To Ocean City NJ

May 12, 2024

It's misting out this morning and the weather forecast for the day is dreadful - cold and rainy. I'm steeling myself for a wet ride as I fall upon the great breakfast spread Ann has laid out of scones, oranges, granola and yogurt. Yet by the time we roll out it's cloudy and dry. Maybe we'll get lucky.

I always wonder if the barking dogs we ride by will come at us on the road. It happens all the time in Missouri. No worries about this fella.

On the way to the Lewes-Cape May Ferry we stop at Lewes Cycle Sports, the shop where Ann works. Barry is hoping for some help with his Di2 electronic shifter. A mechanic back in Indian Harbour, Florida got the rear shifter working but the front derailleur still doesn't work. The mechanic here shows him how to get into the settings to do a micro-adjustment on the shifter, no charge. It works!

Thanks to Brian, Don and Ann for the help!

The sun is starting to break through when we get on the Junction & Breakwater Rail Trail near Cape Henlopen State Park for the 2 mile ride to the ferry

This couple makes the ferry trip from New Jersey often to spend a day or two in Rehoboth. They clued us in on where to go on the boat with our bikes.

My bike doesn't usually play well with bike racks, especially loaded. This one works great.

No pictures of the three of us on the boat today so I'm reaching back for this one on the Currituck ferry to Knotts Island NC last week. I don't remember what was so funny, but that was an awesome day.

The dolphins are putting on a show near the dock in Lewes.

It takes about an hour and a half to cross the Delaware Bay over to Cape May. Once we're off the boat we only have 34 miles to go. The first 20 are on straight, flat bike paths that we could ride pretty fast if not for all the cross streets and stop signs. The scene gets monotonous after awhile. To give my brain something to work on I listen to Meryl Streep reading a chapter from Ann Patchett's Tom Lake. I recommend it highly.

From Seaville we ride through nice neighborhoods on empty streets the rest of the way to Ocean City. It's all pretty laid back. I just wish the sun would come out again.

We're staying at the Ocean Manor Inn which is just a block from the beach but it's too cold and windy to even get our feet wet. Such a waste of a great location. We didn't get near the water back in Ocean City Maryland either. At least we can walk out on the boardwalk here to find some supper.

After passing up a lot of junk food we find a good meal at the Hula Cafe. The seafood sampler of coconut shrimp, Ahi tuna and a crabcake with rice and salad is quick and tasty. No frosty beers to go with it though. It hasn't been legal to sell alcohol on the island of Ocean City since 1881 - two years after the town was founded by four Methodist ministers to establish a retreat and camp. Liquor stores are lined up at the city limits. We passed one up on the way in, clueless about the booze ban.

Peter is managing the restaurant tonight; his wife started the business. He's a biker who raced in category 1 on the criterium circuit for years, mostly in New Jersey and New York but has also traveled further. He's done the Gateway Cup in St. Louis, a four-day crit series over Labor Day weekend. Sadly, he's been on a hiatus from biking after one of his closest friends was killed on the road by an inattentive driver. Such a tragedy.

Mike also did the Gateway Cup among other events around St. Louis years ago when he was in the racing scene and got on the podium a number of times. He thinks it's likely he and Peter raced at the same event at one point. They chat about pro cycling in the U.S. and how the tours that used to run in Georgia, California and Missouri have all fallen away, unable to sustain the support to continue. At least we still have the big tours in Europe to watch.

On the walk back I briefly consider going down by the water, but its even colder now, around 50 and blustery.

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Today's ride: 54 miles (87 km)
Total: 1,994 miles (3,209 km)

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Jacquie GaudetTom Lake read by Meryl Streep was the last audiobook I listened to before leaving for this trip. I agree, it’s excellent!
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