Weekend at Crystals

I got up early Saturday morning and continued the drive to Jacksonville. Georgia was just as flat as I remember, but I can't believe I forgot about how bad the swamps smell. It reminded me a lot of the treatment plant off of I-495 at home. Its probably a good thing I'm not homesick yet.

Shane: 1

I-95: 0

I finally arrived in Jacksonville around noon and met up with my cousin Crystal, who I haven't spent much time with since I was little. Nevertheless, she was an awesome host and showed me around St. Augustine. We managed to hit the alligator farm, walk around old St. Augustine, and crash a party at one of the marinas.

 Lazy bums

I'm just going to dangle this rat here, what could possibly go wrong?

We also visited and climbed the St. Augustine lighthouse which is supposed to have some fantastic views of the area. Unfortunately we couldn't see much through the fog (thanks again, meteorlogists).

Sunday morning I managed to get a short ride in while Crystal went for a jog with her very energetic dogs. She was sure to warn me about the alligators and cottonmouths in the area, of which I saw neither. I did however come across a couple of armadillos and some wild boar. It was all I could do to keep from kicking the armadillo to watch him curl into a ball. Yes, I'm aware that boar can be dangerous. These weren't the hogzillas from TV, and as soon as I got too close one let out a loud oink and they all took off back into the woods. I didn't get gored.

 Hold still so I can kick you!

On the way out on Monday our last stop was a farmers market. I'm definitely jealous that she can get fresh, cheap, and local produce year round. I managed to stock up on some fruits and nuts, hopefully they'll help keep me from feeling run down. Too much restuaraunt food wears me down, especially when travelling.

No hug until I get a photo! 

From the farmers market I drove to the Santos trails in Ocala. For being flat and sandy, these trails weren't too bad, especially for Florida. The entire state seems like it washed up after a bad storm. Crystal told me they have constant sinkholes as a reminder that they could be swallowed back into the ocean at any point.

It took some getting used to the suicidal squirrels running in front of the bike. One of them got at least 2 feet of air when jumping out of the way. Too bad I didn't get that one on camera. About an hour into the ride, the skies opened up and it poured off and on for the rest of the time I was out.

Do not ride when trails are soft and... whatever

The rain actually firmed up the sand and made it easier to ride, but I'm probably going to need new brake pads after all the water and sand on the rotors. Despite the firm trails, I was still (very) late getting back. It made me appreciate that I have a gps, a smartphone for a backup, a flip phone for emergencies, and enough tools to make sure the bike will be able to at least coast out of the woods. I purposefully didn't take a light so I wouldn't be tempted to stay out too late. I think I'll have to re-evaluate that logic.

Found a truck stop outside of Gainesville that has wi-fi, 1050 miles so far. I'm hoping to continue my journey a little further tonight before stopping. Hope to be in touch again in a few days.

My apologies for not having any of the videos up. The file sizes and processing required are proving to be quite challenging while being on the road. I'll probably have to do a supplemental entry for all the videos when I get back home.