Jacksonville, NC, to Little River, SC

"Sunny. Highs in the mid 70s. Northeast winds around 10 mph."

At dinner last night:

Al to the waitress: "We're riding our bicycles from Maine to Florida."

Waitress: "What, you ain't got no cars?" "You see me walkin', my car is broke."

You know you're in the South when:

1. Grits is on the breakfast menu.
2. Iced tea comes pre-sweetened (and the waitress doesn't ask how you want it).
3. Spanish moss is hanging from the oak trees.

Today's ride from Jacksonville to Little River was a long one, but a favorable tailwind helped the riders. We were in traffic until we got out of Jacksonville and then rode on a deserted road through a pine forest. Big Al complained about how boring it was to ride mile after mile, seeing the same thing, over and over. Little did he know what was coming. Eventually, we came out of the forest and hit the freeway with lots of traffic and a narrow shoulder (be careful what you wish for, Al). The remainder of the route took us on SR17, a four lane highway with rumble strips in the middle of the shoulder. I would have preferred the road through the pines. After riding more than 100 miles in just over five hours, we stopped for lunch at a Bagel shop. The bagel shop was out of bagels but had regular bread to make our sandwiches. The remaining eight miles to the hotel was interesting in the number of golf courses that we passed.

Little River, SC
Population 7,027; elevation 39'
Little River is just south of the North Carolina - South Carolina border, and north of Myrtle Beach.
For several years, LR was home to video poker gambling, but protests from the local churches led to its ban. Casino boats still operate in the coastal waters.

111.0 miles; 5:57 hours; 1,119'climb; 6,242 Calories.