By David Freeze

  I can smell the ocean!

    Today has been fun, fitting for the last almost full day of riding. Things came together after some worry late last night that rooms would be very tight for tonight. I went to sleep in the High Springs Country Inn with a route plan but no idea where I would sleep. A couple of no vacancies and couple more nearly full had me worried. I had plenty of time to analyze the situation while riding today.

    I wanted to leave just before first light, and opened the door to find a foggy mist shrouding a dark everything. I could sit down and wait or ride by flashlight. That, of course, was what I did.

    I rode south on US 441, passing through an interstate exit town, mostly motels and convenience stores, in Alachua while still fogged in. I could only feel the hills ahead because I still couldn’t see them.

    Then headed to Gainesville on a light traffic morning, I wondered how things would go in a city of 130,000 plus. I wanted to split from US 441 and take SR 20 for the trip through town and farther. Not much smaller than Tallahassee, Gainesville sure got it right. Bike lanes, and plenty of signs to keep me from wondering kept me from stopping to only ask directions once. I didn’t have to, but this walker was so cute, so I stopped after she waved at me  to confirm where SR 20 was going. Not a big, traffic crowded intersection, seemingly always on an uphill in sight, like those that happened time and again in Tallahassee!

    Staying on SR 20, I passed through Hawthorne as the sun came out. SR 20 had the same four lane layout and big bike lanes, just like US 441 and 90. I must admit that Florida’s roads are even better than the last time I rode through headed toward Key West.

    Next was Interlachen, just a smattering of stores, and then into Palatka, where I am tonight after 66 miles. How I ended up in the Sleep Inn makes for a good story that developed as did my bike ride today. Noting that most lodging places seemed more full than usual, I did get two more nearly full that mentioned what they thought of my request for a non-smoking room. One had none, the other had one. Two more already confirmed to be full, so I looked at the list available and remembered that Sleep Inns sometimes gave good deals. I called the number and got a price only $20 higher than the smoker/non smoker places. I took it, rode a short mile out of the way but with a Publix grocery nearby, and have been happily excited about the little planning required tonight. That is one celebration moment of these trips, the next to the last day when the planning is virtually done. Most people probably don’t realize that I plan ahead for 60-90 minutes each night. I learned long ago to keep my eyes open and not miss an opportunity to see something special.

    On tap for this evening is a trip to Publix where I bet they have cut up watermelon and just taking some easy time. My sleep has been sorely lacking lately.

    Then tomorrow, I will ride to Crescent Beach, just south of St. Augustine Beach, a distance of about 20 miles from here. We’ll make the final photos somewhere near the intersection of US 90 and AIA,  possibly eat breakfast and head for home hauling a tired bike. Interesting is that I passed this exact location on the Maine to Key West ride in 2014.

    Places to revisit include Gainesville, named the healthiest city in America in 2003.

    I will have the tire dipping photos and final thoughts on this challenging west to east ride across the southernmost United States available tomorrow. We’ll celebrate together then!