POST 1081; MARCH 15, 2013; PLYMOUTH, NORTH CAROLINA

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After yesterday morning's short walk, SAM & ME hibernated all afternoon and night in the hotel...grabbing a "continental" breakfast and rushing out at 8:00am this morning for our walk to WILLIAMSTON, N.C., some 23 miles north on US 17.

Left in such a rush, totally forgot ALL water bottles and on-the-road ham sandwich.  Tempted to go back, but decided something would turn up...so, continued on our way.

SAM

Fallen Tinker-Toy Barn.

Please say HELLO to WILLIAM "Will" ROGERS and 5-month old "TIP", who insisted I play with him at every moment.  Will filled two water bottles from his house spicket...water problem solved.

Will lives at the intersection of US 17 and NC (North Carolina) 171.   NC 171 is a diagonal roadway alternate to reach Jefferyville on US 64 some 10 miles to the East of Williamston...while being the same mileage as US 17 is to Williamston.  From Williamston, it is 10 miles on US 64 to Jefferyville.

So, opted to walk n' roll NC 171 to Jefferyville...then hung a right on US 64 to the next large town, PLYMOUTH, N.C., where we are holed up for the night in the HOLIDAY EXPRESS hotel. 

In all, SAM & ME walk n' rolled 35 miles today.  Took from 8:00am until 6:00pm...with a couple time-outs for purchasing more water.  SAM performed perfectly.  ME, not so good.  Basically, this ole' body did well.  SAM weighs something over 200 pounds, so it is a bit of a chore pushing her for 10 hours on narrow berm of undulating roadways.

Nevertheless, we are in Plymouth, having accomplished the magical 35 miles...actually, quite incredible that we did it so soon after starting out on March 07...and except for sore ankles from straining to push SAM, I am in excellent condition.

I make somewhat of an issue of today's 35 miles, as there have been some who questioned the veracity of my report(s) of averaging 32.5 miles per day during our 8-month circumnavigation of America a couple years ago.  During that trek, SAM was not often used.  Pushing SAM while covering 35 miles is even a more exciting accomplishment.

In the morning, we will again leave around 8:00am.  It is only 25 or so miles from Plymouth to COLUMBIA, N.C., our destination for the home of Karen and Craig...which we should reach by late tomorrow afternoon...completing the first phase of our walk.

Blossoms are "springing" on North Carolina trees.

Walk past a number of "family" burial plots.

This land is quite low...probably only a few feet above Sea Level.  Mostly, it is swamp land.  Over the past 300 or so years, forested sections haves been cleared for growing of cotton, peanuts, and a large variety of other "cash" crops...often employing SLAVES on the sometimes vast Plantations.

As an aside, a local explained that SAM & ME walked near the home of Blackbeard, the Pirate, only a short distance from NC 171.  Blackbeard was killed by British Naval Lieutenant Maynard at the nearby Island of OCRACOKE...see my blog of 1.5 years ago.

Highway NC 171

SAM & ME were on a continual pace of over 4 miles per hour all day.  Did not stop to take many photographs today.