A Little Rain

Every ride has a little rain, I just didn't expect it so soon. At least it was only for the last five miles. Today's destination was Anastasia State Park, just south of St. Augustine. It was a pretty straight route, along the beach through (the town of) Atlantic Beach, continuing onto Ponte Vedra Road until it reached A1A, then A1A all the way to St. Augustine and Anastasia State Park. Another long flat, mostly straight ride.



View Hanna Park To Anastasia State Park in a larger map

Ellen and I left Hanna Park at around 9:30 AM. It was onto Route 101 south for both of us. I was turning east shortly thereafter to the waterfront and Ellen was continuing to connect back onto A1A, first stopping a a local Fresh Market for groceries. I took a wrong turn and had to loop a bit to get to 1st Street. Ellen couldn't find the Fresh Market, it seems the location in the GPS was bad.

She found her way back to A1A and eventually came across a Publix Market and stopped to shop. Meanwhile, I was plodding down 1st Street. It turns out that the road does not run continuously for automobiles, with frequent barricades at ends of blocks and several stretches of pedestrian walkway, but there was always a way to bicycle. I'm glad I didn't suggest that Speedy take the same route.

After about five miles, 1st Street eventually led onto Ponte Vedra Road. This is a two-lane road that runs right along the water for about seven miles through a rather poncy neighborhood of large  homes, gated communities and private clubs. The speed limit along the road ranged from 25 to 35, so there was virtually no traffic, a fair number of cyclists though. This ended at AIA where it was another 30 miles to St. Augustine.

There are bicycle lanes on both sides of A1A all the way from Jacksonville to St. Augustine and a fair number of peletons were out riding on a Sunday morning, all going the other way. Either I was riding very fast and those behind me couldn't catch up or, more likely, those heading south already had done so. I was actually moving along at a faster than average clip but that was attributable to a good following wind.

At about 20 miles into the ride, who should pass me, but Ellen in Speedy. I couldn't believe that, even with a tailwind, I'd been able to put in 20 miles before she caught up. I'd expected that even with the stop for groceries, she would have been well ahead by the time I got to A1A. About a mile further I caught up to her. She had stopped by the side of the road to wait for me. I had my own feed zone. I stopped for a chat and a snack. (Sadly she didn't just hold out a musette bag like in the grand bicycle tours.)

She was then off to the state park and I continued my plod along A1A. About 15 miles later there was a hill, more properly, it was the bridge over the Matanzas River just north of St. Augustine. Even if it was only a 100-foot climb in less than a 1,000 feet, my legs were aching. Once I cleared the bridge, it was into downtown St. Augustine. It had been reasonably sunny most of the day, clouding over as I approached the city. Finally the rain started just as I got onto the city streets. It continued through town over another bridge downtown and all the way to the park.

Ellen had arrived a couple of hours before me and was waiting out the rain in the comfort of Speedy. After I changed into into dry clothes, we headed out to get fuel for Speedy and to move to a more open campsite. When Ellen arrived before checkout time, there weren't many sites to choose from, but being a Sunday, many people were leaving and we were now able to get one that wasn't totally covered by trees.

It was then time to plug the Roadtrek into power and water, the comforts of a Florida state park, do a bit of laundry, as there were a few damp clothes which weren't going to dry in the rain, and take a shower with unlimited hot water, another comfort of a Florida state park. Finally, dinner and some journal writing. We'd hoped to have TV reception and watch tonight's episode of Downton Abbey, but I guess we are too far out of town for Speedy's wimpy built-in antenna.

Tomorrow it is inland to the north end of Ocala National Forest.

No photos today.