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853 Mi Out and Back to Cape Hatteras


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September 16 I rode my VFR from home to the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse and back in one (long) 15 hour day. I rode 15 hours to spend 10 minutes in the parking lot of the lighthouse to take a few pictures. Crazy eh ? It is about the ride.

My ride started approximately 5:30 am and ended at 8:30 pm. My freshly serviced VFR was fantastic.

 Having resided in North Carolina for over 26 years, I have always been fascinated by the Outer Banks but  never had the occasion to go. The Lighthouse at Cape Hatteras is an iconic symbol. Why not check this box on my bucket list and ride the VFR ?

 A successful ride requires planning, a healthy rider, a healthy VFR, good weather, and good luck. I had planned this ride for months. I am reasonably healthy. My VFR was just serviced and I had ridden it for about 200 miles to verify everything was working well . Wednesday's weather looked good with no rain in the forecast until after 10pm. Luck ? I’m still waiting for those winning Lotto numbers...I don’t feel unlucky though.

Part 1 The Ugly (Cold)

I got up at 0400 and ate a light breakfast. Despite the excitement of the trip I didn’t feel great. SR71/U2 pilots get that high protein low residual steak and eggs breakfast. I’m working on that. By the time I opened the garage door my digestive system was better. I’m loving the way the cold started VFR sounds now...no valve train ticking just the muted somewhat menacing thrum of the Delkevic. It was cold . 59F is not cold but, when you’ve been dealing with 90 plus and humidity all the time that first cooler day is a shock. Out of the neighborhood we go and very quickly heading North on Interstate 77 in the dark.

 At 530 am the bulk of traffic is southbound heading into Charlotte on I77.Heading north out of the city, It’s light traffic for me but, the darkness and cold are both unsettling. My choice of clothing is working just barely. Despite having heated grips I can’t bring myself to use them. The good news is the day will only get brighter and warmer. In very little time I’m transitioning from I77 North to I40 East. Traffic is now heavier and the urge to pee is getting strong. I know where the nearest rest stop is and I’m not going to make it. Off the interstate onto a  lightly used exit ramp . Leave the bike running and lights on so as not to get hit . Adjust fluid levels.

Inside joke: Depends are for astronauts driving cross country to assault other astronauts, ha ha.

Part 2  Traffic in Raleigh (Crazies)

My I40 trajectory took me through Research Triangle Park and Raleigh between 745 and 815 am. Prime time morning rush hour. Aboard my VFR I asked for no quarter and gave no quarter in the morning cut and thrust. A woman in a dark colored Toyota  RAV showed me how to cut back and forth between multiple lanes of traffic. I declined to follow her lead. A man in a late model Civic Si 4 door demonstrated how fast he could go before “victoriously” exiting off the interstate. No logical explanation for these behaviors except for some kind of karmic payback from my foolish youth driving a 60 hp FIAT and doing my best to emulate World Rally Championship drivers. It is what it is. Do non-red VFR owners endure this stuff too ? East of Raleigh things calmed down.

 In land area North Carolina is ranked 29 out of the 50 states. Fact: It’s over 600 mi to drive from Murphy NC   ( near the far western edge of the state ) to Manteo NC on the outer banks. Hwy 64 took me from Raleigh to Nags Head  just east of Manteo. Hwy 64 is a mixture of limited access with 70 mph limits to 2 lane with 55 mph limits. There are several small towns along the route with low speed limits. Highway Patrol activity is notoriously heavy along all of 64.. So, east of Plymouth NC I settled in behind a new Nissan Maxima and we cruised well above the speed limit. There were times where I would drop back and then roll on into VTEC and exceed 100. Once on a 4 lane stretch I got a bit carried away showing off and the speedo was over 120. The Maxima driver wisely slowed down in small  towns like Columbia. This activity helped the miles go by.  For insurance purposes I never actually exceeded any posted speed limits.

 It was interesting to ride Hwy 12 to the Hatteras lighthouse. Traveling south on Hwy 12 you have sand dunes and the Atlantic ocean only  a few feet off the  left side of the road. There’s also an overabundance of real estate, in my mind I envisioned a pristine isolated beach community with little population . Wrong. Maybe it was like that in the 70s but, those days are long gone. The Lighthouse is in a national park and it was crowded. I took pictures and started the ride home. Would I come back here with family and spend a week in a rental beach house ? Certainly.

 

The Saddle Sore Factor and Paths not taken (Coulda Woulda Shoulda)

 With a bit of work this trip had the potential to qualify as an Iron Butt 1000 Mi Saddle Sore Ride.To that end I worked out a route that would have included I95 south from Rocky Mount NC to Florence SC. I20 West from Florence to Columbia SC and then I77 from Columbia back to the Charlotte NC area. Adding these legs to the existing route would have put the ride over the 1000 mile mark. The weather for the day showed that portion of South Carolina having rain starting at 7pm.

 Around 4 pm I was headed south on I95 .Truck traffic was heavy and there were many construction zones.  I stopped for gas near Kenly NC and made the decision then to forego the interstate  and take secondary roads home. It turned out to be a great call. The roads were curvy and fun. There was light traffic, people were heading home from work but, not bad. It was actually refreshing to have to roll slowly through some of the little ‘Carolina towns and villages along Hwy 27. The ride had started and ended in the darkness but, at the end of the day I had a smile on my face and another checked item on the bucket list. On this trip I never left the state of North Carolina. Official Saddle Sore rides can wait for later.

 

 

The Route

1)      I77 North from Charlotte to Statesville

2)      I40 East from Statesville to Raleigh

3)      Hwy 64 East from Raleigh to Nags Head

4)      Hwy 12 South to Cape Hatteras Light House

5)      Hwy 12 North to Nags Head

6)      Hwy 64 West from Nags Head to Rocky Mount

7)      I95 from Rocky Mount to Benson

😎      Hwy 27 from Benson to Coats

9)      Hwy 27 from Coats to Lilington

10)   Hwy 27 from Lilington to Cameron

11)   Hwy 27 from Cameron to Carthage

12)   Hwy 27 from Carthage to Biscoe

13)   Hwy 27 from Biscoe to Albemarle

14)   Hwy 73 from Albemarle to Mt Pleasant

15)   Hwy 49 from Mt Pleasant to Charlotte

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Great write-up and pix.  Thanks for sharing them!  👍

 

I completely agree, it's about the ride.  Even when I ride to or through some scenic destination I rarely spend much time off the bike taking photos.  And like you I prefer secondary roads.  I'll take interstates when necessary to make time, but usually forgo them in favor of 2-lane highways.

 

I don't blame you for not completing the Saddle Sore 1,000.  I haven't yet done one myself, but it's on my list of things to do.  In fact, I'm hoping to get at least one more day this fall where it's warm enough to leave early in the morning that I'm not dressed in three layers so I can finish the thousand miles in the early evening.  I probably won't bother with the official Iron Butt Association thing.  Just knowing I did it will be enough for me.

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That’s a day of riding. Visiting Hatteras makes for a nice detour, we’ve went down through on a trip to Florida one year. My brother and sister in-law live there now so there’s my excuse to make a trip back down there one of these days. 

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