The Magnificent 7, rides again 5, 24, 22
About 7:45 A.M. Bill B. and I met up at Hardees there on Mount Pleasant Road for our Tuesday morning breakfast. Thinking maybe a few more would show we waited until 8:30 A.M. and headed towards Little Island City Park there in Sandbridge. This Tuesday I had set up a Bike, Hike and Archery outing for the Tuesday Group. As we pulled into the parking lot Tricia drove right in behind us and then the other cars started arriving one after the other. Besides Tricia, Bill, Bruce, we had KAO, Sharon, Bill Bunch and a fairly new member of the group John Barnes. We unloaded our bikes, circled up and had a safety talk, which way we would be riding and everyone said their names so all would know each other. This is something all Tuesday Group try to do each week as we meet and do some great adventure here in the Tidewater Area. With all this said we headed out of the parking lot heading towards Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge. To get to False Cape State Park you must go through the wildlife refuge which is about 5 miles before you get to the gate of False Cape. While biking on the paved road in the refuge we spotted an Egret and then a Great Blue Heron that was feeding on some small frogs or fish and he was so obliging to get his picture taken Bill and Sharon almost used up all their film. HA Ha ! They got tired of taking pictures of this beautiful bird standing about 25 feet from them, so we moved on.
The ride through BBNWF was smooth and fast not seeing any more birds or animals to take pictures of. Reaching False Cape Main Gate we turned south heading to the Visitor’s Center and a Bathroom break, we did get a picture of the group there at the gate, then reaching the V C we found no one there working so after the bathroom break we headed further south towards the Archery Range there at False Cape Landing Road. We set up the Archery Equipment and passed out the bows and with a few safety tips on which end of the arrow to point towards the target we began to shoot and I must say Robin Hood has nothing to worry about for he will always be better than us. Although a few arrows did hit the target and KAO did put 2 of her arrows in the bulls eye, we won't be in any Archery tournament anytime soon.
Putting away the bows, arrows and targets we climbed back onto our bikes and headed to the Environmental Education Center (EEC) or some people like to call it “The LODGE” to eat our lunch there on the deck overlooking Back Bay and a few of the Islands. Here we did have another bathroom break and I gave a tour of the new kitchen and all the new things that have been added, like window shades at all the windows to keep out the bright sun in the morning and evening, which we have asked for, for years.
Here we were half way through our 20 mile bike ride and it was time to head back. I had one more place to stop at on the way back which was about 2 miles up the trail. It was a place I had found back in 1996 or 97 and had named it “Snow Hill” because of the vast area of white sand reaching about 70 feet high in some places. Everyone was amazed at seeing this area and looking out to see the beautiful ocean and how high the sand was. We walked around the edge of the hill and I explained how the North/ East Winds was blowing this hill out into the forest and killing the trees. We were here about 25 minutes and then headed north once again stopping at the V.C. one more time; you guessed it, a bathroom break and a drink of water.
Feeling refreshed, we started our last 6 miles of the 21 mile Bike Trip with one tire that decided to have a slow leak, this took just a few minutes more but everyone made it back safely. All said they had a great ride and loved the archery and the tour of Snow Hill. It was a great ride and the ones that decided to skip it missed out on a fun ride. THAT IS MY STORY AND I AM STICKING TO IT. Bruce
VIEW BILL'S PHOTOS: https://photos.app.goo.gl/FgSFSEQj9CaXfjEE9