Beach Ride Part 2

When you ride your bike 165 miles to a convention, everybody is impressed. Gee whiz, you're a hero for a couple days. People marvel at what you've done, and you get to be all false modesty with your it's-really-not-that-far-and-anybody-can-do-it spiel.

But then everybody asks: well, are you going to ride your bike home? Truth be told, the plan was to find somebody with a bike rack and hang it on the back of their car and cruise home in air conditioned, radio blasting comfort. Hero for a day is all you were really after, right sport?

But somewhere along the way, the thinking changes. Yeah, what the hey, ride the bike. Because 11 hours on the bike beats 3 hours in the car any day of the week. That 3-hour car ride will be dull, while a bike ride, no matter how short, always holds the promise of adventure and usually delivers.

And so, I struck out at 4 a.m. yesterday morning and racked up another 170 miles and had a fine time doing it. Pix follow....

Bladenboro estate...



A sunny day. Perfect for sunflowers....




Here's a nest of Bladen County tar snakes.



Ah! Road closed means no traffic for a few miles. You can see the yellow crane in the distance on the second shot. They waved when I came through -- and they knew I was coming, as one of the DOT trucks passed me as I headed toward the closed portion. I actually got on the road between the closed signs because I missed the turn on to River Road and came in on a side road.




This place wasn't scenic enough on the way down so they added hay bales...



Coho at rest...



Which came first, the tree or the shed? Not sure, but yes it grows right out the roof. My camera is going crazy again.



What a nice day for a bike ride....





Corn is ready...



Here comes Amtrak!





Hog Heaven Lane again...



Warren's Cricket Farm is at the end of Hog Heaven....




It faces Bait Road...



Post ride celebration at Raleigh Morning Times...