Perry to Alachua, FL - 83 miles

Today's ride was a good ride. Early in the ride we crossed the Suwanee River. This is the correct spelling. It is not Swannee as in Stephen Foster's song. He changed it because he was afraid people would mispronouce the "u." In fact, he had never even been in the South or even seen the Suwanee River.

For lunch we visited Ichetucknee Springs State Park and had a nice picnic by the clear blue spring water lake.

Wakulla Springs to Perry, FL - 54 miles

Today, I didn't have any of those problems (like heat, humidity, insects)...it just rained all day. Actually, I do not mind riding in the rain. It's the trucks that blast by us that is annoying. When they go by, it's like getting hit with a fire hose. In the last few miles of our ride, it poured. We arrived at the Hampton Inn looking like drowned rats just soaked to the bones. The staff here was so kind to us. They greeted us with towels and served us wine and chocolate covered strawberries before dinner.

I can't believe we have three more days of riding. I am looking forward to coming home.

SUNDAY, APRIL 27TH
Wakulla Springs - REST DAY
I have to confess that the roads here in Florida have been very good. The weather has been hot and humid. I have been getting eaten alive by "noseeums." They are tiny little critters that fly around and bite you like mosquitos except they are hard to see, thus they are called "noseeums." They look like tiny flakes of dandruff.

Quincy to Wakulla Springs, FL - 48 miles

We are now in Wakulla Springs. It is one of the world's largest and deepest fresh water springs. The bowl of the spring cover approximately three acres and the temperature remains a constant 70 degrees year-round. A record peak flow from the spring on April 11, 1973 was measured at 14,325 gallons per second! This sanctuary provides a natural habitat for many wildlife such as alligators, turtles, deer, and birds.

A bit of trivia....in the 40's two Tarzan movies were filmed here, in the 50's Creature from the Black Lagoon, and in the 70's Airport 77 and Joe Panther were filmed here.

Map 7

Marianna to Quincy, FL - 51 days

Today was an easy, breezy and hot ride into Quincy. About half way thru the ride, we rode thru a town called Chattahoochee. This place is about a half a mile from the Georgia border so most of us made a slight detour just so we can say that we crossed another state border. That means another margarita party! We do just about anything for a margarita.

Today we also crossed another time zone. Ugh, that means we move our watches up an hour.

Heard rumors that Demi Moore and Ashton are staying at the Holiday Inn next door.

THURSDAY, APRIL 24TH
Crestview to Marianna, FL - 90 miles

Did you know that there are hills in Florida? For some they are just bumps in the road. For me they are HILLS! We have crossed many bridges and even they require some climbing...as much as 5% grade or more.

Pensacola to Crestview, FL - 57 miles

We are headed inland and away from the coast. Darn! Today's ride was uneventful on country roads of Florida. We stopped midway to have lunch. I had a blackened grouper po boy sandwich. Here in the South it is "po boy" not "poor boy." The weather here is getting warmer and I'm getting this funny tan. You cannot imagine how rediculous I look in a bathing suit.

Dauphin Island, AL to Pensacola, FL - 68 miles

Got an early start this morning to catch a ferry to a long peninsula along Alabama's coast. We rode along miles of white sand beaches, homes and condos. I found my Diva summer beach home! Before long we were in Florida! The whole day and ride was wonderful and the day was sunny and warm. No bad roads, no headwinds, no bad weather here.

Dauphin Island - REST DAY

Spent the day just lying around. I did take a dip in the ocean. I was surprised at how warm the water was. I frigthened myself when I saw out of the corner of my eye this red blob underwater. Turns out it was a scarf someone had lost.

Dinner tonight was fresh grouper. Yummm.

Pascagoula, MS to Dauphin Island, AL - 42 miles

I think I have died and gone to heaven. It is like paradise here. We are in condos on the beach and the weather here is perfect. The condos are situated on a barrier island on the Gulf of Mexico. What more can I add about today. The ride here was just the right length...a civilized 42 miles. In the photo above I am with two of my friends on one of the many bridges we have crossed along the way. The movie "Forrest Gump" was filmed near here. By the way, we are in Alabama now! Whoo Hoo, it's margarita time.

Wiggins to Pascagoula, MS - 67 miles

I found My Diva Car! Now if only I can put a bike rack on the back, I'll be set.

Today was a nice 67 mile ride. The weather was great, the scenery was great and the road was pretty good too. No humidity, no headwinds and no chip-seal.

Bogalusa, LA to Wiggins, MS - 50 miles

Everyday is an adventure. Today two of our riders were bitten in the leg by some mean dogs. The gal I ride with carries a dog whistle...not a bad idea on those country roads. Yesterday, a bridge was washed out...almost all managed to walk across and others chose not to.

Today we crossed the border into Mississippi. We started this morning with black clouds overhead, but was able to make it in before it started pouring. Lots of headwinds and rolling hills. I thought it was going to be flat from here on end.

St. Francisville to Franklinton to Bogalusa, LA - 127 miles

These rides are killing me.

Map 6

St. Francisville - REST DAY

Today we did a little sight-seeing of St. Francisville. St. Fracisville is located near the Mississippi River which is currently overflowing by 40 to 50 feet and flooded some parts of this region (photo above). Just north of St. Francisville is the infamous Angola State Prison. This town is also well-known because artist-naturalist John James Audubon drew most of his famous bird paintings in this area.

Simmesport to St. Francisville, LA - 53 miles

We crossed the Mississippi River today. The original plan was to take a ferry across the river but the river was to high and flowing too fast and in some places had flooded the roads. So we had to be shuttled to St. Francisville. Some are staying at the St Francisville Inn which is a Bed & Breakfast in town. And some are (including myself) staying in charming cottages at the Butler Greenwoods B & B Plantation (above photo).

St. Francisville has in the past been referred to as "the town two miles long and two yards wide." It was built on the crest of a ridge that slopes on both sides to wooded gullies. It is probable that the village of St. Francisville retained its name from a monastery completed by the Capuchin friars in honor of St. Francis of Assisi.

MONDAY, APRIL 14
Opelousas to Simmesport, LA - 65 miles

Today was a tough day...very strong headwinds and very bad roads. The temperature started out around 40 degrees and it never reached 60 degrees in the afternoon.

SUNDAY, APRIL 13
DeRidder to Opelousas, LA - 90 miles

The scenery is mostly of rice fields/crawfish farms. Apparently the crawfish are kept in wire cages in the rice fields. So, now we are in Cajun country. What is Cajun? Cajuns are the descendants of 17th century French Canada's "Acadia" region. They relocated to the Atchafalaya Basin and as the years passed Acadian turned to Cadian and finally Cajun.

Today, many people associate "cajun" with "cooking." This is because of Paul Prudhomme, a celebrated chef from Opelousas.

SATURDAY, APRIL 12
Kountz, TX to DeRidder, LA - 92 miles

Whoo Hoo!! We are out of Texas, finally! We crossed the Sabine River which is the border for Texas and Louisiana. Guess What? It's Margarita time!

Cleveland to Kountze,TX - 56 miles

Today was a nice relaxing short ride through a thick green forest known as "The Big Thicket." It once covered more than a million acres, with a length of over 100 miles, and a width in some places of nearly 50 miles. There are areas still so thick and brushy with undergrowth as to form a nearly impenetrable jungle. The Big Thicket is neither swamp nor marshland; its soil is dry and rich. It has always served as a handy hiding place for outlaws and smugglers. During the Civil War it became a refuge for service-dodging Texans. The Confederate Army sent squads to look for these men, who became known as "bushwhackers."

Navasota to Cleveland, TX - 73 miles

Sorry, no photos today. My camera remained in a zip lock bag the entire trip because it RAINED all day. At first I didn't mind the rain, but as the day wore on and as I became more soaked, it wasn't fun anymore. We did see some lush green landscape along the route. Much of the ride was through the Sam Houston National Forest which is located just north of Houston.

Map 5

Navasota, TX - Rest Day

Just about nine miles outside of Navasota is one of Texas' most significant historical place, Washington-on-the-Brazos. It is the birthplace of Texas. It is at this location where the declaration of independence from Mexico was signed and the government of the Republic of Texas was created.

Some went to visit this place and it's museum. I went to the local Wal-Mart.

LaGrange to Navasota, TX - 69 miles

Today can be best described as what bicycling is all about. In the morning we had cool weather, nice roads, nice landscape, and gentle breezes to make me feel happy to be riding my bike. Plus the fact that we are out of Texas Hill Country finally makes me even more happy. Today I have climbed my last hill (I hope).

Bastrop to LaGrange, TX - 41 miles

The first part of today's ride was thru Bastrop State Park...a beautiful ride with some very, very steep rollers. The remaining part of the ride was over some lush green country side with more and more wildflowers in bloom. I guess we can thank Lady Bird Johnson for all the colorful flowers along the road. I don't know much about LaGrange except that the movie "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" was filmed here.

Blanco to Bastrop, TX - 94 miles

I guess everyone heads for the hills on weekends because it's a great place to be and away from the hustle and bustle of the city. We are on the outskirts of Austin. I guess this is going to be the closest I get to the famous city. I was hoping that Lance might show up and ride with us. I am sure he knows better since the traffic was heavy today. So busy that I couldn't stop for photos. Well, there is always tomorrow. We have a couple more days of hill country.

Kerrville to Blanco, TX - 64 miles, plus 4

Ride today was relaxing and scenic. The weather was perfect and the roads were near perfect for a while. The afternoon got a bit warm....somewhere in the 80's. We passed thru some cute little towns like Waring, Sisterdale, and Comfort. We also passed by many vineyards and wineries. Sure was tempted to go wine tasting but had to refrain since I had many more miles of this Texas Hill Country before reaching my destination. I missed one of my turn-off and therefore added a few bonus miles before getting back on track. I couldn't even blame it on the wine. Blanco is the Lavender capital of Texas. We are starting to see many wildflowers in bloom. I will take a photo when I see more.

Kerrville, TX - Rest Day

Took this day to rest my poor old body. I did manage to clean the Diva who has performed magnificantly. She is truly a wonderful bicycle. I am so proud of her. I don't know I could have done this trip without her.

Also, I would like to acknowledge some dear friends who have also made it possible to do this trip: Patty and Sandy who have taken care of Miss Kitty and my five goldfish, watered my plants and taken in the mail. I would like to thank my husband Rick for all his support and advise before and during this trip. Thanks Ya'All as they say here in Texas.

Vanderpool to Kerrville, TX - 51 miles

Today was windy and cloudy with some drizzle but the scenery was beautiful. One of the gals described the trees as looking like big broccoli. We are also starting to see more ranches with cattle, horses, sheep and goats. About half way to Kerville we stopped in Medina this morning for it's famous apple pie. Yummmmy.

I'm never going to lose weight on this trip. We stop too many times to check out the local restaurants.

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 2, 2008
Camp Wood to Vanderpool, TX - 39 miles
The population of Vanderpool is 20. Today, it was 52 with the group from Woman Tours in town. However, we did have very nice lodging for the night at Foxfire Cabins. An ideal place for peace and quiet in a mountain setting.

I saw a red cardinal for the first time in my life! That was exciting.

TUESDAY, APRIL 1, 2008
Bracketville to Camp Wood - 49 miles
We are now in Texas Hill Country and landscape has changed tremendously! There are green trees and rivers with water in them (above photo) and wild flowers. I stayed in a lovely decorated c0ttage filled with quilts! The population of Camp Wood is 822.