Nothing quite like a ferry ride

(October 29, 2015) Last weekend I invited my brother-in-law Mark on a ride to his sister's home in Bolivia, NC. When he agreed to join me, he had one stipulation: plan a route I'd never taken before. Given that I've ridden through every county in the state at least once, and to the coast many times, that was a bigger challenge than he probably realized when he asked.

I accepted the challege after studying one of my many North Carolina maps and decided we would take NC 210 most of the way. By 8:15 a.m. on Saturday, we were rolling. We took the toll road, NC 540, to NC 55 in Holly Springs. We rode NC 55 into Angier and there turned right onto NC 210.

Even I was surprised by how much we saw and how long that stretch was. Among the highlights were a giant rooster statue next to somone's driveway and the largest blueberry farm we'd ever seen.

On the downside, we had to pass right through the middle of Fayetteville. A stretch of 210 was closed due to a football game. No alternate routes were indicated. Finding our way on our own around the closed section and back onto 210 added at least 30 minutes to our trip.

I was reminded once more that Fayetteville ain't big on scenery or other interesting features. I was relieved when we finally crossed the town line on the way out. I did think to myself that it could have been worse: it could have been a hundred degrees out, like the last time I was on my bike in Fayetteville.

After a while...after the giant rooster and near the blueberry farm(s), we passed another interesting place: the Moores Creek National Battlefield. That might be worth a visit some day. It's the kind of place you only discover when riding the back roads.

We took NC 210 to US 117 south to NC 133 south. From there we worked our way through downtown Wilmington to US 421 to Fort Fisher. No matter how many times I do it,  I still marvel at the ocean as I ride along the coast with those constant waves and an infinite horizon. As we passed through Carolina Beach and Kure Beach, the peninsula narrowed and we could see water on both sides of us: the Atlantic Ocean to the left and the Intracoastal Waterway to the right.

A key part of my route was riding the ferry from Ft. Fisher to Southport, NC. And our arrival time turned out to be excellent: we arrived there at 1:00 p.m and the next ferry was scheduled to depart at 1:45 p.m. There was already a large number of vehicles in line to get on. Fortunately, motorcycles get special treatment, as we are asked to pull aside and then fit onto the boat near the end of the loading process. 

Under some circumstances, having to wait 45 minutes for a ferry might be a real pain. In our case, it was great because it takes about that long to smoke one of the several cigars I brought along. My brother-in-law was pleasantly surprised when I informed him that I had brought some stogies along for just such an opportunity.

The weather was perfect and the ride across the water was better than usual. One of the great things about riding a motorcycle, but especially a shiny Harley-Davidson, is that it invites people to walk up to you and start a conversation. Soon after the boat departed the dock, an older gentleman who worked on the boat walked up to us.

I expected him to ask me to toss my cigar overboard. (As a courtesy to other passengers, I was letting it go out.) But instead, he asked us about our bikes. It turns out he's been riding for more than 50 years. He told us his name was Gary and he lived part time in Burlington, NC and the rest of the time at his new house on the coast. He owns a couple of old BMW bikes. After a brief exhange about bikes, Gary then started pointing out the various highlights along the shore.

First up, we passed the Military Ocean Terminal Sunny Point (MOTSU). Gary told us that is one place you do not want to go near, not in a boat, or a car, or walking. Armed guards will greet you in force. Next up, and next door to MOTSU, is the Duke Energy Brunswick Nuclear Power Plant. Is it just us, or do you all think it's bad idea to put one of the world's largest ammo dumps next to a nuclear power plant? I'm just saying...

In front of the power plant, Gary pointed out a very small, very old lighthouse. He told us that during the Civil War, the Confederates disabled it to prevent the Union soldiers from using it to guide ships in. (See photo to the right.)

I've ridden the Canton Ferry from Meyer, IL to a rural coastline in  Missouri--the smallest ferry I've been on--to the ferry across Lake Champlaign. No matter the size or water body, they've all been fun. It's nice to park the bike and still keep both you and it moving. It's an unusual experience, and I've almost always met interesting people.

When you plan a ride that crosses a large lake, river, or even along the ocean coastlines, try to include a ferry ride. I'm confident you will be glad you did.

Keep the shiny side up and pray for a short winter.

-The Long Rider