Wipe out!

Hi everybody,

Yep, Dave wiped out right in front of my eyes into the sand turning into the RV park tonight.  Paula and I had arrived first, of course, hooked up, set up, and cooked dinner.  No guys.  Finally Mike called and tried to describe to Paula where they were.  He kept asking her what landmarks she had seen along the way and she kept telling him she was watching for the RV park and hadn't noticed much.  He asked about a weigh station and we told him that we were beyond that about a mile or so.  Turns out they were about 2 miles past us and when I went out to the road to watch for them, I looked up the road and could see the weigh station only 500 yds. away!  Is it any wonder we sometimes can't find each other?  Anyway, Dave did not hurt himself.  Just got dirty.

The best was this morning as we pulled across an intersection right after the guys had gotten on their bikes.  I was driving and was going straight through the intersection.  Mike pulled up on my left, smiled and turned left followed by Dave.  I yelled out to Dave that they were going the wrong way and continued on.  Dave says they went a block before turning around.  However, in Gainesville, Paula and I got totally off the track and ended up on a detour, in a poor section of town, headed who knows where.  the directions were not clear in one area and in another the wrong street name threw us off.  It is just a little disconcerting driving our rig on neighborhood streets dreading the "Dead End" or "No Outlet" signs!  We often have to go a long distance out of the way to get turned around.  

Happily, we are enjoying a warm evening, our last outside of St. Augustine, all in the same place and still talking to each other.  

We crossed the St. John's River this afternoon.  Another spectacular bridge to photograph.  An easy day of about 40 miles tomorrow will put us in St. Augustine for the late afternoon and night.  We will ride up to Anatasia State Park Sat. morning.  That is where the bikes and bikers will enter the Atlantic.  Can't believe it!!  There is some discussion tonight whether or not to follow the bike route tomorrow.  A direct route is faster but heavily traveled and has a nice shoulder.  The bike route is more picturesque (not high on the bikers' agenda), has no shoulder, and is longer.  They will probably try the more direct route which initially is part of the bike route and see how busy it is.  If they feel like targets on the road, they will opt for the bike route.

Goodnight from East Palatka, FL.

Love and blessings,

Lana