What an awesome start to my day!  I rode to the gas station for what I think was my last gas station meal for a while (another egg and bacon biscuit sandwich) and had a great conversation with a local guy. He asked me about my ride (starting with the basics…where, why, how long, etc) and then specifically asked what I was experiencing besides bad drivers. I responded that I experienced weather issues, dogs and then I paused and said “and lots of really nice, friendly, kind people everywhere”. He smiled and said “that’s good to hear…I know there are still way more good people out there than bad!”  I agreed with him and wished him well. He wished me a blessed day and a safe ride…and then we were both off to start our respective days. Now if every day could just start like that for everyone, what a wonderful world it would be. 

And then I had a great ending to my day. I crossed the bridge over the Currituck Sound (that may have been the most scary part of the entire 4,500 mile journey) and headed directly to Food Dudes Kitchen http://www.fooddudeskitchen.com/  for lunch. If you’ve never been there, it’s in my opinion the best place to eat in the Outer Banks. I was sitting at the table texting with the family and it was their unanimous recommendation that I go there for lunch (great minds think alike seeing as I was already there). My grilled Mahi-mahi wrap came and then Buddy (the owner) came out to talk. He was shocked that I’d ridden 4,500 miles and the first thing I thought to do at the Outer Banks was to go to his restaurant. Seriously it’s that good! For the record, the second thing I did was to get salt water taffy. 

So an awesome start and a great end to today’s ride. In between I was like a horse who could smell the barn.  Rode past the Great Dismal Swamp and through some costal areas before approaching the 3.7 mile bridge across the Currituck Sound.   Ok. I swear the shoulder is about 18 inches wide with garbage, glass, etc. strewn about. Cars, trucks, RVs, etc are whizzing by at high speeds and my hands are cramping from holding on so tight. Scary as hell, but like the rest of the challenges on this journey, I fortunately survived.  Although if I had hair, it would definitely have gotten a little grayer from that experience. 

So now what?  Well the journey is not officially over yet. On Friday, Mrs G and Max, and Randie, Mark, and Melinda will all be here physically, and Enid, Jimmy, and my Denver family (Mike, Sharon, little e, and Zekey) along with all of you will be here in spirit as I ride my last few miles and bring the Pea Soup Green Machine into the Atlantic Ocean. And then I will be done!

So tomorrow is my final rest day. Although I expect I will go for a ride (is it legal for me to take the panniers off…I think so 😉).  A late start to the morning, a good breakfast at a real restaurant, and a casual bike ride…who’s luckier than me?

Until the next blog post,

Ian

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