Plain Jane Plain Talk
Journals from the road, trails and at sea
Category: Cycling, Touring and Just Because
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We checked for frost — didn’t see any — then looked for ice – didnt see any of that either, so before we loaded suitcases onto the baggage truck, we reopened luggage and rummaged for more clothes. Socks became gloves, neckwear became hats, multiple layers of thin tees kept the core warm with proper thinking,…
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We departed St. Augustine on a leisurely pace, taking in the rich history of this city dubbed the oldest city in America. Taking extra care on the cobblestones, we weaved into a park square with cannons dating back to the 1500’s, and Christmas trees installed that morning, creating one more photo opportunity.
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We departed the hotel at 7:15am sharp, and rode a brisk 6 miles to the quaint historic town of St. Mary’s, Georgia. We saw more egrets, pelicans, places designated as bird sanctuaries and not one coffee shop open for business. Patience is a practice, and there is always Fernandina Beach.
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The heat and humidity are back. After two days of rides that felt as if we had made a detour to New England, today’s temperatures allowed us return to shorts and tee shirts. We departed Jeckyl Island in one large group, and many of us spent the next six miles mesmerized by the marshland views…
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Good news made an appearance to our day starting at mile 0, when the predicted rains took a detour from our 54 mile route to Darien, Georgia. The temperatures were in the 40s and no one much minded because after 30 minutes in heavy traffic on a 4 lane highway, we veered off on rural…
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The Hatteras Ferry… Two lines of cars waited in formation, and we tucked our bicycles behind a Hummer and in the lee of a cement truck that partially blocked 30 knot winds from the south. A Hatteras Island Ferry official approached wearing a jacket with the words ‘Security’ and asked us for ID’s. Satisfied…
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More adventures filled day 4 of bike trippin’ along the Outer Banks in off season. We continued to ride without paper maps or GPS guidance to decide where to ride – opting for more of a ‘get lost’ strategy. It’s very easy to ride the Outer Banks without a map: Ocean is east,…
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By a leisurely 8:30 am we hit the bicycle trail that ran parallel to Route 12 and headed south from Corolla. Winds blew strong from the south – at least 25 knots, and the beauty of riding into the winds meant we would finish our loopy ride with a tailwind. The bicycle trails twist and…
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When camouflage is not needed A daybreak beach jog — the pre-bike adventure — was met with a horde of humans a few decades too old to be active-duty decked in vintage war-be-gone fatigues, packing large cameras, 12 inch lenses and 2 inch straps secured around their necks. They stood at the top of…
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1-It’s the off-season! Lodging is cheap in Corolla NC; free hot cookies are available at the hotel, roads are empty, bicycle trails are empty and the routes for riding are unlimited. We began our ride 5 miles north of Duck, and headed north along Route 12 following what appeared to be a bicycle trail. …
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The complimentary breakfast at our Beaufort hotel buzzed with cyclists half-woke, half-dressed wearing a pungent o-dear that was reminiscent of yesterday’ ride, walking straight toward the make-it-yourself waffle iron, the trays of english muffins and miniatures dollops of peanut butter where peanuts were the last of a 12-ingredient list that began with the words ‘corn…
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We departed downtown Charleston, with our morning ritual perfected. Drag luggage and bicycle to hotel lobby and park at the first open space making sure the other hotel guests had no access to the exits. Load water-logged (from sweat / humidity) luggage onto the U-Haul truck. Consume a Kind bar for breakfast. The same…
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The morning ritual begins. Rummage through your bag looking for dry shoes and dry clothes. Wonder why all your clothes are wet, and realize the wet ones fused with the dry collection. Do the sniff test. Everything smells gamey. Open the hotel door to check the outside temperature, and watch the humid steamy air roll…
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After a long conversation with an Ocean Isle Beach native working the meat department at the town grocery, he assured me that not only are alligators good eating and taste like chicken, but they get ’em fresh from Georgia, which from my calculation was two states away. Me: Will they chase us on bicycles? The…
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Whaaat? You’re doing what? We are East Coast Greenway. Riding our bikes one week a year, to cover a segment of miles from Maine to Key West, FL – and this year, Wilmington NC to Savannah GA. Riding the congested east coast, as pioneers, bringing visibility to what roadways need to be more bike-friendly…
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Day 4: Bicycling from Elizabethtown, NC to Moores Creek National Battlefield 40ish miles — and bonus points for headwinds The fourth and final day of our East Coast Greenway WAY (Week-A-Year) tour, cut short due to Hurricane Matthew began at the Corner Cafe in the heart of Elizabethtown. A cafe that is open “All Day”…
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Day 3: Bicycling from Fayetteville, NC to Elizabethtown, NC 43ish miles — and who’s really counting when there’s so much to see? The third day of the East Coast Greenway WAY (Week-A-Year) tour began with breakfasts piled high with ham and bacon and a side of bacon fat with fresh steamed or raw vegetables a…
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Day 2: Bicycling from Smithfield, NC to Fayetteville, NC 70ish miles — and who invited Hurricane Matthew to the Carolina coast? The second day of the East Coast Greenway WAY (Week-A-Year) tour began with new routines and new grooves setting in. The pre-ride routine included two trips (maybe more) to drag your luggage and bicycle…
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Day 1: Bicycling from Raleigh, NC to Smithfield, NC 42.5ish miles — or more depending on bonus miles & wrong turns The first day of the East Coast Greenway WAY (Week-A-Year) tour began in downtown Raleigh with nearly 40 cyclists jones’n to get on their bicycle legs. Many drove double-digit hour-long car rides, tipping…
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Day 2: …was one of the highlights of today’s cycling ride – from Richmond to somewhere south of Petersburg, Virginia. Whatever ‘hit’ was lacking in my wake-up routine, was made up for in the adrenaline that helped to cross the mighty James River in Richmond. After days and days of rain courtesy of Hurricane Jo’…
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Day 1: With lots of hope for good weather, our 36 person group of East Coast Greenway cyclists, departed Fredericksburg at 7:30AM in pouring rain. Today’s destination was Richmond VA – 70 planned miles. Note the word ‘planned’. The good news about the weather – is that Hurricane Joaquin brought us a wonderful tail wind. …
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Hours of bicycle training…balances out with hours of bike doodling…too fun! Happy Labor Day Weekend!
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When I first heard that there was a place in the US where cars were banned and travel was limited to foot, bicycle and or horse-n-buggy, I thought — this is a place where I need to be. Since the late 1800’s – cars have been banned on Mackinac Island, Michigan. Located amidst the Straits…
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Day 9 of our bicycle tour that began in Bar Harbor Maine has ended in Ronks PA. A few miles shy of our goal to reach the Maryland state line.. but who’s counting? Our touring travels, beginning each day putting gear on our bikes, inhaling nutrients, navigating unknown roads and discovering nuggets of magic along…
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Friday 7/24 & Saturday 7/25/2015 Apparently the size of the climbs and steep pitches of the Pocono Mountains went unnoticed while researching “best routes” for our final 150+ miles. A few other details also went unnoticed. Such as we are in “black bear country”, and the area is well known for timber rattlesnakes. And, the…
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Thursday 7/23/2015 Getting internet has been a challenge for the last few days. Our final day of ocean side bicycle touring is in Newport Rhode Island. After revisiting our route and wondering how we could possibly navigate the busy narrow roadways through touristy downtown, we happened on a road called Ocean Way. Who can resist…
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There is nothing quite like waking up every morning and the only item in your day-plan is to ride your bike. No checking emails (partly thanks to no internet) to see who may be knocking on your virtual door, no questions on what to do with your time, no coffee to jump start your brain. …
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Tuesday, July 21, 2015 Somewhere south of Portland Maine, our ride took on elements of bicycle friendly roadways (shoulders the size of entire lanes), off-road trails, and substantially less intense hills. This area embraces bicyclists, and this is obvious by the dramatic increase in bicycle traffic. Today’s ride was to begin at 6AM, and at…
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Monday, July 20, 2015 There is very little access to internet – so we haven’t been in touch with what is going on in the world. And that might be a good thing. We discovered later (once internet re-appeared) that south of Maine the country is baking in heat. We are enjoying perfect bicycling weather…
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Sunday 7/19 My 4:15AM alarm was barely audible over the downpour of rain on our cabin. It’s one thing to be out bicycling and get caught in the rain, and a whole different deal to start your ride in a torrential downpour. A quick rendezvous with my biking partner, and we decided to wait for…
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Saturday, July 18, 2015 When I awoke to sunlight and bright skies my first thoughts were “Oh no – I overslept on the first day of the adventure”. Fortunately, in Maine, dawn breaks around 4AM with sunrise at 5AM — so we had not overslept at all! It took a while to get our gear…
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Friday, July 17, 2015 We arrived at our campground in Bar Harbor Maine on Friday and were greeted with cool temperatures, zero humidity and the most mesmerizing coastline views. Words I would use to describe the Maine coast are – rugged, rocky, pristine and very hilly! After 12+ hours of driving, we arrived in the…
Plain Jane Plain Talk 