Monkton, MD to Odessa, DE

August 2, 1996

Lost in Delaware

Hotter today and hillier than we expected.

One of the many roadside stands patronized by Dave. (I'M PROUD TO SAY WE DIDN'T SKIP A SINGLE ONE ON THE ENTIRE TRIP!)

Had planned to go to Dover but it was too far. We rode several miles on NCR trail before taking to poorly marked back roads. Spent half the day wondering where we were. Crossed the Conowingo Dam over the Susquehanna River; pretty river above the dam and very shallow and rocky below it...many waterfowl roosting on the rocks.

Crossing the Conowingo Dam over the Susquehanna River in Delaware

Talked to husband/wife (Amy, Rick) cyclists going from Philadelphia to North Carolina; it was only their second day; it's our second to last. Our last night in a motel! The terrain finally flattened out in Delaware. We rode past the University of Delaware. The click is louder in the bottom bracket; I asked Dave if I should sing in order to mask the noise (since it upsets him) but he didn't appreciate my humor.

Delaware River ...rivers are coming fast and furious now.

Lots of traffic over the Delaware River bridge and narrow shoulders. Delaware is relatively cycling friendly, but their directional signs are poor and detour routes are not designed for cyclists.

This is the type of shoulder cyclists like!

Horrible city traffic in Newark, DE. I couldn't handle that on a single bike. Problems with my seat again, rocking back and forth. While talking at dinner time, we both agreed that it's time for the trip to end. The biking has become boring, maybe partly because we're in our home territory which we've cycled before. Also, there's no more question of whether or not we'll make it or of what will happen next, so it's no longer a mental challenge. Also, the stops in Peters Township, Keyser and Towson "broke the spell" as Dave so aptly put it. It was wonderful to see family, but it did make the trip feel completed before it actually was. For whatever mistaken reason, we thought the two days from Baltimore to Ocean City, NJ were going to be short and easy. Today was anything but! It wasn't particularly difficult but it wasn't easy. But we agreed that this is the appropriate way to finish the trip...worn out and tired.

Today's ride: 96 miles (154 km)
Total: 3,589 miles (5,776 km)

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