Different clouds, it could be rain-free this day.I went to Dunkin Donuts for breakfast, and met Matt. He was 79, but still working in his own business supplying medical oxygen. Matt was an RN, originally from Ireland. He had moved to Canada and worked there when he was young, before moving about the US, and finally ending up in Georgia. His hat said, “Too Blessed to be Stressed,” a philosophy I really liked.I stopped at Hastings on the way. I had never tried one of these ice cakes, so did so at the gas station.I took highway 207 instead of the ACA route, saving some 11 miles. Nothing wrong with 207, good shoulder, no problems with traffic.About 5 miles before St. Augustine proper, I saw a car that was starting to burn. The people had gotten out, and the flames spread quickly. I wanted to get to the other side of the highway quickly, in case the gas tank blew up.I had 2/$2.50 hotdogs and a drink across the street, and watched the burning car for entertainment. The 4 tires exploded. Then a fire truck showed up and put the fire out.The fire is out, now.Right at the the St. Augustine city limit, I turned into the driveway of a Dollar General, and saw these snails.Dollar General, the source of water. I also had an Outshine bar, and chatted a while with a woman named Carol. She was local, and warned me of high crime in Jacksonville. She said she would pray for me. While all prayers are sincerely appreciated, I was wondering, How bad could it be?
I checked into the Pirate Haus Hostel, the oldest continuously operated hostel in the US. At $25, it was a bargain, compared with luxury hotels on the beach. There was A/C, wi-fi, and a shower – all the essentials.
This is the first view of the Atlantic on this entire journey.This is the old Spanish Fort, Castillo de San Marcos, still standing after 400 years. It’s now a national monument. As it was $10 to see the inside, I only looked at the outside. The walls are made of this amazingly durable coquina, composed of cemented seashells.Didn’t seem like much of a moat. Or maybe the idea was that soldiers would shoot at whoever tried to cross the killing zone.This is the old Slave Market.The area around the Fort was a huge tourist attraction, and full of restaurants, ice cream shops, and gift shops. No groceries or ordinary drugstores.
I walked the length of the major streets, and it was enough. If you gettin’ no kicks, ’cause you hea two weeks, mo’ betta you go hele on… (from the song, “Hele on Braddah”)
This intersection was the official end of the Southern Tier.Right at the corner where the southern tier ended, was the A1A restaurant. I ate inside for the A/C, but still had quite a view. I also got 10% off with a referral card from the hostel.I got the Grilled Seafood Paella, and a house salad. The Paella even had a split lobster tail in it, along with the normal shrimp, fish, squid, chicken, and sausage. I had no trouble finishing it. When I get home, I’m going to have to reset my eating habits to less.This is Lisa, one of the other people in my dorm room. We moved to the kitchen to do computer work. She’s from a small town in central Alabama, and had come here for a few days vacation like kayaking. She also brought her bicycle. Unfortunately, parking is a problem in this area, so her car was a mile away.Met a couple other people at the kitchen table – Ricky, from London, who was cooking some pasta for his dinner. He had been on a loop tour of the US, and was going further south in Florida before going back up the Atlantic coast, then flying home. Also met Corrinne (did I spell that wrong?), who was from Los Angeles, but moved here for a job in social work.
At the table, there were two Trump supporters, and one against, besides myself. Taking a cue from my friend Linda, I stayed out of the political discussion.
Tomorrow, the hostel has a pancake breakfast included with the room. I then plan to bike up to Jacksonville, or at least a rent-a-car near there. I could save on lodging by staying at the hostel longer (the bed is only $25), but meals would cost more, and I’ve had about enough of the tourist area. Also, if I stayed, I would burn my one extra day of margin to run errands before flying back on Saturday.
Miles today: 32.0
(Visited 129 times, 1 visit(s) today)
congratulations, you did another tier! and you had time to tour, too. what to do in jax for a few days besides errands?
One day will be spent just getting there. Should be all right, as I don’t have to actually reach the airport 60 miles away, just a cheap motel at the southern edge of the city. Then I have to get a car rental, locate a bike shop (for a cardboard box), locate some thrift stores (for throwaway luggage), pack everything, ship the bike. If all goes well, I theoretically have Friday free.
Congratulations on making it to St. Augustine! What an adventure! It will probably feel a bit dull at home when you return. Did you go into the water at all for a swim? The Atlantic ocean is warmer than the Pacific.
Lemonade with blue raspberry. They put a gumball at the bottom, which detracts from it, if you ask me. For the same price, I’d rather have a fruit popsicle.
Congratulations on reaching St. Augustine and ending safely! Quite an adventure — I enjoyed following along and look forward to the roadkill count and other stats. (Weren’t you just a little tempted to do the extra 500 miles to the Mile 0 marker at Key West?)
Hi, Bill. Your comment probably came in right during the window where I was deathly ill. No big deal to Key West. It’s just another island, not even the southernmost in the USA.
congratulations, you did another tier! and you had time to tour, too. what to do in jax for a few days besides errands?
One day will be spent just getting there. Should be all right, as I don’t have to actually reach the airport 60 miles away, just a cheap motel at the southern edge of the city. Then I have to get a car rental, locate a bike shop (for a cardboard box), locate some thrift stores (for throwaway luggage), pack everything, ship the bike. If all goes well, I theoretically have Friday free.
Congratulations! YOU DID IT! AWESOME!!!
Thanks, Marilyn! Although St. Aug is the end of the map, I have another day or so of riding ahead – stay tuned.
Congratulations on arriving safely ! Also a good idea to stay out of the politics and enjoy yourself.
Thanks, and thanks for following along all this time. Hope you have a lot of two-wheeled adventures, too, even if motor-powered.
Congratulations on making it to St. Augustine! What an adventure! It will probably feel a bit dull at home when you return. Did you go into the water at all for a swim? The Atlantic ocean is warmer than the Pacific.
No, I didn’t even touch the water. But I don’t feel like I missed out on anything. It will be good to be home.
Forgot to ask about the paella, how much was it and how did it taste?
About $25, but it was enormous. It even had a small lobster tail in it. If I wasn’t on a bike tour, I don’t think I could have finished it.
Good job Dad!
What flavor was your ice cake? It looks very green.
Lemonade with blue raspberry. They put a gumball at the bottom, which detracts from it, if you ask me. For the same price, I’d rather have a fruit popsicle.
Congratulations on reaching St. Augustine and ending safely! Quite an adventure — I enjoyed following along and look forward to the roadkill count and other stats. (Weren’t you just a little tempted to do the extra 500 miles to the Mile 0 marker at Key West?)
Hi, Bill. Your comment probably came in right during the window where I was deathly ill. No big deal to Key West. It’s just another island, not even the southernmost in the USA.