Retirement Rides: Made it to the Outer Banks, just!

Yesterday I rode from the happy Holiday Motel in Myrtle Beach to the Sherwood Motel on Main Street Havelock. When I arrived at the motel and went to check in I was told by the ice womwn at the desk that I indeed had a reservation for their fine establishment but, it was for Saturday night, not Friday. How could that be, I'd made the reservation myself. Ah, there's the rub; I had not been paying enough attention on the Expedia site and had booked myself in on the day I would be out. By then my friend at the reception desk had assessed my troubled state and had decided that she would take pity on, and assist this hapless Canadian senile, or near to senility, traveller. She found the same room for me (at a lower rate than I had been charged through Expedia) and suggested that once I had logged in to their free wifi I could cancel the next night's appointment by myself, a task which by then she had assessed I might just be competent enough to accomplish. I did!

Now, earlier in the day I had stopped at a Norh Carolina Information spot and one of the friendly lady attendants had helped to find me a room in Kill Devill Hills and reserve a 7:00 am passage on the ferry from Cedar Island to Ocracoke, the southerrn tip of Highway 12 that goes up the Outer Banks, supposedly an hour from Havelock.

I say supposedly because it ain't and that makes a difference when you're supposed to be at the ferry terminal to pick up your ticket one hour before the ship leaves. I won't say I was speeding; well, not all the time, and not always by the same amount. I was the last vehicle to board the ferry with, oh, maybe a minute to spare.

And on the traverse I met Craig, a retired high school principal, who rides a Spyder and who was doing an Iron Butt journey that involved going to so many lighthouses in so many days. We shared experiences and impressions about long distance solo bike rides, and discussed a number of other topics. He is a charming person who's son and daughter-in-law work in the health care field and live inVancouver. Craig and I hit it off immediately and I was happy to see him a little further up the road when we took another ferry accross Hatteras Inlet together. I wish him well with his cancer, and with their move to upcoming move from Virginia to Maine.

I visted the Hatteras Lighthouse, the tallest brick lighthouse in the USA, and rode on to Hotel Shutters which is right on the Ocean in Kill Devil Hills. I arrived early enough to be able to go for a 'swim' in the waters. The waves were higher and the water colder than at Myrtle Beach but it was a blast. Afterwards I had a very good glass of locally brewed beer at the Outer Banks Brewing Station, and a not too bad dinner at Captain George's accross the road from the brewery. The oysters were fresh and plump, and the Philly sandwich was quite tasty.

Here are three pictures from today:

Craig's Spyder and my Beemer