Not Done 

A second day without riding, but I’m not done. Yesterday, I was done recuperating and today I’m back on the road to St. Augustine — and mile marker 500 on the trail!

It was cool when I left Mims on Saturday: 50 degrees, but it felt cooler with a light wind. It warmed up quickly throughout the day, and the high was in the mid-70’s. Most of the morning on the East Coast Regional Rail Trail, nearly 20-miles, looked much like this (an old converted railroad bed):

The trail is well-marked with occasional trailheads with porta potties and benches.

Somewhere near Creighton, FL the rail trail petered out on to more developed semi-rural areas that featured a farm with beggar goats and a sand hill crane:

I took a lengthy break at Rotary Park in Edgewater, FL. By this time my knee was becoming bothersome, as was a developing saddle sore. These are the common afflictions of long-distance bike touring.

Approaching New Smyrna Beach I came across an early colonial canal inspired by the Egyptian canal system built by 1,400 Minorcans, Corsicans, and Greeks in the late 1760’s.

But my knee and butt were complaining and I took another long lunch break in New Smyrna Beach…

… where this sign caught my eye…

… but it really wasn’t intended for bicyclists, it beckoned motorcyclists. This weekend was the end of bike week in Daytona Beach. The culmination of a 10-day celebration of all things motorcycles, and 500,000 motorcyclists make the town their own. The constant roar of waves of bikers (the other kind).

I was lucky to get there early, take an hour off the bike for lunch, and get out before the hordes descended for a 2pm concert at General Public House.

Which makes the best wings and fried green tomatoes I’ve ever had:

I’d be lying if I told you the rest of the ride was pleasant. It wasn’t. My right knee (left of frame) was blowing up to the size of a volleyball and my ass was on fire from a fully formed saddle sore.

The 14 miles until I saw this sign—mostly on US 1 with speeding maniacs and hordes of motorcyclists roaring by me—seemed interminable.

Got inside, away from the constant din of revving motorcycle engines, and got to work…

… trying get my knee back to human size.

Day 10
Start: Mims, FL
End: Daytona Beach, FL
Miles: 49.7

Tomorrow off to St. Augustine, FL!

What I’m Reading:

Doom, such a fickle bitch.

— Sarah Freligh / “In this Poem, We Will Not Glorify Sunrise”