I would never have guessed our coldest night would have been in Florida! I woke up this morning to 38°. In a tent. And pretty comfy inside two sleeping bags. I’ve been hoping for a little adversity. Florida certainly stepped up!
It warmed up pretty quickly and I was on the road by nine. It was supposed to be a rest day, but tomorrow is looking wet and thundery so we broke up that 75 miles and will do 45 today, stopping just over the Apalachicola River in Eastpointe.
Since it was a short day I took it pretty easy, enjoying a bike path it took us along the beach in WindMark. We wandered along until we hit Port Saint Joe where some stopped for a second breakfast.
After Port Saint Joe we had a straight 19 miles which gave me a long time to think and get philosophical. What rolled around in my head is that we spend lots of time anticipating and working towards milestones; births, graduations, new jobs, marriages, retirement. And while those milestones are exciting, what we really cherish is the times in between them. We relish the people we get to spend time with. We don’t always remember every detail of who said what or even who did what. We remember that we laughed til our sides hurt. We remember that someone was there when we needed them. We remember warmth and compassion and comfort and camaraderie. It reminded me to spend more time in the moment.
Philosophizing makes the time fly by and before I knew it I was rolling into town. Apalachicola is an old town that continues to survive on the seafood industry. It’s bills itself as the Oyster Capital of the World. I stopped on the outskirts to get a hotdog at Dave’s Dawgs food cart and chat with Dave. He’s been a long haul trucker for 42 years, got laid off during Covid, and decided to do a roadside hotdog stand. He’s been in business three years. And he makes a darn good hot dog.
I rode on into Apalachicola proper and had a beverage at the Oyster Brewing Company. It was here I learned about worm grunting. The bartenders told us about it when we told them we would soon be going to Sopchoppy (my new favorite town name) which just happens to be the site of the Worm Grunting World Championships in April.
Worm grunting works more or less like this: you put a hickory stick in the ground and run a special rasp across it. It makes it sound like someone grunting and it is supposed to attract worms and bring them to the surface. I kid you not. I will have to make a trip in April to see this in person.
I took a quick ride around Apalachicola which reminds me a bit of Belfast Maine and headed up and over the bridge the 4 mile bridge to cross the river into Eastpointe.
Our motel is right on the river and has peacocks! And pelicans that are very used to people. And gorgeous sunsets.
Things I learned today:
- You won’t regret spending more time in the here and now
- Don’t stress if you have to serve Ramen. Everyone likes Ramen.
Your philosophizing makes me think of the quote- "People won't remember what you say but they will remember how you make them feel" (or something like that). Great photos as usual. Peg
ReplyDeleteI remember seeing your map at the beginning of your trip but can't find it in this blog. What page is it on, or did I see it in.a separate FB post?
ReplyDeleteClick this link- then look for the word “overview” over the San Diego entry. It will give you an overview map. https://www.adventurecycling.org/routes-and-maps/adventure-cycling-route-network/southern-tier/
DeleteYour thoughts today really touched my heart. So poignant. We do often forget to cherish those times in between the big milestones of life. Such a great reminder. We may have to try worm grunting at our next Girls' Weekend. Debbie
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