Day Sixty-Four: Snellville - Aiken, SC

We couldn’t for the life of us gather the energy to wake up as early as hoped this morning, but eventually the sound of an eager dog scratching at the bedroom door convinced us to rise and shine. We walked down a set of wooden stairs, clenching tightly to the banister in our weary morning haze, then made our way to the kitchen, where Carol was stationed as babysitter for four rowdy dogs. She was watching Savannah for the day, a 7 month-old Yellow Labrador with the heart of an Energizer Bunny, and yet she was somehow able to calm the storm to be able to cook us breakfast. She laid down plates piled high with sweet potato pancakes, fried eggs, and hearty sausages, knowing all too well that this sort of a cycling trip calls for hefty meals. After breakfast, we guzzled cups of coffee while enjoying the rest of our morning with Carol, then packed up for another day of biking.

Carol drove us a ways down the road to give us a boost, and Savannah came along, too, but miraculously remained patiently asleep on the backseat floor. She dropped us off at a gas station and we hugged goodbye, having spent a very short time with her but feeling as if we’d known her for years. The next move was to buy snacks for the day—just like every other day—and we did so leisurely, then sat on the curb to put down a cold drink before taking off. But as we awaited our ride, we began to talk about our plans for the next few days, and counted out the miles left until Charleston. It was the 20th of July, and we were due back in Washington for my family reunion on July 25th. We were nearly 90 miles behind schedule at best, and that included plans for excruciatingly long rides for the last three days of the trip, so we knew something needed to be done. Our options were to either hitchhike or find our own way a little further down the road so that we could make it in time; however, the problem with hitchhiking was that toward the beginning of the trip it might have been the most efficient method, but at this point it could take hours to find a ride, and we weren’t willing to waste an entire day this late in the game. So… we resorted to Enterprise.

My license had been previously misplaced, so I walked across the street to Walgreens to print off an electronic copy (which ended up being a ridiculously long and difficult process), then we rode into Athens, GA, where there was an Enterprise Rent-A-Car in the midsection of town. As you might know, drivers under the age of 25 have limited options for vehicles when renting a car, so we were forced to jam the frames of our beloved (and hated) bicycles into the small quarters of a Hyundai Elantra, and honestly, I’m still not quite sure how we made it happen. It took us nearly an hour to pack the car, layering handlebars and wheels and pedals like mismatched puzzle pieces, all the while sweating profusely in the hundred-degree heat and humidity. Once the doors closed, we called it “good enough” and began our drive, whizzing swiftly down the highway in awe of how quickly the mile markers pass in a car. We stopped at Subway and Starbucks then carried on, enjoying the sound of music and a motor.

We arrived quickly at our destination, Aiken, SC, where we drove around town like idiots, blasting dance music and cruising without purpose. We explored the town by car, which we hadn’t been able to do in quite a long time, and pointed out hills along the way: That one would have been hell!!! After a lengthy journey through the town, we settled on a cheap motel called the Howard Johnson, which was nicer than most considering the price, probably because it was owned by a larger conglomerate that actually has rules and regulations about bed bugs. The night was mellow from then on, consisting mainly of journal-writing and eating Chili’s To-Go on the bed while watching The Book Thief. We finally crashed at nearly 2 a.m. and hardly flinched all night, putting the long ride ahead out of our minds.