Sopchoppy, FL to Perry FL
Interesting night with dogs barking as if they were being tortured. It came from many directions, so it wasn't just one dog or one house. Later, on our ride out of town, I noticed several trash towers knocked over, so there must have been a wild animal (bear?) going through town.
The photo of the Fruit Loops and Apple Jacks is the breakfast choice for this morning, for a 60+ mile day, with no services for 40 of those miles. I wasn't too happy, and did not indulge in these cereals. Instead, I just had a banana, and loaded an extra one in my bag for later. I was at the grocery store last night, and certainly they had better choices!
I got a late start leaving, and for the first time on this journey, Eileen waited for me. Not sure why I was so late getting out. Perhaps because I was trying to get my bike shorts to dry. I washed them yesterday evening, but with the cold air and high humidity, they did not dry too well. I was avoiding putting them on! Oh well, man up and just do it! Just as I was ready to depart, a Katydid landed on my handlebar bag. Had to get a photo, as it was so unusual for a large insect to land on my belongings. It also took a while to get him on his way!
So, after my late start, Eileen and I rode through Sopchoppy, a rural community, on US 98, and on to Medart, ten miles away. At Rocky's Gas Station, we stopped in based on recommendations from riders ahead of us. Of course, the recommendation was for donuts, so I had a glazed maple bacon donut, and a brownie. The brownie - not so good. But the maple bacon donut - oh, to die for! Melted in my mouth, as it was fresh out of the oven (so it seemed). Rocky's was a brand new gas station, but not your typical mini-mart. It was a bait and tackle store, gigging gear, deli, and beverage stop, all with neatly stacked items, and impeccably clean. We spent way too much time there, but on we went.
Eileen and I agreed that each of us would take turns "pulling." For non bicyclists, the "puller" is the person in front, giving the person directly behind a big advantage, as the wind resistance is dramatically reduced. We each pulled for two miles at a time,for about 50 miles. It made the miles go by much quicker, as the scenery was the same boring tree-lined flat, straight highway. We stopped at a Wildlife Management Area rest stop to grab a bite to eat out of our handlebar bags (bananas and cookies), then proceeded on our way. Ken caught up to us on our way out of the WMA stop, and stayed with us for the rest of the day, about 30 more miles. We fought a 20 mph headwind the whole day, so it was great to work as a team to make the day go by quicker and easier.
Before we knew it, we were in Perry, where we soon arrived at the KOA campground. We set up tents, showered, and went out to dinner, followed by a trip to the Winn Dixie by Ken and I, as we were the "cooks" for tonight and tomorrow's breakfat and lunch. The Winn Dixie was two miles from camp, so we put in an extra four miles round trip, in the dark, with lights.
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