Albemarle to Laurinburg, NC—80 miles

Thursday, October 6, 2005

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It's hard to start riding in the pouring rain. Throughout the night we heard the storm approach, and when we awoke it was raining hard. According to the forecast we were in for a day of non-stop rain. Leaving the smelly room was almost enough incentive to ride in the rain. Knowing it would rain all day, we got on the road shortly after breakfast. There was a light rain as we started and became heavy at times.

Riding in the rain is one of those experiences that you don't look forward to, but once on the road, it's not bad.
The storm had come from the south and the temperature was very mild, in the mid-70's. It did feel rather refreshing to be riding in the rain. The roads were smoooth as we passed through the gently rolling terrain. We talked briefly with a friend from N. Va. who rides a handcycle. He later passed me on a downhill, and I'm not known for going slow downhill.

On top of the rainy day, this was our longest ride at 80 miles. Fortunately the Comfort Inn was located close to the camp, and as we rolled up to the entrance the manager awaited us with torn up towels to be used as rags to wipe down the bikes. We had stopped earlier to purchase some towels, which we saved for the coming rainy days. The motel staff were very friendly, and there were snacks and drinks served in the lobby before dinner. What a relief after the experience the previous day.

According to the motel manager, the best restaurant in town was McDuff's located next door. Surprisingly, he was right. The food was excellent and there were several good beers on tap, and if there was ever a time for a beer it was that night. Our friend from Bald Head and a physician from Greenville later joined us. They wanted to avoid the long wait and spotted us sitting in the bar. We discussed Greenville, home of George Hincapie, bike touring, and life in general. It was a pleasant evening.

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