Started the day smoothly, had some breakfast (alligator jerky, mixed nuts, and a monster coffee drink for this guy) and we hit the road.
We had a tailwind for most of the morning. All we heard was that there was nothing on 41 thru Everglades and that was half right.
We cruised on some of the worst shoulders of roads I've ever see . About 18 inches wide, rough, and to too it off they had raised white lines with 5 reflectors behind them and rumble strips in between each if those. Needless to say I'm pretty sore.
We started counting alligators both alive and dead. List count at 30 and 5 including the one that Danny killed (jk). They were everywhere in the canal adjacent to the highway. Some huge mofro's too.
After seeing about 25 air boat ride places we finally found Joanie's Blue Crab Cafe. We stowed the bikes, set out the wet clothes we had, and went inside. Place was totally backcountry and great food. Guy in the corner doing a little pickin' and a grinnin' playing the "Gunsmoke" theme song. We had gator nuggets, Indian bread, and some local drafts. Cool stuff and cooked by the cutest little one-eyed Grama you'll ever see. You paid for each drink by taking your bottle caps to the cashier- weird.
We kept cruising and were making solid time despite the wind change. We decided to extend our ride by 18 miles to get to a casino hotel because there was literally nothing and nowhere to camp.
We met a drifter while setting the new route outside a full service gas station. He was riding back from the keys after getting kicked out of a tennis tournament. The guy spend 2 years in Australia and you could hear it. He had just spent 6 mos in the Keys and was on the way to Arizona to Seattle then back to Jersey where he was from. He was a nice guy but had no money, so Phil have him a bottle of water and we rolled on.
Good karma right? So we thought.
We make it nearly nine miles (our midway point to the casino) and boom it happened.
Danny hits a rock dumps hide bike crashing hard to the ground dislocated his left shoulder. Phil then crashes into him but walks it off. Crazy. We were literally just about to stop.
We spent the next hour and a half trying to hitch-hike or get a ride for Danny.
No cabs.
No van from the hotel.
No ambulance.
And literally nothing around besides road workers.
Phil and I rode back trying to get a ride for Danny and luckily we score one.
This guy seems nice and normal. He helps us load the bikes, gear, and Danny. He tells us how there is nothing around and luckily for us the hotel is close.
We continue down 41 and stop at another road worker when a guy gets out of the car in front of us. He then looks at our truck, at the ground, motions back to his car and then reaches in his pocket.
We are stopped on the highway and he gets out of his car!
Our driver the reaches into his counsel and grabs his handgun. A freaking hand gun. I try to talk him down by saying the guy just has his lighter but our driver doesn't care. He mutters some things and raises it from the counsel. Then he said, "If that guy comes over here, hell get something he won't like." I make eye contact with Phil. We are both in shock.
Luckily the dude gets back in his car and our Dirty Harry puts his piece away. Phil and I exhale simultaneously while Danny was still in shock/pain.
The last 4 miles to the casino could not come fast enough. Luckily no more near shoot outs and we got to the hotel.
Dirty Harry helped us unload out stuff and we got a hotel worker to get Danny a can to the hospital nine miles away.
Crazy last two hours.
At press time Danny is still at the hospital and we are trying to figure out how to get him and his gear back in time for his flight.
Today we had our first, "Get the £$@% out of the road!"
The road was so flat and straight today you could see like 5-7 miles ahead no joke. At one point Phil was playing Daft Punk on his stereo and Danny's bike was was making a weird, noise every three or so pedals and it drove me into a meditative state. I looked up and boom 6
miles gone. Crazy.
Things I learned today:
1) Flat roads aren't all that cool. It's constant pedaling and no coasting. No break.
2) Gator is great... to eat. Bad to smell dead on the side of the road.
3) People on highway 41 not very cordial or helping.
4) Danny is one tough cookie.
5) I almost was a part of a national news story, as a witness. Wowza!
Some picture info:
Danny is throwing rocks at two big gators.
We are holding it down as the urban kids say at Joanie's.
I'm giving the thumbs up next to a New Hampshire license plate that has the state motto: "Live free or die." If only it ended with die hard...
Tonight: Figure out what to do to help Danny.
Tomorrow: Key Largo
Just keep L-I-V-I-N,
KRS
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