We awoke to fresh air in Pleasantville where we slept with the window open. The hotel had a relatively nice breakfast and it took us a while to get underway. When we did, we found that we were only a mile or so from a local bike path that took us all the way down to the intracoastal waterway.
An island in the middle of the causeway had a visitor center with an overlook where people were gathered taking photos of these beautiful herons and egrets that were nesting in the marsh and hanging around in the treetops. The causeway there was nice because it had a separated path for bikes and pedestrians.
Ocean City looked pretty neat. We didn’t go down to the boardwalk there because the weather was threatening. Instead we pulled under an awning at the local public library and watched the radar for a half an hour while minor rain blew through. Back on the road, the path south headed out of the city and into the marsh and dunes. We stopped in Sea Isle to escape the wind and scarf down an adequate but forgettable cheesesteak at the first place we saw.
The winds today made the ride truly cold. I stopped and added layers twice, and much of the day I had my jacket hood up underneath my helmet. We got rained on a few times, but never too heavily. I think I’m going to make it though. I found myself grinning and having fun, even when I was somewhat uncomfortable so depending on your perspective I’m either a sadist or I’ve got grit.
The coast down here is dotted with small townships all run together, separated by marshlands and causeways. We had planned to go all the way to Cape May tonight, but when we got to Wildwood Crest, the sky started to look really ominous and we decided to find a hotel posthaste. We ended up at a campy little beachfront apartment called the Astronaut Motel. A bit later, sun shining, we walked two miles back to the boardwalk in Wildwood and ate at a pizza joint.
In other news, I dropped and broke my phone today. I was trying to set up a photo on my tripod and in the few seconds I took the phone out of its battery case I somehow managed to drop it on to a concrete sidewalk. The glass back completely shattered. The good news is that it was only the back and the phone spends its life in a case. I was bummed but am trying not to care—Now I can get a shiny new one when I get back home.
I also lost my silicon wedding band. It must have gotten pulled off when I removed my cycling gloves at some point. It’s ok, they are really cheap and I had just recently gotten it for this trip thinking it would be more comfortable for riding. I’m glad I lost it as opposed to my real wedding band, but now I’m out here feeling ring-naked. Anyways, ladies be warned: I’m still happily married!
Tomorrow, we make for Cape May and the ferry out of Jersey. Only time will tell Delaware we go from there. (Sorry.)