STuck with free time. What now?

Several months ago, I contracted with a relief veterinarian to work Mar 3-4-5 for me. I was hoping to be one of the parents allowed to chaperone my son's Barrier Island trip.

I guess we're not popular enough to go. I just found out today that they don't need me (or don't want me).

So I'll have a Sat afternoon-Sun-Mon-Tue-Wed to pay a woman a lot of $$ to work in my place while I sit around and twiddle.

One thought was to do a long bike (bicycle) ride. I could start at Little River, SC, just above North Myrtle Beach and ride to Savannah, GA. It's kind of something I've always wanted to do. I've ridden much of the SC coast: Horry, Georgtown, Berkely and Beaufort counties. To ride from NC to GA across my little state is kind of a dream.

Or I would start on the NC line in the mountains and do a Mountains to the Sea ride.

Only thing is, you need ground support or someone to meet you at checkpoints with your stuff. My bike isn't tricked out for touring. It's just a road bike. And my husband wouldn't want to do that...he'll be working and sitting around trying to figure out what kind of trouble our son is getting into.

Any one have any ideas?

If your LBS has a rack that'll fit your bike, to carry one change of clothing and a toothbrush, you can do a credit card tour. Shorts will dry bungied to a rack if you rearrange them once or twice during the day. Provided it's not raining of course and depending on just how light you're prepared to travel.

(disclaimer: I'm not one to travel light and it's been 15 years since I did a solo tour on any kind of two-wheeler, 25 years since I've done it on a bicycle :cool:)

:D GO FOR IT!!! :D

I'm sorry I can't really offer any suggestions. I also have a road bike and have not done any "touring". However, I'm so excited to hear that you are thinking about chasing your dream and I hope you figure out a way to do it. :D So, I'm encouraging you to go for it! Where there's a will, there's a way.

I have a mini dream of riding my road bike down to the beach (about 40 miles from a parking lot down to the beach and back). It's not a huge dream, just one I haven't done yet since I got my bike last summer. I've done it on the tandem with Dh more than once. A friend of mine is working on getting a road bike soon, so I think I'll have to plan a beach ride with her and our other girlfriend soon. If it would only stop raining around here!!!

Anyways, go for your dream and have fun! I'm sure you can figure out a way to do it. :)

Actually Little River is in NC :rolleyes: So it would be a ride-the-SC-Coast from NC to GA.

Last year in the swamps of Berkley County, I came across someone with fully loaded panniers trucking slowly along in the Francis Marion National Forest.

I thought, wow, I've already cycled about half of it...small bits here and there.

It's so beautiful...tall longleaf pine forest, Carolina bays, salt marsh and old live oaks dripping with Spanish moss.

Down side--it could snow like crazy or, worse, March is tornado month in SC.

Do-able for me in summer but right now I'm really low on saddle miles.

I'm guessing I'd need to cover 50 miles a day and would never be too, too far from at least a convenience store...plus lotsa B&B's, world class eatin' and scenery.