Bicycling the Southern Tier

​It was so windy today that I saw vehicles with surfboards. That must mean the ocean is near. Yes, tomorrow I have a short 25 mile ride to St Augustine, where I will meet my wife, Sheila, and dip my front tire in the Atlantic Ocean. Much of the ride today, and most of the ride tomorrow, will be on a paved bicycle trail, which on the southern tier is an exceptionally rare luxury. I am staying tonight in a bed and breakfast in a home constructed in 1885-1886 by Civil War Major Sherman Conant of the Union Army. Major Sherman led a most interesting life. You can read about it on Wikipedia. One thing his Wikipedia entry does not say is that Maj, Consnt had a secret, very well concealed underground tunnel leading from the basement of his house to the heavily traveled St.John’s River, about 600 feet away. The proprietor and local historians believe the tunnel was used to smuggle imports illegally into the U.S. without paying tariffs.

​The Southern Tier is saving its best for the last partod my tour. The natural springs in this region are absolutely gorgeous, the wildflowers are peaking, and the weather has been perfect. I am tempted to take a swim in one of the springs but haven’t yet come to terms with the idea of swimming with alligators! Locals assure me there is nothing to worry about. I arrived in Gainesville in plenty of time to take in the University of Florida versus Stetson baseball game tonight. It was an exciting game played in front of a very enthusiastic crowd.

​I had another fantastic ride through the “real Florida” today! Saw lots of wildflowers and Spanish moss. Stopped for fried chicken and collard greens and passed over the Suannee River (or the Swannee  River, as Stephen Foster called it). I rode 84 miles today, which is one of my longest rides of this entire trip in terms of distance. Camping tonight  but wishing I were sleeping in that feather bed I slept in last night! I was so deep in the sticks today that I did not see any attorney billboards at all. It was great!

​I spent a delightful Easter Sunday pedaling through the deep forests, bayous and rolling hills of northern Florida. This is a part of Florida that most visitors never see. Most zip up and down interstates 75 and 95 or across interstate 10. Around here they call this area the “real Florida “.   I spent the evening in a magnificent bed and breakfast owned and operated by a very kind and caring hostess. I will always remember sitting on her splendid porch looking out as thunderstorms rolled through from the west. And I loved sleeping on a feather bed! Greenville was the boyhood home of the great Ray Charles. A number of years ago the town erected a statue of Ray in the park. His daughter sang at the commemoration and stayed in the same bed and breakfast at which I stayed. The Bad Attorney Billboard award for the day goes to the many deserving attorneys at Morgan & Morgan. There were a number of things about their billboard that I found disturbing, starting their use of the word “...

​Today was the first day on this entire trip where I’ve had to ride in the rain. Periodic showers that always seem to hit when there was no place to take refuge resulted in a very wet and damp ride. But the rain had stopped by the time I arrived in Tallahassee and I very much enjoyed riding through the FSU campus. On the outskirts of the campus I happened upon a very good jazz concert at an outdoor amphitheater. Great way to wrap up the day!  The Bad Attorney Billboard of the day actually is not so bad. On its billboard the law firm of  Fasig Brooks advises viewers to “Expect more from your attorneys.” It is the first attorney billboard I have seen in a while that includes a female attorney, so maybe that is a good start.

​I did more socializing than riding today. First I received a phone call from an old friend from RFC (Really Fun Company), who is now living in the FL panhandle. We talked about the good old days at RFC and current events, mostly related to health, family and travel. When we finished talking it was already almost noon; so I went over to a deli in downtown Chipley. There I met a local bicyclist who insisted on buying my lunch. We had a delightful chat over lunch about bicycling and life in the deep South. By the time lunch was finished, the heat, humidity and headwinds had all ticked up significantly. Not in the mood to deal with those 3 H’s, I stopped about 35 miles into my ride at a budget motel that had a great swimming pool.  At the pool, I met two German fellows who are bicycling westward on the southern tier. Like the two Dutch riders I ran into a few days ago, they were relying heavily on the hospitality of Warmshowers hosts, which often led them off route. It is always inter...