Ocracoke National Park to Morehead City, North Carolina cycling 47 miles (75.6 km)

The ride from the campground to the Ferry was just over 4 miles. In the town of Ocracoke I stopped at the Slushie Stand, an establishment that sells coffee, ice cream and rents bicycles... Hmmm, three of my favourites!

I had a couple visitors as I ate a bagel with cream cheese and drank a coffee on the patio of the Slushie Stand.

At 10 am, the above ferry would take me from Ocracoke to Cedar Island, a 2 hour and 15 minute crossing. On the ferry a bicycle is last on and last off. I got off the ferry at 12:30 pm and the heat was unbelievable.  Usually when I ride in this heat I get an early start, but the ferry ride made me start late in severe heat.

I could have taken the same campground, Driftwood Campground near the ferry terminal on Cedar Island, that I took in 1986, but it looked pretty run down so I chose to press on... for 43 miles (69.4 km).

Nearly every road sign had served as shotgun target practice in the remote marshland areas. There was next to no shoulder most of the way. Cars were pretty good about giving me space, because the road on Cedar Island was not very travelled and through marshland. Occasionally a pick-up truck would pass me as if I wasn't there. I tightroped the white line and wondered if the people driving those trucks had shotguns at the ready.

Once again, church signs became my focus as the miles passed by.

The Cedar Island United Methodist Church gave me a lot to think about, "Without faith it is impossible to please God." Really? Scripture teaches, that faith the size of a mustard seed can move a mountain. I tend to think that God is less focused on "please me" and more focused on spiritual maturity. A lot of judgement can be heaped on a person if they are measured by others as how much they please God. It seems to me that one act in the name of pleasing God, could be interpreted as detrimental to another person. In other words, one guys blessing could be another guy's curse. I tend to think that God doesn't waste a thing.  The mistakes that we make in life can be the greatest teacher and the greatest impetus for growing closer in our relationship with God.

The Lighthouse Community Church espouses, 'Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."

The Stacey Free Will Baptist Church sign stated, "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord." These signs may be related to the 4th of July weekend or they could relate to many Americans returning to fundamental Christian values and beliefs that they perceive as being eroded.

This sign was in the town of Davis. "Jerusalem - The parable of the adulterous woman." I wondered how the woman of Davis thought about the sign. I guess it could be interpreted as "sex sells," even in a Bible study.

"Children will follow the example instead of following the advice." This is the sign for the First Free Will Baptist Church. I think that there's a lot of truth to this and it reminds me of the phrase, "children learn what they live."

The traffic in Beaufort and Morehead City was very heavy. A couple people startled me as they shouted something that was unintelligible. I was tired and glad to see this sign at the Franklin Memorial United Methodist Church, "Protect me God, because I trust in you." Psalm 16:1