After eighty miles the legs are adjusting

   Off at 8:30 from Jack Edwards’ house, he laid out breakfast before he left before I woke.  Amazing similarities, hope he stays in touch. The first two hours on the road my legs were complaining. The wind was unmercifully, slowing me down way below ten mph. With thirty miles behind I stopped at Flagler beach. After consuming a vitamin drink, chicken salad sandwich and some dark chocolate, I pushed off from a rundown convenience store where no one spoke English. The wind moderated and my legs started getting in the groove.  It was my arms and constant repositioning of my hands on the bars, to fight off numbness, that wore me down.  If I find a good bicycle shop, I hope to buy a bar extender to raising my torso up and reduce my weight on the bars.

     After forty-five miles I rolled into Ormond Beach, a big town with ocean high rises mile after mile. My search for an inexpensive Airbnb or Warmshowers host proved fruitless. I checked a firehouse along the way. A central firehouse closed up, what gives with that?  At a McDonald’s, I hooked up to WiFi and started surfing for a place to stay. Called two churches but got the answering machine. Forget the community on the weekdays, it is just for the Sunday show of being “saved”.  A couple, a bit younger than I, walked in and were enthusiastic about my bike outside. With a little local knowledge, they assured me that there were several inexpensive motels down the road a few miles. With no other option, I had to check into a room on the water. A clean room, bed and bathroom forty-five dollars was the best I could fine. The ocean patio with a spectacular view made it a good deal.  The surf and wind were both up making the patio the perfect setting.  The receptionist was a piece of work, who grew up in South Boston, came out and shot the breeze with me as a rescue crew on the endless beach was trying to find a person who supposably drowned. 

    Tomorrow, I ride to Mimi and either score a Warmshowers place or a KOA campsite near the Kennedy center.  Hopefully the wind won’t be cranked up; it would be nice to keep the bike moving at ten to twelve mph.