Day 10: Ocean City, NJ to Stafford Township, NJ (57 miles)

On this day I will again swing inland from the coast, after riding through famous Atlantic City. Since I can’t take my bike on the Garden State Parkway, I’ll trip a bit further inland to the next river crossing in Lower Bank, then head back toward the coast. This detour will add about 17 miles to my ride that day! And I won’t actually make it back to the coast at day’s end, since the spit of land containing Beach Haven, Long Beach, and Surf City does not connect by road to the north. So I’ll probably find a hotel near Stafford Township and aim to see the ocean the next day. Complicated!

Day 9: Ocean City, MD to Ocean City, NJ (60 bike miles)

Delaware is the first of states so small I won’t even stay the night. Starting the morning in Maryland, I’ll ride up the eastern coast of Delaware and take the Cape May-Lewes Ferry (a $10 trip) across the Delaware Bay and to mainland New Jersey. Hugging the coast will take me through a number of beach towns as I approach Atlantic City. If I stay in Ocean City, NJ, it’ll be the second Ocean City in as many nights XD

Day 8: Onancock, VA to Ocean City, MD (69 miles)

After only two nights in Virginia, I’ll enter Maryland and head again for the coast. Ocean City is a major tourist destination in summer, its boardwalk attractive hundreds of thousands of visitors each year. I bet lodging is gonna be expensive, so I’ll do my best to find a campsite or a couchsurfing host or something inexpensive.