Charleston, SC, to Beaufort, SC

"Mostly cloudy with a chance of showers with a slight chance of thunderstorms. Highs around 80. Breezy. Northeast winds 15 to 25 mph with gusts up to 35 mph. Chance of rain 50 percent."

Big Al's wife, Roddie, joined him yesterday from Michigan. Peter, Larry, and I went to dinner with them at a very nice restaurant in the heart of historic Charleston.

It's only 80 miles from Charleston to Beaufort. After the last two days' rides of 111 and 119 miles, eighty miles seems short. There was not much to photograph today. We rode through the suburbs of Charleston and then joined SR once more, but enjoying parallel country roads where possible. The picture above pretty much looks like what we saw, with the exception of the clowns lining the road. Skies were partly cloudy, but the cloud cover increased as we neared Beaufort and we were sprinkled on for a little while. As soon as we turned into the hotel, we stopped at a sandwich place for subs, chips, and sodas. Roddie showed up with a pecan pie and boiled peanuts to finish off the meal. We continue to have favorable winds but the next few days are forecast to be rainy; fortunately, it's a warm rain.

Beaufort, SC (1711)
Population 12,361; elevation 10'
"Beaufort is located on Port Royal Island, in the heart of the Sea Islands and the Lowcountry. The city is renowned for its scenic location and for maintaining a historic character through its impressive antebellum architecture. The city is also known for its military establishments, being located in close proximity to Parris Island and a U.S. Naval Hospital, in addition to being home of the Marine Corps Air Station Beaufort."

81.0 miles; 4:18 hours; 847' climb; 4,737 Calories.