Today was a tough one. I rode 55 miles in 95 degree weather with high humidity. I spent last night listening to lots of different critters, mostly peepers and birds, and never fell asleep. It would have been a good night for my earplugs, but I didn’t want to get up to get them. It was pretty hot in my tent too. I got up at 5:00, and expertly packed everything. I was on the road at 6:00, and quite proud of myself. The trail was right there at the campground, which was awesome.
Bob had suggested a breakfast place on the way to the Jamestown-Scotland Ferry, but either I missed it, or it was the one place I saw, and it was closed. The morning was foggy and quiet. I pulled up to the ferry just as it was leaving. No worries - another one would be along shortly. I can’t believe they run this ferry for free. I was hoping there would be food on it, but there was none.
I was the last one they let off the boat, probably because I’m the slowest. I began my ride through Scotland. I kept hoping for a breakfast place, but didn’t find one until I reached Bacon’s Castle. A small convenience store provided me with a breakfast sandwich and the owner gave me a free banana. With a cold orange juice, I was good to go. I followed my map directions, but the day was getting hotter, and I was concerned about the distance I had left to go, and the total lack of services. At one point, I stopped at a church and had one of my Gu energy packets. It did not sit well with me in the heat. Shortly after that, I was throwing up. I started to get worried - at least I had gotten an early start, but I still had a long way to go.
I went off my route to a highway with more services and the thing I needed most: Dairy Queen. I rode for a while, but the heat was really getting to me. I stopped and stuck my thumb out whenever a pick-up truck went by, but no one would stop. So I got back on my bike and kept riding. I tried again to get someone to stop, and this time someone stopped immediately. We put my bike and trailer in the back of his truck, and he gave me a cold drink, which I desperately needed. He drove me to the Dairy Queen and said he would have taken me all the way to Suffolk if he didn’t have people working on his house. What a sweet man! I had a yummy lunch at Dairy Queen, a place I haven’t been to for many years, and was confident that I would find a ride to Suffolk. WRONG!
I parked my bike in front of a gas station and stood there for over an hour, trying to get a ride. No luck. Finally, I got back on my bike and headed towards Suffolk, 12 miles away, on a very un-bike-friendly road. Massive trucks tried their best not to hit me (they succeeded). At one point, I stopped in a bit of shade and sprawled out on the ground from heat and exhaustion. I was also thinking that someone might see me and stop. No one did. The rest helped a bit, so I continued on my way. After a bit, a police car pulled up alongside me, and the officer asked if I was OK. I told him I was hanging in there, and he continued on. It was nice of him to check on me. I followed my Google directions to the hotel, which is beautiful and has a pool. I made it. I’m taking tomorrow off. It’s supposed to be wicked hot again. I’ll have to move to a cheaper hotel, but that’s OK. I plan on making the most of the pool and the accommodations I have now. I met a couple of nice gentlemen while I was having dinner, and we might be getting together for dinner tomorrow. Looking forward to that. I’ll be in North Carolina on Wednesday!
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