Day 9 10/31/20 Fripp Island to Hilton Head Island, SC

 I set out for my final destination about 9 a.m. today.  For most of my ride today I had a favorable tail wind.  Traffic wise, the route was fairly busy, but I had at least a small shoulder on which to ride most of the way.  For several miles I was on multi use trails which made for low stress riding.  I made it to my final destination (pics below).

I met Lisa at what will be our home for the next week (pic below).

We rented a couple of bikes (I didn't want to ride my touring bike on the salty, sandy beach), went out to eat, and then took a little walk on the beach.  The strong wind was really blowing the sand around on the beach.

And then came the night cap (pic below)...

...homemade root beer float.

Total miles today:  65.9

Total miles this trip:  686.6

Day 8 10/29/2020 Yemassee to Fripp Island, SC

 I had a remarkable nights sleep last night.  Lisa and I woke up this morning and had a nice hot breakfast at the hotel.  It was then time for me to head out on my bike to Fripp Island.

Some scenery pics from today.

Below are pics of historical plaques containing information about the area.

My route took me through Beaufort.  The roads had light traffic until I got close to Beaufort, at which time it became congested.  Fortunately for me, Beaufort has a nice multi-use trail called the Spanish Moss Trail that allowed me to get off the busy road for about 3 miles.  Below are some pics from the trail.

Below are pics of a nice home in Beaufort and the downtown area.  Beaufort is a very historic area with some nice homes on streets lined with large oak trees with Spanish moss growing on them.

I made it to the end of U.S. Highway 21 just before Hunting Island.  After Hunting Island came Fripp Island, my final destination for today.

Fripp Island water tower pic below.

Lisa and I are staying with Chattanooga friends Mike and Melanie for a couple of days.  Pic of Lisa and Melanie below.  Mike took us on a tour of the island on his golf cart.  Many of the residents of the island get around by golf cart.  

Below are some pics from their rooftop deck at around sundown.

Total miles today:  46.2

Day 7 10/28/20 Jackson to Yemassee, SC

I started the day with breakfast at Papa's Restaurant in Jackson.  I was there at 7 a.m. when the restaurant opened, and was there with several local men who are there every morning.  I participated in their conversation and we discussed my bike ride and their town.  The 2 main employers in Jackson are the Savannah River Site (think Manhattan Project) and a company that repairs train wheels.

After leaving Jackson, I rode about 24 miles on a highway that was inside the Savannah River Site boundary.  Below is a pic of a plaque that discusses a former town that was there.  

At the location of the plaque, the Government made it clear with signs there that one just needs to look at the signs and then leave.  There were signs like the ones below all along the highway.

When I found my campsite last night, I considered riding further and finding a campsite a little further along the way.  That would have put me on this highway, and any violation of the trespassing rules would be a Federal offense.  I'm glad I stopped when I did because it would have been an extra long daily ride to get me off Government property.

When looking for a "stealth" campsite, I always look for woods on land that has not been posted.  It seems to be getting harder to find non posted private wooded land.

Scenery pic from today below.

Below are some pics of some of the all-American small South Carolina towns I went through today.

The first town after Jackson was Allendale:

Then Fairfax:

Then Brunson (claim to fame is having the only original City Hall in the world built on stilts - railroad later moved it to a foundation, but it is still the original building):

Then Hampton:

And then Varnville:

Since Lisa was meeting me in Fripp Island tomorrow, and it had been a week since I have slept inside, we decided she would drive to Yemassee, SC, today and meet me there.  Below is a pic she took after passing me the first time in Yemassee (hint-look in mirror), and a pic of us at the hotel.

Lisa got to experience what touring cyclists' hotel room often looks like.  We have to take care of and air out our gear (pic below).

Total miles today: 86.3