What I respond is, "All I really know is that in my front handle bar bag is a steel tube; and in that steel tube is a big cigar. I'm going to find a cozy place on a beach and smoke that cigar!"
Based on their laughter, people seem to like that answer better than my telling them that I'll fly or take an Amtrak train back north.
At Patriot's Point you can tour the Aircraft Carrier the USS Yorktown, the Destroyer USS Laffey and the Submarine USS Clagmore. During my 1986 bicycle tour, I paid the admission price to visit these same vessels. I remember trying to concentrate on the navy ships and planes but I had been so traumatized by the assault in Virginia that I only stayed a brief time. Today was much different. I thoroughly explored each and took numerous photos.
The Destroyer Laffey (DD 724), commissioned in 1944 was active during World War II in the Pacific. Laffey survived an attack near Okinawa by 22 Japanese bombers and suicide kamikazes. During this massive attack the 336 man crew of Laffey suffered 32 fatalities, 71 wounded, but managed to stay afloat and shoot down 11 of the attacking planes. Laffey was decommission in 1975 and moved to Patriot's Point in 1981.
Directly behind me is the kiosk where I purchased the ticket from LuAnne who graciously welcomed me with southern charm and watched my bike and gear. Thanks LuAnne!
In the foreground is the diesel powered submarine, the USS Clagmore and the aircraft carrier the USS Yorktown in the background.
The F-14A Tomcat. Most people will recall this plane from the movie, Top Gun which starred Tom Cruise as US Navy Aviator Lt. Pete "Maverick" Mitchell. The F-14A is capable of a max air speed of 1500 mph (2,414 km/h) and flying at a ceiling of 56,000 ft (over 17 km high).
The SH-3G Sea King Helicopter has amphibious capability. It was a Sea King that plucked the crew of Apollo 8 from their sea landing and brought aboard the USS Yorktown. A Sea King (VH-3D VIP) is the presidential helicopter known as "Marine One." It is quite a massive craft when you stand next to it; almost 17 feet high, over 54 feet long and a rotor span of 62 feet.
Numerous planes displayed on the flight deck of the USS Yorktown.
I'm standing on the aft deck of the USS Destroyer Laffey to take this photo of the massive aircraft carrier USS Yorktown.
It is difficult to convey the massive size of an aircraft carrier, a floating military city. Consider the following stats from the USS Yorktown:
Crew of 380 officers
3,088 enlisted men
90 airplanes
In the Captain's Seat, Bridge of the USS Yorktown.
I could have taken photos throughout the aircraft carrier, but I had an affinity to the vessel's hospital:
Doctor's Office, USS Yorktown
Sick Bay, USS Yorktown
Here, I'm on the water taxi that took me from Patriots Point to Charleston, across the Cooper River which opens into Charleston Harbor. Several people on board asked about my bicycle tour, took the card with my email and blog address and offered encouragement. The Captain of the water taxi even waved my passage fee.
I'm standing in Charleston's Marion Square to photograph St. Matthew's Lutheran Church. Charleston has a romantic, trendy and historical feel that makes me want to dwell longer.
With no particular destination in mind, I walked down Meeting St. and spotted this cool looking motorcycle.
I walked by this place and then turned around feeling drawn in. O'Hara and Flynn Wine and Cheese Bistro had walls of world class wines. Lauren Duffie served me a refreshing glass of rosé and a goat cheese plate with olive oil, sun dried tomatoes and bread. I shared the card of my bike tour blog site with Lauren who mentioned it to the couple sitting at a table across from me in the quaint wine and cheese bistro. Sandy and Scott Guzik were vacationing from Lockport, Illinois. They asked about my bicycle tour and then invited to their table and treated me to a second glass of rosé. I told them about the 1986 bicycle tour, my soon to be published memoir and how this bicycle tour was a healing journey. We talked for a couple hours. Mortgage brokers for over 20 years, they opened up their own Wine Studio called William Alexander in Lockport which is near Chicago. The more we visited, the more I realized Sandy and Scott were kindred spirits and I'm thankful for their kindness. I look forward to the next chiropractic continuing education seminar that I can attend in Chicago so that I can visit their wine studio. You can learn more about Sandy and Scott's Lockport, Illinois wine studio at www.WineStudio900.com
St. Michaels Episcopal Church on Meeting St. in downtown Charleston.
The Cathedral of St. John the Baptist Roman Catholic Church on Broad St. in Charleston.
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