A Very Good Surprise

I woke up a few times in the night to the rain, even sleeping in the basement. I then woke just in advance of my 7am alarm, realized it was still raining, checked the weather report to see that it looked like it would stop after a few hours, and promptly decided to sleep in. I didn't get up until around 8:30. My hosts had had a rough night with their 6 month old baby, but we were able to visit a little more while I had breakfast. The rain had reduced to a drizzle by the time I left around 10.

Planning on camping tonight I remarked, mostly as a joke, to Rachael that if she wanted, she would just have to drive three hours and she could camp with me. To my surprise, she took me seriously and said if things worked out with getting out of work on time today, that she would. I hadn't expected it, but I definitely wasn't complaining. It was something I then had to look forward to all day.

It was a short sub 50 mile day (also much flatter too) to Ravensburg State Park. After the previous two days pushing myself pretty hard, it was nice to have a much easier day. Though there also wasn't a lot to see, mostly just farmland and hills. I was going through Amish territory, and did see a few horse drawn carriages on the road. It was nice not only for the novelty of seeing something I don't​ see everyday, but also for not being the slowest traffic on the road for once (though not by much; the horse carriages could outpace me going up a good hill but not on flat and definitely not down).

While the day was mostly flat, there were a couple solid climbs, and I can feel that my climbing abilities are improving. After the last big climb it was all downhill to the park. Sadly, after avoiding getting wet and muddy all day, Google took me onto a muddy road right at the end. It wasn't too bad though, and as I got into the forest, it got less muddy, and became a thrilling downhill twisting gravel path through the trees and alongside a swiftly flowing stream. It wish sometimes I could take pictures with my eyes so I could capture the things I see while racing downhill.

I realized as I got to the campground that I had no cell reception. And that was a problem. It meant Rachael was planning on heading my way and I had no way to communicate with her. Not knowing what else to do, I biked on past the campground looking for signal. By the time I found it I had gone on some ways and quite a distance downhill. I made a split second crazy decision that I was going on to Jersey Shore and we'd get a hotel there, to which Rachael agreed. It wasn't far and mostly downhill still, and so I arrived quickly and came to the sole hotel in town, Gamble Farm Inn. It's a diner/bar as well as a hotel. I actually went into the bar and talked to the bartender to pay for my room.

It wasn't cheap. I don't want to talk about it. But it was well over a week's normal budget. This is why I don't do hotels on tour (the last, and only other time was on the Pacific Coast, and it was a birthday present from my parents). But this was a special case, and worth the wild expense. The funny thing was that she told me if I paid in cash it would be a little cheaper. So, I pulled out my cash, counted it up and realized I was a dollar short. I pulled out four quarters, and thus paid for the room with literally all the cash I had. At the bartender's suggestion, I locked up my bike in the gym she said went mostly unused. Then I took time to clean up gear, check my phone, and shower, while running Twister on TV in the background. And by that point, Rachael had arrived. We ended up missing dinner at the hotel restaurant, but we were directed to a nice Italian place down the street.

A good day. A very good surprise having my girl drive three whole hours to see me. And now, there is a warm bed for us both to sleep in.