Aperil 25, 2008 I left the security of St. Augustine and newfound friends there. I got a late start, probably because I wasn't sure what I was heading into. But by 9:30am I was on my way. Now here is the real problem... I hate the doubleback. What does that mean? If I wanted to do a ceremonial start by dipping my tires into the Atlantic I had to ride 5 miles int he wrong direction of my goal. Doubleback... means 10 miles of wasted energy. Well, I had to do it. If I didn't dip in the Atlantic, I would probably regret it later. Just as if I didn't attempt this ride, I would probably regret it later. So I found my way to St. Augustine Beach and as I slowed on the sand preparing to walk my bike down to the water, the sand shifted, and down I went. If you have ever gone snowboarding (or skiing for that matter), you may know the first fall is the worst becasue of the fear of it. So, bright side, I got the first fall out of the way and it was on soft white fine sand. Cool!
At the beach, a man walking his dogs snapped a photo of me and was thrilled with what I was doing. Another couple on bikes approached me as well. She has done a Appalachian Trail trek that lasted 7 months and oddly enough has a daughter in St. Augustine and another in San Diego. For a moment I considered making this a Daughter-to-Daughter ride, but I didn't think that would go well with Audrey so lets call it a cross country ride like always.
In Mollasses Junction, just out of St. Augustine I had stopped at a small service station in the middle of no where. I'll bet Mollasses Junction isn't even on your map. There a couple other cyclists were heading the opposite direction and stopped as well. They had come from San Diego and were finishing in St. Augustine today. I envied them. I wanted their experiences, but didn't necessarily want the 3,000 miles of riding. But I remind myself, if it was easy, then everyone would do it, and it would mean less. After picking up some tips from them, we parted. But before doing so, a guy filling his truck and boat with gas at the single pump told me "you better have a credit card to rent a car and go home". I truly hope he doesn't have kids he is raising. I will take his words as a challenge. I only wish I had a way to reach him. I would send him postcards all along the way.
In Hastings, I ate lunch at Lo Country Cookery "Lo Country Cookin makes you good look'n" their shirts say. An all you can eat catfish, jambalaya, crawfish, okra, etc buffet gave me some rest and some fuel.
It was a beautiful day. A slight headwind from Riverdale slowed me to 9-11 mph. Legs were a bit tired after 30 miles and may have contributed to a slower pace. Eventually I found my way to St. Johns Campground in East Palatka. Again I will be doubling back a few miles as this campground was a bit off route. Once Chris pointed to where the tents set up past the RVs (I was the only tent), I went to it. I set up the tent, got my sleep mat and bag set up inside. Carried my panniers into the tent, got the gear I needed to shower, and then made dinner before dark. After dark, a few phone calls and planning the next day's route.
Started riding: 9:30am
Ended riding: 5:00pm
Time biking: 4:41:03
Miles: 52.63
Average speed: 11.2 mph
calories burned: 2,806
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