May 7-9: Defuniak Springs, Marianna, Tallahassee - 220 Miles

The last few days have been filled with one thing... GATORS! Sitings have been plenty during each ride day. It is indeed pretty exciting to see these large reptiles out on a mud bank collecting the warmth of the sun! Since we left East Pensacola, riding directly east on US90 through the Florida panhandle, riders have been report one alligator after another. They have also been reporting one unique cafe after another. We ride through a small Florida town about every 10 or 11 miles. At each we have to decide if we will stop at one cafe or another for a nice cup of coffee and a nice slice of pie.

Alligator in the center background

The daily temperatures have been rising from the mid 80's to the mid 90's. Humidity is also on the increase and the riding is harder as a result. The terrain is slightly rolling mounds of sandy soils or red clay.

Camping on Juniper Lake in Defuniak Springs, FL

We have been riding some high mileage days in the 80's so we can setup our final layover day in Tallahassee, Florida. The pavement surface is very, very smooth and the group has been finishing most days around 2 PM with the last arriving around 3 PM. Everyone has been stopping to refuel with ice cream and/or a piece of pie. If there is one thing that we can always count on with this tour; we eat very, very well whether on the road or in camp, the food has been awesome.

Thelma waiting for her next ride to Marianna!

Campside at Arrowhead Campground in Marianna, FL

The ride into Tallahassee and our layover day was very, very difficult. The temperatures were in the mid 90's, 96 as a matter of fact, and entering the city causes the surface temperatures to rise considerably. The Best Western was well received by the group and the subsequent dinner out at the Olive Garden was a big hit.

We had the opportunity to meet with Ron and Zoe's friend, Mary Anne Koos, the Special Projects Coordinator with the Florida Department of Transportation. Maray Anne and her husband Will entertained us with cycling stories, places to visit in the Tallhassee area, and appropriate routes to get into and out of Tallahassee. Mary Anne quizzed us about our route from Alabama into Florida as she is a key player in the development of the United States Bicycle Route project as they are working on the best way to enter Florida from the west.

I failed to mention that we are riding across the Florida Panhandle and that we are encountering even more wildlife than just gators. We have seen large woodpeckers, more armadillos (dead), lots of snakes, owls, a Florida Panther, and gnats... lots of them.

Crossing the Appalchacola River and into the Eastern Time Zone

Mary Anne Koos, Christine, Zoe, and Ron in Tallahassee