We got a late start from Weldon Mills (my hangover might’ve had something to do with it), and only made it as far as Raleigh yesterday. We went to Cycle Gear to pick up a bunch of motorcycle stuff. Trisha got a mesh jacket and gloves, and we both got a pair of Cardo helmet communicators. We’re riding together more than ever since we like to leave the van parked and take the bike when we’re staying somewhere for more than an overnight. It’s super convenient, and fun, to be able to carry on a conversation while we head down the road. We went with the Cardo Freecom 4+ Duo pack. Trisha wants to ride a bike of her own someday, so these will grow with us and our needs. The extra range will also be useful for smack talking on the go-kart track.
After Cycle Gear we hunkered down at a local Cracker Barrel for the night, then continued south, avoiding the interstate. We stopped at Jones State Park in North Carolina and heated up some burritos for lunch. It’s a nice little place, with a beach, canoe rentals, and all the facilities you need. I certainly wouldn’t mind exploring this place a bit more if we come back this way someday.
From there, it was only a few hours to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. Have I mentioned how much Trisha likes the beach? She’s originally from Florida and half Hawaiian by blood, so she’s basically a fish. Anyway, she went for a swim while I held down the sand fort on the beach. (I’m not much of a swimmer.) After failing to find a Bojangles that we could park at and go inside (all restaurants of that type in the area are drive-thru only and we’re too tall to fit), we had a pleasant dinner at TBonez Gill and Grill. She had fish, I had steak, we had a bottle of wine and chocolate cake for dessert, and it was great.
We had a bad feeling about parking for any extended period of time along side roads in Myrtle Beach. We’ve already learned to trust our instincts about such things. We ended up holing up for the night at Chateau Walmart, where we made a resupply run as well. We met up with a family traveling in their own van, just like us. We checked out each other’s rides, then settled in for the night. It was a good day.
Smokey Da Van 