Almost There...

One of my favorite scenes from any movie is that classic scene in Star Wars IV where they are flying to destroy the Deathstar and that one guy keeps saying "almost there." I think he dies. Anyway we have around 100 miles till we are boarding a plane to return to "normal" life. Actually I hope my life is never normal but that is another topic from the one I would like to discuss right now. So I have a few things to catch you up on. Louisiana aside from New Orleans was pretty scary. For some reason they don't believe in shoulders on the highway or bike paths or bridges accessible to bikes. We had to hitch rides across two bridges. Also the mosquitoes were terrible. Mississippi was pretty boring except couch surfing with a guy named Brian. We discussed all of the things you are not supposed to talk about like politics and religion. Then we caught a ferry in Alabama which was the highlight of that state. That and leaving it. We missed Mobile by taking the ferry, I'm afraid of leprechauns. Then we finally made it in to Florida. Florida has a different feel from the other southern states. It feels more like the west. Or north. Right across the Alabama/Florida border was a rib place and I got some tasty ribs and we eventually pulled into Pensacola, FL. Turns out Pensacola is one of the oldest cities in the USA but shortly after it was founded it was annihilated by a hurricane so a lot of times oldest city goes to St. Augustine which actually is oldest continually inhabited city or something like that. I know I'm forgetting Vinland discovered by my ancestor Leif Ericcson. I've tried using my ancestors as a pick-up line... it doesn't work. Anyway we were set up to stay with another guy from couch surfing in Pensacola. He called and told us that because another vouch surfer was staying with him he didn't have room at his house but he did have a sailboat we could sleep on. Awesome*. So that night we went out and picked up tons of chicks and had a party on the boat. I also found a Ian Fleming James Bond novel on board, awesome*. Then we biked some more and hit up church while staying with Zach and Ashley, more couchsurfers, and watched "Walking Dead."Then while biking we ran into the biking portion of Iron Man Florida. We watched them race by while eating lunch. Lunch was steamed seasoned shrimp, potatoes and key lime pie. I love being on the bikers diet. Eventually we were in Tallahassee in time for the fair. We stayed with Liz who "works" for the government and she and another friend took us to the fair. I got to pet a camel. From Tallahassee the next big location is St. Augustine. Riding for long distances isn't really that hard I've decided. The only hard parts are sitting on a bike seat all day and wind. Oh and hills. But really the bike seat is the worse part. It feels like ripping off a band aid when I ever I get off it. A few hundred miles ago, actually in New Mexico I think, I stopped wearing my bike shorts with a padded seat. It made my riding experience much better. In fact I've only wore them once since I stopped. Now I think they are only for wimps and communists. Along with bike shirts. Actually I think they do have a place but are way overrated.

* must be said in sing songy voice.