Just got e-mail notification that registration for 2009 is open! Info and Registration.
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Just got e-mail notification that registration for 2009 is open! Info and Registration.
I got the e-mail, too, and registered right away.
I signed up, as well.
And......the jersey is cut fuller for 2009. Maybe one will grace this body.
I want to go but can only afford to camp.
Guess I'll see what the site says about that.
I won't be making hotel arrangements until closer to May. I shouldn't even have shelled out the registration fee right now, but oh well :rolleyes:
Zen, depending on how much driving you want to do, you could always camp at Assateague and drive back up for the ride on Sunday morning.
Actually, I don't really need a campsite.
All I need is a couple of jugs of water and a place to pee and I can sleep in The Mothership :)
And with that, I'm in.
I tried to register from work but the website either didn't like my logging into the link from my work, or maybe it just didn't work. I was able to register from home though. :)
Zen - there are 2 MD State Parks 40-50 miles away - Martinak, and Tuckahoe. Martinak would be the closer one. I've camped at one of them but forget which one it was just now. The rate for tent camping is only $20/night (this year anyway).
Terry says they are working on discounted motel rooms.
I got a response from a forum posting.
There are two places fairly close to Cambridge-
Taylors Island Family Campground and Madison Bay Campground.
Don't know what they cost yet, neither has a website.
do you have room for one more? or would you mind splitting a motel room?
Who?
I'll try to save up. Maybe I can split one by then.
Gads.
I don't even know where I'll be in May of 2009, much less whether or not to register for a bike ride in Maryland (or where I'd stay for the event!!!). :rolleyes:
That said, I'll probably drink the Kool-Aid and sign up this weekend.
It's only $35.
You give that out to the homeless each day.
Excuse me, is your household thinking of moving elsewhere?Quote:
Originally Posted by 7rider
I'm retiring to Nebraska. ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by divingbiker
Well, it just so happens that I have a 4-bedroom house on 3 acres, just renovated with all new paint and carpet and bathroom and well and septic and roof, for sale. Interested???;)Quote:
Originally Posted by 7rider
I just signed up- can't wait to meet you all!
FWIW, I'll probably drive down from Northern DE and back that day. I'd be interested in carpooling if anyone's interested.....
Okay. I am among the sheeple. :o I registered.... a full 9 months before the event. Saw the main email come out today, so I figured I better jump on the bandwagon while I can. :rolleyes:
Dang hotels are probably already full.
Oh crap I forgot about the hotel! I wonder if we should wait to see if Terry negotiates a good rate, or just book one now. Where did we stay this year?Quote:
Originally Posted by 7rider
Didn't we stay at the Holiday Inn Express?
Is it really worth coming down the night before for events, etc., or is it more for the sleep factor? I'm a WCG newbie and have no idea.
Depends on how long the drive is, I guess. This year we made a weekend of it and brought our kayaks down on Saturday for a nice day on the water. I'd love to do that again next year.Quote:
Originally Posted by Becky
It's about ~2 hours for me. Not outside the realm of possibilities. On one hand, it's just me, no one else to plan around, so I could drive down at 5am. On the other hand, I don't want to miss out on cool pre-ride events.
I'll probably book something now- I can always cancel later.
I registered on Monday! IFJane also registered, and we're trying to convince KayTee to drink the koolaid too!;)
:rolleyes: I'm hoping Terry can work out some discounted rates, but we probably won't make reservations this soon.:rolleyes:
To add to this post, I have registered and I convinced my riding partner to come too. Now we have to work out the lodging issues. And purchasing some kayaks for the day before. Do they rent them locally? I'm trying to think of options here. Its bad enough to figure out human lodging, let alone lodging for the bikes and kayaks..(safety in numbers;))
With my "Senior" discount, the Days Inn is $98, so I may book a room. The cheapest room at the Holiday Inn Express is $115, but you have to pay now and if you cancel you're SOL. Otherwise it's closer to $130.
I'd hate to not have a place to stay...
Considering the limited dining options in that area, I'm going to research a few more towns over thataways. I'm willing to drive farther between my hotel and the ride if it means I can get a better dinner and breakfast :D
Since it was such a beautiful day yesterday and I didn't have anything more pressing to do I decided to go back to Blackwater and do the ride again. What a gorgeous day! I went to the high school where I was surprised to find hundreds of cars parked - good I can blend in nicely. Hmm many of cars have bikes. Uh oh, they are time trial bikes.... What have I wandered into?
Turns out it was the Annapolis Cycling club doing the Church Creek time trials. OK, I just want to keep out of their way. They assured me no problem. So I set out on my ride, but eventually I ended up on Church Creek road, and had quite a show. I stopped at the parking lot near the kayak launch and watched as the riders whizzed by. They must have started them at intervals - one would pass, followed in 15-40 seconds by the next, then maybe 2 or three nearly together, then a longer gap. The bikes seemed noisy to me with those disk wheels. Eventually I ventured back onto the road ever vigilant to hug the right. I only had a couple more miles before I turned off so all was well.
Every road I traveled either looked like this
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...C/IMG_1282.jpg
or this
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...C/IMG_1290.jpg
or better,
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...C/IMG_1295.jpg
At one point I stopped at one of the bridge overlooks where people had been crabbing all morning and had over a bushel! I also came across a group of riders on hybrids from the Annapolis area struggling with a flat tire. At least they had a tube and a CO2 but it was clear they had little experience. I showed them a few tricks to help them out and lent my pump so they could save the CO2 for another time. The guy assured me that he ran his fingers around the tire and didn't find anything... I asked him a couple times about that but was not convinced. I hope he didn't get another flat later....
At the visitor center I wandered into the butterfly garden out back. WOW! There were so many flutterbyes that I was almost swatting them away from my face! A lovely sunny garden but it was hot and I wanted to get moving.
Mainly I had stopped there on the 2nd pass to visit the nice clean facilities, fill my water bottle, and get a coke before heading to Wildlife Drive.
The bulk of Wildlife Drive was closed "for construction" but expected to be reopened in October. The main entrance was barricaded. However there was a 2nd entrance, hastily marked which allowed you to traverse a smaller loop which I did. There I saw a bald eagle perched on a pole, a couple of osprey, and watched a great blue heron stalk, dive, catch, and swallow a fish! I had taken pix, but the better camera is the one in my mind. After the fact I was kicking myself for not putting the camera into video mode.. It was awesome to watch that. And this coming from someone who sees great blue herons nearly every day!
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...C/IMG_1305.jpg
This is another view of the area where we kayaked
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...C/IMG_1307.jpg
and in case you don't know that that orange thing is
http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...C/IMG_1300.jpg
Like the sign says, it's a bike!
I got 46 miles in and it was great.
So, I don't think I can wait till May to do this ride again. I'm thinking October or early November. By then it will be full of Canada Geese and Snow Geese. With fall colors it ought to be beautiful.
Martha
Oh, this is gonna be good.
can I bum a 'yak from you?
Gorgeous photos, withm. I wish we'd had that sky back in May, instead of the gloomy one we rode beneath. And, of course, I hope we have a beautiful blue one like that in May '09!
Wow. Thanks for the pix! It's got me dreaming of sunnier days next May!
A couple of the folks from my LBS group ride were at that time trial. One woman I know did okay in her 50+ group. Didn't quite reach her goal, but said the winds picked up pretty good. She did come in second with her tandem partner later on (pretty darned good considering they BOTH raced already that day!). She rocks.
Oh, I didn't see this till now - it looks like registration is filled up.
How're the mosquitos/ticks around there? I try to kayak camp on Assateague in early spring and late fall to avoid the bugs, and I always end up getting eaten alive.
DANG! :( I just told my DH today that I really wanted to do this ride next year and it's already closed!! Their forum said they would open slots as they had cancellations though, so I'll keep an eye on it.
Now, Regina, aren't you glad you signed up when you did?
Baaaaaaaaaaaa!
;)
As long as the day looks like the one in WithM's pictures, I'll be glad! :cool:Quote:
Originally Posted by Kalidurga
Still don't have a hotel, and I haven't given the ride much more thought since I registered.
Yeah, I'd like to have a day like that, too. I haven't thought about it much since registering, either, but when I do:
Whenever I get around to it, I'll let y'all know what I find.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kalidurga
Just found out you can ask to be wait listed by emailing Terry via their forums--I just sent in my name and hope to hear something soon!
Good luck, squirrell. It was a great ride this year, and the addition of more porta-johns gives it the potential to be even better next year ;)
Thanks - I guess I'll do that as well.
I know you love driving, Kalidurga, but I don't and so I can't imagine that there's any food that's good enough for me to want to stay in a different town and drive extra distance on the morning of the ride. I'm hoping to stay the same place as last year; hoping Terry comes out with their list of special rates soon. The free breakfast was good enough for me.Quote:
Originally Posted by Kalidurga
Okay, apparently I'm clueless... I went and registered at the Terry forums, but I don't see anyway to email or PM someone.Quote:
Originally Posted by squirrell
How did you manage?