Day 3/4 Winton to South Mills and South Mills to just north of Nags Head 45/70 miles respectively

Combining two days of riding into one night of blogging! I didn't leave Winton yesterday till about 9:00. I had breakfast at the Shell station before I got on the road. Three ladies working in there that really loved their job and wanted to talk to me about my bicycle ride. Yesterday's ride was good mostly back roads and sunshine but very little in the way of any towns or services. Once I left Winton it was mostly cotton fields and swamp until I got to South Mills. I thought I was going further than South Mills yesterday but with the short days and the looming thunderstorm, I decided South Mills would work just fine. There's not a lot in South Mills. The closest big town is Elizabeth city. So after making a round through town I decided to stop at the Grocery and Gun to see if they might know if any place I could pitch the temp tonight. Misty was the lady running the store. Such a nice lady. She started making some phone calls and put me in touch with Mike. He made a couple of more phone calls for me and called me back. I was going to be able to stay behind the Masonic Lodge for the night and it had a shed which was something I really wanted with the weather getting bad last night. And it did!

Last night or some serious wind and rain. I got up at about 2 this morning and started trying to tie my tent to anything that wasn't blowing around. The shed helped I'm sure but it was still a damp night for sleeping. The transformer next to the lodge blew sometime before sunrise. Even though I was very happy to have the shed at the Masonic Lodge for the night, it would still be hard to give it more than two stars!! I got up, packed and hit the road by 7: 30 this morning. The heavy weather had ended for the most part. Just light rain and wind to start the day. The light rain ended but the wind, oh my gosh! When I first started going North I had to win to my back. I was cruising between 18 and 20 miles an hour fairly easily. Then I turned Southeast then eventually south! Crazy winds! I really didn't know if I would make Kitty hawk today or not. But I just kept saying another 10 miles. Then I got there and they really wasn't anything so I said another 10 miles and so on and so on. That mindset worked well until I got to the bridge that connects Point Harbor to Kitty Hawk. I took a look at that bridge and immediately realized I was not going to ride my bike across that bridge with the wind and traffic. I went back to the gas station just before the bridge with the plan of waiting till somebody in a pickup truck was going across the bridge. In just a few minutes John pulled up in his F-350 and after he topped off his tanks we were on our way. Me and Fancy in the back!  So, I did make Kitty hawk and beyond. Tonight I am just north of Nags Head. Where I am staying at the Marriott TownePlace suites which I would give 10 stars if I could!! 

Even though my bicycle tours have ups and downs, good days and maybe some not quite as good as you would like days, the people I meet are a constant. No matter where they're from, how they talk or what they look like. There are a lot of great people just waiting to be met. 

Pics from the last two days. 

Back road leaving Winton

rolls of cotton. Your next pair of Levi's may be here. 

riding through the swamp

lunch in South Mills while I was trying to decide where to stop and sleep for the night

last night at the Masonic Lodge

The pink is severe weather warnings

My route today feel mostly within the pink

I did a video of the wind today. Here's the link. https://photos.app.goo.gl/D5UwLqjj9GXZj15NA

I didn't get a picture of John before he left but here was the truck I rode across the bridge  

first sight of the ocean

my trusty steed that got me here

home for the night. Before picture

The picture on the TV says it all!

after picture

first real seafood meal of the trip!!

Wow!