Southern Tier 2021

 Drizzle at 6am, but in no hurry to fight mosquitoes over breakfast so stayed in tent rather than rushing packing and trying to keep it dry. Stops after half an hour anyway. Out of park and onto highway a while before picking up first stretch of rail trail -- half our miles today on separated bike paths. Swamp, farm land, slightly rolling terrain but essentially flat. Clouds give way to sun and warms up. Soon back on road riding fast, drafting at end of line with Monte, Matt, Mark and Chuck. On one stretch Mark just ahead of me clips a broken branch on the narrow shoulder which kicks under my wheel and I sideswipe it, nearly rolling me down. Momentum kept me upright, though I did swerve over white line. Good thing nothing was speeding by or I might have been toast. Neither of us saw it in time. Can't be too careful, always need to attend to what's happening in front of your wheel -- yet another reason not to be drafting: no reason to rush on next to last day. After that experie...

 Not sure if swamp qualifies as prairie, but that's what we rode through to get here. We are south and east of Gainesville, which we had to traverse. Some bike paths, but mostly narrow lane or narrower shoulder. Not even that many bike paths around the University, busy streets and lots of pedestrians. 58 miles no wind, just overcast and muggy, and some nice slightly rolling terrain for a change. Campsite is lush and buggy, with a chance of rain tonight. This is our last outside night, motel tomorrow to look forward to. Then short Saturday ride into St. Augustine and dip front wheel into Atlantic and done. I was hoping for beach weather for my  decompression day (a do nothing Sunday to start the readjustment process, of being off bike and no particular place to go). Weather forecast not cooperating. Trusting that my return flight Monday night isn't impacted by potential storm. Intense mosquito activity made eating dinner a pain. And an armadillo strolled underfoot, fearless and...

 58 mile day, another cold and dewey start, but reached 80 degrees -- with a strengthening headwind in the sunny afternoon. Last breakfast duty, so happy there was no rush and no big mile day. Still flat at first, but climbed out of the swamps and into agricultural land: hay, corn, soybeans and poultry. That pulp mill outside Perry was labelled a "cellulose" plant, same thing and smell. Meant logging trucks, competing with smelly chicken cage haulers. Crossed they Suwannee river -- which is where the "way down the Swannee river" song derives, clipped of a syllable to scan better. And the area we are in is famous for limestone springs and caves -- scuba spelunking. Here's the blue hole next to our campground. Biked alone much of the day, enjoying my own pace even if it meant no drafting behind others. Really enjoyed the last few miles, curving back roads and no traffic on approach to state park and this private campground, compared to the long, straight and borin...

 Beautiful if cool weather, 72 miles of mostly swamp, slight headwind but nice shoulder and even a bike path along some of it. Kind of boring being inland from the coast and no views, so no photos. Another RV Park, but this one has a hot tub -- but Matt and I cooked so barely time to shower, shop, prep dinner, no time to relax. Chicken pad Thai, with tofu for me. Long prep and cleanup so just a quick entry. RV park noisy, overlit, and downwind from pulp mill. Cold night, wet dew, yep I'm wimping and whining. Perhaps you can guess I'm ready for this long strange trip to be over! Leisurely departure after cleaning up my last meal duty, just 60 miles and another beautiful day ahead. Things are looking up, as soon as I pack my cold wet tent.

 A little warmer last night, starry and windy, so not as much dew in the morning. Didn't matter to the 7 of us inside the two cabins. Another leisurely start with just 42 miles to this state park, 35 plus miles along the gulf coast before turning a little inland north, but by then the north wind we faced heading back over bridge from St. George's  Island had diminished. The Forgotten coast is being developed but only spotilly, with lots of vacant lots and houses for sale. Road shoulder kept vanishing, and at times traffic backed up but another beautiful riding day, flat and not windy. To this state park, long ride in from the road, five reserved spaces for us to spread out over. We're south of Tallahassee, riding east toward Perry tomorrow, just a few miles inland, heading toward Gainesville.

A beautiful short day, so a late leisurely start at the Airbnb since only going 42 miles and it was just 45 degrees at 9am. Chuck made pancakes and eggs again, and there were leftovers from last night's feast plus the usual breakfast spread. We're marching on our stomachs for sure lately, this last week of the trek. Leave a bit after 10:30. After Port St Joe comes Florida's "forgotten coast" -- undeveloped stretch for 30 miles or so until Apalachicola, nice small historic town where Chuck and I stop for coffee/hot chocolate and lunch two hours later, sitting in the bright sunshine outside cafe. Then cross two long bridges and causeways over to St George Island (thus the "SGI") where we are staying at this Baptist church retreat. Nice little beach and lawn. Option is to tent outside with access to two cabins for the bathrooms, or individually pay an extra $15 to actually sleep in bunk inside. No seeums and another cold, windy and dewey night make a convin...