Day 3 dawned bright, mostly clear and free of wind. Due to the distance between hotels in Wilmington, we had a very crowded bus ride to the start.
Before we rolled out, the marshals and the motors had a safety meeting to figure out some solutions to controlling 600+ riders to ensure we make the ride safe and fun. The riders all got a speech on the importance of riding 2x2 and paying attention to the marshals.
The ride went pretty smoothly after that. We rode through Delaware, with lots of folks along the road cheering us. There was a very good showing from New Castle County, with both Fire and Law Enforcement along the roadway.
We turned south shortly after crossing into Maryland. We took our first break at the David Lockey Center. It is a day center for special needs adults. It's always a special break for the clients and the riders. The clients put together banners, that are then carried to the Memorial and displayed as we ride in. After the break we headed across some of the most beautiful terrain of the ride. Farms with crops knee-high already, horses & cattle running along side. We took our usual lunch break at the Galena Fire Department, enjoying the large grassy area behind the station. The skies started to darken during lunch, so I put on the rain gear. Glad I did, as it started to drizzle, then rain in earnest. I did not witness this event, but there was a close call with the local wildlife after lunch. Apparently a deer did not want to have to wait until the riders passed to cross the road and jumped in front of one of the riders, the impact knocked the deer down, who rolled about a bit before jumping to it's feet and bounding off.
Another rider and I then rode ahead of the pack to Centreville, MD so that Taps could be played at the Memorial for Michael Nickerson. The other Colorado rider's family met us at the memorial to watch the group ride by and gave us an umbrella to make it almost tolerable to stand out in the rain. We caught back on to the back of the group, and after another break, headed toward Stevensville, where we ended the day with another bus ride over the Chesapeake into Annapolis.
Another rider and I then rode ahead of the pack to Centreville, MD so that Taps could be played at the Memorial for Michael Nickerson. The other Colorado rider's family met us at the memorial to watch the group ride by and gave us an umbrella to make it almost tolerable to stand out in the rain. We caught back on to the back of the group, and after another break, headed toward Stevensville, where we ended the day with another bus ride over the Chesapeake into Annapolis.Miles ridden: 96
Deer collided with: 1
Hypothermic riders: a bunch
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