Day 38 - High Springs, FL to East Palatka, FL 94.71 miles/15.0 mph average 5 hours 47 min

The brick bike path out of High Springs - lasted about a mile

With 95 miles today, we decided to sleep in and go have breakfast with Peter and Max. Waffle House one more time. Just walking in the door feels like eating a meal, so much of the cooked food hangs in the air. Like a contact high, only better. Peter marveled at the quantity of food we consistently ate. Honestly, it was getting old. Pounding food is not something either of us really enjoy. Feeling full all the time distracts from the rest of your life. By the time we ate, got back to the room and prepped to leave, it was nearly 9 am and getting warm. We said our good byes and headed out. Peter and Max planned a few activities for the morning, and we'd see them one more time a bit later.

My first trip through the outlying Gainesville area featured perfect roads, minimal traffic, pure cycling joy. As seen below, it's still the same, but better. Making good time, we rode passed a few high caliber, competitive runners out training on the country roads. With what looked like 2 to 5 percent body fat, we figured they skipped the Waffle House this morning.

OK, no shoulder but who cares?

this road is dreamy, I think I'm in love

The route heads around the north side of the city, then drops south to the Gainesville-Hawthorne State Trail. 16 miles of controlled access recreational path. Such paths work great with the caveat that extra care is needed with families cycling with children. They tend to swerve a bit. The path reminded me of the Birk-Gilman in Seattle, Springwater Corridor in Portland.

(http://www.floridastateparks.org/gainesville-hawthorne/)

Sign at the trail head

Trail starts here - enjoy the ride

The trail proved easy going, just a few rough patches and hilly sections. A doe bolted across the path 15 feet in front of us at one point. Thickly wooded land hid most of the wildlife. The trail parallels state road # 20 into Hawthorne. Dad flew down from Charlotte earlier in the day, and we met up with him in Hawthorne when we stopped for lunch.

From Hawthorne we had about 40 miles remaining on the day. Our plan to stay on state road # 20 fell through since it was Johnny-Dangerous. The logging trucks were once again ridiculous (was it the same pack of 20 following us across the country, running circles around us?). With no shoulder for safe riding, we popped north to the prescribed route, which did turn out better. Jamming through Melrose, Putnam Hall, Florahome and Carraway, 10 miles left to East Palatka. The St. Johns River separates Palatka and East Palatka. Just West of Palatka, Chris states categorically that she has a rear flat. I look down at her tire, it looks OK from where I'm sitting. We are so close and in a groove, I did not even want to stop and check. How awful is that? I look down again, certain that the tire is not losing pressure. I then ask her if it feels like the tire can finish the next 4 miles or so. Stopping to change a flat so close to the end, what can I say, not a good thing.

as it turns out, the tire was not flat, possibly her energy was. We'd been pushing hard against yet another head wind for the last 30 miles. It added up. I felt it. Over the bridge into East Palatka, the Best Western there on the right, dad snapping pics.

does her rear tire look flat to you?

Best baked beans ever

Hot by the end of day, we scrounged change for the Gatorade (what else?) machine outside the room after checking in. We immediately started thinking about food once we cleaned up. Dad did not notice the combo Dunkin Donuts/31 Flavors on the way into town, but we pointed it out on our way to some BBQ with absolutely the best baked beans I've ever tasted. The little bowl of beans with my meal was not enough. I wonder how a baked bean buffet would've worked out. Not pretty, I'd imagine.

We hit 31 flavors on the way back, then retired to dad's room to watch the Red Sox on the tube. Pure bliss, even though they lost to the Yankees, 6 to 2. Bitter.

over and out