Day 54: Perry to High Springs, Florida

Day 54: Perry to High Springs, Florida
Miles: 88.32 ------------ Total Mileage 3,038.33
Theme: The Road Less Traveled, or Getting the Most Out of Every Mile

Given that we were on our own for dinner last night and that the Free Happy Hour at the Hampton Inn went from 5:30 to 8:00(which included free wine, beer, cookies and strawberries) Carol and Linda wisely decided to have the map meeting this morning at 7:00. Everybody was there - and fairly chipper! We got our directions to High Springs - and off we rode. I would have to say that while the riding in Florida has been fairly easy - the lack of terrain (ups and downs) and the long straight roads do get a bit monotonous.

I decided to ride nearer the back of the pack today. I wanted a bit more time to myself, time to think about some of the conversations last night around our pizza party. We were talking about what we had learned as a result of this journey - and what things we might do differently as a result. Kathie M said that one of the things she learned is that when you find that the riding is really difficult and you are feeling like your body just isn't responding how you thought it would - when you are feeling wiped, the problem might not be you. You might want to check to make sure your brakes aren't rubbing! Needless to say - that got a chuckle or two! People did share some of what they learned. I know there are some things I learned, but I also need to process a bit more. So leaving a little space when we rode today allowed me to do some of that.

The ride was typical Florida as we started out. There were some nice clouds in the sky - which helped to keep the heat down a bit. As we rode at some point I noticed an odor that wasn't very pleasant. Off in the distance I saw some very large white buildings with big fans on the side. Ah - now I knew what the odor was, the buildings were big chicken houses. We passed many of these today. I can say between the cattle farms and the chicken farms - as well as all the road kill - it almost makes me want to be a vegetarian. Unfortunately I just don't like tofu that much! I know, I know, there are lots of other options.

What I enjoyed most about the ride today was the wildflowers along the road. They were simply beautiful. So many reds, yellows, purples and whites - amongst the greenery. We crossed the Suwannee River today and also went to the Ichetucknee Springs. The water was incredibly clear at the springs. I was tempted to go swimming but riding in wet shorts the rest of the way in wasn't so appealing! Kathie, Tex and I rode most of the morning together. Kathie wanted to spend more time at the Springs so she suggested we go on, she would ride the last miles in on her own. Tex and I got some water, a few bites to eat and on we went.

This is where things got interesting. We got out of the Ichetucknee State Park and headed up the road. The street sign was on a bit of an angle - but we thought we were on the correct road. We went a ways but thought it would be smart to flag someone down to make sure we were headed toward County Road 131. The first person we tried to flag down didn't stop. This is the first time we have had that happen to us. We stopped the next car - and the man driving asked "Did you run out of gas?" We laughed and then proceeded to ask if he knew if CR 131 was ahead. He looked away sheepishly and said "I'm sorry, we are from Pennsylvania - I have no idea."

Well you know the saying, "If at first you don't succeed, try, try again." And so we did. This time we stopped a big truck - a work crew. We asked them and the guy said "Yup - continue down this road and at the first blinking light turn right, then the next blinking light you will turn left and that is 131." And so we went on relieved to be going in the right direction.

We rode for quite a while - longer than we would have expected, so at an intersection we saw a woman who was selling stuff from the trunk of her car. She was just packing up for the day. She said where are you trying to get to. We said "CR 131, then 18 to High Springs." She said, "Who told you to come this way?" She said "You can go this way but you sure went out of your way!" She gave us similar directions to the men in the truck - and so we continued on. It seemed like we were riding forever - so we stopped another person, just to confirm our route. The guy told "You could cut off a few miles if we took the dirt road just back yonder but it's a nice day and it's only about 12 or 14 more miles, so the way your going should be fine. Besides, it's so nice out." Tex came back across the road and muttered to me "Easy for him to say in his air conditioned car." She may have said a bit more, but I'll leave it at that! We laughed and continued on after we called Katherine who was the Sag driver today - to tell her we would be just a tad late!

We certainly were on the Road Less Traveled Today! We had to stop and ask an elder woman if we could get some water as we were bone dry. She had just walked up her driveway to get the mail. She was happy to let us get some water out of her hose and we were very grateful.

Eventually we got back on route. We were riding in the heat of the day and to add insult upon injury - a head wind came up. Oh well, we were safe, we knew we would make it and the clouds were absolutely gorgeous. I had to stop and take a photo of the wildflowers and clouds. That scene almost made all the extra riding in the heat of the day worth it. Well, maybe not.

Tex and I ride well together. We may not do so good on directions, but we enjoy each others company - what's a few extra miles between friends? We got in and went across the street to the diner to get a shake. We needed something to refresh us, but dinner wasn't that far off, so didn't want to get a meal. Victoria joined us and when the bill came she said, "No, this one's on me, you did extra maneuvers today."

It really was another good day. I guess Tex and I might be taking the idea of getting the most out of every mile a bit too far though! Lesson learned from today, when getting directions, ask how many miles to the place you want to ultimately get to. If it seems awfully far, back tracking may make a heck of a lot of sense!