Skirting the storm (4/28/2023)

In the morning it had stopped raining. I made coffee and oatmeal, then packed up. Wearing most of the wet gear and strapping the wet tarp and tee-shirt to the pillion for highway speed drying.

It cleared up as I ride south on beautiful highway 77. Stopping for gas, lunch and a wardrobe shuffle in Statesville, NC. Now nearing 70F and sunny.

Saw temperatures on my dash reading 83F. Also saw mpg ratings of 46. Route 77 got a little confusing around Charlotte, NC. Lots of lanes, the Zumo would tell me to go into the express lanes, then say offroute and that I was going the wrong way on a road that doesn't allow any traffic. Tolls will be mailed to me, at a higher undisclosed price according to the signs.

When I ran into some slow traffic near a rest area (between Charlotte and Columbia) I pulled in. Had a snack while I dried out my tarp, boots, and socks. It felt good to put on the sandles and sit in the shade. GPS says I can reach Ocala today by 2000, but that will just slide later, and I don't have any need to rush.

Maybe I will seek out another night of wild camping. Could be harder on a Friday night. Using these cheap sites could safe me a lot in June on the Dust to Dawson (D2D) trip.

Tried to have dinner at Shoneys, but the only one on the map had a lease sign and weeds around it. I worry they didn't survive Covid-19. Ended up selecting a 5 star restaurant on the gps that was a half hour further south. I was worried it would be expensive, but checked on Google maps from the parking lot. it was a great local Mexican place called Rosie's with excellent food.

While eating I searched for free camping and found some, just further south than I wanted to drive at 7pm. Lots of hotels around, but none cheap enough. Decided that the KOA 11 miles north of dinner was the best option. Ended up half the cost of a cheep motel. Met a few other campers and talked bikes. My neighbor Dave went to the onsite bar for a drink. After setting up camp I took a shower and went to get a glass of wine. Dave gave me a slice of left over pizza and then payed for my wine. Certainly brings the cost of camping down.