MISSION ACCOMPLISHED - ARRIVED IN ST. AUGUSTINE (I did it!!)

ARRIVED SAFELY IN ST. AUGUSTINE this morning around 11am.   It was a 40 mile ride  under cool and fast conditions.   At 40 miles we were joined by the St. Augustine police who escorted us 6 miles  to the beach where we dipped our front tires into the Atlantic Ocean.  A ritual with Womantours and also other bicycle touring groups.   Friends and families were waiting there with signs and hugs as we arrived.   We had a picnic at the beach and this evening  a final banquet for the riders.  It was an adventure with many highs and very few lows.  Re-entry into the real world tomorrow.

High Springs to Palatka, Florida (75 miles) - ONE MORE DAY!!!

Today was a 75 mile day, beautiful weather and great road conditions for cycling in Florida.  It was my last day as a SAG driver.  The ladies kept reminding me it was my last SAG stop.  At first it didn´t bother me, but by late afternoon reality hit!!  This was my last SAG stop.   Tomorrow I will be cycling into St. Augustine (47 miles) and dip my front wheel into the Atlantic Ocean.  Unbelievable!!  In the photo are three of the four SAGS!!  (Left to right:  Karen Cooper, ME, and AMY Derwinski)

PERRY TO HIGH SPRINGS, FLORIDA (76 MILES)

Today was another beautiful day cycling in Florida.  The terrain was flat and the temperatures perfect.  We stopped and dipped our feet into an emerald green lake in Ichetucknee State Park. (photo)  The water was crystal clear and you could see all the way to the bottom. What a treat for my HOT feet.   Two more days until we reach St. Augustine.  WOW!!!

WAKULLA SPRINGS TO PERRY FLORIDA ( 51 miles)

Beautiful day to ride.   Florida highways were smooth and the terrain flat.  Everyone got into the hotel in record times.   Some were cycling  15 to 18 MPH average speed, including yours truly.  Only three more cycling days left:  High Springs (76 miles), Palatka (73 miles), and St. Augustine, Florida only 47 miles.  It is hard to believe sometimes that this journey is coming to an end.  Photo of one of our cyclists stretching on the side of the road.

QUINCY TO WAKULLA SPRINGS, FLORIDA

Very short day, only 40 miles to Wakulla Springs, Florida and a day off. The ride was short and we seemed to be ahead of the rain all morning. It sprinkled a little, but we made it to the hotel in time. Wakulla Springs Lodge is located in a state park and wildlife sanctuary quietly hidden in the Spanish moss-draped Florida woodlands, 30 minutes from Tallahassee. The lodge offers a boat tour on the Wakulla River. I took the three mile river boat tour that lasted a little over an hour. We were able to see and photograph alligators, native birds, turtles and other wildlife up close. Some of the women were planning on a kayak trip this morning, but it was raining when we got up, and they canceled. I had not planned on entering the water, either swimming or kayaking. Every creature we saw on the boat tour yesterday is in that water. It shocks me that they allow swimming in the same area as the alligators and snakes, and there is no separation except for a roped off area. The ranger said that no one has been bitten by an alligator in six years However, one of our cyclists went down to the beach this afternoon to take some photos and as she turned to come back, she was confronted by an alligator only 6 feet away.  In the photo you can see three turtles and an alligator sharing the same log.... at least until the alligator gets hungry.

Marianna to Quincy FLORIDA

Today we cycled out of Marianna to Quincy, Florida (55 miles).   Marianna is a small town that has a junior college called CHIPOLA.   Chipola is where my son Tony went to school, in 1977, for two years on a baseball scholarship.   It is a town with all the usual fast food restaurants and strip malls.   The thing that surprised me the most was the fact that there were no bicycle lanes, and it´s a college town.   It was very difficult getting to our hotel on the busy city streets.  Quincy, Florida is also a small southern town with HUGE southern mansions.   We stopped and had lunch at Miss Helen´s restaurant. The owner told us that these millionaires made their money on Coca Cola stock.  As the story goes, many of the residents were offered stock options when the plant opened here many years ago.   The ones that bought the stock are now the millionaries living in the BIG WHITE MANSIONS.

EVERYBODY LOVES THE SAG DRIVER

Today was my turn as a SAG driver.   As I sat in the car waiting for the cyclists to pass by, I thought long and hard about the duties & responsibilities of a SAG driver.  The primary duty is to  provide water and snacks every 20 miles to the cyclists.  Some SAG days are longer than others, today I had 94 mile day with 4 SAG stops, and at each stop each rider had to be logged ¨ in and out¨ to make sure everyone passed by safely.  There are three types of cyclists in our group:   FAST, AVERAGE SPEED, and SLOW.   But, something else came to mind, the emotional support.    And the amazing part of this whole scenario is the fact that they are all happy to see the SAG car and driver.  And, we drivers are happy to see the cyclist.  It is similar to waiting and watching for your lover to come home.  It´s a love affair between cyclists and SAG, that  most people will never understand  unless they´ve been out on the road for days touring.  It is a show of love and compassion like no other..........  (photo of Sag Sistaś Amy, Shelley and Karen)

SEVEN MORE DAYS OF CYCLING -

Today I cycled from Pensacola to Crestview, Florida.   Total of 70 miles.  The morning was cool, but afternoon was hot and hilly.  Yes, hills in Florida.  We were out in the country somewhere, --even the driveway into the Hampton Inn had a hill, --we couldn´t believe it.  The photo is of a  RED dirt country road.  Not much else to photograph.   Also  got to ride on a 8 mile paved bike trail.  That was relaxing after being in traffic for 2,000 miles. We even sat on the side of the bike path and ate our lunch.  NICE!!!

QUOTE:"It is by riding a bicycle that you learn the contours of a country best, since you have to sweat up the hills and coast down them. Thus you remember them as they actually are, while in a motor car only a high hill impresses you, and you have no such accurate remembrance of country you have driven through as you gain by riding a bicycle." ~Ernest Hemingway

The Last State - FLORIDA

Crossed over into Florida this afternoon after taking the ferry from Dauphin Island, Alabama, then cycling 60 miles.  Great day for cycling and conditions were perfect.  Went into the ¨visitors center¨ upon crossing the border and met a wonderful lady who was helpful, friendly and amazed at the journey we have been on for the past two months.  I want to thank her for her kind hospitality and words of encouragement.  The people we have met on this journey are something I will never forget.  From California to Florida it has been one random act of kindness after another.  This is a great country and day after day on this trip I´ve found out how true southern  hospitality really works.  Not one person has ever been too busy to answer our questions or offer a helping hand.  My faith in humanity has totally been restored..

Rest Day on Dauphin Island, Alabama

Our condo is on the beach at Dauphin Island, Alabama.  Very nicely furnished with a short walk to the Gulf of Mexico.   Also has two swimming pools, one heated and one not heated.  Walked on the beach this morning and had breakfast at a restaurant on the local golf course.  I am not someone who enjoys swimming in the ocean, so it was not tempting to go for a swim.

Crossed the Border into ALABAMA this Afternoon

Crossed the border into Alabama this afternoon.  It was a beautiful ride, short and flat.   We did cross over a long arched bridge from the mainland to Dauphin Island which is on the Gulf of Mexico. In the photo, you can see in the distance,the arch in the bridge.  One of the ladies I was riding with got a flat on the other side of the arch. Tomorrow is a rest day and what a beautiful place to rest.  Our condo is located on the beach with two swimming pools. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh.

Last Night in Mississippi

Drove the SAG car today.   The women did 67 miles through quiet rural roads of southern Mississippi.   Nothing much happening en route until they crossed the bridge/bridges into  Pascagoula. Pascagoula, the “Singing River” city beside the Gulf of Mexico has a deep and rich history as a European settlement that goes back over 300 years. Her name is taken from a band of peaceful Native Americans (Pascagoula means “bread eaters”) who inhabited the area when Hemando De Soto first made contact with them in the 1540’s. Tragically, these noble people are now extinct having drowned themselves chanting as they waded into the deepening river waters rather than enslave themselves to their enemy, the fierce Biloxi. Thus, the legend of the “Singing River” was born.  We celebrated our arrival in Pascagoula by having a Margarita party this evening.

Crossed into Wiggins, Mississippi Today (60 miles)

Photo shows breakfast this morning in Louisiana.   We have a chef that travels with us and cooks our meals.  Most of the time breakfast is in the hotel, but this hotel did not offer it so we ate outside. Everyone was excited about crossing yet another border into Mississippi.  The terrain was rolling hills and rough road surfaces.  The heat was also a factor, in the low 90´s someone said?   It felt like it. 

Hammond to Bogalusa, Louisiana (Last Day in LA)

Short ride day today, only 55 miles. Much welcomed relief after 87 miles yesterday.   It was a beautiful day again, cool in the morning and HOT by afternoon.   The azaleas are in full bloom here in Louisiana.  (photo) The dogs were out again in full force.  Had several incidents, but everyone got away from the territorial dogs.  Must mention the cajun cuisine.   We are all enjoying great lunches of catfish, crawfish, and poboys.  Tomorrow we will be crossing the border into Mississippi.  Second photo is of two women I ride with most of the time. Two more weeks and I will be in St. Augustine.

St.Francisville to Hammond, Louisiana

We took off  at the crack of dawn this morning because we had 87 LONG miles to do.  (This photo was of the group that stayed at the INN)  It was a long day.   However, the roads were good and the weather was cool in the morning, but quite warm by late afternoon.   We got into our hotel around 4:15pm.  I did not take any photos today because we were mostly on country roads with not much to photograph.   The big excitement for me was having a dog jump out of a ditch while I was passing him on my bike and almost bite my ankle.  I screamed and yelled scaring him away.   It amazes me that I did not fall of the bike and become dog food.  Dogs have been a BIG problem for us.  Every day someone experiences a situation like mine where a dog is trying to attack a cyclist.  NO leash laws out in the middle of no where, I guess??

St.Francisville Inn

Had a yoga class in the courtyard of the INN this morning.   Felt good to stretch and unwind.  Good karma.

LAKE CHARLES, LAFAYETTE AND ST.FRANCISVILLE, LOUISIANA

Photo of the bayou as we entered Louisiana.  I was so excited to be out of Texas.  There is a big difference in the roads and the drivers.  In a positive way.  Have not had internet service or I´ve been too tired to post information on my BLOG.  Went to Cajun restaurant and bar in Lafayette, Louisiana and had a blast.  Ate craw fish and gumbo soup.   The bar had a cajun band and we danced to the upbeat cajun music after cycling 80 miles that day.  It was so much fun.  However, we were still back at our hotel by 9:00pm and back out on the road again the next mornning.  Today is our day off in St Francisville, LA.  We are staying at a beautiful old plantation house.  A married couple just checked in and they are also cycling from San Diego.  They said that they have been following us for a week and everywhere they go they´ve heard about us.  (Didn´t say if it was good or bad??)

HOORAY OUT OF TEXAS TODAY!!!!

Stayed in Silisbee, Texas last night and had Miss Kitty (how appropriate),as our hostess at the hotel.  She told us she was a X Las Vegas showgirl(40 yrs. ago) turned hotel clerk.  She was a riot, --had us all laughing most of the night and also this morning.  The hotel was a minus one star and not somewhere you would want to revisit, except to say HI to Miss Kitty.  Cycled over 60 miles yesterday and 75 today into Lake Charles, Louisiana.   Photos of Miss Kitty and crossing the border into LA.   We had our usual Margarita party celebrating exiting and entering another state.  Feels good to be out of Texas and cycling on roads in LA that do not have ¨chip seal¨.

Cleveland, Texas (SAG DAY)

Today was a 75 mile day and my day to drive the SAG.   This was the first day that I wished I was cycling instead of driving the car.   Conditions were perfect, -----not too many hills, great road conditions and perfect temperatures.  The route went through Sam Houston State Park with mile after mile of pine trees.  Almost felt like I was home in Pennsylvania.  Beginning to see the many  logging trucks we were warned about.  No bad reports except one.  A truck came too close to the cyclists and honked his horn almost scaring them off the bike.  The others were  very courteous.

La Grange to Navasota, Texas (70miles) & a Rest Day

The first photo was taken on the morning we left for Navasota.   A women from LaGrange, who our cyclists met the day before cycling, invited us all to stop by her ranch in the morning for coffee.  It was a beautiful ranch with horses and cows & green pastures.  She had a table set-up in the driveway.  Southern hospitality at it's finest.  The second photo is ME, in a field of bluebonnets.  Today was a day of rest.  Actually read some of the book I brought with me.  Tomorrow is my turn to SAG.

LaGrange, Texas (almost out of Texas)

Great ride today from Bastrop to LaGrange Texas.   Did 45 miles of country roads and rolling, short steep climbs.  The wild flowers were in bloom and literally lit up the countryside.  Got to take some photos of the wild flowers and a bull/cow??  Four more days and we will be out of Texas.  It´s been a long haul and difficult cycling on these roads that are paved with CHIP SEAL.

Blanco to Bastrop, Texas

No photos today.   Today was the worst day ever.   The traffic was horrible,the road conditions were awful, (no berm) lots of twists and turns, and the drivers were nasty and mean.  We have never had problems with Texas drivers  until today.  There was no berm on most of the roads so we had to cycle in traffic which ticked everybody off.  Today was a 93 mile day.  I ended up sagging for 15 miles because conditions were so bad.   I actually thought I was going to get hit by one of the trucks or speeding cars.  Glad this day is over with.

BLANCO, TEXAS - HOT, HOT, HOT and GETTING HOTTER!!

My turn to drive the SAG wagon today.   Got to rest my legs another day.   The ladies did 65 miles and by afternoon it was blazing hot.  No cloud cover, and not many trees lining the streets and roads.  Two people chose not to ride today for medical reasons.   Everyone else finished.  Tomorrow is 93 miles, so it will be a another long, challenging day on the road.  Photo #1 entrance gate to one of the BIG ranches.  Photo #2 General store on the main street in the town of Waring, Texas.  Population 5-10 maybe??

Rest Day in Kerrville, Texas

Rest day in Kerrville, Texas.   My friend Becky from Tyler, Texas joined us last night for dinner at our hotel, and today showed us around town.  Went to Fredricksburg to visit the Texas wild flower farm.  It was a nature at it´s finest. Enjoyed seeing the Texas state flower (bluebonnet) in bloom. Had lunch and walked through the shops of Fredricksburg.  Photo #1 are people celebrating the Easter
holiday.   Photo#2  - Becky and I at the wild flower farm. Photo#3 the Bluebonnet.