Palatka FL

 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 experience I was very glad to be back on path, plenty of room to spread out. Long green tunnel, with occasional patches of sand washed over surface. Stopped at old railroad station, now a thrift shop with very little stock, supposedly a "bike stop" but no food or services except scuzy toilet.

 


And after 58 miles Palatka and a Quality Inn. Wish we had had more amenities like this. Tonight our last official dinner, at a restaurant. Tomorrow the tour formally ends after the last 40 miles to St Augustine at the beach, followed by shuttling of bags to St Augustine Inn, where most of us are staying (at our own expense) and the end of our journey on the Southern Tears, as we started calling it.

We will go out and celebrate together one more time for dinner on our own dime tomorrow night, hosting our guides.

Comments

  1. hollyhockNovember 20, 2021 at 7:25 AM

    Congratulations on finishing a long, hard journey! The gang will be glad to see you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Fellow FietsterNovember 20, 2021 at 8:39 AM

    Kudos on completing the journey!

    ReplyDelete

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