Mile 2650

Woah, what a day.  

“No plan is a good plan”, so the title of an adventure movie from Ramona & Herbert Schwarz which in fact turned out very well for them.  But for me today, I better have a plan.  Tropical storm Nine is moving into Florida and I need the check point mark of Key West, otherwise my best plan is worth nothing.  I can not risk that the storm picks up and the bridge / causeway is getting closed because of too high winds.  So the original idea of only going to Jacksonville, FL has been extended to reach at least Orlando, FL  I’m up as usual before the sun rises, have my coffee and break down camp.  By 6:00 AM I’m on the road, and there is a low cloud cover and mist hanging over North Carolina.  It is quite pleasant as the temperatures are rather on the cooler side, and riding is a breeze.  There is hardly any traffic and the miles are just flying by.  Crossing into South Carolina the sun hasn’t yet broken through the clouds, and it will stay this way into Georgia.  The Interstate is in good condition and makes good for its disastrous end up North.  Moving through Georgia at about Savanah I can see the first blue spots in the sky, and what looked rather promising turned out become deep black clouds further South.  Have I gotten till now only here and there some sprinkles, crossing into Florida the heavens opened up in Jacksonville, FL.  I got drenched down to the bone till Daytona Beach, at which point I decided I have to ride much further than Orlando to get dry again.  After Daytona the sun brook through, and it stayed that way until I called it quit in Miami.  Nevertheless it was an interesting ride through the swamps of Georgia, I listened perfectly suited Tony Joe White and his typical Swamp Rock/Blues music.  Have to listen to it again when going through the Bayou. I also have to say that when the sun shines in Florida, it looks exactly like the postcards, palm trees, huge and nicely manicured resorts, lush green everywhere, wide empty parkways, blue waters, neat and white building, and blue skies, but when it rains, it is exactly like New England, miserable.  So let’s hope that my efforts today will be rewarded in reaching Key West tomorrow morning, and than I will turn around and head North before TS Nine will hit the peninsula.  It was a long day, but not so bad after all.

PS:  Did I mention that if you thought the drivers in New York are crazy, the ones in Florida even more.  Speed limits and lane markings are just for the out of Staters.  If you’re going 80, and getting passed by a Semi, and this one getting passed by another car, and this one too, then you know You’re in Florida.  Of course no problem with that kind of racing on 4 to 6 lane Interstates.  But not my kind of cookie.

“When it rains, it pours.  When it pours you get wet down to the bone.  When you wet to the bone you have to ride farther to get dry again.” - me