As you know, I do not like to ask for help. But sometimes in life, we find ourselves in a situation where we require assistance. Today was one of those days, and the assistance came in the form of a Road Angel named David. I knew today would be a long day. I checked and double checked, and triple checked my planned mileage for today, and it came out to 54. Doable.
I had the free breakfast, which was so-so today, and was on the road by 7:30. It was cloudy and not too hot, and I didn’t bother with sunscreen at first. A thunderstorm had passed through earlier this morning, and everything was wet. Since it was Sunday morning, the traffic was very light. I headed south, and enjoyed the improvement in road conditions. This part of South Carolina had freshly paved roads, with a shoulder that was wide enough for me to avoid the rumble strip. I followed my directions, taking note of a few corrections that had been made.
I did take one wrong turn, that I know of, but it worked out fine because I ended up on the correct highway. I continued on until I ended up on Highway 61. This is where something went very wrong. My map told me that 61 would take me to 21, and that would take me to Walterboro. I rode on 61, never saw 21, and came out at Route 17. I checked my Google Map directions and my heart sank. I had ridden 40 miles, and Google told me that my hotel was 30 miles away, down Route 17. There was no way I could do that. But I tried. As I’ve mentioned before, 17 is not a bike-friendly highway. I rode hard for 8 miles, sticking my thumb out a few times, but nobody would stop. I pulled into a tackle shop to ask if they could provide a piece of cardboard and a big marker so I could make a sign that said “WALTERBORO - PLEASE HELP”. As soon as I pulled in, a red pick-up truck pulled in after me, and a man got out. He said, “You look like you’re going a long way!” I said, “You’re not headed to Walterboro, are you?” He said, “No, but I’ll take you.” I told him I’d give him $20 to take me, but he refused.
We chatted the whole way. He lives in Summerville and owns a huge piece of land there. We drove and drove for what seemed like forever. It would have been dark by the time I got to Walterboro, and I would have been completely exhausted. David suggested we get something to eat, so we went over to Ruby Tuesday for a beer and an appetizer. I tried to give the bartender my credit card to pay for it, but David insisted. He said meeting me had made his day a good one, and he was grateful to me. Imagine that! He drove me back to the hotel, opened the door for me, and wished me well on my journey. Thank you for your kindness, David. You really helped me out of a jam, and I’m glad I had a chance to get to know you in Walterboro, South Carolina. My new friend.
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