Today was maybe the best riding day we have had. The day started out in brilliant sunshine and the first 10 miles or so of the ride off Beaufort Island and across Port Royal Sound was in some of the most gorgeous scenery one can see on the east coast. We had a 6 foot shoulder on the highway and no wind. We just enjoyed one great vista after another as we rode along. This was the kind of day that makes you glad you are a long distance cyclist!!!
We continued down Rte170. Eventually it went down to two lanes and we started to hit a little traffic. By now we were ready for a coffee break but we could not find any place that had coffee. Also since this is the Hilton Head Island area, they hide their businesses like on Hilton Head. We asked for coffee at two different restaurants but they didn't have any. We finally found a Wendy's and decided to have lunch even though it was just 10:30AM. Of course Bob had to take off his shoes and walk around Wendy's with just his socks on. I tried real hard to pretend that I didn't know him but the cycling clothes gave me away. As we were leaving, we started talking to a man who was interested in our adventure. he suggested that we go and visit a wildlife park to see alligators. I said to Bob that we are going to go down a highway named Alligator Alley, I think they probably named it that for a reason.
After another 10 miles or so we turned onto the road that led through the Savanna Wildlife refuge. We rode along for a few miles looking for the alligators without seeing anything although we did see a lot of dikes and access roads for the fishermen. All of a sudden we came to a area where the tide was out and we could see the flats and there were the alligators sunning themselves along the banks. We saw dozens of them and I took a lot of pictures although some of them it is hard to see the alligators. As we continued through the reserve, we crossed the line into Georgia. Unfortunately, there was not welcome to Georgia sign even though there was a Welcome to South Carolina sign on the other side. We crossed over the Savanna river and came on to a huge pulp mill. We had been seeing logging trucks all day loaded with pine trees and now we could see where they ended up. At one point we saw loaded log trucks going in both directions so I guess there is more than one plant. Eventually we made it to Rte 17 again and rode the last 10 miles into Richmond Hills. We arrived around 3:30pm and checked into our hotel. A great riding day and another state!!! Only one more to go.
We continued down Rte170. Eventually it went down to two lanes and we started to hit a little traffic. By now we were ready for a coffee break but we could not find any place that had coffee. Also since this is the Hilton Head Island area, they hide their businesses like on Hilton Head. We asked for coffee at two different restaurants but they didn't have any. We finally found a Wendy's and decided to have lunch even though it was just 10:30AM. Of course Bob had to take off his shoes and walk around Wendy's with just his socks on. I tried real hard to pretend that I didn't know him but the cycling clothes gave me away. As we were leaving, we started talking to a man who was interested in our adventure. he suggested that we go and visit a wildlife park to see alligators. I said to Bob that we are going to go down a highway named Alligator Alley, I think they probably named it that for a reason.
After another 10 miles or so we turned onto the road that led through the Savanna Wildlife refuge. We rode along for a few miles looking for the alligators without seeing anything although we did see a lot of dikes and access roads for the fishermen. All of a sudden we came to a area where the tide was out and we could see the flats and there were the alligators sunning themselves along the banks. We saw dozens of them and I took a lot of pictures although some of them it is hard to see the alligators. As we continued through the reserve, we crossed the line into Georgia. Unfortunately, there was not welcome to Georgia sign even though there was a Welcome to South Carolina sign on the other side. We crossed over the Savanna river and came on to a huge pulp mill. We had been seeing logging trucks all day loaded with pine trees and now we could see where they ended up. At one point we saw loaded log trucks going in both directions so I guess there is more than one plant. Eventually we made it to Rte 17 again and rode the last 10 miles into Richmond Hills. We arrived around 3:30pm and checked into our hotel. A great riding day and another state!!! Only one more to go.
LOVE THE BLOG !!!!
ReplyDeleteHi Guys---
ReplyDeleteIf you can spare the time see some of Savannah it's one of Kathy and my favorite places.
The weather has given you some fantastic riding, keep it up. I read a comment from Carole about my supergluing tires to our hotel room carpet. When I told the guys in the bike shop they laughed and then thought it was a pretty good idea.
Hey, what is the name of the aircraft carrier you rode past in South Carolina.
Stay Safe
Bruce
Hi guys,
ReplyDeleteBe really careful of the logging trucks - from a friend in Alabama "they think they own the road and cyclists have no right to be on it". Also, my nephew, who crossed by himself in the south found the same thing in Ala. and Georgia.
At least Bob's head doesn't look like it has corn rows in it as it did in one of the pictures I took out west!! Alligators would scare me!!
Hi Bruce,
ReplyDeleteWe didn't go into Savanna as we didn't want to get into all of the traffic in town. We will have to do that some other day. The aircraft carrier was the USS Yorktown.
Norbert