Saturday, April 04, 2015

Spring 15 Tour Day 2 - Salisbury, MD to Exmore, VA

Howdy from Exmore, Virginia!

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I'm sure happy because this was about the easiest 70 mile day of bike touring ever. Temperature around 60, dead flat terrain all day, and a roaring 20 mph tailwind.

You might be wondering how come we only went 70 miles if it was flat and there was a roaring 20 mph tailwind. The answer is because Jim was only managing 12 mph at best despite the tailwind, and generally had the demeanor of someone enduring a death march rather than enjoying bike touring.

I think he rode more miles yesterday than he had in the entire year to date.

So we decided to adjust our plans, and not attempt to ride 100 miles today to the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. Despite the roaring 20 mph tailwind. We decided to ride until we decided to stop, somewhere where there was a motel with food nearby, especially if there was a bar.


Yep, right next door. Electrolyte Replenishment Therapy, and steak and cake (although they don't know it's called that). No 6, it's (Red Dot of) Quality night.

So tomorrow will be a short day (30 miles) to the bridge-tunnel, then we will proceed at an enjoyable pace until wherever we wind up on Thursday night. Then Suzanne will pick up Jim, and they will go listen to banjo music, and I will continue to ride and get to banjo music whenever I get there, or Suzanne will fetch me on Sunday morning on the way home.

The scenery today was quite nice. There were way less stinky chicken farms, and way more nice forests.


 Much of the morning was on the Seagull Century route from Salisbury to Pokomoke City Maryland. It was sad to leave the spray painted seagulls behind.
Here is my bike leaning on something by Pokomoke City. I spend a lot of time standing around waiting for Jim to catch up, so I might as well take pictures.


Lunch was in the middle of nowhere at the awesome 4 Shore Mart. You might think it looks sketchy, but the delicious smell of burgers cooking on the grill when you walk in totally overcomes the impression left by the plexiglass and unfinished 2x4 cage around the cashier. The bacon cheeseburger sub totally had the required 30 miles in it.


Breakfast this morning was at Bob next to the 6. Nothing interesting to report on that.

But here is a good story from the Golden Corral experience last night. I'm in the line to the cashier, where you pay in advance and get your drink and a tray.

Bored cashier girl: "You have any special discounts, active military, retired, stuff like that?"
Me: "Nope, I'm just handsome. Do I get anything for that?"
Bored cashier girl: "You sure do! $17.40."
Dim cashier guy from the other register looking over her shoulder: "You didn't give him any discount!"
Now indignant cashier girl: "He was joking."
Me: "Maybe I should have said I was modest. Would that get me anything?"
Rest of people in line: laughter.

Here's the track on Strava. Note the massive 66 feet of climb over 73 miles.
https://www.strava.com/activities/279305145

1 comment:

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