Day 25
Start: Mt. Pleasant, SC
End: Georgetown, SC
Miles: 83.1
Really too tired to write. Big changes on the horizon. Big Luna Moth auguries. Big birthday treats. Stay tuned.
What I’m Reading:
I’ve only got
the one death to my name, one death
and I’m not going to ruin it.
— Josh Bell / “The War Against Birthdays”
The bike looked naked this morning stripped of its panniers, rack, and assorted bags—only the fenders and the small seat bag (which has the flat repair kit) the bike is pared down to is essential state. Which is much more maneuverable and fun to ride sans the extra 25 lbs of gear.
As expected, other than a tune-up, it needed a new chain—as chains in these conditions will be at an optimum for 700 or so miles. Otherwise, after an hour, the bike was ready to go, but first I had to trash my well-worn Merrells (really hiking / backpacking shoes which I use for biking all the time) which I purposefully brought out here to use to exhaustion after two years. I also purchased another tube, at the rate I’m going through tubes—and my 650b-sized tubes being less common—I’m now carrying 4 spares.
Many thanks to Kent and Cody in the bike dept. at REI for getting me back on the road quickly, and Marisa and Sean who helped with local camping information. I’m finally using my tent tomorrow night after 1,000 miles.
At REI I also met a couple of other bike tourists—Karen and Alex—who started in St. Augustine and are going through to Virginia and Gloucester, MA, respectively. But they seemed on a tight schedule as they were in and out of the store quickly. But we all quickly agreed on one thing about the routing and US 17—Karen said it: “Are they trying to kill us?”
Finally someone who instantly, and precisely, understood exactly what we’re dealing with.
At REI I was told about the resident alligator often seen around the ponds in the area, and upon looking I found this fierce reptile:
Keep Your Distance. It will strike terror in any unsuspecting passerby.
Lunch at San Miguel Mexican restaurant featured the best Carne Asada platter I’ve ever had… there, there it is… the ribeye is below that mound of onions and jalapeño. It seriously was excellent.
Careful, more fierce reptiles about…
… bathing!
They ain’t Merrells and they sorta’ look orthopedic, but these Giros will get me through the next 1900+ miles.
Day 24
Mt. Pleasant, SC
0 Miles
A productive day despite only pedaling 5.5 (unburdened) miles to try the new tune-up out. New chain, new shoes, extra tubes, and laundry done. And I worked the logistics out for this next week. A bike trekker can’t ask for more…
… well, they can… to stay off of US 17… and I did!
What I’m Reading:
on the other end of the best steak of your life
is a cow moaning a song of agony.
— José Olivarez / “Poem with Corpse Flowers & No Corpses”
Or some such distracted nonsense. Specifically because I was distracted (and maybe a two-glasses of wine lightweight) I didn’t realize until this morning that I’d left my credit card at the restaurant last night after dinner.
Not a great awakening—much less on the day I was intending to tour Charleston, SC at leisure. I instead lost four hours of prime tourist time waiting for Zen Asian Fusion to open so I could retrieve my credit card—which I assumed, but was not sure, was in the possession of the restaurant.
And it was! Thanks to the conscientious workers there I was reunited with my credit card at 11 am , and was able to get on my bike trekking way.
Very good pan-Asian food by the way.
Back on the West Ashley Rail Trail for the final handful of miles into Charleston, SC proper.
The tidal marshes as one arrives in Charleston by bicycle.
And quickly on to the Battery 2 Beach trail.
Which runs the perimeter of the Charleston peninsula and fringed with beautiful waterfront homes.
But there’s always work to be done, and a detour leads to interior homes and streets…
… and the “birthplace of preservation…”
… this site commermorates the “seizure of the Planter”—where Robert Smalls, an enslaved man, commandeered a Confederate transport vessel and delivered it past Fort Sumter to the Federal fleet.
Much, including the historic color schemes, is preserved in Charleston, SC.
These cobbles are absolutely bone-jarring to bike on, so I mostly walked through these spots.
The area around the Old Exchange Building was the site of one of the most active slave markets in the 1800’s. Preserved for prosperity, but nothing to be proud of—history requires remembrance and accounting.
The Saffron Cafe & Bakery was an excellent lunch place…
… just in time to almost chuck-up lunch going over the 2.5 mile long Ravenel Bridge…
… not terribly steep, but a good sustained 4-5 percent grade on the middle section…
… which was busy with walkers, runners and bicyclists.
It’s not the 7-mile bridge in the Florida Keys, but it’s much taller and pitched, and I believe it’s the next longest bridge on the Atlantic Coast Route thus far.
On to the eastern side of Charleston—Mt. Pleasant—and a significantly less busy road running parallel to the US 17 traffic madness.
Before the day’s endpoint I stop by REI—where the bike will get a tune-up and refresher, and where I’ll resupply after the first 1,000 miles.
Even though I’m a third of the way through this bike trek, I feel the thousand-yard stare delirium. I think the difficult conditions—as it pertains to the exposure to dangerous traffic—takes a bit of a toll when one does it for many hours daily over three weeks.
I’m feeling a bit of shell shock, or traffic delirium as it were. So tomorrow the bike gets the spa treatment of sorts.
Where I’m bedding tonight, just a quarter-mile away from the REI.
Day 23
Start: West Ashley-Charleston, SC
End: Mt. Pleasant-Charleston, SC
Miles: 20.46
I started this trip in an abstemious state of mind—no drinking and eating healthy… and I kid you not, this is a manifestation of a dinner brought on by hundreds of miles on US 17.
Laundry, bike tune-up, gear changes, and no US 17 tomorrow! Dinner of Champions! I’m a traffic-shocked wastrel…
What I’m Reading:
… but the only thing ultimately worth your concern is the anguish of your fellow passengers on this hell bound train…
— Cormac McCarthy / The Counselor
I’ve seen this sign (above) at too many places in South Carolina. First two places I saw them were outside a high school and later an elementary school. Also, outside of a couple of churches. This one was at the hotel last night. You may draw your own conclusions on the state and health of our country.
As usual I include a shot of the first road I’m routed to by (my less than spectacular routing) my gps unit. This was SC 63 / Alt US 17, no shoulder, but very lightly used on an early Saturday morning (lucky for me).
I pedal before you as a chastened rider. I will no longer create my own routes as opposed to the Atlantic Coast Route maps—unless I’m in an emergency.
I’m sticking with the Atlantic Coast route map I have from Adventure Cycling, which shares a great deal of the route with the East Coast Greenway. They’re mapping professionals and I’m not—no matter how creative I get with the routing.
They naturally choose the safest routes and keep one off of busy/dangerous routes like US 17 as much as they are able. That way I won’t end up on crazy disappearing dirt roads like this one below that caused me to backtrack and get on the busier road anyway.
Although some shoulder-less roads like this are so infrequently traversed that it makes for care free riding.
This is busier Alt. US 17 but it had a good and mostly debris free shoulder that made it a safer alertnative route.
But eventually, even though this is a state road below—it’s loosely packed sand that makes for a challenging ride (again, my own route, not the Atlantic Coast or East Coast Greenway route).
About an hour later I caught up to another touring cyclist—Kathy S., note the lack of a shoulder on US 17 here in Jacksonboro, SC. This is a busy road, and not the safest to say the least. Luckily it was a short span.
I actually met Kathy the day I rode into South Carolina at the Taqueria las Abuelitas in Hardeeville, SC—just before Bluffton, SC. We’ve leap-frogged each other on the trail over the course of a couple of days through today in Jacksonboro, SC.
She’s riding from Melbourne, FL to Charleston, SC. She heads back to California on Tuesday. She stayed on the Atlantic Coast Route while I went off on my self-mapped route at Old Jacksonboro Road…
… which led to this: 2 miles of sandy unpaved road…
… which then became a paved road before it once more petered out to an unpaved surface… interesting to say the euphemistic.
Then back on shoulderless US 17–which looks empty and safe enough, but that’s more a function of me taking out my camera only when there isn’t a car in my rear view mirror for a mile or more. I wouldn’t dare split my attention when the speeding cars, SUV’s, and tractor-trailers are coming within two feet of me. Why? Oh, why, did I make this route up myself?!
Did I mention that I’m chastened?
No more.
Only the Atlantic Coast Route mapped routes from here on out. I made this unnecessarily unsafe for myself while attempting to be safer.
One of the days highlights was finding the Yodi Dog Coffee Truck on US 17…
… and getting a boost from a homemade energy drink with 120mg of caffeine—that’ll get me the last 10 miles into Charleston, SC.
This is not a dirt road, it’s the hard-packed and very rideable gravel West Ashley Rail Trail—which is a nice way to enter the Charleston, SC area instead of US 17. This IS on the Atlantic Coast Route map.
The rail trail features nice areas to pull aside and enjoy the Lowcountry marsh views.
Very nicely done. Kudos to South Carilolina for this and the Spanish Moss trails.
I’m done. I’m chastened. I promise to stay on-route.
But first, a high metabolism appetite-driven dinner!
Day 22
Start: Walterboro, SC
End: West Ashley-Charleston, SC
Miles: 49.53
Tomorrow historic Charleston proper and a ride out closer to REI where I’ll get the bike tuned-up after 1,000 miles on Monday—which will probably be another day off—for gearing up for the next 2,000 miles.
But first, I need to make it safely out of South Carolina.
Yeah, I inhaled that dinner, too!
What I’m Reading:
Be the weird you wish to see.
— Austin Kleon / “Be the Wierd You Wish to See” / Substack
I forget Palestine
has a kind way of
remembering
those who mark it for
slaughter,
and those it marks for life.
— Fady Joudah / “[…]” / […]: Poems
A poem is supposed to be upsetting—a poem is for upsetting the status quo.
—Terrance Hayes “The Art of Poetry No. 111” / The Paris Review
US National Institutes of Health (NIH) officials have warned researchers not to mention mRNA vaccines in their grant applications, reports KFF Health News. Despite messenger RNA (mRNA) vaccines against COVID-19 having been safely administered billions of times, and saving millions of lives, the Nobel-prizewinning technology has been the subject of conspiracy theories that have gained traction among the Trump administration and its supporters. “There is a real climate of fear in academia about this now, especially among vaccine scientists,” says an anonymous senior scientist, who says that he was told by an NIH official to avoid even mentioning the term.
— Arthur Allen / “Scientists Say NIH Officials Told Them To Scrub mRNA References on Grants” / KFF Health News
About suffering they were never wrong,
The Old Masters: how well they understood
Its human position; how it takes place
While someone else is eating or opening a window or just walking dully along
— W. H. Auden / “Musée des Beaux Arts”
The shriek of glass on glass peeled my skin. The screech of all things scorched around me. The brassy, tinkled detonation. Shards of wronged birds. Real birds impaled and writhing. Even the sun had hid its eye. We were several layers under now. We could not think of other times. We called truce and splayed our fingers. The sky would not forgive.
— Blake Butler / Scorch Atlas
No clouds on the skyline,
the sunlight awful and brutal.
A motorcycle rips the day open
with its wretched and intentional sound.
— Adam Clay / “Some Mood”
the fact that there’s a lot you have to blank out if you want to get through life
— Lucy Ellmann / Ducks, Newburyport
What I’m Listening To:
The roar of unceasing traffic in my head—morning, noon, and night. I’m destined to be hearing deficient on my left side by the end of this ride… who has time to listen to anything under these circumstances… I don’t!
— The unceasing din / “ceaseless traffic in my head” / US 17
Coldest start yet: 43 degrees in Beaufort this morning, with a windchill of 32 degrees—winds are gusting up to 26 mph. I’ll take it over rain every time. Today’s high will only be 64.
I did some creative mapping in order to spend as little time as possible on US 17. It’s impossible not to use the road: both Adventure Cycling and East Coast Greenway routes rely heavily on US 17 in Georgia and South Carolina, but I’m pedaling this section in a triangular shape as opposed to the arc-shaped route with numerous horseshoes that the map suggests.
This is an 80+ mile section without many services available to bicyclists. So I mapped a route to Walterboro, SC today, and tomorrow I’ll ride into the West Ashley suburb of Charleston.
I pedaled immediately to the Spanish Moss Trail where I rode 7 car and carefree miles…
Plenty of opportunities to enjoy the Lowcountry marshes and tidal flats right on the trail.
A great blue heron on the wade for its next meal.
Another opportunity to ride through a man made structure—this one a culvert on the Spanish Moss Trail.
I noticed last week that the pollen was getting heavy around Townsend, GA, and it’s been getting heavier around here. That’s not a white stripe on my tire, it’s a layer of pollen.
US 17 was ok during the first part of the morning, especially as I was only on it for 1.6 miles, but later in the morning it was atrocious during a 7 mile stretch. The shoulder often had half an inch of gravel on it, causing fish tailing and loss of tire purchase.
But many of the roads I was on today were great. Quiet, low traffic, and drivers made plenty of room. Most of the time I could use the full lane it was so lightly traveled.
This was the only service available on today’s ride. The Albany Convenience store in Dale, SC…
… I’ll gladly support any business that supported Harris / Walz, a rarity in these parts.
Plenty of scenic swamp scenes throughout todays ride, this was in Seabrook, SC.
I didn’t encounter a car on this road for 5 miles.
The Harriet Tubman bridge over the Combahee River. This is near the scene of where she helped lead a rout of Confederate forces to help free over 700 enslaved people in 1863.
This type of backcountry road really puts on at ease even though there is no shoulder. Note the lass of traffic, no tractor-trailers, cars, and no sharp crap all over the road.
The tiny one room building that historically served as the White Hall, SC post office.
It abutted the massive White Hall Plantation and Stables, almost a mile long as I pedaled by it.
When you route yourself sometimes you end up on unpaved roads. This one was firm enough and short enough.
Later, near Walterboro this road was longer and that sand was fine and loose, making for tough pedaling on the tires I’m riding.
Lots of fish-tailing and effort expended on these roads—and frighteningly, lots of spent shotgun shells and beer bottles.
I’m done. Dinner and my room in sight.
Day 21
Start: Beaufort, SC
End: Walterboro, SC
Miles: 49.52
Tomorrow into the Charleston, SC area and a couple of days later a badly needed tune-up for the bike. While I will be riding everyday,I’ll spend two or three nights in the Charleston metropolitan area.
Here’s a gratuitous look at a quarter inch thick scad of pollen. Get your allergy meds.
What I’m Reading:
The kids at the park light a kite
on fire and watch it lift into the sky,
while back home later, everything I
touch feels like overripe fruit
right before it breaks open.
— Adam Clay / “Some Mood”
Day 21
Start: Beaufort, SC
End: Beaufort, SC
Miles: 0
Day off reset of the head, knees, and saddle sores. Enough of the flat tires! Back on the road tomorrow.
What I’m Reading:
Nearly half of registered Boston voters believe there are too many bike lanes, according to a recent poll from Emerson College, while just 17 percent said there are not enough.
— Emma Platoff & Shannon Larson / “Facing bike lane backlash and a reelection challenge, Mayor Wu is changing her tone on public transit” / The Boston Globe
You see that thing—that sliver of a demented barbed-scimitar-shaped-hell-sent tooth of a metal devil? Well, that that thing was making my riding life miserable the last few days…
This god-forsaken 1/32nd of an inch, demon’s bicuspid, of a shard was deflating my tire overnight since Richmond Hill, GA four days ago. Each morning I’d have to reinflate my tire to 50 psi from 7-17 psi. It was driving me mad.
Thanks to Brandon at Sports Addiction who found the sliver and installed the new rear tube as I was doubting in my ability to change the tire effectively. It must have been inside the tire for four days, when I pedaled from Townsend, GA to Richmond Hill, GA. Yeah, I’m happy now.
Lots of uninspiring heavy speeding traffic, punctuated by inspiring water views today. The Chechessee Creek.
A treat at the Widgeon Point Preserve…
… nesting Bald Eagles in residence…
… above the parking lot?
The large nest belies the scale in this picture.
Then the Broad River Bridge led to an excellent sighting…
If you’d have told me that I’d see two alligators on this trip I’d have said: yes, likely…
… but the tally is Atlantic Bottle Nosed Dolphins: 2 Alligators: 0. Go figure.
Then, just a few miles down the road—oh, that awful “thunking” sound and wheel-skipping. I hate the sound and the feeling. Have I mentioned all the crap out on the shoulders yet? Maybe?
This is unencumbered devilry—there’s a hellion out putting debris in the way of bike-trekkers.
Confounded screw this time.
I’ve got my money’s worth out this bit of equipment—the Fanttik tire inflator.
Ready to go, again, and very over this day already.
Finally, the Spanish Moss Trail: 10-miles of easy peddling through the marshlands of the South Carolina Lowcountry.
Nice to know that, yes, I’m on the right track.
The Spanish Moss Trail is limited to pedestrians and bike riders. A bit reminiscent of the Cape Cod Trail in Massachusetts.
After the messes with the tire today, I’ll take this debris-free trail all day, every day.
It’s not often one gets the option to indulge in the novelty of riding through a building, much less a historic one…
… but here goes. The Danner & Co. building was a grocery warehouse. It was built in 1915.
Oh, thank you. I’m done!
Day 20
Start: Bluffton, SC
End: Beaufort, SC
Miles: 27.10
Day off tomorrow to sort out my sore head, these confounded roads, and blasted flat tires!
What I’m Reading:
… the fact that we really need a Have a Heart Day, just one day a year when nobody’s killed for no reason, Peace One Day…
— Lucy Ellmann / Ducks, Newburyport
I’m doing four consecutive short days, partially by design—due to the weather system last Sunday, the desire to spend some extra time in Savannah, GA, and because of a gap of services between Beaufort, SC and Charleston, SC. And by setting up a shorter 30-mile day to Bluffton, SC today I was able to take a bicycle tour with a guide through a St. Patrick’s Day-free Savannah, GA.
The Clyde Market, near the hotel, is a great place for coffee or second breakfast.
Maybe the most important thing I did today was secure two replacement tubes at Savannah On Wheels, as I’ve been carrying only one since the flat north of Jacksonville, FL.
The historical tour of Savannah met and ended at Savannah on Wheels.
That’s Linda, in the orange jacket—the tour leader—rounding everyone up, passing out audio headsets, and relaying riding instructions.
And the eight of us bike tourists are off on a two hour history tour of Savannah, GA.
Our first stop was in Orleans Square where Linda oriented us to the layout and history of the city.
Live Oaks draped in Spanish moss line the many historic squares around Savannah.
The Harper Fowlkes House an 1842 Greek Revival Mansion is now run as a museum.
This is the likeness of James Oglethorpe who is credited with founding Savannah, the oldest city in Georgia, in 1733.
Linda also pointed out that this is the square where the iconic “bench scene” in Forrest Gump was filmed.
Note only one of our tour bikes is actually freighted down with a full touring set-up. Who goes on a “bike tour” while bike touring?
Johnson Square, with City Hall looming in the distance, was the scene of St. Patrick’s Day parade madness yesterday.
President George Washington attended church services here in 1791, during his tour of the south.
Some fountains, like this one in Columbia Square are still flowing green from St. Patrick’s Day green dye.
The Mercer Williams House, featured prominently in the book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, is a backdrop feature of Monterey Square…
… which also features a monument to General Casimir Pulaski—look up The General was Female?—for an amazing story about the Polish American Revolutionary War hero.
I eventually got on the road—some of the worst roads yet—and made it through awful riding conditions out of Savannah, and Georgia, into South Carolina! The third state heading north on the East Coast Greenway Trail.
This section of the trail is notorious for tough riding conditions—high-stress roads, poor road conditions, aggressive drivers, and disappearing shoulders—in fact the East Coast Greenway suggests you skip parts of it—or skip It all together:
I can attest that the 3-mile stretch of SC 170, is the absolute nadir of road bicycling conditions I’ve encountered yet, and I got a “Get the F*** off the road!” greeting to boot.
Yes, welcome to South Carolina! You know it’s bad if the sponsoring organization encourages one to skip a section of their own trail (see the last sentence in the image above.)
Anyway, at least the taco trucks serve excellent food! Taqueria Las Abuelitas was a nice pay-off for having suffered the bone-jarring juddering aggressiveness of SC 170… (did I mention that road sucks!)
Day 19
Start: Savannah, GA
End: Bluffton, SC
Miles: 33.13
At least the weather was absolutely perfect all day. I can only hope I don’t feel compelled to skip up ahead to North Carolina after the introduction to it’s southern namesake. A short day is in store tomorrow to Beaufort, SC, and the Spanish Moss Trail, which will definitely help staying off these roads.
And there’s nothing like a meatloaf patty melt to take the edge off… oy!
What I’m Reading: (and considering)
Please note: Currently, our interim route in South Carolina and Georgia, includes a great deal of high-stress, on-road segments, predominantly on U.S. Highway 17… we strongly advise against riding these high-stress segments at this time.
— East Coast Greenway / “Long Distance Trips” / https://greenway.org/trips/long-distance-trips
There’s nothing more Georgia than Waffle House… breakfast, lunch, or dinner / 24 hours a day… you know you’re in the Southern US.
Today’s very short ride looked mostly like this into Savannah, GA. The two shorter rides to avoid yesterday’s dangerous weather paid off. Clear with lows in the low 50’s (felt like 48 degrees with wind-chill to start.)
Only 20-something short miles later I hit Savannah proper.
Is that a preview of my Georgia exit and entry into South Carolina in the distance? Yikes!
I quickly found todays end point, but again I was way too early to check-in. Folks in Savannah, GA, take their St. Patrick’s Day festivities seriously. It’s the 201st St. Patrick’s Day parade in Savannah, and the second largest in the country. Thousands come from around the country and the world for Savannah’s party.
Note the green liquid in the half-gallon jugs… open alcohol containers allowed here (think like Mardi Gras in ‘Nawlins) there will be some soused folks, but everyone was pretty well behaved.
I didn’t plan to imbibe but I definitely intended to eat what my peeps cook. I found Rancho Alegre, a Cuban restaurant, just a few blocks away from my hotel.
And tomorrow I’m playing seriously at “tourist.” Believe it or not I’m taking a bike tour of Savannah tomorrow. Yes, I’ll bring my own bike and will tour with others renting theirs. Today was not the best day for touristing about as many roads in the center of the historic town were closed due to the parade route. (Hey, I get a discount for bringing my bike. Although I think I’m the only one taking the tour with a full tour set-up. I’ll leave immediately for South Carolina once the tour ends mid-day.)
To kill time until the Cuban restaurant opened, while staying well away from the parade madness, I took a cursory look around the historic district festooned with live oaks draped in spanish moss.
The azaleas are flaming…
… and the Forsyth Fountain water was dyed green in honor of St. Patrick’s.
Finally inside Rancho Alegre for lunch…
… ropa vieja, maduros, and black beans and rice—and I did imbibe—the local Southbound Brewery Cosmic IPA.
Guayaba and cheese empanadas for desert …
… and half for later.
After securing the bike and gear in the room…
… I’m off to see how the locals celebrate. This was a melange of musical styles—or should I say din—between three open air bars hosting three different musical acts simultaneously… huh? … what? … didn’t hear you!
Near City Market and Ellis Square modern music in a historic setting…
… and I just had to catch some of the parade…
… always a pleasure to see the National Bath and Kitchen Association’s float putting in a random parade appearance. Go NKBA!
… Shriners…
… at every parade everywhere.
The parade winding its way around City Hall.
A nice break away from the bike ride.
Parade-goers enjoying a cover of the Proclaimers “500 Miles…”
… the guy up front really enjoying it.
The smallest church in America one day, the smallest pub in Georgia the other!
So when in Rome…
… I broke down and imbibed… Oy!
Day 18
Start: Richmond Hill, GA
End: Savannah, GA
Miles: 25.70
Tomorrow Savannah like a tourist, and trek into South Carolina.
What I’m Listening To:
St. Patrick’s is our version of the Super Bowl…
— Riley Miller / News Report / WJCL-TV, ABC 22
thee istsfor manity reader 