The Final days

Total distance 4720 Km (~ 2926 Miles)

Average 127 Km per day.

July 8 164Km

Today’s Points 1 Total Score 5

Without getting all sentimental

I made it to Diane’s today. Another long hot day in the saddle. I was seeing spots and weaving on the road for a while. I think I might of gotten a little too hot. They tell me it was 102 F out today. It didn’t feel that bad and in the shade, with the wind from my moving bike I never really felt like I was biking on the surface of the sun. But I took a needed break in the shade of a church lawn before I made the final push into the familiar.

The land naked

The places that we live, the places we grew up in, the places that we always would go visit; these places with their bars and grocery stores, restaurants and, houses, we feel that somehow these places are special. That somehow out of every place in the universe our version of a Grocery store is more special than any other. When I travel and especially when I travel by bike I see the land naked, for what it is without the rose colored glasses of familiarity. I see the towns and the spaces between towns for what they really are. All the same! WallMarts on that space of land that was the edge of town 20 years ago, downtowns that are just getting back to up and running after the death of the downtown years ago, and the proverbial railroad tracks separating us from them. These images of modern America, like a 21^st century Norman Rockwell painting, give an image of America that we all understand. But today when I was coming back into areas that I have seen before while living in South Carolina last year, there was sense of place, home, and comfort in seeing a store familiar things but a sense of loss knowing that it was just like all the other things I’ve seen. In the end it is only the people there that make places worth living in.

I am reading the David Sedaris book Naked, I like his writing style.

July 7 161 Km

Today’s Points 0 Total Score 5

July 6 158Km

Today’s Points 0 Total Score 5

Georgia doesn’t believe in maps

For some reason the entire state of Georgia does not have any maps. Everywhere else that I have traveled has had rest areas, welcome centers, tourist info centers, and if nothing else maps in the gas station. Here in Georgia, I have checked most of the gas stations along the way. One this morning had maps, that you could buy of course (I didn’t of course). The rest of them don’t have any. Maybe it’s because nobody wants to come to the low country of Georgia and the people that are already here think this is God’s country so why would they want to go anywhere else. In any case nobody can enter or leave the state with the use of a map.

July 5 151 Km

Today’s Points 0 Total Score 5

Out of Florida and into Georgia to a Hardees

I ate at a Hardees today. I thought I would give it a try. I try the rest of the fast food places. None of them really make me feel good. So I thought I would give Hardees a try before they go out of business. The thick burger was good but very greasy and in the end, just a fast-food burger. Not really worth it. I think that one of these days I am going to learn that the fast food burgers just aren’t worth the hassle. Cheap, yes. Fast, yes. Disgusting, yes. Greasy face, yes. Belly ache, yes. I even got dizzy and thought I might fall off my bike. Let’s see tofu and peaches try to do that.

July 4 0 Km

Today’s Points 1 Total Score 5

Gainesville and more rest

July3 0 Km

Today’s Points 1 Total Score 4

Gainesville and rest

The Final days

Total distance 4720 Km (~ 2926 Miles)

Average 127 Km per day.

July 8 164Km

Today’s Points 1 Total Score 5

Without getting all sentimental

I made it to Diane’s today. Another long hot day in the saddle. I was seeing spots and weaving on the road for a while. I think I might of gotten a little too hot. They tell me it was 102 F out today. It didn’t feel that bad and in the shade, with the wind from my moving bike I never really felt like I was biking on the surface of the sun. But I took a needed break in the shade of a church lawn before I made the final push into the familiar.

The land naked

The places that we live, the places we grew up in, the places that we always would go visit; these places with their bars and grocery stores, restaurants and, houses, we feel that somehow these places are special. That somehow out of every place in the universe our version of a Grocery store is more special than any other. When I travel and especially when I travel by bike I see the land naked, for what it is without the rose colored glasses of familiarity. I see the towns and the spaces between towns for what they really are. All the same! WallMarts on that space of land that was the edge of town 20 years ago, downtowns that are just getting back to up and running after the death of the downtown years ago, and the proverbial railroad tracks separating us from them. These images of modern America, like a 21^st century Norman Rockwell painting, give an image of America that we all understand. But today when I was coming back into areas that I have seen before while living in South Carolina last year, there was sense of place, home, and comfort in seeing a store familiar things but a sense of loss knowing that it was just like all the other things I’ve seen. In the end it is only the people there that make places worth living in.

I am reading the David Sedaris book Naked, I like his writing style.

July 7 161 Km

Today’s Points 0 Total Score 5

July 6 158Km

Today’s Points 0 Total Score 5

Georgia doesn’t believe in maps

For some reason the entire state of Georgia does not have any maps. Everywhere else that I have traveled has had rest areas, welcome centers, tourist info centers, and if nothing else maps in the gas station. Here in Georgia, I have checked most of the gas stations along the way. One this morning had maps, that you could buy of course (I didn’t of course). The rest of them don’t have any. Maybe it’s because nobody wants to come to the low country of Georgia and the people that are already here think this is God’s country so why would they want to go anywhere else. In any case nobody can enter or leave the state with the use of a map.

July 5 151 Km

Today’s Points 0 Total Score 5

Out of Florida and into Georgia to a Hardees

I ate at a Hardees today. I thought I would give it a try. I try the rest of the fast food places. None of them really make me feel good. So I thought I would give Hardees a try before they go out of business. The thick burger was good but very greasy and in the end, just a fast-food burger. Not really worth it. I think that one of these days I am going to learn that the fast food burgers just aren’t worth the hassle. Cheap, yes. Fast, yes. Disgusting, yes. Greasy face, yes. Belly ache, yes. I even got dizzy and thought I might fall off my bike. Let’s see tofu and peaches try to do that.

July 4 0 Km

Today’s Points 1 Total Score 5

Gainesville and more rest

July3 0 Km

Today’s Points 1 Total Score 4

Gainesville and rest

The lost coast of Florida

July 2 170 Km

Today’s Points 0 Total Score 3

Money

I found $60 dollars today, a 50 and a 10 on the side of the road making it a good day. This along with the 100 from Bill Tom, and the 35 from other people plus some odd change, adds up to $200. So lately I have actually been making money. Who knew that going on tour could be a money making venture. Typically I spend less than $20 a day, mostly on food. I try to avoid restaurants as much as possible because of the poor calorie to dollar ratio although McDonald’s dollar menu is tough to beat.

More rain but I made it to Gainesville where I am staying with a friend for a few days. Hurray to be resting

July 1 170 Km

Today’s Points -1 Total Score 3

My ass is so sore

Maybe it’s the rain, maybe it’s the long miles I’ve been putting in every day, or maybe it’s my bike seat, but my but is the most sore it has ever been. Every night for the past two weeks I haven’t been able to sit down comfortably. I’m told that the wet, sweaty, dirty shorts will do this. All I know is that after Gainesville, I hope that the rest of the bike, and the smaller miles will make it more bearable. Suggestions would be appreciated.

June 30 158 Km

Today’s Points +1 Total Score 3

Bill Tom from Cut and Shoot

After a long day in the saddle, it was raining as I came into a small Florida fishing town. It was raining so I stopped underneath a hotel awning where some guys were grilling out. I got to talking with them. They were oil spill cleanup workers. They worked on boats putting out boom, sausage like buoys that are supposed to keep the oil away from the shore. They offered me a beer, then some food, and pretty soon they offered me a place to stay. Great guys, all from Texas. Very friendly warm and welcoming. Texans are really nice people. Chris and Colt let me stay in their room and this Bill Tom from Cut and Shoot Texas told some wild stories. So animated. Told stories with taking a breath spilling beer everywhere and wiping his tobacco spit on his pants. Bill Tom was a marine and loves his country. He loves his countrymen, and God. But he was a racist, that talked openly about cutting and killing people. I am not sure how much of it was true but I am glad that I was white and was on his good side. I’m not sure how friendly they would have been to me if I had been black. Bill Tom gave me $100 and I told him I would read the book of Mormon.

Florida

June 29 148 Km

Today’s Points 0 Total Score 3

The People of Florida

As far as I can tell the people of Florida, are a hodge-podge collection of every sort. Of course we think of the beach babes and the beautiful people that didn’t want to move to California. But the largest group of people that I see are the leftovers. The carnies that quit their job in the traveling fair and are now living the skin cancer, perma-smoking life. They came here in their youth, when the world was there oyster and never left and have turned into a clam. Then again there are the rich people, and the tourists that make the state almost unbearable but we have all experienced those people and they aren’t as much fun to talk about. The beach collects all sorts of people.

Wheres all the oil

June 28 157 Km

Today’s Points 0 Total Score 3

Oil Shortage

As I traveled along the coast, I was ironically hoping to see the oil spill. Unfortunately I never saw any oil so far. I am told it is out there, but personally I haven’t seen any oil yet. In my head the oil spill was so large that there was no water left in the gulf, it all was replaced with oil. Obviously this isn’t true. And I didn’t know any better I would say that there wasn’t a spill. But there are reminders of it all over the place. Clean up crews are stationed on most of the major boat docks, the floating barriers are seen in the water, and I hear stories about the spill from many people. While walking along the beach today, I heard a kid say, “I don’t see any oil”. We all are expecting to see disaster and are disappointed when it fails to disast. In the end, life here will go on and I have hope for the life that lives down here on the gulf.

June 27 158 Km

Today’s Points 1 Total Score 4

Mississippi Beaches

Leaving New Orleans, I went what seems like forever before I reached Mississippi. I biked past dark. The coast highway, had a fantastic sidewalk that went right along the ocean so for 40 miles all I had was ocean and sand on my right, the road and the continent on the left. I traveled through Bilouxi at night which was fun, with all the bright lights of the casino. Overall it was a pretty good day.