thevcblog: Eastern Shore Ride Day 5 - Chincoteague to Crisfield

It's Day 5, and for the first time the sun has come out. Sunshine is so nice.

And it was a very scenic day, featuring salt marshes and forests.

Sometime there were chicken houses hiding in the forest. There were a lot of chicken houses not hiding in the forest too.

And sometimes there were bald eagles hiding in the forest.

Bald eagles are abundant on the Eastern Shore. I've seen dozens on this trip. They eat dead animals on the side of the road with the turkey vultures.

Our end town today was Crisfield, "Seafood Capital of the World". Every soft shell crab comes from Crisfield, I hear. It's a big seafood processing place, and it used to be even bigger. At one time, Jim says, there was an overnight direct train from Crisfield to New York City to deliver fresh seafood to fancy restaurants.

But these days, it is very beat down. Population is 2500, and vacant buildings abound.

My goal was to get in to Crisfield before the Ravens game started at 1:00, and find a bar or restaurant where I can get food and watch the game. The challenge was the big headwinds on the last 20 miles of the ride. With a major effort, and by abandoning Jim, I made it. To discover that there are no bars in Crisfield, and only two restaurants open, neither of which have a TV at all.

We are staying at Jim's sister's condo in Crisfield, which would be the only place possible to watch the Ravens. Why on earth would anyone buy a condo in Crisfield? Because it was really cheap, Jim says. Apparently, right before the financial collapse in 2009, some foolish developers thought Crisfield would be the next big boating resort, and they built a bunch of condo towers on the waterfront. Crisfield is clearly not the next big thing, and so we are here in a very nice condo with a spectacular view in the saddest waterfront town ever.

So I wound up riding around Crisfield for a half hour waiting for Jim to catch up, because the only place we are going to watch the Ravens is in the condo. My mission became "where can we find beer and takeout food that we can bring to the condo on our bikes?"

There is a beer store that was open, and where the is a will there is a way.

And there was a tasty takeout BBQ stand, which was open because the owner did not want to be home helping his wife put up Christmas decorations, he said.

We got to watch the second half, where the Ravens (who do not look good) pound on the Jets (who are bad beyond belief). In the comfort of the fancy condo.

We ventured forth for dinner at the only restaurant in town, the Waters Edge Cafe, a couple blocks away. It was busy at lunch, but it was empty at 7:00.

Here is a picture of me, accepting that I have missed the first half of the Ravens game, but at least I have a bunch of BBQ and beer in the panniers.