Life On A B-I7

Day 50

New Roads Louisiana to Jackson Louisiana

Morning

Last night at the restaurant where I was eating, I met a very nice couple. We talked throughout our dinner. We chatted about the trip and the local area. A bit of history and a good bit of information about the Mississippi River. When I showed them the map of my route for today they explained that I was going to miss a really beautiful town and some very old plantation mansions. They gave me directions so that I could take in those sights. It will get me to Jackson without adding more than 10 miles, probably less. The people here are wonderful. I’m having an amazing time.

End of the day

I took a leisurely approach today. I added a side-trip to St. Francisville and had cheesecake and coffee at the Magnolia Cafe. The weather was all most perfect. By mid-afternoon it felt like 60 degrees. The sun was out and the sky was a perfect blue. The road was smooth, still no shoulder, but I’m becoming used to that. I stopped at the Oakley Plantation for a visit. That is where John James Audubon lived for four months and painted 32 of the birds in his “American Birds” series. The plantation itself was the seat of money and power in Eastern Louisiana for 50 years. The museum at the plantation holds all 32 lithographs created from Audubon’s original drawings. His originals were all done with pencil and crayon.

I’m spending the night at Perry’s Bike Hostel about 5 miles outside of the town of Jackson. I can’t say enough nice things about this place. If you are a cyclist passing through this area, you really should make it a point to overnight here.

Miles: 34

Today was an almost perfect cycling day.

Day 51

Jackson Louisiana to Franklinton Louisiana

I’m now in what I am referring to as the “Hill Country” of Louisiana. I don’t think that’s how people here refer to it, but it seems an apt description. Once you cross the Mississippi River heading East the landscape changes dramatically. On the West side it is flat flood plain, with levees to hold back the river. On the East side the terrain slopes higher and forms a natural flood barrier. The West side has rolling hills, not like Texas, but enough to have you shifting gears again. Of course, I’m describing the landscape where I am right now, I don’t know if that holds true in general up and down the Mississippi.

Today started late. I forgot that I was facing a shorter day due to the end of Daylight Saving Time. I should have gotten on the road around 6:30, instead I dallied for almost two hours. Most of it was time well spent. I ended up talking to my host at Perry’s Bike Hostel for about an hour. She is a very entertaining person, avid cyclist, and cycle techie. She has been hosting at her Hostel for 20 years and she has seen a lot of cyclists come and go. If I remember correctly, she said she sees about 500 cyclists there every year. She shared some amazing stories with me and I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to meet and chat with her.

As a result of my late start, I didn’t get to my destination until after dark. I don’t like cycling after dark. I wouldn’t call it scary, but the term “white knuckle” probably is a good descriptor. I did finally find my motel for the night, after riding past it. You have to treat Google Maps with caution. It can lead you astray in subtle ways that can catch you off-guard. This place is a great value, the best price on a motel so far and the best hot shower so far. I was particularly happy about the shower, since it is the first truly hot shower I have had in three days.

Miles: 74

My kingdom for a hot shower at the end of 74 miles. Early start tomorrow.

Day 52

Franklinton Louisiana to Poplarville Mississippi

I’m pretty sure there is no such thing as a free lunch, but I found the free breakfast. I got moving early this morning, I didn’t want a repeat of yesterday. My motel was on the outskirts of town, so I headed back into town looking for a breakfast spot. I came to place that looked promising. The sign said “Breakfast, Donuts, Coffee.” I thought breakfast was donuts and coffee, but I figured I’d see what else they had in mind. Sure enough, it was a real breakfast spot plus donuts and coffee. The lady behind the counter was busy and a big guy stepped in to help me. I ordered grits, bacon, eggs, two glazed donuts, orange juice and coffee. He had a very deep voice so he was a bit hard to understand, but I did hear him tell me that he feeds all the cyclists that come through. I looked at him and said something like, “I came to the right place.” As I stood there waiting for someone to take my money (and the big guy staring at me) the busy lady said to me “your all taken care of honey.” That’s when I realized he literally feeds all the cyclists that come through. I shook his hand, sat down, and had the best breakfast I’ve had yet on this tour.

Six pieces of bacon, what looked like 4 eggs scrambled, and a big ladle of grits swimming in something that was probably real butter. When your burning calories you can eat this way. This is my fourth encounter with grits on the tour, and this serving was the best. Butter makes the grits, don’t turn it down. The donuts were excellent as well. The coffee was what you see almost everywhere down here. The brand is Community Coffee. You see so much of it, it has to be the Starbucks of the South. It’s not bad either.

The day I left Austin the weather changed. It started with a storm that night from the North and a huge temperature drop. That was 14 days ago. Today was the first day of warmth I’ve had since then. It felt wonderful. I spent the second have of the route today in cycling shorts and shirt. I’ve been wearing long pants puffy vest and a wind jacket even in the afternoon.

I downloaded “On Writing” by Stephen King and “The Elements of Style” to my Kindle. I’m actually going to have some time today to read. Don’t expect things here to improve dramatically right away. You never know, perhaps some day…

I’m staying in a sweet B&B cottage tonight. I got in at 1:30pm. Early starts are magnificent. I have time to walk around town, find a coffee shop, and relax. That’s where I am now. I’ll be heading back to the cottage soon to spend the afternoon on the front porch. It’s been awhile since I have had a lazy afternoon. I plan to have a few of those when I get to St. Augustine.

Miles: 51

Tomorrow I’m heading to Biloxi to put my feet in the Gulf.

Day 53

Poplarville Mississippi to Biloxi Mississippi

“Climbing is akin to love. It’s hard to explain; we endure pain for the joy that comes with discovering ourselves and the planet.” -Cory Richards

Substitute the word “cycling” for the word “climbing” and this describes how I feel better than I can. I’m not comparing an average joe cyclist with a world class mountain climber. I’m just saying these two groups share a very similar view of their experience, even though those experiences are very different. He also uses semi-colons very well.

If you asked me to give you a pithy quote to describe the joy and meaning of cycling, I would give you the following:

“Ride eat sleep wash rinse repeat.”

My editor (my support team back home that reads these posts daily) has been working very hard to get me to stop over using commas. Perhaps I took that advice too literally when I wrote the quote above. You can’t tell from the way it is written if I ride, eat, and sleep day-in day-out; or if I ride, eat, sleep, and do laundry day-in and day-out. I will leave the insertion of commas in this case up to the reader. Have fun. Hint: I rarely do laundry in the morning.

My host here at the cottage left an assortment of small boxed breakfast cereals on the kitchen counter, as well as a good selection of other items. This morning for breakfast I had two bowls of Fruit Loops with milk, coffee, orange juice, a muffin, and some apple pie. The kind of apple pie that comes in a small box, individual serving size. The best part was probably the Fruit Loops. It reminded me of my Grandmother. She had two miniature poodles and she used to feed them Sugar Smacks as doggie treats. I don’t know what shape their teeth were in, but it was great fun as a small kid to feed that cereal to her little dogs. I remember one day grocery shopping with my Mom and asking her to buy us some Sugar Smacks. She explained to me that there was no way she was going to serve her family dog food. My Mom was ahead of her time. She wouldn’t buy any kind of soft drinks for us and all her dinners were cooked using real food, nothing canned or boxed. I realize now we ate well compared to other kids I knew. At the time I just thought it was strange. For the record, I did have a bowl of Sugar Smacks along with my Fruit Loops this morning. It’s great to be able to eat crap on tour, you can burn it off before lunch.

Dogs can be a real problem when cycling. For some reason they love to chase bicycles. Unlike cars I suppose, they can actually catch them. It must seem like good sport to them. I solved the riddle today about how to handle dogs on the road. When a dog runs out, stop immediately and get off the bike. Present yourself full on to the dog and say “go home,” and phrases like that. I like the phrase “you don’t want to mess with this.” Say it with authority. Usually the dogs will bark a few times then back away sheepishly, trying to preserve some dignity while remaining tough. You’ve won. Walk the bike past there “domain.” That’s would be their driveway or fence line. After that you are home free. I have not had to deal with a truly vicious dog. Hopefully I never will.

So what about shifting? With all the miles I have accumulated over the years commuting to work and pleasure riding, I’m still a shifting novice. By that I mean I look back to see what ring on the rear cassette I’m on. I sometimes even look down to see what ring I’m on in the front. (I know that doesn’t say a lot for my I.Q., but you all know I’m a just a hard working 81.) One thing about riding across the country, you have a lot of time to think about things like this. After much thought and analysis, I have arrived at a solution. I will always start out with the rear cassette on the 5th ring (middle ring). I call this the “zero” position. When I shift “up” on the cassette, I will say to myself “plus 1.” When I shift up again I will say to myself “plus 2.” When I get to plus 3, I know it’s time to shift down to the smaller chain ring in the front. I only have two chain rings in the front, fortunately. If there were three, I would have no idea where I was at any given time. The same applies in reverse when I’m shifting “down.” Down one I say to myself “minus 1.” Down again I say to myself “minus 2.” When I get to minus 3 I better be on the big chain ring in front. The bottom line is this seems to work pretty well. It is really handy at night when even if you look, you can’t see where the chain is in the front or in the back. It works most of the time for me. I do have lapses. If I get distracted I will forget my “count.” When that happens I have to look down to get reoriented. Not surprisingly this happens a lot. I’m probably the sort of guy that needs to have only one chain ring in front, and something like 14 rings on the real. Keep It Simple Stupid. I believe they call that a “Roloff Hub.”

Quick observation. The number of columns you have holding up your front porch roof is a sign of wealth in this part of the country. Four seems to be the norm for middle class abodes. If a house has nine columns supporting the front porch roof, the owner probably has a large and well diversified investment portfolio.

Miles: 68

This is my last night in Mississippi. Tomorrow the great state of Alabama.

Day 54

Biloxi Mississippi to Dauphin Island Alabama

I’m sitting on the second floor deck of a B&B on Dauphin Island. I’m just 2,000 yards from Fort Gaines. Fort Gaines was one of the sites where the Battle of Mobile Bay was fought during the Civil War. Admiral James Farragut was reported to have said “damn the torpedos.” In those days a “torpedo” was a mine placed in a harbor or waterway. You might recall this, I had to look that up. The reason I’m sitting on the deck is because there is a storm brewing to the Northwest. There is a magnificent light show and even a bit of thunder. The temperature is dropping and I have a strong suspicion this little island is in for some rain. The bigger question for me is, what will it be doing in the morning?

So this morning in Ocean Springs I got an early start. I arrived at Buzzy’s Breakfast Joint at 6:30am. By 7am it was raining. The weather app said it would stop at 8. That turned out to be true. While I was hanging around waiting for the weather to break, a woman showed up with her service dog in training. He was a pure bred Italian Mastiff. He was just a puppy, but already larger than most full grown dogs. He is a beautiful dog. His owner keeps his drool wiped up regularly so he doesn’t drench you when he says hello. He likes to say hello a lot. We chatted and she gave me some good recommendations on how to get out of town. She also told me about a famous donut shop in Ocean Springs that makes all their donuts using potato flour instead of wheat flower. My itinerary for the morning is now set. I leave at 8am. I breeze through a couple of downtown streets, then head for the “Tato Nut” shop. The Tato Nuts are very good. A bit heavier then donuts made with flour. My three Tato Nuts are roughly equivalent in weight to 2 wheat donuts.

It’s 8:30am now and my early start has turned into another slow start. The flat terrain is my friend though. I make the destination, Dauphin Island, at 3:30pm. That’s not bad for 64 miles. That includes a flat tire and a stop for lunch and a stop to buy water.

I’ve already written about how cool tubeless tires are. Today’s experience reinforces that again. About mile 15 into today’s ride, I looked down and saw that the rear tire was almost flat. You actually feel it first, that’s what causes you to look down. I was right in front of the Gautier Police Station. I pulled into their lot to have a look. I thought I had run out of luck and I was going to have to take the tire off and put a tube in it. When I got off the bike I could hear the hiss of escaping air. The culprit was a staple. I pulled the staple out but I could tell air was still escaping. I pumped the tire up a bit and rode around the parking lot to get sealant into the puncture. I stopped and added more air twice before the leak was staunched. How amazing is that? I rode the rest of the day with no issue. I should add more sealant to the tire since I did loose some when I removed the staple.

I caught up to my old group today about 15 miles outside Dauphin Island. I pulled up to one and we had a nice chat. When she gets to St. Augustine she plans to keep going down the Florida coast all the way to Key West. I told her I thought that was very cool.

You have to take a ferry to get off the island. I suspect the group will be on the 8am ferry. Breakfast here at the B&B is not until 8, so I’ll be on the 9:30 ferry. I may not see any of them again until I get to St. Augustine.

Miles: 64

This little island is now getting rain.

Day 55

Dauphin Island Alabama

Morning

It is windy here on Dauphin Island but the Weather App says it’s not as windy in Pensacola. I hope the ferry is running today despite the wind, otherwise I will have to wait here another day. The only way off the island without taking the ferry is to go back the way I came. To get to Pensacola taking that route would require 104 miles of detour around Mobile Bay. Pensacola is 60 miles from here not including connection to the mainland by ferry. I don’t feel like doing 60 miles today. I’ll probably end up in Gulf Shores or Perdido Key. They are 20 and 40 miles from here once you get off the ferry.

Breakfast at the B&B is at 8. I’m planning to catch the 9:30 ferry.

Breakfast this morning was a pleasure. I ate with two fellow guests here, two sisters visiting friends on the island. They have led very interesting lives and they shared some marvelous stories with me. Since they are Southerners, I took the opportunity to ask them the proper way to eat grits. They explained quite clearly that it is not with sugar. The rule is butter, and sometimes salt and pepper depending on your taste. I was relieved to know that I am doing it correctly.

“I have my own dislikes - I believe that anyone using the phrase “That’s so cool” should have to stand in the corner and that those using the far more odious phrases “at this point in time” and “at the end of the day” should be sent to bed without supper (or writing-paper, for that matter).” - Stephen King

It’s so cool that I’m writing electronically (not using paper) because at this point in time the ferry off the island is not running. I hope at the end of the day it will be running so I can get off the island tomorrow. Guilty as charged. No supper for me tonight.

I spent the day touring Fort Gaines. It is remarkably well preserved and I learned a lot of Civil War history today. It was a pleasant day, but I am looking forward to getting off the island in the morning and continuing my journey. If the ferry is not running in the morning, I have arranged a ride off the island from the house keeper here at the B&B. I am hopeful that the ferry will be running.

Miles: 0

Day of rest.

Day 56

Dauphin Island Alabama to Perdido Key Florida

I caught the first ferry off Dauphin Island at 8am. I’m glad to be moving again. Even though I only accomplished 45 miles today, it felt like more. I wasn’t strong mentally today, too much on my mind. I’m outside Pensacola, planning to make my way into town tomorrow then spend tomorrow night there in a hotel. So I can get to a bike shop first thing Monday morning.

I need a different seat on the bike. The one I put on in Austin is just too uncomfortable. After 40 miles I’m ready to get off the bike. I need a saddle that will allow me to go 60 or 70 or more comfortably. Hopefully I’ll take care of that on Monday.

It will take 10 days to get to St. Augustine from Pensacola. I’m going to try and cut that to 8, but that will depend largely on how the new saddle feels. I’m going to put on a B17. It would take the bike shop a week to get a C17 in stock, so I don’t have a lot of options.

Oh ya, I’m tired even though I’m coming off a day of rest. Tomorrow will be a really short day. Just 20 miles. Monday I’ll have to start kicking it again.

Miles: 45

Didn’t have the wind to make it in to Pensacola.

Day 57

Perdido Key to Pensacola

What exactly are we seeking in life? For most I think the answer to that is happiness. I don’t think happiness can be obtained. It certainly can’t be bought. The accumulation of wealth has never bought happiness. Exactly how are you going about being “happy”? Be honest. Don’t read the next sentence yet, think about it for a moment. For me it’s not about being happy. It’s about finding joy. There is joy to be found in a lot of ways. Take for example my morning. I set up my camp at the ocean last night. I woke up to a cold, wet morning. I crawled out of the tent to sort out my gear and start my day. The act of making coffee on my stove and then sitting down to drink it gave me joy. I mean, enough joy make me sit down and write this paragraph… Drinking my coffee (I will be making another cup) is all the joy I need for the moment, that and the sun starting to warm me up. I know that I will find more today. Getting on the bike always brings me joy. I’m looking forward to getting packed up and back on the road. Am I crazy? Possibly, but it’s a good crazy.

All of that does not suggest that having a little money is not important. It is. Let’s just say, enough to live on, and enough to finance a cycling trip across the United States. Maybe even enough to buy a custom built bike to take on that trip should suffice, as long as there is joy in the mix.

As an aside, I offer this (somewhat related) observation from the Sunday “New York Times”: “Some 49 percent of all journeys to school and work now transpire by bicycle. For Danes, the bicycle acts as a liberator. Weather isn’t an issue: When it snows in Copenhagen, bike lanes are typically plowed first.”

After my two cups of coffee, I rode out of the campground at 10:30am. You can be lazy when you only plan to cover 20 miles that day. My first objective was to find a breakfast spot. I was 10 miles down the road (no breakfast spot encountered) when I stumbled on a brewery tap room and Biergarten. Seemed like the appropriate place for breakfast so I pulled in. The “Blonde Bomber” ale was very tasty. A fellow at the bar asked me about my bike and we chatted for a minute, then he asked me if he could join me for a beer. Of course I agreed and we sat down and chatted for a good bit. He is a Marine F-18 pilot in training. We talked about careers, computers, and adventure cycling. He paid me the ultimate complement (in my book) saying he would be happy to accompany me on an adventure some time if he was able to take a leave. I put that right up there with “Coach” telling me he would have had me play center on his team.

I wonder how Coach is doing now. I ran into one of the other crew members on my way to Dauphin Island. We had a nice chat alongside the road. The group was going to stay on the island the same night I was. I did not see them on the Ferry yesterday, so they must have decided to ride off the island back the way we came and go around Mobile Bay rather than wait a day for the Ferry to start running again. Too bad. I was hoping to see all of them on the crossing. I have a feeling I will run into them in St. Augustine if not sooner.

I’m staying at a boutique motel, the Sole Inn and Suites. Reminds me of the East Austin motel. I love seeing old properties refurbished and put back into good use. Tomorrow morning I’ll be knocking on the bicycle shop door bright and early, then it will be get-out-of-town day.

Miles: 20

Found a good food truck for lunch.

Day 58

Pensacola Florida to Fort Walton Beach Florida

My day started at the bike shop where I was able to get a new B17 saddle. It feels good but I think the damage has been done. I’m bruised from the old saddle so it’s just going to take time to work that out. I did feel better at the end of the day, so that is a win.

Getting out of town I ran into Pensacola’s Veteran’s Day Parade. I hung around for about 45 minutes and watched. It was fun. Pensacola’s High Schools have a huge ROTC contingent. It appeared they were all represented in the parade.

Leaving Pensacola I had to cross the Pensacola Bay Bridge. It’s a 5 mile long white knuckle ride. There is no pedestrian/bike lane so you are right in the traffic, riding the white line. Most people gave me room or slowed down, but there were a few that didn’t think that was necessary, and a few more that felt compelled to honk when they drove past. That can be disconcerting, to put it mildly. They are in the process of building a pedestrian/bike lane that will be separate from the traffic, it’s not open yet. I kept looking at it, wishing I was over there.

For the next couple of days I’ll be following the Gulf Coast. If everything stays on track, I’ll be in St. Augustine on Wednesday the 20th. I’d like to push that up to the 19th, for reasons that I will reveal if I am able to make that date.

Miles: 46

Today is Veteran’s Day.

Day 59

Fort Walton Beach Florida to DeFuniak Sprints Florida

Morning

The best laid plans aren’t always the ones that get executed. I was going to get an early start this morning, 6am or shortly after. It’s now almost 7am and that plan is history. It’s raining and 55 degrees. The Weather App (I don’t know why I trust it) says the rain will have stopped by 9am. So now I’m just hanging out, watching the fish in the hotel lobby fish tank. I’m being kind referring to my lodging as a hotel. It’s really not. It’s more like a 2 star motel with chickens walking around the second story balcony, only without the chickens. I will say though, if I’m wet and cold at the end of the day, and a 2 star motel is my only option, I’ll take that, chickens or no. Hopefully it will have a hot shower, that’s never guaranteed. This one did.

It is also windy this morning. According to the Weather App, my trusty friend, it will be windy all day. When I look out the window, it reminds me of the morning that I woke up in Marfa Texas. A “Blue Norther” came in overnight. That morning the wind was blowing so hard it was difficult to keep the bike on the road. It’s not blowing quite that hard now, but it feels like a “Marfa sort of day” anyway. Is there anything else I can say about the weather before I slog out into it? Probably not. I just hope my trusty friend is not lying to me (ands it’s worse than stated).

Later

I turned around 3 miles outside Fort Walton Beach. The road was too narrow, the wind too strong, and the drivers way too unconscious. When the little voice in your head says “turn around,” that’s what you do. I’m back in Fort Walton Beach, having coffee and plotting my next move. It looks like I’m giving up the coast and heading inland. My goal for today is now DeFuniak Springs, FL. It’s about 46 miles from here (plus the 7 I have already done) and a good bit inland as well. Everything is up in the air at the moment. I will definitely be dipping my front wheel in the Atlantic, just not sure at the moment if that will be St. Augustine or a different location. I’ll work that out over the next day or two.

End of the day

My strategy to alter course and avoid the coast winds and dangerous highway was a good one. The only problem is the wind out of the North today was scouring the entire region. My altered course took me North. You can see where this is going, right? About half my ride today was battling head winds. Head winds take flat 12mph terrain and turn it into 3% grade, 9mph terrain. That’s what happened today. I pulled in to my hotel (no chickens in sight) at 4:59pm, just as darkness was falling. There have only been one or two times I’ve been happier to see a hotel. We need not go into those particulars here, but that is saying something, trust me.

Tomorrow I’m looking at 56 miles, if the weather is better. If the weather is the same, I’m going to cut it off at 37. Prudence is the better part of valor, or so I’ve heard.

Miles: 53

Cold and windy, definitely a “Marfa sort of day.”

Day 60

DeFuniak Springs Florida to Marianna Florida

Morning

It’s 6am, it’s clear outside, only a very slight breeze. Overnight the temperature dropped. Right now it’s 29 degrees outside. That is cold for Florida, and cold for me as well. I’m starting the day with a long sleeve base layer, a down vest, a down jacket, and a rain shell on the top. On the bottom, cycling bibs, long pants, and two pairs of socks. Yesterday I ended the day very cold, I’m hoping to avoid that today.

End of the day

I ended the day not as cold as yesterday, There was less wind to contend with today, but the temperature was lower. I think the key was less wind. It was a good ride. I took U.S. Hwy. 90 all the way to Marianna. The shoulder was smooth and wide the whole way. Well, almost the whole way. There is no shoulder in the towns. The ride was beautiful, but as is always the case, no time to stop and sight see. I would have liked to visit the library in DeFuniak Springs. It’s on the Nation Historic Register. I learned yesterday that a man owed the city a significant sum of money, he couldn’t pay, so he donated the city is armor collection. The city didn’t know what to do with it, so they put it in the Library. That would have been worth a visit if the library had been open.

I’m experiencing my first Waffle House. It’s what you would expect. It’s an IHOP with emphasis on waffles rather than pancakes. I do like it. This one is small. I’m sitting at the counter and the kitchen is right in front of me. I love restaurants where you can sit and watch the kitchen. If I could have any job outside the field of computer science, it would be a cook (or maybe a bicycle mechanic). It’s hard work, but it would be fun. That doesn’t mean I’m interested in going to work. I don’t think there is any danger I’ll find work to be better than what I’m doing right now.

Currently it’s 42 degrees in Marianna. Much better than this morning’s 29 degrees. Looks like rain might be moving in tomorrow afternoon. My plan is to be in Tallahassee at the end of the day tomorrow. I’ll get an early start in the morning so I can beat as much of the rain as I possibly can.

Oddest thing I saw today was in DeFuniak Springs, The whole town is decorated for Christmas. I have no idea what that is all about.

Miles: 66

Lots of good shoulder riding today.

Day 61

Marianna Florida to Tallahassee Florida

The Weather App (I still trust it, but I’m starting to have doubts) told me it was 45 degrees this morning. No way. I pulled into a gas station to get some coffee, it was 9:30am. Chatting with a fellow inside, he asked me if it was cold enough for me. I told him it felt colder to me today than it did yesterday. He agreed. So Weather App be damned, this morning at least it was colder.

It was a good ride. I left at 6:30am so I got some good miles in before noon. Today I entered the Eastern Time Zone, so I lost an hour, making my decision to leave early this morning even better. I arrived in Tallahassee at 2:00pm Central Time. I spotted a Zagat rated burger joint so I pulled in to have some early dinner (first dinner if your a Hobbit). The Odometer on my bike told me I burned 2,500 calories today. That doesn’t seem right to me. It determines calories burned based on my weight. But since I’m packing maybe 40 pounds of gear, it has to be more than 2,500. Regardless, I figured a 2:00pm burger and fries was a tasty idea, and well under 2,500 calories. (Note: it turned out I was carrying almost 80 pounds.)

I was describing the pine forests in the South to a friend. She said it sounded like Bend Oregon. As I was riding again today, I realized that was a very astute comment. It does indeed look like Bend Oregon when you are in the areas where the pines grow. As I recall from my Weyerhaeuser days a long time ago, the Southern Pine grows very fast compared to Northwest species. Forty years to first harvest. When the logging trucks go past me, it seems like they are carrying mostly first harvest trees.

I’ve had three days now of cold weather and today reminded me a lot of the Pacific Northwest. Today the sky was grey for the entire day. There was an 80 percent chance of rain in Tallahassee by 5pm. It started raining lightly just as I was finishing my burger and getting ready to ride to my Hotel. It was light rain, not a concern really. It feels like the Weather App is trying to regain my confidence.

I set out for the Hotel at 3:45 Eastern Time. The route took me right through the center of the FSU campus. I expected that because I picked a Hotel that was just on the other side of campus from me. I love college campuses. My strategy had an unexpected benefit. As I was cruising along, and I heard the sound of horns. I turned into a parking lot to listen. The FSU Marching Band was practicing nearby. I headed toward the sound and ended up right next to the practice field. The FSU Marching Band was rehearsing for the game on Saturday. I was on the other side of a fence, but I wasn’t more than 15 yards away from the band. I sat there for almost an hour watching. It was like being on the sidelines during half-time. I watched as they rehearsed all the songs individually. After that, they ran through the entire program from start to finish. They are very good, not as good as the UW Husky Marching Band, but still very good. Sometimes you laugh and you don’t know why. While the band was rehearsing, the conductor was critiquing the finer points of the bands formation. At one point he said “We are not the Wisconsin Marching Band.” I had no idea what he meant by that, but I still broke out in laughter because it didn’t sound like a compliment.

Watching the FSU Marching Band was the highlight of the day. But there was one potential highlight that I let get away from me. Earlier in the day I saw a sign that said “State of Florida Re-Entry Facility.” I figured that is where State Prisoners are sent prior to their release back into society. There was an open field beyond the sign. I couldn’t see any buildings, but I noticed an elderly black man walking in the field not far from the road. He waved at me. I waved back. Sometimes when you are cycling, you loose track of time. Other times you lose track of reality altogether. What I’m saying is you can get so focused on the goal and the motion that you forget there is a whole world out there. About a quarter of a mile down the road I realized I should have pulled over and chatted with that man. We would have had to shout, but maybe he would have come closer to me and we would have had a conversation. There was no fence there to prevent that. It’s possible. I was on a divided highway, so I couldn’t safely turn around and go back. I was disappointed with myself for getting so caught up in my goal and the thoughts in my own head, that I couldn’t see the opportunity right in front of me.

I need a day of rest. The last three days have taken a toll on me. I think tomorrow I will spend the day in Tallahassee. Perhaps I’ll go see if Dale Earnhardt Jr. hangs out at the Chevrolet Dealership that carries his name. Maybe not. I need to make some decisions about what my final route to the Atlantic will be.

I’m having my Hobbit second dinner at the War Horse Whiskey Bar. Of course I’m having a Manhattan, but I’m also having a chicken parm sub. I just introduced myself to Christian. Total Nerd. He’s wearing an Oregon State Robotics T-shirt. He’s such a nerd I had difficulty getting him to talk to me. All I could get out of him was he did his post-grad work at OSU. I guess I’m not nerdy enough. Wow, that’s saying something. He has three friends with him. Two of them (and the robotics post-grad) are drinking something that looks like Rose wine with ice in it. Blah. It’s sort of fun writing about them when they are sitting at the table across from me. I will stop myself now.

Miles: 66

Cold again. Unseasonably cold I’m told, like really unusually cold.

Day 62

Tallahassee Florida

Morning

Good heavens. It’s the Ides of November already. Even though in practice, Ides typically refers to the month of March, I find it a romantic notion to suggest that every month has a half-way mark. I’m half-way thru the Month of November. Time to settle my debts from the first half of the month and look ahead to the finish of my ride. (All good Romans settled their debts on the Ides of March, we have been given one extra month by the IRS.) What stands out to me at this point is that I’m carrying too much gear. Time to unload some of this stuff that I’m no longer using and make my load a bit lighter for the remainder of my journey. I’m going to do that today.

Ever since I left East Texas its been cold. Unseasonably cold. There have been many days when the temperature was 20 degrees below average. To put it another way, I can only remember three days of cycling when I was pleasantly warm while riding. All of this goes to the fact that I have been staying in hotels for most of that way. Some of them nice, some of them not so nice, but all of them have had a roof, some form of heat, and most (but not all) have had a hot shower.

With 282 miles remaining to reach St. Augustine, I’ve decided there is no point in trying to camp between here and there. The weather is not showing signs of getting any better, so I think it is safe to unload my camping gear, send that home, and in the process lighten my load significantly. There is a big difference between riding a bike that is carrying just its rider, and riding a bike that is carrying its rider plus a ton of camping equipment, clothing, and miscellaneous stuff that comes with you on an extended tour. It will actually be fun to complete the tour carrying less gear. To see if that is even possible, I’ll need to spend the rest of the morning figuring out the logistics. I’m calling today a day of rest.

I have discovered the miracle diet. Take 22 pounds of gear off your bike and ship it home. As the fellow in the UPS store said to me, “you’re no longer carrying a toddler around with you.” I thought that was funny. Even if I got rid of everything, including the bike, I’d still be accompanied by a toddler (me).

Tomorrow begins my four day dash to the coast. I will arrive on the 19th. That is a very special day as I have alluded to in earlier posts. I’m not going to go into it right now. I will have more to say about that on the 19th. Here is how I’m going to get there:

Tallahassee to Madison 58 miles

Madison to High Springs 77 miles*

High Springs to Palatka 68 miles

Palatka to St. Augustin 40 miles

Miles: 0

A day of rest. Prepping for the remainder of my trip.

Day 63

Tallahassee Florida to Madison Florida

The first 30 miles getting out of Tallahassee was one rolling hill after another. That was a surprise. I didn’t expect rolling hills in Florida. Once I got 30 miles out, the terrain became flat again. I have to admit, that was something of a relief.

I stopped for lunch at an old-fashioned meat market. I wasn’t sure what I was going to get, then I spotted a man making donuts and that-was-that. I had a glazed, a jelly filled, and a raisin bran muffin. The guy making the donuts was very friendly, and very proud of his creations. After I finished my little snack, he asked me how the raisin bran muffin was. I told him it was excellent, he was pleased.

The next 15 miles was like riding through a park. Each side of the road had a wide strip of grass with trees planted at regular intervals on each side. Each grassy area along side the road was about 30 years wide. The trees were covered with Spanish Moss. Lots of it. I should have taken a picture. Once again I was wrapped up in the motion of cycling and forgot all about the camera I was carrying.

It was another cold day. I was chilled by the time I ended my ride, but the hot shower felt really good. It makes me sleepy but that’s better than being cold. It’s a trade-off for sure. The cold saps your strength. When it’s cold day after day I find the overall effect is cumulative, or maybe I’m just getting worn out. Could be the latter I suppose. I’m finding that my day of rest just yesterday did not give me much of the boost I was hoping it would.

I need to get an early start in the morning since my hotel is 6 miles off-route and I need to back-track to get my day started. That was the plan. While I was writing this I was watching a Hallmark Christmas movie in the hotel lobby and chatting with the desk clerk. The desk clerk kept telling me I could change the channel but I was too tired to get up and grab the remote. It’s a slow day at the Best Western here in Madison. (We had a fun time criticizing the plot and the characters.) When I told her I had to leave early and miss breakfast because I needed to back-tracking, she told me to eat breakfast and she would give me a ride back to the route. What a sweet heart.

I have three days remaining on my tour. I’m looking forward to reaching St. Augustine, but it’s also going to feel odd. When I wake up in St. Augustine the day after finishing what am I supposed to do? I don’t have to get on the bike and ride, That is going to take some adjustment. Kind of like going through a type of withdrawal.

Miles: 67

The Spanish Moss is beautiful.

Day 64

Madison Florida to Lake City Florida

The day started with my Hallmark Channel friend driving me north six miles to put me back on-route. She was a hoot. When I left her to go get some dinner last night, she was watching a new Hallmark movie. I said “How did that one end?” She looked at me and said “How do you think?” I said “the same way the one before ended?” She laughed and said “of course!” (I knew the answer, we were just bantering.) She was driving an old RAM pick-up truck. It ran pretty well but it was beat-up. She called it her “garbage truck.” I assume that’s because she hauls garbage with it, but I’m not completely clear on that. I looked down at the gas and brake pedals and to my surprise, saw that they both had lighted covers. I’ve never seen that before. The pedals were reflecting bright red flames throughout the driver’s side foot well. It was spectacular! I asked her about it, how could you not? She explained that she bought the truck from a Mexican. She was very proud of it, she hasn’t put a penny into it in five years. She bought it for $500.

About 11am I rolled into the town of Suwannee. Yes, the same as the river made famous in song by Stephen Foster. This is not the only notable thing about the town. I was about to meet a man that would fill me in on a couple of other interesting historical footnotes. I turned off the Main Street that was Hwy. 90, looking for a cafe. I wanted a cup of hot coffee to warm me up. A block down the street, across from the Suwannee Court House was a shop with a sign that said simply, “Cafe.” There was a fellow bringing all manner of sports clothes out in front of the cafe. I figured what the heck, I’d pull over, maybe there was a cafe hidden in there somewhere. I got off the bike and asked him if the cafe was open. He said “No, only on Friday and Saturday.” I was getting ready to push-on and he said, “come on inside, you look cold and I have some sweatshirts on sale you might like, at least you can warm up a bit.” Well how can you refuse that sort of offer, even without coffee.

I went inside and the place was loaded with sports clothing. Tom introduced himself and said this was the last of his inventory from the sporting goods store he sold a few years back. He was parting out. Well, I poked around and ended up buying three pieces of gear with a retail value over $100. I paid $14 for all of it. I’ll make room in my panniers for just about anything at that price. We chatted a bit and he said, “come here, I have something to show you.” We walked into the back, this is where the cafe is on Friday and Saturday, he pointed to a full bar. I said “are you telling me you’ll open the bar just for me?” He nodded. I sat down and looked over his bourbon selection and ordered a Crown. It’s noon on Sunday in a Florida County that was dry 6 years ago. Everybody that is anybody is in church. Tom has opened his bar for me. I’m humbled, and just a little bit amused. We chatted as I sipped my Crown. He told me his Ted Bundy story, I told him my D. B. Cooper story. I probably could have sat there all day with him, I’m sure he would not have minded.

He told me all about the Kimberly Leach trial that took place at the Suwannee Court House right across the street from his cafe. Kimberly was Bundy’s last victim. I don’t intend to talk about the trial or Bundy. He was a monster. His victims deserved to be remembered. This story is about Tom. He told me when Bundy was on trial, he ate at his cafe. It was a logistics thing. One day Bundy walked out of the Court House with the cafe’s menu under his arm. The name of the cafe clearly visible. The trial was in the national news and the video of Bundy walking out of the Court House with Tom’s menu clearly visible under his arm was viewed nationally. Tom started getting calls from friends asking him how he managed to arrange that!

I told Tom I had to hit the road and he said “your a Seahawks fan right?” I confessed. He walked me over to his wall where he had all nine retired High School jerseys worn by the local players that had made it to the NFL. Included was the jersey worn by Kelly Jennings, Seahawks Cornerback drafted in 2006. Tom proudly mentioned that he had actually presided over the retirement of Kelly’s jersey. Tom has seen a lot and been a focal point in the community of Suwannee, that’s for sure.

Today started out cold again. It was cold all morning. I covered 43 miles and decided that was enough for today, I ride just how I like after all. I had intended to ride 75 miles but when I arrived in Lake City, that felt like far enough. I checked in to a hotel, leaving the 75 mile day for tomorrow. It is showing signs of warming up. I think tomorrow is going to be almost civilized.

Miles: 43

Two days to go.

Day 65

Lake City Florida to Orange Park Florida

Some mornings you start your day and you think nothing extraordinary is going to happen today. Much to your surprise, it turns out otherwise. After 16 miles. I saw a cafe that had a sign outside: “Breakfast Sacks.” I have never heard of a Breakfast Sack, so I pulled in to find out what it was. At this place anyway, it’s breakfast in Pita bread. I believe the cafe was operated by a Lebanese couple. I had a Breakfast Sack with 2 eggs, bacon, and sausage. It was very good. The best breakfast I’ve had in days. I thanked the couple and told them how much I enjoyed it.

I got to mile 40 and the temperature had climbed out of the cold zone. I felt comfortable. This was only the third day since leaving East Texas that I was not cold while riding. It was a good feeling. I started the day with two shirts on, a puffy vest, and a wind jacket. I had already lost the vest and now I was taking off one of the shirts. As I was finishing, a pick-up pulled up and the driver got out. He introduced himself as Pat. He is a cyclist himself and he works at the Senior Center in McCleanny. He invited me to lunch as his guest. I figured what the heck, I was ahead of schedule and it was only three miles back to town, so I accepted Pat’s invitation. When I got there Pat took me around and introduced me to all the Seniors having lunch there. It was quite the group, about 30 perhaps. They have lunch every weekday at 11am. Today was meatball subs. I chatted with a dozen or so of the seniors. After lunch, several wanted to look at my bike and ask questions about the trip. Besides Pat, I especially liked Gary, He was very curious about all the aspects of the bike and my travel. I don’t know if I will ever get back to McCleanny, but if I do, I have two friends there waiting for me. Two hours later I was on my way again.

At this point I figured it would just be heads down for the last 40 miles but at mile 55 I was pleasantly surprised when the route turned onto a beautiful 10 mile long paved rail trail. I’ve been impressed with Google Maps as a navigation aid. It puts me on bike trails like that one, and it also does a good job of routing me on streets that have bike lanes. I think Google Maps is a good tool to have in your travel kit.

Tomorrow is the last day of my journey. I’m very excited. I’m going to turn in early so I feel well rested for the last 70 or so miles to St. Augustine.

Miles: 80

Rode a wonderful Rail Trail for 10 miles.

Day 66

Orange Park Florida to St. Augustine Florida

Today was the final day of my journey to St. Augustine. It’s hard to describe the emotion that 66 days of cycling, most of them consecutive, will bring. I enjoyed each mile of today’s ride. I traveled 560 miles to traverse Florida from the Western tip on the Gulf Coast to St. Augustine in the Northeast. Today was easily the best weather I have experienced since leaving Alabama on November 8th. Yesterday was the only other comfortable day of riding. All of the preceding days were cold, some of them bone chilling.

I stopped for lunch in Palatka and spent two hours. I ate at the Magnolia Cafe. My friend and former riding companion from the pre-Austin days of the tour recommended it to me after she went through Palatka three days ago. It was a very good lunch. Afterwards, I went across the street for an Americano and an Apple Turnover. I took them outside on the porch. The sun was shining and I spent the second hour of my lunch break just sitting and soaking up the warmth. I fell asleep in the chair. I must have looked a little bit ridiculous. It was just what I needed to complete the last 30 miles of the journey.

There were a lot of paved bike trails on today’s route. That made the ride even more enjoyable. I arrived in St. Augustine at 4pm. I’m staying right downtown in the old quarter at a Hostel called the “Pirate House.” St. Augustine is on a bay. Tomorrow I will ride out to the ocean to dip my front wheel in the Atlantic, capping my coast-to-coast trip. It’s about 3 miles from St. Augustine to the Ocean. While today officially ended this journey, tomorrow will be the ceremonial conclusion.

While I was riding today, I wrote a poem about what it’s like to cross the country on a bicycle. It call it “The Country.” It didn’t come to me all at once. I would pull off the road to jot down various pieces. By the fourth time I pulled over (well out of the traffic) the poem was mostly complete.

When I started thinking about the logistics of this journey back in January, I realized I wanted to complete the ride in St. Augustine on November 19th. This is a special day for me. One year ago today I underwent open heart surgery to replace my Aortic Valve. I have always been an active guy. I played sports when I was young and I led an active lifestyle for most of my adult life.

When I was a kid, I had asthma. I remember trying to keep up with the other kids at recess. Typically I would have to sit down and watch them after just a few minutes of running around. I hated that. By the time I reached Middle School, I had “outgrown” much of that, and by the time I reached High School, I felt like I could keep up with the other kids, most of the time. But I didn’t have the endurance that they had. I dismissed that as being a result of reduced lung capacity due to childhood asthma, which was a factor, but not the only factor.

After my 11th Seattle to Portland bike ride, at the age of 64, I knew something was wrong. I just didn’t have the endurance that I felt I should have. I asked my doctor to do some tests. In the fall of last year I learned that I was born with a Bifurcated Aortic Valve. Normally you are born with three “leaves” in your Aortic Valve, I was born with only two. That causes a murmur, blood bypassing the valve when it opens and closes. In other words, reduced exercise capacity. A lot of things started to make sense to me.

The surgery was successful. There is a three month recovery from that surgery. Two days shy of the three months I was skiing again. It was during the recovery that I decided it was time to fulfill my dream of riding a bike across the country. I also thought it would be great to complete the ride by arriving in St. Augustine on the one year anniversary of the surgery. I am thrilled, and grateful, to have made that happen. This is a special day.

The Southern Tier is complete. Tomorrow I will ride out to the ocean and dip my wheel in the Atlantic.

Miles: 73

Arrived one day ahead of the group after giving them a 2 day jump on me out of Austin.

St. Augustine Florida

This has been an epic journey. When you complete an accomplishment like this, I suppose it is natural to ask yourself, will you do this again. Yes. There are more bicycle adventures in my future, I know that. I also know you only need to ride the Southern Tier once. There’s a big country out there, and a lot more to be seen.

I’m definitely not a Hemingway or a Stephen King. But a big part of this journey has been giving myself the opportunity write. By doing that I have improved my skill a tiny bit, but more importantly I received, time after time, a joy at the end of the day that I would not otherwise have experienced. That brings me to you, the reader. Thank you for stopping by, many of you daily, to read this what-ever-it-is. All I can say about that is, thank you. I hope this provided you with some small bit of entertainment.

This is the end of my “Southern Tier” journaling adventure. I know I will keep writing. I don’t know if it will appear on the site “Life on a B17” or not. Maybe some bad poetry once in a while. I don’t have any specific plans for the site. I’ll take it where the spirit moves me. I don’t know where that will be.

What else can I say about the journey? I’m grateful I was able to undertake it. I’m also grateful I was able to finish it. It is humbling to achieve something so extraordinary. It is also a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life. When I’m 90 years old and my friends and I are down at the gas station having our morning coffee, they will be talking about their glory days in High School. They will be recalling when they struck out this batter, or got that big hit. I’ll be talking about how I rode my bicycle across the country, “Just how I like.” After my morning coffee in the winter I’ll go skiing. In the summer after morning coffee I’ll go for a bike ride. Feel free to join me.

This experience has certainly brought me tremendous joy, but I was reminded time-and-again, joy is not what you find at the end of the journey, joy is what you experience along the way.

“If you can do it for joy, you can do it forever.” - Stephen King

Brad Adkins, November 20th, 2019