Day 27 Nags Head, NC

May 21, 2019

A long day

It was a long day. Our mileage was just 51 miles, but we rode into a stiff headwind all day. I think our average speed was 10 mph for the day. It was a scenic ride up Hatteras Island and across the newly opened Basnight Bridge over the Oregon Inlet to Bodie Island.

This is the Cape Hatteras National Seashore. As on Ocracoke, dunes built by the CCC during the depression to protect the island block the view of the the ocean from the road. It makes being on the beach very idyllic.

The 1874 Chicamacomico Life Saving Station. The United States Life-Saving Service became the United States Coast Guard in 1915.

Surf boat used to recuse people from offshore shipwrecks

"Life car" used for rescue when the surf was too rough and dangerous for the boats. People were laid down on top of each other for the trip to shore.

This was used for a type of rescue used until the 1950's called Breeches Buoy. A line was shot out to the ship and then people were rescued off the ship in baskets suspended from a rope and hauled onto shore.

We met a nice couple out for a day ride on their bikes. They passed us at a considerably higher speed than we were traveling, then we came upon them again a few minutes later, changing a flat, or as Dana said "cleaning up the road for you". Dana and Annie are from Cary, NC and are spending the week in Avon sailing and cycling.

Dana and Annie . It was really nice for me to watch someone else fix a flat for a change!! - Kerry

We stopped for lunch in Rodanthe and Kerry enjoyed one of the highlights of his day. We sat and watched this while we ate, then Kerry had to go over and find out what they were doing. These guys were burning off the remaining propane before working on the tank.

We made a stop at the Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge Visitor Center before we got to the bridge.

Here's my ocean view of the day photo. I didn't walk out on the beach - just took pictures from the sand free pavement!

When I was a child in Charlotte, the major event in Outer Banks tourism was the opening of the Bonner Bridge in 1963 connecting Bodie Island to Hatteras Island. Prior to that, the only way to reach Hatteras was by ferry. It opened Hatteras to significant development and many people, my family included, went down just to drive over the awesome bridge. That awesome bridge has been replaced with the more awesome Basnight Bridge which opened in February of this year. It has a wide bike friendly shoulder and, according to my Garmin, a maximum grade of just 5%. It was a great ride over.

There is still some work being done. The lane closures meant less traffic for us.

A view of the bridge from Bodie Island. The old Bonner Bridge is visible just in front of the new Basnight Bridge.

Our last stop today was at the Bodie Island lighthouse. Kerry climbed to the top and took some pictures.

By the time we got to the motel, it was 5:30. After we got the bike in, unloaded, and walked up the street for some food from the market, we were done for the day. Tomorrow is for rest and recovery.

Today's ride: 50 miles (80 km)
Total: 1,007 miles (1,621 km)

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Lou HarminVery interesting trip and photos from on high and down low. I hope your rest is good. All the same here...I'm in the pool every day. Hot in the low 90's.
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