east coast tour route planning questions

[spazedog00]

Hello everyone,  I have already learned so much from reading these forums but i have a few questions still.  I have 2 weeks of at the end of March and have decided to ride from my house(nyc) to florida and take a plane home. 

I have the advenenture cycling maps but i planned my own route until i meet their route in virginia and i want to see what you guys think about it.

Sat 3/19
      I ride 11 miles to south street seaport and take a 10:45 to 11:45 ferry to Atlantic highlands NJ. I then ride the henry hudson rail trail 58 miles to cedar creek campground near toms river NJ.  (Total mileage 69)

Sun 3/20
     I ride 100 miles to the camelot motel in Cape May NJ.

Mon 3/21
     Take the 7:30 - 8:30 cape may ferry to lewes DE   Then ride 110 miles to fishermans lodge guesthouse in Quinby VA.

Tue 3/22
       Ride 38 miles to the chesapeake bay bridge-tunnel,  call 757-331-2960 to plan in advance for a ride from the DOT.
Ride 60 miles to bells island campground. (total mileage 98 miles)

This is where i get on the adventure cycling trail and I take the outer banks section .

I chose motels on these early days with high mileage in case i'm running late I can still check in as opposed to a camp site that has strict set up times.  I also found that a lot of the campgrounds in the north do not open untill April.

Im not worried about mileage.  I just want to know if theres is something Im missing that would make me not want to take this route.  Maybe a local knows about some serious construction or something like that. Or maybe you guys know something I should stop and see along this way.


Thank you,

     Gary

[Ike]

I spent a couple of summers on the eastern shore of Virginia several years ago. I'd avoid US13 in Maryland and Virginia as you ride south, but otherwise the Delmarva Peninsula offers some really nice cycling opportunities.

[indyfabz]

The Henry Hudosn Trail is 58 miles?  I always understood it to be about 23, including the unfinished gaps.  Also note that a section is closed due to remediation of a Superfund site.  It's scheduled to reopen in April of this year, but you know how those things can go.

http://www.monmouthcountyparks.com/Page.aspx?ID=2525

What's your planned route from Cedar Creek to Cape May?

[spazedog00]

Ike- Thank You for the tips. 

Indy- The henry hudson trail is only part of the route im taking.  I realize after sending it now that I could have been a lot clearer with the directions I plan to use.  I dont know the area so until I meet up with the atlantic coast route im mainly using google maps bicycle directions and looking at the roads on street view to make sure they dont have me taking a couple exits on the garden state parkway.   
    From cedar creek to cape may i was planning on taking the 2nd google maps bike route suggestion(i searched Toms river to Cape May) Which is basically :

county rd 532 to
county rd 563
 through pleasantville to
county hwy 619 down the shore.

Thanks again.

[indyfabz]

The Pleasantville/Northfield area is extremely built up.  Parts of Pleasantville are a dump.  While May's Landing isn't exactly paradise traffic-wise, I would work my way over there, avoiding U.S. 40, U.S. 322 and SR 50 where possible.  Take Somers Point Rd. to Zion, then make a right onto 559 Alt./Ocean Heights.  For a slightly longer but less trafficed route, make a right off Zion onto Robert Best, left on Steelamnville and then right onto Ocean Heights.  Cross U.S. 9, right on Buffalo, left on W. Ocean, right onto Bay Ave., left onto SR 152, which has a very wide shoulder.  At the light after the first bridge, make a right onto Ocean Drive.  The next bridge (no toll for bikes), which also has a very wide shoulder and nice views, takes you into Ocean City.  From there, follow Ocean Drive all the way to Cape May.  There are signs for Ocean Drive that read "Follow the Gull."  You may be able to ride the boardwalks in Ocean City, Avalon, Sea Isle City and Wildwood.  Don't know what the bike restrictions are that time of year.

Note that the prevailing winds in the afternoon blow up the coast from the south.

[litespeed]

Betrween Atlantic Highlands and Toms River I just go along the coast north of Point Pleasant. You can't bicycle the 37 bridge east of Toms River. South of TR I ride US9 except for cutting east through Egg Harbor City to avoid the bridge construction over the Mullica River near New Gretna.

I recommend you time your travels on the eastern shore for non-holiday weekdays. 13 and the bridge/tunnel can be a bear on holidays and weekends. You can avoid a lot of 13 by turning S on 12 at Snow River MD. Then you can go most of the way to Quinby on almost deserted back roads. South of Quinby 13 has most all good shoulders. They are working on widening 13. It has been better every time I've ridden it.

Cape May to Quinby in one day will be tough but not impossible. The problem will be finding a place to stay if you come up short. There are plenty of places to stay in Ocean City if you decide to take it easy.

[spazedog00]

Wow thank you guys very much.  This information is invaluable.  I cant wait to get out on the road.