Bicycling from Rockledge, Fla, to Fort Pierce, Fla. (Dec. 9)

75.13 miles in 5:21....(797.91)...We woke up to blue skies, which was a welcomed change, and it felt pretty warm for most of the day, even though the thermometer barely touched 70 degrees at the warmest part of the day. The tailwind blew all day, and I averaged over 14 mph for the second day in a row. I left the campground after greasing my rusty chain because of the rain yesterday. I hosed the bike down after riding yesterday, because the sand and the road grime that kicked up during the rain was not only all over me, but stuck to everything on the bike. I haven't had my largest cranking gear for three days now, as I threw my chain twice, up near Daytona, and realized that I have to find a Specialized bike shop to get a 25,000 mile check up. Some of my drive train parts are original equipment, and my chain and rear gear cassette were replaced in Santa Monica, California. The manuals say a chain is only good for about 3000 miles, and I'm way past that. Hopefully I get some new parts and maintenance before things start breaking. Maintenance isn't my strong point, I'll admit.

The GPS took me on some quieter roads through Rockledge, past golf courses and snowbird resorts, and onto US1. I chose to keep going east, over a causeway that crossed the Indian River Lagoon and the Banana River, to the barrier island and my preferred path of travel, Fla. A1A. US1 was a shorter distance, but it stays on the mainland, and it looked like a boring interstate type road where I saw it. A1A was far from boring, as this 50 or so mile stretch always had something interesting to look at as I rode. The shoulder was always about four foot, mostly marked as a bike lane, with smooth surfaces, so it was a very comfortable ride. There was a six foot wide sidewalk the entire length of the island, which was sufficient for the locals, but I was better off in the bike lane near the road because of my speed, and also because of the pedestrian traffic, parked landscaping trucks, and piles of landscaping debris that were dotting the path. There was a huge amount of landscaping work going on everywhere, as the greenery was very plush, and in need of maintenance after the growing season. The landscaping gave the entire area its unique appearance, and no one was letting it get ahead of them. It just amazed me how much work was being done. My personal favorite landscaping feature was the sand roads that were enveloped into a tunnel by the trees, that led back to an unseen multi million dollar homestead, and there were plenty of those. I rode through beach town after beach town, but none of them were commercialized, all very ritzy and zoned to stay that way. Sometimes I wondered where people went to get gas, eat, or shop. I guess all that stuff is on the mainland, because the land along the ocean and Intercoastal rivers is too valuable for a shopping mall. There was land available to buy in spots, so the place isn't maxed out. The north end, south end, and Vero Beach, the biggest town I went through had some commercialization. Vero Beach just oozed money from every Palm tree and gated home. I really didn't take too many pictures because nothing really stood out from anything else. It was all beautiful. The entire length of the island was equipped with small public parks, so there was access to the ocean beaches every mile or so. There was a larger area in Vero Beach, which had a boardwalk and parking, but no seashore commercialization like you see in most vacation spots. Traffic consisted of Beamers and all kinds of fancy cars with LED headlights, but mostly landscaping and other service trucks that were catering to the property owners. There were many golf courses, beach clubs, private golf clubs, and even a Disney Vacation Resort in Vero Beach. There were many places where I could see the ocean, which was really rocking from a nor'easter that just went up the coast, and there were many places where I could see the Intercoastal waters. The entire 50 mile stretch only had one inlet, which was Sebastian Inlet State Park. I didn't see many boats, but I figure that they were all on the Intercoastal waters in their private docks. Overall, it was just a nice ride, with just enough action and beautiful sights to keep me from getting bored. This is another part of the stretch of A1A that I missed on the last trip, so it was all new to me. We stayed at a campground in Fort Pierce, which had about 500 sites, and is a home to snowbirds, mostly Canadian and French Canadian, who are starting to roll in for the winter. Adieu, as they say in French.

Patrick Air Force Base is on the barrier island

There were small parks all along the coast for public access.  This is because most of the beach is private property!

The ocean was rocking with 9' waves during high tides

Micycle Bicycle posed with Ponce De Leon

There was a sidewalk present the entire length of the island, but landscaper's trucks were everywhere

Ghost bikes always get my attention

Sebastian Inlet State Park

Construction on the bridge over Sebastian Inlet gave me time to take in the view

Docks on the Intercoastal Waterway

Bike tangled with an alligator in Vero Beach!!!

Bike then posed with these huge banana trees

Vero Beach had a Disney Vacation Club Resort

Vero had some beautiful homes

Mostly, you could only see the entrances from A1A

Vero Beach boardwalk

More Vero Beach 

Gotta find out what this is all about!  Somebody doesn't like trains!

Our campground in Ft. Pierce

Bicycling from Daytona Beach to Rockledge, Florida (Dec. 8)

, 76.34 miles in 5:27.....(722.78)....I know there will be days like this, but c'mon, not in sunny Florida. Not every damn day! We've had about a half day of sun since we've been in the sunshine state. Today, after a night of rain, I started out and stayed dry for about ten minutes. Once the rains came, it was off and on, light drizzle, mixed with heavier drenchers. Some where during the ride, about two hours in I think, I had about a half hour of dry. Then the rain started in earnest. I rode through puddles and got splashed by cars and trucks throwing water out of two inch deep puddles on the road. I kept my sunglasses on because I needed my rear view mirror, which is attached to them, and to keep the muddy, sandy splashes out of my eyes. I needed windshield wipers on them, but I'm pretty accustomed to having rain splashed glasses, after riding through Oregon and Washington. I was always wet, but never cold, which makes me think that I shouldn't be complaining. After all, it's December 8. I had a great tailwind all day, just like last time I rode this way. I averaged 14 miles an hour for a five and a half hour trip, and that's pretty good for me. The weird thing about biking is that the faster you're going, the less you're working. When I'm going ten mph, it's because I'm working my butt off into a headwind or up a grade. Faster is better.

Today's ride was on a stretch of US 1, & A1A, that I didn't ride two years ago. In 2012, we zigzagged around the state, and we went inland from Daytona to Orlando last time. I didn't miss much. The trip was pretty non descript today, not helped at all by the rain and the foggy clouds, or is cloudy fog? I was not on any barrier islands, as there are really none with roads on them the Canaveral National Seashore was out there somewhere, creating the Intercoastal Waterway, but the islands that there are, are not significant enough to warrant a road, I reckon. US 1 was always a four lane, always had a nice shoulder, and alternated smooth pavement with some of the roughest road I've ridden in this state. Leaving from the campground, which is six miles from the ocean, I let the GPS guide me through residential and non touristy areas of South Daytona and Port Orange. The towns of New Smyrna and Edgewater were not touristy, which made them look like a thousand other towns. New Smyrna had a nice little downtown, and I rode for about five miles there, off of US 1, right along the Intercoastal Waterway, through some real nice residential area, where every home had their own private boat dock. Then there was a stretch where I was about the only person on US 1, that lasted for 20 miles or so before I started hitting the Mims, Titusville area. I passed another biker in Titusville, who was going to Miami, but he was loaded down and traveling slower than me, so we chatted for only a short time while we rode. That's about where it really poured for a while, and I think he pulled over to stay dry, while I soldiered on through the deluge. Titusville pretty much blended into Cocoa, ( not Cocoa Beach), and the most memorable thing about that town was a five mile stretch of road construction that I had to negotiate in the pouring rain. One fortunate thing is that I had my LED taillight, which I really needed today. Great purchase!  We stayed at the Space Coast RV park, named because of our proximity to Cape Canaveral. The high school here is called Astronaut High, and the whole area is known as the Space Coast. I passed a couple of museums and halls of fame related to the space industry, but couldn't take pictures because of the rain.

The Ponce de Leon Inlet Light House, off in the distance, on the barrier island

Condos in Wilbur-by-the-Sea, on the barrier islands

The Ponce de Leon Inlet, south of Fort Orange

Sand Hill Cranes, as well as orange trees are making an appearance!

Our campground .....

- the driveway in was flooded!!

Bicycling from St. Augustine to Daytona Beach (Dec. 6)

58.11 miles in 4:19...(646.44 total miles)...Once again, I got a cool, foggy start, as I headed through St Augustine Beach. A1A splits here for a few miles. You can go on the beach road, or on the busier main drag. I chose the beach road, but couldn't really see the ocean, even though I was looking at it. After getting through the beach you, tourist area, A1A combined its two paths, and quite a few miles were spent in a non commercial, residential zone, that went by very easily, because of the tailwind, and A1A's continued wide, smooth shoulder. At about 11:30, I noticed the fog trying to burn off, and it was gone by noon, just in time for one of my favorite areas on the Florida east coast. In Beverly Beach, and Flagler Beach, A1A hugs the Atlantic Ocean, and the scenery becomes like its out of a movie. I like seeing the ocean when I ride, rather than scrub trees or landscaped private property and dunes. This area also contains several campgrounds where we could park the RV within throwing distance of the water. The land rises quickly from sea level to about 20-25 ft, so there is very little over wash like you have on the North Carolina barrier islands. I remember telling Pam two years ago that this would be a great place to stay if we ever came back this way, but of course I forgot about it. As I came into Flagler Beach, people were lining the street for their Christmas parade, which I must have just beaten. I took a minute to cruise the staging area, and saw the bands, the floats, and mostly the classic cars that would make up the parade. Then, I proceeded to ride right down the parade route and take a couple of pictures of the crowd. The sun was bright, and the warmth was beginning to take a hold, which made it all seem better than it would have been had the fog hung around.

Traffic, commercial development, and less remarkable scenery, took hold again as I passed through Ormond Beach, getting closer to Daytona. Rather than go straight on A1A, through downtown Daytona, I allowed my GPS to guide me west, across the Halifax River, which is the Intercoastal Waterway, and through Holly Hill, on some more local roads to get me to our campground, which was a few miles inland from the Daytona International Speedway. I followed the Halifax River for 8-10 miles, with Daytona to the east, before I cut inland. I was hoping that I would trip upon a new discovery on this route, and that I did. I cut right through the middle of Bethune Cookman University, a traditional all black college that I knew of because of their sports teams and band. Then came two other colleges that I hadn't heard of, one being Daytona State University, which looked pretty big. My last five miles passed the Daytona Speedway, and mall after mall, as I rode on International Speedway Blvd, which is a 6-8 lane road with plenty of action. I passed under I-95, and the road was settling back into a four lane, when I came to the RV park, The International RV park, which was huge, and crowded, even though not full. This is the first place we've stayed at where the snowbirds come to roost for the winter. One of the benefits to wintering here, is that you are only a few miles from the Daytona 500 in February. When everyone else is getting price gouged for accommodations, you are there already. 

I got to the RV, showered, and was ready to go back into town, where Pam had researched and found the Daytona Lighted Boat Parade, on the Halifax River. There was a park that we stumbled upon, with concessions and a great view along the west side of the river, but the parade was a dud. Very few boats (20 maybe) going by at a distance where you couldn't really see them, made it less glamorous than it sounds. We then crossed the river to the Daytona Boardwalk and listened to a Beach Boys cover band and ate at Sloppy Joes, right near the main stage. This is where it is crazy during spring break, with MTV, drunken co-eds, massive crowds, and headliner bands. Not tonight though. There were surprisingly small crowds for a Saturday night, and the fireworks display that we watched, matched the crowds.

Ducks by the pond at our campground - St Augustine KOA

There we are!!!

More fog by the beaches

Finish line of the Diva half marathon being run on Sunday in St Augustine

Driftwood carving along A1A

A1A is right on the ocean near Beverly Beach

People lining up in Flagler Beach for the Christmas parade!

A turtle visiting Mike near the road!

Motorized para sailing near Flagler Beach

A great shoulder all along A1A!

Santa pelican

The Halifax River (Intercoastal waterway), with Daytona Beach in the distance

Didn't know where Bethune Cookman was located until we camped a few miles from it!

Never heard of this college, but it looked big

First sighting of the Daytona Speedway

This speedway is way bigger than Charlotte!

This golden eagle was perched in a tree near our motorhome!  Pam also saw 2 bald eagles flying over the motorhome while she was setting up!

The bridge had to be raised for the boat parade because some of the boats were too tall to go under!

Bridge that takes us over to Daytona Beach - if you look carefully, you can see the boat parade passing under the bridge

And it was a full moon, too!!!

And we had Santa!

Beach Boys cover band was playing here. 

Where we had supper

What's a boardwalk with out a Ferris wheel??!!

Sunday, December 7 was a rest day. We wanted it to be a beach day, but the north winds blew, and the fog and clouds dominated the sky. I got my Christmas shopping done for Pam, which is no easy task, then we went to Buffalo Wild Wings and watched the Steeler game, before strolling around the campground in our sweatshirts before calling it a night.

We may be on the road, but will never forget that December 7 is Pearl Harbor Day!