April 22, 2022
Day 13 - Okatie to Beaufort
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We had a very short ride today - only 30 miles. It was great, but when we got into our room, we both said we felt just as tired as we do when riding 50. It's a mental thing - at the end of the ride, you feel tired.
We didn't have any quiet rural roads today. It was all highway, except for a short bike trail and a little tour around Beaufort. We were puzzled by a couple of beer trucks just outside Okatie. We went past one stopped in the "suicide lane" and then another one just like it stopped in the center lane a few hundred feet ahead.
Soon, both trucks passed us. A minute later, there they were stopped in the suicide land again. We didn't come up with any reasonable explanation but talking about it passed some highway time.
We had planned a stop at the Port Royal Sound Maritime Center. Just as we wheeled into the parking lot, a bus full of elementary age kids was unloading. Oh no, field trip! It was actually fine. The kids were well behaved and the teachers kept them all together.
The center was free, but a donation was requested. I thought the "Dip to Donate" device was pretty cool. You had only to insert your card and the donation was made.
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2 years ago
The building was a former oyster cannery and focused on oyster and shrimp fishing. This shrimp trawling net is equipped with a TED - turtle extrusion device. Turtles, or other small animals, are not allowed to enter the net because of the bars. There is an open flap for them to exit the net. The information said that the TED's had decreased the deaths of turtles in the shrimp nets by 97%.
This is a map of the immediate area. A very knowledgeable volunteer, Pete, told us that the waterways labeled as "rivers" are really salt water tidal features, called "tidal fingers". 51% of Beaufort County is open salt water, sounds, estuaries and marshes.
Our highway miles ended today when we rode the Spanish Moss Trail into Beaufort.
Along the trail, we passed this old building.
According to the sign, it's had several lives.
Many rail trails have old restored train depots. This trail actually goes right through the old depot.
As we approached the bridge, we heard the siren blow. We decided to wait and watch the drawbridge open.
It is a swing bridge. The center pivots to provide a passage for taller vessels.
We rode through the historic district and took pictures of a few of the beautiful old homes.
Kerry here..
Just a couple of unrelated items for today...
We generally don't talk much about food on our trips because we're not foodies, but todays breakfast at the Hampton Inn in Okatie deserves special mention. They served corned beef hash, bacon, home-fried Yukon Gold potatoes, scrambled eggs, grits and oatmeal with all the toppings. It was all well prepared and the best breakfast we've had in a long time - from a hotel buffet no less!
(Of course, we made up for a gourmet breakfast by having pizza slices for lunch at a Circle-K out on the highway :-)
On another note, I was checking over the bike tonight and noticed that our tires still have the mold marks on them. (Technically, they're called Vent Spews, also known as those little hairy things found on new tires). After putting over 480 miles on the tires, I was surprised to see that they hadn't worn off.
We're riding on Schwalbe Marathon Mondials. Our last set had over 8,400 miles on them, and I only changed them because I didn't want to start this trip on worn tires. Even though they were worn, they still had tread left, so I really don't know how many miles they're good for, but I do know that they are the longest lasting tires I have ever used.
Today's ride: 31 miles (50 km)
Total: 481 miles (774 km)
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