Vacationing at our beachfront rental at Kitty Hawk on the OBX. Brought my '96 vintage steel Giant with us, and have my custom Key West panniers on the back for carrying groceries since I plan on cycling every day while here, including grocery store runs.
22.6 miles yesterday from Kitty Hawk through Duck to look at the damage from the OBX's recent brush with Hermine. Headwinds both ways. (How is that even possible???) Lots of water still puddled on the interior road intersections from a line of severe thunderstorms the prior evening, so found it was more comfortable being on the main artery road to avoid those "stop sign lakes" as well as the bumpy, cracked, debris filled, and tired bike path. Traffic very heavy but very polite.
21.3 miles today from Kitty Hawk to Kill Devil Hills and Nags Head and back on NC 12 (the beach road). Passed several NCDOT front end loaders pushing the copious mounds of windblown sand off the beach road and intersections where it had accumulated the prior week from the storm. Kitty Hawk's stretch of road was the worst with a line of thick sand in the center of the road, and basically what amounted to just tire tracks showing the pavement. The shoulder was still heaped with sand. Not too much fun being passed as the sand was thrown up into my face. But it was a faster, more direct route to where I wanted to go, plus a better route to see how many houses had suffered damage - most with siding ripped off and roofs with patches of tortured or missing shingles. Some beachfront properties had deck damages and beachside stairs torn off. Kitty Hawk really looked like it had taken the brunt of the storm.
Kill Devil Hills was in far better shape, and the riding very nice on a wide, clean, well paved shoulder. Traffic very, very courteous. Lots of other cyclists out, including several going the opposite way (heading north) with packed bikes that appeared to be touring through. Stopped in at the Wilber and Orville Wright National Memorial to get a lifetime Senior Pass, and then biked home into the headwind blowing off the ocean. Could had biked the interior roads to avoid the wind but the endless stop signs drive me crazy, and my bike was more than happy to take care of the headwind for me when I asked.