Date(s): Nov. 12, 1999
Day: Friday
From: De Funiak Springs, FL
To: Marianna, FL
Lodging: Florida Caverns State Park
Segment Mileage: 67.5
Cumulative Mileage: 3118.1
Actual Riding Time: 5:12
Average Speed: 12.9
Weather: Warm, sunny
Temp: Low 80's
Yesterday Bob was involved in a car accident and while he was not seriously injured, it was bad enough that he cannot continue the trip. He was riding back to camp after running some errands and turned left at the light at the 90/83 intersection and he was hit by an oncoming car. He broke 2 ribs and has a partially collapsed lung. (We later found out that he also had 2 other broken bones that went undetected until after his long trip back home). He was taken to the local hospital for observation and was released today. He will remain in town for a few days and then return home to Newport News, VA. It was very sad for the group to say goodbye to him in his room at the hospital. Janet and Jim packed his bike up and sent it home, then visited with him in his room. Last night we made a card with a picture of his bike and we all signed it, then we fixed him a lunch of the usual treats, and Janet said he got a kick out of both. After their visit, they rode hard and just made it to camp before dark and were exhausted.
I rode alone to the post office at Ponce De Leon to mail some postcards and buy stamps. In Caryville I met up with Suzanne, Cyndi, and Bruno who were taking a break. I stopped and had a drink and asked if anyone had lost the glove that I found in the road. Since they hadn't, I left it in the booth, only to have it mysteriously turn up in camp. Jimmy had stopped at the same spot and the clerk said that we had left the glove by mistake, so he brought it with him.
Lynne joined us and she and Cyndi and Suzanne continued, with Bruno and I following a bit behind. For the next 5 or 6 miles they stayed just ahead of us moving at a fast pace lead by Suzanne, who seems to get faster every day. We finally caught them on a hill and Suzanne, Bruno, and I rode ahead, each taking our turn at the front. In Chipley we stopped at a diner swarming with high school kids who were getting ready for the homecoming parade to begin. The town was bustling with people lining the streets, and we talked to several groups of people about our trip and about homecoming. Since we needed to get to the grocery by 2:30, we left before the parade began.
We continued our paceline into Marianna, our destination for the day. In a moderate headwind nearly everyone in the group was part of a paceline. I went ahead to the store while Bruno and Suzanne looked around town. Cyndi and Lynne were just coming into town as well and they helped me with the shopping. I wanted to get to camp first to get set up before cooking so I took off while they waited for the others to help with the load.
Once again I had to plead with the state park ranger to find a way to let us stay at the full campground. She managed to find a couple of cancellations and we weren't turned away. We're staying at Florida Caverns State Park, but we won't have a chance to see the caverns as we'll be off early to ride to Quincy, some much earlier than others as Jim and Jimmy will try to get to the post office before 11:00 our time, since we enter the Eastern time zone on the way there. Cyndi and others came to my rescue and helped with dinner as Jim and Janet hadn't arrived yet.
The terrain has consisted mostly of pine forests for the past couple of days. The ride along route 90 has been flat and boring and we're grinding out the miles now. I'm anxious to hear from Todd about his ride along the coast, which seems like it would be a much more scenic and interesting route.
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