Day 20: Another bike ride across Delaware

                                            This is our kind of retirement home.

Dr. Harry Hughes, the minister here at one of the oldest Presbyterian churches in the United States, got our day started with the disturbing message that there is more to life than checking accomplishments off of so-called bucket lists. I think he may have said something or other about grass withering and flowers fading but the Lord’s word endures forever; or words to that effect.

We quickly pushed those thoughts aside and drove to the northern part of the state where Betsy checked another item off of her bucket list by riding her bike across Delaware in 50 minutes. I’m not kidding! It took her 50 minutes and 50 seconds to cover the roughly 11.7 miles from the Maryland border to Delaware City on the Delaware River. She averaged 13.9 mph, reached a maximum speed of 22.6 mph and had a total ascent of 165 feet and descent of 241 feet (stats provided via Betsy’s i-phone).

We celebrated checking another accomplishment off the list with an early crab cake supper washed down with some fresh Delaware beer while sitting on the deck of the indelicately-named Crabby Dick’s restaurant, which offers a beautiful view of the Delaware River (and New Jersey).

Topping off a perfect Mother’s Day; Tex called!

In addition to Mother’s Day it was also Betsy’s grandfather’s birthday and she tried to suggest that her (very) carefully plotted route across the narrowest part of the state was somehow evidence of her ancestral “German ingenuity.”

Of course, I thought to myself; “aren’t Germans supposed to be known for their work ethic?” But, after all, it was Mother’s Day; so I let her bask in the genetic glow. After all, we were just a few miles down the road/river from George Read’s house.

Betsy’s ride through the Wilmington suburbs was quite different than my earlier bike ride across a much more rural (and wider) part of the state. Some of the roads on her route (including a portion of U.S. Highway 40) were quite busy even on a Sunday afternoon. While I had to endure passing by a chicken processing plant, Betsy’s ride featured a petroleum refinery.

Welcome to Delaware.

I do commend the state of Delaware for its evident commitment to bicycling. DelDOT has produced some awesome bicycle maps for each county that show which roads have bike lanes and/or paved shoulders and it makes it very easy to plot point to point routes.

Also there is ample evidence that there is a state-wide effort to grow the network and improve bicycle facilities by requiring developers to add lane width and to stripe bike lanes as part of the land development process.

It was a picture-perfect day with lots of sun, light winds and highs in the low 70s.

                                           Betsy prepares to take off at the Maryland state line.

                                           A more scenic finish on the Delaware River.

                                                         Betsy checks her stats.

                                           Sunset from the porch.