The last map #7

Hi everybody,

I know that the title may sound a little strange to some of you, but let me explain.  Our trip was arranged by Adventure Cycling and laid out in a series of maps stretching from San Diego to St. Augustine.  it is called the Southern Tier Route and features only the 8 states across the southern U.S.  The bike route appears in red and each map has 15 panels on it.  We move from one to fifteen before starting the next map.  Whether we choose to follow this route or not is up to us.  We have wavered a bit some days, but in general have followed their plan.  There are 7 maps all together and each time we have completed a map we celebrate.  At first we thought we would have a map burning, but decided we probably should keep them as souvenirs of the trip.  Well, today we started map #7 which takes us the rest of the way to St. Augustine.  Seems like a dream to look back at map # 1 or 2 and read the names of the towns we passed through or stayed in.  It's a long time since the 8 flats a day and the RV tire debacle.  We never know what awaits us as we start the day.

Today has been probably the most "boring" as far as any incidents.  The weather is the biggest news--hot and humid!  I think to Floridians this is just a nice spring day.  Feels like a late June or early Sept. day to us midwesterners.  We are camping in Gretna, FL, a little short of Tallahassee.  A couple of names I have heard all my life were on the map and up close and personal -- Appalachicola River and Chattahoochee.  Now for someone who likes words, just run those up and down your tongue a few times!!  Crossing the Appalachicola River put us into the Eastern Daylight Time Zone so now we are an hour ahead of our midwest fans, 2 hours ahead of Sheryl and Allen Monroe and others in the Colorado, New Mexico, Arizona, Nebraska area and 3 hours ahead of our California, Oregon, Washington people.  If there is anyone hooked into our network in Hawaii and those of you in Australia, Africa and UK, we are just hours ahead or behind!

Dave is "advertising" that he and Mike will put their front tires into the Atlantic Ocean at 2 PM on Saturday, April 10.  We hope to see a few of you there, if possible.  We will be in Anastasia State Park.  Just heard from a dear friend in West Chicago who grew up in the area that it is one of her favorite places on earth.  Now it will be one of ours!

Love and blessings,

Lana