Detours, Dogs, and Other Dilemmas

Since I was able to write my update a little earlier than usual yesterday, I thought I’d start today with a brief “post-dinner” continuation from yesterday’s update. And let me just say that the dinner was excellent – and far healthier than what I’ve been eating lately. There was tuna casserole, broccoli, fruit salad, bread … not to mention cake and ice cream. All so good. And neither Charlie nor Glenne seemed to mind that I went back for a third serving!

It was a very enjoyable dinner with great conversation that extended well beyond dinner. We spoke of trips, technology, bicycles, blogs, and more. We looked at some maps to identify potential routes that the almighty Google might not know about. And I even had a chance to do some much needed laundry. All in all, a great end to the day.

This morning began about as well as yesterday ended. And, like many other mornings, it began with a continental breakfast. However, this one was courtesy of my generous hosts Charlie and Glenne and, as you might imagine, the spread was significantly better than recent motel offerings. Maybe they should turn their house into a Bed & Breakfast!

The plan for today was to get to Chesapeake – about 120 km away. The trip would include another ferry, this time from Jamestown to Scotland (no, not THAT Scotland). The ferry crossing is short, runs frequently and, best of all, is free. I was originally hoping to board the 10:30 ferry but I didn’t leave until about 9:40 and, with the ferry being 30 km away, the 11:00 crossing became the new goal.

So, I said goodbye (and MANY thanks) to Charlie and Glenne and headed off. Normally, having to cover 30 km in less than 80 minutes would be cause for concern but most of the ride had a gentle descent and I ended up arriving at the ferry just as it was docking. Perfect timing.

As mentioned earlier, the crossing was very short and, even though we didn’t get away right at 11:00, I was pedaling again before 11:30. And that’s when I had my first adventure of the day. I was probably only 250 metres off the ferry, pedaling up hill, when I heard a dog barking. And it sounded like it was getting closer. A quick glance to my left and I spotted the dog in question. He was definitely barking, and definitely coming after me. Fortunately, that’s where the drama ends. Well, fortunate for me. Not so much in terms of creating an exciting story. I guess I should also mention that the dog in question appeared somewhat old and, uh … well … only had three legs. I was never too concerned.

Unlike the past couple of days, today’s route was back to zigzagging my way through a series of side roads. Of course, that meant frequent stops to confirm my location. It also brought with it another detour due to a closed bridge. How is that Google knows when there’s a traffic accident which is blocking a road but doesn’t know about a closed bridge? Grrrrr. I debated ignoring the detour in the hope that a bicycle might be able to get through but, since my bike doesn’t float, I followed the detour. Fortunately, the detour only added about three kilometres to the ride.

My next detour was completely my own fault. I was cycling along, clearly not paying attention, when I realized I hadn’t checked my location for a while. Turns out I missed a turn. By about five kilometres. Grrrrr. Fortunately, the intersection at which I realized my error allowed me to correct my mistake without having to backtrack. Again, it probably only added a couple of kilometres to my day. Whew.

The next adventure I found myself dealing with was the lack of facilities along this series of roads. I had food and water with me but I was hoping I’d be able to find somewhere to stop along the way. After 50 km, that wasn’t the case. After 60 km, it still wasn’t the case. A quick check on my GPS revealed a gaggle of restaurants was getting close – “close” being 15 more kilometres away. Sigh. As usual, I pedaled on and eventually reached a Wendy’s. One large chocolate Frosty please! I also took the time to investigate accommodation options for the night. As a side note, I suddenly have a bit of work to do (have to pay the bills somehow) so my new plan is to spend a couple of nights in Chesapeake to get said work finished. I thought I had something booked but then Priceline crashed. Again. So, I carried on. I figured I’d stop later and try again.

I was about 45 kilometres from Chesapeake when I had my next (and far too familiar) adventure. Another flat tire. To say I was stunned doesn’t even begin to cover it. These were my new tires. This wasn’t supposed to happen anymore. Sigh. But it did. And so, once again, I found myself fixing a flat tire as traffic passed me by. I’m beginning to think my bike is spending more time upside down than right side up. Rather than replace the tube right away, I took a quick look to see if I could find the hole. I did. So, even though it would take a little longer, I opted to patch the hole right away.

The flat tire was an obvious inconvenience but it also added another potential challenge to the day. It was now after 4:00 and I figured I still had at least two more hours of riding to go. With the days getting shorter and shorter, darkness was becoming a potential obstacle. And I still didn’t have a place to stay.

So, with a new sense of urgency, I loaded up my bike and continued towards Chesapeake with the plan of stopping at the next WiFi opportunity to book accommodations. That opportunity came about ten kilometres down the road when I approached a Burger King. As suspected, it had WiFi.

Despite the pending darkness, I opted for the slightly cheaper option of an “Express Deal”. Express Deals are cheaper because they don’t reveal the name/location of the hotel until after you pay. Just to be clear, it’s not completely random – you get to select a region, but some regions are bigger than others. This generally isn’t a factor when travelling by car. But travelling by bike can make this a little more risky. I entered my information and clicked “Book Now” and hoped for the best. “The best” ended up being 30 km away at a Hampton Inn. I was okay with that.

According to Google, the remaining ride was “mostly flat”. And it was. Except for the huge bridge I had to cross with about six kilometres remaining. It was not “mostly” flat. It wasn’t even a little bit flat. It was more like a small mountain. Fortunately, I’ve gone over my share of small (and big) mountains on this trip so this one wasn’t too bad. But, by the time I reached the top, the sun was getting very low in the sky so wasting time checking out the view wasn’t option. That said, I wasted a few minutes taking a few photos.

By the time I reached the hotel, dusk had set in. The next time I looked outside it was dark.

Normally, this would be the end of the update – and a long update at that – but my day wasn’t quite over yet. It may have been dark, but I was hungry so I set out to find some food. Apparently there was a Wendy’s within walking distance – and it’s no secret that Wendy’s has somehow become my “go to” place. Okay, sure … the chocolate Frosty has a strong influence on the weakminded. Anyway, as I walked towards Wendy’s, I noticed a “Crazy Buffet and Grill”. Hmmmm. Buffet. I decided to investigate. That investigation revealed an all-you-can-eat dinner buffet for $10.99. Table for one please.

I won’t go into details because, well … gluttony is nothing to be proud of. Suffice it to say, I was uncomfortably full when I walked back to the hotel. But, for $10.99, I had no complaints.

Today’s totals:
Distance travelled: 121.30 km
Time on bike: 5:21:16
Maximum speed: 47.49 km/h
Average speed: 22.65 km/h