What next????????

Well, it's over. Now what do I do???? For starters, get up early tomorrow morning, have some cereal and yogurt, then hit the road (driving) back to Vermont. First stop is my sister Kak's home for a visit tomorrow night and Saturday. We'll be home Sunday night, and pick up my furry buddy Brody on Monday morning. And NO, Six Loose Ladies, I will not plan to be in the store on May 9. Please give me a week at home (I will pick up the store computer and get stuff entered and squared away).

So, today, as usual, Elisabeth asked, "Anyone want to go for a bike ride?" and everyone was out and on the bikes slightly before the butt crack of dawn. We had 40 miles to cover (according to the cue sheet) before 10:30. I found myself in the lead at one point, and it was awesome to see a whole long string of bicyclists behind me! We made it 19 miles to the first sag stop by shortly after 8, so relaxed and took it easy the rest of the way.

The road was flat, with more farms and riverside homes, and then we were at the firehouse meeting place, or were we? The firehouse was at about 37 miles, but on the cue sheet it was supposed to be at 40. There was considerable confusion at first, but finally the firepersons confirmed we were supposed to be there, the female motorcycle cop showed up, and we started getting ready, lining up in twos. Two police cars joined the motorcycle cop and we were off, sirens blaring. It really was a fun 6 mile ride to the beach. We sailed through intersections with our escorts. At the same time, I was choking back tears thinking of dad and thinking of how happy I would be to see Peter. I can now understand why guys don't understand girls -- we cry when we're sad, and we cry when we're happy.

At the beach there was quite a welcome contingent of friends and family. I found Peter and cried for joy! It was so, so good to be with him again. Peter walked with me and Bessie to the edge of the water and I dipped her wheels in the Atlantic. After the perfunctory picture-taking, we had a nice picnic lunch of a wrap, chips, fruit, and a drink. Peter and I then went to the hotel, I showered, and we spent the afternoon wandering the old town section of St. Augustine. Saw enough to know that it would be fun to come back and spend a few days seeing the museums and walking the beautiful beach.

I'll add more in a few days when I'm back home and can look back on this experience a little more objectively.

Bike stats: 44.58 miles; 3 hrs. 17 minutes riding time; 2,011 total trip miles.

Food stats: Last night we had salmon, garlic mashed potatoes, spinach leaf salad, and assorted goodies from friends and family. This morning was cereal, yogurt, and a banana. Lunch was a turkey wrap, and some pineapple and melon chunks. Since the ride ended for me at the beach, I don't need to tell you the details of the dinner at the A1A Brewery restaurant (and no - I didn't have a beer -- I needed to stay awake to post this entry). I skipped the traditional end-of-ride banquet for riders.

Let's see -- when is the Northern Tier first half ride next year????

Last night of the ride - in Palatka

Today was our last long ride of the trip. It's hard to believe that it is pretty well over. Tomorrow's ride will be a "token" ride. I started the trip out west riding alone, and after the halfway point started riding more consistently with Patty. Most riders pair up with others who go at a similar pace and personality. We have 3 trios, four duos, and three singles who ride alone or occasionally with others. Today the "duos" all rode together -- Janet Bee and Marni, Mary Jo and Donna, Elisabeth and Peggy, and Patty and I. We had a pretty noticeable headwind, so took turns pulling at the front. We didn't have a real paceline, but having someone at the front helped make the ride easier. It was a nice change of pace riding with these ladies and they were lots of fun through the duller part of the ride!

Didn't stop to see the 13 foot gator. Had some rolling hills and pretty scenery for the first half of the ride. Once we got onto SR100, the traffic increased. Still had some hills, but it wasn't as enjoyable because of the truck traffic. In one town we were told that the beautiful bike path we saw went quite a ways to Palatka. It didn't. A local bicyclist told us the plan was to run a bike path to Palatka, but it just hasn't been finished. So, after that pleasant interlude we were stuck on the busy SR100 for 20 more miles. It at least had a shoulder which was in pretty good condition. Once we got into Palatka, the shoulder filled with road debris and eventually disappeared in the town proper. Went over one high bridge right before the hotel, and Patty didn't hesitate one bit. We sang "99 bottles of beer on the wall" starting at 42 bottles and working backward by 2's to make it harder since we were pretty hot and tired. I'm so proud of her overcoming her bridge phobia.

When we arrived (a little before 2 p.m.), there were some families and friends at the hotel cheering the riders. That was great. We can feel the excitement of the last day building. Had lunch at the restaurant next to the hotel. There really wasn't much of an option over the last half of the ride until we got to Palatka. The food was really good and reasonably priced. Hate eating lunch so late -- I'm not hungry for dinner.

Bike stats: 78.2 miles; 5 hrs. 54 minutes riding time; 1,967 total trip miles. Yahoo!!! I'll make 2,000 tomorrow. Most riders (non-sag drivers) are over 2,500 and some over 3,000 miles.

Food stats: Last night had a spoonful of curried broccoli and chicken over a spoonful of noodles. Had cereal and a banana for breakfast. A protein bar on the road. Had blackened shrimp, broccoli au gratin, a couple of hush puppies and fruit salad for lunch. Don't know what Linda is cooking for dinner.

Called Peter and he was still on the road to St. Augustine (near the South Carolina/Georgia border). He's a saint to drive all the way to pick me up. Can't wait to see him tomorrow!!

High Springs here we are

The ride from Perry to High Springs was the prettiest ride yet in Florida. It was another pretty flat day. Lots of pretty wildflowers, cows, goats, and sheep along the way. Once we moved off the main road onto the back road to Ichetucknee Springs state park the scenery became prettier. The maps said it was a 76-mile day, but even with a side trip to the springs most riders were at the hotel (a throwback to the Sheffler hotel out west -- will do, but...) by 3 p.m. Another slight headwind day, but the slight headwind feels good in the heat!

The springs at the Ichetucknee Springs state park were really pretty. The spring closest to the parking lot is the one most people swim in. A spring further back was more isolated and elemental. Both are worth the visit, especially on a hot day.

This was my last sag driving day. The day included hauling an ailing rider to the hotel, riding interference at a spot where a pack of dogs were chasing riders, setting up 3+ sag stops, and backtracking almost 40 miles to find a rider (she had trouble with the cue sheet directions and wasn't where I could see her when I initially passed her), filling up the gas tank, and restocking the snacks and water.

I have enjoyed the sag duties most of the time. Everyone says they are so happy to see me. That may be the last time I hear that!!This group of riders has been so easy to sag because they usually change their own flats and ride together in predictable ways. Every now and then they got lost, but were resourceful enough to find their way home. Sometimes they would frustrate me by getting too far ahead of the bulk of the riders or too far back, which makes helping everyone more difficult, but everyone has to ride his or her own ride as long as it doesn't jeopardize the safety of the others.

Tomorrow is my last day-long ride of the trip. We'll travel to Palatka -- approximately 72 miles or so. On Thursday we have a very short day, with a police escort the last 3 miles to the beach in St. Augustine. Given how widely we tend to spread out during the course of the day, the trick will be getting everyone to show up at the designated spot by the time we have to assemble for the final 3 miles. Some riders will be there early. We have one rider who has been the last one out every day but one, and sometimes by 20 minutes or so. She will have to be up and moving quickly.

No bike stats today. Food: cereal, yogurt and a banana for breakfast. Had some oreos, half a banana, and a milkshake on the road. Had some curried broccoli and chicken over noodles for dinner. A rice krispies bar for dessert.

Pedal on to Perry

Reluctantly left the Wakulla Springs Lodge and rode to Perry, Florida. This was an even easier rolling rest day than the previous easiest rolling rest day. Flat, flat, flat. And yes, Patty (with whom I was riding) had a flat tire. That was the excitement of the day. She has the worst combination of rim and tire -- it is impossible to re-mount the tire without using tire irons. And, I am the queen of pinch flats (which result when you don't use the tire irons just right). Ann, the sag driver du jour, came to our aid, and it took the three of us together, with Ann wielding the tire iron, to get the tire back on.

Any prospective distance riders reading this, please, please, please do yourself a favor and practice changing tubes with the rims and tires you will use on the ride. If you can't do it yourself, get to your bike shop and find a set of rims and tires with which you can work. Otherwise, you may find yourself alone, in the middle of nowhere, with no one to help you, and can't change it by yourself. Makes for a wasted day.

The route was not only flat, but, aside from one turn around mile 8 and one around mile 49, and a small curve in between 8 and 49, it was absolutely straight. It felt like we were in a tunnel with no end in sight. Not a lot of scenery either. Just miles and miles of trees, saw palmettos, and swamp. The small curve had a cow ranch and some bald cypress trees in a field.

We got kind of excited over the bright orange "Dip ahead" sign. We stopped to take a picture of the dip, which had been paved over so it really wasn't much of one. Had neat numbering on the road where some cores appeared to have been drilled or some such. Oh, well, so much for that road attraction.

Got into Perry around 12:30, so had lunch of grilled cheese and tomato sandwiches, split orders of onion rings and fries, and tried swamp cabbage. Swamp cabbage is the core of small palm-type plants. The core is chopped up and cooked in bacon grease and cloves (Patty thought it had a clove taste). I think it is an acquired taste.

Will spend time this evening plying up what I spun yesterday, and then start spinning the last ounce of fiber I have. Have almost finished my stash of spinning fiber. I'm looking forward to getting home and using the wheel for a while and doing some rug hooking!

Bike stats: 51.68 miles; 4 hrs. 4 minutes riding time; 1,888 total trip miles.

Food stats: breakfast was scrambled eggs and a banana. Had some oreos on the road. For lunch see above. Am actually getting tired of eating!

Waking up in Wakulla Springs

The layover day in Wakulla Springs was fantastic. Went to sleep to the sounds of frogs and birds, with windows open. Woke up without a headache to the sounds of songbirds. Had a genuine sit-down restaurant breakfast of french toast and scrambled eggs. French toast is my second-favorite breakfast, after the breakfast burrito at the Blue Benn in Bennington. Noplace can beat the Blue Benn!

Decided to do the 2.6-mile nature walk. Was a little concerned that the first sign was a poster of the most common biting insects. Didn't take the insects long to find me, and I had no insect repellent. Walked briskly, wishing my speed-reading skills were more proficient when I approached signs explaining the plants along the way. Forgot about the other bane of early morning woods walks -- spider webs. Walked face-first into a big one that covered my head and glasses. After untangling myself, I found a long stick and waved it in front of me as I walked. After about 2 miles of this, I got tired of feeding the insects and high-tailed it back to the lodge via the paved road.

Took the boat ride again after my walk and saw more birds, incluidng a wood duck with very freshly-hatched ducklings paddling behind her. The guide had to spoil the moment by advising us that many of those cute ducklings will likely become alligator appetizers. The springs was the site of filming some of the Johnny Weismuller Tarzan movies, "The creature from the black lagoon" movie, and other scary movies. Spent the afternoon plying some yarn I had spun, and spinning another spindle full. Ended the day with a nice fried shrimp with fries and tossed salad dinner.

We begin our last week on the ride. Hooray!

Waltzing to Wakulla Springs

We had probably the easiest ride of the trip today from Quincy to Wakulla Springs Lodge. The lodge is in a state park next to Wakulla Springs and Sally Ward Springs, which are the source of the Wakulla River, which flows to the St. Marks River, which flows to the Gulf of Mexico. There is swimming at the springs and boat rides to see the wildlife around the springs and river. The lodge has a restaurant, which is handy because the next closest restaurant is 8 miles away! Tried to swap my bike for one of the motorcycles at this stop, but had no takers.

The ride was a mixture of rolling hills and flat, with lots of bugs. We've been eaten alive by bugs at dinner the past couple of nights, and at the sag and pee stops along the road. Lots of incentive to keep the sag stops short and keep moving -- incentive we really didn't need Saturday because we were told that check-in time at the lodge was 2:30. So, we didn't start rolling until after 8 a.m., but were still at the lodge before noon. So, had a nice lunch at the lodge restaurant, after which we were told some of the rooms, including mine, were ready.

Changed clothes and took the boat ride which was simply wonderful and relaxing. Saw ospreys, egrets, herons, moorhens, turtles, leaping mullet, and alligators. After supper we had a talent show/variety show. Some riders made up songs, some read poetry, some handed out awards, some did skits. I chose to watch. Didn't inherit any kind of performing arts gene.

So, will wrap up this post for now with the usual bike stats and food stats. Haven't slept well the last couple of nights -- sinus headaches from being out in the 90 degree and 90 percent humidity, then into 68 degree air conditioning. I can open the windows here and plan to do that to see if it helps. I noticed that west of Kerrville I had no headaches or arthritis aches. Ever since we hit east Texas, the arthritis is back and headaches too. I'm not the only rider who says the arthritis is kicking in now that we're in hotter, more humid weather.

Bike stats: 40.82 miles; 3 hrs. 12 minutes riding time; 1,837 total trip miles.

Food stats: Last night had a burrito. Had cereal with yogurt and a banana for breakfast. Lunch was a club sandwich with fries. Dinner was a barbeque sandwich with macaroni and cheese and melon, and some cake made by a friend of a rider.

Only 3 riding days left to go for me, and one sag driving day. I should just barely top 2,000 riding miles for the trip, about 900 sag driving miles, and about 240 miles of riding out bad weather or flat tire in the van.

Quickly to Quincy

Today was a rolling rest day. 55 miles to Quincy. There was some flat, some rolling hills, and a couple of hills which had me reach for a gear I haven't used in a long time. Most of the ride was on back roads which were traffic-free and beautiful.

As we left the town of Chattahoochie (sp?), we ascended a long hill into the Florida Alps, or so it seemed. Had a report of a bicyclist who was bitten yesterday around mile 40 of our ride. The bicyclist's wife called Womantours to warn us --- could it have been Dan and Beth, who were traveling with Dave along much of the ride at the same time we were? (Dave told me on Dauphin Island that he had split up from Dan and Beth to go his own way.) We were told the local animal authorities picked up the offending dog and the owner said the other dogs would be kept indoors. We had no trouble through that part of the route.

Had a great lunch and wander in the downtown square in Quincy. Went to Miss Helen's Expresso Cafe d'Art and had a wonderful sandwich and some iced tea. Her place has local art for sale on the walls and was very, very classy. Next door was a gift shop which sold beautiful locally-made arts and crafts. There was also an art show with gorgeous paintings by Dean Gioia and lovely hand-turned wooden pieces. Had just a couple of miles from there to the hotel. In the short time we took for lunch and sightseeing the temperature felt like it rose to 90 degrees!

All in all, today was more like how I wish the entire ride could have been -- put in the miles early in the day and then sightsee. Unfortunately we haven't been able to do that most days because we need to put in more miles than can accommodate dallying.

Bike stats: 55.78 miles; 4 hrs. 10 minutes riding time; 1,796 total trip miles.

Food stats: Dinner last night was chicken in peanut sauce, rice, asian salad, and a cupcake for dessert. Breakfast was cereal, yogurt, banana. On-road snack was half a banana. Had a ham club at Miss Helen's with whole grain chips, a pickle, and iced tea.

Tomorrow we travel to Wakulla Springs and stay at the lodge there. There is no wireless internet at the lodge (and I don't know whether there is any cell phone coverage). We'll have a layover day there on Sunday, so I'll update the blog on Monday.

I'm now back in the same time zone as Peter, Brody, and all my Vermont friends!!