A mid-week beach retreat

Stopping for a quick meal

The ride started out with a quick get-away from work at 4 p.m. on a Wednesday -- not so early that anyone would miss my presence around the office. An hour and 10 minutes later, I was approaching the Forgotten Mile, beating my record time to the beach.

After checking in with a few friends and unpacking my overnight bag, we headed out for a quick meal up the highway at the newly established Bethany Blues, where ribs, their almost-famous Pigs on the Wing (barbecue ribs smothered in buffalo sauce) and a few goblets of beer made for a nice base in the belly for the evening ahead.