Amy and I want to give huge thanks to all who have helped make this adventure a success. The emails, calls, open doors, FOOD AND DRINK, support on the road and back home, and words of encouragement have been incredible!!!
|
July 30, 2007. 8:20pm. WE DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!
Amy and I want to give huge thanks to all who have helped make this adventure a success. The emails, calls, open doors, FOOD AND DRINK, support on the road and back home, and words of encouragement have been incredible!!! |
|
Awoke this morning in Fleeton to . . . steady rain. Crud... Jan had mentioned that it was about a 7-mile jaunt to get to the ferry that would take me to Tangier Island - which proved to be exactly accurate. You wouldn't think you could get that wet in 7 miles but you can . . .
|
As my good friend Matt Ryan always says - "why compromise when you can customize?"
Sock-drying on the ferry . . . air conditioning exhaust-style. |
|
I arrived at Buzzard's Point Marina at about 9am (too early) and hung out until they began to board folks on the "Chesapeake Breeze" at about 20 minutes to 10. Destination: Tangier Island, VA. Tangier Island is a little island smack in the middle of the Chesapeake Bay that was used by the British as fleet headquarters during the Revolutionary War, and used by pirates as a headquarters as well.
When we arrived there we were met by a phalanx of golf carts - all prepared to give golf-cart tours of the island. Tangier Island has only a very few cars - but tons of golf carts, bikes, and mopeds. In fact, most houses on the island (Population about 750) have a little golf cart driveway deal with a charging station built in.
| Obviously speeding bicycles and golf carts are a significant problem on the island. |
|
Tangier Island seems to strike a balance of 75% quaint, 20% interesting from a historical perspective, and 5% weird (well, maybe a little more than 5%). It is genuinely unlike any place I've ever been in my life. You CAN get a helluva good softshell crab sandwich there though! MAN was that good!! . . . and served on white bread!
| I followed some of the "back" roads on Tangier on my little tour. It's a pretty place. |
|
We arrived from Reedville at 11:30am, but the ferry that would take me to Crisfield, Maryland wouldn't take off until 4pm. After touring around on the island on my bike, I spent a good deal of time napping and watching the watermen come & go in the little harbor.
My understanding was that the 4pm ferry to Crisfield, MD would arrive at 5:15pm or so, which would leave me barely enough time to reach Chincoteague and finish the ride today. In fact, the ferry arrived at the dock in Crisfield at 5:30. I was pacing that deck like a little kid who'd drunk three or four NeHi's and was pretty much the first one off the boat when we arrived.
After doing a high-speed Superman changing session in the parking lot, I was off. Scott and I had discussed the fact that I was literally going to have to time-trial my way to Chincoteague to make it before dark, so when I hit the ground I was off like a shot. I proceeded to average about 19-21 miles-per-hour for the next 2 1/2 hours - I hammered my way along - figured there was no longer any reason to leave anything in the tank.
|
State #10!!!
Could technically consider the re-entry of Virginia as State #11 but Amy rejected that idea - so 10 total it is. |
|
When I got into Chincoteague I gave Amy a call - it was time for the great procession to the beach at Assateague Island and the conclusion of Destination: Across the Nation. I met her in the parking lot of the Quality Inn and we were off! I continued to hammer my way to the beach with Amy following close behind yelling encouragement as I went. When the beach was in sight I sat up & just kinda soaked it all in.
We had done it! The ride was over!
|
The ceremonial front-wheel dab in the Atlantic Ocean.
Destination: Across the Nation has now officially reached our Destination - there is NO MORE NATION!!!!! |
|
We all dashed to the surf to dab the bike in the Atlantic Ocean, took a bunch of pics, then popped open the bubbly! Hugs, toasts, and cheers all around.
The end seemed like a long time coming but when it was finally here it seemed all too abrupt. We all went to get ice cream tonight at "Mr. Whippy's Soft-Serv" here in town . . .
Amy turned to me at the ice cream store and said: "So what's our next adventure?"