South Carolina – Exploring by bicycle

Day 6 — Biking the final 56 miles from Beaufort, South Carolina, to Savannah, Georgia

Some 320 miles later, another WAY tour is in the books.

We biked a final 56 miles on the East Coast Greenway on Friday and crossed one state line (an unmarked spot between South Carolina and Georgia) to reach Savannah.

The day started with a ride to the end of the delightful (and expanding?) Spanish Moss Trail in Beaufort and ended with — what else — a rain shower while we were grabbing lunch in Savannah.

The route included a stretch on a no-name side path of a trail along the Okatie Highway (maybe SC 170). Nothing scenic but definitely utilitarian, and we encountered plenty of cyclists going the other way. Hey South Carolina, that’s a sign of hidden demand. How about a bit more?

Alligator Alley has a scary name, but in the end I found it not that fearsome. No alligators sighted, for one. Traffic didn’t seem horrible, or maybe that’s because we had a support vehicle behind us. The road surface, though, was pretty awful, and of course there was no shoulder. Let’s see … lowest gas taxes in the nation, so little cash + road where poor people live = low on the priority list?

We continued our habit of riding in packs, sometimes splitting into a faster group and everyone else, in part to make it easier for motorists to pass. In this group, I can qualify as fast. The slower group got a police “escort” for a few miles once we hit Georgia, though from what we heard, he was pretty far in front.

So where did that crazy smell like rotten bananas come from? Is it somehow related to the paper mill we passed in Port Wentworth? The sugar refinery? And wow, those shipping containers piled seven high or more as we passed the port. But sorry, pack riding means skipping the photo ops.

But it means we took the back entrance into Savannah and didn’t really see its beauty. Next year?

Final tally: 320 or so miles in six days, plus 60 on Day 0 and my 70 or so over two days on the Virginia Capital Trail. Given the amount on crud on the shoulders — chunks of blown truck tires, nails, bolts, wood and more (plus road kill), it shouldn’t be a surprise that 13 riders — more than one in three — got flat tires, some more than one. And eight took a spill at one point, also way more than normal. Fortunately I was not in either camp.

One pleasant surprise: I saw very few Confederate flags, maybe one a day. I know we were on main roads for a lot of the time, but we did go past plenty of homes and businesses. And I saw many, many U.S. flags. Maybe times are finally changing.

I’ve now ridden the www from Newark NJ to Savannah, plus 350 or so miles in Maine and good chunks of the route in Connecticut and New York. The truth is that this was the least scenic of them all, given the need to stick with your pack, and definitely more of an assessment of the existing (mostly interim) route. There are definitely prettier places to ride. We saw two touring companies in Savannnah — Backroads and VBT — and those riders do a lot of shuttling and not much riding in their week between Charleston and Savannah. Now that sounds like a gussied-up sightseeing tour.

As for me, do I do the next two rides and reach Key West?

Oh, and the excitement wasn’t over just because we boarded a bus to head back to Wilmington. A hawk hit the windshield and cracked it into hundreds of pieces. Pro tip if this ever happens to you: slow down and buy a big roll of clear tape to hold everything in place. That got us back safely.

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One last thing: there was another blogger on the trip. Read her take.

Day 5 — Biking 76 miles (or a bit more) from Charleston to Beaufort in South Carolina

One star.

This is the day that I have finally had it with Highway 17.

I have a high tolerance for traffic, but this is simply not safe for the solo cyclIst. We rode for at least 10 miles with support vehicles in the front and rear of our pack for protection because there was no shoulder and we needed to take the right lane (and I could easily be undercounting). We had at least as many more miles where we could stick to a narrow shoulder, shrunk by almost constant rumble strips on the left side that jar your brain when forced to cross over and dodging chunks of rubber tire and other crud in the space that was left. It was ride in a pack, regroup when there was a break, get water if possible, hope you remembered to slather on more sunscreen, and repeat. You didn’t dare drop back or stop if it meant losing your posse. No lunch break either, just another Clif bar (at least for me) to keep you going. I think breakfast and lunch equaled 3 bars, and then it was just waiting for that group dinner.

Imagine if you were doing this on your own or with a few friends. Forget it.

I thought the East Coast Greenway‘s Trenton-to-Philadelphia stretch was bad, but this is far worse. I know it’s a new interim on-road route, shorter than going further inland, and road options are limited by the need to cross so much water in the low country. Yes, the Spanish Moss Trail in Beaufort is still under construction, with plans to expand that could help a bit. And we had some quiet stretches away from the highway.

Thankfully, Charleston has the nice West Ashley Greenway used by a wide range of people (just pave the middle section!) and hopefully will end the insane bike/ped situation over the river. Here we are doing last-minute preparations before taking the lane on the approach to the bridge:

But there is lots of work needed to make the entire stretch merely acceptable. Once again, it highlights the need for the East Coast Greenway Alliance, which strives for a route connecting cities up and down the East Coast that serves everyone from 8 years old to those who are 80.

Just putting up the tiniest “share the road” signs ever doesn’t cut it, SCDOT. We’re not all John Forester-style vehicular cyclists, let alone crazy vehicular cyclists. And given the pervasiveness of fire ants, a decent shoulder is needed not just for cyclists (as a minimum) but also for motorists dealing with a breakdown. Who wants to try fixing a flat car tire and end up itching from ant bites?

One star (out of five).

And I’m glad I live in a part of the country where the most basic infrastructure isn’t an afterthought.

Want another take? There was another blogger on the ride; read this one.

Images of Charleston, South Carolina

White gloves, a store devoted to ugly Christmas sweaters… and a fun name for a bike-share program.

We are staying in a new hotel a couple of miles from the Battery and a block from King Street and some hip restaurants. It’s an area that hadn’t yet gentrified when I was here about a decade ago.

The national clothing chains have invaded King Street, sometimes in buildings with beautiful old facades. But some local clothing stores are surviving, offering that southern genteel look.

Where else would you find a girl dressed like this, down to the white gloves? I wonder where she and her mother were headed.

And is this a city that takes Christmas sweaters seriously? This store on King Street is where they refuse to die; it’s all it sells.

And yes, bike share has arrived. With a names that has a bit of fun too.

Loved this sign.

Day 4 — Biking South Carolina from Georgetown to Charleston

I cheated.

OK, I cheated. I took the recommended shuttle to McClellanville from our hotel in Georgetown, lopping off 34 miles. So it was just a 50-mile day, and when I got to Charleston, I felt I could still bike another 34.

But Highway 17 has been the low point of every day on this section of the East Coast Greenway, and the powers-that-be apparently felt this was a particularly tough day. And I certainly didn’t want to risk getting dropped by faster riders and have to fight Highway 17 on my own.

Not that we fully escaped that dreaded road. Sometimes there’s a narrow shoulder; sometimes we are more assertive about controlling the right lane. And we travel in packs. We zipped past roadside stands run by weavers of sweetgrass baskets (in some cases, stands is a nice word), and there was no chance to snap a photo, much less take a look at their wares and chat with them.

And even the Battery2Beach cycle route, which gets bonus points for actually bring signposted, isn’t as family-friendly as you would like. But for us, we were just thrilled to have some paint on the road marked bike lane.

Two highlights of the day: the bike-friendly and aesthetically striking Ravenel Bridge (above, and the larger photo below) and a police escort (3 squad cars and 1 motorcycle) over the decidedly bike-unfriendly Memorial Bridge as part of an event with local advocates Charleston Moves and 20 or so local cyclists. The reward for crossing was riding part of the West Ashley Greenway.

We have to ride over Memorial Bridge on Thursday morning as we head out of town — but without a police escort. We will be traveling in one giant pack and be escorted by our support vehicles. These two shots from the advocacy ride show riders headed to the bridge and then on the greenway afterwards.

Actually, make that three highlights. Two of us were sent to a delicious barbecue place about 3 blocks from our hotel. That mega sandwich (OK, just a regular portion but I swear there was half a pound of brisket in it, the smothered with cheese) pretty much served as lunch and dinner. Haven’t I always said it’s about the food? Though maybe I scarfed this one down too fast.

Here’s my sandwich, and the one ordered by Cheryl, a fellow rider:

Dear rest of South Carolina, try copying this bike trail

Finally some trail riding!

Finally! Some trail riding in this year’s weeklong East Coast Greenway ride.

And note to the rest of South Carolina: A bicycle trail doesn’t have to be super fancy.

We rode for many miles today along the Waccamaw Neck Bikeway. Sometimes it was parallel to Highway 17, hidden in the woods with some nice curves but certainly not out of hearing range (and sometimes eyesight) of all that traffic. At some points, it turned narrow and bumpy because of tree roots pushing up. While that just slows down cyclists, it does make that portion unsuitable for those in wheelchairs. And, given the area, golf carts too.

It made us think of where we’d ridden on Sunday and Monday where we had biked long stretches of busy roads with unused land just off to the side that could be turned into a simple trail/sidepath. And that would let workers without a car have a basic but safe way to get to work at all the strip malls we passed.

Given the good number of people biking on this trail on a Tuesday morning, I’d say this isn’t just some luxury. We called out “bikers up” more often than we have all week — shorthand for move over to the right so oncoming cyclists have half the trail to go by.

(Just wish there had been some signposting for the Brookgreen Gardens. One group found it and spent hours there.)

Other sections were along newer developments along golf courses — wide enough for getting to the neighboring golf course on your cart, if you desire. (We only saw someone using the trail in a golf cart at the beginning of this section.) While some might object to this use on a multi-use trail because of conflicts with cyclists, walkers and runners, I believe you have to be pragmatic. If those driving golf carts aren’t going to take to the road and their support is what gets politicians to build the trail, accept that reality. Better a trail than no trail.

One more nice thing about the Waccamaw Neck trail: it connected to the library, a shopping center, a middle school and an elementary school. Real destinations! So it was cool to hear a little boy at recess yell out “there’s a bike train” as we rode by. Maybe he rides his bike to school that way?

Just too bad it ends about 9 miles shy of Georgetown and forcing us to use a busy road. Supposedly the plan is to expand it all the way to the bridge leading into Georgetown and creating a 27-mile trail. Can’t happen soon enough! Only 14% of the East Coast Greenway in South Carolina is on trails, so there is plenty of room for improvement.

Day 3 — A 36-mile bike ride in South Carolina from Myrtle Beach to Georgetown

I’m learning a lot about the rain and humidity in South Carolina’s Low Country.

I’m learning a few things about the weather here.

You know how during a northern winter, your glasses fog up when you go inside? Here they fog up when you head outside in the humidity from an air-conditioned room.

And the rain!

The light showers are actually nice because it cools you off given the crazy humidity. And the rain is warm.

But when it comes down hard, it quickly floods. We’re at sea level so there is no place for the water to go. The drainage system can’t cope. Continue reading “Day 3 — A 36-mile bike ride in South Carolina from Myrtle Beach to Georgetown”

An East Coast Greenway ribbon-cutting in Myrtle Beach

A big deal in Myrtle Beach.

So we’re only a year late.

Last year’s Week-a-Year ride on the East Coast Greenway was supposed to end with a ribbon-cutting for a new section of trail and a trailhead at the southern end of Myrtle Beach. Hurricane Matthew spoiled those plans, so city officials waited until we came back to hold this ceremony.

This is bigger than just another piece of trail in the East Coast Greenway jigsaw; Myrtle Beach is the first city (not to be confused with town or other form of government) to finish its section of the route.

That’s particularly impressive for a state that has completed a mere 14% of the Greenway.

Unfortunately, right after we pass this kiosk, we’re outside city limits and back on an ugly road. So there is still much to do.

Hats off to Myrtle Beach for a big turnout for this ribbon-cutting — maybe 100 or so people. Some arrived by bike. Here are some of the riders before they took off from Warbird Park. Props to those who can identify the plane in the background.

We’re 2,000 miles down the East Coast Greenway

Myrtle Beach is at the 2,000 mile marker.

This East Coast Greenway mile marker is at the kiosk on the southern end of Myrtle Beach.

And Barb and Bev are among a handful of riders in our group who have biked all 2,000 miles from Calais, Maine, taking it one week a year.

Me? I’ve ridden south from Newark, NJ, plus 350 miles from Calais to Portland, Maine, and some of the Connecticut trails and the New York City route. Got a bit of catching up to do!

Day 2 — 40ish miles from Ocean Isle Beach to Myrtle Beach in South Carolina

A crazy amount of rain, plus an alligator sighting.

Wow did we get drenched today. Even though we tried to wait out the worst of it. And the flooding on Ocean Boulevard in Myrtle Beach … at one point I swear I biked through water halfway up my wheel. At least my chain got “washed.” And, yes, my shoes are soaked. I’m on the hunt for newspaper to help dry them out.

Thankfully the ride through heavy rain was only for 4 miles, with rear light flashing for visibility and almost no traffic to cope with. And it wasn’t a cold October rain like it would have been up north.

Still, when you show up at a hotel soaking wet, you are grateful for a hot-out-of-the-dryer towel and a warm chocolate-y cookie before you even check in. 300-and-some-odd calories be damned. Thank you, Lillie.

(Oh, and when you say that county name in the photo at the state line, it’s a silent H. Otherwise it sounds illicit.)

Photo of the day: an alligator in a neighborhood pond just off the road. How it got there… and why it can stay there … is beyond me. Last night, a kid at the general store’s fish counter explained to us how to hunt alligator (bait is bits of chicken dangling from a string, followed by a bullet to the head). He was selling a block of frozen Georgia gator meat for $17.99 a pound, but who knew North Carolina meat was so close? (Why you will pay that much for gator and then essentially turn it into chicken-like nuggets when chicken breasts are regularly on sale for $1.99 a pound is something someone still needs to explain to me.)

You never want to call a gator friendly, so let’s say this one was … curious. He kept drifting closer to where we were standing, as if wanting to check us out as much as we wanted to check out him.

And why do I say 40ish miles? It was supposed to be a 46-miler but at one point in North Myrtle Beach, some riders started following East Coast Greenway signs instead of our cue sheets. The signs date back to an interim on-road route with bike lanes that follows Ocean Boulevard rather than the new trail route further inland. Just another opportunity to debate the route! I ended up with the road group. Think the long side of the triangle. Maybe I lopped off 6 miles? But I missed the only real trail segment of the day.

We were just 4 miles from our Myrtle Beach hotel when some other riders called out from a meh beachside grill restaurant. Most of what was left of our group stopped to eat, figuring we could still find the trail afterwards — and then came the deluge. At least we could hide out and watch a bit of baseball; others were on the trail with no place to hide for quite a while.

Does getting soaked count as doing laundry?

Read what my fellow blogger has to say about the day.

Getting ready to bike in the Carolinas and a touch of Georgia

Looks like there will be competition for a one-star rating.

The East Coast Greenway’s big fundraising ride starts in a couple of weeks, and I’m one of 40 cyclists on it.

After a briefing about the route from Wilmington, N.C., to Savannah, I’m rethinking that one-star rating I just gave the Trenton-to-Philadelphia stretch. Should I raise it to two? At least busy roads there had shoulders or bike lanes. Not so along similar parts of this year’s Week-A-Year route, it appears. That may make it more deserving of the bottom rating.

No shoulders on major roads surprises me. I get no snow means not needing a place to push it to, but surely cars break down there too and need to be moved to the side of the road. We’ll be cycling in the “Low Country,” so plenty of water and marshes means few road options for us. Not many options for the route. We clearly will be riding in groups for extra visibility and taking shuttles as needed. We’ve had bad roads before. At least it will be flat. And yes, there are some trails. Just not enough. (Note to my mother: I promise I’ll be safe.)

The good news is this isn’t the final word. Much of the route is considered interim as the East Coast Greenway works to create an off-road route safe for all, and hopefully South Carolina in particular will make big improvements. For the record, South Carolina ranks 44th in bike friendliness, according to the League of American Bicyclists. Note that Adventure Cycling’s route along the Atlantic Coast goes much further inland at this point, bypassing Charleston (though there is a spur route) and Savannah.

But what tourist wants to miss those cities? Exactly.

The East Coast Greenway is all about connecting cities. As I’ve said many times, that is much tougher than sticking to rural America. It’s also where more people live and need choice in how they get around. The work done by this group combined with local and state advocates is vital!

If you want to support the East Coast Greenway, here’s the link to my fundraising page — and thank you for your support.

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