Saturday October 20, 2012

Fort Lauderdale, Florida to Pointe Claire, Quebec

Total distance traveled 3095km.   Total height climbed 16,089m vertical climb

All we have to do today is get to the airport on time.  We left our hotel at 11:30, picked up the bike boxes at Fort Lauderdale airport, drove on to Miami international airport and started the packing. 

The escalator man

Problem number 1; we were missing the correct tool to remove one set of pedals.  An escalator maintenance man, walking down the hallway, saved us.  I saw his bag of tools and asked him for a wrench.  Within 3 minutes he had both pedals off and we chatted about our trip.  This is typical of Americans – very willing to help and very friendly.

  Problem number 2; we had to pay for the bikes to fly home with us.  Our tickets cost $212 each.  The bikes cost $198.  I expected the bike to be in the seat next to me.

No more problems!  We had a smooth flight to Montreal, a lift home waiting, and a nice cup of tea. 
     

Miami

Home in Montreal

       

Friday October 19, 2012

Fort Lauderdale FL; 20km, 58m vertical climb

The first task today was to get hold of packaging for the bikes so we cycled to Ft Lauderdale airport to see if our airline for the return to Montreal had boxes. The first counter clerk said they no longer supplied them but fortunately the guy next to her contradicted her and went round the back to see if they had any. Luckily for us he found some so we paid for them and asked for them to be held there for pickup on tomorrow. That was our biggest problem solved so we rode back to town and moved our gear across the road to a much nicer hotel. We had to wait for a big thunderstorm to finish, then we set off to find a hardware store where we bought a roll of large strong plastic bags that will use for the rest of our luggage. With that job done we took a short break for a nice big ice cream and then set off to tour the harbour area. We rode up and down a series of parallel streets where the back gardens are separated by canals and each house has landing stage where the boats are moored. Some of the boats are bigger than some of the houses and no doubt cost a lot more.                    

The back lane

After we arrived back at the hotel TimB booked a van to takes us and the bikes to Miami airport in the morning via Ft Lauderdale airport to pick up the boxes. With that done we had the evening left for dinner at Ernie’s.    

Tim approaching a Monster

The Monster

Thursday October 18, 2012

Jupiter FL to Fort Lauderdale FL; 109km 145m vertical climb

Today was our last full day on the road.  After 20km on a busy US1 we moved over to the A1A for the rest of the way to Fort Lauderdale and passed the ritziest part of the USA we have ever seen. The A1A goes along the oceanfront and this is prime real estate all the way to Miami.  The houses were chateaus, the grass was like putting greens and the curbside hedges were lush.  We were wondering where you find so many millionaires to buy these places.  We got into Fort Lauderdale at 6 pm and checked into the Relax Inn. The gaudy colour scheme appealed to me but the inside was not so good.     

The Breakers Hotel - Palm Beach

Just a ordinary hedge

Chateau overlooking the Ocean

Mansion in Boca Ratan

The Relax Inn - Fort Lauderdale

  

Wednesday October 17, 2012

Vero Beach FL to Jupiter FL; 84 km 108 m vertical climb

The day was warm and muggy as we started out this morning.  We were 40km down the road and we had both used 2 bottles of Gatorade already.  At 60km we had lunch and the nice lady gave me a bottle full of ice and water to go. Within 10 km it was warm. The afternoon was hard work as we rode into the wind.  When we hit Jupiter at, 80km, we looked at the clouds and called it a day.  Our hotel was expensive, but it had a hot tub, a lovely view, and endless tea and coffee.  The receptionist gave us a room next to the beach, towels for the hot tub and a Tim Horton’s tea bag.  We were in the hot tub when the rain started.  Now we’re listening to the weather channel and it seems there is torrential rain in the area, with up to 4” in the area just down the road.       

View from our back window

View from our back window

Tim and Tim in hot tub

 

Tuesday October 16, 2012

Titusville to Vero Beach 118km 115m vertical climb.

As we were about to leave our motel this morning a German couple rode by and stopped to chat.  They were touring the USA and had started in San Francisco.  They rode down the west coast to San Diego and then used public transport to get to Houston.  They were stopped from riding across Arizona, New Mexico, and Texas by the extreme heat wave in the US.  They will ride to Key West and then go back up the Caribbean coast.  They are mostly camping.

We rode inland today on US route 1.  With a north wind behind us we got to our destination, Sebastian, about 3 pm.  We bypassed the first bunch of motels on the north side of town and then had trouble finding a hotel near the south side of town.  When we finally found the hotel we were looking for they had no water.  Because of the strong north wind we kept on riding to Vero Beach where we are all cleaned up and waiting for my old colleague Gary to arrive with his wife so we can go out for the evening.           

Gary and Rhonda enjoying retirement

Monday October 15, 2012

Tim @ Goodall

Daytona Beach to Titusville 96km 99m vertical climb

We were up and out to Denny’s for breakfast by 8 and were the second customers in the place. Normally at that time most people have been and gone but Daytona is very much a tourist town and it seems most people make a later than usual start. We were on the road before ten and it was still fairly quiet. A few kilometres down the road I thought I had found home – Goodall Street - of all places.    Our coastal route, A1A, does not continue south without interruption, so on the southern end of Daytona Beach, we crossed the bridge back to the mainland and continued south on US1. After 64km we pulled in to a petrol station for a break and within a few minutes we were overtaken by a very heavy shower. We stayed under the station roof drinking our pint beakers of tea and before long we were joined by a large group of Harley bikers. We enjoyed the opportunity to talk to some of them while waves over torrential rain passed by. It was over an hour before it eased up enough for us all to continue on our way. We still got wet but the great thing about the 30-degree weather here is that the rain is warm. We had trouble finding a motel in Titusville and we had to backtrack a couple of kilometres from the south side of town to find one but we still had time in hand to get the laundry done before dinner. After Taco Bell we went down the road to Jalopey`s for a beer (and now I can make a few people jealous) $2.50 for an imperial pint!!!!

Rain Break at the gas station

Sunday October 14,2012

St. Augustine to Daytona Beach; 84km 57m vertical climb

Flagler College

St. Augustine from Bridge

We toured St. Augustine during the morning.  The old fort was interesting but Flagler collage was impressive.  It is a150 year old resort that is now a community collage.  Even though the building has students, it is still in good shape. The architecture throughout the town is very Spanish.  We left St. Augustine at 11:30 and took the A1A to Daytona Beach.  Although it was only 80km, it was a hard ride with the crosswind coming off the ocean all day long.  We had a brief respite when we had trees or buildings blocking the wind off the ocean.  This is my first time in Daytona Beach and my impressions 0f Daytona Beach were confirmed when I saw the cars on the beach and the cheap hotels.  We are in the Playa Hotel, which cost only $67 a night because we don’t have to pay parking fees.  My other impression of Daytona Beach as a party town were confirmed   when the waitress told me I couldn’t stop drinking because I had a free beer coming.  

On Daytona Beach

Playa Hotel - Daytona Beach

  

Saturday October 13,2012

Kingsland GA to St Augustine FL 132km 146 m Vertical Climb

We got a late start today due to booking a flight back to Montreal.   We will stop the ride in Miami instead of Key West and call it Montreal to Miami.    The flight back will cost $ 200 for me and the bike will cost $150.  I imagine I will be sitting beside my bike.   

The route bypassed Jacksonville and used a small ferry across the St. John River.  The ride cost us $1 each.  On the ferry we met a group of bike riders who were out for a one-day ride.   We spent the whole ride chatting and they strongly recommended we visit St Augustine.  We had an easy day planned – 90km to Ponte Vedra.   But we missed the hotels in Ponte Vedra and decided to keep on riding to St. Augustine.  The extra 26km turned into 42 km and we were tired when we arrived in St. Augustine.  We checked in at 18:40 and it was getting dark, but we’ll have more time for St Augustine tomorrow.   We are now riding next to the Atlantic Ocean.  Florida has a road, the A1A, that goes along the coast from top to bottom.

The Jacksonville riders

The Atlantic Coastline near Ponte Vedra

TimG contemplating the large Atlantic

   

 

Friday October 12, 2012

Broadfield Plantation

Darien to Kingsland; 94km 117m vertical climb

The home of Boiled Peanuts

 Today was our last stage in Georgia under another cloudless sky and a bit warmer than yesterday. We were running close to the coast and had to cross a number of wide coastal inlets and rivers and about half involved sizeable bridges to climb over. It’s the only way we will get to do any hill climbing because the land is as flat as anything we have ever seen. Swampland, forested swampland and more swampland. There are not many places to stop at but we did find a petrol station/Mini Mart at a crossroads around midday and were able to sit down to a bit of lunch. Before we got up to leave the owner introduced himself and gave us a free sample of a typical southern snack, boiled peanuts done classic and Cajun style. They didn’t exactly knock our socks off but we think that, together with a beer, they have the potential to grow on us.    

A few miles later we arrived in Woodbine and saw an unusual For Sale sign. Probably not a business model that would last long in Europe, or would it?

Woodbine Main Street

     

Thursday October 11, 2012

Savannah to Darien; 101km 129m vertical climb

Harbour in Darien

After rolling around a few streets until we found an ATM for TimB, we took a right turn then a left and we were already on our way out of town. We were on a quiet road and it was the easiest exit from a large town that we have experienced so far. We stopped for a leg break after 20km and, because we had had to roll through an area covered with broken windscreen glass shortly before we stopped, I checked both tyres for any splinters stuck in the rubber. They were fine and so we set off again. Three kilometres later we were riding through a lot of debris on the hard shoulder and doing our best to miss the big bits when, bang, my back tyre went flat instantly so I new it was not good. The damage was a slit in the sidewall of the tyre, probably caused by a screw we found on the ground a few yards back. The slit is too big for a tyre patch to hold together under full pressure so I am now running with 20psi less. It gives me a softer ride but may not be enough pressure to withstand potholes and occasional ridges in the asphalt. We will just have to wait and see if the patch lasts until Miami.                 

Leaving Savannah

Thereafter, the day remained uneventful. We had a cloudless sky and 25-27C. It really is great weather and the forecast is for more of the same.      

Wednesday October 10, 2012

Hilton Head to Savannah; 59km 90m vertical climb

Leaving Hilton Head

After a delicious home cooked breakfast we left Hilton Head for Savannah.  Because we had consulted with Linda (hostess and travel planner) we had a short cut through back roads all the way to Savannah.  The approach to Savannah was impressive with the bridge over the Savannah River coming into view 4km away.  When we started to climb the bridge approach the Bicycles Prohibited signs stopped us.  However Linda had given us a backup plan and we ended up on a free ferry across the Savannah River.  Since the ferry was not marked on any maps, or signposted on any roads, we considered ourselves lucky to have insider info to cross the river.  We toured the city on the tourist trolley in the afternoon and reviewed the beers at the Moon River Brewery in the evening.  

Ferry across the Savannah

Savannah City Hall

 

 

Savannah River Bridge

 

 

Tuesday October 9, 2012

Hilton Head Island, South Carolina

The Atlantic Ocean with a shrimper in the background

 We saw the ocean this morning.  After 23 days and 2200 km we are staying on the beach front at Hilton Head and walked on the beach of the Atlantic Ocean to start our day.  For the first time the end is really in sight.  









Don and Linda (our hosts) took us around Hilton Head and Beaufort today.  Hilton Head lived up to the reputation as a rich man’s playground.  Nice cars, nice boats, nice shopping.  The highlight of the day was a horse-drawn carriage trip around Beaufort.  The town has a storied history as British port, a civil war prize, and a high-class resort town.  The town has starred in “Forest Gump” and several other movies and the Mansions are 200 years old.  The carriage driver was a 5foot 1-inch 14-year-old girl (she claimed she was 26) and the horse was Cisco, a huge (22 hands) 12-year-old dray horse who was blind in one eye.  The story telling was well done, but Cisco was just barely under control. 

Don Linda Tim

 Cisco doesn’t like stop signs, red lights or motorcycles.  He ran most of the stop signs, he kept moving forwards and backwards at red lights and the driver fell off her stool when the motorcycle went by and Cisco hit top gear.   The cars must know Cisco and they gave us a wide berth, but the whole wagon load of tourists were nervous every time we approached a red light and the driver was turned around telling us a story.  We all survived and it was a memorable tour.  Beaufort is a gem of southern architecture and well worth a visit.  

Cisco  and driver

                                    

A mansion in Beaufort

Monday October 8, 2012

Walterboro SC to Hilton Head Island SC; 120km 239m vertical climb

We got another early start this morning and the route was flat and fast.  Another sign of the south is the Spanish Moss on the trees.  Our first stop was near a cemetery with Spanish moss covering all the trees.  As we headed towards Hilton Head, the landscape became swampy with tidal inlets and large grassy areas.  We saw several White Ibis and Great Blue Herons take flight as we rode past.  

We have been riding the back-roads and scenic byways through most of our trip, but as we neared Hilton Head we encountered more traffic in two hours than in the last 2 days.   Things are booming in Hilton Head. We are staying the night with friends we first met in Germany 35 years ago.

Sunday October 7, 2012

Causeway and Bridge Lake Marion

Sumter SC to Walterboro SC; 132km 160m vertical climb

Today was a big day for us with 135km planned. We had an early start and stuck to a disciplined approach to the day.  We took a break every 20 km and alternated the lead regularly.  After 40km and a short coffee break at the gas station in Summerton we rode through St Paul (Gibbins) and a few miles later crossed Lake Marion (Gibbins). To do this our road, Route 15, joined up with Interstate 95 to cross the more than mile wide lake. No shoulder in places and fast traffic made it a hair-raising experience so EuroTim put his camera on a handlebar mount and videoed it.

Lizard near St. George

Roadside Cactus

Overall, the terrain was favourable – it has been the flattest day so far and the weather was nice and cool this morning and but heated up to 33°C in the afternoon.  The afternoon proved a challenge as several towns seemed closed up and we ran low on Gatorade.  We arrived at our hotel before 4 pm and re-hydrated with tea and lemonade.  The motel receptionist told us that Walterboro is dry on Sundays so there will be more tea  tonight.      












       

Saturday October 6, 2012

Cotton Field near Society Hill

Cheraw SC to Sumter SC; 119 km 323m vertical climbed

The motel breakfast was the worst so far, a barely drinkable coffee and a few cornflakes. Not the best start to the day though the weather was wonderful. We were on our way shortly before 9 under a clear blue sky and 20°C. If it had stayed at that temperature all day the stage would have been easy but it kept on rising to 32.  We are definitely in the south because we saw our first cotton fields today.  We had done 61km before we found a gas station/convenience store/diner at which we could stop. We were both dehydrated and had loads to drink while the proprietress asked us a lot of questions. It was a bit of a hammer blow when we left the air conditioned store and walked out into the midday sun and we had to take several short breaks to have a drink in the shade of trees until we finally reached Sumter. Even then, things weren’t over for a while because we had to ride 6km south, east and back north until we found a motel. If I can get TimB away from the College Football on TV we can go and eat.         

Swamp near Sumter

Church near Bishopsville

Friday October 5, 2012

Southern Pines, North Carolina to Cheraw, South Carolina 82 km  402 m Vertical Climb

We had another short day planned and we got a quick start this morning.  The road was fast and 2 hours later we stopped in Hamlet, North Carolina.  Hamlet is a major train junction that has made it’s living from the railroad from the last 100 years.  We ended up at the Hamlet Train museum, where we got a 3-hour tour from a very knowledgeable guide. There were 3 of us; TimG and the 3^rd person (from France) were both train buffs.  The guide rose to the occasion and we got an outstanding tour and a surprise visit to the only Tornado train engine left in existence.  It was 3 hours well spent. 
  Back on our bikes we crossed the border into South Carolina and arrived in Cheraw at 4 PM.   We toured the old historical district of Cheraw and saw the stately homes from the civil war era.