Yep, 80 more miles today with hills and headwinds, and I'm still handsome. That yellowish tinge to my skin is pollen. The air is so thick with pine pollen it looks foggy sometimes.
I rode by myself today, since Jim is now doing the family vacation thing since he has ridden 502 miles already and that's enough he says. I feel like I'm just getting started.
It was a pretty grueling day. Mostly nonstop hills. Big headwinds in the afternoon. Temperature in the mid 80s. I had to go 80 miles to get to this Days Inn I'm at, which is the only motel for 20 miles in any direction. The online reviews for this place (two stars) are quite humorously bad. I was giving the highlights of them to Suzanne at dinner last night, who is amused by where Jim and I will stay when we are on our own, because she isn't there.
"I'm pretty sure something bit me"
"There are footprints on the walls"
"There are more pubic hairs than I can count with my fingers and toes."
Honestly. THIS MOTEL IS JUST FINE THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH IT. None of those things are true. RDOQ. Those reviews are probably all from people who are sad they can't spend $100 more on the Hampton Inn or something and have it come with a blow dryer and clothes iron.
It's right off the exit to I-73, behind the Food Lion and the Family Dollar. It's on the opposite side of the street from the giant sawmill. There is a Bojangles, Hardees, Waffle House, and Chinese place across the parking lot. I did the Chinese, and washed it down with a Mello Yello from the vending machine in front of the Food Lion. It hit the spot.
The real highlight was Mrs. Wegner's Restaurant back in Sanford. Tasty homestyle Southern cooking, and dirt cheap. Lunch was $7!
Just don't make them mad.
It's mostly "forests" now, which are really tree farms. There are lots of log trucks on the road, and saw mills. Occasional big ugly clearcuts. And incredible amounts of pine pollen. Giant yellow clouds everywhere.
I was on US Bicycle Route 1 for most of the morning. This route is the East Coast Greenway, which runs right by my house on the BWI trail and the Grist Mill Trail. Yesterday's trails through Raleigh were part of it. This section southwest of Raleigh was once US 1. The current US 1 runs parallel to the old road here, and is a freeway.
Despite the hills and headwinds, today was magnificent. I feel great, the scenery is great, and springtime is in full force down here.
Here is the track on Strava:
https://www.strava.com/activities/282869156
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