Day 64 – Harrington, DE to Cape May, NJ

Miles today – 48

Total miles – 3606

The adventure is almost finished.  I arrived yesterday in Cape May…greeted by family and friends as I got off of the Cape May Ferry accompanied by my friends Walt and Mark.

I wanted to let you know that I will be continuing the blog for a few more days so please check back.  I’ll be sharing some reflections about the ride and my re-entry into a normal life.

The final day’s ride began in Harrington, DE.  Walt, Mark and I decided to ride south on busy Route 13 so we could catch country road 18 East into Lewes, DE.  It was Saturday and summer vacationers were hurrying to the Delaware beaches.  We definitely wanted to stay off the major highways. 

About three miles into the trip we heard a load “ping” from Walt’s.  He had snapped a spoke and the rear wheel began to seriously wobble.  We stopped to duct tape the spokes together to prevent further damage and try our best to true the wheel so he could continue riding. We did an adequate job but Walt acquired a new nickname…Wobbly Walt.  Mark has fallen and he can't get up...actually he was setting the timer on his camera so we could all be in a picture.

A few miles later we turned east on Route 16 and discovered another Delaware road with a generous shoulder and pleasant scenery.  More States Highway Departments should take a lesson from Maryland and Delaware on how to properly build a bike friendly roadway. We dropped down Route 5 and onto Route 9 toward Lewes, DE.  We arrived at about noon and met my brother, Bill who had ridden down on his Harley to provide us with a motorcycle escort.

At 12:45 we began the smooth ferry crossing to Cape May.  We sat on the outside deck with pina colatas enjoying the sea breeze and the smell of the ocean that always signals pending relaxation when I get to the beach.  What a great feeling.  Toward the final minutes of the voyage, we went down to the bow of the boat and saw a crowd of friends and family who had gathered to great us at the ferry terminal. 

I particularly looked for my friend Bob Murray because he promised he would bring cold beer. 

As we rolled off the ferry, we were greeted by 20 friends and family cheering and hold posters that the kids had made.  What a heart warming scene. 

We gathered under a shade tree, popped Champaign, laughed and hugged…and celebrated a safe conclusion to my 3600 mile journey.  My friend Jack Yelverton had sent me an email at the beginning of the trip that simply said, “Have fun. Don’t die.”  Mission accomplished!

After our lawn party celebration, Mark, Wobbly Walt, John (McEnroe, who had biked down to meet us) and I rode the seven miles to Wildwood Crest. John and Mark continued on to Avalon.

Tomorrow I will do the official Atlantic Ocean wheel dip and then Party Like It’s 1999.

David

August 8, 2009