Yemassee to Hardeeville, South Carolina 30 miles (48 km)

Last night I camped at the Point South KOA Kampground in Yemassee, South Carolina. The campground office, called The Swimming Mermaid also had a gourmet pizza oven, wine bar and coffee house. I enjoyed a generous glass of wine, a couple slices of spinach, black olive, onion and Italian sausage pizza while working on the blog and visiting with other campers.

Highway 17 joined Interstate 95 between Yemassee and Ridgeland, which was off limits to bicycles. I followed Frontage Road which paralleled the Interstate. It was along Frontage Road that I found the sign on the Second African Baptist Church which reminds everyone that "Jesus Loves You."

"How can you believe in that God nonsense after having had all of your education and training?" Some people would call it a fabled crutch that I lean on. Some people dismiss Christ as being simply a historical figure and divorce Him from their life. Citing all of the atrocities that have taken place by religions in name of God is another reason people stay away from a relationship with Jesus.

I've always been sensitive to the issue of belief in God. My existence predicates my belief in a creator. Call the creator God, or Universal Intelligence, or Universal Energy or whatever... I can not reject the notion of a Creator (for me 'God'). I think that as some people look at what all humankind has accomplished, belief in God becomes unnecessary. The more science and technology discovers, explains and conquers, the less connection people have to God.

The infinite vastness of the universe, including all that we as humans create, discover and conquer is enough for me to not just believe in God, but to believe in Jesus. There is perfection in the idea of God becoming man so that we might better connect with God. For me, the concept of God and all of His creation is so mind-blowing that it only makes sense that Jesus came to bridge the gap.

So, I appreciate seeing a sign that reminds me of Jesus' love for me. Obviously anyone looking at the blog posts I've done knows that I've been thinking a lot about my personal relationship with Jesus. I have walked without Jesus in my life. It was me that moved away from Him. My life has been graced by healing, protection and blessings since asking Jesus back into my life.

My photographing church signs might be catching on. My sister-in-law Kelly sent me the following photo of the church sign at Central United methodist Church in Honesdale, Pennsylvania. "You think it's hot here?" Too bad churches use damnation messages to get people to attend. Life is tough enough without having a preacher point a finger at you and say, "believe or be damned." Jesus wants us in relationship with Him - He wants us to know Him and become like Him - isn't that enough of a message?

My brother Mark sent me a photo today, that is on his friend Karina's Facebook page. LOL:

Gustavus Adolphus Lutheran Church is in New York City.

 Spanish Moss hanging from trees along Highway 17 typifies the south.

Southern Fried and BBQ Chicken is another typical sight. Mmmm, BBQ chicken for dinner tonight.

Charleston to Yermassee, South Carolina 61.8 mile (99.4 km)

My rear tire felt a little soft on my way out of Charleston. It was early and I was hoping to see a air pump along the way. Within a few hundred feet of thinking I should top up the pressure in that tire I spotted a young firefighter, Brian with his fixed gear bicycle leaning up against an idling fire truck that he had pulled out of the fire house. Brian was inflating the tires of his bicycle using the fire trucks compressor. I had to do a double take as I coasted past.
Turning around I rode up behind Brian, "Hey man." He didn't hear me over the noise of the compressor and idling fire truck engine. I rolled a bit closer.
"Hey man, can you help me out? I need some air too."
He looked around and then spotted me.
"Wow, that's good timing."
Brian quickly placed the adapter on my presta valves and inflated both tires. I introduced myself, gave him a card with the blog address and talked about bicycling a bit.

Having my bicycle tires inflated by a fire truck was a first!

"With God all things are possible," was on the sign of the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church along Highway 17 in Ravenel, South Carolina.

I was befriended by Anthony (left) and Sydney "Just like the city in Australia" (right) when I stopped for gatorade at a gas station in Jacksonboro. Anthony mentioned that the area had a rich black history and that Jacksonboro was the original capital of South Carolina, for about 1 week before being established in Columbia. I mentioned that Halifax, Nova Scotia was also important in black history, being a major destination for the Underground Railroad.
"I actually go to a black church near Halifax called, Emmanuel Baptist Church."
They both smiled. "Our church is Emmanuel Missionary Baptist Church. It's right over there." Anthony pointed to across Highway 17.
I gave them both cards with the blog address and told them to look for their photo.

Before I left they told me that I'd be heading toward heavy traffic due to construction, but Highway 17 actually has a big shoulder beyond Jacksonboro. The construction that they spoke of stretched for many miles and the shoulder was wide and relaxing most of the way. Highway 17 was being twinned and thankfully shoulder was a part of the plans.

A lot of people ask me what it is like to ride next to traffic. I thought I'd share a bit of the experience with a video clip from my iPhone which is mounted on my handlebars. FYI, the section of road that I was on had a 4 foot shoulder. Enjoy LOL...

I had only 8 miles to go, but my energy was gone.

There was nothing but wilderness for many miles so I was pretty happy to see the Carolina Cherry Company Store...

The store was quaint and I'd like to visit again to pick up some cherry jam, cherry pie, cherry cider...

The Black Bing Cherry Cider was delicious and refreshed me for the last 8 miles.

The tips of both of my cycling shoes are now duct taped... we'll see if they make it to the end of the tour.

Get hit by this car and you'll be meeting your Maker in more ways than one...
An elderly couple got out of this vehicle outside of McDonalds along Highway 17 in Yemassee.
I said, "I like your licence plate."
The old guy responded, "Its all about Him."
"Amen to that man," and I snapped the photo.

Patriots Point and Charleston

A lot of people ask me, "What are you going to do when you get to Florida?" I know that they are really asking if I'm going to fly home or continue bicycling.
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

Surgery suite, 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.

Georgetown to Mount Pleasant, South Carolina 57.5 miles (92.6 km) - Ride the Line

"God grades us on the cross, not the curve." The Trinity Lutheran Church sign as I was leaving Georgetown was thought provoking.  I think what they are trying to convey is that Jesus died for all of us, not some of us. The whole "grades us" concept is a bit judgemental though, especially when I consider God's unconditional love. Too many churches try to scare people into their doors by the judgement and damnation narratives versus unconditional love and salvation messages.

There's only two small towns, McClellanville and Awendaw, between Georgetown and Mount Pleasant. Highway 17 passes through part of the massive Francis Marion National Forest. At about 9:30 this morning, I passed the Buck Hall Campground of the National Forest. I camped there in during the bicycle tour of 1986, just days after having been assaulted in Virginia. Today, I was struck by how much of the route I don't recall 27 years later. I think that this is related to the massive efforts of repressing the event.

There was no shoulder along Highway 17 until I reached the Charleston County line, where the narrow shoulder also sported a rumple strip or clumps of grass that made riding on it challenging. Once the city boundary for Mount Pleasant was crossed, the shoulder disappeared again.

"Walk close to God so nothing can come between." This sign seemed very to the point when I considered the narrow gap between traffic speeding past me and the side of the road that I tightroped.

I passed a lot of those small "Jesus Saves" signs at homes and churches along my route. I do find it interesting that the "Saves" message has endured more than any other attribute of Christ's life. Christ was a teacher, leader, healer and embodied unconditional love. Maybe the word 'Saves' is meant to convey all that Christ is and not just the you-better-believe-or-you're-damned end of life salvation message that many Churches rely on to keep the seats filled. Regardless, I'm thankful for my relationship with God.

North Myrtle Beach to Georgetown, South Carolina 51.6 miles (83.1 km)

Laura who was working the front desk of the Comfort Inn at North Myrtle Beach had talked with me last night regarding my bike tour and the memoir that I'll be having published about the 1986 bike tour. I shared the story about finding the book Wild, by Cheryl Strayed up a the fish camp. When I handed her the card of my blog and email, she seemed to recognize my name and recalled meeting another doctor and his wife who were in the hotel a few months prior and had told her about me and the book that I was working on. Wow, bizarre. I racked my brain trying to think of whom that might be. I gave her the last names of some of my friends and colleagues who knew about the memoir, but she could not find anyone in the hotel's data base to match those names and her memory. I wonder if she had a premonitory dream or vision about meeting me or maybe there's someone else with a similar last name as me and who has written a memoir like mine. 

In the morning Rose and Mr. B were at the hotel's front desk. Laura had left a note introducing me and suggested that I be given a Friends and Family Discount for use down the road. Rose set up the discount for me as I stood there and invited me to call her if I need any more as I made my way south. Pretty amazing kindness and hospitality. I'm very thankful for having met all of them.

I got off of Highway 17 and on to Ocean Blvd through Myrtle Beach. There were quite a number of people biking and jogging along Ocean Blvd which had a dedicated bike lane for some stretches, paved shoulder for other stretches and no shoulder for other stretches. I was glad to be away from the heavy traffic of Hwy 17. Decreased traffic and then finding a couple of beach hotels that had Starbucks which drew me in for a Tall Green Tea Frappaccino and Tall Dark Roast... mmm relaxing. Maybe the universe thoguht I had things too easy today... another flat tire on the rear wheel. My progress was slowed considerably.

I made my way to Beach Bike Shop at 711 Broadway St. in Myrtle Beach and made the decision to have a high quality puncture resistant tire and tube installed. I think that there must be an unwritten rule about bike shops helping guys on long bicycle tours. Sean, (yes spelled the same way as my son) who was working on a bike in the back repair shop immediately stopped what he was doing to work on my bike. On my way out of the shop I handed Gail who was working the cash the card with my blog and email. We immediately got into a conversation about chiropractic. The entire shop got in on the conversation and they wanted me to set up a table and start adjusting each of them. 

If you are ever in need of a bike shop in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina - go see these folks. they really care and give awesome service. Here's their shop website address: www.beachbikeshop.com

Once I was out of Myrtle Beach and back on Hwy 17, there was a shoulder that varied from about 8 inches to 18 inches. The scenery along the route was lush green with pine trees that had long soft looking pine needles. My intention was to camp at Huntington Beach State Campground. The geezer at the registration booth of the campground seemed to take pleasure in admonishing me for not knowing that I should have had a registration. It wasn't so much what he said, but how he said it...
"We're full. We been full since April."
"There isn't even a tent site for me?"
"No, we're full."
"I can't really register for campsites ahead of time because I started my trip in Canada and I never really know how far I can go on the bike in any given day."
"Like I said, we're full. Sorry I can't help you. You'll have to turn around and leave."

It's too bad that campgrounds don't have unwritten rules like bicycle shops that would accommodate a guy traveling by bicycle.

This striking statue is at the entrance of Brookgreen Gardens, a designated National Historic Landmark and is close to Huntington Beach State Park . The park was created in 1931 by Archer and Anna Hyatt Huntington and is hallmarked by renowned sculptures. I wanted pay the $14 entrance fee to explore the gardens and see the sculptures but it was already after 4:00 pm, the gardens close at 5:00 pm and the closest accommodation I could find was 18 miles south in Georgetown. Back on the bike and heavy traffic. The last 11 miles were a sweat bath and completely drained me.

Wilmington, North Carolina to North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 55.4 miles (89.2 km)

I left Wilmington at 8:00 am with no wind to a tailwind all morning. This was the first tailwind since Sandy Hook, New Jersey and it felt good to pedal with higher gears and more speed.

There's a lot of truth to the message, "A soft answer turneth away wrath." I thought about the George Zimmerman verdict of "Not Guilty" that was all over the news and on the minds of so many Americans. Just after stopping at this church sign I pulled into a gas station and bought some Gatorade at the variety store. The owner of the store had the television behind the counter turned to CNN and all of the customers were looking at the Zimmerman - Not Guilty news. A white guy in his 40's was walking out of the store and spoke to his wife and the earshot of everyone and said in his thick southern accent, "I can't believe he's gettin' off fer what he done." One of the other customers was a black man standing in front of me. He was in his late 50s and dressed in his Sunday best. I noticed his expression of gratitude and respect for the white guy's comment.

The tragedy of a 17 year old being approached and killed by a gun because he 'looked' suspicious is difficult for most people. Would Trayvon Martin still be alive if either he or George Zimmerman responded with a "soft answer?" I can't help but think that the answer is yes. I can't imagine the pain that Trayvon's family is enduring, first through his death and now due to the absence of justice. I believe that now the real tragedy would be if Trayvon's death and Zimmerman's acquittal leads to more violence. Hopefully people can open a dialogue toward healing and prevention through "soft answer" dialogues.

As soon as I crossed the SC state line the shoulder along Hwy 17 disappeared. I then had the memory that the same thing happened in 1986. I stopped at the South Carolina information center and the lady said that South Carolina is not a very bike friendly place. 

The sign at St. Paul African Methodist Episcopal Church had a catchy phrase that plays on the do-it-yourself house renovation and decoration craze. Church for me though is not the answer for "home improvement." The generation of kids that grew up with televisions as time wasting pacifiers is now having children with telephones and computers as time wasting pacifiers. I don't think that taking the family to church on Sundays is enough to overcome the societal trend of digital pacification. I think that kids simply need parents who are willing to communicate with, teach, discipline and love them. 

Because of the traffic, and my fatigue I decided to stop in North Myrtle Beach and get a fresh start early tomorrow and beat some of the traffic in the morning.

Downtown Wilmington

This morning I had a short, 5 mile ride along Market Street to the historic downtown district of Wilmington. Of course, I stopped to photograph a church sign that was on route:

The north side of the Wilmington Seventh-Day Adventist Church and School sign stated, "Put Jesus first, others second, yourself third and you'll have joy!" Hmmm, I'm not so sure that I agree wholeheartedly with that. Relationships in life require a delicate balance between nourishing your own soul and that of others. Too much of "putting others first" and you'll face burnout. Parenting for instance extremely demanding, and some parents for instance put their children first in the family relationship to the detriment of themselves and their spousal relationship.

The south side of that sign quoted Exodus 20:8, "Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy." Today being Saturday was the last, "7th" day of the week and people were still pulling into the parking lot of the church as I stood photographing the sign.

Yesterday my friend Mary called and we talked about the blog that I was keeping on this trip. She thought that it would be beneficial to readers if I put the whole 'church sign' photos in a better perspective for readers. She was right. When I think about all of the church signs that I've photographed to date, readers might assume that I'm going out of my way, off my route, to photograph every church sign on route. In reality, every church sign that I stop to photograph is on route. I would estimate that for every 1 church sign that I stop to photograph, I pass about 12 churches! Yes, there are that many churches on route!

My 5 mile ride to downtown Wilmington is a perfect example. Besides the Seventh - Day Adventist Church, I passed these churches on that short stretch, all on or at a cross street with Market Street:
Wilmington Prayer Furnace
Apostolic Church of God
Morning Star Christian Fellowship Church
Pearsall Memorial Presbyterian Church
St. Jude Metropolitan Community Church
Temple Baptist Church
St. Paul's Episcopal Church
St. Andrew's Covenant Presbyterian Church
Trinity United Methodist Church
St. Paul's Evangel Lutheran Church
First Baptist Church
Wilmington Community Church

Including the church whose sign I stopped to take photos of, that's 14 churches within a 5 mile stretch! Despite rhetoric within the media and by some politicians, America on whole is a Christian nation. From what I've observed, church life remains an integral part of community life spiritually, socially, and economically. At home, I call Emmanuel Baptist Church my "church home" and I am grateful to be a part of the thriving church community. My spiritual relationship however is not dependent on any church, but rather is embodied by my personal relationship with God.

No, I didn't find a diamond along Market Street... A sharp piece of glass found its way into my tire resulting in a flat. Given the amount of glass that I've seen  on route, I'm surprised that I haven't had more flats from glass.

I spent the afternoon walking around the historic district. I enjoyed a Sushi and Bento Box lunch at Nikki's Gourmet Food and Sushi Bar on Front Street during a 20 minute downpour that saw some of the street flood. During another downpour, I hopped on a free trolley sightseeing bus and visited with a guy named Bob who was with his wife and visiting the downtown for the day from their small town in the country. After the trolley ride I was again on Front Street during a light rain shower when I heard the pure sounds of a tenor sax being played...

This is Glen McRea who busks, plays at clubs, events, and teaches. During another downpour and under the shelter of a building's overhang, I stood listening to Glen belt out what he said was his own composition. We began to visit and he shared how 6 years ago, in the wake of his Mom's passing and with the help of the Lord, he beat his addiction to alcohol. I asked if he had gone through the AA 12 step program. He replied, "No just the Lord."
"Amen to that." We shook hands.

Glen is one of the gentlest and friendliest individuals that I've met during this tour.

Jacksonville to Wilmington, North Carolina 52.4 miles (84.3 km)

Getting an early start makes a huge difference. I left Jacksonville at 7:10 am and was in Wilmington by 12:30 pm, and that included an hour stop for a $3.50 Subway sandwich lunch and a 32 oz. Gatorade.

On my way out of the Comfort Suites hotel that I stayed in, I visited with Ron, also a cyclist, who was managing the front desk. He set me up with a "Friends and Family" discount for the next hotel - an amazing rate of $39 - $50 per night - something my still sore body really appreciates. Thanks Ron!

On the way out of Jacksonville along Hwy 17, a great deal of the land is owned by the US Government and is used for military training exercises. I passed a couple of uncommon signs:

This sign reads, "Warning Warning Warning; Military Training in progress when flashing tune to AM 530; Possible dense smoke/fog on highway; Use extreme caution next 10 miles." The lights were flashing but I saw no signs of smoke/fog or military exercises.

I didn't see any tanks either.

I crossed the 4 lane divided Highway 17 to take this photo... "To walk with God we must first talk with God." Or, while on this journey, to bicycle with God, I must first talk with him... I do spend a lot of time in prayer and meditation on the bike.

 

The color of the roses in the planter of the Manhollow Missionary Baptist Church sign was so striking I took this photo.

Living in Canada I don't see the "Smokey the Bear" forest fire warning signs, but I remember seeing them during the 1986 bicycle tour. Notice the flag in the background is still at half mast out of respect for the 19 Arizona firefighters killed on Sunday June 30th while battling the widfire that had been sparked by lightening near Yarnell, Arizona.

"444" when I least expect it there's those numbers again.

This Liberty Baptist Church sign pretty much sums up this bicycle tour for me.

Rain began to pelt down just as I was approaching an under pass. The sun shower lasted less than 10 minutes.

Morehead City to Jacksonville, North Carolina 41.3 miles (66.5 km)

There was a deluge of rain in the morning delaying my start until 11:00 am. The rain had helped to diminish the heat and humidity for the first couple hours of cycling. My body was still in recovery from the last couple days and I had a sore knee which convinced me to do a short ride. Leaving Morehead City along Highway 24, there was no shoulder and the traffic was heavy.

"To God be the glory, great things He has done." This sign was at the Bethlehem United Methodist Church just off Highway 24 which is also known as Freedom Way.

The Swansboro Church of God recommends the Bible as summer reading. I've read much of the Bible and some Books, like Psalms and Proverbs numerous times, but I've never made a concerted effort to read it cover to cover. I marvel at Edgar Cayce who read the Bible in its entirety every year of his life. If it wasn't for the safety factor of relying on traffic sounds, I could be wearing earbuds to listen to the Bible during this trip.

The Union Chapel of the A. M. E. Zion Church posted Proverbs 16:7, "Commit your works to the Lord, and your plans will be established." The publishing of my memoir regarding the 1986 bicycle tour came to mind after I read this sign.

There were separate messages on each side of the sign in front of Christ's Pure Holiness Apostolic Church:

Riding into Jacksonville, North Carolina, which is home to Camp Lejeune Marine Corps Base, brought me past numerous barber shops offering military cuts, storage units, military surplus, tattoos, used car lots and churches.

My body is still hurting... sore knee, sore ass, sun sensitive skin, fatigue... it may be time for a day off soon.