Rode to Ft Pierce today- not that eventful...
the only campsite around was a whopping 60 bucks! no way! we decided to find a motel that was the same or cheaper.... we found one for 40 bucks- and not worth a penny more. The shower would only do hot, or cold. if you turned the dial anywhere in between- it shut off! We slept in our clothes to avoid the sheets--- we thought about using our sleeping bags but didn't want to get them gross with any possible bed bugs! Funniest thing was that at the front desk there was a big sign that said "NO PETS" - but the guy clearly didn't care that we had the dog- we even asked when we called about dogs.. oh well.
we went across the street and got some chinese food and groceries.
Our meals have been pretty consistent.
Breakfast- Coffee in our jet boil- it has a french press!
-Pour coffee into mug. Make oat meal/hot cereal
- clif bar after an hour or so of riding- this stop lets us get the dog out to potty if she didn't get anything out first thing in the morning, and get some water.
Lunch- bagel with peanut butter.
Dinner- MaryJane's camp food...just mix with hot water!
FL Day 5
23 miles.
Woke up today to lots of wind and clouds. yuck.
Even yuckier was poor Cook's lips-- they had sunburned and so swelled up over night! He was having trouble speaking right, and closing his mouth...poor guy looked ridiculous. But as the day went on, they got much better.
The wind made it a slow start- 25 mph with a sail of a dog trailer slowing you dog makes for slowwww going. One of the first things we had to do was cross a causeway (bridge) back over to the barrier islands. The straight headwind- plus steep climb meant 7 mph for us! I thought that when we crested the hill, it would be an easy descent. But instead we had to pedal just to getdown hill, and only hit 11mph!
It got colder and windier, and we were worried about the next campsite - it was supposedly infested with VERY bold raccoons. We decided to lok for a motel - but most were sold out...we ended up staying at a really small one, that is suposedly the last one for 30 miles. It was in Floridana Beach. The owners were taklers- sort of new age wanna be hippy people. They were worried about the dog messing up the room, which was funny, all the furniture/sheets/etc were all really old and mismatched. Like they grabed it all for $5 at a yard sale!
But the beach was across the street- and since we had a shower to wash off the dog we could let her run around and burn off some energy.
Waiting for the room to be made up-
promise- i won't chew anything!
Woke up today to lots of wind and clouds. yuck.
Even yuckier was poor Cook's lips-- they had sunburned and so swelled up over night! He was having trouble speaking right, and closing his mouth...poor guy looked ridiculous. But as the day went on, they got much better.
The wind made it a slow start- 25 mph with a sail of a dog trailer slowing you dog makes for slowwww going. One of the first things we had to do was cross a causeway (bridge) back over to the barrier islands. The straight headwind- plus steep climb meant 7 mph for us! I thought that when we crested the hill, it would be an easy descent. But instead we had to pedal just to getdown hill, and only hit 11mph!
It got colder and windier, and we were worried about the next campsite - it was supposedly infested with VERY bold raccoons. We decided to lok for a motel - but most were sold out...we ended up staying at a really small one, that is suposedly the last one for 30 miles. It was in Floridana Beach. The owners were taklers- sort of new age wanna be hippy people. They were worried about the dog messing up the room, which was funny, all the furniture/sheets/etc were all really old and mismatched. Like they grabed it all for $5 at a yard sale!
But the beach was across the street- and since we had a shower to wash off the dog we could let her run around and burn off some energy.
Waiting for the room to be made up-
promise- i won't chew anything!
FL Day 4
44 mi
This morning we learned the importance of staking out the rainfly all the way. We woke up with the tent wet if we touched it.... the condensation along the rainfly would get inside if we touched it. urgh. We had to wait for it all to dry out in the sun before packing up so the tent wouldn't get midew-y (which isn't covered by the warranty!)
We had a little bit more of US1 to ride on...but after a few miles, cross the road and turned onto a smaller neighborhood type road.It was a BEAUTIFUL place to ride- smooth and scenic... lots of views of the ocean, vegetation, etc..
We stayedat the Wickam county Park. Cook went to get us beer for New Years Eve! We coudln't finish the 6 pack before falling asleep :) we were woken up a few times but the expected firewooks.
Not long after midnight, I woke up to the sounds of someone rifling through out stuff.... we had our bags next to the tent- but the picnic table about 20 ft away had our food/bikes/trailers.... I woke Cook up, and when we looked out, shined the light there was no one there. Odd... a second later a raccoon popped his head up from the trailer over the bag of doof food- CAUGHT YA! I'd be more upset at the raccoon- but he was so darn cute! An very bold- he kept coming back even though we were throwing shoes at him...trying our best to shoo him off. We could hear raccoons bickering and fighting in the woods- I assume over the stolen goods. Cook moved all our food to the showers so we wouldn't loose it all! We didn't have any rope to hang it from a tree unfortunatly. In the morning, we found 1 bagel gone- and Surly's bag of food chewed open and some raccoon fingernail holes.. Lucky guy must've thought he hit the lottery! Wonder how he faired though, since it is dehydrated food- he ate it without water, it probably swelled up in his stomach.
Peacock at the campsite
This morning we learned the importance of staking out the rainfly all the way. We woke up with the tent wet if we touched it.... the condensation along the rainfly would get inside if we touched it. urgh. We had to wait for it all to dry out in the sun before packing up so the tent wouldn't get midew-y (which isn't covered by the warranty!)
We had a little bit more of US1 to ride on...but after a few miles, cross the road and turned onto a smaller neighborhood type road.It was a BEAUTIFUL place to ride- smooth and scenic... lots of views of the ocean, vegetation, etc..
We stayedat the Wickam county Park. Cook went to get us beer for New Years Eve! We coudln't finish the 6 pack before falling asleep :) we were woken up a few times but the expected firewooks.
Not long after midnight, I woke up to the sounds of someone rifling through out stuff.... we had our bags next to the tent- but the picnic table about 20 ft away had our food/bikes/trailers.... I woke Cook up, and when we looked out, shined the light there was no one there. Odd... a second later a raccoon popped his head up from the trailer over the bag of doof food- CAUGHT YA! I'd be more upset at the raccoon- but he was so darn cute! An very bold- he kept coming back even though we were throwing shoes at him...trying our best to shoo him off. We could hear raccoons bickering and fighting in the woods- I assume over the stolen goods. Cook moved all our food to the showers so we wouldn't loose it all! We didn't have any rope to hang it from a tree unfortunatly. In the morning, we found 1 bagel gone- and Surly's bag of food chewed open and some raccoon fingernail holes.. Lucky guy must've thought he hit the lottery! Wonder how he faired though, since it is dehydrated food- he ate it without water, it probably swelled up in his stomach.
Peacock at the campsite
FL Day 3
36 mi
Well another late start. My fault. We locked the bikes up, and I managed to loose the key. We spend hours looking for it...but luckily it was in the one spot we forgot to look, in one of the sleeping bag compression sacks. urgh.
We rote to Mims, and stayed at the North Gate Travel Park- another place that allows tents, but doesn't ever seem to have people without RVs. We got a site right next to the bathroom, which was pretty nice actually. Lots of old people, coming over and asking us things about riding, the dog, etc... one guy who couldn't leave us alone- but luckily never let his little Yorkie get too close to Surly, esp while we were reading in our tent and he came over to talk yet again. Later in the night, we were reading and talking some, we heard him say "Will you shut up?!".... "and pee already?" - he was talking to the dog- but we swore he was yelling at us! but really just trying to get his little dog to stop yapping -- hard not to crack up laughing.
We got a long, thin leash at the general store just outside the RV park.. itw as only 3 bucks, lightweight and would give Surly more room when we tied her up at campsites to roam around. The woman who worked there asked "Is that for that big dog out there?!" Cook said, no-- that one right there...pointing to Surly. "Yeah thats the one I mean, that dog is too big for that little leash!" Funny what people think is a 'big' dog. Surly is only 40 lbs, just barely comes up to my knee. I don't concider her big at all-- but I guess compared to Yorkies she is a giant. Oh - the OJ here was AMAZING. Made just 30 miles away- tasted SO fresh. And it began our obsession with OJ on this trip!
Riding today sucked. We were on US1 almost all day. They repaved the road, but only repaved half of the shoulder- so it was super bumpy, basically just rocks. It made everything sore- not so much from riding, but just from dealing with the crappy road.
Woke up to big Pilleated Woodpeckers!
Lunch along US1
Coldest day- got all the way down to 45 at night! (pretty warm for late Dec- can't complain!)
Camp
Well another late start. My fault. We locked the bikes up, and I managed to loose the key. We spend hours looking for it...but luckily it was in the one spot we forgot to look, in one of the sleeping bag compression sacks. urgh.
We rote to Mims, and stayed at the North Gate Travel Park- another place that allows tents, but doesn't ever seem to have people without RVs. We got a site right next to the bathroom, which was pretty nice actually. Lots of old people, coming over and asking us things about riding, the dog, etc... one guy who couldn't leave us alone- but luckily never let his little Yorkie get too close to Surly, esp while we were reading in our tent and he came over to talk yet again. Later in the night, we were reading and talking some, we heard him say "Will you shut up?!".... "and pee already?" - he was talking to the dog- but we swore he was yelling at us! but really just trying to get his little dog to stop yapping -- hard not to crack up laughing.
We got a long, thin leash at the general store just outside the RV park.. itw as only 3 bucks, lightweight and would give Surly more room when we tied her up at campsites to roam around. The woman who worked there asked "Is that for that big dog out there?!" Cook said, no-- that one right there...pointing to Surly. "Yeah thats the one I mean, that dog is too big for that little leash!" Funny what people think is a 'big' dog. Surly is only 40 lbs, just barely comes up to my knee. I don't concider her big at all-- but I guess compared to Yorkies she is a giant. Oh - the OJ here was AMAZING. Made just 30 miles away- tasted SO fresh. And it began our obsession with OJ on this trip!
Riding today sucked. We were on US1 almost all day. They repaved the road, but only repaved half of the shoulder- so it was super bumpy, basically just rocks. It made everything sore- not so much from riding, but just from dealing with the crappy road.
Woke up to big Pilleated Woodpeckers!
Lunch along US1
Coldest day- got all the way down to 45 at night! (pretty warm for late Dec- can't complain!)
Camp
FL Day 2
46 mi
Slept in late- didn't get much sleep the night before since we were driving from SC to FL that night... Stayed at the Nova Family Campground- I think we were the only ones with tents, so many RVs in FL which we expected. Cook managed to leave his shorts behind somewhere the day before...so we stopped by a thrift store on the way. Got 2 pairs one for each, for a whopping 1 dollar total.
Along A1A, a nice road since it either had a bike lane with signs, or pretty nice wide
Waiting for the restaurant, Almond Blossom, to open to get some raw/vegan food- places like this are few and far between in FL, so we decided to go for it. Not that good though...kinda dry. but it was at least vegan and filling!
One of the many bridges
Wheres your squirrels?
Here!
\
Slept in late- didn't get much sleep the night before since we were driving from SC to FL that night... Stayed at the Nova Family Campground- I think we were the only ones with tents, so many RVs in FL which we expected. Cook managed to leave his shorts behind somewhere the day before...so we stopped by a thrift store on the way. Got 2 pairs one for each, for a whopping 1 dollar total.
Along A1A, a nice road since it either had a bike lane with signs, or pretty nice wide
Waiting for the restaurant, Almond Blossom, to open to get some raw/vegan food- places like this are few and far between in FL, so we decided to go for it. Not that good though...kinda dry. but it was at least vegan and filling!
One of the many bridges
Wheres your squirrels?
Here!
\
FLORIDA Day 1
Ok, well it took a while to actually get in and UPDATE this blog- but I'm finally getting to it.
We started out from St Augustine, leaving the car at a really convenient parking garage. Its right downtown, and only 30 bucks for a month! So we had a fairly secure, and cheap place to leave the car while we were riding. We got a late start, leaving around 2 pm, so only rode about 18miles until it started to get dark (which was around 330). We stayed at the Crescent Silver Sands Motel- which, while cheap, wasn't the nicest of motels... it had alittle kitchenette and lovely wood panel walls, and when we walked barefoot our feet turned black! It was just a block or so to the beach, so we took a quick walk there so the dog could get some running time.
The view for Cook-and Surly sitting nicely in her trailer!
Go Vegan.
Turtle on the way to the beach
Tired pooch.
We started out from St Augustine, leaving the car at a really convenient parking garage. Its right downtown, and only 30 bucks for a month! So we had a fairly secure, and cheap place to leave the car while we were riding. We got a late start, leaving around 2 pm, so only rode about 18miles until it started to get dark (which was around 330). We stayed at the Crescent Silver Sands Motel- which, while cheap, wasn't the nicest of motels... it had alittle kitchenette and lovely wood panel walls, and when we walked barefoot our feet turned black! It was just a block or so to the beach, so we took a quick walk there so the dog could get some running time.
The view for Cook-and Surly sitting nicely in her trailer!
Go Vegan.
Turtle on the way to the beach
Tired pooch.
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