Ichetucknee, Florida to Lee, Florida - 62 miles. Much cooler today, about 67 degrees and it rained 3 times during the day.
I stopped in Wellborn for my mail, and had this great Philli Cheese Sandwich at the Whistle Stop Cafe. Continued through the countryside to the town of Lee. Stopped at Archie's Dinner for Prime Rib ... I think it was the best Prime Rib I've ever had! I camped at the First Baptist Church for the night. It was really cold, maybe 38 or so! I thought it might rain during the night, but it didn't. That was good. Everything was wet from dew, though, and I got out my stocking cap and my warm gloves for the morning ride.
I've added several photos to some of the earlier posts, so scroll back so you can see them.
Thanks to everyone that have been adding comments. I'm about to be kicked off this computer at the Madison Public Library, but I will respond to your comments soon. I'm hoping to get to Tallahassee tonight.
Note to John ... I don't really have an itenary that I'm following. I just ride until I feel like I've done enough for the day. I'll try to keep to my "mail drop" schedule as best I can, but for the most part, I'll be sticking to the Adventure Cycling Southern Tier route. However, I'm planning on staying on highway 90 all the way to Tallahassee rather than heading south. It will save me a few miles, and I might be able to make it there tonight. Thanks for all your text messages. That's the best way to get a message to me, as I've been able to keep my cell phone charged. I don't always hear it ringing, but the text message will be waiting for me when I check the cell phone.
If anyone wants to send me a text message, send it to my cell phone.
Friday, February 8, 2008
Wednesday, Feb. 6, 2008
Gainsville, Florida to Ichetucknee, Florida - 35 miles. 85 degrees with strong winds from the South, mostly tail winds.
A very nice woman paid for my breakfast this morning. She couldn't believe I was headed for San Diego on my bike. I'm avoiding all the regular chain restaurants like Burger King or McDonalds, opting for local establishments. The food has been great, but I don't think I'm losing any weight!
I ended up camping at the Ichetucknee Campground, next to a large park with a couple of springs. This seems to be very popular around here, and there are a lot of places where people dive into these springs, where there are underwater caves full of cool, clear water. I took a nice hike, and there were canoe's for rent, but I did not rent one. A big storm was passing by way to the north, and it looked like it might rain, so I opted to stay in one of the cabins rather than camp in my tent. It was also nice to wash my clothes and take a hot shower.
I also got to sleep in a real bed. That was nice.
A very nice woman paid for my breakfast this morning. She couldn't believe I was headed for San Diego on my bike. I'm avoiding all the regular chain restaurants like Burger King or McDonalds, opting for local establishments. The food has been great, but I don't think I'm losing any weight!
I ended up camping at the Ichetucknee Campground, next to a large park with a couple of springs. This seems to be very popular around here, and there are a lot of places where people dive into these springs, where there are underwater caves full of cool, clear water. I took a nice hike, and there were canoe's for rent, but I did not rent one. A big storm was passing by way to the north, and it looked like it might rain, so I opted to stay in one of the cabins rather than camp in my tent. It was also nice to wash my clothes and take a hot shower.
I also got to sleep in a real bed. That was nice.
Tuesday, Feb. 5, 2008
Melrose, Florida to Gainsville, Florida - 50 miles, warm with partly cloudy skys.
Just outside of Melrose, I went to the small town of Hawthorne. There's a great "rail-to-trail" bike path from Hawthorne to Gainsville, about 20 miles. There were a lot of people out enjoying the nice weather, and I can highly recommend this bike trail. The grade was easy, and there was very little cross traffic. It was really beautiful.
In Gainsville, I stopped at Mr. Goodbike to work on my bike. The first order of business was to get the trailer hitch off of my rear axle and put it on the frame. It seems that the rear tire is being pulled out of alignment by the weight of the trailer. I went to Lowe's Home Improvement to get the parts I needed, and with the help of the guys at Mr. Goodbike, was able to rig up the new attachment. It seems to be working great now. I replaced the blown-out rear brake, and adjusted the front brakes.
I also had a great sub sandwich at Big Lou's in Gainsville. It's a great town, and would love to stay for a while, but I need to get back on road.
About 10 miles outside of Gainsville, it was starting to get dark, so I was looking for a place to camp for the night. A car pulled up with a bike rack on top, so I asked the driver if she knew of a place I could camp for the night. She thought that her friend's dad wouldn't mind if I camped in their yard, so I turned up a dirt road and went about 1/4 mile or so. Turns out that Steve had his own racquetball court that he built on his property about 15 years ago, and he plays racquetball 3 times a week with several friends nearby. I enjoyed playing a game with Steve, Lee, and Elijah! Who would have ever guessed that I'd get a chance to play racquetball on this trip!
Here's my tent in Steve's yard:
Just outside of Melrose, I went to the small town of Hawthorne. There's a great "rail-to-trail" bike path from Hawthorne to Gainsville, about 20 miles. There were a lot of people out enjoying the nice weather, and I can highly recommend this bike trail. The grade was easy, and there was very little cross traffic. It was really beautiful.
In Gainsville, I stopped at Mr. Goodbike to work on my bike. The first order of business was to get the trailer hitch off of my rear axle and put it on the frame. It seems that the rear tire is being pulled out of alignment by the weight of the trailer. I went to Lowe's Home Improvement to get the parts I needed, and with the help of the guys at Mr. Goodbike, was able to rig up the new attachment. It seems to be working great now. I replaced the blown-out rear brake, and adjusted the front brakes.
I also had a great sub sandwich at Big Lou's in Gainsville. It's a great town, and would love to stay for a while, but I need to get back on road.
About 10 miles outside of Gainsville, it was starting to get dark, so I was looking for a place to camp for the night. A car pulled up with a bike rack on top, so I asked the driver if she knew of a place I could camp for the night. She thought that her friend's dad wouldn't mind if I camped in their yard, so I turned up a dirt road and went about 1/4 mile or so. Turns out that Steve had his own racquetball court that he built on his property about 15 years ago, and he plays racquetball 3 times a week with several friends nearby. I enjoyed playing a game with Steve, Lee, and Elijah! Who would have ever guessed that I'd get a chance to play racquetball on this trip!
Here's my tent in Steve's yard:
Monday, Feb. 4, 2008
Palakta, Florida to Melrose, Florida - 31 miles. Hot, maybe 80 degrees.
This was an easy day. I started out mailing about 25 pounds of unnecessary stuff back to Oregon, and what a difference it makes pulling the trailer up hills. I still have too much, but can't decide what I can live without!
Melrose was a great little town. I ate pizza at Betty's Pizza, thanks to a recommendation from a couple of Melrose Elementary School students. I camped at the back end of a City Park ... fortunately, it was dark, so if there was a sign that said "NO CAMPING", I couldn't see it!
This was an easy day. I started out mailing about 25 pounds of unnecessary stuff back to Oregon, and what a difference it makes pulling the trailer up hills. I still have too much, but can't decide what I can live without!
Melrose was a great little town. I ate pizza at Betty's Pizza, thanks to a recommendation from a couple of Melrose Elementary School students. I camped at the back end of a City Park ... fortunately, it was dark, so if there was a sign that said "NO CAMPING", I couldn't see it!
Monday, February 4, 2008
Superbowl Sunday, Feb. 3, 2008
Flagger Beach, Florida to Palakta, Florida - 85 miles (way too many!) Warm, close to 80 degrees, just a few clouds in the afternoon.
After a nice breakfast at the Oasis Cafe, I made it to St. Augustine, Florida for the official start of the Southern Tier route. Two bikers from Alaska came in for breakfast. They started their ride in Austin, Texas, and were headed for Key West, Florida, following along parts of the Southern Tier Route.
At about 11:00 am, I dipped my rear tire into the Atlantic Ocean and had a nice woman take my picture. St. Augustine is a very old town, with a lot of nice shops and restaurants, and lots of hotels. It was tempting to stay there for the night, but I wanted to move on.
My bike is working pretty good, although my trailer really pulls at my rear axle, and I've been having a lot of trouble with my rear brake. I need to get into a bike shop, but there isn't a bike shop in this town (can you imagine a town without a bike shop?).
I also had to get rid of a few things, and unloaded close to 25 pounds of unnecessary stuff. Most of it, I shipped back to Oregon. If I need it before I start the hike, I can have it shipped back, but I had way too much in the trailer.
I was wanting a place to watch the Superbowl, but in the town of Hastings, where I was hoping to stop for the night, there were no motels and no place to watch the game, so on I went to the town of Palakta, Florida. My arms are a little sunburnt (not too bad ... I'll get some sunscreen later today), and my tailbone is very sore. I'm planning on making today a light day, 20 miles or so.
I ended up staying at the Budget Inn ... was surprised that it was only $55 to stay there. They had a nice TV, and the bed wasn't too bad. I had a difficult time staying awake during the game, though! Even the commercials couldn't keep me awake!
Well, my 30 minutes are just about up, so I need to get back on the road. I'll edit this post to add photos the next chance I get, so scan back to these pages later.
After a nice breakfast at the Oasis Cafe, I made it to St. Augustine, Florida for the official start of the Southern Tier route. Two bikers from Alaska came in for breakfast. They started their ride in Austin, Texas, and were headed for Key West, Florida, following along parts of the Southern Tier Route.
At about 11:00 am, I dipped my rear tire into the Atlantic Ocean and had a nice woman take my picture. St. Augustine is a very old town, with a lot of nice shops and restaurants, and lots of hotels. It was tempting to stay there for the night, but I wanted to move on.
My bike is working pretty good, although my trailer really pulls at my rear axle, and I've been having a lot of trouble with my rear brake. I need to get into a bike shop, but there isn't a bike shop in this town (can you imagine a town without a bike shop?).
I also had to get rid of a few things, and unloaded close to 25 pounds of unnecessary stuff. Most of it, I shipped back to Oregon. If I need it before I start the hike, I can have it shipped back, but I had way too much in the trailer.
I was wanting a place to watch the Superbowl, but in the town of Hastings, where I was hoping to stop for the night, there were no motels and no place to watch the game, so on I went to the town of Palakta, Florida. My arms are a little sunburnt (not too bad ... I'll get some sunscreen later today), and my tailbone is very sore. I'm planning on making today a light day, 20 miles or so.
I ended up staying at the Budget Inn ... was surprised that it was only $55 to stay there. They had a nice TV, and the bed wasn't too bad. I had a difficult time staying awake during the game, though! Even the commercials couldn't keep me awake!
Well, my 30 minutes are just about up, so I need to get back on the road. I'll edit this post to add photos the next chance I get, so scan back to these pages later.
Saturday, Feb 2, 2008
Daytona Beach, FL to Flagger Beach, FL - 18 miles, Mostly sunny, 75 degrees, some headwinds.
Carter drove me to Daytona Beach from Maitland, Florida. We ate a quick lunch, and then I was finally on the road, for real! I hope Carter remembered to fill up his Mom's car! Thanks again to the Hunt family for everything they did to get me started on my journey! I'm looking forward to being your host in Central Oregon in December!
I didn't want to go too far on my first day on the road, so I stopped in Flagger Beach for dinner at Cafe Cara. A very nice couple, Dan and Sharron Webster, were eating dinner there and they invited me to camp at their home site on the outskirts of town. What a great place. This is the view from my tent!
Carter drove me to Daytona Beach from Maitland, Florida. We ate a quick lunch, and then I was finally on the road, for real! I hope Carter remembered to fill up his Mom's car! Thanks again to the Hunt family for everything they did to get me started on my journey! I'm looking forward to being your host in Central Oregon in December!
I didn't want to go too far on my first day on the road, so I stopped in Flagger Beach for dinner at Cafe Cara. A very nice couple, Dan and Sharron Webster, were eating dinner there and they invited me to camp at their home site on the outskirts of town. What a great place. This is the view from my tent!
I turned in early at about 6:00 pm, and woke up at about 3:30 am, and decided to hit the road ... mostly to beat the traffic (heavy at times yesterday) and also to beat the wind. It was a beautiful morning, and the most un-believable sunrise coming out of the ocean. I bet most people around here never see the sunrise, which is a lot like the sunsets back in Oregon.
I slept too warm, and I wish I had my summer bag rather than my down bag. If the weather turns cold, I'm sure I'll be glad to have the warmer sleeping bag, but for now, every ounce of weight can be felt!
Friday, February 1, 2008
My First Flat Tire
I knew that I'd have plenty of flat tires on this trip,but I didn't expect that the first flat would come during my "test ride."
I'm staying in Orlando with Carter and his wonderful family in their nice home in Maitland, Florida, just outside of Orlando. I spent the morning putting my bike together, then this afternoon, decided to take it on a 10 mile spin, just to see how it was working.
I was riding along on the Cady Trail, a nice 'rail to trail' path near their house, when all the sudden, my front tire exploded. There I was, no repair kit, no spare tube, just me, my bike and my cell phone! After a short wait, a young man with a pick-up truck stopped to see if I needed any help. Damin gave me a ride back to Carter's house with the bike in the back of his truck. How lucky is that? I hope that all my flat tires are so easy to fix.
Tomorrow, Carter is planning on taking me to Daytona Beach, about 50 miles from here, and I'll start my ride towards St. Augustine so I can start the Southern Tier Route. It should be an easy ride up the Florida Coast to St. Augustine. It's been really nice staying here, and Carter's family has been friendly and helpful.
I'm staying in Orlando with Carter and his wonderful family in their nice home in Maitland, Florida, just outside of Orlando. I spent the morning putting my bike together, then this afternoon, decided to take it on a 10 mile spin, just to see how it was working.
I was riding along on the Cady Trail, a nice 'rail to trail' path near their house, when all the sudden, my front tire exploded. There I was, no repair kit, no spare tube, just me, my bike and my cell phone! After a short wait, a young man with a pick-up truck stopped to see if I needed any help. Damin gave me a ride back to Carter's house with the bike in the back of his truck. How lucky is that? I hope that all my flat tires are so easy to fix.
Tomorrow, Carter is planning on taking me to Daytona Beach, about 50 miles from here, and I'll start my ride towards St. Augustine so I can start the Southern Tier Route. It should be an easy ride up the Florida Coast to St. Augustine. It's been really nice staying here, and Carter's family has been friendly and helpful.
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