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

Day 6 10/27/20 Who Knows to Jackson, SC

 Last nights campsite has definitely been the quietest on this trip.  However, I heard animal sounds at times that I've never heard before.  They sounded like something right out of Jurassic Park.

Shortly after starting my ride this morning, I stopped my bike to check in something in my bags.  While I was standing there, I heard rushing water.  I thought, that's a pleasant sound, must be a creek close by.  When I turned the corner, the pic below is what I saw.

I had to take my bags off the bike and take them across the water so they wouldn't get wet.  While I was standing there, a guy in about a mid 1980s GMC 4 wheel drive SUV came up and asked if I was okay.  He was drinking what I think was coffee out of a mason jar and had a rifle beside his seat. We talked a little about my route and he said the next road I'm going to be on is worse than this one.  He then proceeded across the creek.  I walked back across the street and got the bike and pushed it thru the creek and continued on. 

On the next road, I came across the mud pit pictured below.  I had to walk through it also, but the bike stayed dry just to the right of the pit.

I finally made it to Tignall, GA, a town of about 500.  I went to the town's convenience store and got an egg biscuit.  I talked to a local while eating and he said Tignall used to be a bustling town and was even called "Little Atlanta" at one time.

Pic Below of Clarks Hill Lake near Leah, GA.  This pic I think has been my first this trip with the sun shining.

The rest of my ride today was pretty much rural, and very pleasant, until I got to the Augusta metro area.  I spent a lot of tense time in traffic in and around Augusta, but finally made it across the Savannah River into South Carolina. 

In SC, I went through Beech Island and then made it to Jackson, where I found a place to camp in some woods.

Total miles today:  94.5