Day Forty-Nine
Epic day. The most epic day. 129.4 miles. Numbers speak for themselves.
I don't know where this came from, because like my last night in New Orleans, I didn't sleep well last night. But I got up at 5:45 and got to work getting everything packed and read. I clicked onto the rode at 6:59 AM, my earliest ride start yet.
First up was breakfast at the Waffle House. I picked my usual breakfast: everything. My choice at each Waffle House has been the menu item with the most calories. I have it memorized. Then onto the road for St. Augustine.
I've raved to the point of tedium about the quality of Florida's roads. Well here I go again, they are the best. But today, Florida went up even another notch. Florida's rails to trails efforts are spectacular. I enjoyed dozens of miles on perfect pavement, on a rail corridor between Gainesville and St. Augustine, that was the most peaceful and enjoyable riding of the entire across-America bike trip. A fast, smooth, complete bicycle joy, on a perfect surface, through a bucolic forest. I love biking in Florida.
I wasn't paying attention to the map, just the bike trail. And it ended. Abruptly. When I checked the map, I had overshot my exit from the bike trail back to a shoulder on regular roads. Keep in mind that the shoulders on Florida roads are better than the shoulders on any other roads I have ridden this entire trip. But after the sublime bike trail, at was a shock to be riding again in car-trafficed reality. But this being Florida, it was actually still well engineered and perfectly acceptable.
Rural gave way to suburb, suburb to urban, and soon I was very close to today's objective: the terminus of the official Adventure Cycling Association Southern Tier route , which ends at the foot of a statue of Ponce de Leon, the discoverer of Florida in 1513 (and claimer of Florida to the glory of his benefactor, the King of Spain). St. Augustine, like LA, New Orleans, and Pensacola, is a city that is in fact an original, not a copy of something else. Touristy? Sure. Legit? Absolutely. St. Augustine is a place worth returning to and savoring.
I met some nice people at the statue.
I explained to them that I just rode my bicycle 3,000 miles to experience this moment, and they were a little aghast, then enthusiastic, joyful.
But, the "official" terminus of the Southern Tier route is not the end of my trip. I'm pushing on to Cape Canaveral, because I'm a Space Geek. I still have 140+ miles to go to get to MY destination, which is the Jetty Park at The Cape, where, you know, rockets blast off to space.
There's just a few moments to savor the moment, then it's turn south and hit the gas. A prodigious north wind blowing, an on-shore flow, that will push me south if I grab it, and I do. Today's goal was 78 miles from Gainesville to St. Augustine. But I'm feeling strong and the wind is in my favor. How far can I go? It's 50 miles to Daytona Beach. I have a target, so off I ride.
For the first time on my ride, I am routinely cruising at 18-22 mph. For miles and miles. Ocean to my left, perfect pavement under my tires, cooperative traffic and a prophetic tailwind. I'm flying. And so it goes through Butler Beach, Flagler, Marineland, Palm Coast, Beverly Beach, Ormand-by-the-Sea, all the way to Daytona Beach, 129.4 miles from the start of the day. I arrive at my hotel (and after today, I DESERVE a hotel) feeling so fresh and ready for more that it is frankly a little scary. What have I become? I am 64 years old and riding like I am 21 years old. Riding exactly as strong and as well as I actually did when I was 21. Will this make me insufferable when I get home? Probably. Who can keep up with me? Just try! The ride is having its intended effect. I am becoming insufferably strong and will probably be a total annoyance to my friends and colleagues back home.
Tomorrow's goal? I don't really know. Today has put me so far beyond where I thought I would be, in terms of distance, but also confidence, that I think I need to sleep on today, and decide about tomorrow tomorrow. No more thinking about it. Good night.
I’d love to hear from you. Donate to the ride and send along your words of encouragement and tell me why getting kids outside matters to you.
