What a day! Nothing crazy happened but I’ve been going non-stop since I woke up. Took the rental car back only to find out they thought I’d already returned it. Oops. Got back to the the empty house and stuffed the few things I’d left off the bike from the night before inside the very full panniers.
The ride down to A1A was a breeze except I had a stalker taking pictures of me for a bit (Aunt Leigh Ann).
As usual people stared at me like I was from another planet. It takes a little getting used to but in a way I kind of like my celebrity status. 
The other bikers on the road all did the head nod and a couple spandex prima donnas ignored me. The motorcycle guys are pretty cool too. Almost every one of them waved as they rode past. One guy asked me what year I was going to be in Alaska. At least he didn’t think it was an island. And the nicest lady rode with me for a bit and asked about my trip but I can’t remember her name. There’s also a guy riding around in the Keys on a loaded bike whose been spotted by 2 people from work and another guy today. Not sure which way he’s going but I doubt I’ll see him. It would be cool to hear about his trip though.
I’m also starting to realize its going to be hard for me to get out of some habits I’ve gotten used to over the years (and while I was employed). For example, I probably didn’t need the $5 smoothie in Palm Beach.
I thought I was a goner on Flagler Memorial Bridge in West Palm. For some dumb reason I decided to ride in the road. Bad move on my part. After a few feet the white line that I’ve come to know and love disappeared which left just 2 lanes and a curb. Only one car came a little closer than I would have liked. I especially don’t like curbs because my front panniers are so low. It’ll just be a matter of time before I rub up against a curb and eat it.
Made it to the hotel and had the greatest hot shower ever. Legs are a bit stiff but I should be OK in a few days.
I’m really going to enjoy this trip.
Having a little issue with the GPX plugin so the map below doesn’t show the route. Have to work on that later in the week.
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hey, I saw your thread on bikeforums.com. I live in cocoa, fl and I can let you couch surf for a night or at least buy you a beer. I just had 4 people crash on my floor last night who were doing a gas-free folk music tour. You might end up catching up with them since they’re heading north up us-1 as well and they’re lugging trailers with guitars and stuff. Anyhow, shoot me an e-mail if you need a cold beer or a hot shower as you’re passing through.
Hi Neph,
Glad you made it through your first day.
Congrats on setting off after all those months of preparation and planning. What a fantastic feeling – I’m very jealous! I have been planning a similar trip for years but lost everything in the credit crunch, so all I have is a half-built bike. I look forward to reading all about your adventures. Do you have enough cash to keep travelling for a few years? Will you stop to work along the way?
Your gear looks great – you will get very fit dragging it up the mountains! Your rig is basically a resistance machine at the gym – but in the fresh air with free gym membership. A lot of people will tell you that you have too much stuff, but so what? If you halved the weight of your gear your average speed would increase by no more than 2 mph. I try to average 16 or 17 mph because I like to do 150 miles in a day now and then. But this means I have to have minimalist ultralight gear, skinny tyres and keep low on my dropped handlebars. I also like to keep up with the prima donnas (check it on wiki!). It really floors them when they find they are being paced by a guy with a tent. (My tent is huge but weighs under 2 lbs – the Puppy Pile Too.)
I hope day two has gone well – but if it hasn’t, big deal. In ten years all of your tall tales about the trip will be from when things go wrong. So when fate gives you a double puncture and a broken spoke when your water has run out, be thankful!
Congrats Scott on your first day! Keep those legs a peddling.
WTF, Alaska isn’t an island?!?!