Day 14: South Carolina

I have received several e-mails from Jim today...looks like a good portion of them contain photos, so I'll drop those into the album, for all to enjoy.

Here's his update from today:

Hi all:
Crossed into South Carolina this morning.  I was only
about 15 miles away last night at the Microtel hotel
on Rt 17 south of Shallotte, NC (pronounced shalote).
I had earlier crossed the Cape Fear River at Fort
Fisher to Southport, NC.  In Southport, Jimmy Griffin
and I ate at the Thai Pepper restaurant.  Some good
Pad Thai shrimp, tofu and noodles.

Stopped in North Myrtle Beach this morning at the
Windy Hill Dunes high rise along the ocean just o enjoy
the view.  I'll send a photo.  The surf has calmed a
bit.

I decided to stay over in Myrtle Beach mainly
because of geography.  Rode only about 35 miles today.
Feel like a woosey waste, but Georgetown, SC is only
about 40 miles away and after that there's a long 60+
mile leg to Charleston with no services and no hotels.
I need an early start from Georgetown to make it work
out.

This morning, while still in NC (I think) a bike
shop owner waved at us so I decided to stop and ask
about my gearing.  It's been somewhat iffy all tour
and my constant adjustment didn't help.  Steve Bruce
and his wife Stephanie were the best.  Steve (Island
Hoppers Mobile Bicycle Repair & Pro-assembly 579-1766)
is a really good mechanic.  I'm going to write him up
for Adventure Cycling.  Steve brought a portable stand
out in front of his store and set me up. It seems that
my local shop had my barrel (at the rear derailleur)
out as far as it could go, so adjustment possibilities
were minimal.  There was also a small rubber bushing
missing from that point, and the derailleur was
slightly off from the pulley.  Just some technical
stuff to explain why I'm more than a little ticked at
my bike mechanic.  Steve set me up and tuned and had
me test ride three times.  He wouldn't accept any
payment.  I'm shifting well now.

Staying at a mom and pop motel, Sea Park Motel at
1501 N. Ocean Blvd, Myrtle Beach.  It's only $40 plus
tax, but I'm getting just what I'm paying for.  Across
the street from the expensive beach-front hotels.  If
the wind doesn't sand blast me, I might lie out a
while after lunch.

Here at the Chapin Memorial Library in Myrtle
Beach.  Lot's of stores, restaurants and services.

Oh yes!  North Carolina smells like Honey Suckle

More soon,
J