Open Road Press

A turtle sighting on our way to St. Augustine was a good reminder of a slower pace, and that is exactly what we experienced for the past few days…slow down, rest, write, and read. It was a great way to spend time together, off the bike, in a clean, friendly, and comfortable Super 8 motel with a SUPER staff.
It was even a little sad saying goodbye this morning to Betty (and Deborah and Carmen), who “friended” us on Facebook when we shared our website and upcoming book, Two are Better. After leaving Ormond Beach, we headed toward the Atlantic coast and rode along it for many miles. The smell of the ocean, the soft sand that I felt between my toes on one of our rest stops, made for a very pleasant day. We rode a lot on A1A from Ormond Beach all the way up to St. Augustine Beach. What a treat!
When we stopped for lunch in Summer Haven, we sat outside on the patio overlooking an inlet where we watched and talked to some fishermen (and women). As we heard some rumbling and crackling in the sky, and noticed the waitress grabbing the condiments off the tables, it occurred to us that rain was somewhere right around the corner. The waitress said the storms were unpredictable with the curvature of the inlet and the proximity to the ocean. We might miss it or we might not…We missed riding in it a few times today. But shortly after finishing our lunch, we brought our bikes under the entryway to the restaurant and just missed getting soaked in the storm. While we were waiting for the rainstorm to pass, a couple on a motorcycle also joined us seeking shelter from the storm. Deanna and Eddie were interested in our bike trip and when we mentioned we were from Massachusetts, they mentioned that they currently live in Tennessee, but left the Bay State in the mid 2000’s. It was fun visiting while the rain ran its course all around us.
As we arrived in St. Augustine, we searched for a bike shop to purchase a new pair of bike shorts for Tim to keep the saddle sores at bay. Chamois cream and new bike shorts should keep us going for many miles to go as we leave Florida on Thursday and head to Georgia.