Somerset to Hammonton, NJ

A good day for ducks!

Rain gear off?

At the SAG stop.

Fortunately, we were able to get through.

A couple of pretty horses by the roadside.

"Cloudy. A chance of showers in the morning...then showers likely with a chance of thunderstorms in the afternoon. Humid with highs in the lower 70s. East winds 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain 70 percent."


The streets were wet, but it wasn't raining, when we left the hotel at 7:30 AM. Rush hour traffic was bad, but most of the cars were headed in the opposite direction to that which we were headed. We stopped briefly to don our raingear when large drops of rain began to pelt us. Fortunately, the squall didn't last very long and we soon stopped again to take our jackets off to avoid overheating. After leaving the suburbs, we were treated to some quiet country roads, passing between bean fields and old stands of corn. Before the SAG stop, we had to detour off the route due to a sinkhole that had swallowed up the road. Then, just after the SAG, we were able to walk our bikes around the Road Closed signs and over the washed out pavement, so the detour only added two "bonus" miles to the ride. What started out as rolling low hills earlier in the day, soon turned into level roads. We were sprinkled on and off for many miles and the sun even peeked through the clouds for a short while. About mile 60, we stopped at a Subway for sandwiches. The manager, Pat, offered us free cookies in support of our ride! After our meal, we raced to the hotel in a steady rain. Another fun day of riding!


Tonight, I've been invited by my friends to join them at Rosh Hashana services. I'm honored to be included. Happy New Year.


A large area of the Atlantic seaboard in New Jersey is called the Pine Barrens (Pinelands), due to its nutrient poor, sandy soil. Legend says many bodies have been buried in the pinelands by organized crime members over the years. Maybe Judge Crater is out there somewhere.


Hammonton, NJ. (1866)
Pop. 12,600; elevation 95'
Blueberry Capital of the World
Hammonton is halfway between Philadelphia and Atlantic City.


81.0 miles; 4:56 hours; 1,670' of climb; 4,058 Calories.