December 31st, 2007 | categorizilation: all categories,USA (FLorida)
Today’s distance / 今日の走行距離: 34.3 miles
Average speed / 平均速度: 10.2mph
Time on skateboard / 走行時間: 3h 21m
Total skateboarding distance to date / 今までスケボで走った距離: 1235mi (plus 266mi)
Ascent / 上り: negligible
Descent / 下り: negligible
End-of-day GPS coordinates: oops, forgot
Had I just been able to skate along US19, it would only have taken about one hour to get to Chiefland from Gulf Hammock. As it was, not being able to travel along US19 because of here being no shoulder, I had to take a 30 mile detour. It was well worth it however, with state park and beautiful forest.
Quiet spring-fed streams flowed beneath the road.
A ribbon of smooth black-top stretched out infront of me. Jolly nice indeed.
I arrived in Chiefland at around 1pm, and gave the two bikers I met yesterday a call on my cellphone. Not sure if they were actually serious about having me over (New Years eve – supposed to be a family time!), I hoped they would take the call.
To my delight, Skip had already left two voicemail messages on my phone, and when I called Bob, it seemed that they were very happy to have me over. 15 minutes later they were in town in Bob’s big pickup to pick me up. Skip and Bob the bikers – great guys.
Legendary hosts, I was treated to a great New Years feast with their families at Bob’s 5 acre property on the outskirts of Chiefland, and an awesome fireworks party afterwards.
Once again I am amazed at the hospitality complete strangers have shown me so far in the US. Bob and Skip have the adventurer’s spirit, and what a great night it was.
Factoid: Did you know that in the Levy County in Florida, in order to be able to purchase fireworks, a form must be signed stating that the intended use of the fireworks is to scare pests away from your property. I can tell you, we did some serious scaring of the pests! All in a very responsible manner of course…
Thank you so much to Skip, Bob, and their families for a wonderful start to 2008.
By the way, here’s how I spent last year’s Christmas and New Years:
Christmas: Day 156 - GEORGIA: T’blisi to M1 Highway 50km mark
New Years: Day 160 to 163 – GEORGIA: From Atsukuri Village to Georgian New Years Madness
It was a tad bit cooler last year in freezing Georgia!
December 30th, 2007 | categorizilation: all categories,USA (FLorida)
Today’s distance / 今日の走行距離: 33.2 miles / 53.4km
Average speed / 平均速度: 10.6mph / 17km/h
Time on skateboard / 走行時間: 3h 08m
Total skateboarding distance to date / 今までスケボで走った距離: 1201mi (plus 266mi) / 1932km (plus 430km)
Ascent / 上り: negligible
Descent / 下り: negligible
End-of-day GPS coordinates: oops, forgot
Great tailwind blew me all the way to Inglis on US19 today. That was the fun part, along with great unadulterated mud bath wonder at a mud pit just outside of Inglis.
Unimaginably high, jacked up 4x4s pitted themselves against the waist-deep mud. There was a US$12 entrance charge to the event, but the gate people let me in for free for a peek.
After this however, the day sort of went downhill. No shoulder on US19 after Inglis meant that I was more or less risking my life on the highway. Speed limit was 65mph. Not fun. After an hour of carefully making my way along the highway, a State Trooper by the name of Scott saw me and pulled me over. After explaining what I was attempting to do, he said “And I was going to write you a ticket!”. Great guy, and very helpful. It was getting dark at that stage, and I was keen to get off the highway. Officer Scott gave me a map of the area, and suggested alternate routes. He also offered to give me a ride to the next intersection where I could pick up a less busy side road. It was very tempting, but I declined the offer. I walked the remaining three miles to Gulf Hammock.
There is a small petrol station at Gulf Hammock, and it was here that my luck changed. Enter Skip and Bob. Two loud, boisterous bikers with Harleys, kitted out apparently to make as much noise as possible.
I was in line at the petrol station store, buying two quarters of a pizza displayed in the food heater. Skip made the usual small talk, looking at my strange skateboard. “You gone far on that thing?” he asked. The usual amazement ensued as I explained my journey.
We were holding up the line in the store, so Skip, Bob, and I headed outside where we continued to talk. One thing led to another, and I was invited to spend New Years with them in Chiefland, 12 miles up the road. We swapped phone numbers and they left me to camp for the night at a small picnic area.
December 29th, 2007 | categorizilation: all categories,USA (FLorida)
Today’s distance / 今日の走行距離: 26.3 miles
Average speed / 平均速度: 9.7mph
Time on skateboard / 走行時間: 2h 46m
Total skateboarding distance to date / 今までスケボで走った距離: 1166mi (plus 266mi)
Ascent / 上り: negligible
Descent / 下り: negligible
End-of-day GPS coordinates: oops, forgot
Thank you to Patrick McInnis and his family for the greatly entertaining stay last night. Nick and Hannah are very into magic tricks. they both had a few tricks that had me completely baffled. Luckily I had a couple up my sleeve that had them equally baffled.
From left: Nick, Rob, Patrick, Colleen (back), Hannah, Connor
The McInnis’s place is a lake-front property in Springhill. At least, it used to be. As with many other lakes in central Florida, for the last few years they have been receeding, to the point where many people who once were able to swim from private docks, now find their docks high and dry. This phenomenon is nothing new, apparently, with lakes drying up in cycles of about seven years.
It was smooth skating along the wide shoulders of US19 all the way to the Homosassa Wildlife Management Area where I stopped for the night. I must say thank you to Bones Bearings for supplying me with some super fast and smooth Bones Swiss ceramic bearings. The difference between my old steel bearings and these suckers is immediately noticeable. They roll much longer, and feel much smoother. Time will tell if they are indeed more durable than their steel counterparts which lasted 1,350 miles (with three cleanings and re-greasings).
Also, at last I had the opportunity to try out my new tent, donated by Carlos from Key Largo. Much smaller than my last tent that I used on the Asia leg of my trip, this little MSR tent is more like a framed bivvy bag than anything else. It is roomy enough however, and is well worth the weight savings over a larger tent.
I started the day with a mild headache and sore legs, however these ailments subsided as I skated through the day. Started reading the book Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer. The book was given to me by Eric in Tampa. Interesting read so far…
December 28th, 2007 | categorizilation: all categories,USA (FLorida)
Today’s distance / 今日の走行距離: 34.5 miles
Average speed / 平均速度: 10.1mph
Time on skateboard / 走行時間: 3h 24m
Total skateboarding distance to date / 今までスケボで走った距離: 1140mi (plus 266mi)
Ascent / 上り: negligible
Descent / 下り: negligible
End-of-day GPS coordinates: oops, forgot
Mmmmmmm. Cycle path. Sooooo smoooooth. But no batteries in the camera, so no photos from the wonderful Suncoast Trail.
But here is where Winston and Jimmy from last night live. Right on the golf course. This is the view from their respective back porches.
I ended up staying with a wonderful local family tonight. Patrick heard me on 620WDAE Sports Animal radio show a few days earlier and had contacted me, figuring that I would be passing through the area. We arranged for me to stay the night.
December 27th, 2007 | categorizilation: all categories,USA (FLorida)
Today’s distance / 今日の走行距離: 18 miles
Average speed / 平均速度: 8.8mph
Time on skateboard / 走行時間: 2h 05m
Total skateboarding distance to date / 今までスケボで走った距離: 1105mi (plus 266mi)
Ascent / 上り: negligible
Descent / 下り: negligible
End-of-day GPS coordinates: oops, forgot
Didn’t get away from Rick’s place until 2pm, but smooth roads today eased my transition from rest time to skate time. The tough skating to get through Tampa was made up for by the smooth Upper Tampa Bay Trail, which I followed for about five miles to its end near the outskirts of town.
The Upper Tampa Bay Trail dumped me out onto Gunn Highway. Gunn Highway is busy, narrow, and has no shoulder. I had to walk for two miles to find some back roads to make my way towards the Suncoast Trail trailhead – my goal for the afternoon. I figured that I would be able to camp out at the trailhead and start in the morning.
Things became interesting just after the nice security guards at the Chival gated community on the TPC Tampa Bay golf course let me take a shortcut through the community.
I was skating through the quiet neighbourhood, getting a little lost, when I happened upon Evan, Dane, and Alex riding their new Ripstiks.
I asked the guys which was it was to the trailhead, and before I knew it, we were swapping boards and having a great time skating up and down their street. The Ripstiks were easier than I had imagined, and I was scooting along in no time.
Enter Winston and Jimmy. Winston came across as a real life Home Improvement next-door Winston type. Friendly and energetic, he happened to be walking by as I was telling the guys about my trip, and why the heck I was inside a gated community. I told him that I was heading for the Suncoast Trail trailhead to camp, and he would hear nothing of it. “That’s just around the corner,” he said. “Stay here tonight, and start off in the morning! Unless you really want to camp, of course.”
The offer was too good to pass up, and Winston treated me to a great dinner cooked by Winston himself.
The evening was not complete without a visit to Winston’s neighbour, Jimmy. Jimmy is in the liquor business. He’s the kind of guy who smokes cigars, listens to jazz, drinks wine, and knows people. “If you ever get in trouble anywhere across the US, I know people,” he told me, giving me a serious look.
We sat up until far too late in the morning exchanging stories. Thank you guys for a most memorable evening!
December 26th, 2007 | categorizilation: all categories,USA (FLorida),vids
New video! Click on image above to view (4 mins)
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Talk about a lazy day. Days like this are great once in a while. Slept in, watched TV, went to the beach in the evening.
When Rick said that we were going to the beach, I had different ideas in my head. I was picturing a beach and nothing much else. That’s what I have become accustomed to over the last few months in the Virgin Islands.
However, Clearwater Beach was alive with street performers, venders selling trinkets, sheltering from the cold wind behind their colourful sun umbrellas. The pier was packed with people wandering and enjoying the sunset.
If it was any warmer, it would have been a great place to spend some more time at. As it was, the wind cut through thin summer clothing, and we only spent a minimal amount of time walking along the beach.
December 25th, 2007 | categorizilation: all categories,USA (FLorida)
Regular readers: Please note extra editorial note on day 520.
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Christmas in the USA. For some reason it was a bit of a surreal experience. I mean, that’s where Christmas trees, gaudy Christmas lights, mass over-commercialization, Christmas itself originated, right? At least that was how I felt as we drove through the city on Christmas Eve.
On the radio, advertisers kindly reminded us that we should ‘Hurry In and Buy in Time For Christmas’, ‘Beat The Christmas Rush’, ‘No Knuckle Dusters Needed In Our Store – Great Bargains For Everyone!’. Yes, that last one was an actual line on a radio advertisement. This constant bombardment of media painted an image of Christmas as being nothing less than a mad rushing, bustling, stressful time.
My friends and hosts Rick and Robyn seemed to be above all the hype however, leaving their Christmas shopping more or less to the last minute, and seeming none the stressed out for it. They had set Christmas gift value limits on each other, so that neither would ‘out-gift’ each other. I got the best of both worlds, being able to accompany both Rick and Robyn on separate occasions on their Christmas shopping trips.
Robyn put her sales expertise to good use, eyeing out discounts and bargains to make the most of her limit. Rick, having traveled somewhat, casually insisted on getting a discount on almost everything he bought. Price matching, one dollar discounts on marked goods (he may as well have been carrying a microscope)…
The real winners today (after Jesus of course, without whom none of this would be happening – check out The Meeting House sermons on Christmas) were however the family. Rick’s father, step-mother and sister, Robyn’s sister and boyfriend, all came over for Christmas dinner. Robyn spent most of the afternoon in the kitchen preparing a massive feast while the rest of us lounged around an outside fire enjoying some wonderful homemade wine, made by Rick’s dad himself.
From left: Lauren, Ryleigh, Richard, Rick, Rob, Robyn
The dogs: Abbey, Jeff
I made a traditional New Zealand desert, a Pavlova. Exceedingly sweet, this meringue is a Christmas favourite for many New Zealanders. Many Australians would disagree, however do not be deceived! See this BBC online article about the division over this desert’s origins.
I must say a very big thank you to a certain 14degrees Blog reader, Carlos Fernandez. I met Carlos in Key Largo in Florida, and he has very kindly supplied me with a few things on my gear Wish List. At great timing, a new tent arrived just before Christmas. Lightweight and small, the tent is going to be a great asset to my journey. Thank you very much Carlos!
Also thanks to my parents for supplying an extra merino wool t-shirt, and thanks to Chris Mandick for supplying the US Adventure Cycle Association cycle route maps I needed for traveling west across the US.
And a last note, if you are enjoying my panorama photos, take some time to check out Daniel Lang’s website. He is cycling around the world, and is currently in Australia, arriving there a few weeks ago after cycling all the way from Germany to Beijing, China. A great inspiration to my own travels, it looks as though he has just enjoyed a nice Christmas there in Australia. He has great photos!
December 24th, 2007 | categorizilation: all categories,USA (FLorida),vids
Merry Christmas, y’all. Got on the evening news today. Yes they think my name is Ron.
(Click on image above to view news story video)
Thank you to Adam and all of the Tampa Bay’s Channel 10 News for picking up my story and for using some of my photos in the story.
A very Merry Christmas to all the 14degrees Off The Beaten Track blog readers. May this be a restful and enjoyable few days for you all.
December 22nd, 2007 | categorizilation: all categories,USA (FLorida)
NOTE: In regards to the following journal entry, please be reminded that cigars are addictive, can cause cancer, and are just as dangerous to your health as cigarettes, if not more dangerous. I do not condone habitual, frequent use of cigars; please be aware of the dangers before making any decisions. (REF: American Cancer Society article, National Cancer Institute Q&A about Cigars).
Well, I thought I would never say this, but I had a full cigar today, and it was delicious.
Along with Rick and Eric, we all enjoyed the main street of the historic Ybor district in Tampa in the traditional style – smoking cigars at an outdoor cigar bar. Tampa has always been famous for it’s Cuban influence, and this certainly extends to the cigar tradition in the city. Now of course, you can get any cigar you like, so long as it’s not Cuban – the US still enforces it’s very strict trade embargo with Cuba.
The Ybor main street was bustling with scantily clad young women throwing inviting promises of a ‘good time’, young – and old – men along with more just as scantily clad women lining up at the doors of busy clubs, eager to join the throng of seething bodies inside. Hispanic, African American, European, Asian, all number of races wandered the pavements in search of Saturday night action. Boy racers rolled by in their shiny pimped out rides, blaring tunes from massive car speakers.
Rick recommended to me a Nicaraguan Java cigar. I have never smoked anything in my life (Editorial note: My cousin Tim reminds me of our escapades smoking dried straw together when we were about 15 or 16 years old; so I have smoked something!), so it was a completely new experience for me; I was certainly apprehensive at first.
The outer leaves were a deep brown, the inner leaves rolled tightly, resembling a cross section of a chocolate wafer. Smelling the end of the unlit cigar, the first thing I noticed about the cigar was that it smelt to me like chocolate. It smelled sweet, and not at all like the stale tobacco smell I imagined.
We sat out on the sidewalk chairs and tables to watch people mill by. Rick lit the cigar for me, and the first thing I tasted when I put between my lips was a sugar taste from the outside of the cigar. Apparently, the tobacco leaves are soaked in a sweet cocoa and espresso bean concoction before being rolled. Drawing the smoke into my mouth, it had none of the offensive, biting taste of any other smoke I have had in my mouth. Either that of second hand smoke or smoke from a fire. Smoke from a cigar is never inhaled into the lungs, so no coughing ensued.
The cigars last a good 30 minutes, so we smoked slowly, chatting for the duration of the long rolls. I had no idea how I would handle the experience, however I thoroughly enjoyed the taste of the cigar, and relished the relaxing ambiance of the bustling cobbled Ybor main street. At about US$7 a cigar, it’s not a cheap thing. But certainly something that could be enjoyed on that odd occasion when great company, suitable location, and the right timing collide to make for a very pleasant evening.
December 21st, 2007 | categorizilation: all categories,USA (FLorida)
So another day here in sunny Tampa. The day began with an interview with the boys from the Sports Animal radio show – 620WDAE – in Tampa at about 10:15am. I hope to get a recording of the show soon so we can hear it all again.
Rick’s* wife Robyn works with the company that owns many of the radio station in the Tampa area, and a great thanks goes out to her for hooking me up with this interview.
Before we left the offices, I was reminded of my time in Japan working at a desk. Those were good times. A nice airconditioned office, a routine of cycling to work, showering at work, regular pay check, great work mates. I’m not sure that I miss going to work in a suit and tie however.
Afterwards Robyn and I had a wander/drive around town, one of our stops being the South Tampa Cigars store. They are serious about their cigars in this store. The cigars are kept in humidors that maintain a constant humidity of 60% to 80% in the air. If they dry out, Jason the cigar expert shop assistant told us, the flavour would not be correct.
They had all sorts of cigars there. Chocolate flavoured, mild, strong, Jamaican, Santo Domingo, spiced, clove flavour, Soprano…amazing.
More shopping ensued in the afternoon with Rick. The last minute Christmas shopping. We admittedly did spend more time looking at gadgets in the electronics shops, including the Apple Store. I did some crafty advertising of my trip by displaying my website landing page on the main computer display at the front of the shop.
No one really seemed to notice though…
On the way home I got to experience some real hardy nativity loyals. A church had live nativity animals and live nativity humans on display. Including a zebra.
“What’s the zebra for?” I asked one of the humans.
“Oh, it’s part of the nativity scene,” was the matter of fact reply. I left the scene confused.
