The Walking Machine

It has felt strange not writing in the blog for the last few weeks. I’ve missed recording all of the happenings along the way, and communicating with you all. I truly appreciate all of your comments and notes of encouragement, and hope we can continue our conversation. I recognize that my posts will probably not be as frequent as they had been, but only because there may not be a lot to report. That being said, I’ll try to keep you updated at least once per week, assuming something worth reporting happens.

After dipping my front wheel in the Atlantic at St. Augustine Beach at the end of the cross-country journey, Jacob and I took a few pictures on the beach, and left to drop my bike off at the local bike shop so that it could be disassembled and packed up for pickup by Bike Flights. I’ll write more about the return of the bike back to Texas in a paragraph to come. The rest of the week, Jacob and I spent exploring the St. Augustine historical district, and walking on the beach, though it was still a little too cold to go swimming. We all met with my sister and brother-in-law Kathy and Randy, their daughter Lauren and her daughter, Addison, and spent a day exploring old St. Augustine, and taking in the sights. Of course, highlights of our tour included the Castillo de San Marcos National Monument and Flagler College. Castillo de San Marcos is the oldest masonry fort in the continental US, dating back to 1695. Flagler College, named after Henry Flagler, an oil magnate and railroad pioneer, was founded in 1968. Flagler College took over the Ponce de Leon Hotel, (which was built in 1888 as a luxury hotel). It was truly strange to see how the ornate grounds, lobby and foyer area had been transformed into a primary building used today as a dormitory and offices for the college.

It was so good to be back in Texas, to see and visit family I really had not seen in 2 months, and attempt to get back to “normal”. It’s so surprising how much you miss in 2 months. As an example, the second day back from my trip, I had a dentist appointment, a routine eye exam, and a dermatology visit, all within 6 hours. Of course, the paperwork had piled up, and a took a while to sort everything out. Debby did an absolutely tremendous job of keeping up with everything around the house, and I can’t thank her enough for all she did while I was away, all while taking care of Anna full time. I am truly blessed.

I discovered that my trip did, in fact, have some residual effects, some good, and some not so good. The first I discovered was that the bathroom scales recorded a weight loss of 12 pounds, which is nothing short of astounding, particularly since I thought I had eaten everything I could get my hands on over the past 8 weeks. I suppose all you have to do is exercise 8 hours a day, every day, and you can eat whatever you want. I’m thinking about writing a weight loss book on this premise, though I’m not sure how well it would sell. I was told that the average rider burns approximately 5,000 calories per day, and since there aren’t a lot of Pizza Hut drive-throughs in most of the towns we cycled through, there simply wasn’t sufficient time each day to restore the 5,000 calories, thus the likely source of the weight loss.

One of the biggest surprises came yesterday, when I was contacted by the local bike shop who received my bike, who was in the process of extensive servicing after my trip. They discovered that due to a manufacturing defect, my bike frame had developed a “fatal crack” during the trip, necessitating the need for replacement. The whole frame! Since the frame was under a lifetime warranty, Trek is replacing the frame at no charge, (a $2,500 “recall”). I’m pleased that the bike got me across the country for the entire 3,000 miles, and that the crack did not manifest itself enough to leave me stranded on the side of the road in the Arizona desert. I can only picture cycling along, and the steering wheel completely detaching from my bike and into my hands, much like what happened in those old black and white movie comedies staring Charlie Chaplin. (Please note, I’m not THAT old to remember a Charlie Chaplin movie, however Debby most likely attended all of the premieres, when they first came out). :). So for now, I’m trying to pick the frame color of my next old / new bike, which will contain all of the original components of the coast-to-coast bike, with the exception of the frame, which is the only thing anyone else might recognize.

The last thing I will say about my re-entry, to answer many questions, is that “yes”, I have been back in the saddle, at least 4 or 5 times now. I’ve resolved to ride a minimum of 100 miles a week, and so far, have held to that promise. I’m riding an older bike while mine is being serviced, and have returned to some of the original bike routes I used while training. I’ve signed up for a St. Jude bike tour fundraising event, and plan on completing the 60 mile course, at least while my mileage base is so high, and I’m used to riding 60 – 80 miles a day. In fact, my recent 50 mile rides since I’ve been back have felt pretty easy, though I’m sure that the old familiar feeling will return soon, once I come back down to earth.

As a way to keep me humble, I returned to the gym today to do some cross-training. The hour on the StairMaster felt reasonable, but the resistance training with weights felt as though I had not picked up anything heavier than a fork over the past several months. The truth hurts, I suppose, as does just about every muscle in my body. To add “insult to injury”, I also joined a “core class” at the gym today, and must report that this class felt like the longest 30 minutes of my life. It started at 10:30, and the first time I looked at my watch, the time was 10:31. By 10:35, I was praying to receive an emergency phone call, and by 10:40, I seriously considered surreptitiously pulling the fire alarm on the wall, in hopes that the class would be forced to disband. The perky instructor refused to slow the class down, ignoring my cries to “DIAL IT DOWN, MEGHAN!!!”, which I yelled about every 90 seconds or so. By the end of the class, I was so sore that I could no longer stand, and was forced to log-roll my body toward the door. Some of my other class-mates helpfully lifted me onto an exercise mat, and slid me head first out of the door, so that I would not block the entry of the more advanced “intermediate” class that was about to begin. I promised Meghan I would return again, once the feeling returned to my body. Whether that will happen before or after 6 months from now is anyone’s guess. Check back in soon, as I promise to record my progress, (assuming there is any). Thanks for reading! It’s good to have you back!

Today marked the 53rd and final day of our cycling tour across the United States. It actually started last night, where we had a group dinner and a short ceremony in Palatka, which is about 35 miles from our final destination in St. Augustine. Since they asked everyone to stand up and say a few words, I took this as an opportunity for an “open-mike” stand-up routine, which included some of my “biggest hits”, such as the story of Captain Bravo and his red shirt / brown pants. Based on the looks I received, I got the impression that they might have been looking for something a little shorter and more contemplative, but give me an opportunity, and I will bring out the oldies and the goodies anytime, regardless of the situation. Despite the fact that I was one of the last ones to be chosen to speak to the group of riders, I decided to “do a full set”, starting around 9:00pm and finishing a little before midnight, (just like they do in Vegas!). Sure, they told me to take ony a “few minutes”, but when you get into the groove, it’s SO hard to stop. This probably explains why everyone was so tired this morning, and why everyone seemed quite annoyed with me. Ah, deep down, I know that they LOVED it!

Seriously, this journey across the United States on a bicycle has been quite an adventure, certainly one I will remember with great fondness. For me, the physical challenge of riding that distance paled in comparison to the mental challenge of staying focused, and adjusting to life away from family and being in unfamiliar, sometimes uncomfortable situations and circumstances. What I learned along the way is that we have such a diverse, beautiful, and captivating country, filled with wonderful, helpful people who are joyous about life, curious about others, and want the best not just for themselves but also for others. I can’t tell you how many people I met along the way who were absolutely fascinated with what we were doing, and filled the time with endless questions, suggestions and advice. Many even offered me money to help support “our cause”, which admittedly was probably more self-centric than altruistic. (Of course, I accepted all of their offered money, since not doing so would be RUDE… Only partially true…I let the kids keep their lemonade stand proceeds. :). I also learned that we have WAY too many Family Dollar stores, but that is a subject for another day.

I also learned yesterday that our group was a part of history. Up until today, the oldest person to cross America by bicycle was a man named Bill Wallace, who was 74 years and 313 days old. That was up until today. Today, one of our group, Bruce, completed the journey at the young age of 78 years old. I’d like to say that I played a role in making this happen, however that would not be the least bit truthful. Bruce overcame several significant accidents along the way, recovering from a fall that caused the temporary loss of feeling in one of his arms. On the day of that fateful fall, Bruce was picked up off the ground and “sagged” (taken by automobile) to our final nightly stop, 30+ miles away. The next day being a “layover day”, Bruce woke up, took his bike and a companion, and traveled back to the scene of his accident, remounted his bike, and cycled back the 30+ miles back to camp, so he so he could finish the previous day’s challenge. That, ladies and gentlemen, is the definition of toughness. So hopefully, in a few days, you will be able to “Google” Bruce’s name, and find that he now holds the record. Now, he has inspired me so much, that I am investigating who is the SHORTEST person to travel bike bike across the US. I’m thinking that I have a shot! My 15 minutes of fame may have just arrived!

Today, we left Palatka around 9:00am, and arrived in old St. Augustine around 11:30. There, we ate lunch, gathered again around 12:30, and cycled to a McDonalds, (not necessarily because in that 30 minutes we were once again hungry for a McFlurry, but across the street there was a “Welcome to St. Augustine” sign). There, we posed for about 3,000 pictures, and then remounted our bikes and traveled another 15 minutes to the beach. Along the way, I connected with Debby and Anna via FaceTime so they could be a part of the moment as it was occurring. As I rounded a corner, I found Jacob in the crowd, waving an American flag, apparently since he felt the need to practice for the upcoming Independence Day celebration. With more than a few tears coming down my face, I turned down the street to the beach, dismounted my bike, walked to the edge of the Atlantic Ocean, and FLUNG my bike into the water. (The flinging part is NOT true, but instead, I dipped my bike tire into the water). At that moment, the goal that I had set for myself over 40 years ago was complete.

As I said to the group yesterday after telling my Captain Bravo joke, I feel Grateful, Thankful, and Blessed. I am grateful for the Timberline Bike Staff, for all of their assistance and support in helping make this dream a reality. I am thankful for all of my fellow riders for teaching me so much about cycling, and supporting me when clearly I had no idea what I was doing. Most importantly, I feel Blessed. I am blessed to have a wife and family that are so supportive, and willing (perhaps even more than willing!), to allow me to leave home for two months to fulfill my dream. Beyond all of this, I have been blessed by the Good Lord above, who kept me safe and secure during my time away, and supported me in innumerable ways along my journey.

I also am thankful for you, everyone who has supported and encouraged me along the way, and perhaps endured yet another post on the blog. I will try to keep you informed via the Walking Machine, on what the next adventure might be.

Today was our last full day of riding, with 80 miles into a relatively stiff headwind. We wound past beautiful country roads north of Gainesville, past Hammock Preserve, state forests and conservation areas. The trail today included a 15 mile stretch of the Palatka Lake Butler State Park Bike Trail, which rode fast and made the 80 miles seem a little more palatable. There was a minor catastrophe averted today, as one of the riders experienced a fall, injuring two fingers on the dominate hand that initially looked like a fracture. They took the rider, JJ, to the hospital for X-Rays, and found that he had “only” dislocated the fingers. He’s splinted now, and the doctor released him to ride tomorrow, our final day, as we leave here for St. Augustine. A shorter 35 mile day should help him accomplish his goal without too much difficulty. Admittedly, it made all of us a little more careful as we cycled the remainder of the day to our destination.

Yesterday, I learned something I thought would be interesting to pass along, involving ticks. Apparently, ticks are quite prevalent in Oleno State Park in High Springs, and we were warned several times to be extremely careful, particularly since we were camping there in tents. The experts report that ticks typically reside in dried up leaves, or in grass or weeds along paths. They do something called “questing”, which is a behavior exhibited by ticks as a way of increasing the chancing of coming into contact with mammals. When a tick “quests”, they climb up a blade of grass or other structure, and then roll onto their back, extending their front legs in anticipation of a human or animal to come into contact. Once the mammal comes near, the tick, they further extends their legs, and latch onto the mammal, where they can “nest” into the skin for up to 3 – 6 days, feasting on the mammal’s blood. I also learned that ticks dislike the smell of lemon, orange, cinnamon, lavender, and peppermint, so I immediately put lavender potpourri on my shopping list, the next time I am in a gift shop. We were also warned not to crush a tick, since their bodily fluids may contain infection-causing organisms. (We also learned not to flush a tic down the commode, as ticks do not drown in water. They have been known to crawl back up out of the toilet bowl!). Thus ends your lesson on ticks for today!

Tomorrow is the big day, where our 3,000 mile adventure comes to an end, in St. Augustine, Florida. We are about to receive information on the proceedings, which sound to be quite involved. I am hoping that they are similar to a “splashdown” of a space craft in the Atlantic Ocean, and think it would be only appropriate that scuba divers come lift us out of the water and onto a ship, where the president of the United States would be there to greet us, and perhaps request our autographs. I’ll be sure to let you know how close my imagination is to reality, once it happens tomorrow. Tomorrow’s ride is only 35 miles, and I am looking forward to seeing Jacob, who has flown from Texas to witness the actual finish. We plan on spending a few days in St. Augustine before returning, and our hoping to see some family from Orlando, who plan on coming up sometime this week. I promise to keep you posted on how things go! Until then, wish me luck!

Today’s ride went fast, over country roads and into some forest before emptying us out into a state park. Since it was Saturday, there were more cars on the road around Ichetucknee Springs State Park, where the locals, armed with canoes, inner tubes, and kayaks had descended to take advantage of the bright spring like temperatures and clear skies. Apparently I was just a little too focused today on finishing the ride, so instead of enjoying the sink holes, springs, and eating places, I pressed on, only to find myself first at the camp, which is without a doubt a first for me. I’ve been accused of being a little too intense before, and I suppose that’s a pretty accurate statement. Some of the time it works in my favor, but other times, like today, I found myself wandering around a vacant campsite. I thought I might take up chasing squirrels or tracking bears, but a hiker told me to watch out for poison ivy, and be careful since the woods here are loaded with tics. (For some reason, I don’t think he works for the Park Service, but I do appreciate his honesty!).

A quick note about last night. If you will remember, we stayed in a barn-like structure in the county fairgrounds. In the middle of the night, I woke up to use the restroom. I returned back to the pitch dark room where everyone was sleeping and, winding my way around sleeping souls, attempted to find my sleeping bag. It was then that I noticed something strange. At the foot of my sleeping bag, I noticed a strange green light emanating from inside my gear bag. Naturally, I assumed that someone was planning an assassination attempt on my life, and had planted a bomb in my luggage, which was probably set to go off at any minute. (A natural assumption, right?). So, trying to avoid making too much noise to wake the other riders, I began digging through clothes to find the source of the light, hoping to save myself and the other riders from sudden catastrophe. In the dark, I felt for and found the usual things in the bag, such as socks, bike jerseys, etc…. It was then that I felt something that felt strangely like….a ladies bra! About that time, one of the female riders asked if she could help me find something from HER bag that I was presently rooting around in. Thinking quickly, I told her that I had always wanted to wear a bra, and since she looked to be about my size…..

Needless to say, I was extremely embarrassed, and slinking back to my own sleeping bag, (which was ONLY three spaces prior to her’s), I attempted to go back to sleep, but sleep would not come for several hours. Though I felt a little safer in learning that no assassination was planned, I practiced my apology for the rest of the night, until morning came. Dressing quickly, I found the lady and profusely apologized, explaining what had happened. Being ever so gracious, she told me not to worry. She explained that she had been awake when I approached, and when I began to dig, she assumed that I was walking in my sleep. She didn’t want to wake me, until she saw that I was intent on finding something, (I don’t think she knows what I found, so that can be just our little secret, OK?). I explained that I was, in fact, awake, but was simply disoriented in the dark. She laughed it off, but secretly I’m sure she’s keeping a closer eye on me for the rest of the trip. I’m going to make sure she stays well ahead of me for the remaining two rides, (which shouldn’t be too difficult for me, anyway!).

So, when I say the ride today was uneventful, keep in mind that it is all relative to what happened last night. I’m sure I will sleep better tonight, however if I do begin to wander outside of the tent, I’m sure I’ll be shot on the spot, no questions asked!

Tomorrow, we will have our last full, long ride of the tour. It will be an 80 mile adventure, taking us from the state park here to old Palatka. We will overnight there before moving on Monday morning to our final stopping place and the coast, in St. Augustine. Just say a prayer that all goes well! I’ll add a few more photos of the riders, posing at the statue of Ray Charles in Greenville, FL.

To tell you the truth, I wasn’t looking forward to today’s ride, after riding 85 miles yesterday with a fair amount of hills, a headwind, and the loss of an hour due to entering east coast time. That being said, my fears were completely unfounded, as the route today was relatively flat, and rode much, much faster than yesterday. The road surface was extremely good, and the traffic was relatively light, so I really don’t have much to complain about. All that being said, it did take me about 6 hours to finish the route, so I didn’t exactly set any speed records. I know I am going slowly when a HOUSE passes me, like it did today. Of course, the sign on the front of the truck read, “Wide Load”, which at first I thought they were referring to me, but alas, they were simply relocating a mobile home. But facts are facts, and when a house passes you, it may be time to start to try a little harder!

Our route today followed route 90, through the towns of Monticello, Greenville, and Madison, and also crossed over the Suwannee River, which runs 250 miles from South Georgia to Florida. (The river is the one that inspired the song, “Way down upon the Suwannee River, Far, Far, away…”. It is one of Florida’s state songs). I must admit, the more I see of rural northern Florida in the panhandle, the more I like it. Many of the towns are extremely clean, with beautiful moss-lined oak trees and breathtaking, antebellum style houses and southern style buildings, many of which have been well preserved, (unlike myself). Please don’t think that I am working for the chamber of commerce, or that I am considering a run for public office in Florida, however, if elected, I will serve. Just remember, vote early and vote often!

One of the highlights today was a trip through Greenville, which is the childhood home of Ray Charles. Greenville is relatively small, with a population of only 750 people, yet they have done a really nice job with their city park and downtown area. It doesn’t take too long to ride through this town, but it is well worth stopping at the park to see the statue of Ray, and read a little about his history. As a child, Ray was simply known as R.C. He grew up poor, and reportedly learned to play the piano from the owner of the Red Wing Cafe, (not to be mistaken for the Red Roof Inn). At the age of 7, Ray’s eyesight failed, and he was sent to a school in St. Augustine for the deaf and blind. During summers and holidays, he always returned to Greenville, to be around family. When he was 15, his mother died, and he suddenly found himself to be on his own. He took it upon himself to travel and exhibit his musical talent. The rest, as they say, is history. Ray is credited for pioneering soul music, and is considered to be one of the most outstanding musical talents of the century.

Tonight, we are staying at the Suwannee County Fairgrounds, in a modified warehouse with concrete floors and fake wood paneling. Essentially, it has the charm of an airplane hanger, however I’m not complaining, since it is technically indoors, though I am expecting any moment a sheep or perhaps an award winning pig to enter to inspect our barracks. Fortunately, we are located close to the rodeo arena, so hopefully there will be time after dinner to do a little barrel racing or rope a calf before lights out.

Tomorrow is a relatively short ride, with 56 miles on the menu to get us from Live Oak to the Oleno State Park in High Springs, Florida. Tomorrow will be a sad day, as it is our last scheduled tent camping of the tour. Providing a bear does not eat me during the evening, we will have an 80 mile day scheduled for the following day into Old Palatka, setting the stage for the final leg of our tour into St. Augustine. I suppose that even IF a bear should eat me, the group will STILL make the trip into Old Palatka. If this happens, my only hope is that the group says a few nice words about me at breakfast before mounting their saddles and riding onward. Hopefully that’s not too much to ask, is it?

Today included a very long ride with relatively warm temperatures, into the mid 80’s. The route took us a little off of route 90 in Florida, and we took a number of back rides through some rolling hills. Just after our first SAG stop, we entered into the Eastern Time Zone, which gave us all a little encouragement for the progress we are making. After SAG one, the path routed us just a few miles from the Georgia border, and finally entered Tallahassee from the north, wandering through some city streets to avoid busier downtown roads. The final few miles took us through the Canopy Roads of Tallahassee, which was a quite scenic 3 mile stint, marred only by a fair amount of car traffic. I started out at 7:30, and finished around 4:15pm, enduring some relatively heavy head-winds for the broad majority of the ride. It will be a quick turnaround, however, as we have a 77 mile day planned for tomorrow, from here to Live Oak, Florida.

One of the towns we cycled through today was Quincy, Florida, and extremely beautiful city with a number of homes and buildings that are included on the National Register of Historic Places. There have a very quaint town square, and beautiful antebellum homes with large, expansive porches, all framed with very tall pine and oak trees. Just on the outskirts of Quincy stands the Old Greta School house, which functioned as a school from 1908 to 1935. It still stands today, with only minor changes to the original design. It consists of three (3) rooms on the first floor and one great room upstairs with a stage on one side. I’ve included a picture of the school today, as well as a photo I found on the internet of some of the children who attended the school back in the early 1900’s.

As a quick update, Josh’s bike, (the one with the completely cracked top tube), remained intact again today, giving the impression that his home-made repairs might just last through the remainder of the trip. Dena, one of the other riders, however, experienced three, count ‘em, three flats today, and was assisted by the mechanic and several other riders. Dena is one of the riders that typically finishes first, and then spends 4 – 5 hours afterwards online, on conference calls and working on her computer. She was quite frustrated by the punctures which slowed her down, but thankful for the assistance. My bike, however, remains intact, and is performing pretty well, and for that, I am eternally grateful.

Our host city for tonight, Tallahassee, serves as the state capital, and is also home to Florida State University, one of the largest universities in the country, with a student population of over 70,000. Tallahassee is pretty large, with a population of over 200,000 people. The terrain here is surprisingly hilly, and I felt each and every bit of elevation in the city today. While most people point to Jim Morrison (singer, poet, and songwriter) as one of the most famous people from Tallahassee, I am more impressed that Wally Amos is from here. Of course, you know Wally as the founder of “Famous Amos Cookies”! Ah, we all have our heroes!

Truth be told, I think everyone on the tour is ready for our trip to end. Secretly, while I’m certainly up for the 77 mile challenge tomorrow, I wouldn’t be offended if they shortened it to 7.7 miles. In the next few days, we have a 77 mile ride tomorrow, a 55 mile ride on Saturday to Oleno State Park, a 80 mile ride to Old Palatka on Sunday, and then finally a 35 mile ride from Old Palatka to St. Augustine, where our tour will end. Apparently, there are all kinds of processes and pageantry planned for the last day, including wearing matching jerseys and a planned parade, with all of the riders coming in en masse. Frankly, I’d be fine with taking a limousine, or even an Uber on the last day, however that particular tactic might just be frowned upon. For that reason, I’m planning on complying with the group, though I am a little worried that my bright yellow feather boa might just get tangled up in my spokes. I’d hate to make a spectacle of myself at the very end. So for now, it is “BAU” – Business as Usual! More to write tomorrow, I promise!

We awoke today to yet another cold morning, however after about an hour of so, most of the layers were shed, and we ended up with an 84 degree day. We were routed today through the town of DeFuniak Springs, and I must say, if you ever have an opportunity to visit, please do so. In fact, in 2019, DeFuniak was voted “best small town in Florida”, for good reason. We cycled around Lake DeFuniak, which is only one of two spring fed lakes in the world that are perfectly round. The homes surrounding this lake are stunning and very historic. Also located along this lake is the Walton-DeFuniak Library, which opened in 1887 and is the oldest continuously run library in the state.

After winding around DeFuniak, we cycled through the town of Caryville, which hosts the best kept secret I’ve ever witnessed. Yes, it is true that each year, Caryville hosts the national “Worm Fiddlin’” contest. Now, you may ask, what exactly is “Worm Fiddlin?” Ah, I’m glad you asked! Worm Fiddlin’, (also known as “worm charming” or “worm grunting”), is a way of attracting earthworms from the ground, usually to collect bait for fishing, but also can be performed as a competition. To perform such feat, first a 3 foot stake is driven in the ground. Then, a handsaw is dragged back and forth on the top of the stake. The stake begins vibrating, and within seconds, dozens of earthworms start. popping out of the soil, probably surfacing to see what the racket up above is all about. I stopped and talked to a few locals, and asked them if they had ever thought about petitioning the International Olympic Committee to see if they would consider making this a sport in the Olympics. I swear I am not making this up!

Meanwhile, back to the cycling report! If you have been reading past posts, you may remember that I have reported that many of the cyclists have experienced significant problems with their bikes. To add to one of the riders woes, Josh experienced a complete crack through his top tube of his frame, which is the bar that runs from the seat post to the handlebars. Completely undeterred, he addressed the problem with a quick trip to the local tractor supply store here. He purchased some metal rods, some C-Clamp, and some duct tape, and essentially made a splint for his top tube. I saw him at camp this afternoon, and he said that the bike made it through the 69 mile ordeal today without issues. Where there is a will, there is a way, right?

Tomorrow will be a big test for all of us, however. We are scheduled for a 85 mile trek tomorrow, from Marianna to Tallahassee. To compound matters, there is about 3,000 feet of elevation on the course. I’m sure we will start early, and push hard to finish before dark. (At least I will!). Until then, we will continue to enjoy our time at the Florida Caverns RV Park, where they only have 1 shower, but make up for it with lots and lots of mosquitos. Not to name drop, but I’m the only one in the group who knows that Bobby Goldsboro was actually born in Marianna. What am I going to do with all of this useless information???

Despite a very cold night and early morning with a 41 degree wake up call, the cycling day was a relatively easy one from a mileage standpoint. That being said, the “wheels are starting to come off” for a number of riders, who experienced some significant damage and malfunctions to their bikes today and yesterday. David from the UK had a “blow-out” with a tire, which sounded like a bomb had gone off below his feet. Fortunately, David had brought a replacement tire, however the rims on his bike are not necessarily compatible with the tire and tubes he has. He has always had difficulty in fitting his tires on his rims, which poses problems when he tries to place an inner tube inside. The tire fits so tightly on his rim that when he uses levers to reseat the tire, he can easily damage the tube, making it completely useless. Shortly after replacing his tire, he experienced another flat, and the tight fit is causing him to inflate to much lower air pressures that he normally uses. Since bike shops in this remote area are not easily accessible, they are currently debating an alternative course of action.

In addition to all of this drama, as I reported yesterday, Piet experienced some frayed shifting cables, which limited his bike to only one or two gears. They have ordered new cables, but in the meantime, he is “borrowing” a mountain bike from the mechanic, which allows him to continue cycling, on a good yet unfamiliar piece of equipment. Another rider, Josh, has experienced significant rim damage, and while he continues to ride, everyone is keeping a close eye on how things fare with him. I could go on, but suffice it to say, the wear and tear of 3,000 miles is starting to show, at least on the equipment. As for me, I have a slightly bent brake rotor, which causes my brake to rub against the front tire slightly as I am riding. Though the bike is still “rideable” and certainly does not compare with some of the serious issues described above, I now have a viable excuse for going so slow. Now, I am able to tell everyone that I’m still able to go 14 – 16 miles an hour, even with my brakes engaged. That’s my story, and I’m sticking to it!

Sorry for all of the mechanical details, but that has quickly become the top story here in DeFuniak Springs, Florida. On the bright side, I must commend the state of Florida for the condition of the shoulders of their roads, as well as their prolific bike lanes, at least in this area of the state. Everyone is VERY impressed with the road surfaces, since it allows the bikes to roll fairly easily up and down the rolling hills here in the northern part of the state. We are staying in tents at the Sunset King Lake RV “Resort” here in Defuniak Springs, which I must say, is very well equipped, and includes clean showers with warm water. (Could anyone ask for anything more???). The resort is located on King Lake, which is approximately 600 acres and reportedly is well stocked with black bass and catfish, as well as something called “shell-cracker” and “crappie”. I’ll admit that I have eaten some crappy fish in my day, so I’m hoping that this isn’t for dinner!

DeFuniak Springs, where we are for the night, is the county seat in Walton County, and has a population of about 7,000 people. The town was founded by officers of the Louisville and Nashville Railroad, and was named after Frederick DeFuniak, Vice President of the L&N Railroad. (And here I thought that it was some creative marketing name, designed to engage potential “maniacs” looking to find “some fun”. So much for my marketing abilities, huh?). Famous people from DeFuniak include Buck Showalter, current baseball manager for the New York Mets.

Tomorrow we have a quick turn-around, with a planned 69 mile ride designed to take us from DeFuniak Springs to Marianna, Florida. Let’s hope that the mechanical casualties are kept to a minimum! I’m sure I’ll have more to report following this ride!

Today we had an option of riding a “short” straight route from Pensacola to Milton, Florida, or a “longer” route, that took us onto old highway 90 and then through Blackwater Heritage State Trail, adding about 22 additional miles to the shorter route. I opted for the longer route, leaving at 8:00am and arriving at camp around 12:45pm, just in time to help set up tents and grab a shower and do some writing before dinner. The day was absolutely pristine, starting in the low 50’s but finishing in the mid to high 70’s, with very little clouds and wind. The route out of Pensacola was interesting, taking us along a ridge overlooking the Gulf, giving us an appreciation of just how expansive Pensacola is. While the population of Pensacola proper is listed at just slightly higher than 50,000 people, the entire metropolitan area lists a population of just a little more than 520,000. Some of the homes overlooking the Gulf were quite impressive, as were the long labyrinth of bike trails, which are well maintained and extremely helpful when navigating through the city and outskirts of town.

The Blackwater Heritage State Trail winds through heavily wooded countryside and through the town of Milton. One of the highlights for today was in experiencing Florida’s Old Brick Road, also known as the Dixie Highway. Built in the 1920’s, the Old Brick Road was a part of the Dixie Highway project, that brought together private industry and state governments to create a network of paved roads from Chicago to South Florida. The project head was a guy named Carl Fisher, who had previously created the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, (which is known as the “old brickyard”). At the time, the network connected 10 states with more than 5,000 miles of paved road. I paralleled a 10 mile stretch of the Old Dixie Highway, which still exists today. Back in the 1920’s, Model T’s and “Tin Can Trailers” often traveled this road, bringing tourists to the Sunshine state. The road is only 9 feet wide, and is wide enough for only one car. The stretch I paralleled once connected Jacksonville to Flagler Beach, through very small turpentine and potato farming communities. Some of the bricks are still marked with the words “Graves B’Hamala”, indicating that the bricks were produced by the Graves Brick Company in Birmingham, Alabama. (Reportedly, we will see some of these bricks in the streets of St. Augustine).

With the end of the tour only a week away, you can feel the excitement building with the people here. That being said, we have a minimum of 370+ miles left in our journey, so I’m trying to remain patient and focused on the next mile and next hour, instead of thinking about the final day. There have been some bikes that have experienced some significant problems, and as we have seen, a sudden turn of events can lead to an injury to a person or bike, changing the fate of any of us. As an example, poor Piet experienced some damage to his derailleur, to the point that his bike would not change gears, forcing him to ride in only one, very low gear. From a distance, he looks like a little kid on a tricycle, pedaling furiously as fast as he can in order to keep the front tire pointed in the right direction. The mechanic worked throughout the night to rectify the problem, and was, to his credit, able to allow Piet to change from the small chainring to the large, giving him a whopping TWO gears to choose from. Lance the mechanic says that Piet’s bike needs some significant repairs, which may or may not be able to happen in the next few days. Piet is undeterred, however, and vows to continue moving forward, albeit at a very slow pace.

We are currently staying in tents at the KOA (Kampgrounds of America) in Milton, FL. Milton, with a population of slightly more than 10,000 people, is the home of the Naval Air Station Whiting Field. Historically, Milton was known by various names during its development, the most notable being “Hell Town”, for its muggy weather, inhospitable land covered with briars, mosquitoes, thorns, and snakes. How would you like to work for the Chamber of Commerce here, huh? Fortunately, at some point, the name was changed to Milton, since the town centered on the lumber industry, and provided a “mill” to process the wood. During the Civil War, much of Milton was burned by the Confederate forces retreating from the Union capture of Pensacola in 1862. The Confederates intended to prevent the town’s industries from falling into Union hands. In World War II, Naval Air Station Whiting Field was constructed with the help of many German prisoners of war who were housed in a camp on the site. Though fairly small, there have been a number of well-known people who have graduated from Milton High School, including Bubba Watson, professional golfer on the PGA tour and two-time Master’s champion. Along with a half-dozen pro football players and a few other golfers, I’m told that Dayton Hobbs, a pastor of a Bible Church is from here. His claim to fame: He invented Tee-Ball! (I wonder if Rev. Hobbs knows that Benjamin was on the Grapevine Goats Tee-Ball championship team this past year?!).

Sorry about the history lessons today! Tomorrow, (day 47 if you are playing along at home), we cycle from Milton to DeFuniak Springs, another 54 mile day. Coming up in the next four days, we have several 75 to 85 mile days, so I suppose we should enjoy the slightly lower mileage we’ve had over the past few days. My goal is to keep the rubber side down and to make it to camp before nightfall. Anything else to the positive will only be a bonus. Thanks for the support and for reading through all of this!

Today was a very different day from our usual daily rides. We started out a little early (7:00am), after being awakened around 4:00am with thunder, lightning, and a significant amount of rain, which persisted until around 8:00am, when we boarded a ferry. The ferry ride lasted about 35 minutes, and emptied us out at Fort Morgan, on the Gulf Shores. From there, we cycled through Fort Morgan, Gulf Shores, and Orange Beach, where we crossed the border into Florida at “Flora-Bama”, one of “the world’s top beach honky-Tonks”, located on the Florida – Alabama state line. From there, we passed through Perdido Key, Florida, and met up with 3 – 4 servicemen on bikes at a Winn-Dixie grocery store, who ultimately escorted us to the Pensacola Naval Air Station, where we had a tour of the National Naval Aviation Museum. Only another 8-9 mile cycle took us to our lodging for tonight, which is at the First United Methodist Church in Pensacola.

A quick note about the Methodist Church here. Founded in 1821, the First United Methodist Church in Pensacola is the oldest Protestant church in the area, and the oldest Methodist Church in Florida. It records a membership that exceeds 3,000 people. The facilities here are pretty impressive for a church, and they have graciously allowed us to stay in their gymnasium for the evening.

Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida panhandle, with a population of approximately 55,000. Pensacola is the site of the first Spanish settlement within the borders of the continental US, predating the establishment of St. Augustine by 6 years. One of the largest US Naval Air Stations is located here, and serves as the base for the Blue Angels flight demonstration team, (Hi Benny!) and the National Naval Aviation Museum, which we toured. They actually told us that the Blue Angels practice maneuvers here on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so I was a little disappointed that we weren’t here to listen and watch the angels in action. Pensacola is nicknamed at “The City of Five Flags”, due to the five governments that have ruled it during it’s history. (Spain, France, Great Britain, the Confederate States of America, and finally the US flags have all flown here). Of particular note is that Emmett Smith, former running back for the Dallas Cowboys, is from Pensacola.

I also learned that instead of dropping a typical New Year’s Eve ball to mark the new year, Pensacola had implemented a Pelican Drop, instead. At the stroke of midnight on December 31st (or January 1st, if you prefer), a pelican, the city’s mascot, was dropped. (I’m assuming it was not a REAL pelican). Since 2008, the Pelican Drop had been a significant attraction in the area, drawing in crowds in excess of 50,000. It was considered one of the biggest celebrations on New Years in the central time zone. Unfortunately, in 2019, the Pelican Drop was canceled due to financial issues and the burden the event had caused on the local police. Fortunately, Mobile, Alabama picked up the slack, where instead of a “ball” or a pelican, they drop a Moon Pie. (I am NOT making this up!). I plan to take the family to Mobile this December. Care to join me?

Yet tomorrow is a new day, with new possibilities and opportunities for old and new dogs to chase me across Florida. Our route tomorrow has us moving from Pensacola to Milton, Florida. The plan is to take some of the many bike lanes they have here, (thank you, Pensacola!), through the Escambian Bay through the Blackwater Heritage State trail to our next stopping point. Tomorrow will mark a significant milestone, as we have only one more week of cycling left before we get to our final destination in St. Augustine. Here’s to a significant amount of blessings and luck, good weather, and a tailwind. There will always be more to write about, so I will catch up with you all tomorrow. Thanks for reading, and thanks for all of your support!