Save 22 A Day Trans-America Cycling

The link to today's route and statistics is found here . Today was our last long ride.  We left at 7:30 am to avoid afternoon heat.  We had decent cloud cover early, and later we rode 20 miles of state trails, which gave additional shade. The bottom line is that it was a very pleasant ride. We did more than rest and refuel at SAG stops today. SAG stop photo TAC gave us Little Debbie Swiss Rolls and our Swiss contingent graciously served us A study was conducted o f Spanish Moss growing on Live Oaks at the SAG. Spanish Moss was plentiful at SAG Live Oak draped in Spanish Moss We rode through Gainesville today, but not near “The Swamp.”  That is the popular name for the University of Florida football stadium.  The Florida Gators play there. The Swamp in Gainesville is home to the Florida Gators American football team A highlight for the day was the scenery on the  Palatka-Lake Butler State Trail.   Low...

The link to today's route and statistics is found here . Even though today’s ride was long at 78 miles, it was not too taxing.  The cloud cover and trees along the route helped kept us cool, and this part of Florida is quite flat. The Suwannee River referred to in the photos below is the same river made famous by Stephen Foster in his 1851 (antebellum era about ten years before the start of the American Civil War) minstrel song  title “Way Down Upon the Suwannee River,” also known as “Old Folks at Home.”  Foster eliminated the “u” from Suwannee on purpose, because he thought that people would mispronounce it.  The song was the best-selling sheet music of its time, and it is the official state song of Florida.  Pretty impressive for a river that starts in the Okefenokee Swamp of southern Georgia and drains into the Gulf of Mexico.  The song is on YouTube at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_U61dDdY-c Suwannee River Kayaking on the Suwannee ...

The link to today's route and statistics is found here . Another great day weather wise for us.  Cool, not very humid, relatively low wind.  Great road surfaces.  Couldn't ask for more. We rode out of Tallahassee on Old St Augustine Road.  The road dates to the 1600’s when it linked Spanish missions from St. Augustine to Tallahassee.  Old St Augustine Road was also the first Florida highway.  Completed in the 1820’s, it connected St. Augustine to Pensacola by following an old Indian footpath, which became the Spanish Trail.  Canopy Road has a dense canopy, mostly from Live Oak Trees draped with Spanish Moss on both sides of the road growing together.  The canopy runs for about eight miles, so there is time to take it all in. Rider enjoys St. Augustine Road canopy Cruising under the Live Oaks Ray  Charles, the singer, pianist, and bandleader, showed up at the SA...

The link to today's route and statistics is found here . Today conditions for riding were excellent.  Wind was not too high, 8 mph max, and at the end of the day there was even some tailwind.  The high was about 80 F.  The humidity was only about 60%.  The road surface was very good in most places.  We made good time. We saw damage from Hurricane Michael from Marianna to about 50 miles east, approaching Tallahassee.  There were many trees in the forests snapped in two or uprooted.  Many houses had blue plastic sheeting for temporary roofing until a roofer could finish the job.  One section of forest around Chattahoochee had severe tree damage.  Perhaps a tornado spawned from the hurricane tore through this swath of trees. In a heavily damaged swath of the forest near Chattahoochee most pine trees were snapped in two. Rays of hope coming through.  As we rode on we crossed the Apalachicola River, going from the Central Tim...