Periodic Progress Report Southern Tier Cross-Country Bicycle Tour

Date(s): Nov. 10, 1999
Day: Wednesday
From: Gulf Beach, FL
To:
Lodging: Blackwater River State Park
Segment Mileage: 70.6
Cumulative Mileage: 2994.6
Actual Riding Time: 5:04
Average Speed: 14.3
Weather: Warm, sunny
Temp: Mid 80's

We were visited by lots of raccoons during the night, but they are mostly just a nuisance as we ususally protect the food at night. I was more scared by the growls of the campers trying to scare the raccoons, and sounds are magnified quite a bit at night. Fortunately the creature from the Big Lagoon was not behind my tent as I was thinking last night. Today was supposed to be a short 52 mile day so we took the time to do some laundry at the nearby laundromat. But first Oliver and I took a ride around the lagoon at the campgrounds. It's a very nice park, with good swimming facilities, and canoe rentals on the inland freshwater lake. The paddles double as weapons, as alligators are said to live in the lake. We took several photos and then rode to the laundromat. As is often the case, we took over the laundromat with our tents drying out front and us using several of the machines.

I needed to stop by the bike store near our route in Pensacola, so I took off alone and headed there, passing Cyndi along the way. I also passed a couple who were headed to Miami from Nevada. They were not very talkative and were studying their state map as I left. The people at the Bicycle Doctor, Jim and Mary Fortney, were very helpful even though the mechanic was not there. I picked up some spare spokes and a new bicycle computer. My old one died going into town. Jim even set it up for my wheels, but when I rode off I realized it was using kilometers instead of miles, so Oliver had to do the conversion for me later in the day.

I met up with Jimmy on the way out of town. He was talking to the two retired doctors that we had been hearing were ahead of us. They started about two weeks later than us but they have been taking as many short cuts as possible, doing 2100 miles to our 2800. They both had BOB trailers and looked like they were having a great time.

Just past the bridge across Escambia Bay I met up with Janet and Bob. A large nail had pierced Bob's tire and come out through the sidewall. Janet sounded like she was the physician instead of Bob, asking for tools as if in an operating room; a small piece of leather to patch the tear, a small piece of cardboard to support it, pump, etc. She was mounting the wheel with the fixed tire within a few minutes and I went ahead. We met at Milton to pack groceries to camp, and Oliver, Suzanne, Cyndi and I headed out, Oliver stopping at the Oliver Street sign for a picture.

At the map meeting the day before, Jim mentioned that a bridge was out a couple of years ago and he wasn't positive that it was repaired so he gave us the detour instructions just in case. Being naturally cautious, I talked Oliver and Suzanne into taking the detour, which ended up being an extra 6 or 7 miles and we got into camp just before dark, the last ones in. We didn't get much sympathy from the group.

Bruno fixed a very good dinner with help from Suzanne, Jim, and Cyndi, since Todd, Bruno's cooking partner, was taking a side trip. Cyndi also fried up some biscuits on the fire (thanks to Spike's ability to procure firewood and just about anything else) afterwards for the diehard few who were still up at 8:30pm. Camp was at a very quiet state park which made for a peaceful night.