Hello out There!
I know its been a while since my last post. I was ran out of gas, perhaps you were too. Well, the day has come, my last day on the farm and I am off. My plan is to leave here tomorrow morning due north and arrive at Delray Beach tomorrow night. Another long day trip, however, I will be staying there for one or two nights. And then ALAS, to New Orleans I will depart! I am nervous excited, this is a far greater feat then anything I have previously accomplished on a bicyle. I hope to arrive in New Orleans the last days of February or March and remain untill Fat Tuesday and depart Ash Wednesday, after church of course Dad. I looked up the mileage from Homestead to New Orleans and it totals about 950 miles...epic, I know. So I have begun creating a route that goes just south of Lake Okeechobee and the to the west coast in the gulf. From there I will travel the coast, or close by up around the panhandle through Alabama and Mississippi nubs and into the promised land. I plan to do about 70 miles a day and will be staying in an assortment of national and state parks.
     On Sunday, I rode out to Key Largo. It was my first day trip in a while. I had plans to head out to camp at John Pennekamp Coral Reef State Park. I road about thirty-five miles south on US-1 through the Everglades with gorgeous scenery of lily filled swamps with exotic birds and bronze fields of tall grass wavering slowly in a timeless daze. I saw families fishing in nearby canals and beautiful sights of the sunset over Lake Suprise. The Florida Keys are one of the most beautiful places I can imagine geologically. The archipelagoe that extends 150 miles into the Atlantic Ocean prides itself on its prosperous fishing and pristine tropical climate. I was fortunate enough to go snorkeling with the encouragement of my friends Kyle and Sadie. We went about 5 miles out into the Ocean and jumped out to an array of turquois, magenta, neon variants, and all sorts of exquisite colors. I was swimming with fish and trying to avoid getting stung by manawar (spelling may be off, but a tentacled air bubbled jelly creature that floats on the surface. I did infact get stung, but it really was not that bad, I think it may even have been a good thing. Apparently, they are filled with anti-oxidants and Kyle came up with the theory that as a result of eating them, Sea Turtles live for 150 years. I thought it believable. Anyways, we finished our snorkling and journeyed over to Kyle's Ocean Reef resort. A luxurious spot with marinas, golf courses, pools, restaurants, grocery store, school, and hospital. It was a different change of pace, one I did infact enjoy. We made some salmon, Indian spiced kidney beans, wild rice, and sweet patatoe for dinner. It was delicious. Eventually, we left the keys and travled back to the farm. I went to bed shortly thereafter. Today, I have been working on my bicycle fixing the breaks, reassembling the front rack, oiling the screeching parts, and testing it out. I have been rather successful and feel confident for my ride tomorrow.
Anyway, the farm is having a little going away potluck dinner for me, so I am excited for that to eat and have a bonfire, but its early, so Ill get some good rest and be out by the early morning.
Well, Bee Heaven's been great, but I'm on to my next leg of the journey home to MICHIGAN!