July 23 - High in the Sky on the Chesapeake Bay Bridge

I love bridges! There is something fun about riding a bike above the ocean, taking in the beautiful blue water, and traversing from one city to another high up in the air. Today I was fortunate enough to take the Chesapeake Bay Bridge over 17 miles from the eastern shore of Virginia to South Hampton Roads Virginia as I took the long way from Lewes, Delaware to Fort Meade, Maryland.

Leaving Lewes, Delaware this morning I took a variety of backroads through picturesque fields and farmlands to highway 13 south. The ride was incredibly peaceful, relaxing, and rejuvenating as the sun was shining, the temperature was mild, and traffic was flowing smoothly. My route south along highway 13 took me through Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia before reaching the bridge. Interestingly, I think I saw more fields of corn in that one stretch than I have seen in Ohio.

The bridge itself was amazing – a four lane engineering marvel that crosses the lower Chesapeake Bay with gorgeous views of the Atlantic Ocean. As I entered the bridge from the north, I could see white sandy beaches and gentle waves on the ground below me. Ahead of me the 17.6-mile bridge-tunnel crossing spanned off into the horizon farther than I could see. As I traversed the bridge I went through two separate tunnels, each a mile long. Apparently these tunnels provide gaps in the bridge so that ships can get in and out of the bay.

After arriving in Norfolk Virginia, I met up with the Bunk A Biker host that will be providing me with lodging in a few days as he will be at work on the day that I am there. We met up at his fire station and he shared lunch with me as well as some tips about riding in the southeast.

The rest of the day was somewhat challenging from a riding perspective, as I traveled over 200 miles in mostly stop and go traffic during fairly hot weather to get to a friend’s house in Maryland. My left hand actually got numb at one point from holding in the clutch so much! I only saw three other bikes that entire time and they were all lane splitting. I hesitated at first as I don’t believe lane splitting is legal in Virginia or Maryland. But after over four hours in those conditions, let’s just say that I weaved creatively between lanes. Overall, it was a great day on the road.