Sightseeing in Charleston and Savannah

After a late night talking with his old friend, Terry, Dad woke up early on Thursday, October 17th, and got back in the saddle by 8 a.m. to get to Charleston, South Carolina.  He was fueled by a nice scrambled egg breakfast that Terry made. 

He planned to stay a couple nights at the Mt. Pleasant/Charleston KOA campground since a South Carolina Welcome Center staff member told him they offer a shuttle service into the historic district, but when he got there he found out they didn't.  He called around for a hotel in the historic district for Friday and Saturday nights, but there was nothing available unless he wanted to spend over $300/night.  He stayed at the KOA on the 17th, after completing 72 miles, and then headed to the Charleston Welcome Center on the 18th.


Breast Cancer Awareness

 

Daughters of the Confederacy

Lost in Time

USS Hunley, a Civil War Submarine

He walked in and said he needed help finding a place to stay that would allow him to have easy access to the historic district.  The lady who assisted him found him a Courtyard by Marriott that was $150/night.  Although it wasn't in the historic district, it was on the trolley route to the historic district.  He was pleased with the results of asking for help and avoiding the $300/night charge.


View from the hotel lobby.

His ride was short that day.  From the KOA, to the Welcome Center, and then the Marriott was just 16 miles.  The bridge portion of his ride had a really nice bike lane, he was told, but he never saw it because he wasn't able to access it from the route he took.  He took the bridge with cars passing at about 50 mph and deep ridges in the road that made Dad very nervous.  He ended up having to get off his bike and walk down the other side of bridge.  He thought he was shaky from the stressful situation, so he took a moment to stop and collect himself and realized that the semi-trucks on the bridge were making the bridge vibrate and it wasn't him shaking after all.  Needless to say, it took a long time getting off the bridge.

Largest suspension bridge in U.S. 

In Charleston, Dad enjoyed sightseeing.  He took the trolley and learned all sorts of things about colonial history and the area.  He didn't realize the trolley was not just for tourist.  Many locals take the trolley for transportation to go shopping, to work, or even to their Saturday morning soccer matches.  All the wealthy homes are south of Broad Street.  If you live there, you are a S.O.B. (South of Broad).  If you live north of Broad Street, you are a S.N.O.B. (Slightly North of Broad Street).

Plantation Owner's Summer Home

Big homes.

The South shall rise again.

They say the tax rate is based on the number of windows on the street  Thus, many houses look similar to this one.

In early U.S. history, Charleston was the wealthiest city in the United States; far more than Boston or New York, due to its economic success in cotton, rice, and indigo dye.  Also, Charleston was hedonistic with its dancing and drinking being one of the seeds to the Civil War from the differing philosophies between the aristocratic south enjoying life and the fundamental Puritans in the north.

In Charleston, if a restaurant says there is a 45 minute wait, you can go the bar and order dinner immediately.  This was important to Dad, so that he could catch the trolley back to the hotel before it stopped service.  By having dinner at the bar, he met a couple who were celebrating a 40th birthday.  They recommended he visit Waterboro.  The woman was from there and went on about how wonderful it was.

So, on Sunday, the 20th, Dad started toward Waterboro.  He was back on US 17 and it felt like a back road with lots of construction.  It was another failed shortcut.  He thought he was going the wrong way, so he stopped at a fire station to ask for directions, which was a good thing because a mile up the road there was a T-intersection with no signs and Dad wouldn't have had any idea about which way to go.  They told him he was supposed to take US17A and by doing so he found himself with a tailwind making good time and completing 35 miles by lunch. 

After lunch, Dad was talking to the owner of a gas station and went outside to fiddle with his bike before getting on his way.  A friend of the owner came out and said that Waterboro was really out of the way if his intentions were to get to Savannah.  He instructed him to go another 35 miles to a KOA campground in Point South, which was on the way to Savannah.  So, like the wind, he changed directions and headed for Point South.

South Carolina Low Country

On the 21st, Dad rode 21 miles to Savannah.  The owner of the Point South KOA was concerned about Dad riding on the new bridge due to the winds and incline.  Dad wasn't worried about that, but was concerned he would find himself bumping over deep ridges again.  The owner suggested he take Route 170, which had a drawbridge and took him through the Savannah Wildlife Reserve.  Heading that way, Dad assumed he would be on a quiet two-lane road through the marshes.  It was a two-lane road through the marshes, but it didn't have much of a shoulder and was used extensively by semi-trucks heading to port at 50 mph.  The drivers were all courteous, but it was still scary to have the big trucks pass so closely and so fast.  Savannah is the 3rd largest container port in the U.S.  Dad was amazed by the number of containers he saw, realizing what a major operation it is.

Coming into Savannah, Dad was faced with lots of truck traffic, merging lanes, and confusing road signs.  He didn't have enough time to read the signs with trucks blocking his line of sight and had to make last minute decisions about which way to go.  He didn't want to get hit or cause an accident.  Also, the roads were uneven and it started to rain, so he decided to stop and ask for directions before getting lost.

Dad toured Savannah on the 22nd.  The trolley tour was 90 minutes, but he could get on and off whenever he wanted, making for a full day of sightseeing.  Actors who served as guides came on board to share about Savannah. He was visited by Forest Gump and passed scenes from the film.  He learned that Savannah was a buffer between the Spanish in Florida and the rich in South Carolina.  The city was arranged like an English city with many squares (22 in the historic district).  In the 60s, Savannah's historic district was considered a slum and they are still working to revitalize it.


Welcome to Savannah

 

Eli Whitney invented the cotton gin, which contributed to the economic viability of slavery.

 

English Fountain



Johnny Mercer greeting the trolley riders.



Johnny Mercer's Home.  He wrote many popular songs including Moon River.



Note the steps covered in grass.

Victorian Homes



No beard.  Too itchy.  Mom will be happy.



Pirate House

 

 

 

 

 

Dad's official rest day was on the 23rd.  He took his bike to the shop to see if the mechanic could hear the clicking sound that continues to bother him.  The guy couldn't hear the clicking and said the bike is solid and in good shape.

Dad figures he is about 4 days ahead of schedule since he stayed on US 17, which kept him close to the coast.  If he followed the Adventure Cycling route, he would have taken time to go inland and then back toward the coast.  He will pick up the Adventure Cycling route again just north of Jacksonville.






Week 2

Dad was awoken on the morning of Thursday, October 10th, by a flash of lighting and thunder so loud that it shook the hotel.  Luckily, it stopped raining by the time he was ready to go.  There were many utility trucks on the road that day assessing the storm damage.  Water covered the road in many places and at one point there was a mile stretch that was under water.  It was so deep in one place, the water was in the middle of Dad's shin when he was standing on his bike and the pedal was at the bottom of the rotation. 

Cleaning sand off the road.

 Bill rode through a one mile stretch of flooded road later.   The water rose to the middle of his shin at one point.

When he got to his destination that afternoon, he couldn't find the campground, so he went to a motel that was charging $99/night (+ tax) and he didn't want to pay that much.  He found another motel that was $88/night (+ tax) and he decided to take a room.  As he went to the room, he found 4 steps that he didn't want to climb with his bike, as he was tired from a hard day of riding about 60 miles.  He went back and asked about a wheelchair accessible room.  The clerk at the front desk said he didn't have one; there was 1 room for disabled people, but not a wheelchair accessible room.  Dad was bothered and didn't want to patronize a hotel that didn't have a wheelchair accessible room, so he asked for his money back. 

He found out where the campground was and made his way over there passing another motel with a flooded parking lot.  The campground was also flooded.  He found a place that wasn't underwater to pitch his tent, but had to walk through water to get to the shower house, which was covered in water.

Flooded Campground

On Friday, October 11th, Dad only rode 27 miles, but covered a bit of distance as he rode two ferries.  The second ferry docked at about 3:30 p.m., where there was a motel.  The next campground was a bit far and since Dad was still tired and his tent and clothes were still went from the campground the night before, he decided to stay at the motel.

Ferry One

Ferry Two

Dad on Ferry Two.  Notice the beard starting to form.

He started riding before sunrise the next day and had his breakfast at a convenience store along the way.  He planned to stay at a Hampton Inn in Swansboro, North Carolina, but it was full due to the Mullet (Fish) Festival and a couple weddings, so the next closet available motel was in Jacksonville, another 17 miles away.  There were no campgrounds or choices closer to Swansboro, so Dad rode off to Jacksonville, logging a total of 83 miles that day.

On Sunday, the 13th, Dad decided to take a short cut off the Adventure Cycling bike route using US17, which ended up adding about 10 miles to his trip.  He got to an intersection where the sign said US 17 and US17 Business.  He didn't know which way to go.  He wanted to go through Wilmington and since US17 Business was not on his map and he didn't see any other signs, he continued on US17, only to find himself on Interstate 140 with a speed limit of 70 mph. There were no exits on his map or signs for Wilmington.  He didn't know where he was.  He went over the bridge for Cape Fear River, which on the map.  It showed that he was now south of Wilmington, so he thought he missed the town.  Soon after, Interstate 140 ended and he had to exit only to find himself on US17 again.  After a couple miles, he found a saying downtown ahead.  Confused, he went to a gas station and asked for directions to Wilmington.  He was told to take US17 Business. 

It ended up being a 72-mile day.  On top of being lost, Dad started to hear a clicking sound in his pedal area that he couldn't identify.  He was concerned that the flood waters from the previous day washed the grease out of some area causing the problem.  The odd thing was that it happened randomly.  He could hear it for 3 pedal strokes and then not for 2; hear it for 5, but then not for 3, and so on.  It was possible it was clicking the whole time, but since Dad doesn't hear well, he could only hear it when it was quiet; not when he was in traffic or when there was wind.  He decided to inquire about this the next chance he got.

On the 14th, Dad decided that US 17 was not good for cycling.  Besides the confusion from the day before, the traffic was fast at 55 mph and the shoulders were narrow.  But, he was on his way to visit his friend, Terry, so he stayed on that route.  After 47 miles of riding, he got to the campground early and enjoyed a leisurely afternoon setting up camp, enjoying the sunshine, and wandering around.  He has noticed that with the sunrise and sunset being around 6:30 respectively, he has about 12 hours of daylight.  When camping, that doesn't leave a lot of time for riding when he has to set up and breakdown camp.  He is going to start learning to be more efficient and prepare to work in the dark or twilight.

Tent without Rainfly

Tent with Rainfly

On the 15th, Dad discovered that US 17 has no shoulders in South Carolina and the traffic lanes are narrow, but it got him to the home of his friend, Terry.  He visited the South Carolina Welcome Center where he got a lot of information for his visit to Charleston.  Before meeting Terry, he stopped at a bike shop he researched where the bike mechanic couldn't hear the clicking sound.  His guess was that it had to do with they way his cleats were moving in the pedal and was nothing serious.

Dad arrived at Terry's house before she did.  The moment she got home, she asked Dad  to hop in the car and gave him a tour of the area.  She didn't seem to mind that Dad was stinky from riding all day and happily showed Dad around.  Dad has a great time catching up with Terry and another friend from his Japan days, Gaynelle, over wine at dinner.  Gaynelle lives close to Terry.  Terry is bright, has lots of energy and varied interests, so they all enjoyed good conversation and time together. 

Dad and Terry

Gaynelle

Dad continued to enjoy his time with Terry during his rest day on the 16th.  There is only 1 campground between Terry's place and Charleston and it is closed due to the government shutdown, so Dad has a 74-mile plus day ahead of him tomorrow.



 

     

And He's Off

As of October 9, 2013, Dad had completed 249 miles of riding and it was hard work. 

The train ride was uneventful.  He went to The Old Spaghetti Factory for dinner with my mom before he set off, and then after he boarded the train, he found out that he was scheduled for an 8:30 steak dinner.  Not one to pass up a good meal, my dad had two dinners that night.

He didn't sleep well the first night as he was adjusting to his new surroundings and the constant movement, but by the second night he slept soundly.  Bill was impressed with the sleeping car lounges.  If you have an Amtrak reservation for a sleeping car, you can enjoy the amenities in the lounges at larger train stations like Chicago and D.C. They are similar to first class lounges you would find at airports with snacks, drinks, and places to rest.  He was fortunate enough to use the lounge in D.C., even though he only had a coach ticket from D.C. to Richmond.  That made him happy. 

Union Station Chicago

Ocela Station D.C. - Sleeper Car Lounge

Dad met several people during meals on board the train who were on their first Amtrak trip.  All of them were impressed with the experience and one traveler who was a doctor said it was a reminder that life is about the journey, not the destination. 

The train into Richmond, Dad's final train stop, was about 50 minutes late.  Amtrak held the train for about 1/2 hour for the passengers who were late from another train, and then the train got stuck behind another slow train and couldn't make up the time.  Dad wanted to be at the motel before sundown and was frustrated that he couldn't make it there on time.  It didn't help that he couldn't find his bike tool once he arrived and then he had to take extra time finding helpful people to assist him with getting his bike ready for riding. 

Also, the train station guy gave Dad wrong directions to the motel, which added several miles to his trip, but at least it went by a bike shop, so that dad was able to add air to his tires and buy a bike tool, saving him from doing it the following morning.

By the time all that was done, Bill had to wear his headlamp the rest of the way to the motel because it was dark. This was the second time ever that he had to wear the headlamp since he usually plans his rides for daylight (the first time he used the headlamp was on his 1st cross-country trip in 2000).

So, Bill's first official day of riding was on October 5th, from Richmond to a campground 73 miles away.  The first 10 miles of the trip was just to get to the starting point, and since he wasn't paying attention, he missed a couple turns.  He is paying closer attention to his maps now.  A good part of this ride was a duplicate of his 2010 ride, but in 2010 he was at the end of the ride, when he was strong, fit, and happy to be at the end of his journey.  This time, he hasn't had enough time in the saddle to get fit and is just starting out, so it is a different experience.

Lunch Spot - Had dinner here in 2010.

Bill rode by these cannons in 2010.

Bill rode by this sign in 2010.

On his way to the James River ferry on October 6th, Bill met a group of cyclists waiting for the ferry as part of their Sunday morning ride.  One couple he met was from Florida.  They had started their cycling trip in Maine and were riding to Key West, like Dad, but they were taking different short cuts and staying in motels, so Dad doesn't think he will see them again.  During the 57 mile ride that day, there were strong headwinds almost the whole time after crossing the river and his average speed for the day was 9.6 miles/hour.  His thighs were sore that night.

Dad with couple riding from Maine to Key West.

Dad on ferry.

Cotton Field

Swamp

Monday, October 7th, was more of the same.  Dad had 20 miles of strong headwinds, followed by 30 miles of crosswinds, 10 miles of tailwind (finally), and the last 10 miles were variable winds.  It was a long and grueling day.  Later in the day, some people he met said that it was going to rain any minute.  Dad got to his tent pitched and was out of the shower right before the heavy rains came.  That left him with no opportunity to cook his dinner, so he ate cold bean and franks, crackers, and drank a warm bottle of V8.  The storm blew wild winds and rained all night.

Atlanta Intercoastal Waterway - Dad will cross this many times on this trip.

Entering North Carolina

Fortunately, the rains stopped the next morning.  After finishing a can of ravioli for breakfast, which was supposed to be dinner the  previous night, Dad finally enjoyed some tailwind, but went slowly because he was tired.  He planned to stay in a hostel in Kitty Hawk, but since that was only 39 miles into his ride that day, he kept going to Kill Devil Hill, just several more miles farther away.  The big event of the day was crossing the bridge to the outer banks since he had to stay focused.  There was only a two-foot shoulder, heavy traffic, and headwinds gusting from the left at about 25 - 35 miles/hour.  Every time a large truck passed, he would get pushed to the side and splashed and then pulled back into the road after the truck passed.  Dad was jittery during this 3-mile stretch.  There was a kind man in a pick-up who pulled up next to him and offered him a ride.  Dad declined because his touring bike is heavy and it would weigh down the pick-up; plus, it was a two-lane road, which means he would have had to stop traffic to load the bike.   Thankfully, many drivers pulled over or slowed down while passing Dad, which he really appreciated.

25 - 35 mph Winds and Rain

Carolina Outer Banks - Storm planned all week. Flood advisory in effect.

 

We talked on Wednesday, October 9th, which was one day earlier than his planned rest day because there were sheets of rain and poor visibility.  He was surprised to find that he didn't have to clean his bike too much since he left it out in the rain and it got a good rinse.  He changed his slowly leaking tire, read the paper, repacked his panniers to make them more evenly weighted, and enjoyed an invigorating walk to lunch.  Hopefully, the storm passes quickly and he can enjoy some nice weather and tailwinds in the days to come.

High Surf Advisory

Storm Surf
 

To Chicago By Train

Bill got started on the evening of Tuesday, October 1st.  My mom dropped him of at the Fullerton Amtrak Station and off he went.  Once I get a chance to talk to him, I will share more of the details. 

 

 

 

This is the train Bill is taking to Chicago.  It has two engines, a baggage car, three sleeping cars, a dinning car, a lounge car, and three coach cars.

This is his sleeping car (room 008).  He has a license to sleep.