Right out of the door, we hit the very busy Highway 17; all the trucks and cars that stayed home to make our ride enjoyable yesterday, were out in force this morning.  The transition from a quiet hotel room to the steady scream of traffic was a little rattling.  That and three bridges, one being a tall bridge over the Intercoastal, in the first two miles made for a frantic start.

Once we settled in to the rhythm of the traffic and found our space on the shoulder (a very creative rumble strip), we slowed our frantic pace and took in the day. The morning was thick as pea soup, the humidity hung in the air like Spanish Moss on the trees; we were dripping.

Less than an hour out, the speed limit dropped to 45 mph, we lost the rumble strip and could relax and enjoy the sites and our tailwind.  We biked through the outskirts of Pawleys Island, seeing only the entrances to grand neighborhoods, but enjoying the creativity of the shops and restaurants trying to….…catch your interest.

At one point we missed our turnoff for a bike trail, but we were not to be thwarted.  The twists and turns of the trail slowed our pace, but the quiet was wonderful.  The trail led into a bike lane through neighborhoods that led into miles and miles of creatively signed restaurants.  We were beginning to think all the homes we just passed lacked kitchens or at least someone to cook.

Shortly before 11:00, we hit The Grand Strand – Myrtle Beach in a light sprinkle; miles of restaurants were replaced with miles of hotels.  With our appetites tickled from the previous restaurant tease, we could now not find a place to eat.  A turn onto the wooden boardwalk,we found a cluster of restaurants and unbeknownst to us, settled on a Myrtle Beach staple.  We picked it for it’s slogan (below), but this iconic restaurant/bar has a great history for bands, remember Alabama?!

The long stretch of Myrtle Beach(s)seems to contain everything, but in sections.  Hotels and colorfully disguised garagesabruptly stop and big expensive homes begin, then you are back on a beach tourist strip in Anywhere USA.

The wind had picked up and the clouds were getting darker, we were anxious to get to our hotel in North Myrtle Beach before the skies opened; we arrived just before two o’clock.  Though our room was ready, Jerry had managed an upgrade that would not be ready for another hour.  So the hotel gave us a couple free drinks while we waited……it’s 5:00 somewhere, right!

A few hours later we were ready for some good pasta, which we found a short pedal away.  Benito is/was amazing, excellent sauces each distinctly different (Chicken and Shrimp alla Benito) and delicious. (Bolognese below)  Though it had been a wind assisted 54 miles, it still deserved some pasta.