The East Coast Ride

Grail, Nov 19, 11:45

Drove from home to Daughter Camille’s home in Long Valley NJ.

09/12/08. Arrived in Bangor ME at dark in rain. Temp in 50s. Rather than caution deer signs on highway, they have caution moose signs. Turned in rental van. Am now totally dependant on bike. Plan to start South in AM. The adventure begins!

09/13/08 Rode to Bucksport, ME. Breakfast/lunch at Riverside Cafe in Ellsworth. Excellent. Weather overcast, drizzle, cool in am, warm and some sun in pm. 54 miles, 5.28 hrs, average speed 9.86 mph. Terrain hilly. Even though summer has about one week remaining, trees are already showing a hint of color. A red fox ran across the road in front of me near Sully. Beautiful animal. Phone # for night 207_469_3139 room 18.

09/14/08 Left Bucksport with plans to ride 65 miles. Drizzle + fog turning to steady rain, cold wind. Reached the point where I was too cold to stay alert to traffic so stop for the nite in Rockport, ME. After 35 minutes in a hot bath, was warm again. Host is drying my clothing. Panniers rain covers work so nothing in them wet. Rode only 43.9 miles in 4.66 hrs ave 9.42 mph. Bike is drying out in storage room. In Belfast, followed AC route which called for a swing up Hy 50. Bad decision! Road was steep, with broken, rough surface, so bad that I had to ride slowly down hill making for a long ride. This part of ME has lots of antique shops and flea markets. Very few churches in comparison to East TN. Telephone # for evening-207_594-8479 ex108.

09/15/08 Rode 53.6 miles in 6.24 hrs ave speed 8.35 MPH. Strong headwind all day. Really cut down on speed. After yesterdays experience on HY 52, decided to stick to US 1. Also, after 3 days of bad riding weather, decided to get out of Maine quickly. As I approached Brunswick ME was stopped by city policeman. He was concerned for my safety during rush hour. Nice guy. Wanted to put my bike in his cruiser but I assured him it wouldn't fit. Gave me directions to motel. Phone # for nite 207-725-8883 rm 108.

09/16/08 Rode 62.64 miles in 6 hrs ave speed 10.41. Great biking day, cool, overcast, no wind. US 1 was next to I 295 so only local traffic on 1. In Portland had to get off, US 1 became interstate for a while. Rode thru Portland, very nice city, bike friendly. Found the East Coast Greenway and road on it for several miles. No matter the calendar shows, Summer is over in Maine. Leaves changing, cool, talk of frost. Countryside lovely. Am in Kennebunk, haven't seen any Bushes. Phone # for nite 207-985-6100 Rm 107. Should be out of Maine tomorrow.

09/17/08 Rode 66.43 miles in 6.25 hrs ave 10.39 mph. Left ME in AM. Rode along shore line in ME then in NH and on into MA. Am in Rowley MA, small town with only one Inn and one eating place. Weather initially fog and cold, then warmed up then fog rolled in from sea, cold again, then cleared up. Ride was great, scenery lovely. Turned 76 today. Phone # for evening 978-948-7773, room # 2.

09/18/08 Rode 55.2 in 5.53 hrs @ ave 9.36 MPH. In Salem, shifted completely to ECG cue sheets. Slows me down, but works. Found one error on sheet, and missed one turn. Must have been the smell of burning witches. Trying to get on bike path very difficult, cue sheet poor. Missed turn was because view across bay to Boston skyline was so lovely I neglected to look for turn, State Trooper was most helpful in getting me back on route. He is Bicyclist, Invited me up for the Jimmy fund raising ride next August. Nice guy. People very helpful and friendly. Charles River bike path great. Boston U rowing and sailing teams were working out on river. Cool all day overcast in afternoon. Prediction is for cold all day tomorrow. Got concerned about finding motel, spotted Days Inn from path, grabbed it. Phone # for evening 617-254-0200 Rm 116.

09/19/08 Rode 79.99 miles in7.37 hrs ave 10.10 MPH. Day started cool and clear, stayed cool. Much color in leaves, and cold at nite. Nice ride into Worchester but had broken spokes on rear wheel. Found a good bike shop, got repairs made, but lost over 2 hours time. No motels until Woonsocket so rode much longer in time than I like to do. Went through many pretty villages in MA, all established in 1600 hundreds. Phone # for evening 401-762-1224 rm 23.

09/20/08 Rode 48.41 miles in 5.12 hrs ave 9.30 MPH. Day started cold, me wearing 2 biking shirts, jacket, pants over biking shorts, and long glove. Shed gloves and jacket at first mile, long pants at 11 miles. Am at a B+B in Hampton CT. Beautiful place, raises Alpacas. Country is lovely, weather ideal for biking after 10 am. Leaves changing here also. I feel like the last robin of summer fleeing south from the cold. Phone # here is 860-455-0054 but use my cell # 865-271-7513. No phone in room..

09/21/08 Rode 49.32 miles for 4.43 hrs ave 10.44 MPH. Weather cool, but warmed during day. Left B+B after leisurely breakfast following a route recommend by some other guest. Great to just North of Norwich CT. I suddenly found myself on I 395 and couldn't get off for about 40 minutes so just rode as fast as I could until an exit. Decided route I was following would not work; highways would suddenly turn into interstate. Called Camille and asked for a pickup. Decided to skip trying to bike thru NYC metro area and pick it up again in NJ. Apparently no motorcycle helmet law here in CT so hundreds of potential organ donors. Phone # for next few days 908-865-4433 or my cell.

09/22/08 Day off today. Slept late, ate, watched TV and rested. The ride through New England was much fun overall. The people I met were friendly and helpful. I was impressed with the fact that almost every town and village, no matter how small, had a public library. I am going to remain here for a few more days, then head south.

09/23/08 Second day off from riding. Bought a new rain jacket and some knee warmers for cool and wet weather and a long sleeve tee shirt to wear under a riding shirt. Re-stocked on power bars and sundries. Got maps for the ride thru NJ, PA, DE, and MD. Lubed bike chain, adjusted seat, and checked out bike. Will spend tomorrow making a more detailed route and stopover plan. My original route planning was inadequate. Spent the day with Camille and enjoyed her company

09/24/08 Last day off before resuming the ride. Spent the day in route planning and maintaining the bicycle.

09/25/08 rode 41.66 miles in 4.11 hrs ave 9.92 MPH. Much time lost asking directions and checking cue sheets. The cue sheets are very hard to follow even with a map. Often, at a critical turn there would be no street name displayed. Lost a cue sheet on a narrow bridge in heavy traffic so I could not recover it. Since I was almost at the end of that sheet, I thought I could do without it, but made a wrong turn and had to stop for directions again. After all the turns and stops, by the time I would have reach the tow path, it was too late to reach my planned overnite stop before dark, so got on US 1 (almost as big a thrill as bicycling on the interstate) and stopped in a nice Holiday Inn Express in North Brunswick for the evening. Will try to get back on the route tomorrow, weather permitting. Had a great time with Camille and Alan. Camille drove me to the start this AM, and offered to drive me to Delaware, but I had imposed enough on them, and besides I wanted to get riding again. Phone # for the evening is 732-297.7400 rm 104.

09/26/08 Rode only 22.4 miles in 2.26 hrs ave 9.65 MPH. Heavy rain last nite, so I stayed in Holiday Inn until check out time. Rain had turned to drizzle by then, but got heavy later. Rode toward canal first then along Canal Road for several miles. Beautiful area, very rural. Reached D and R tow path which is where I had wanted to ride. Path was narrow with firm bed and gravel fines. Because of weather, just me and wild life. Later path surface turned to clay matrix which was too muddy to enjoy ride so got off, rode on Hy 27 thru Princeton. Lovely campus but too much rain to take photos. Had to get on US 1 again to get Motel. Almost too exciting. Decided to ride short distance, and go thru Philadelphia on Saturday rather business day. Also hope weather will be better. Spent half hour cleaning and lubing bike. Phone # for evening 609-896-3388 rm 138.

09/27/08 Rode 69.29 miles in 6.24 hrs ave 10.89 MPH. Weather warm, overcast with occasional drizzle. Shirt weather. Rode thru a section of Trenton that if at nite and in car you would have the doors locked and a round in the chamber of your pistol. OK in daylight. In PA got on PA bicycle route E and followed it to DE. Well marked but many lights thru Philly. Had planned to stop in Chester PA but very poor town and only motel was just too depressing to spend an evening. Rode on to DE border and stopped at a nice Holiday Inn. Phone # for evening 302-792-2700 rm 214.

09/28/08 Rode 54.46 miles in 5.08 hrs ave 10.61 MPH. 7 miles was off course. Followed hy 13 then hy 40. Both routes good with shoulders not too much traffic on Sunday. Last 12 miles hilly, rest level. Pulled over to check map and hit an obscure curb and took a hard fall. Skinned right elbow, brusied right hand and right chest. Plan to soak for a while. Uncomfortable, but not disabling. Used first aid items I have carried for years without use. Rode for 32 more miles after. Weather drizzle all am, warm and some sun in pm then rain. Am in Perryville MD. Phone # 410-642-2866 rm 144.

09/29/08 Rode 49.52 miles in 5.01 hours averaging 9.85 MPH. Followed HY 40 to Baltimore, turned on US 1, and stopped for the evening at a Holiday Inn in Columbia MD. The weather was excellent. Sun all morning, cloudy in the afternoon, cool most of the day. First order of business was to get across the Hatem Bridge (no bicycles allowed) with Biller's Bikes bicycle shop and van service. Walter Biller picked me up at the Ramada Inn, loaded the bike, drove me to his shop in Have de Grace, fully inflated my tires, tightened the kick stand, and gave me ties to repair a broken hook on one pannier. He also recommended a route thru Baltimore to Washington, DE and provided a MD state bicycling map. Real service, and a real nice guy. The ride thru Baltimore was a bit confusing. Even a policeman sent me the wrong way. Many traffic lights which slows the ride. Highway 1 in the city is known only as Washington Blvd, so asking directions to Route 1 didn't get much of a response. Two guys leaving a parts store actually escorted me for several blocks to make sure I reached the correct route. Very friendly. I had expected to be sore this morning after the spill yesterday, but not much soreness except for a bit on the right chest. The skinned elbow still leaks a bit, but is not a problem. Just looks bad. Am meeting Eric Amacher in the afternoon tomorrow, so decided no need to get any closer to Washington. Telephone # for the evening is (410) 799-7500 room 219.

09/30/08 Rode 27.32 miles in 2.53 hours average 9.42 MPH. Slow speed came form walking the bike around the national mall and various monuments. Weather was cool, and somewhat hazy. US 1 was busy, but had adequate shoulders in many places. University of Maryland has very pretty campus. I enjoyed riding and walking around the center of Washington, DC. for some time. Met an Englishman who was hiking and bussing around the US. Talked with him for about 30 minutes. Eric arrived at about 1:00 pm. Really glad to see him. Picked up shorts and tee shirt to wear here, and to take south with me. I plan to ship some thing I no longer need home. Looking forward to a few days off. Telephone # here is 703-266-8577.

10/01/08 Spent the day resting, and planning route thru VA and NC. Rain last night and today. Turning cooler. I am reconsidering what clothing I am shipping home. Received my absentee ballot and voted. Tiffany and Eric excellent hosts.

10/02/08 Spent the day completing route plan, washing clothing, checking the bike, and resting. Ready to get going tomorrow.

10/03/08 On the road again! Rode 66.8 miles in 6.38 hours averaging 10.05 MPH. Stop at Eric and Tiffany's was a great break. They really took care of me. Eric dropped me off on HY 123 on the way to taking his kiddies to school. First hour + very cold. By 10 AM it had warmed up to shirtsleeve weather, and the temperature the rest of the day was cool, perfect. After leaving the populated area the route wound thru beautiful farm and forest country. Lots of horse farms. Mostly rolling terrain. Occasion head winds, but not too bad. No place to eat, so I was glad I had some power bars. Found a very nice Best Western in Fredricksburg, VA. Staff very helpful. Telephone number for the evening (540) 371-5050, room 104.

10/04/08 Wrote this once and lost it so will save in memopad first then copy. Rode 55.73 miles in 5.3 hrs ave 10.12 MPH. Weather clear, shirtsleeve all day. First part of ride thru Civil War Battle field. Rode 25 miles thru rural area little traffic. When route crossed US 1 I could see it was going to be another 60+ day so got on 1 and rode straight to Ashland VA. Traffic not too bad but narrow to no shoulders. Last 15 miles hilly. Phone # for evening 804-752-7777 rm 102.

10/05/08>Rode 65.42 miles in 6.09 hrs ave 10.63 MPH. Weather warm and clear. Glad I went thru Richmond on Sunday. Route was thru middle of city. Would have been difficult during work day. Leaf change under way in VA. Route after city flat, rural, nice. Traffic Light. Crossed James River. Very wide and impressive. Passed several plantations. VA listed as toss up in election, but I have seen many Mccain/Palin signs in yards, one Obama. May not mean anything. Litter a problem in every state I have been thru. Am in a Quality Inn in Petersburg VA Phone # for evening 804-732-2900 RM 123.

10/06/08 Rode 56.07 miles in 4.34 hrs ave 12.25 MPH. Thick fog in AM. Was able to start by 10 am. First 10 miles on back roads thru woods in light fog. Reminded me of Germany. Rest of ride on US 460, a major truck route. Hy is 4 lanes undivided flat and straight with very narrow shoulders. Most trucks and cars moved over to left lane when passing me, but riding in traffic mentally fatiguing. Country side cotton, soy bean, and peanut fields. Rest is swamp. Am in a Roadway Inn (dump) in Suffolk VA. Plan to reach NC tomorrow and start on Outer Banks Wednesday. Just too far to go tomorrow because of availability of overnite accommodations. Phone # for evening 757-539-3451 rm 105.

10/07/08 Rode 50.83 miles in 4.23 hours averaging 11.58 MPH. Route level, easy riding. Weather clear, cool, perfect for bicycling. There was a bicycle shop next door to my motel last evening, so I took the bike there this morning to have them adjust the brakes. Good thing I did. Needed to replace a broken spoke, and make a slight adjustment on the rear derailer which was out because of the fall some days back. Had him check pressure in the tires, and was on the way by 1000 AM. Crossed into North Carolina after 15 miles. Goodbye Old Dominion. Route was thru low, swampy ground. Many big fields of soy beans, peanuts, cotton, and corn. Route was along edge of the Great Dismal Swamp. Will go through more of it tomorrow when I ride to Nag's Head on the outer banks. Am in a nice Holiday Inn Express in Elizabeth NC. Telephone # for the evening is 252-338-8900 Room 410. Hotel has washer & dryer so I will leave here tomorrow in clean clothing for a change.

10/08/08 Rode 60.03 miles in 5.54 hours ave 10.17 MPH. Weather thin overcast all day, more sunshine in afternoon. Jacket until 1000 am, shirt sleeves after. First 20 miles same crop pattern and swamps as yesterday. Then progressively more tourist oriented. From Kitty Hawk thru Nags Head along HY 12, Beach Road vacation homes, hotels, restaurants, beach equipment shops. Numerous dead birds, maybe hawks, on 3 mile bridge into Kitty Hawk, probably hit by cars. Wonder why? Stopped by Wright Brothers Monument. Had seen it before but worth a second visit. Am in Nags Head NC. Phone # for evening 252-441-7308 rm 22 (really).

10/09/08 Rode 65.77 miles in 6.22 hrs ave 10.30MPH. Most of ride thru Cape Hatteras National Seashore. Very scenic area. Road flat and generally in good condition. Shoulders adequate, rough in the occasional town. Overcast all day slight drizzle in afternoon, but rain showers stayed off shore. Temp mild. Made a short side trip to Bodie Island Lighthouse. Met nice couple, Chuck and Starr from Peachtree City, GA on a commercial bicycling tour. Rode along together for a while. Enjoyed talking to them. Tour sounded like a good way to go. Saw more dead birds on bridge. Possible explanation from a local guy: Serious fishermen here carry numerous fishing rods mounted vertically on front or back of their vehicles. (I had noted that earlier.) Birds fly over vehicle miss top but strike rods. Makes sense. Am in Hatteras, NC. Phone # for evening 252-986-2141 rm 25. They assure me their system works so we should not have a repeat of last nite.

10/10/08 Rode 62.05 miles in 4.35 hrs ave 13.30 MPH. Also spent a total of 3+ hrs on two different ferries. Overcast all day with occasional showers. Put on jacket and long pants over biking shorts while waiting for second ferry. Wind strong and after a while chilly. Was a tail wind while riding, however. Thus the higher ave speed. Ride thru national seashores great. Last 15 miles high traffic area, Enjoyed talking to folks I met on ferry and during wait. Had Noticed damaged to pine trees and thought beetles, but met a TVA botanist from Knoxville who said it was salt water damage from a big storm from a few weeks ago. He also said blue herons nest in an area for only 5-7 years and defend nesting area by throwing up on intruders. Effective. Am in Morehead City NC Phone # 252-247-5001 rm 107.

10/11/08 Rode 68.65 miles in 5.35 hrs ave 12.27 MPH. Rained the entire day. First 20 miles on Hy 24 heavy traffic and narrow shoulders. Turned on 172 to bypass Jacksonville NC by going thru Camp Lejune Marine Base training area. Retired ID got me thru checkpoint then 20 miles of light traffic and good road. Decided to cut south on Hy 210 to beach area to hit Motels. Wilmington just a bit too far. Mistake. Several beach weddings and all rooms taken. Lady at one motel made calls for me and found vacancy on south end of island. Six miles I will have to double back tomorrow, but worth it to get out of rain. Spent a while drying and lubing bicycle (First the horses, then the men). Am in Topsail, NC at Breezeway Motel 910-328-43020 but don't call there. No phone in rooms. Call my cell 865-271-7513.

10/12/08 Rode 76.88 miles in 6.02 hrs ave 12.70 MPH. First 6 miles was North on the island to get back on route. This mint I biked into the wind I had as a tail wind for the past two days. What a difference! Cut my speed almost in half. After got on mainland headed south again and had tail wind. Followed AC route to vicinity Wilmington NC, over back roads little traffic thru pine forest. Decided it was too out of way so followed Hy 17 to Shallotte, NC. Hy very busy but shoulders adequate. Overcast all day, but no rain. Overcast started to break up in afternoon. Hope a clear day tomorrow. Temp mild. Am in Holiday Inn Ex in Shallotte phone # 910-754-3300 Rm 101. Will cross into SC tomorrow.

10/13/08 Rode 73.88 miles in 5.24 hours averaging 13.65 MPH. Weather clear, cool in am, 80's in afternoon. Followed HY 17 all day. Narrow shoulders in NC, disappeared in SC until Myrtle Beach bypass, then narrow to none. Traffic heavy. Soil sandy, light colored, numerous fire ant mounds along hy. Pine trees and scrub oaks, and swampy, with Spanish moss on some of trees. Palm trees only in towns, where everything looked well cared for. Route did take me through North Myrtle Beach, typical tourist area with hotels, shops, etc. Numerous mosquitoes if you stop, no problem while riding. Bought some insect repellent in a drug store. While passing a bike shop in South Brunswick Islands, NC, the owner asked my destination. Stopped and chatted for a while. Steve and his wife own Island Hoppers Bicycle shop, nice folks, nice shop. Steve added air to my tires, and made a minor adjustment to my rear brake, as well as giving me advice on the route. While there, met another customer, Gibby Lepsig from Knoxville, TN, who owns several Five Guys burger shops, and is building one across from Walmart in Lenior City TN. Talked cycling for a while then continued on. Am in a nice Quality Inn in Georgetown, SC. Phone # is 843-546-5656, room 156.

10/14/08 Rode 67.49 miles in 6.20 hours averaging 11.16 MPH. Weather clear, cool in am, warm in pm. SC has no mandatory motorcycle helmet law, so a potential rich source of organ donors. Followed Alternate 17 all day. Rural until Moncks Corner, light traffic consisting mostly of logging and sand/gravel trucks. Very considerate drivers since there were no shoulders. Heavy traffic rest of way. Route was thru part of Francis Marion (Swamp Fox) National forest, thick forest of pine and hardwood trees mixed. Lots of swamp. Some corn and cotton fields. Unbelievable number of fire ant mounds. In rural areas, about one every 10-20 feet. Am in Comfort Inn in Summerville, SC 843-851-2333, room 101.

10/15/08 Rode 75.75 miles in 7.00 hrs ave 10.80 MPH. Weather cool in AM warm in PM. Continued down Alt 17 to Ridgeland NC. Town of Summerville from last nite very nice, homes, businesses and common areas well maintained. Traffic medium first 35 miles, light there after. Road rough at edge, little to no shoulders. Heavy woods of mixed pine and hardwood most of way, no cultivated fields. Decided to use East Coast Greenway cue sheets for GA and FL. More direct and easier to find lodging than Adventure Cycling route. Will enter GA tomorrow. Savannah tomorrow nite. Last debate tonite. This election has gone on for so long, how is it possible there are still undecided voters! Just decide! Phone # for evening 843-726-2121 rm 112.

10/16/08 Rode 73.44 miles in 6.34 hrs ave 11.18 MPH. Followed ECG route all day. Very good. First 20 miles thru woods almost no traffic. Pebbly road surface in SC which lowers ave speed 1-2 MPH. Saw wild palmetto palms in woods for first time. Very relaxing ride. Crossed Savannah River into GA, roads immediately smooth surface. Rode thru Pooler GA where I visited an Aunt 60 years ago. Didn't recognize a thing. Am in downtown Savannah GA in Holiday Inn Express right on water. Phone # 912-231-9000 rm 401.

10/17/08 Rode 69.51 miles in 6.22 hours averaging 10.90 MPH. Weather cool in morning, warm in afternoon thin over cast all day. Savannah very pretty city, but much traffic. Rode south on HY 17 once I cleared the city. Traffic medium, narrow shoulders, some area with rumble strip which makes half the shoulder unusable for bicycling. Last 40 miles no problem. Very swampy terrain. Pulp wood logging is a big industry both here and in SC. Am in Comfort Inn in Darien, GA. Phone # 912-437-4200 Room 101.

10/18/08 Rode 66.28 miles in 5.56 hrs at 11.14 MPH. Rain until noon, then sunshine in afternoon, pleasant temp all day. Traffic moderate but rumble strip for first 30 miles taking up most of shoulder. OK after. Terrain swampy, numerous tide influenced rivers and creeks. Big port around Brunswick GA. Road kill had been mostly Opossum and armadillo, occasional deer today raccoon and a cow. Am in a Days Inn near Yulee FL phone # 904-225-2011 rm 125,

10/19/08 Rode 75.19 miles in 5.54 hours averaging 12.93 MPH. The last robin of summer has not made it far enough south yet. Temp in mid 40's this am. Warmed up after 1100 am, pleasant rest of day. Ride down hy A1A excellent. Amelia Island Parkway very nice, numerous high end housing areas. Talbot Island Park very relaxing ride. Short ferry ride over St. Johns River. Beach area traffic heavy. Strong tail wind most all day, allowed me to make up time I lost from first flat tire I had to repair. Kevlar liner protects from tire bottom puncture but not side ones. Am in Howard Johnson Inn in St. Augustine FL telephone # 904-824-6181 rm 120.

10/20/08 Rode 73.38 miles in 6.20 hours averaging 11.55 MPH. Think I'm far enough South now to be ahead of the cold. Warm this morning and nice all day. Sunny, quartering, cool wind off water. Once out of St. Augustine, route for 40 miles along beach with bicycle lane then 15 miles along intercoastal water way, light traffic. Most houses along beach here stucco over concrete block in contrast to NC which are wooden. Am in Ocean air motel in New Smyrna Beach phone # 386-428-5748 rm 14.

10/21/08 Rode 61.84 miles in 5.00 hours averaging 12.33 MPH. Followed US 1 all day. Traffic light outside of towns, heaver in towns. Adequate shoulders. Am following AC route thru FL. ECG route too hard to follow. Warm all day. Flat terrain, palm trees and scrub trees, thick brush in rural areas. Funny sight of the day; garbage truck lifted container and dumped it in truck bed. Cat was apparently in container, jumped on top of truck than to ground and into bush. Very confused cat. Am at Gene and Gloria Anderson's for a couple of days. Had ridden 21 days w/o break, so is time. Use my cell phone #.

10/22/08 Day off today. Got a haircut, replaced water bottles, got a book, and repaired a flat tire. Planed rest of trip and made reservations in Key West. Rested.

10/23/08 Spent the day resting, reading and relaxing. Head south tomorrow. Plan to reach Key West by 29 October.

10/24/08 On the road again! After 2 delightful rest days as guest of friends Gene and Gloria Anderson in Melbourne FL, rode 52.67 miles in 6.42 hours at 7.84 MPH. Steady rain for first 3 hours and heavy shower in afternoon. Worst part was 20-25 MPH head wind for entire day, which explains slow average speed. Stopped 15 miles short of planned destination hoping for better weather tomorrow. Am in Vero Beach Inn (room right on ocean) telephone # 772-231-1600 room 110.

10/25/08 Rode 68.60 miles in 6.27 hours at 10.63 MPR. Over cast most of day, heavy showers starting around noon, high humidity and hot between showers. No wind until late in afternoon, so better average speed. Lots of land crabs get crushed on highway, along with armadillos. Route along coast most of way, condo, high end housing, resorts, hotels in all private own areas. Passed a nuclear power Plant on Orchid Island, took a picture. Saw Bert Reynolds park on highway 1. Am in La Quinta Inn in Jupiter FL telephone # 561-575-7201 room 206.

10/26/08 Rode 71.87 miles in 5.58 hours at 12.03 MPH. Rain in early morning but had stopped by the time I started. Overcast all day, comfortable temperature. Bike path most of route, traffic medium. Some open beach but mostly as yesterday high rise apartments and condos, upscale homes and resorts. Continuous built up area. Am in Ocean Inn in Hollywood FL. Telephone # is 954-927-0096 Room 13. If no answer dial 25 for office and they will bring me a message.

10/27/08 Rode 64.68 miles in 6.05 hours averaging 10.60 MPH. Weather was clear, temperature mild. First 40 miles thru Dade County/ Miami. Heavy traffic, bicycle lane in some places, disappears in other. Very demanding bicycling. Last 20 miles thru rural area, miles of tree nursery mostly all kinds of palm. Saw biggest hill I've seen in FL; was a giant land fill. In Miami, several demonstrations in front of banks. Couldn't tell the subject. Am in Florida City FL telephone # 305-248-4009 room 108. Will enter Florida Keys tomorrow.

10/28/08 Rode 76.99 miles in 6.38 hours averaging 11.58 MPH. Decided to add air to tires before leaving for the Keys. As I was filling front tire, strong wind blew bike over and bent valve. Replaced tube (with a repaired one), but by the time reached Key Largo, it was going flat. Found a bike shop, had them put in new tube, fix flat, and picked up another spare tube. First 11 miles on US 1 had shoulder but a line of reflectors in bike lane. Road under repair so much truck traffic. After that good shoulders or a bike path. After Key Largo Keys became more beautiful. Turquoise green and blue water, very clear. I am writing this sitting under a palm tree on a nice sand beach behind my room. It is windy and cool as it has been all day. Tail wind or rear quartering wind all day. Should reach Key West tomorrow. Only about 58 miles away. Very little road kill here. An occasional sea bird or land crab, no small mammals. Am in Yellow Tail Inn in Marathon FL telephone # 305-743-0227 room 110.

10/29/08 It is done! Arrived at the Southern-most point in the US in Key West FL this afternoon. Total mileage is 2456.08. Met two couple from Maine at the marker who wanted to have a picture of me because of my ride. Rode 66.89 miles in 6.16 hours averaging 10.64 MPH. Jacket weather until 1030 AM, then long sleeve bicycling shirt rest of day. Sunny but with high thin overcast. First 11 miles on a good bike path then rest on US 1. adequate shoulder all the way. Road kill all small land bird. Have seen hundreds of people fishing all along East Coast and had not seen any one actually catch one. Today saw a guy catch one! Small, but a fish none the less. Am in Fairfield Inn in Key West FL telephone # 305-296-5700 Room 239.

10/30/08 Relaxing day. Took a tour of the Key by trolley to locate places Mary and Ramona might want to visit. May start compiling some summary comments for the completed trip if I get a bit more ambitious. Mary and Ramona arrived at 4.45 PM. Had Ramona’s birthday dinner at A and B restaurant. Very nice place.

11/03/08 Home again, home again jigged jig. Arrived home this afternoon at 5 pm. Drove 1005 miles from Key West. Phone # for tonite and for some time in the future is 865-408-1634.

SUMMARY
I rode a total distance of 2,445.83 miles, averaging 61.1 miles a day. My average speed was 10.75 miles per hour. I spent an average of 6 hours and 9 minutes actually bicycling each day.
I carried a Blackberry Curve from Verizon Wireless. This device provided me with a phone, internet access, e-mail, maps, and identification and location of hotels, inns, motels, and B&Bs all along the East Coast. I consider it or a similar device essential for an unsupported bicycle tour.

OBSERVATIONS
In most areas Adventure Cycling is much better and easier to follow than East Coast Greenway. ECG suffers from lack of maps. In it's effort to get as much of the route off road as possible, it makes numerous changes of direction increasing navigation requirements and lengthening travel distance. The idea is good but I would only recommend it for short local tours, not for the entire coast until better developed. For those staying in hotels/motels both routes pay insufficient attention to location of over night facilities.

Litter is a problem in all east coast states, despite signs threatening big fines for littering. Apparently, these law are unenforced. We have a beautiful country and we should take better care of it.

In a world where millions have no access to clean drinking water, we are fortunate. I drank public tap water all the way with no problems.

I found most people nice, friendly, and helpful.