Ocean City, NJ

August 20, 2018

Oh boy, what a day. It was overcast but never rained. But that's old news. All of New Jersey has been like that, and I was supposed to be here for the beach! Oh well, Rehoboth only gets closer every day, and I will have my time there . . . and at least the clouds made for good cycling weather. Not too hot, not too cold.

But today's ride was spent, to a large extent, on somewhat busy roads, with the two highlights being the ride through the Pine Barrens and the Somers Point Bike Path. My recollection of our 2015 ride through here was one of more beachfront, but that really only applies to points north of Seaside Heights and south of Ocean City. In between, you need to get around Atlantic City.

Today's ride to Ocean City.

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So back through the Holiday Inn parking lot and onto US-9 south. It's not a bad road, really, as it has a nice wide shoulder and is well maintained. And it wasn't so busy that I didn't enjoy the ride. That, and I had breakfast on my mind . . . at one of two places down the road. To my misfortune, however, my route turned me off US-9 before I came upon them . . . so I rode today's ride on a banana and the coffee I made in my hotel room! Tough guy here!

Departing the Holiday Inn in Manahawkin on a windy and somewhat overcast day.

Interesting architecture seen on US-9 . . . note the chair.

Actually, I didn't miss either spot by much, so if I had really wanted to make breakfast, I could have. But I have this uncanny ability to ride hungry, so on I pedaled, through the little towns of Tuckerton and Little Egg Harbor Township, and into the Pine Barrens. The Pine Barrens are nice, and I remember them from my last passage through in 2015. By now, I was well off Route 9, so there was less traffic. But there was also no shoulder. But for some reason, the occasional car would pass just a tad too close, which always baffles me, especially when there is no oncoming traffic . . .

Lost in the Pines . . . mostly quiet except for the occasional bad driver.

I have been here before, except last time it wasn't posted with a six-ton weight limit. How fast things deteriorate!

Fortunately, the scenery was as serene as ever . . .

So the ride through the Pines only lasted about 15 miles, depending on how you define "the Pines," as, while it is rural, it certainly is inhabited. Just some parts are less inhabited than others. So as you approach small towns like Egg Harbor City (not to be confused with Little Egg Harbor Township), you may technically be in the Pines, but it may look pretty suburban. Still, it was nice riding. But after Egg Harbor, you really are in a busy area as you cross over and through the infrastructure built to service Atlantic City, so I was on roads with lots of traffic, including one leading to the Atlantic City International Airport. Yes, international.

But that led me to Pleasantville . . .

In Pleasantville, I picked up the pleasant Somers Point Bike Path, a rail trail, which I followed for about six miles.

And by then, I was almost there. I just needed to cross the Great Egg Harbor Bay! And that is one long crossing. It reminded me of some of the Gulf Coast crossings I did.

The Great Egg Harbor Bay . . . and the Stainton Memorial Causeway to Ocean City, NJ (not to be confused with Ocean City, MD).

The causeway actually consists of several structures, two of which are fairly high-level bridges connected by low-level spans.

Once over, I was off the mainland and back on the barrier islands and in the beach community. It was a short ride to my hotel, and I was getting there early, 1:30 PM! I had made good time. Unfortunately, I had a problem with my reservation. It was for September 3rd, not August 20th! How did that happen??? — I'm blaming Hotels.com. Fortunately, that was two weeks away, so I was within the cancellation envelope, but it still cost me a $30 cancellation fee. But the better news was the manager found me a place close by with a free room at a lower rate (even with the $30 fee added on). So, in the end, all was well, and I was sunning myself poolside within the hour. Sun? Yes, it came out enough to actually lie down and relax while listening to one of the many podcasts I am behind on.

Today's ride: 51 miles (82 km)
Total: 1,576 miles (2,536 km)

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