Day 1 - Sunday May 20th 2018 - Sandbridge VA to Corolla NC 24 miles

Day 1 1985 (or 6) Jack and David do an emergency road repair of Jack's bike while Vicki meditates

Today's ride wasn't part of the 80's trip. Back then, we went inland from Virginia Beach and entered the Outer Banks at Kitty Hawk. This time around, we're going from Sandbridge (south Virginia Beach) directly down Currituck Banks and Bodie Island. Bodie Island today is not an island but a narrow barrier peninsula that forms the northernmost portion of the Outer Banks. At one time it was a true island, however in 1811 Roanoke inlet that separated it from the Currituck Banks in the north closed. 20 miles of our 24 miles today will be ridden on the beach in Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge and False Cape State Park. We will shave off 27 miles by taking the beach route versus the inland route. To do this, it is critical that we start the ride at low tide. Low tide will give us a hard surface to ride on. According to the tide charts we found on the internet, we will need to start riding at 6:30 am. Around mile 10, we will cross the border from Virginia into North Carolina. There is a fence on the beach that we will have to lift our bikes over. This fence runs across the entire island at the border to keep the Corolla Wild Horses from entering Virginia. Read this lady's account of traveling the same route we are going to travel. Especially the part where the very unfriendly North Carolina lady driving a Cadillac Escalade on the beach told her "You NEED to stay 50 feet away from the horses."  For 500 years, wild mustangs have roamed the dunes of Corolla, foraging for food and raising their young. But development and politics are starting to push them into tighter and tighter folds. Read this very interesting article about the horses. The first town we come to in the Outer Banks is Carova Beach NC. On first glance, as viewed on Google Maps, you see a nice grid of streets and think "great, I'll get off the beach and ride the streets". The problem is, the streets aren't paved. They are all sand and mostly deep sand so you stay on the beach. We won't see any pavement until we get to Corolla - another 12 miles. Then it's just another mile to where we will spend the night at The Inn At Corolla Light.

In the 80's awaiting the Currituck-Knotts Island Ferry departure - everyone looks happy? Jack carried a 10 lb tent in his rear panniers the entire trip - we never used it! Notice the tent poles on his rear rack.