Day 58 - Monday, May 5

Palatka, FL to St. Augustine, FL - 51 miles - 3181 miles (5134 km) total. 

The last day!

Woke to a beautiful sunrise. 

Had a beautiful scenic ride, with one sobering reminder of how lucky we were to have 14 of us safely ride over 5000 km across the country. 

Then it was St. Augustine. 

Once we had all arrived, it was time for the obligatory shots on the beach. 

Interesting stat: JB finished tallying our total elevation climb over the 58 days - 73 481 ft or 22 397 metres. Impressive, no matter which way you look at it. 

During a rest stop at Molaases Junction, JB and I were entertained by a crop-dusting plane that actually flew under the roadside power lines after spraying the adjoining field. A remarkable display of aerial artistry. 

Heading out to the Jacksonville airport tonight for an early flight home tomorrow. 

Day 57 - Sunday, May 4

Gainesville, FL to Palatka, FL - 61 miles - 3140 miles. 

It was the ultimate penultimate day. After five days of overcast and rain, we rode in sunshine and heat. And to top it off, the route included over 20 miles of bike path; no traffic, no noise, no stress. 

One highlight was Nicole meeting us at the 30-mile mark with bottles of cold Starbucks mochas. Perfection!

We're staying at a motel/resort along the St. John River, which we'll cross tomorrow on our final ride to St. Augustine. 

We had a celebratory dinner of Southern boil (crayfish, crab legs, sausage, shrimp, and corn on the cob) on the patio, and then moved inside for our final map meeting, and a bout of reminiscing about each leg of the journey, which brought back the many fun and difficult times we shared. 

Day 56 - Saturday, May 3

White Springs, FL to Gainesville, FL - 71 miles - 3079 total. 

The forecast for today was for partial cloud, zero chance of rain, and moderate temps. The reality was overcast, rain, and cool. 

The most frustrating part of the ride was when the precip would taper off, we'd take off our rain gear only to have the heavens open up again. It rained right up to our arrival at our final camping spot of the tour, the 300 Tennis and Swim Club. We've set up our tents next to the tennis courts, and some of our group, not I, are availing themselves of the outdoor pool and its 82 degrees water. And now the sun is peeking out of the broken clouds, and there's actually blue sky in sight.  Maybe our last two days on the road will be hot and sunny, just as we started. Wouldn't that be nice!

It was nice to see some wild flowers again. First real colour since Texas. 

Day 55 - Friday, May 2

Monticello, FL to White Springs, FL - 76 miles - 3008 total

Our WarmShowers hosts, Maria and Diane, were amazing. Not only did they insist on buying us dinner, pizza and wings to the tune of over $100, Maria was up at 6:30 this morning to cook us a huge breakfast of scrambled eggs and bacon. 

In addition to our group, there was also a self-contained cyclist, Lee, who had set out from St. Augustine last week, making it to Monticello when the storms hit. Although he claimed to be anxious to get back on the road, he was making no plans to get around the flood-damaged parts of the Tier. As a matter of fact, when we left this morning, he announced he'd be spending another day at the acreage. What a deal; two meals a day, run of the house, his own room, and all of it rent free. Some of us wondered if he'd ever leave!

JB and I chose to ride sweep with Paul today, mainly to keep him company. One of our group continues to dawdle as she rides, which can be very frustrating for the leader who has to ride with or behind her. So today, once the slowpoke had begun her ride, the three of us left the acreage, rode the mile into town, found an eatery, and spent about 45 minutes shooting the breeze over coffee. Then it was a leisurely ride to the next break, which happened to be Greenville, the birthplace of Ray Charles, where we enjoyed a snack at the park commemorating his birth. 

This pace continued, so that although we only rode for five and a half hours, it took us seven and a half to complete the trip, and we still caught up with the dawdler eight miles from our destination. That's slow!

The weather has begun to cooperate, and although it did rain for part of the ride, we did see the sun, however briefly, a few times during the day. Tomorrow's forecast is for improving conditions. Here's hoping. 

We're in the land of moss-laden trees. Cue the horror-movie music!

Tomorrow will also be our last camping destination, as well as our last cooking night, and yours truly is one of the last cooks. In honour of the occasion, and because neither my partner nor I have any ambition, we're going back to college and serving up KD and brats, with key lime pie for dessert. 

Day 54 - Thursday, May 1

Tallahassee, FL to Monticello, FL - 52 miles - 2932 total. 

It's been an interesting day. We started out dry, got drenched by a torrential downpour between miles 15 and 30, and then stayed wet as the rains, although less intense, continued through to Monticello. 

The ground is saturated, and flooding is a real problem. We haven't seen any first hand, but the creeks alongside the roads are overflowing their banks, and many fields and front yards we've passed are under water. So far, our route seems ok, but with the rains expected to continue till Saturday, things can change. 

We're staying at another WarmShowers, this time with an eccentric retired pathologist and her partner on their acreage. They share their home with a rescued pit bull, four rescued chihuahuas, and a couple of cats. Four of our group elected to stay at a B&B in town, but the rest of us will be bunking down in an old  RV and around the old farmhouse which has been added to and extended this way and that. On top of that, there is clutter everywhere, but with some judicious shifting of articles and furniture, there is room for us. The main thing is we're warm and dry. 

One of the most difficult things about cycling in the rain is remembering to drink enough fluids. Somehow, when being soaked by the elements, the idea of ingesting even more water seems ridiculous. However, as I found out today, going forty miles without taking even a sip of water can result in one's legs cramping. It's amazing how quickly one's body reacts favourably when the water bottle is drained. 

Tomorrow will be a high-mileage day, which may be a tad more tiring because of the weather. But, to repeat our mantra, it is what it is. 

Our hosts, Maria and Diane.