Day 4 – Wednesday 6/1/22

Madison, Florida to Tallahassee, Florida – 65.1 miles

Day 4 got off to a good start. With no flat tires before leaving the room, it was easy to get on the road by 7:30. Because all the Madison hotels are not in Madison, but six miles away near I-10, I pedaled for a half-hour before arriving. Small southern towns have a typical look to them, with the green of trees and vegetation combined with architectural cues found nowhere else. Madison followed the blueprint, with a beautiful courthouse and lots of homes I’d be happy to live in.

If the greenery and buildings didn’t provide a clue that I was “Down South”, the Confederate soldier in a nearby park would have done it. Lately, these stone veterans have attracted attention from those for and against, but this one has quietly been on duty since 1909.

I was traveling along Highway 90, which used to be the main road across the Florida panhandle before Interstate 10 was completed. Consequently, there’s not much traffic on it. With a wide shoulder and smooth pavement, it’s perfect for cycling.

With its tropical climate, there are a lot of critters crossing the road in Florida that don’t show up anywhere else. Like this guy, for example.

About an hour out of Madison, I was in Greenville. Greenville’s a small town and seems unimpressive, until you see the statue in the park. No, it’s not another Confederate soldier, but singer Ray Charles, who lived in Greenville off and on until he was 15. Later, he tired of Florida and used his savings to move as far away as possible to Seattle. That’s exactly what I’m trying to do.

About 35 miles in, the town of Monticello appeared. Years ago on family vacations, the courthouse in the center of town was a landmark. From what I could see today, there was a nice blend of small-town lifestyle combined with enough businesses to serve the community.

It was possible to stay on 90 all the way to Tallahassee, but that’s not what the map recommended. A few miles west of Monticello, I left the highway and turned onto county road 158A. There’s always a sense of anticipation for me when traveling any unfamiliar road. Not knowing what I’m going to see along the way makes me more observant because I don’t want to miss anything interesting. Here are a couple of highlights.

Eventually, the quiet backroad ended, and the map directed me onto Highway 27, directly into Tallahassee. At first, there was a rideable shoulder, but that disappeared with 3 miles to go. By taking to the sidewalk and dodging cars in the turn lanes, I made it close to the hotel by 2:30. The State Capitol was clearly visible.

After dragging camping equipment with me almost 300 miles so far, I have yet to spend a night in the tent. That may happen later, but the idea of sweating it out at night is completely unattractive after spending all day in the sun. Tonight’s basic hotel was the Econo Lodge, which had the advantage of being within a short walk of the Olive Garden restaurant. After stuffing myself with spaghetti and meatballs, plus iced tea and a salad, I’m refueled and ready to head to Marianna in the morning. That will give me another 65-70 for the day and help me get out of Florida by Sunday.