Photo by Dr. Haus
Day 2 of the trip began with the realization that I would have to crank out a large number of miles due to a large hotel desert in the Pine Barrens region of New Jersey. I knew I would have to make it to Atlantic City before dark in order to ensure I had somewhere to stay for the night. The start of they day was spent riding down Route 9 which was quite pleasant as the road had a large shoulder and there were essentially no hills. I was flying during the start of this trip and was happy with my quick progress.
Photo by Dr. Haus
This second day of riding was less enjoyable as I knew I had to move quickly and ride over 65 miles to make it to Atlantic City and a hotel. Forested areas are my favorite and I do wish I had a more leisurely ride to truly enjoy this part of the state. My general rushed feeling only intensified when I hit my first roadblock which was a bridge being out that I needed according to the route that was kindly created for me to follow.
Now, this was unideal given my tight timeline for the day coupled with me not knowing the area well. Loved the GPS and detour signs which led me the long way around the bridge. This added more miles to my trip and made my ride focused more on speed rather than enjoying the landscape of this region of New Jersey.
Shortly after bypassing the closed bridge I hit another detour where a road was closed - this really was the day of closures and detours. Once again, I was not happy as I already had to add more miles to my ride and did not want to deal with another lengthy detour to get to Atlantic City. Thankfully, this detour was not too bad and I got myself back on track. I also had the pleasure of seeing other road cyclists during this part of my ride which is always a pleasant experience.
Photo by Dr. Haus
I continued riding quickly as I came closer and closer to Atlantic City. Finally, I rode around a bend and was able to see Atlantic City in the distance. The last stretch of my ride to Atlantic City was down Route 30 and included a dreaded bridge from hell (did I already mention I hate steep bridges?). This part of the ride was not fun but I made it over the stupid bridge and the rest of the ride into Atlantic City was relatively flat through the marshes of the outskirts of the city.
Photo by Dr. Haus
One of the big surprises I found in Atlantic City was a relatively bike-friendly city. The roads had bike lanes (well bike gutters, but in America you take what you can get regarding reasonable transportation without a car). Atlantic City is also a beautiful place which I did not expect as it is known as a gambling town. This is quite a shame because the ocean and general area is beautiful - I am not sure why it was decided to turn this area into a casino town. The boardwalk area is lovely and this could easily be a tourist shore town, which it was prior to the late 70's.
Photo by Dr. Haus
The day ended with more soreness than the previous day, but extreme happiness that I was able to meet my goal (and eat a huge pasta-based dinner).
Photo by Dr. Haus
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