For dessert Wednesday night, our CCST13 friend ordered cakes for our Atlantic Coast group – yummy!

 

The tropical storm that has been threatening arrived in South Carolina today – and we started riding in the rain – not a torrential downpour, but a continuous rain.  Gail, Marilyn and I stopped at the local Wal-Mart for allergy medication and, of course, ended up at the back of the group.  That turned out to be lucky, as a cue sheet error around mile 10 caused confusion.  We arrived in time to be sent in the designated cue sheet direction, off busy US 701.  But the 20 miles along backroads with less than perfect pavement were a slog, with the rain continuing and a bit of a chill setting in.  One doesn’t spend much time at a sag stop off the saddle when the rain continues and there is no shelter.

At mile 37 we arrived at the Pee Dee Grocery (named for a nearby Pee Dee River), and I bought a can of Campbell’s Chicken Noodle soup, poured it into a coffee cup and microwaved it – changed my disposition and gave me the internal warmth to continue.

The rain stopped shortly thereafter, but the headwinds picked up so it was slow going the 12 miles into Conway.  When we arrived at the last turns before the hotel, I was reasonably dry and not cold, so I continued into town to explore the historic district – and to get a haircut.  Paula at The Hair Salon had an opening, turned off the air conditioner so I didn’t chill, and clipped away, fascinated by tales of our tour to Maine.  I rode along the Riverwalk (Waccamaw River, which leads down to Georgetown and into the Atlantic), then stopped at a few historic homes, before heading to the hotel.

Because of the continuing threat of more rain, we ate “indoors” tonight, some in the laundry area, others on the “porch.”  Nancy Burns has joined us as a Super Sag, replacing Peg who left after her shoulder injury.

56.52 miles today – hoping for dry weather tomorrow.