Mission Accomplished

More later.....

..... And by "later" I intended for it to be just hours later, but as I find myself spending Sunday night/Monday morning in Toronto airport I guess this is as good a time as any to complete the story.

It was an early start to the day as the slower riders left the hotel about 6:30 AM. The speedier ones got away about 7, and for the first time on the entire trip we had everyone at the 20-mile SAG stop at the same time! While we had a bit of a schedule to adhere to, everyone was in a bit of a celebratory mood and took the opportunity to alter their riding pace and/or partners. The rain pretty much held off until we reached the fire station at 40 miles. We were there in lots of time and took the opportunity to climb on the fire trucks and take lots of group pictures, including the one below of the 8 ladies who rode EFI (every fabulous inch). Our police escorts arrived around 10:30 AM, and with them the rain started in earnest. With one car in front and one behind, lights and sirens going, we rode in pairs for the final six miles to the ocean. I have to admit that when I had read about this finale I had thought it was a bit hokey. But, it was amazing! Traffic along the entire route came to a standstill and people came out of buildings to wave and cheer us on. The fact that we had travelled from coast to coast, under our own steam, on this hunk of steel and rubber, was finally sinking in.

In a way it was a fitting end to our trip. It had rained when we dipped our wheels into the Pacific back on March 8th. It rained off and on for the first two days. And then - no rain again until today. Not too many people lingered at the beach and certainly no one went swimming. We had a picnic lunch in a shelter at the end of the road and then rode 3 miles further to our final hotel in what was by now an absolute downpour. I was having trouble keeping my contacts from floating out of my eyes! St. Augustine ended up receiving 8.5 inches of rain by Friday morning, and one of the roads we had ridden in on received over a foot by Friday morning - yuck!

The trip ended Thursday evening with a final banquet and a final opportunity to visit and say our good-byes. By Friday morning everyone was going their own way. I was off to Orlando to visit a friend for a few days and take the obligatory trip to Disney World, which was a lot of fun!

Gittin' 'er Done

It wasn't a terribly scenic day today. The weather was overcast and threatening rain, but the wet stuff never did materialize. The roads seemed a bit busier today and logging trucks (and their debris) re-appeared for portions of the ride. Lunch was at a Subway in Keystone Heights. Treat was at a DQ in Palatka. Highlight of the SAG stops was chocolate chip cookies made and delivered by Ann's twin daughters from Gainesville last night. Linda outdid herself with appetizers and dinner tonight - yum, yum! Keith (a self-supported touring cyclist from England who we have been crossing paths with since the early days) delivered about 6 bottles of wine - carried on his bike for most of today. May's sister sent a box of delicious chocolates that were shared with all. Did I mention that my spandex is still expanding??

Stats for the day: 73 miles from High Springs FL to Palatka FL. 1500 feet of climbing.

Tomorrow is our final day of riding!!! It will be an early morning so that everyone can get in 40 miles before 10:30. We will muster at a Fire Station and then have a police escort for the final 6 miles to the Atlantic Ocean. Woohoo!!

Friends and relatives are starting to appear to cheer our riders on the final leg of the journey. We had a special surprise today when Bell (a rider who separated her shoulder on day one of the trip and had to return home) was waiting for us at the hotel this afternoon. Some of us, like myself, have no friends :(

BTW - really not much to take pictures of today. The first picture below is of a tree beside our hotel parking lot. It is a good example of the Spanish Moss that covers many of the trees in this area, particularly the Live Oak trees. The second picture is of our collective gluttony.

Over 3000 Miles and Counting

We passed one significant milestone today - 3000 miles since San Diego. Tomorrow my GPS will turn over 5000 km. Wow! That's about three full seasons for me. The highlight of the day today was the lovely wildflowers that we passed for much of the ride. We crossed the Suwanee River and bopped in to Branford for lunch (yummy chocolate shake and a sandwich). Then on to Ichetucknee Springs State Park where we saw the lovely blue waters of the Ichetucknee Spring and met two Canadian snorkelers at the BlueHole Spring.

Our riding today was again on good shoulders, although there was more debris from logging trucks and more truck traffic than our previous few days. We passed through forests (in various stages of logging and replanting) and farmlands and not very much in the way of civilization. We're staying in the small town of High Springs tonight - spread between two mom&pop motels.

Stats for the day: 77 miles from Perry FL to High Springs FL. 900 feet climbed. 1 flat tire (that's either 8 or 9 for the trip). 1 birthday dinner for Wendy - a retired Oakland police officer.

Flatsville Florida

Well, we finally had a really really flat day in Florida. 53 miles from Crawfordville FL to Perry FL and just 243 feet of uphill. Didn't really have any turns either. Stayed on Highway 98 the whole day. It was lovely - wide, smooth, clean shoulders. Not much traffic. Wind not an issue. Temps were in the low 20sC and mix of sun & cloud. What wasn't to like? We rode mostly through mixed forests with some swampy ditches, but I didn't see any alligators although rumour has it that one of our riders did. We crossed the Wakulla River, downstream from where we took the boat tour 2 days ago. First picture below is the Wakulla River. Next picture is the St. Mark's River just a few miles later. The third picture was taken in the town of Perry. A few people had bike issues today but their resourcefulness has kept them out of the van. Three days to go!

Alligators and Turtles

The highlight of today's ride was a side trip to Edward Ball Wakulla Springs State Park. It was just a few miles out of our way and well worth the extra pedal strokes. First up - food, of course. Five of us sat down for a real meal in the elegant 1937 Wakulla Springs Lodge. The food was so-so, but top marks for ambiance. Then it was time for a 40-minute boat tour of the spring-fed lake and river. The lake looks like a very popular family destination. Hundreds of kids in the water, on the beach and on various platforms jumping into the water. We saw alligators, tons of turtles, birds, fish, etc. Apparently this is where the movie Tarzan was filmed. Then back to the snack bar (with one of the world's longest marble counters) for ice cream. Finally, back on the bikes to complete our route for the day.

There were lots of long sweeping hills coming out of Quincy to start the day. The roads are still great - nice wide, smooth shoulders. Lovely tall pine forests with small palm-like bushes for undergrowth. The combination made for vary airy forest views. I re-joined the "pack" for parts of today's ride and while that certainly makes for a quick trip, I don't see nearly as much as I'm busy looking at the wheel and butt in front of me.

Our trip today was 58 miles from Quincy FL to Crawfordville FL. 1400 feet of climbing. We're actually staying a few miles south of Crawfordville so it will be a quiet rest day tomorrow with not much to do. Then just 4 more days of cycling and we should be dipping our wheels in the Atlantic Ocean!

Speakin' Southern

It's amazing how bright sunshine first thing in the morning (and continuing all day) just makes everything look that much better! We rode today on a bit more of US90 but mostly on quieter and prettier backroads. Lots of farmland and forests, horses and cows (and, yes, a few dogs but their hearts weren't really into the chase). We're still in "Florida ain't flat" terrain. We crossed the Apalachicola River (picture below) into Chattahoochee (do I sound "southern" yet?) and finally into the Eastern Time Zone. The temperature got up to 33C but thankfully it wasn't humid nor was it a long day so I got in before It got even warmer. We're staying just outside of Quincy tonight. The last photo below is one of the old classic buildings in town.

Stats today: 56 miles and 2500 feet of climbing. We started in Marianna FL and finished in Quincy FL.

90 on 90

Today's ride was called "90 on 90". Not many turns - ride a few miles to get from the hotel in Crestview FL to the US90 highway, ride 90 miles east, get off and ride a few miles to tonight's hotel in Marianna FL. It wasn't too bad as far as highway riding goes. US90 parallels I-10 so most of the traffic is on the interstate. The shoulder was wide and smooth, so no complaints there either. The scenery was - lacking. We are well away from the coast now and won't see another ocean view until we ride into St. Augustine. We rode through a number of small towns which provided momentary diversions. We did go in to the town of DeFuniak Springs for a ride around the beautiful spring-fed DeFuniak Lake which is surrounded by parkland and many stately, historic homes and other buildings. The wind was not our enemy today so the ride went by rather uneventfully (except for the rescue of a baby goat trapped in a fence by our retired fire fighter). We had a lovely lunch in a jewellery store & cafe in the the town of Chipley followed by a visit to a DQ once in our destination town. Continuing with yesterday's "Florida ain't flat" theme, we climbed (and lost) about 2500 feet. No more 90 mile days...... woo hoo!!

Left Right Left Right

Another one of those days where we had to pay attention to the cue sheet. About 30 instructions to travel 67 miles from Pensacola FL to Crestview FL. It was also a day of extremes. The first 25 miles was spent getting out of Pensacola and then travelling through continuous civilization. We went from some pretty downtrodden neighbourhoods in Pensacola to some very upscale housing in the outlying suburbs. We even saw one gaudy yard littered with golden statues and two gold & white Rolls Royces in the driveway. We enjoyed a brief stretch along the waterfront but the fog limited our view. From continuous civilization we moved to a 6.5 mile stretch on the Blackwater Rail Trail and from there to 15 miles of "Deliverance" countryside. Unlike most days where I ride on my own but frequently meet up with others, I barely saw anyone else today. Even our SAG driver got lost and I didn't see her. Not to worry, though. It was a good ride; dare I say even a bit of tailwind. Oh - and if you think Florida is entirely flat, it ain't. Over 2000 feet of climbing today. Temps were from about 20C to 30C with a bit of humidity. A bit of sunshine and a bit of cloud.

Only one picture today - taken on the rail trail.

Final State - Florida!!

I can't believe we're in our final state! We had a rest day yesterday in Dauphin Island AL. Dolly and I decided to exercise our walking muscles (if we could find them). We walked all over the island and logged about 10 miles. The highlight of our day was watching a turtle lay her eggs and then cover them up with sand. Definitely a "Discovery Channel" moment.

This morning we started with a 40-minute ferry ride from Dauphin Island to Fort Morgan AL. Although we rode into a headwind all day, it was a great ride. We rode by beautiful beach homes which gradually morphed into rather ritzy-looking condo developments. The roads were terrific. Nice wide & smooth shoulders. Lovely white sand beaches and dunes with the Gulf Coast constantly on our right-hand side. We're staying in a funky little Art Deco hotel in downtown Pensacola tonight. After a 58 mile day we had our last margarita party in the parking lot tonight.

Sheila - the last picture is for you. Pleasant Grove FL......

On to Alabama!

A fairly short day today on our way to yet another margarita party celebrating crossing yet another state border. We're in Alabama now and spending a rest day at the lovely Dauphin Island Beach Club. We wound our way south and east from Moss Point MS to Dauphin Island AL. Into an easterly headwind of course. We had a number of big bridges to cross (including a 3.5 mile long bridge over to Dauphin Island) and in between we often had long stretches of fresh pavement - so nice! Seems that the Alabama way to finish their roads is to fill the shoulder with rumble strips and then put a row of reflector blocks just inside the white line. It kind of forces us a few feet out into the lane, which isn't the safest situation to ride in.

It was another great day, though. Temps between 18C and 25C with really no humidity. 44 miles with the only significant elevation changes being on the bridges. Lots of pelicans flying about. Seafood a plenty in the restaurants and stores. Beautiful white sand beaches. Lots of natural gas rigs on both the Mobile Bay and Gulf of Mexico sides, which light up nicely off-shore at night. We're all in condos for the next 2 nights. About 4 per condo. Looks like a great place to spend a rest day.

One of My Favourite Days

Wow - what a beautiful day! Clear skies and bright sunshine have returned, the humidity is gone and (most of) the dogs took the day off. Our general direction of travel today was southeast as we headed for the Gulf Coast. We spent most of the day on beautiful, quiet, smooth roads with much of the journey in the tall pine forests of De Soto National Forest. Early in the day the word "bucolic" came to mind, as we travelled through horse farm country that could have been mistaken for Kentucky. Towards the end of the day we rode with some part of the coast in view as we traversed three significant bridges and cycled past a large ship-building facility. The worst part of the day was the last bridge, just a few miles from our destination, where an expansion joint caused about 8 flat tires. Somehow I managed to escape unscathed.

Stats for the day: 73 miles and 2100 feet climbed from Wiggins MS to Moss Point MS.

M-I-S-S-I-S-S-I-P-P-I

Have I been complaining about the heat & humidity? Not today! We had a thunderstorm overnight that removed all the "H" factors (heat, humidity & headwinds). We started out at about 10C and went down from there. The good news was that most of the rain happened overnight; just a sprinkle on our bikes today. We cycled on a grid series of turns that took us north and mostly east. The wind was from the NW so we had quite a bit of tailwind - finally!

Less than 5 miles into our ride this morning we crossed into the state of Mississippi. Most of the rest of the day was spent on quiet back roads. Quiet, that is, except for the barking of dogs! I would guess we passed at least 50 of them and probably half that number were loose to run at us. For the other half I was already in heart failure before determining that there actually was a fence without a secret exit. In one instance alone there were about 8 of them coming at us from all directions - ugh!! I've never been a dog lover and this week has done nothing to soften me up at all. Not much else to report - a mix of rural properties, farms and undeveloped lands. Some good roads, some bad. Temp between 5C and 10C.

Other stats for the day: 62 miles from Bogalusa LA to Wiggins MS. 2700 feet of climbing on gentle rolling hills. Very little roadkill. One missed turn. 28 women shocked at the thought of me wearing shorts and short-sleeved jersey. They have taken to calling me "Canada".

Bogalusa

Yes, that really is the name of the little town that we're staying in tonight. The big industry used to be the paper mill but we've been told by the locals that it is better known today for its meth problems. I don't think I'll go out wandering after dark.

I only had a few dogs give chase today and the one that got closest was a dachshund. Thankfully his little legs couldn't move fast enough and my ankles were never in danger.

It was a pretty ride today from Hammond LA to Bogalusa LA. Sixty miles and 1500 feet climbed. Some headwind and some (occasional) tailwind. Temps in the low 20sC and overcast. I started out the day with my 7th flat tire of the trip. Apparently I ran over some truck tire debris yesterday and had a small wire puncturing my tire & tube. That left me last out of the parking lot and it took me almost 30 miles to catch up with the front-runners.

No stunning scenery, just the usual rural stuff from mobile homes to country estates to horse and cattle farms to undeveloped wilderness. We've moved north of the coast to a little bit higher elevation so no more flooded fields. A pleasant ride with a bakery stop for lunch and ice cream at the end of the day. Oink, oink!!