To Long Branch NJ

May 14, 2024

It's 50 degrees when I'm awake at 5 am. Wuss that I am, I retreat to the shower house again to do some journaling until it warms up. And it does - up to 61 when we leave at our usual time around 9:30.

We got wise about how to avoid the sandy road on the way out of the state forest, taking the shorter paved route instead. That puts us back on NJ72 which is busy and loud but has a good wide shoulder.

A few miles later we're on a lonesome road in Manchester Township, listening to the birds and passing by horse farms. It feels nothing like our suburban hometown of Manchester Missouri which is, as I've seen on roadway signs, "thickly settled." Gently rolling hills get us cruising over 20 miles an hour on the downhill slides. So far the day is all great fun.

These beauties can't see us but are definitely picking up on the bikers passing by.

Man those bags are jam-packed. I need to do a cleanout and ship some more stuff home.

Moving into the suburbs we notice more people out walking in the neighborhoods. The men wear black hats and long black coats. Women are modestly dressed in long skirts. We're in Lakewood, a hub of Orthodox Judaism. Many of the buildings have signs in Hebrew, something I haven't seen in the Jewish communities at home. I didn't take any pictures here, not sure why but it's interesting to see how the neighborhood reflects the people who live here.

The breeze gets decidedly cooler and beach houses appear as we make our way towards the Jersey shore. In Belmar Barry peels off to find a bike shop that can do a proper job of fixing his rear wheel. I take the opportunity to walk the beach. The sand here is rougher than at any other beach we've been to on this trip. It feels like I'm getting a layer scrubbed off the soles of my feet. I miss the silky sand of Myrtle Beach.

Continuing north I ride through a parade of beach towns. Starting from Avon you can ride on the boardwalk. The scene is colorful, especially in Asbury Park which is known as an LGBTQ-friendly town.

It's here that Barry finds a mechanic at Asbury Park Cyclery who has time to work on his wheel right away. He replaces the spoke, trues the wheel and gives Barry a spare spoke. Some of the other spokes are scarred from the chain rubbing when it came off earlier today. I'm not sure why he didn't replace them all, maybe just a time issue but it's good to at least have the spare.

A casino slated for renovation to become an outdoor amphitheater. I love the iconic images with new faces swapped in.

Gay pride flags fly over Asbury Park beach.

I meet back up with Barry and Mike at our motel in Long Branch and we head out for dinner at Puerto Escondido. It'll be an early night. We have to be on the road by 6:45 tomorrow to get to the Seastreak Ferry at the Highlands for the 8:00 am trip to Manhattan. After all the chill riding we've had through DelMarVa and New Jersey I'm sure it will be a shock to ride through New York City.

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Today's ride: 58 miles (93 km)
Total: 2,108 miles (3,392 km)

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Keith Adams"We're in Lakewood, a hub of Orthodox Judaism. Many of the buildings have signs in Hebrew, something I haven't seen in the Jewish communities at home. I didn't take any pictures here, not sure why"

Except for buildings and other similar public displays I avoid taking photos of "curiosities" out of respect for privacy. Perhaps you felt the same, on a subconscious level.
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7 months ago

Janice BranhamTo Keith AdamsI think you have it right Keith. I didn't want to be the creepy tourist.
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7 months ago