Eastcoast Riding

24 July 2011
Whiteville, NC to Myrtle Beach, SC, 60 miles by car

Emily drove during our early morning trip from Whiteville to Myrtle Beach. We had to drop off our car at the airport by 8 AM and get all of our touring gear re-organized (reorganizing really means messing up our bags so we can't find what we are looking for later :)

Myrtle Beach, SC to Pawleys Island, SC, 34 miles by bike

We finally succeeded in getting our stuff together and decided that we still wanted to ship some of our extra stuff home. Finding a FedEx, we were able to get rid of more than 26 pounds of stuff! Hopefully we will not need any of it before we get back to Florida!

Myrtle Beach is an amazingly busy area. It is a lot like a combination between Orlando, FL and Fort Myers Beach, FL (which is not really a complement). We made it over to the Atlantic coast, sadly admitting to ourselves that we drove that last stretch instead of biking it. We witheld putting our feet in the sand, wanting to wait for our original and final goal of the St. Augustine beaches.

On the boardwalk at Myrtle Beach:








We experimented with some different roads to take to get us over to the Adventure Cycling route. After assessing traffic, shoulders, and sidewalks, we ended up on business 17. After getting out of the city we stopped at the Pancake House for some food, a break from traffic and to update the blog. We were there for a very long time, and over a half hour past their closing (they we cleaning up and did not seem to mind us sitting at our table). We hit the road again, happy to find a wide asphault bike path! Though it did not last too long, it was helpful. We started to experence a very strong headwind (15 mph we later found out). Then, we noticed some fierce clouds in the distance. It was the lightning that finally drove us off of the road and into a McDonalds. It looked like it would rain at any minute. It began to sprinkle as we rolled into the parking lot. But then, no rain. Until about 4:30 PM. Then, it was almost 6 and still raining pretty hard.

We wanted to get to Georgetown for the evening, still 27 miles away from McDonalds, so as the storm eased up we headed out into the sprinkles. Business 17 was not the most pleasant road to bike on, but far from the worst we've been on. The were occasional shoulders, and an intermittent frontage road running parallel to the highway. Traffic was pretty heavy, but most of the traffic was considerate and we are still alive!

We decided to follow signs for the "waterfront 17," which ran parallel to the business highway and along some state parks. It was an excellent decision because, not only were the views of the marshes, thick verdent rushes, and the Atlantic Ocean spectacular, but we met up with a wonderful bicycle trail!!!!!
Here is the map of the trail from South Carolina's Bicycle Routes website:


We biked on the trail for over 9 miles, over wooden bridges in the marsh and on a winding path through the tall slash pines and thick underbrush, listening to the crickets, cicadas, and birds.


Everything was wet, and most of our ride we were getting dripped on - either by the clouds or the wet branches. We really tested our waterproof panniers - they work great! When we arrived at a hotel later that night (too wet for camping) everything was perfectly dry; you couldn't have known the outside of the bag was even wet, judging by the contents on the inside.








It was a beautiful ride, and we watched the sun slowly set over the Atlantic as we biked along. We had our blinking, rear red lights and our bright white headlamps on as dusk settled. We continued biking on 17 even after the sun set, heading towards Georgetown and a place to stay.

As it got darker, harder to see, and traffic didn't abate, we decided to stop early for the night when we passed a hotel about 10 miles outside of Georgetown. It was a good choice and we were very happy for a hot shower.

Looking back on the day, it is amazing to think we were actually driving this morning or even stopped at a FedEx. It is a wonderful feeling to be back in the saddle and bicycling our way towards Florida. Driving was fun, despite our initial regrets, and it was definitely nice to visit Washington DC, but nothing beats the feeling of bicycling as a means of transportation and exploration. Even with the rain, the unending traffic, it feels wonderful and freeing to be back on the road, self-propelled and heading towards Florida.

Location:Whiteville, NC to Myrtle Beach, SC, to Pawleys Island, SC