Wilmington to Myrtle Beach

Mike- Saturday, Oct 20. NOW I know what its like to ride 97 miles into the wind!  wind was mild but out of the southwest for the entire trip from  Wilmington N C  to Myrtle Beach S C. I rode thru  Wilmington and took a 25 minute ferry ride form   Fort Fischer to a beautiful little fishing town of  Southport N C.. When I first started out in Wilmington, the Beach to Battleship Ironman and half  ironman triathalon was going by me in the opposite direction on their bikes!  Someone said there were over 3000 participants. I dont know if thats accurate or not, But I was motivated and pounded the first 20 miles pretty hard.  Then I calmed down and enjoyed the ride thru Carolina and Kure Beaches, including the Salty Paws Dog Festival, of all things! Tents set up and music for dogs and their owners! I also rode past a wedding on the beach at Fort Fisher before I got on the ferry.  Southport N C was really nice, at the mouth of the Cape Fear  River.  From there it went down hill, as the wind picked up and I got back into interstate speed traffic with very little shoulder room on route 17.  As I rolled into N Myrtle Beach it was a culture shock, as we are finally out of the laid back outer banks and fishing town coast, to the huge miniature golf courses, the 20 story hotels on the beach, the 10 story roller coaster, the strip clubs, the FOUR HUNDRED AND FIFTY freakin restaurants, and all the arcades.  We will take some time and enjoy it, however.
     Sunday Oct 21    We spent last night at a free campsite at Camping World because we have some motor home issues that we are going  to get straightened out on Monday morning. Beeping jack leveling device has been driving Pam whacko, thermostat in hot water tank, and problems with Invisibrake system for jeep are on the list.  Spent the day on the boardwalk, and hangin out at Landsharks Bar and Restaurant watching NFL on an outdoor screen.  Then we went to a Steeler Bar and watched Sunday Night  Football.  Steelers won. We are over Myrtle Beach.
     Monday Oct 22   I rode about 27 miles in two hours aroung some side roads in Myrtle while Pam sat at Camping World until 2 o'clock and got all that straightened out.. I shook out my legs a little and checked out a few campgrounds in the area.  We settled on a campground very close to Surf City S C.  We have a site right on the ocean, and we are with about 2000 of our closest friends at this huge campground with a  Holiday Rambler Convention. We did decide to stay one day and crash on the beach and enjoy the 80 degree weather tomorrow.

Deck in front of Landshark bar and giant ferris wheel

View from the Southport N C ferry below Wilmington N C

The palm trees and spanish moss started in S Carolina. I'm still getting used to that!

Big buildings and planes crashing in to golf courses are common sights in Myrtle Beach

Mike -We spent Tuesday night in the Croatan National Forest Campground, and I rode 68.7 miles onWed, Oct. 17.  It was pretty much a nerve wracking ride on U.S rt.17 that was filled with fast moving traffic and small shoulders. Jacksonville NC and Camp Lejune made for some unique sights. Helicopters were always in the air, and the town had a barber shop every half mile. It looked like some of the military surplus stores would have been cool to go through.  Made it to the KOA in Wilmington NC. I had no idea this was such a big place (pop. over 100,000).  We spent thursday at
Wrightsville Beach trying to impose our will on the weather, but there was no sun and one rain shower, so we went to a little hole in the wall called Buddy's Crab House (that didnt serve food), and had a few beers and looked at the dollar bills glued all over every inch of the place.  The sunset was good, so we watched it and walked down the street to a place called  King Neptunes, and ate and then called it a night.
     Friday was spent driving through some neat beach towns, (Carolina beach, Kure Beach) and touring  Fort Fischer, a Confederate  shipping port, and going to the N Carolina Aquarium where we saw an albino alligator that was unique. Came back to the campground and were surrounded by Airstreams that came for some type of gathering

 We are now in the land of cotton, palm trees, and Piggly Wiggly storesW

 We  saw these docks in New Bern withall the birds on them. Alfred Hitchcock would have loved this!

 Camp Lejune is a unique place. I was getting buzzed by military aircraft all day long. Didnt see any tanks though.

Croatan National Forest to Wilmington

Pam - So the night passed without any bobcat screams!  This morning I sat outside the motorhome with a cup of tea and watched the squirrels, birds and other creatures who wanted to take a look at the "being" who was invading their turf!  Later, I went for a walk on the nature trail - it is a trail created by the NPS with informative signs telling you about the salt marsh and all its creatures.  I have posted two items that I saw on my walk.  Oh!  Did I mention that this trail is maybe 15 miles or less away from Camp Lejeune?  That means while I was walking I listened to the tanks and artillary firing away!!  It was a little creepy! 

Anyway, I'm getting faster at packing up and closing up the motorhome, and also hooking up the jeep.  The trip was only 80 some miles to our next campsite, but I did travel around Jacksonville and got to see Marine equipment driving down the road and other cool stuff like helicopters and cool looking planes.  I ended up in the Wilmington KOA for the next two nights - it's nice but not as beautiful as our site in Croatan National Forest!  Oh, well, I will post my pictures and I'm sure Mike will have some other cool pictures!

Look carefully and you will see a great egret! Others were perched in the bushes.

I have no idea what this flower is called, but it was growing in the middle of a salt marsh!

New Bern to Cedar Point (NC)

Pam - Today I drove a whopping 49 miles!!  I traveled from New Bern to Cedar Point Campground in the Croatan National Forest.  Our site is beautiful!  When the camp host took me to our campsite, she told me not to leave any food, garbage or trash outside over night because there are bobcats in the area!  Also, down by the boat launch, there is an alligator named Bob!  Gotta love it here!  I did go over to Emerald Isle to check it out, nice beach but a bit touristy for me! 
I am posting a few pictures of our campsite - I love it!  It's so cosy.

Mike - Oct. 16--62 miles today.  I backtracked a little bit from new bern, and checked out the Crystal Coast area of Morehead City, Atlantic Beach, and Emerald Isle.  Very different than the outer banks, because even though it is a narrow island about 20 miles long, the elevation was at least 50 feet above sea level,  sometimes more, and there was always a walkovers or steep cliffs down to the ocean or to the White Oak  River. Also the plush tree cover made all properties look secluded.  Istarted the day at a Specialized bike shop, and picked up some new clip ins and cleats that will hopefully solve the pain in my left foot that last Decembers surgery couldnt fix.

 

 

 

 

 

Monday in New Bern

Pam - Monday I went into New Bern and did a little history time.  I visited Tryon Palace and all of its out buildings.  I had a wonderful day.  Mike went for a bike ride.  I want to thank my Dad for suggesting that we check out New Bern, it is a beautiful town!  I would suggest this place to anyone.

Entrance gates to Tryon Palace

 

 

A Day in New Bern

 Above, draw bridge in New Bern, below, mum festival in New Bern

 Above, New Bern is the homeof Pepsi and wooden bears, below, rooftop dining after Mumfest.

On The Road - FINALLY!!!

 Pam -  we spent part of Sunday, all of Monday and Tuesday transfering things from our North Beach trailer into our motorhome!  Finally on Wednesday Oct 10, I told Mike to hit the road and I finished winterizing and closing up the trailer.  Then off I went to meet Mike at the Hatteras ferry docks.  I must admit that I got a few looks when I pulled up at the docks in the motorhome and within 5 minutes, I had "picked up" a guy in spandex and a bicycle!!!


Our "neighbors" on Ocracoke!

somebody called these guys "peckerducks!"

Mike - The training phase of retirement is officially over and we are on the road taking a generally southern track. As far as biking is concerned, my time on Hatteras Island  ended with a total of 3193 miles. I figured out that is the distance between  Bangor, Maine and Los Angeles, and I seldom left the Island.  I did take two trips inland, riding 113 miles on my longest ride of the summer, riding to Columbia N C  and back. Then Pam and I explored the Alligator River Wildlife Refuge with the Jeep, and on walking trails (including the long gone Buffalo City, a logging and moonshining town that has been swallowed by the marsh.) I then rode back to Rodanthe from the refuge.

 The tire dipping in the atlantic ocean actually took place a few days before we left so we could have friends with us. The ceremony included champagne in paper cups, and the bike, as well as myself getting christened for good luck

 Pam at Portsmouth Island,and pelicans flying off the flounder nets as the boat went by to get to the island

  Day one of the official trip was Oct. 10, and I rode 50 miles to Ocracoke, where we spent two days. Day one was spent riding 20 miles all over Ocracoke with Pam, exploring everything we had never done before.  Day two was spent with a boat ride to the deserted  Portsmouth Island and walking around all day.  Its the first time I've worn shoes more than an hour or two since retirement! The third night was spent in the parking lot near the ferry so we can catch  the 7:00 a m ferry to the mainland at Cedar Island.


   The first day of riding on the mainland was cool because this was the first day that I have ridden new terrain in strange places and the discovery of the country has begun. I rode appr. 82 miles in a little over 5 hours, thru the  Cedar Island  Wildlife Refuge .  When highway 12 ended,  I took U S route 70 and  state road 101 thru several small towns and we ended in New Bern N C at a koa on the Nuese river. Maybe its the Neuse River. Highlights included riding thru cotton fields and seeing cotton all along the roads, which must have blown out of trucks that were taking it away. Also, watching the jumping fish in the river at the camp ground at dusk, as well as a possible alligator sighting, as something was swimming around the dock with its head breaking the surface of the water and its tail causing big splashes every once in a while.  We think it was but, we are not exactly expert alligator spotters! By the way, New Bern is where Pepsi was invented.

The three above picures are the grasslands of Cedar Island. The creeks run in all directions.Pictures are taken from a bridge with the Coast guard boats in the middle picture.  The picture below was in a small town on the way to Beaufort. the boats in the background show how tall he is.

Another bridge over a marina in Carteret County, above.  Below is our KOA in New Bern

The Neuse River bridge in New Bern, above. Below, Cherry Point Marine Air Base in Havelock, N C

Sunda Oct 14 in New Bern was a beautiful 80 degree day, and we spent it downtown at the Mum Festival.  Alot of food, crafts, street vendors, all in a closed off downtown area surrounded by rivers and marinas