| DAY 84 Thursday May 23rd, 2002 Archer, FL to White Springs, FL (or possibly to Jennings) Mileage: 70, total of 3,269 My first stop of the day in the town of Newberry at Hitchcock's grocery store, I was greeted with a complimentary cinnamon roll by the manager. Many good lucks and questions and good wishes later, i was outside enjoying my breakfast while a car load of countless Mexican migrant workers crowded around to habla espanol. Great fun to use my spanish in the most unlikely places. On my way to High Springs, I was greeted by a horse and her baby. They had broken out of their gate and joined me on the road for a playful run. I stopped my bike and they circled me. When i began riding again they joined me. Only AFTERwards was i able to experience the joy in this event.. not that this fearless cyclist was scared... neighhhhhhhhh! My playmates joined the other horses shortly afterwards as i entered the town of High Springs "a nice place to be." True enough as I met some friendly folks in this charming town. A motorcyclist tells me that he knew of a cross country cyclist who mailed himself a series of packages prior to the ride so that when he arrived at the designated location he would pick up his fresh supplies and send back his dirty clothes. Seems easier to wash your clothes....but good story anyway. Also found the Santa Fe Bicycle Outfitters Shop, where owner Jim altered my handlebars and rewired my cyclometer back to functioning. A great day for a long ride. Here I am in White Springs where the town is busily preparing for its annual Folk Festival at the State Park. Perhaps too much roadside chatter since i have not advanced nearly as far as i had anticipated. Well, I wound up staying overnight in White Springs. Maybe the folk music drew me to the campgrounds, where all the musicians were camping and 'jamming' their fiddles, flutes, banjos, and yodelling vocals. One volunteer allowed me to camp despite its full occupancy, later to find out he is a fellow Buffalonian AND a BOB trailer carrying cyclist! Small world. I am SO glad that i stayed since i met such memorable folks including the Miller family (David, Candy and their twin sons William & Matt)who were in for a fiddle competition (Let me know how it went!). Also met 'Raven Stands Alone' a true cyclist who has crossed the country some 26 times, including 17 roundtrips and one Xcountry ride in only 21 days! Wow! And a fellow New Yorker who had participated in a fundraising ride from Buffalo to NYC. A special place indeed as it seemed that everyone knew oneanother or there were very few degrees of separation. By the nightfall I felt like I knew everyone too. The only trouble was the overabundance of ticks that seemed to stick themselves just about everywhere. DAY 85 Friday May 24rd, 2002 White Springs, FL to Valdosta, GA Mileage: 61miles, total of 3,330.27 Since I received a personal invite to hear Raven Stands Alone play his flute at 11:30am, I decided to stick around and soak up the festival a bit. Here I was accosted by many folks who had seen me on the road the previous day..."Hey are you the cyclist? Were you riding your bike yesterday?" Again, I met many outstanding individuals and chatted with folks i had met yesterday (old friends by this point). Thanks to John for reading me his poem. Thanks to the Miller family for a great time over lunch. Thanks to Raven for publicly announcing my ride during his stage time. Thanks to Mary Lou for gifting me a copy of her poems. I picked up a sweet potatoe pie and continued my ride north along the 41. What a special group of people. And I crossed into GEORGIA!!!!! "Thanks for having Georgia on your mind!" Camped out at Shady Oaks Campground just off the 41/75....and shadey it is indeed! An overgrown abandoned sort of a place that left remnants of its day (a filled-in swimming pool, a rusted jungle gym, etc. Luckily the restrooms were in working order and i was able to pitch my tent under the almost-full moon...just me and the ants. And if i though the ticks were bad...these ants bite! DAY 86 Saturday May 25th, 2002 Valdosta, GA to Cordele, GA Mileage: 87, total of 3,417.66 Everything always happens for a reason...and today was no exception. Off to a late start due to a stubborn flat tire, I met up with another Xcountry cyclist named Tim. This is Tim's 19th trip and this time he is on his way to Oregon. We rode for about 46 miles together to the town of Tifton before we said our good luck's and good bye's. This trip included a visit through the town of Spark, Cook's County, where they were celebrating their annual pickle festival. Funny thing is that there wasn't a pickle in sight. Perhpas the only pickle-less pickle festival ever! Plans to continue another 50 miles to Cordele State Park where i will meet up with RPCV Staci Bolton. A nice day for a relatively easy ride, passing fields of sweet beets, pecan groves, alongside railroad tracks, through countless small towns. The best time for camping is under a full moon...a night such as this. DAY 87 Sunday May 26th, 2002 Cordele, GA to Macon, GA Mileage: 78 miles, total of 3,495.97 A long hard ride through the country hills of Georgia. Beautiful rolling hills lined with manicured lawns and Pecan Trees. Was lucky enough to meet up with PCT April, who was about to leave for her Peace Corps experience in Kenya! She and friend Carolyn invited me to their home for one of April's last meals. What a special time to be a part of her last minute pre-PC stress. I send all of my strength to April and her family/friends for this VERY exciting time. I remember when i was packing for my first PC experience....Good Luck!!!!!!!!! DAY 88 Monday May 27th, 2002 Macon, GA to Atlanta (Lawrenceville), GA Mileage: 98, total of 3,593.74 Holy Hills! A very hot day in the 90's in the rolling hills of Georgia. RPCV Staci Bolton (St. Lucia) met me on the road to cheer me onwards about a dozen times as i approached the outskirts of her Lawrenceville home. Definitely the sort of roadside attraction that i tired cyclist needs to get up that next hill. These thighs have not worked so hard since northern Louisiana. Some 98 miles later I was able to park the bike in her garage for its one week rest. I am absolutely exhausted and NEED this week to prepare for the last leg of the journey through the Carolinas, Virginia, and DC! DAY 89 Tuesday May 28th, 2002- DAY 95 Monday June 3rd, 2002 Atlanta, GA I have lots of events and activities planned for this week including a presentation to the local Rotary Club who have been following this bike ride, a special look at the Atlanta area by the Atlanta Police Department, and a visit to the Peace Corps Office. Just returned from a very cultural experience at the Farmers Market in Dekalb County where i revisited with familiar fruits and vegetables of the Caribbean and Latin America. Said my hello's to the Atlanta Regional Peace Corps Office and met nearly the entire staff from Public Affairs Specialist Carla Murphy to many of the regional recruiters. Great enthusiasm in this very inviting office. Look forward to seeing some of you at the NPCA conference in DC! Also met up with a friend that i made in Ecuador who happens to be studying at Georgia State University. For all of you who know Nikolaos from Greece, he is doing very well. Unfamiliar with the public transportation system I phoned ahead to confirm the pick-up location of my bus back to my host's home. As the bus pulled up to the bus stop, the driver asks, "Are you the one who phoned in?" I hesitatingly said, "yes, i am..." Then i realized that she was looking out for me just in case i wasn't on the right corner, etc. "This would never happen in NY," I said in disbelief. The driver smiled and replied..."You're telling me, I used to live there." Way to go Atlanta Public Transportation System for lloking out for this lost soul. Congratulations go out to John Li & Ann Gremel on their recent engagement!!!!!!!! RPCVs who met during PST in Ecuador 1999-2001, Omnibus 82. Was it love at first sight? or first site? next page previous page home |