Day 21: To Virginia Beach, VA

May 6, 2017

Up at 7:15, on the road at 8:25. Today is a very long day, but starting an hour earlier wouldn't help much because of the ferry schedule.

I exited Kitty Hawk on Kitty Hawk Road which is mostly forested with light local traffic. It goes northwest, connecting to US 158 which is a busy divided highway.

I had a strong headwind on the 3 mile bridge across Currituck Sound, going southwest into a southwest wind with no shelter.

Crossing Currituck Sound on the 3 mile long US 158 bridge, the main highway connection from the Outer Banks to the mainland.

On the mainland US 158 promptly turns north, giving me a tailwind. The miles were faster but the traffic is still heavy and the shoulder is only 2 feet wide. My flasher was on as usual.

US 158 is the main access to the Outer Banks. 4 or more lanes, but the paved shoulder is only 2 feet wide. At least there is no rumble strip.

Busy multi-lane US 158 has a barely rideable paved shoulder.

Most colored schools weren't this nice. Jarvisburg was progressive for that era.

I escaped US 158 for a few miles by turning onto Poplar Branch road and Aydell Road. 5 miles of quiet country roads. Too bad it can't all be like this.

Roadside flowers were surprisingly rare.

I often smell honeysuckle when pedaling through forested areas. But I almost never see it.

Tunnel of trees on Poplar Branch road. A brief respite from busy US 158.

Since the big bridge I have been on a long peninsula between Albemarle Sound to the west and Currituck Sound to the east. Shortly after returning to US 158 I crossed a canal that makes a shortcut across the peninsula.

The Albemarle and Chesapeake canal creates a shortcut from Albemarle Sound to Chesapeake Bay. Completed in 1859 with no locks.

I hoped traffic would be light after turning onto NC 168 which dead-ends in Currituck. It's only 2 lanes, but still has steady traffic and a narrow shoulder.

A few miles before Currituck I stopped to look at a store that was very close to the water. You can see that their waterfront picnic area was under water. The tide must be unusually high today. There's an offshore southwest wind today, so wind shouldn't be pushing the tide higher.

Ralph's country store is just a few inches above today's high tide.

I stopped to look around Currituck. It's a tiny village. There isn't much to see, but it's very old.

Currituck jail, built in about 1820. Possibly the oldest remaining jail in North Carolina.

I arrived at the ferry at 1:30 PM. The ferry departed on time at 2 PM. Because of the very high tide the ramp angled up to the ferry. The ramps angled down to the previous 3 car ferries.

The ramp angled down to the previous 3 car ferries. The ramp angled up to this car ferry because of the very high tide.

This is my 4th car ferry. The novelty is wearing off. This one is a 45 minute ride. There are islands around so the ferry is never super far from land.

My first North Carolina ferry had a temperature in the mid 80's with extreme humidity. On this ferry the temperature is 70F with moderate humidity thanks to the inland wind. I'm progressing into a cooler climate zone.

The Currituck to Knotts Island ferry is a 45 minute ride.

The Currituck ferry dock is at a small village. The Knotts Island ferry dock is in a sparsely populated rural area.

The Knotts Island peninsula is very low. 4 sections of NC 615 were underwater. Traffic was light, so I was able to pedal through slowly without getting splashed by cars. I stayed near the center line, assuming it's highest there.

Flooding on NC 615, the main road in Knotts Island. The rain stopped 24 hours ago. This is from the tide. 4 inches deep at the crown of the road. Deeper on the right side.

This area is extremely low and susceptible to tidal flooding. Sea level has risen a foot since the road was built, and it will rise much more.

Traffic gets gradually heavier as I go north towards Virginia Beach, the biggest city on my route with a population of 453,000. Virginia Beach is part of a metro area with more than 1.7 million people.

Another flooded section. 3 inches deep at the crown of the road.

Here the road is only a few inches above the water for a long distance.

I was traveling on a North Carolina state highway, so I expected to see a Welcome to Virginia sign. But all I saw was a sign announcing the Virginia Beach city limits. The city limits sprawl all the way to the state line even though this area is still rural.

There was no *Welcome to Virginia* sign. NC 615 changes to Princess Anne road. I pedaled through Virginia twice before.

The sky was sunny in the morning and the temperature peaked at 70F. But the afternoon became increasingly cloudy as a cold front passed through. There was a brief shower about 3 PM, then a long shower from 4 to 5 PM. I took shelter in a park pavilion for most of the long shower. The longer I wait the greater the chance that I get to Virginia Beach after dark.

I have no idea what this building was used for.

I didn't take pictures going through suburban Virginia Beach. Traffic was heavy as I entered the city on the major arteries of Princess Anne road and General Booth boulevard. There might be back roads, but I need fast simple navigation to get to my destination before sunset.

Entering the urban part of Virginia Beach on an overpass with separate ped/bike path.

I got to the shoreline in Virginia Beach at about 7 PM. By then the temperature had dropped to 58F. It's Saturday night but the sudden cool weather kept it from being crowded.

The Virginia Beach concrete "boardwalk" is a 3 foot high seawall. Virginia Beach is especially vulnerable to rising sea level.

I got my reserved $144 room at Rodeway Inn. The web site advertised a private balcony but the only balcony is the 4th floor walkway outside the door. The room is huge, but old and shabby.

Night view of Virginia Beach from the 5th floor balcony of Rodeway Inn. Handheld, braced against a wall.

Virginia Beach is the first of the "boardwalk" cities I will see on this tour. Previous beach towns were mostly residential. Here it's urban and there is a wide concrete "boardwalk" lined with shops, restaurants, and amusements. There are so many distractions on the boardwalk that it's easy to forget about the beach and the ocean.

Distance: 76.8 mi. (123 km)
Climbing: 619 ft. (188 m)
Average Speed: 11.1 mph (17.8 km/h)

Today's ride: 77 miles (124 km)
Total: 957 miles (1,540 km)

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