That's the longest day I have left

Tallahassee FL - Valdosta GA ( 75 miles )

I can't believe there's only 4 more days left! I can't really tell if it's been a long time or short time riding at this point. Some of the trip seems just like yesterday even though it was 5 weeks ago. And then as I was re-reading some of my earlier posts, it seems like they were forever ago. It's just a little unusual how "time" is seemingly different after doing this for 6 weeks.

Anyway, I keep getting lazy here and not really checking over my bike at night when I need to. First, its an awesome bike and it's easy to take advantage of not paying attention to it. I worked a little too hard this morning for 20 miles because the back tire was about half inflated. I couldn't figure out why Aaron and Aleena were kicking my a** today, one stop Aaron says "I have a confession, we had pizza and pasta last night, we are really feeling good today". I said "That must be it, I can't keep up with you". The next stop I said "Maybe it was my air pressure? I just pumped up my tire, let's see how the next 15 miles goes". Back to our normal riding where I'm the lead wolf the rest of the day.

Rode out of Tallahassee pretty much against the inbound rush hour traffic. It was about 20 miles to the Georgia state line and then 15 more into Thomasville GA. Took a quick bicycle shop stop for some supplies and then on the east side of town a quick C-store stop to refil drinks and some food. Breeze through Boston GA ( they just have a mini-marathon) and then Quitman was another 15 miles down the road. Quick stop for 3 fun size snickers and a water and off to Valdosta GA right off I-75 for the night.

Georgia roads are a bit not fun. 3 foot shoulder with a 1 1/2 foot rumble strip. Just took the bulldozer and ran it along side the road when they laid the black top. Some of it wasn't quite so bad, but most of the day was riding the white line and looking in the mirror to make sure people moved over to the left lane ( at least it was a 4 lane divided highway all day long).

Learn more here, or trust me. The Armadillo must be over populated ( so their odds are higher), the stupidest or slowest animal, or both. Thought I'd seen them all, but there were dozens of them scattered amongst the road kill today. I also see that they have poor vision ( but that's gotta be theory, how do we really know that). They are furry on the bottom, they have short legs, and their shell can not ( I repeat can not) with stand a car's weight, let alone a truck's weight. They smell and the buzzards seem to enjoy them fresh. Whatever it is, they are so not any good at crossing the road.

I've got 2 - 66 mile days and then splitting the last 80 over 2 days. Now it's the home stretch and it's going to be great to finish off this ride. Just need to make sure I don't hurt myself a this point!

Day break at the Tallahassee HoJo.

Good Bye I-10, been following you a long way.

Jogging with the twins early in the morning uphill.

Typical view.

I know they were way ahead of me cause of the low tire. They already had their picture taken and trying to get out of there before me.

Hello Georgia, you've got the best and most over engineered rumble strips.

Bike Shop stop.

Food stop shop. Bun, slab of ham 1/2" thick, slice of cheese. Presto, ham sandwich.

We can live with that rumble strip.

Seriously wanted to ride underneath that, couldn't catch him. Those things can move BTW!

Boston. I've been all over the place.

Pecan groves again. deja vu of being all the back in New Mexico.

Quitman GA courthouse. They don't have the same flair as Indiana courthouses though.

The Withlacoochee river. Where did these names come from?

Easily the most unique shower I've had. Shower nozzle in the back.

Going so fast I blurred.

Stats - 75 miles (2,289)
Calories - 4,345 ( 128,086 )
Time - 5:24 (182:34)
Total Climb - 1,752 ( 60,615 ft ) That's 2 Mount Everests!!

Next up....

Marianna FL to Tallahassee FL ( 73 miles )

This morning at breakfast I met 4 of the members of the newly crowned 2011 National Senior Games Under 65 Women's Softball champions. Lois has re-kindled my next challenge of making the Men's 50 year old Badminton tournament In Houston in 2015. How do I get ready for that now? Book your tickets to Houston and learn more here.

Standard ride into Tallahassee, rolling hills, great roads (although no shoulders a couple times), routed through a couple country seats and court houses to see, a very good bicycle chasing dog today ( bigger than medium size, smaller than a big dog. good effort, thought he was going to get catch me ). Lost an hour today in Quincy FL as I traveled back into Eastern Time zone. Rode through Florida State University and then settled into the Howard Johnson.


Thanks Lois for setting up my next challenge. ( boy she grabbed right a hold of me for that picture )

I've seen the Tallahassee mileage sign the last 4 days! Finally catching it today.

Beautiful Florida Sunday morning.

I'm so confused.... This is the bridge over the Apilachicola River, from Lake Seminole ( that's in Georgia ) that is right before Chatahoochee FL.

They made it up the 8% grade from the bridge to Chatahoochee! They aren't long hills, but they burn the thighs.

I am so confused, where am I?

The old Gretna FL school house.

Courthouse in Quincy FL

Poor old man, took almost 10 minutes to help him find his way to Tallahassee. I hope he made it. Aaron had to lend a hand with a map and the local drove him up to the highway to make sure he found it. ( kind of glad he didn't go on our route )

Pine trees, clean road, low traffic. just cruising along.

I-10 always in our sight for the last 5 weeks since California.

They are all over the place, but we've not had any yet... Probably going to need to have a Waffle House omelet in Georgia this week.

It was truck stop day. Started off with one and last stop was one.

Finally, got a pose from Aleena!!

5th car from the left, that's my Freestyle. Obviously Kelly sold it. I haven't driven a car in OVER 5 WEEKS!!

Florida State University day. Bowden, I said we are going that way!!

What am I a dog peeing on something. I really need to work on my Heisman pose, this is awful and it was my second take.

That's it, all the field I could see.

The main entrance to the FSU mecca.

Just a campus shot.

Damn, I haven't been Pavin' The Way that long. Seriously since 1851?

And the afternoon Florida thunderstorm.

Stats - 73 miles (2,214)
Calories - 4,327 ( 123,741 )
Time - 5:38 (177:10)
Total Climb - 1,870 ( 58,863 ft ) Are you kidding, we're still climbing hills!

Up and down all day long!

It's a Parade

Defuniak Springs FL to Marianna FL ( 64 miles)

Pretty sure this is all going to start sounding redundant from here on out. Get up, get on bike, go 60-65 miles through pine tree forests, drink, eat, check in to hotel. It's pretty much the same thing now Florida to Hilton Head.

So pretty much that's what it was today. Got out around 7:00 after stopping for C-store donuts, water and gatorade. Pedaled out 20 miles to Caryville and stopped at The River Store for a lunchable, snickers, and water. Hoped on bike and pounded out 20 more to Chipley FL. Rolling into town there were 150-200 "show cars" along the street and saw a police car stopping traffic.

Yep, just in time for the Chipley Shriner's Parade which was basically lined up and not going anywhere. After grabbing some refills, started rolling along thinking we'd just roll along the side of the sitting parade, but they started moving at the same time. After a couple blocks of getting pelted by vicious candy throwers, nearly getting lacerated by beads ( why are they throwing beads to the kids), and basically getting shoved over by 5 year olds diving for candy and clearly not paying attention to the presence of 2 bicycles that clearly shouldn't have been there, it was off to the side streets. A quick google map check and found the zig zag way through a town that seems to have been unable to layout perpendicular streets.

On to Marianna another 18 miles out. Good clean roads, so broke out Creean's playlist to finish off that ride. Good tunes Creean, good beats perfect for pedaling. Aaron selected McDonalds for lunch on the west side of town, knowing that we had to get to the east side of town. Had to grind out another 6 miles after lunch to the hotel that was a couple miles off route.

Checked in, quick shower, quick swim, quick clothes wash, and that' the day. Tomorrow will probably be about the same.


Here's the Parade!!

Good bye nice hotel.

That's where we ate last night, riding back by this morning.

Yep pretty much has looked like this the past 2 days. More to come.

Didn't see any statues :(.

Did you know there's a Chatawhatchee River as well as a Chatawhochee? I didn't either, I had a double take on that one!

Alligator Creek, but I didn't see any. Still kicking myself for not stopping for a picture of the one on the side of the road in Louisiana.

Seriously, its time to take the McCain/Palin sign down now.

Non Pine trees, but they are out there.

Marianna Court House.

I thought I heard cats out my hotel room!!

I guess they went some where for cover. Nice storm but I'm dry!!

Stats - 64.1 miles (2,141)
Calories - 3,708 ( 119,414 )
Time - 4:44 (171:32)
Total Climb - 1145 ( 56,993 ft )