So as a "non-excepted" gov. employee in the D.C. area, I have been off the last 2 weeks. Instead of sitting around I decided to go on a cheap little solo 5 day camping trip. 2 Wednesday's ago there was a window of perfect weather, so without much planning I packed up and headed south. Main goal was to see some beach and mountains in the Carolina's. Here's how it went.

I'm just about packed up and ready to ride, yes I know the fender is beat up, I got hit-and-run and waiting for the fender to come in. I got on the road about 1pm Wed. Oct. 2nd


Made it to the border


Made it to this little camping spot in the dark, the guy running the campground took the pic for me in the morning


View behind the campground




Day 1 mileage: 309

 

Day 2: Rodanthe to Shallotte, NC

So most of the beach area in the OBX's was shutdown due to the Gov. shutdown, but I did manage to find an area to get a couple pics



So I rode to Cape Hatteras and got on the first of 2 ferries. This first ride was about 45 minutes and was free.





So the 1st ferry drops you off at Ocracoke Island, I ride toward the next ferry that takes you to Cedar Island, NC and I make it with 2 minutes to spare and take the 1 pm ferry. It costs 10 bucks and is a 2 1/2 hour ride.
Here is a pic taken by a nice lady from the RV next to me


A little lighthouse in the background



I talked to a couple other Harley riders and some of the crew of the ferry and they recommend a good seafood restaurant called Sanitary in Morehead City. It was good and got the special blue fish broiled.



I had a little trouble finding a real campsite, some site's where actually RV parks. But I eventually found this ex-KOA in Shallotte, NC


Day 2 mileage: 248, plus over 3 hours on ferries

 

Nice pictures!

WHAT IF you're still on your trip and they call you back to work? How much time will they give you to come back?

 

I thought all the Government workers do this even when they are on the clock. Hahaha J/K nice trip, enjoy.

 

Awesome! Just showed this to my mom. She's been watching daytime TV and being bored. If only she had been on the road this whole furlough.

 

Enjoy it! Nice pictures.

 

Very nice pics and the first week of the furlough was great weather. I am a fed employee and rode every day. I was fortunate and called back this week. The good part is it rained all week.

 

Day 3: Shallotte, NC to Mertyle Beach, SC, to Charleston, SC, to West Asheville, NC

So I had heard fall bike week was going on in Mertyle Beach so I check it out.



I didn't stay long, and kept heading south. I had seen a show on the food network about the Hominy Grill in Charleston, SC. They had shrimp and grits as their signature dish and couldn't pass it up. An older couple sat by me and they started talking to me. I told them my situation. They end up buying my lunch and insist that I have desert. They really made my day, I told them they shouldn't have and that they where too kind. They knew all the staff and must go to eat there all the time. That would never happen back in D.C.
Oh and by the way it was awesome food.


The beach was ok, but I wanted to see some mountains, so I check the forecast again and everything looks good. So I head toward the Blue Ridge Mountains via I26. I found this KOA west of Asheville, NC


Total Day 3:

 

Yeah with our Annual Leave, Haha, I have been on some good trips since working my current job, but it may be coming to an end. Fortunately I work as an auto tech and could get a job pretty quick if I had to.

 

I'm back now, my boss actually called me and said it could take 3-4 weeks so I wasn't worried about it. I'm actually thinking of going to Daytona for bike week if I'm still off.