Last Miles Through Louisiana

Leaving Baton Rouge, Louisiana proved to be a bit more challenging than either Randy or I anticipated. I decided to attempt a last-minute fund-raising e-mail, and was limited in how many people I could send it to at a time, which meant I had to send it about 10 times instead of one. Thanks, Yahoo, for all of your spam security programming! :p So that consumed the late morning into the afternoon, during which time I kind of forgot to eat.

Consequently, when I finally did get on the road in the heat and humidity of the late afternoon, I ended up getting nauseous, and had to stop only a few miles into my trip. Randy was tailing me though, as there was a particularly unsafe bridge to cross that day, so I was able to chill in his car for a few minutes and eat, and drink until I felt better.

Now here's a funny inside my head note: As I was later pedaling over that nasty bridge, which was pretty steep, and long, I started praying "Hail, Mary's", something along the lines of "Hail, Mary, full of Grace, hear my prayer..." I'm not Catholic, but that's what came to mind so I just went with it, figuring I could use all the support I could get, and even better coming from such a Feminine Spirit Force! : )

On the other side of the bridge, Randy and I stopped again, this time because I was starting to cramp up in my lower abdomen, something that had never happened before. A few minutes and another bottle of electrolyte water later, as well as a conversation with a curious local passerby, and we were headed back down the road, stopping about every two miles, until it finally started to cool down along with the sun setting. As it was getting late I thought it might be a good idea for Randy to drive ahead to see if he could get a room for me in Livonia. Our plan was to then meet back at the McDonald's in the town before that.

It was full dark by the time I reached the McDonald's and no sign of Randy yet. When he did arrive, it was not with good news. The only place to stay in Livonia was full of railroad workers. Using his smart phone, Randy continued to try to find other options, to no avail. However, after approaching the Sherrif's deputy who was parked in the McDonald's parking lot, we finally made arrangements with the fire station across the road to store my bicycle and trailer, as it was all too much to fit into Randy's car, and then Randy and I returned to Baton Rouge for one more night.

The next morning we headed back to meet the Fire Chief and retrieve my bicycle. It rained a little while we were at the station, but cleared soon enough for Randy and I to say our final good-byes across the street at the McDonalds. It was not easy saying good-bye to my friend, especially since we had had so much fun together and he had been so supportive, but he had research and a doctoral thesis to finish back at LSU and it was time for me to get on with my journey as well.

I managed to get as far as the Chevron station on the east side of Livonia, before the clouds opened up for heavy down-pour. There was just enough space under the covered walkway to protect my bicycle from the rain and a place inside the convenience store for me to sit, eat my afternoon snack of cheese and crackers, and finger salad. While there I was approached by an unassuming man with whom I ended up conversing for quite some time, long enough for the rain to pass. He said that one day he planned to be Mayor of Livonia, and from what I gathered of our conversation, the town would be lucky to have him!

A few days before my departure from Baton Rouge, Randy and I scoped out the area for road hazards and possible places for me to stay. At one potential camping site/mobile home park in Krotz Springs, we met this wonderfully sweet older gentleman who offered me his own yard to camp in if I wanted to. Even though my destination and schedule changed, especially given the short-fall of the day before, I still wanted to stop in Krotz Springs to say "Hi" to my new friend, and let him know why I had not come to stay with him in the days before. I found him at home when I arrived, and he was just as friendly and welcoming as he had been when we first met. We talked a little more about my trip, and he shared more about his own experiences in the Navy, and about the natural wonders and peace he found living in the Louisiana bayou. I could easily relate to that last part having had a very peaceful passage through the woods along Old 190 just a short time before.

I arrived in Opelousas late that evening and was welcomed by the Hope Hook and Ladder, Station No. 1 where I was offered a place to shower, store my cold food, and sleep for the night. The next morning I had a great conversation with one of the volunteer firefighters. Like so many other people I have met on this journey, he was genuinely concerned about the future of our country and humanity as a whole. As it is my personal mission, I was glad to have the opportunity to offer some hope to this firefighter, husband, and father, just as reading Paul Chappell's books have given hope to me.

Having now established good references with the Erwinville and Opelousas fire departments, I headed on to Eunice hoping that I might be able to stay at the fire station there as well. Unfortunately, that fire station was not able to give me shelter on account of the fact that they did not have separated sleeping areas (which Was the case in Opelousas). They did, however, put me in contact with another local couple who had a building on their property equipped to handle visitors (or young college students looking for a place to hang out with their friend's : )). I was accommodated with a couch, kitchen, shower, washer and dryer, and shelter outside to store my bicycle out of the rain.

In addition, the next morning I got to tour the owner's "menagerie" of "rejects": animals that had been given up by their original owners who did not want to keep them any longer. These included a turkey, a pot-bellied pig, rabbits, several ducks, geese, chickens, ring-necked doves, and a relatively tame squirrel. Most of these critters had free range of the fenced back yard and pond. In another enclosed porch area, I was greeted by the squawks of four Blue and Gold Macaws, the eldest pair being around 30 years old, and two of their offspring at five years old. Apparently the "older couple" were getting on quite well as they had been producing chicks for several years. As I finished packing my gear, I continued to hear the female macaw squawking as she was inclined to do while brooding over another clutch of eggs, as well as the occasional, more human vocalizations from one of the younger birds.

Heading on down the road, my next stop was in Oakdale. I encountered some rain towards the end, but just as the sun was setting, and peaking through the clouds, I had the pleasure of seeing two owls on the next to last road to my hosts' house. One flew across the road from left to right, turning its big eyes my way as it flew by and then went on to roost in a high tree limb. As this was my first encounter with owls it was thrilling to be as much the object of its curiosity as it was an object of mine. : )

Once I reached my destination, I was very warmly welcomed by my Couch Surfing host and her family. After settling in and getting my always appreciated warm shower, I was treated to a meal of rice and beans, cooked cauliflower, and some really delicious homemade, pineapple pop-over pastries. The next few hours and following day were spent with long conversations about diet, spiritual life, love and relationships, and of course, how to make the world a more peaceful place for all of us! My stay included a side-trip to Lafayette, to visit with other family members, the newest being my host's 16-month-old grandson. We had dinner at a little Honduran cafe called Mi Tierra, where I ordered Honduran tacos that came in crispy little bundles that were filled with seasoned chicken, which I thoroughly enjoyed along with more great conversation (and, of course, more of those pineapple pastries once we got back to Oakdale : )).

Oakdale to DeRidder was a long, hard ride. I started setting my watch to beep me at 15 minute intervals so I was sure to keep drinking enough electrolyte water as I rode the long, hot stretches in between small towns. In addition, I got off my planned route kind of early, so my pre-ride map notes were not of much use to me, to let me know how many miles I had covered, or how much further I had to go. With about six miles to go, I was passed by a particularly curious young man in a big white pick-up truck, who could not leave me behind without finding out more. So I gave him my card and phone number, and once I got settled in my motel room, we met for a little walk-and-talk. However, given the long day behind and another ahead, I had to end our evening "early", much to the chagrin of my new friend! : )

This was to be my last night in the state of Louisiana, Next stop: Texas! : )

** Will edit and add photos as soon as I have a PC to work from again...

Wonderful Evening at Big Lagoon State Park, FL

Got in the Ocean last night...Finally! At Big Lagoon State Park in southwest Pensacola. FL (no discount on my stay this time : (). Had fun stalking a young blue heron hanging out on the shore, floating and crawling with my hands in the sand through the shallow water. Probably got within four feet before the bird decided it might be better if it moved on. And with the sun going down, it was time for me to move on back to camp myself.

But, Wow! It was invigorating! And as a "V" of pelicans flew overhead into the sunset, I couldn't help but think how Free I am right now, doing what I am doing...It is something I think we ALL need more of, and if so much of our human potential and resources were not being directed towards DEFENSE (against ??? human beings who are NOT naturally violent anyway?), we would have more resources available for Everyone and More Time to enjoy this world and the people around us! : )

With that in mind I offer this quote from General Dwight D. Eisenhower, a veteran of World War II (as found in Paul K. Chappel's first book Will War Ever End?):

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired
signifies, in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are
not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms
is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers,
the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. The cost of
one modern heavy bomber is this: a modern brick school in more than
30 cities. It is two electric power plants, each serving a town of
60,000 population. It is two, fine, fully equipped hospitals. It is
some 50 miles of concrete highway. We pay for a single fighter with
a half million bushels of wheat. We pay for a single destroyer with
new homes that could have housed more than 8,000 people. This, I
repeat, is the best way of life to be found on the road the world has
been taking. This is not a way of life at all, in any true sense.
Under the cloud of threatening war, it is humanity hanging from a
cross of iron." (Pp:68-69)

(For more on author Paul K. Chappell and to purchase his books, follow this link:
Paul K. Chappell)

Jumping in from the Middle of the Story - of Necessity!

For all my Blog Followers and especially those of you who may not be seeing my posts on Facebook:

I am alive and well in Pensacola, FL! : ))

I think I'm over the 400 mile mark now from Jacksonville Beach, FL having traveled through Baldwin, Live Oak, Madison, Monticello, and Tallahassee on HWY 90. From Tallahassee I took the Tallahassee - St. Mark's Historic Rail Trail south to Crawfordville. There I stayed with Couch Surfing hosts, Lesa and Mike. Mike's farmer father lived next door and once they had a chance to look at my trailer and wheels, Mike's father gladly volunteered to weld them together for me since they had come off no less than four times during my travels to that point, with the last time being while I was pushing my bike up Mike's gravel driveway. Thus far, there have been no more problems of that nature, and I am deeply grateful for their timely assistance. In addition, I got some "tweaking/realignment" of the frame from Juda, who knew how to handle a crow-bar, at Big Daddy's Bike Shop in Santa Rosa Beach, so just want to say, "Thanks!" again to the folks there.

From Crawfordville, I continued around the lower peninsula of northwestern Florida with stops in Carrabelle, Apalachicola, Port St. Joe, Panama City, Seacrest, Fort Walton Beach, Navarre, and now Pensacola. So, in other words, I am waaaay behind on this blog! ... And I apologize for that!

I have come to the hard earned understanding that this trip is taking more time in many ways than I could have anticipated. The riding itself, I kind of expected. However, the time involved in unpacking and repacking has taken A Lot longer. Trying to find computers to upload pictures to this blog, also a bigger challenge than I thought it would be. And then there is necessary computer time for planning my trip as well as continuing to contact others to fundraise so I can keep going.

So, at least for now, I've decided to go "photo free" for a while. (My apologies to the more "visual" types among you, I promise I will ADD pictures as soon as I can.) I just feel it is more important that I keep up with my story a little more in sync with the unfolding of it, if for no other reason I've been hearing rumors that people start to worry about me if they don't see posts here for a while. I certainly do not want anyone to worry about me (although, granted, I don't have control over others that way, but if I can minimize their feeling the need to do that by posting more regularly, than that's what I want to do. : )) For the record though, (and actually for safety reasons, since this is a "public" blog) I will still be writing more about where I have been rather than where I am going.

To Catch-Up: Overall, the trip has been going really well. There seems to be a persistent statistic of at least one guy, per town, in the passenger seat of a van who feels compelled to yell "Get on the sidewalk!" as they pass me even when there are (Bicycle) "Share the Road" signs everywhere, and maybe one or two people per town, who feel they have to honk before they pass, even though every other car that goes by me manages to do so withOut honking. All of which, from a social scientist's perspective, I actually find quite amusing! : ) Otherwise, everyone seems to be getting around me just fine, and with all the gear I'm carrying, the trucks don't even move me much!

What has been Really Great though are the "chance encounters" with the many "strangers" I have met along the way. For instance...

...The t-shirt artist at the River Front Festival in Carrabelle with whom I conversed for quite some time.

... While at Harry A's listening to my Carrabelle host's girlfriend play music, I met two other curious musicians and a group of "good ol' boys" from my home state of Kentucky, one of whom gave me a generous donation.

...Then there were the hotel clerks in Port St. Joe who were very accommodating and the young firefighters standing watch who let me cool off and get some water in the middle of a particulary long hot day, on my way to Panama City.

...As mentioned earlier, I got some more help with my trailer, a free smoothie, and great conversation with one of the mechanics when I stopped for chain lubricant at Big Daddy's in Santa Rosa Beach.

...When I stopped in Destin for a bite to eat at Panera's, I met other interested and generous people (and realized that my "signage" on my bicycle was working to draw their attention : )).

...A few miles later, there was a young man sitting outside the Wal-Mart, waiting for a taxi, and he gladly watched my rig for me while I went in to buy a camp shower. When I came back out he was full of questions about what I was doing and why, and I was glad to answer all of them (although his taxi driver got a bit annoyed while waiting for him), and he gave me a warm and enthusiastic hug before we parted.

...I stopped for bite to eat at the Tom Thumb gas station on the eastern side of Navarre, and ended up talking with another store patron for maybe an hour or so about the NAPF, Paul's Peace Leadership work, and my personal mission. She shared her concerns for her own children and for the young people in her town with few job options but to join the military and how ill prepared they were, emotionally, for the challenges of almost inevitable deployments to the Middle East.

...When I stopped at a McDonald's to use the bathroom on my way to Pensacola, I met and talked with another man looking for a new mission for his own life after the recent, tragic death of his girlfriend.

...Finally arriving in Pensacola, and trying to figure out the last streets to follow to my hosts for the evening, I talked with a woman sitting outside the Shell station taking a break from her inventory work.

And then there have been the more extended discussions I have been able to have with my hosts, and sometimes with their friends and family members as well. I am very grateful for their openness and for what they also have shared of their lives, their fears, and their own hopes for a better future for themselves and for their children and others they care about (especially those who have people they know considering military service, retired from military service, or actively serving).

What I have come to recognize and appreciate is that, for the most part, people in this country Are Open to new ways of "doing business", both at home and abroad. People are "Waking Up" to the much brighter possibilities of change that are available to us, even when the propagandists of our times might lead us to believe otherwise.

Consequently, in my quest to inspire hope and better understanding, I am also being inspired and coming to a better, very personal and direct understanding of the people I am meeting. I am learning first hand that it really is true: Most human beings are compassionate, generous, curious, and hopeful about what lies ahead for All of Us on this Amazing Journey!

And, even more than that, many of them are also looking for ways that They Can Be Involved in making the world a better place for All Beings. I am more than happy to offer them one way to channel their energy for change; i.e. to give their support to the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and to learn more, especially from Paul K. Chappell, about how to Wage Peace!

The positive feedback I have been receiving is the Human Fuel that keeps me going. And so - I will Ride On - also looking forward to what lies ahead! : )

April 15th to April 20th "Training Days" - Part IV

The rain had cleared off by the time I headed out of Madison. It was going to be a long, hot day, with lots of hills, and therefore, lots of hiking as well as biking. Not unlike my encounter with Paul the previous day, I met Mark just as I was pulling into a shady spot on the side of the road to take a break. Turns out, Mark had heard about Paul, but never managed to catch up with him.

Where Paul had been on the road for about 50 days total by the time I met up with him, Mark had been taking a more leisurely pace from the West Coast, a break from playing baseball for New Mexico State University, which had lasted over three months (so far). He also had some back-up from his parents whom he would be meeting as he continued his cycling east.

I think in part because the cycling thus far has been so strenuous, it has really made me appreciate little things, like...a warm shower after my ride, or a cool patch of shade...especially when there is a safe place to park my rig for a few minutes, and rest, have something to eat, re-fill my water bottles, etc.


At this particular juncture, while I was resting, eating my cheese and crackers and "Finger Salad", this insect dropped on my arm, seeming to be looking for some attention, so I gladly abliged, snapping several photos with my camera on the "macro" setting as it proceeded to walk down my arm, and onto my elbow, and up the back of my arm.


I eventually encouraged it to disembark onto a weed next to the tree stump where it continued on its own journey to who knows where? : )

As for me, my journey continued over more sun drenched hills and straight-aways. On the hills, I would choose the side I'd walk on based on how many trees actually shaded the road. I would pace myself by pushing my bike from the shade of one tree to the next, counting steps, sometimes guessing how many steps it would take to get to the next patch of shade. (My determination to proceed on my own must have been pretty obvious to the people passing me in vehicles, since I don't remember any of them stopping to check and see if I needed any assistance!)

I remember one particularly large tree on the opposite side of the road that seemed the last one big enough to offer shade at that time of the day for as far as I could see. So I made my way across, parked there for a while, draped myself over my front handle bars with my head resting on my handlebar bag and my hands gently patting my front panniers. I realized, I probably could have slept that way, except for the heat, and my determination to get to my destination in Monticello, FL before sun down.

Nevertheless, as I waited and rested, drank some water, ate a Luna Bar, I realized there were more clouds now than there had been earlier in the day, and they were headed in the same direction that I was. Just as I was about to leave the shade of the Big Tree, one of those clouds began to cover the Sun, and so I "prayed": "More clouds, please. That would be really helpful right now.... : )"

And, then there were a few more clouds, and I started to either walk quickly up the hill to keep in the shadow of the clouds, or ride more slowly down the hills for the same reason. I was able to continue "Cloud Chasing" almost all the way into Monticello, with the town sign appearing near the top of yet another long hill.

But, that was not yet the end of my day. There were still a few more hills, luckily on mostly shade-covered side-walks, and another down-hill or two, before I finally made it to my destination: "Bluebird Meadows Farm" run my Maria and Diane, whom I had been able to contact via WarmShowers.org

True to their prediction, I stayed longer than I planned, so it was here that I ended my first full week On the Road! And what a week it was! : ))

April 15th to April 20th "Training Days" - Part III

One of the challenges of this trip thus far has been ... packing, unpacking, and packing up again! Pretty much every day I am getting ready to ride I think I'll be done at some point in the morning, say 10:30 am, and I don't actually get on the road until say...1:00 or 2:00 pm. As should be obvious to anyone seeing my pictures, I am not "traveling light" and that means there is a lot of gear to keep track of. Furthermore, since I am staying in so many different places along the way, it becomes really important to check and double-check (sometimes even to triple-check) to make sure I haven't left anything behind.

Nevertheless, I have tried to keep the attitude that, whatever I have to do each day that I ride in terms of packing, etc., has to be done, and it will take as much time as it takes. It was never my intention to have to "rush" this journey, and being able to spend time with people, talking about the journey itself, and the mission of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation and Paul Chappell, is a big part of what this is all about. I'd like to think that there is a Bigger Clock involved here, as well as a Bigger Purpose, and there have been more than a few times now when, because I was "running late" (or so I thought), I made connections with people who I might otherwise have missed.

For instance, just as I was finally headed back out to HWY 90 after staying at the empty trailer at Sunset Manor, another cyclist, named Paul, was Just At That Moment passing in front of me on 90 going east. Turns out he was on the last few days of his own cross-country bike trip from San Diego, CA. He came across the road to meet me and we stood there with our bicycles and talked for maybe another 45 minutes or so, swapping stories. Some of his advice to me: "Ditch some weight!" (A message he later repeated in an e-mail. : )) So, although I had thought about leaving earlier, because I didn't, it was easy for Paul and I to "connect".

After talking with Paul it was time for me to continue through Live Oak on to points west. Once I actually reached the town of Live Oak, I stopped outside the Mission Thrift Store that happened to be across the street from a health food/vitamin shop. I had a chance to talk with the managers of the store, Randall and Tina, and some of their friends. I walked across the street to the health food store and bought something to drink and some bee pollen (on a whim), ate my cheese and crackers, and finger salad outside the thrift shop, and then took some time to figure out how to cover my gear for better rain protection as the clouds were starting to roll in and I had not had to deal with any bad weather yet.

Once I had everything secured to my satisfaction, nothing dangling that might get caught in a brake, or a wheel, or a derailleur or something, I started to head on through town, and sure enough within about a mile or so, it started to rain a little bit. Nothing I felt uncomfortable with, really, so I kept going...right up until my wheels fell off the back of my trailer!! :P (Sorry I don't have a picture of that!)

It was not a "major incident". The bend of the trailer forks skidded to the ground, the bike started to go over along with the trailer so I just let it. And then, I started to laugh, because I had just spent the last, oh, hour our so, making sure my back panniers especially were carefully covered with the extra army rain poncho I was carrying, and...guess where my tool bag was? That's right, in one of those pockets that were now so carefully enclosed in multiple layers of nylon.

Once again, my "timing" was fortunate as moments after I capsized, police officer Osborn pulled up beside me to offer assistance. He held my bike while I turned the trailer completely upside down in order to re-attach the wheels with my crescent wrench that I did manage to recover from under the rain covering. He also gave me some directions to the nearest automobile repair shop, just a 100 yards down the road where I could get some help tightening the bolts further with an extra wrench.

Still riding in the occasional shower, I carried on eventually reaching the town of Falmouth. While attempting to park my bicycle using the trailer as something like a kick-stand (as I had done in Live Oak), just outside a convenience store, I was leveraging the bike into position by raising up on the saddle and then, all of a sudden, the saddle pulls loose from its frame! (My second "mechanical" issue for the day!)

But, once again, there was someone there to help me, an older gentleman named, Buddy. A mechanic by trade, he had additional tools, and...eventually, we figured out how to get the seat back together again. Before we both went our separate ways we were joined by his friend, Larry, a former Marine, and we all got a chance to talk more about "war and peace". Larry even offered me his contact information so I could add him to the list of new members I'm signing up for the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation.


Finally back on the road again, I proceeded to cross the Suwannee River which looked like a wonderful place to fish with deep waters right off the shoreline. The rainy shadows of the cloud cover enhanced the dark green of the water and the trees reflected there.



It was between Live Oak and Madison that I started to have more hills to climb, and in my case that meant literally; i.e. I had to get off of my bicycle and start pushing, sometimes only going 50 steps at a time. But I've known all along to expect this, especially in these first days and given all of the gear I've been carrying. That's why I chose to get a handlebar stabilizer. It has Really Helped by letting me relax my upper-body efforts a little on the long straight-away sections as well as up hills, leaving me to concentrate on pedaling or pushing, rathing than having to put a lot of energy into steering and/or countersteering the pannier laden front wheels.

About eight miles from Madison, I was riding in the rain again, but as the sun was setting, and peaking out from under the clouds, I kept thinking "There have got to be rainbows behind me". During one heavier down-pour I pulled off the road next to the Macedonia Baptist Church, turned to look behind me and...sure enough...there was this Huge Double Rainbow stretched over the sky and the church. There was a young man in a car off to the side of the road who was also taking in the view (I think between text messages), and he was later joined by a couple of other friends, one of whom agreed to take this picture for me. Thanks, J.P.! I think it is going to be one of my favorites! : ))

With the late start, rain, mechanical difficulties, and hills, it was full dark by the time I Walked my bike into and through most of the (hilly) town of Madison, FL, before finally finding my shelter for the night, courtesy of Bruce, my Couch Surfing host from the previous evening.

Yes, I was exhausted, but managed to find enough energy to eat, and shower (sort of : )), rinse my lentils, and start my mung beans soaking, lay out my bed pad, and spend a few more minutes reading from Paul K. Chappell's second book "The End of War", before calling it a day.

April 15th to April 20th "Training Days" - Part II

In Osceola, had time and space to unpack and re-pack all of my gear. I also took some time to make a few adjustments to my bicycle handlebar grips as I had been having quite a bit of numbness in my hands that I hoped I could mediate. Rotating the bar-end grips straight up has since allowed me to occasionally ride in a fully upright position resting my back somewhat (which has actually been in pain since my days moving all of my stuff around, three weeks prior to this trip). In addition, I had the chance to meet Fred and Judy from Texas, both of whom were quite receptive to what I had to share with them about my journey, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, and Paul K. Chappell.

(One potential incident of note: Construction crews on site rebuilding one of the bath houses and I managed to step on a bit of nail near the dumpster. It went right through the sole of my "Keen" shoe and was within a sixteenth of an inch of putting a hole in my heel. Definitely a close call, but no major damage done!)

I decided to take one last photo of the Osceola National Forest on my way out. Although I didn't have time to go swimming myself, it was one of the options at this little beach. Overall, it was a very enjoyable stay and a well maintained and managed park.

From Osceola, it was on to Live Oak, FL. After retracing the five miles or so to get out of the park and back to Highway 90, I still had another 35 miles to go. Now on my third consecutive day riding, I was starting to feel a little more tiredness in my legs. I have accepted from the beginning of this trip that, especially in the first few days and weeks, it would be slow going for me, with frequent stops.

One of those stops included a little bar/pizza restaurant where I met Joe and Mike. They graciously shared some of their pizza with me, encouraged me to talk about my journey, and they let me know they would be stopping again themselves at another bar in Lake City, so I should look for them there.

Coming into Lake City, some time later, I was confronted with what I have come to refer to as "lumpy bumpies" - ripples in the pavement just outside the main wheel tracks. As there was no significant shoulder, I either had to ride the "lumpy bumpies", bouncing and jostling my bike and rig uncomfortably, or steer into the main wheel track instead, putting me and my rig more into the line of car traffic. Luckily, most of the stretch through town was four lanes, so I could take the latter option and people could still get around me, but it was still stressful and slow going.

As anticipated though, Joe and Mike spotted me from their second pit-stop, The Rock Star Bar, calling out as I was about to pass. I pulled off, found a place to lean my bike safely against a fence, and took another fairly long break, talking more with them and a few other "locals", while enjoying lots of ice water to cool down and re-hydrate. In addition, since there were several motor-bikers in the crowd, they were all very generous in offering advice about various places I should see, or avoid, or be prepared for along the road ahead.

I managed to reach my destination for the day, "Sunset Manor" (luckily, before sunset...!). Bruce became my first "official" Couch Surfing host by letting me stay in an unrented trailer he had available just east of Live Oak. (This picture was also my first using my tripod and timer on my camera for this trip. : ))

Although I didn't have electricity, there was running water for a Cold shower, and to refill all of my water bottles. I used my headlamps after dark, and otherwise managed fine with the remaining food I was carrying for dinner...my Special Fried Rice and Finger Salad. Before I left the next morning, I even remembered to get my mung beans and lentils soaking, as I had plans to be cooking again, once I reached Monticello two days later.

(...to be continued...)

Highlights: Florida Peace Conference and First Leg of My Journey

March 3, 2012 I was able to attend the Fourth Annual Heart of Florida Peace Conference held in Winter Haven, FL (Heart of Florida Peace Conference). My friend Alisa and I camped out at the nearby Orlando S.W./Ft. Summit KOA before heading on down to the event.

This is a picture of our campsite after we'd taken down our tents. It did not rain, but the dew was so heavy it might as well have rained. You can see the contrasting dry patches where our tents were.

Quick review of the site: Eh...cheaper than a hotel, but mostly populated by RV's, and there were really bright street lights everywhere which made it much harder for me (as I have a lot of trouble sleeping with lights on). No trees to speak of so I was glad I brought my free-standing Eureka tent as a back-up to my home-made one (although I do intend to test my home-made tent with free standing support at some point before I leave. : )). Alisa was kind enough to park her car to block one of the worst of the lights, which helped, but it was not nearly the pleasant experience I had at Astor Landing a few weeks ago (Astor Landing Campground Review).

The bath house was fine - clean with multiple showers, etc. Funny thing...I managed to lose one of my (very special) wolf earrings down the sink, so I had to do a little plumbing to open up the trap to get to it. Luckily, I was successful in that, hardly skipping a beat with my "morning routine", but it made for an interesting conversation with another woman who was there at the same time. She suggested I start hiring myself out as a plumber, just for that purpose alone! : )


Even with the earring incident, Alisa and I managed to get ourselves to the event site in plenty of time. As the heavy dew had indicated, it was still quite humid, but the temps were nice. On our way to the conference center, we passed this Sandhill Crane quietly enjoying its "morning routine" as well.



Of course, the highlight of this trip was getting a chance to meet and listen to the featured speaker, Paul K. Chappell (Paul K. Chappell), Peace Leadership Director of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF). Although there was a relatively small group gathered of about 20 or so people, they came from very diverse backgrounds, and posed many challenging questions.

Where Paul's talk focused on confronting long-held beliefs about the nature of "national security" and the fundamental nature of human beings (being non-violent as opposed to violent), he also had to field questions and comments regarding the current economic system and the best way for activists to present themselves in public so as not to detract from their mission and message. True to the videos I had already seen of him, Paul was the model of patience and respect for his audience and I think everyone walked away with a renewed sense of hope for the future of humanity as well as the motivation to get more involved in whatever way they could.

As for me... I came to the conference with my own particular peace mission already determined. And the next day, March 4th, in spite of the 20+ mph head-winds, I set off on my bicycle from Jacksonville Beach, FL.

Here are a couple of videos highlighting the beginning and the end of my first leg. I start out christening my wheels at Jacksonville Beach and end up in Orange Park, FL approximately 35 miles and six hours later!

Christening in the Atlantic Ocean, Safe and Sound in Orange Park

In addition to the 20+ mph headwinds, I was carrying approximately 85-90 lbs of gear. Because I have not been able to get my two-wheeled trailer yet, and for safety reasons, I did not use the top rack this time which might end up adding another 10-15 lbs for the rest of my journey. Furthermore, although there were no major natural hills, there were several man-made ones to surmount in the form of bridges and overpasses.

For instance, the first bridge was around the 2 mile mark from the beach and it took a lot of determination to get over that one. I felt like it was my first "test" to see just how committed I am to my mission. As I was pushing hard at the very top of the hill I started breathing the words "I - Want - Peace", and that is what kept me going.

Overall though, it was a relatively easy trip. By choosing a mountain bike instead of a road bike for this journey, I have more capacity to "gear down" then I would with a road bike. In addition, I've added a "super low" gear with a new cassette on the back wheel, which made riding my bicycle, into the wind, up a hill, and under a heavy load possible.*

So, I am glad to report that after those 6 hours in the saddle, and with very little pre-training, I am none the worse for it, and I expect the next part of my journey will continue on that foundation - as I will be "training myself into this" as I go.



Thanks again to my friend Alisa for helping, not only with the videos, but with transportation and payment for the campsite (and a celebratory "Stella" beer at the end of my ride). I feel really lucky to have her and other friends who have been and continue to be so generous with their support.



If you would like to join their ranks, please take advantage of the "Donate" button in the top right menu, and thanks again to everyone who has already contributed thus far. : )

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*Note: For those of you who may not be cyclists, and especially for anyone thinking about becoming one or even attempting a trip like this, I think it is important to mention that gearing that allows for easy, steady, revolutions per minute (rpm), or "spin rate" is crucial, especially for a very long ride like the one I am planning. Easy spinning minimizes the stress on the body and gives it more of an opportunity to adapt over time. It is similar to the difference between lifting a light weight many times and lifting a heavy weight only a few times, or running a marathon instead of a sprint. Yes, the ride took me 6 hours (Yeah! Turtle Power! : )), but as far as I'm concerned, that's a day's work. Furthermore, with a couple of (generic) "Aleve" prior to and a couple after my trip, along with my regular yoga exercising the day of and the day after, I actually experienced relatively little pain - even though I have not really been on my bicycle that much in the last several months.

Astor Landing Campground Review - Tent Test I

So, just to be clear, this image is NOT of Astor Landing Campground in Astor, FL. I wish it were, but both my camera batteries were dead when I set out on my little adventure this past weekend (January 27-29) so I was not able to take pictures there. However, I have attempted to recreate some of my experience by setting up my tent AGAIN in the backyard of the house where I am currently staying in Orange Park, FL. (For more info on the "real" Astor Landing Campground go to: http://astorlanding.com/campground.htm)

My reason for being at Astor Landing was to sleep in between officiating bike races in De Land and De Leon Springs, FL. Astor Landing was just a few miles north of the second race venue so I thought I'd give it a try. Besides, given all the work I have put into my "travel tent", I thought it was high time I gave it a test run.

I pulled into the campground around 5:30 pm. The office was closed, but a very nice gentleman in a mobile home was there to stand in for his son-in-law who was the owner of the property. I think showing up in my light-blue, '73 VW Bug put everyone at ease, as the one's who saw me smiled and some waved. I finally managed to track down the $28.00 cash for a non-electric tent sight "...in the trees over behind Jeff" and handed that over to my host.

Turns out, Astor Landing is a very quiet, off the beaten path hang-out for quite a few people, I'm assuming mostly retired, or "snow birds" who stay in Florida during the milder winter months. As I was later told by another volunteer at the bike race, people usually don't try to camp too much in Florida during the summer months because it just gets too hot.

However, such was not the case this particular Saturday night. No, I checked and the weatherman said the low was around 48, unless you count the actual low on Sunday morning which was around 41. Knowing that it was likely to get cold, I prepared my tent as follows...(Update 2013 - these photos were accidentally deleted via my G+ account and I have not had time to replace them. Sorry. :(  )








Floor liner (no clothes in the bags this night)

















Yoga Mat


















I especially like these foam pads because they compress but they never "bottom out".













Thermarest Pad

















Wool Blanket/Outer Sleeping Bag




















Inner Light-Weight Sleeping Bag (This one I picked up back in 1996 to take with me to Kauai.)


















And my silk/cotton sleeping bag liner.







After getting the tent and sleeping gear situated, I took advantage of the campground's shower facility. It was clean, not spotless mind you, but definitely suitable for a campsite. The hot water was nice and hot and I didn't have to wait for it to get that way! : )





I completed my "evening routine" with no interruptions (after all, I was probably the only one there who was NOT in a mobile home of some kind), headed back to my tent, enjoyed a little reading and writing by the light of my headlamp, which, by the way, fit conveniently over the main support cord that ran inside the top of the tent. I even discovered I could slide it up and down the length of the tent as necessary.




Once I was tucked into the liner, inside my sleeping bag, I was then able to zip the outer wool blanket bag all around me, up over my head and everything. Because it has multiple zipper pulls going in opposite directions I was able to zip it almost completely closed except for a small space to breathe through.






And So I Slept! I figure I crashed around 10:00 pm or so (there was one small group of people having a bit of raucous fun on the other side of the catch-and-release pond, but it was Saturday night, so I understood). I tell you though, as soon as it got quiet, I was out, "snug as a bug in a rug"! And even though I woke up spontaneously at 4:30, I went right back to sleep preferring my "snugness" to the chilly air outside my "rug".

But, at 6:15 it was time to get up and get ready to head back down the road to the next race venue, a road race around the Spring Garden Ranch Horse Farm, winter training grounds for many of the world's top standardbred harness racers.
(http://springgardenranch.com/) Being there actually made me a little "homesick", seeing how I was born in Kentucky! : ) The ranch includes a restaurant on a hill by the race track, complete with dancing Sand Hill Cranes to keep the owners, tourists, and horses company. If I'm ever in that area again, I hope I can actually get to watch the horses - with my camera! : ))

All-in-all, it was a nice weekend. I was very pleased with the way my tent worked, although, it hasn't been rained on yet, so that will have to wait for another camping trip. (Or maybe I'll wait until it gets rained on here in Orange Park before I take it down?) And, even though 48 is pretty cold, I'd like to see if I would stay warm at even lower temperatures with just the gear I used this time.

Also, for a "lesson learned": I plan on laying my clothes out for the next day between the sleeping bag and the wool blanket. Not only will they add more insulation, but they will actually be WARM for me to put on in the morning! : ))

Furthermore, should I ever have to be in the woods for a longer period of time, especially in colder weather, I think I could combine this tent with a debris shelter, which would add much more insulation to the wind and water repelling capabilities of the tent fabric.

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Please Note: If you have found this blog to be of "value"; i.e. entertaining, informative, educational, etc. please consider making a donation via the "Donate" button in the upper right-hand menu. I have recently upgraded the button from PayPal so it should be working now. If you have any interest in purchasing a tent like the one shown here, feel free to contact me and I'll see what I can do for you. Also, if you happen to be looking for a nice place to camp in Florida, I would definitely recommend Astor Landing. Feel free to tell them, "That girl in the light-blue Bug sent you." And don't forget the restaurant at Spring Garden Ranch. They were very generous with bagged lunches and providing parking for our bike race.