathered docks, and our B&B; and that was it! No shops. No pubs. There was not even a restaurant. This wasn�t charm, this was Spartan! Fortunately for us the B&B owners drove us to the fish house and dropped us off. Yeap. They dropped us off. She said if the owner wouldn�t bring us back to call, and she would come pick us back up. Ok. Well the food was great and the owner too, because when we finished eating he dropped us right at our room. We did a quick walk through town after supper which took all of 5 minutes and then we turned in. So ended day one on the road. |
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The Whitehaven B&B. It was a great place to stay, just not much to do. |
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