Day 7 | 42 miles and ice cream

Today was the last day. We got up at our usual 6:30 and had breakfast and I got started on the ride around 7:45 so that we can get on the road as soon as I got back, after a shower of course. 

I headed out this morning on a beautiful morning and thinking about a nice week of bike riding. And as some people have asked, yes my butt is sore. 

 

Sorry for the poor picture quality, but that's what happens when you take a picture into the sun. 

And one of the best stops of the week was our last stop at this church. 

 

They had an ice cream social at 10:00. It was awesome. 

 

I ended my week with  a great week of riding and many new friends. 

 

Thanks for following along. 

 

Day 6 | 101 hard very windy miles

Wow, am I glad that's done!  That was one of the toughest 100 mile days I have done. It was very windy with big gust of wind. The wind speed was around 20 mph and sometimes you have to head into that wind.  Most of my "friends" bailed on the longer rides today and only did the 40 or 70 mile options. 

Because of the tough ride and there really wasn't much to see I only took a few pictures. 

Here is one of me heading over a bridge. 

 

I also found where all of my friends have a Florida place. 

 

Here is Lynn working at the rest stop today. I meant to take a picture the other day with her other friend. But the one closest to her is having her 83rd birthday tomorrow and she has 100 grandkids!!

 

 

Here is a boat shop that restores old wood boats. Nice guy, I takes to him for a few minutes to get a break from the wind. 

 

Here is us being silly before dinner and my legs are feeling better and I can smile again. 

 

Thanks for following along. Total miles after today is 423 miles and tomorrow I am doing the 40 mile option. Totaling 463 miles for the week. This is the equivalent of riding my bike from Chattanooga to Jacksonville. 

 

Day 5 | 67 miles

Another great day. I rode 67 miles in a windy hot day. It was 90 when I got back to camp. Tomorrow's high is only 69. 

We rode to Palaka a city to the west of where we are staying.  Here are some pictures from the first rest stop. The banner which you can't read because of the sun is welcoming us. 

 

 

There were some some old Chris crafts there as well. 

 

 

We then road out to the water byway, a very interesting story. 

The Federal Govt was building a canal, like the Panama Canal across Florida from Jacksonville to the Gulf of Mexico   The idea was to by pass the long trip around the state and to avoid hurricanes and pirates. So they started digging the canal and then President Eisenhower started the interstate road system and we started to transport goods via truck, hence lessening the need for the canal.  So by 1969 President Nixon cancelled the project. So we now have  a project that is only half done. 3 of the 5 locks were build and 2 dams. So it's the Canal to Nowhere. 

 

 

There were a few visitors in the lock, manatees just having fun. 

 

  

We stoped in an old bike shop and check out these throw back bikes. They are all original. 

 

 

Downtown Palaka also has a lot of murals on the sides of buildings. 

 

   

I rode with 2 people today for most of the ride. They were very interesting and it just shows you how diverse the world really is. Here are a few pictures of my new granola friend Alice and me in front of some more murals. 

 

 

Alicia and Sean rode their bikes across the US several years ago and we discussed that for a lot of the ride. They don't own a car and bike everywhere. 

They were horrified by what I was eating at the rest stops. Nothing man made / processed for these guys.   But in any case we had a common bond of bikes. 

We ended the evening with a great show by some BMX guys. 

 

  

Thanks for following along.  BTW I am doing this blog from my phone daily, so sorry for any misspellings or in orrect grammer or just auto correct correcting something. 

Day 4 | 102 miles

Hard to believe that it's already day four, time flies when you're having fun. Lynn did not say that.

This morning started off relatively chilly again. The low last night supposed to be 50° but really it was about 45. We really were not prepared for that as we did not wear enough layers, it was around 3 o'clock when we figured that out.  

Today was a warm one about 85° which was a lot warmer after it's been so chilly the last several. But it was a great day nonetheless.

Speaking of camping, I have gotten several questions about Lynn and how she is doing? She is doing great, although she thought Camping meant staying at the Holiday Inn. 

About 50 of the 102 miles today was actually on  A1A, which was a lovely ride with the ocean on your left and then coming back and seeing it on your right was awesome.

 

 

I stop along the way to take a picture of Ft Matanzas National Monument.

 

 

It's Bike week in Daytona and I was pretty close maybe 15 miles south. 

 

This is inland a little bit nice roads with very little traffic. 

 

 

Crossing over the intercoastal waterway. 

 

Driving while taking pictures. 

 

This is my view when I look down. I am in the bike lane and have a lot of gadgets. I will explain them for those that are curious. First, the sheet of paper is my cue sheet, it tells when when to turn and at what mile on my computer and how far I go on that road until the next turn. My computer is the white thing in the middle. It keeps track of my mileage, the time elapsed, time of day, speed, avg speed, etc. the big black box is my speaker and it plays music from my iPhone which is hiding in the black pouch behind the cue sheet. My wallet and chap stick are also in there. The last item is to the right of my computer and it is also black with a white button thatis my flashing strope headlight to let oncoming traffic see me from far away. I also having a flashing red tail light on the back. 

Ok, for those that didn't care about that, what movie is this from?

Boy, only steers and queers come from Oklahoma and you don't look like no steer. 

 

And to top the day off with some local music by Collapsible B. 

 

Thanks for following along and send email comments if you feel the urge. Most days I don't have cell service until the night and if I do I am riding and can't check my phone. 

Day 3 | 45 quick miles

Well the day started off actually last night with a cold front coming in and it was chilly at the event last night and that continued through out the night. The low was around 38 and it was chilly. Lynn wore 3 layers to bed and sleep in her sleeping bag with a blanket on top of it and another sleeping bag on top of that. She was toasty, except for her face. I was fine and had a blanket on top of my bag as well. My face was also cold, so I put the bag over my head to help drowned out the road noise from an early Monday am commute for some. 

I must post some pics from last night of Little Jake. He was a showman, coming out in his red cape. 

 

 

After the entrance he came much closer to the audience and actually was shaking hands with the crowd, and peddling cd's. 

So the best laid plans last night didn't happen this am because of the cold.  We hung out at breakfast for an extra hour waiting for it to warm up. I ended up leaving around 9 and hit it hard, so that I could go back to St Augustine with Lynn. I made it back to camp around noon. A quick shower and then back to St Augustine for lunch. Had some great blackened shrimp tacos and Lynn had s shrimp Po Boy. 

Saw an old cemetery from the turn of the century, the 19th. 

 

Also some nice scenery today riding along A1A 

 

Here is the King Bridge 

 

 

Here is the Castillo San Marcos National Monument (fort)

 

After lunch we went to the St Augustine lighthouse that I skipped earlier. It is about 1/4 mile inland, which seems a bit strange, but it is very flat around here, so I guess you can see it from far away and hope you see land before you hit it!!

 

And then on to the second sighting of an alligator on this trip. This one was caught and tagged before I got there. 

 

5 o'clock most days there is a beer tent with beer from a craft brewery in Tampa, Florida Avenue. Guess who can be found here most days as well??

 

And we topped the evening off with some music from The Skinny Lizards. They were kinda old country with some bluegrass mixed in, or maybe some bluegrass with country mixed in. 

 

Tomorrow is supposed to be mid 80's which will seem hot after several days around 70. 

Thanks for following along.