Today's ride was much better than yesterdays. Not only was it shorter, but the roads were much better, and all but one of the drivers (more later) were friendlier as well.
It was almost 10AM before I left today because it was very cool and there was a light sprinkle earlier in the morning. I started out wearing a long sleeve shirt under my jersey, and ended up wearing it all day because it never really did get warm.
This is the only historical marker I photographed today, and it was just outside Moncks Corner. There were a few others, but I did not see them in time to stop and did not feel like turning around. Most of you are probably glad. :-)
Even though the marker says "This Canal", there was no canal or remnant of a canal in sight.
The only rude driver I encountered today was about 5 miles into the ride on SC402. I heard a truck blow his horn while he was still quite far back. I kept my eyes on him, and sure enough, he never moved over an inch when he passed me. As there was no shoulder, I hit the grass. I guess he just wanted to mess with me and was letting me know ahead of time. Shortly after that incident, I made a turn and entered the Francis Marion National Forest. and had a fantastic road. The pavement was very smooth and there was NO traffic. It was so quiet I could hear the songbirds as I rode along. I have no idea what type of birds are in the area, but it was very pleasant to listen to.
Jeanna & Kerry SmithTo Keith A. SpanglerThanks, Keith. I saw it coming and got out of his way. He was more of a jerk than a threat. Reply to this comment 1 year ago
There was a group of three black vultures enjoying breakfast as I approached them. However, only this one hung around to protect their meal. The other two flew up into a tree until I was past, then they rejoined their friend.
Funny story of the day: About 23 miles past our lunch break in Jamestown, I was looking for a secluded place to make a pitstop. At this point I'm really out in the boonies and looking for a small side road to pull off on. I see this remote pumping station, and think I've found the perfect spot. No sooner than I had got off my bike and was standing there, did these 2 county employees pull up - go figure! :-)
Turns out, it was not as secluded as I had hoped :-)
Although Georgetown is more commonly known for its touristry historic district, it does have an industrial base as well. This is the view on the US17 bridge over the Sampit River. There is a large steel mill just out of view on the left as well.
