It was a tough day, a hundred miles with headwind most the day. Riding 17, I crossed a bridge out of Edenton. There was a lovely view on the bridge, but as with much of the day, there was no chance for pictures. I continued on 17 for some time, where there was generally not nearly enough shoulder, and it often had rumble strip over what little it had to render it useless to me. Windsor had a neat boardwalk where I took my first brief rest. I passed by some interesting swamp after, that the lack of shoulder, allowed no chance to stop and admire. Across the Roanoke River I took another brief stop at another boardwalk, and there topped off my water, not taking any chances in the heat.
Onward on 17 I continued. I stayed on it for a brief stretch where it turned to 70 mph, and Google wanted me to get off it, but I saw no sign indicating I had to, and it had good shoulder for me to feel more secure than on the shoulderless 55mph. Staying on 17 I mostly bypassed Washington, heading across a very long bridge (where I again would have loved to get pictures, but had no chance). Even after it crossed the river, it just kept going and going over swampland, seeming to go on forever. There was good shoulder, but it was covered in trash and glass.
Across it, at Chocowinity, I finally turned off 17. I stopped at a convenience store for use of a restroom and some soda. To my amazement, I found a steel wire wrapped around my rack. I had thought I'd biked over something on the bridge. Somehow it had gotten tied around my rack and stayed there, apparently harmlessly. From there, I turned onto 33, a much quieter road than 17, and with a little shoulder too. I was tired as heck, with it now being afternoon after starting at 6:30 in the morning, but I was getting close. Google told me to get off onto a road that called itself a dead end. ...I don't know what its route was, but I wasn't having any of that, definitely not on a long day.
I continued on 33 for a time, soon finding myself throwing my cover over my trunk bag as thunder rumbled and rain threatened. The storm turned out to be a real blessing. Not only was it cooling, but to my amazement, as the rain came, the wind quieted. As I got off onto side roads, I found myself flying along. As the rain stopped, the wind was still calm, and I found myself giddy at the bright beauty of the world fresh from the rain and the relief from the winds. I took some time to stop and take some pictures of the lovely side roads, admiring the scenery. I probably lingered too long, as of course, the wind started up again full force. But I had received the relief I very much needed, and felt refreshed and ready to fight the wind for 20some miles remaining.
I slogged it out. Eventually I remet 17, and crossed one more big bridge for the day, one with a stunning view that I again dare not stop to admire, as I struggled against the wind and swerved around the trash on the shoulder. After that it was just a little ways on to where my hosts live in the suburbs of New Bern. I made it sooner than I expected, thanks to that brief break in the wind, arriving around 4. I waited for awhile for him to get home, then got my much needed shower after the very long day. When she came home, we all went out to Ruby Tuesday's, and I got my fill from the salad bar. They took me on a brief tour of the town, teaching me about its history as former capitol of North Carolina before it moved to Raleigh, how it was settled by Swedes (thus NEW Bern), showing me the palace, the place where Pepsi was invented, and several historic buildings and houses. Shortly after we got home, they retired to bed. And well, I do believe I should now follow.
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