Coast to Coast 2022 Adventure Day 38: Metter, GA to Tybee Island, GA

This post is part of a series detailing my 2022 coast to coast cycling adventure.

Today was our last day. What an amazing, incredible, special day.

Day 38 Highlights:

Song of the day: Just one Victory by Todd Rundgren (of course)
Start: Metter, GA
End: Tybee Island, GA
Distance: 86.8 miles
Total Ascent: 1,079 ft.
Breakfast: Hotel potluck (pretty much the standard when you get up at 4AM)
Lunch: Lunch a la Sue at Tom Triplett Park in Pooler, GA
Dinner: Fannie’s in the Beach on Tybee Island

Final numbers on the trip: I logged 3,118 miles and 103,871 feet climbed. Dave logged 3,330 and 110,833.

Our complete route, start to finish

Here are all of the details on today’s ride:

C2C 2022 Day 38: Metter, GA to Tybee Island, GA

Yes, today was our last day of riding. But it was also the culmination of so many things. All of the research, planning, logistics, training, and traveling. All of the days and days and miles and miles of riding. All of the mountains climbed. All of the headwinds fought. All of the obstacles overcome. All of the tireless work by Dee and Sue to make sure every day went as smoothly as possible. All of that led to our final day where we got to soak it all in and take our victory lap.

As usual, since the heat settled in, we started predawn. The getting up early part sucks but I’ve really come to enjoy watching the world burst to life as the sun rises.

Riding at dawn is peaceful and beautiful. And there is a lot less traffic.

The Georgia sky painted a beautiful picture for us

This is why I ride my bike

As we’ve gone deeper into the South, I’ve tried to take it all in. That means cheese grits, biscuits and gravy, chicken and waffles, and Spanish moss on the trees.

Loved these old trees covered in Spanish moss

This little fellow wanted to know all about our lunch

I didn’t realize until later that these two post offices were identical

Today’s ride was very flat, which let us make an all-out dash to the finish line. The ride had three distinct parts — beautiful Georgia countryside, a nice tour of Savannah, and through and over wetlands to Tybee Island.

Riding down Liberty St. in Savannah

Getting close to the finish line!

More and more rivers and channels as we approach the coast

Hard to describe what it was like to stand in front of this sign after all it took to get there

Annnnd… DONE!

The customary wheel dip

We could not have done this without each other

Had to do it!!!

Sue and I at sunset. Turns out you really can’t see it on the east coast.

I carried a little vial of Pacific Ocean water and sand across the country. Now it has an Atlantic companion.

I’m still buzzing from the thrill of completing our epic adventure. It’s so hard to put things in perspective. I plan to write an epilogue someday soon but right now it’s time for some rest and learning how to eat a sensible diet again.

Thank you to friends and family who supported me on this journey and my efforts to raise funds for Peltonia to support cancer research. Thanks to Dave, my riding partner, who was as crazy as I was to actually do this and who shared the challenges and thrills of every day. An especially thanks to Dee and Sue who each gave up three weeks of their lives to make this happen.