Trans USA Cycling Tour

continued - June 23, 20003
I found some good breakfast right off the bat and
had a good rest from the small ride the day
before. The weather stayed relatively mild
through the first part of the morning and I was
accumulating miles pretty easy. I was "jammin"
to all kinds of tunes from my CD collection
everything from Sinatra and Krall to Eminem to
Bocelli. I got well into my 60 miles by noon
benchmark and was averaging 12-13 miles/hr
with the breaks and rests and pulling at about 17
miles/hr while on the bike. The weather and
wind and terrain remained kind all day and I never
seemed to get drained. I pulled into Tallahassee
about 8:00 and it took me about 45 minutes of
searching to find a hotel within the budget. The
receptionist at the hotel desk saw me pull up on
my bike and asked me where I was coming from.
I told him "Destin" and he freaked. I went about
convincing him and we played 20 questions as
my appetite grew exponentially. I finally guided
the conversation to an end and got my room key.
I visited a Bennigan's for dinner and managed to
hit the late night happy hour, 2 for 1 ..................
sweet!!! Those beers lasted a total of 75 seconds
and the waiter took a double take and I just said,
"I'm a little thirsty" and smiled. I looked over the
menu remembering that Bennigan's had some
substantial desserts and ordered up the brownie
bottom pie.
I hit the sack about 10:30 full, but wondering,
what the Hell I was gonna feel like in the morning
after 150 miles carrying 65 lbs. of luggage. (I
weighed the bike packs at 65 lbs.). I prepared
for the night with some glucosamine, and Bextra.

June 24th, 2003 - Day 36
Odometer 3240 Counting down
I woke after the big day yesterday and got around
a little slowly. I was sore but I wasn't as bad as
it could have been. I spent a little extra time
stretching in a hot shower which seemed to be a
good start for the day. I left Tallahassee and
there were some rolling hills that got me involved
in the day's activity rather quickly. Game on. I
looked at the map and new that I was in for
another 100 mile day if I was to stop near any
kind of civilization.
I was starting to realize that this was my second
to last day and really started to reflect on a lot of
the places I had been and people I had met. It
was a little hard for me to believe I had been on
the road for 5 weeks and had been on bike for
2700 miles. The people I remember meeting in
California and Arizona had to be summoned up
and appreciated once again. I remembered when
I was a kid and I used to bike into town. I
thought that was a long ways and that was 4
miles. I remembered when I told my neighbors I
was gonna ride my bike across the United States.
It was another day of serious riding with nothing
to distract me except what my mind could
create.. Destination.....Lake City, FL (I'm sure
your heard of it, possibly on the Travel Channel)
I pulled into Lake City and I felt the day before
was taxing my effort, the effects of the prior day
were going to start to add up. Grabbed dinner at
Shoney's where a couple of ladies left as I did
and acted sore from some type of exercise class.
I just grinned.

June 25th, 2003 - Day 37
Odometer Start 3,338 Final 3,422
2,820 Total miles
The day started like all the rest but it wasn't like
all the rest. There wasn't going to be a day on
the bike tomorrow. No lathering with sunscreen
first thing in the morning, or breaking down a
tent. No measuring my day in inches on a map.
No waving at the 18 wheelers that moved to the
far lane to give me room on the side of the road.
No answering questions at convenience stores as
to where I'm going to and where I'm coming
from. It was going to be a different kind of
"normal day".
It was a normal day on the bike. Hot, thirsty,
cranking pedals, looking for Diet Mountain Dew.
I approached Jacksonville about 1:00 pm thinking

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