Jane’s Bike Trip

I am finally on my flight home. The trip was amazing and an adventure but what I am happiest about is the people. Both the people we met along the way and the women on the tour. Thanks to all my friends, new and old, who made this trip a great one.

What a beautiful ending to an amazing adventure. You could tell people were a bit on edge this morning: even though the first segment was only 40 miles, most bikers were up and on the road soon after dawn. Once again, we quickly got onto secluded, tree- or field-lined back roads with very little traffic. Our last SAG stop was a welcome sight, mainly to meet up with people and see how their ride was going.

At mile 40 we arrived at the St. John’s County Fire Station where we took more pictures and lined up for our final ride. From there we went the six miles into the city of St. Augustine, over the Bridge of Lions (a heavily trafficked road under construction) and to Anastasia State Park Beach with a sirens-blaring-lights-flashing police escort. Three thousand ninety-eight miles, 57 days and millions of laughs after starting out, we dipped our front tires into Ocean Number Two. A fully clothed swim in the Atlantic never felt so good.

After a picnic lunch with all the friends and family who turned out to greet us (including Candice’s partner who completely surprised her, almost to the point of Candice tipping off her bike in excitement), I road the last few miles to a local shop to pack up my bike and send her home.

Tonight’s dinner is in a restaurant with real napkins and chairs, and we don’t even have to wash our own plates. We have all learned to appreciate the little things.

Just when I thought I knew everything there was to know about biking, Micki comes up with new tricks. Today she taught Ann and I how to grab onto the jersey of the person in front of you to get a needed boost. Obviously, there are two reasons she saved this until today. One is so we wouldn’t constantly be trying to grab her jersey. The other is she finally thinks we can manage this trick without ending up in a heap of carbon fibers and broken bones. I take it as a great complement.

Today’s ride was 70 miles and seemed very short. Tomorrow is our final ride day and it will be good to finish but I will miss it.

I am just amazed that our 83 mile ride today seemed like nothing. At the start of this trip, 83 miles was a long slog that would take all day. Now, we were all excited about the things to stop at on the way.

Our route once again took us on back roads through small towns. At mile 45, we crossed the Suwanee River, a landmark that Pam and I always noted on our drives down to Ft. Myers Beach. The crossing prompted choruses of the song, including an interesting rendition by our kindergarten teacher, Ellen. Although the tune is the official song of Florida, the controversy around it assures it won’t be for long.

At mile 60 we pulled into Ichetucknee Springs State Park, a beautiful park with several spring fed pools to swim in. Although I got my suit on (for only the third time this trip), the temperature of the water and the sighting of a 4 foot long snake swimming around prevented me from getting in past my ankles.

With only 10 miles to go, we stopped at Floyd’s Diner where I had a chilli dog. I thought it was going to sit in my stomach like a rock but it provided well needed fuel instead.

Tomorrow is our last long day. Yesterday I passed the 3000 mile mark for the trip.

It was a dark and stormy day. But we knew it was going to rain all day so we were ready for it. We started out in a drizzle which quickly progressed to a downpour. But there were enough moments when it wasn’t raining so that it wasn’t bad. One of those moments came when I ran over a piece of glass and heard air leaking out of my tire. Ann and I have become so adept at changing flats that we were rolling again in under 5 minutes.

We’re staying in a Hampton Inn tonight. I have really learned to appreciate the differences in the chain hotels along our route. Hampton Inns are at the top while Ramada Limiteds and Comfort Inns are not so high. Linda is preparing dinner so it will be good.

With no means of transportation other than a bike, if you want to go somewhere it’s a major undertaking. Today I wanted to see the town of St. Marks, which is about 12 miles away, and the St. Marks National Wildlife Refuge, another 10 miles or so beyond that. So even though it was a rest day, I biked over 50 miles. The odd thing is, it was easy.

The town of St. Marks was nothing much, but I did discover a nice fish restaurant (that reminded me of Barnacle Bill’s in FMB) that Micki and I returned to for dinner. The Refuge was great with miles of almost deserted road through hardwood forest, pine forest, and salt marshes. The road ended at the St. Marks Lighthouse, now automated but still in operation since 1847. At one point I was riding close to the shoulder and before I knew it I had zipped past a 7 foot alligator sitting on the side of the road. I know it was 7 feet long because I circled back for a picture, then talked to a local gentleman who said it was a big one and gave me an estimate of its size.

Tomorrow is a short day but the forecast is for rain. It will be warm so I’m not worried.

What a great day. Today’s milage was short so a bunch of us stopped at the Wakulla Springs State Park about 12 miles before the hotel. Ann and Micki had not seen an alligator and were beginning to doubt their existence; we had heard that hundreds of ‘gators were to been seen on the riverboat tour so we signed up. I don’t know if we saw hundreds but we sure saw our share. Afterwards, Ann, Micki, Pat and Mary Kay jumped off the 25 foot diving platform into the spring fed pool. They said the water was very refreshing. I didn’t go swimming because I wanted to make sure their adventures were well photographed (I’m a good friend).

Our hotel tonight is the Inn at Wildwood – a certified green hotel. Actually, it may not be certified because Florida doesn’t really seem to care about recycling. This hotel sure does and those of us from the more environmentally sound states were very excited. Tomorrow is a rest day but I may go for a bike ride just for fun.

Another short ride, but the days are getting hot so it’s probably a good thing. We biked through small towns and over roads covered with dead snakes. We were told Quincy had a cute town square with many restaurants but it seems to have gone belly up since WomanTours was last through here. Without much to choose from, some of us ate at Subways which was actually quite tasty and just what we needed.

Tonight, four of us are staying at the Holiday Inn Express while the rest stay at the Park Way Inn a few hundred yards away – we definitely got the good end of the bargain. Tomorrow we’re at Wakulla Springs where the state park has a large, spring fed lake. The next day is our last off day and we may bike back there for a swim.

I must be inured to the trials of riding thousands of miles. Yesterday I got my fourth flat of the trip and hardly mentioned it. Probably because Micki had three flats yesterday and she was the one to change my tire (it would have been rude for me to ask her to wait the 15 to 20 minutes for me to change it when she can do it in about two – I didn’t want to be rude). While she was changing it, she saw the damage the nail I ran over two weeks ago caused. She advised me to change my rim tape (which she did for me last night) and get a new tire. I tell you, it was quite a nail. So I started this morning by changing a tire which, if I do say so myself, I did in record time (which is easy to do when you’re sitting on your motel bed and not so easy when you’re on a busy roadside).

I don’t know why I felt I had to change it so quickly because our ride today was only 56 miles. The ride, although short, was beautiful. We were once again on back roads with very little traffic and we were even on a bike path for about three miles. On one of the lesser traveled roads, a bunch of us saw a 4 foot rattlesnake crossing our paths. It was beating a hasty retreat into the woods but I still had time to snap a picture.

After a yummy lunch in Holt, we continued on to our Quality Inn in Crestview. Dinner tonight is at the trailer so it will be good. Tomorrow is a 90 mile day and it is supposed to be hot.

We started off by catching the 8am ferry from Dauphin Island to Fort Morgan, AL across Mobile Bay. A major pocket of natural gas was found at a depth of 20,000 feet and the bay is dotted with rigs. Because we were all on the ferry, we all got off and started our day at the same time. We thought this would make it an easy day for Phyllis, our SAG driver but because it was a relatively short day, a lot of us decided to find entertainment. Poor Phyllis.

At about mile 45, Ann, Micki and I visited the Pensacola Naval Air Station and their great museum. We met Debbie and Ellen there and we all walked around the museum and saw the IMAX movie “Fighter Pilot-Operation Red Flag.” It was quite good. As we were leaving, Micki got her second flat of the day (and she had already fixed one for me).

Because we were out of tubes and CO2 cartridges, we stopped at a bike shop (kindly highlighted by WomenTours on our cue sheets) to restock. The rest of the day was on debris filled roads with narrow or no shoulders and rude drivers. About a mile from the hotel, Micki got her third flat of the day (and of the trip).

Tomorrow the Blue Angels are doing a practice flight out of Pensacola NAS. We may be able to hear them overhead but won’t be there for the show. Too bad.

Another day in paradise. We took off from Pascagoula under sunny skies and the warmest weather since California. We left late because the Gator Ranch alligator farm wasn’t scheduled to open until 9am. We couldn’t find the ‘gators but Mary, who is from Gainesville, FL, promises us we will see them along the side of the road later.

Our ride to Dauphin Island was very short and easy. The scenery was pretty but very flat. The area looks exactly like the Gulf Coast of Florida where Pam and I have gone for many years.

For the next two nights, we are staying on Dauphin Island, AL, a barrier island in the Gulf of Mexico. The inhabited part of the island is about 5 miles long and one half mile wide. The area has been hit repeatedly by hurricanes and many of the restaurants and shops are boarded up, but it is a lovely place with an Audubon sanctuary and an estuarium a few miles away. We are in condos right on the sandy beach not too far from the island’s fishing pier.

Tomorrow is a rest day so I think I’ll go for a bike ride to see what is around. Because there aren’t a lot of places to eat, Michelle said she would cook dinner and then in Pensacola, we’ll be on our own.

It says something that today’s ride of 67 miles was considered short and just about everyone said that it was easy. Our route today took us mostly through the De Soto National Forest where we passed an old POW camp (where prisoners from WWII were kept), biking trails and the Sandhill Crane National Wildlife Refuge. We then passed over the Singing River (legend has it the river makes a singing sound in the evening) into Pascagoula. Although this town cannot be considered a beach community, we finally are on the Gulf Coast. It’s nice to see sand rather than dirt on the sides of the road, and some of the debris we encounter includes shells.

When we arrived at the hotel, we found that Kathy’s sister had brought about 45 pounds of crawfish and shrimp for us hungry bikers to enjoy. It was a wonderful surprise and we dug in with gusto. We are staying at the LaFont Inn where tonight their Banquet room is scheduled to be filled with teenagers enjoying their prom. It seems that every hotel we stay in is near a set of railroad tracks and tonight is no exception. Good thing I am so tired every night that nothing wakes me up.

Because of our excessively long mileage yesterday, today was a relatively short one. We left the Traveler’s Rest Motel in Bogalusa at around 8am and soon passed the Pearl River into Mississippi. Perhaps it’s the residual effects from hurricane Katrina but a lot of the structures we saw were absolute dumps. Most of our route was on back roads – a significant amount through areas which looked like they have been clear cut.

Although the headwinds were brisk at times, the ride was enjoyable. It will be sad to see this end.

Whew-doggie, I’m tired.

The only event from the day that I remember was at about mile 30 we encountered a bridge that was, well, out. The sign said it was out but we had to see for ourselves. We got there and the large mounds of asphalt before the bridge didn’t convince us. On the other side, there were just wood beams remaining for us to walk across. A few people in the group were not happy with heights but others were very gracious and carried their bikes across and returned to give moral support. Everyone made it and we all have a great story to tell.

We were supposed to spend the night in Franklinton, but because the hotel there sucks, WomanTours picked another hotel about 20 miles down the road. We had the option of riding our bike the extra 20 miles or taking the SAG. We rode. Our total for the day was 126.3 miles at an average speed of 14 mph. There was pizza for dinner and everybody hit the sack early. Tomorrow is short little recovery ride of 60 miles or so. Piece of cake.

Louisiana hospitality continues to show itself with polite drivers and friendly shopkeepers. I left Simmesport with Ann at around 8am and we crossed the Atchafalaya River soon after. Our route took us on small, country roads first along the Atchafalaya, then along the Mississippi. In this area, the rivers are actually higher than the roads and held back by levies. There has been a lot of flooding and every so often we would pop up to the top of the levy to look at the swollen river. It’s quite a sight to see the trees half submerged and the cows all clustered along the narrow banks.

We passed old plantation homes with Live Oak trees draped with Spanish Moss, and miles of fertile farmland before coming to the Morganza Spillway, an overflow area for the Mississippi River. There is a tremendous amount of water over an area that is usually just pastureland. Because of the high water, the ferry across the Mississippi is closed and we had to be shuttled over the bridge in Baton Rouge 40 miles to the south. Half of the group had gotten in the van in Simmesport and were driven directly to the St. Francisville Inn, while the rest of us rode the 33 miles from Simmesport to Morganza and waited at “Not Your Mama’s Café” for the van to return. We had a great time exploring the very small town, the highlight of which was the grocery store. Let me explain: There was a sign in front of the store advertising boudin, cracklin and fishballs, so we went into find out just what these were. Boudin is a sausage made of pork, green pepper, green onions, spices and other things stuffed into a casing (pig intestine which the owner was very happy to show us). Cracklin, is pig stomach and the attached fat (which is probably omentum) which has be dried and sliced into strips and is eaten like potato chips. Fishballs are gar fish ground with green onions, spices, bread, egg and probably things I have forgotten, which is then fried until partially cooked, then it is boiled (or “berled” as they say in these parts) in a tomato based gravy and served with rice. Even after our poboys at Not Your Mama’s, it sounded delicious. In the grocery, we also got a tour of the meat locker where we were shown fresh alligator (they were “nuisance alligator” which were killed because they were hanging around someone’s backyard too much), pigtail and pig knuckles. There were out of pig snout.

When we finally arrived in St. Francisville, we were very pleasantly surprised by our accommodations. Half of the group is staying at the St. Francisville Inn, a very nice inn close to the town. The other half, of which I am a part, is at the Butler Greenwoods B&B. Here, we are scattered around the grounds in about six separate buildings which include a lighthouse with a separate bedroom on each of the three floors, the Pond House next to a duck pond, a gazebo with stain glass windows on 4 sides, and the Kitchen house which still has the old well inside visible under plexiglas. I am in the pool house in a little, private room on the second floor with my own clawfoot tub and toilet behind a very ineffectual beaded curtain. It’s very quiet here except for the peacock wandering around. Tomorrow I’m going to bike the three miles into town to explore, and maybe go down to the ferry dock to see if this end of the Mississippi looks any different from the end back home.

With the chilly weather and the headwinds, I didn’t feel as strong today as I did yesterday. But Micki is back from her interview in Seattle so Ann and I had some twenty-three year old muscles (and charming personality) to get us through the day. We passed several cemeteries with their above ground crypts, Shetland Ponies, confederate flags and many abandoned buildings. Also, off leash dogs who really want to play with bicyclists were prevalent.

We got into Simmesport, LA, and the Sportsman Motel at around 2pm, where the only things around are two gas stations, the motel/pizzeria and the diner/casino. We got a late lunch at the diner (Rosie T’s) where the gumbo, poboys and root beer float were all delicious.

Tomorrow we’re scheduled to cross the Mississippi River and ride into St. Francisville but, due to high water, the ferry is closed until further notice. We’ll have to be shuttled to the nearest bridge crossing which is in Baton Rouge but most of us should get in almost a full day of riding. Either way, things have a way of working out.

It was another beautiful day for riding. Although we had over 90 miles yesterday, and again today, I felt very strong and was not worried about the distance at all. I was right not to be. The land is so flat that I used only three or four different gears all day. Half way through the day we started having a nice tailwind that pushed us along. Towns are becoming more frequent but traffic doesn’t seem any heavier and the drivers we do encounter are more polite. We sure aren’t in Texas any more.

Even with Ann’s broken spoke at mile 88, because of some van troubles, we all got to the hotel before our luggage. It wasn’t a big deal - it seemed people had a great day and were very content to sit around in their smelly clothing and chat. Because we didn’t have our trailer, and therefore no kitchen, until late in the day, we had a reservation at a local Mexican restaurant for dinner. But before dinner, a woman who has been on two WomanTours rides in the past (along with her boss, Sister Carla) showed up with about 40 pounds of crawfish and a bunch of local beer. Louisiana hospitality sure is great!

Yeah, we’re done with Texas! After 20 days of chip seal, confederate flags and “my belt buckle is bigger than your belt buckle” attitude, we’re finally done. I am surprised at the tremendous diversity in terrain that Texas offered, from the flats in the West to the hills in the middle, then the lush country in the East. But I can’t say I’m sorry to see it go.

When I entered Texas on March 23, I got a flat tire from a piece of wire. Today, before I left Texas, I had another flat. This one was from a large nail which was embedded over an inch; it actually when through the tire and damaged the inside of the rim. Debbie, who was behind me, says she heard a loud “KA-POW” and I thought I had a hanger stuck in my wheel it was so loud. With help from Ann, I put a temporary (maybe) patch in the tire and replaced the tube. It held for the rest of the day so I think I just see how it goes.

At about one o’clock, we crossed the Sabine River and exited Texas. The River wasn’t very exciting and there was no “Welcome to Louisiana” sign but we stopped for photos at the Texas sign across the road. One member of our group was so excited, she mooned the entire state. Too bad I wasn’t a little faster with the camera.

We pulled into the hotel, The Country Inns of Deridder, at about 3:30. We were met by Linda, a very nice woman who did the Southern Tier with WomanTours last year. She brought gumbo, Mardi Gras beads and local beer for all of us to enjoy. Tomorrow we have only a 90 mile day so it should be fun. Life is, once again, good.

Some people described today’s ride as boring. I thought it was another beautiful day. I headed out of the hotel with Ann at about 8:30am, purposely waiting until later due to the threatening sky. Within a mile or so, we were on SR 787, which does not have a shoulder but was supposed to be a relatively quite road. I didn’t think it was that quiet but the drivers were very polite. The road went past the Georgia Pacific manufacturing plant, which means a lot of the traffic was logging trucks. The traffic lessened considerably after the GP plant and soon we were in the area of the “Big Thicket.” The Big Thicket’s woods once were so dense that during the Civil War many residents of East Texas fled into the woods to avoid conscription. Going in to find the draft dodgers is the origin of the term “bushwacker.” At one point we passed a sign for the Big Thicket National Preserve; Ann and I detoured trying to find the visitor center but after a mile, we gave up.

Half way through the day, we turned on to Texas Farm-to-Market Road 1293. While there was very little traffic, the scenery consisted of one side of the road that had been logged and the other side that looked like it was waiting to be logged.

Today’s ride was only 56 miles so we pulled into town fairly early. We went to Mama Jack’s restaurant just down the street from the Super8 where I had a catfish po’ boy. Tomorrow we finally leave Texas and head into Louisiana, something I am looking forward to.