Tonight Barb and I are in Ponce de Leon, Fl after a good day's ride.  We did 70 miles with a start in overcast skies and great roads.   Had a second breakfast in Marianna at a local diner, and then pushed on down the road.  Ate lunch at Chipley and only  stopped briefly for drinks and a moment's respite until we reached Ponce.   We sat down for supper at a the local eatery, staffed remarkably by one waiter and one efficient cook serving about 15 customers with a charming aplomb. Then we made our way to the only hotel in town to clean up and settle in.

We're generally in great condition, but riding in the rain and heat has left us both with a few tender spots on our feet.  It's nothing serious, but we both spent extra time tonight cleaning and pampering them as much as possible.

Tomorrow we'll finish riding the first of the seven sets of maps and will begin on the second one.  More than 400 miles behind us and 2700 still to go.

Today was a classic example of the need to be flexible while touring.  Barb and I started the day with the intent of making it to Mariana Fl and camping at Florida Caverns state park.  Instead we're at the Lake Seminole Inn in Sneads.  How did that happen?  Well,  first there were the Western Highlands.   We left Midway this morning at 7:30 and we're almost immediately met with rolling hills that had us constantly shifting into our granny gears.   11 miles later when we reached the outskirts of Quincy,  it was clear we weren't making the progress we'd hoped to.  Locals at the Hardee's where we stopped to regroup  indicated that we were heading towards the highest point in Florida.   The hills lessened a few miles outside Quincy and it seemed like we might actually be on track to make Mariana.   But coming into Chattahoochee the hills returned.  Trust us when we say that while 300 ft elevation doesn't seem impressive,  when you climb hills repeatedly it takes a toll.

Light rain started falling as we approached downtown Chattahoochee and at the advice of a local at a gas station we pulled into the combination florist/sandwich shop, 'Around the Corner'. Rain started in earnest as we entered a store decorated in Coca-Cola memorabilia and sat down for lunch.  That's when the thunder and lightning commenced.  We spent the next three hours conversing with the owner, her daughter, and several customers as they came by to order floral arrangements or lunch and learning something about the history of the area.  When it was clear we weren't going to make it much further, they provided us with recommendations for lodging and a place to eat supper.

Finally we made our way into the continuing rain fall and to Sneads.   After checking in to the hotel,  we headed on bikes to the restaurant that had been recommended to find that it had closed at 2 pm.   So we changed course to a Pizza Hut, expecting to sit and eat, to find it was carryout.   So we ordered our pizza, strapped it onto our bike racks, and headed back to our room to shower and eat.  We're now full, clean, and relaxed as we get ready for sleep to overtake us.

And that's how today has gone, hardly as planned but rich in experience.  It's one of the joys of touring to take things as they come and enjoy what presents itself.

We expect to be back on the road in the morning, but who knows?

Hello from a Howard Johnson motel outside Midway, Fl.   Today was a much better day of riding.  We left Monticello this morning and headed south through dairy country.  For those of you who have never ridden with me, you probably don't recognize my long developed past time of mooing at cattle I pass while bicycling.   There's no exact scoring system, but you get points for cattle lifting their heads to watch, additional bonus points for cattle returning calls, and very occasionally the supreme satisfaction of cattle actually following me.  That is precisely the pleasure I had this morning.   In Florida, the grazing cattle are often accompanied by cattle egrets which makes for a very pastoral scene.

We approached Tallahassee from the south, following roads that lead us to Woodville.  A few miles outside Woodville, we were again blessed with light rain that made for much cooler riding.  We ate lunch at a locally recommended seafood restaurant, The Seine Yard.   Great fresh seafood at reasonable prices and an especially friendly staff.

We continued riding in light rain from Woodville to Tallahassee along a Florida state bike path.  Rain finally stopped as we passed through Florida State student housing and out the western edge of town toward Midway.

Both Barb and I are in good spirits and health, happy for the family and friends who are supporting us, even from a far.

Hello from the Brahman Hotel on the outskirts of Monticello, Fl.  We had a long hot ride yesterday from White Springs and then ran into some steep short climbs coming into Madison, so we threw ourselves at the kindness of the Madison police.  They graciously allowed us to set up camp under a gazebo in the city park.  No rain fly's were needed with impending rain so we slept comfortably with just the open netting of our tent.  Bathrooms were a block away in a local convenience store where the spacious handicapped stalls with their own sinks afforded us  chance for a quick wiping off of the day's grit.

After the tough day yesterday,  we decided to do a short 30 miles into Monticello today.  Left breakfast at 8 am -- odd looks when I ordered 4 breakfast burritos --  and walked out into a passing thunderstorm.   We waited another 15 minutes until the heaviest rain passed and then rode all morning in a glorious cool rain.

We grabbed lunch at the Brick House Eatery where Barb got to eat her first fried green tomatoes.   They were delicious.

Now we are at the Braham Hotel, a very reasonably price hotel.  $45 a night,  cash only please. You may use the photos to judge.  The proprietor offered to do a load of wash for us and wouldn't accept payment for his service.  Typical of previous bike trips laundry is drying on a makeshift line.

We're doing well and will get back to a longer mileage day tmw.

Sending love and best wishes to you all.

Good morning.  I'm writing the entry from yesterday this morning as it was too hot and muggy last evening to do anything but lie in the tent and try to keep sweating to a minimun. It finally cooled off about midnight.  Yesterday was a bit of a struggle for me.  Hot and humid so I was really sweating.  Thank God for the Barb's patience.   She kindly waited for me too cool down, but suspect photos of me spread out roadside and picnic tables will show up in next year's calendar.   She pointed out that I am not replacing electrolytes with the soda I've been consuming and a switch to Gatorade and V8 have me feeling better.

We're in White Springs FL at the Stephen Foster state park,  along the banks of the Suwannee river.  Yes, that Stephen Foster.  Rode 55 miles yesterday and had to be flexible when our original campground choices were unavailable.

It's just past 6 am and time to be getting up soon.

This evening finds us in High Springs,  Fl.   We're staying in a hotel tonight as our potential Warmshowers hosts are off touring themselves.  We ended up doing 61 miles today thru some hot sultry weather.  We were really helped this morning by the shaded Hawthorne-Gainesville state cycling trail, but then spent the better part of the early afternoon navigating through the traffic of Gainesville.   Finally got to the edge of town about 2:30 pm and rode through some spectacular rolling countryside before stopping to refuel at the Conestoga in Alachua.  Barb ordered a stuffed baked potato that turned out to be a 3 pounder, while I made do with their junior hamburger,  a mere half pounder and an order of sweet potato fries -- the kind that you can't find in any freezer section.   While we say eating for an hour,  the food made the final 7 miles fly.

Still need to be drinking more fluids as both of us have suffered some cramping late in the day.  So I'm about to finish here and drink a quart or two of water before bed.

We'll be back camping again tomorrow and then trying another Warmshowers host on Friday in Monticello.

I'm typing today's entry from my tent, setup under the overhang of an abandoned office building in Melrose FL.  We rode 74 miles today in fairly warm and muggy conditions. Stopped often to rest, eat, and cool down. Both Barb and I drank over 2 gallons of fluids and still had some dehydration issues, but we're both feeling fine tonight.  We arrived in Melrose not knowing where we'd be camping, and relied on the kindness of strangers.  The proprietor of the restaurant we ate at said we could camp on her yard, but strongly suggested this overhang since they expect rain tonight.  There's a 24 hr gas station a block away for a restroom and we're quite comfortable as the temperature is dropping.   We'll be back on the road about 7 am with intentions of staying at High Springs tomorrow.