postride ride in the Oriental area

Date: Sep 3, 2004

postride ride in the Oriental area

Date: Sep 3, 2004

Oriental is in Pamlico County and I was down there today (9-3) for a 50 mile ride which included a stop in Oriental for a late breakfast at M&Ms Restaurant. Highway NC55 is the main road going into Pamlico County and when riding a bicycle in THE COUNTY (Pamlico County that is.) I try to stay off if as much as possible. Other than Highway 55 the rest of the road are biker friendly. To give you and example: today I rode and 18 miles stretch and only had 8 cars/trucks to come up behind me. Of course, Dawson Creek is a must see and more than likely CNC will route us through that area. Other than that pick a road out of Oriental and take it and see where it carries you, always a fun thing to do.

Date: Sep 5, 2004

thanks B.S.

i appreciate the info, especially where not to ride! and while i also appreciate your suggestion of picking a road and just going where it takes me, being a girl riding by myself, i try to make it a habit of having a plan, and sticking to roads that i know to be safe and lightly traveled. so, with that extra bit of info, if you (or anyone else) could suggest a ride out and back or more preferably a loop from Oriental i would be stoked.

Date: Sep 6, 2004

You could pick up a county road map to help you decide where to go or to keep from getting lost. The NCDOT has a large scale road map of each county that shows all the roads in the county (by number not name) You can get one of those and by using a copier make a smaller copy of just the section you are interested in.

These maps can be gotten from the state office. There is a published book of all the county maps that can be found in book stores. Or you can get a US topographical map that is much more detailed in land information (hills waterways woods and so forth) but the roads are a little harder to pick out.

The North Carolina highway maps you find at rest areas and other places are not detailed enough.

Date: Sep 6, 2004

From Oriental you might want to try the loop that goes north out of town toward Pamlico (the town). This is a loop that winds around and along local creeks. As you leave town on 55, take the right that goes past the town playing fields. There are small roads that loop around to Pamlico, which is a very small fishing town with not much going on. When you get to Pamlico, take the left that gets you to the head of the creek then go right to Whortonsville, then on to Florence and then either back or over to 55 to take the road to Hobucken--if you want a long ride. The road to Hobucken is relatively busy (by Pamlico County Standards).

The ride across the bridge in Oriental has a bit more traffic, but there are cyclists out that way on a regular basis. After you go over the bridge and the road bears right, you can go left at the "T" and through Janeiro (which is spelled three different ways on signs) then over to 306. It might be fun to go to the ferry (take a left) and cross to the other side, but the road on the other side is a long straight and folks like to drive fast to get to Beaufort or Cherry Point or wherever.

If you go right at the 306 turn you can go up to Arapahoe and then go left and take the "back" road to 55 or visit one of the creeks along the Neuse. That road has a loop back to 306 and then you can go south to the road that will take you back to Oriental (going south, turn left in the heart of Arapahoe).

The area is quite safe for female cyclists. There are a few characters who ride bicycles and you're like to see them out on decorated bikes. One guy smokes a pipe while riding and spends many hours a day on his bike.

The roads are all dead flat with a dip and rise around the creeks. One amazing thing is the lack of dogs who are willing to chase you. They're just too laid back.

Date: Sep 6, 2004

thanks Tom!!

between your info and mapquest, i'm sure to get a great ride in! i'm really looking forward to seeing the Oriental area. - at a cyclist's pace.

thanks again.

Date: Sep 7, 2004

I spent this weekend in Oriental and did a couple of rides the distance your looking for. I like the out and back to minnesott (sp) ferry. I goes past Dawson's creek and lots of downeast scenery. I think we will come into Oriental from the other direction so you won't have seen this part of Pamlico on the ride. Then again after you see Oriental you may want to stay-put and wander around town for awhile;). If your interested I'll be happy to send you a route.

Date: Sep 7, 2004

Maureen,

I live in Oriental and will be doing the CNC. There are many great rides that will take you in several directions. Several will give you some very scenic water views and others through quiet country side. There are literally no hills (except for the in Oriental). Pamlico county is home to several YMCA and church camps, several quaint little towns and fishing villages. I can't promise (work keeps getting in the way), but I will try to put together some suggested route maps and see if I can get them posted on www.towndock.net. It is a great website with a little bit of whimsy that will give you a flavor for the area and some local characters. I will talk to the webmaster and see if we can get some maps posted.

Date: Sep 11, 2004

thanks Russ! that would be awesome. but i would understand if you cant pull it off.

i did enjoy the website. especially the webcam, looks like isabelle wasnt very nice to you all either. i'll keep checking the site.

Date: Sep 12, 2004

I talked to the Towndock.net people and they will post some maps. I will get with them later this week. We hope to have them on the site by middle of next week.

Re: ISABEL - We took a direct hit. It was ugly for a while but Oriental is back to normal. There are still about 40 homes in the county that are still undergoing repairs and re-construction. It's just one of those things that Mother Nature throws your way once in a while.