Overall, it was a very nice ride today. The first 10 miles of so were spent on NC12 riding along the beach through Nags Head and Kitty Hawk. Although I could rarely see the ocean, I very much enjoyed looking at all the beach houses. I then crossed over to the sound side and rode along Kitty Hawk Bay, a part of the Albemarle Sound. It too, was very nice, but quite different from the beach. The sound side of Kitty Hawk is filled with communities rather than beach rental houses. At around mile 17, I picked up US158 and crossed over to the mainland. For the next 27 miles I had a nice highway with a wide shoulder. There was not a lot to see along this stretch, but it was very easy riding. At my mile 44, US158 turned left and headed west. With the turn, the road lost its shoulder. Traffic was still busy, so the riding wasn't as fun nor as easy. Nothing scary, but I did have to pay close attention to the traffic. However, to compensate for the lack of a shoulder, the scenery became much more interesting for the rest of the ride.
The Wright Memorial Bridge crosses the Albemarle Sound and connects Hatteras Island to the mainland. I had both the traffic lane and the shoulder to myself for over half of the way.
Heading west in US158. It was a busy road with either a very narrow shoulder or no shoulder at all. Luckily, I had a tailwind which helped minimize my time on this stretch.
There was a long section of US158 that passed through a swampy area with large water filled ditches on both sides of the road. I saw dozens of turtles, but every time I stopped for a photo they would dive in the water before I could get a shot. There were at least a dozen turtles basking on this log when I first saw it, but only these two hung around for their photo.
I visited the Museum of the Albemarle in Elizabeth City. It focused on life in the Albemarle region. It presented the history as a series of eras based around modes of transportation - Pre-Colonial, Maritime, Canal, Railroad, Automobile and finally Recreational.
A Shad boat - the official state boat of North Carolina.
Bill ShaneyfeltThat's what someone told me about woodcarving! Carve away everything that is not what you want it to be. Reply to this comment 1 year ago
Today's ride: 63 miles (101 km) Total: 1,004 miles (1,616 km)
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Keith A. SpanglerElizabeth City hosts one of the busiest Coast Guard Air Stations; did you get to see any aircraft flying overhead? Reply to this comment 1 year ago
