Skip to main content

Down to Wilmington...via NC Bike Route 5

Headed down to Wilmington to hang out with my friend Joe, and instead of taking I-40 or any of the other routes (US 421, US 117, or NC 50) that I have done over the years. I tried something different. I followed NC Bike Route 5 - The Cape Fear Run - from Apex to Wilmington. Most of the major statewide bike routes follow secondary routes so it was a great opportunity to see some back roads.

For photos from the entire day, head to my flickr site.

But first, for sometime now there's been an 'END' I-440 shield at where the Beltline meets US 1/64 and I-40, but this time I finally made the time to take a photo of it.

Now, this 'END' sign is actually located on the collector/distributor ramps for Exit 1.

Bike Route 5 Begins/Ends in downtown Apex - It even has an 'END' sign of its own.

This was actually my first time in Downtown Apex...and I certainly will come back to check out the town more often.

There were plenty of small churches throughout the route and I would have loved to taken photos of many of them. But with many of them holding mass at the time I passed by them, I didn't think it would be right to be taking photos around a church while mass was being held.

However in Buies Creek, this small Baptist Church wasn't serving mass until 6:00 pm, so I stopped and took a few photos, and took a few photos of the blooming azaleas as well.


Bike 5 runs along NC 82 for a bit and past the Averasboro Battleground, so I stopped to get a few more photos from the Chicora Cemetery.


Cumberland County still uses concrete pylons at many intersections as an earlier version of standard street signs. Here's an example at Bethany Crossroads.

Now in North Carolina, it is very rare to find an 'embossed' sign of any type. But in the small community of Kelly at the Post Office there are not one but three embossed 'STOP' signs. I've also included a photo of an older 'YIELD' sign for your enjoyment.

One of the mysteries I hoped to solve on this trip was where NC 210 changes from North/South to East/West. I originally thought it was at NC 53 near Kelly, but I was wrong.

After leaving its short multiplex with NC 53, NC 210 remains North/South. Later on the trip, I learned that the North/South change over to East/West occurs at the Bladen/Pender County Line.

Once in Wilmington, Joe and I headed around town and found a couple of great bridges and old buildings that will be featured in Carolina Lost.

First this bridge that carries 6th St. over a former rail line or canal.


Then the former Independent Ice Company which sits right next to the bridge.


This great old Philco Furniture sign.

Then this gorgeous former Presbyterian Church that now sits shuttered. Local community groups want to restore it as an Arts Center. It's great to see such an awesome structure like this being preserved.




Another great church in the same neighborhood is the St. Stephens A.M.E Church.


Afterwards we heads to the Smith's Creek Swing Bridge on Castle Hayne Road. This once carried NC 133 and maybe a few other routes.




Crossed over this truss bridge that carries NC 11 over the Cape Fear River.

And finally came across this odd sign on Old NC 87 in Acme.

It was a great trip with over 150 photos taken. I got a lot of items for Carolina Lost and plenty of new small towns for the Crossroads Project. Hopefully, I'll be debuting that blog or website soon.

Comments

Unknown said…
I'm thinking about making the trip in the opposite direction- I'm in Wilmington and want to bike to Burlington, NC.

That church on 4th Street has been completely restored and repurposed. It
s now one of the nicest concert/wedding venues in the state. You wouldn't hardly recognize it!
Unknown said…
hey i have never use bike route 5. but as one of my cycling goals is to bike from cary nc to willmington. is route 5 the best way to go? does it have dirrections where to turn ever time?
thanks for the help guys
Adam said…
Manny:

I wouldn't be the best judge to whether or not it is the best way to go via bike. I will say once you get outside of Cary/Apex/Fuquay it is a very enjoyable rural ride. It is signed rather well but I would still include a map or have a print out of directions for reference.
ncveloman said…
If you can get a copy of DeLorme's Street Atlas for North Carolina (the print version), it has all of the NC DOT bike routes marked. It makes a great backup for the street signs.

Popular posts from this blog

Tulare Lake returns

During the winter of 2023 California experienced one of the wettest seasons in recent decades.  Enough snow and water were deposited into the Sierra Nevada Mountains that the runoff was enough to partially reform Tulare Lake within San Joaquin Valley.  Tulare Lake was once the largest lake west of the Mississippi River by surface area.  Tulare Lake has been largely dried for the past century due to irrigation divisions and upstream impoundments.  This blog will examine the history of Tulare Lake and its recent return.  Pictured as the blog cover is Tulare Lake from 19th Avenue in Kings County during early May 2023.  Tulare Lake can be seen near its maximum extent below on the 1876 P.Y. Baker Map of Tulare County .   Part 1; the history of Tulare Lake Tulare Lake is the largest remnant of Lake Corcoran.  Lake Corcoran once covered much of the entire Central Valley due to being it being located at a in natural low point from where mountain run-off would accumulate.  Lake Corcoran is thou

Former US Route 101 through Sargent

  Sargent is a ghost town and siding of the Southern Pacific Railroad located in southern Santa Clara County.  The original alignment of US Route 101 was aligned through Sargent via what is now known as Old Monterey Road.  Sargent was bypassed gradually due to shifts of the alignment of US Route 101 which occurred during 1941 and 1950.  Pictured as the blog cover is a view on Old Monterey Road which is now no longer accessible to the general public.  Below is a scan of the 1935 Division of Highways Map of Santa Clara County which depicts the original alignment US Route 101 through Sargent.   Part 1; the history of US Route 101 in Sargent Sargent lies on land which was once part of Rancho Juristac.  During 1856 James P. Sargent purchased Rancho Juristac and plotted what was known as Sargent Ranch.  By 1869 the Southern Pacific Railroad coast line reached the relocated town site of Gilroy.  The Southern Pacific Railroad coast line would be constructed through Chittenden Pass by 1871 whic

California State Route 60/Former US Route 60/70 through the Moreno Valley Badlands west to Riverside

This past month I drove California State Route 60 through the Moreno Valley Badlands westward towards the City of Riverside.  CA 60 through the Moreno Valley Badlands was once part of the corridors of US Route 60 and US Route 70. The present route of CA 60 is a 70 mile (76 counting multiplex) slice of former US 60 between downtown Los Angeles east to I-10 near Beaumont.  The vast majority of CA 60 aside from a small section in the Moreno Valley Badlands is presently a freeway grade. For me CA 60 holds some personal history as it was the route I used most frequently accessing work sites in the Inland Empire circa 2011-2013.  Despite what many others probably would say I always really enjoyed the Moreno Valley Badlands portion of CA 60.  Considering I frequently worked on US 60 through Arizona and New Mexico the route holds even more appeal.  I even have a CA 60 shield hanging up in my garage. Part 1; History of Roadways in the Moreno Valley Badlands CA 60 between B