On a recent press trip to Georgia, the group of writers were given the option to rent bikes to tour St. Simons Island during their free time. Not wanting to miss any opportunity for adventure, I opted in hoping that the “it’s like riding a bike” saying rings true even when the activity is actually riding a bike.
My last one may have had training wheels.
Along with a handful of others we walked a block from our hotel, the King & Prince Resort, and picked up our bikes from Ocean Motion Surf Co. Armed with a basket, a lock and a map the adventure began.
The plan was to head East on Ocean Boulevard, through the residential areas all the way to the end which would plant us on St. Simons East Beach, a breathtaking long stretch of flat white sand.
Then we would turn around and head back, the same way we came, to the quaint downtown for a bit of shopping. A nice plan.
Cruising along on flat pavement, wind in my hair, it felt good to be getting some sort of exercise while also exploring a new town. We took a right down 11th Street where there was a beach front entrance. And when we reached the entry path I got off my bike ready to lock it up to the post when our fearless leader, the only man in the bunch, pushed his bike further in the deep sand towards the water.
What was he doing? I don’t want to have to push this bike back up this path. He turned around and said, “do you want to ride our bikes on the beach?” Uh…No. I was getting winded just pushing mine on the path.
And then, we reached the flattest and whitest stretch, with the finest sand I had every seen. It could have easily been mistaken for the Caribbean, but we were in St. Simons, Georgia. Who would have known.
We got on our cycles and rode alongside the water, passing sunbathers, horseshoe crabs and heron birds along the way. Scenic to say the least.
We took this beachfront ‘road’ all the way back to the King & Prince. And I did it without bursting a lung. Barely. But, I did have to walk my bike a quarter of the way.
This is one of those memorable experiences that would have never happened if I didn’t say yes to the opportunity when it presented itself. The moral? Say yes (even when your lungs are saying no) to opportunities.
Have you ever ridden a bike on the beach? Where else can you do it?
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How neat! I have rode a bike a few times on the beach, but along a board walk, I can't even imagine how hard it would be to cycle around the beaches of Southern California. When I rented a bike in Venice they actually told us that if we tried to ride our bikes in the sand it would ruin the bike and we might not get our deposit back.
Your bike looks a bit sturdier than a beach cruiser so perhaps that helped as well?
I could never have imagined riding a bike on the Northern California beaches! But, the one in St. Simons was almost like riding on the softest asphalt. It was also a pretty sturdy bike.
How much fun! Sadly I chose to drink (since it was my Birthday) most of the time I was in St. Simons, so I didn't do any activities. I think I would have loved this though!
There was a lot of drinking too…after bike riding on the beach ;)
Pretty cool. We live in Brunswick. I was just looking at a post that you liked on my other (now going away) blog, androidtravels.com Happened to see that you last post was on St Simons. There are some great biking opportunites on Jekyll Island too (the island just to the south). Lots of bike paths and many less people than St Simons Island. Sound like you had a good time.
I unfortunately never made it to Jekyll Island and wasn’t able to do much touring through Brunswick. Good reason for a return trip!
Paid a visit to the King and Prince last month and also did some bike riding…although we really missed out not riding on the beach…
It was quite an experience, though I need to do some more exercise prior to ever attempting it again!