Day 2 – Monday 5/30/22

Gainesville, Florida to Lake City, Florida – 55.1 Miles

After yesterday’s ordeal on the last third of the ride, I put some thought into how to keep it from happening again. The combination of the Florida heat and a loaded bicycle makes riding more strenuous, but not impossible. I left the hotel at 8:30 AM, equipped with three water bottles filled to the top, rode a mile-and-a-half, then pulled into Burger King for a sit-down breakfast. Watered and fed, it was time to start pedaling.

When I began the day, the intention was to stick to the Adventure Cycling route towards the town of Wellborn, about 70 miles away. The path out of Gainesville included wide bike lanes in town, then narrower ones in the country, with a combination of gently rolling hills and farmland. While it was pleasant to see, there was never a moment when I thought “I need to get a picture!”, so this day will mostly be described in words. One word to describe it is “Hot“, which is a continuation of the theme from yesterday. Fortunately, my inventory of water on the bike and Gatorade and snacks acquired from a convenience store stop in Alachua left me in good shape.

A little farther down the road, I had a decision to make in High Springs. If I continued on the ACA’s route, I’d be cycling into mostly empty countryside, where towns and services were scarce. There were campgrounds listed on the map but weren’t going to be available until some distance into the ride. Alternately, if I went straight north from High Springs on route 41, there was Lake City, a sizeable town with plenty of hotels and restaurants. It was an easy decision. I headed north on 41.

One noticeable feature of Highway 41 was the collection of roadkill seen on the shoulder. I counted opossum, armadillo, pheasant, snakes, turtles and deer in the menagerie, but no squirrels. They either have smarter squirrels than we do in the Midwest, or they’re just not that interested in crossing the road.

A benefit to having an entire day to travel relatively few miles is that the drive to “Get there” is lessened. As I was pedaling away, I saw a shady spot under a tree that seemed like exactly where I should be at that moment. Normally, on my road bike, I would have kept going, but not today. I sat under the tree for 15 minutes, drinking water and loading up on Oreos. Highly recommended.

Eventually, Lake City appeared in front of me, and I was checked into the Regal Inn by 3:00 PM. This day might just be the blueprint for days to come. Traveling 50 to 60 miles takes about 4 to 6 hours at touring speed, which leaves enough time to do other things without wearing myself out. A better day today, and hopefully even better tomorrow!