First, here's how the radar looks this morning at about 8:30 a.m. Vero Beach is calling for a 60% chance of showers and they're in the vicinity, though not right where the ride is slated to begin. It looks to be a little stormy to the west and also off over the Atlantic. Let's hope the guy's ride is drier as the day wears on.
It wasn't yesterday!
Here's a close-up shot of Bob taken during the ride. He doesn't look like a happy camper! It's bad enough to peddle nearly 50 miles but to do it in the rain has got to be miserable.
Once the group arrived at Vero Beach Kamp, some time to dry out has begun. Here's a shot of the Rec Room with wet rain gear spread about. This is warm and sunny Florida?
Along the ride, Bob said this picture was taken to show what the conditions were like. In a word: miserable! There's nothing like being wet, tired and hungry and having an endless stretch of highway up ahead.
The group stopped at the McLarty Treasure Museum (part of the Sebastian Inlet State Park) to enjoy the exhibits of treasures from the Atocha. My uncle, Charlie Boyer, talked with Kip Wagner (originally from Miamisburg) when he was in Florida many decades ago and bought a Spanish coin). He didn't have enough money along when he was on vacation but conducted the transaction later by mail.
Today they'll be traveling from Vero Beach to Fort Pierce along Highway A1A. It'll be a shorter day - just 30 miles - and they'll spend tonight at the Northside Christian Fellowship.
February 1- Day One
This first day of the bike trip was from Cocoa Beach to the Sebastian area, via Highway A1A. Bob and Mike will spend the night at the Vero Beach Kamp, Inc. The day's distance was planned at 40 - 47 miles.
Here is the entire trip plotted on a Google map. The total distance is planned at 395 miles in 10 days.
This first day of the bike trip was from Cocoa Beach to the Sebastian area, via Highway A1A. Bob and Mike will spend the night at the Vero Beach Kamp, Inc. The day's distance was planned at 40 - 47 miles.
Here is the entire trip plotted on a Google map. The total distance is planned at 395 miles in 10 days.
Here (below) is a map of just todays' trip.
And here (below) is the NWS radar at 9:33 a.m., a little more than 1.5 hours into the trip. No doubt it started on a wet note!
January 31 (later):
Bob sent three additional pictures this evening. The first (below) is of a pelican on the pier at Cocoa Beach.
And here's his biking partner, "Big Mike", on the pier. The pelican is on the right.
Finally, Bob sent a shot of the pier itself. He signed off last night by saying he had to be up early for a meeting on Monday morning, between 6 a.m. and 8 a.m., and that the group would begin pedaling south at about 8 a.m.
January 31 -
Bob arrived in Cocoa Beach Florida last night just after 9 p.m. and text-messaged that all was well after the 16 hour trip from Ohio. He drove through quite an active snow/ice storm in Kentucky and Tennessee and had his speed lowered due to the conditions.
He's there as part of a Wandering Wheels bicycle trip from Cocoa Beach (02/01) to Key West (02/10). I'll post a few pictures and comments here as I receive them from him. This post will be updated so newer information will appear at the top as older dates get pushed lower on the page. When the page is long enough, I'll add another "part" to the blog.
This shot is of the beach, apparently near the motel (Comfort Inn) where they're staying. It's just 61 at 3 p.m. and it looks like rain is moving in.
Here's a shot of where they're staying and the Wandering Wheels truck in the parking lot.
Another view of the beach. Looks prettier than Ohio even if it is a bit cool and cloudy. What will the week ahead hold for the two of them? Check back and see.
