Jan and David sent us off with stomachs full of some delicious breakfast. This was more than just a nice start to the day. It would prove to be necessary fuel for a long day of riding. Mike was informed that the Triumph dealer in New Orleans had the foot peg and brake light cover that he needed. He was also informed that they could do oil changes and a general once over of our bikes if we got there by four. We would be hitting New Orleans on the 13th, so we wanted to set ourselves up for a shorter trip that day to ensure we arrive on time. This would mean riding further along today. Originally we were going to be getting to Tallahassee. Now we had plans to ride past Tallahassee and onto a spot further west. We chose Pine Log State Forest as a fairly arbitrary location and our current trip would now be 9 hours and approximately 460 miles. It may not sound like much if you’re used to driving a car everywhere as driving 12 hours is fairly easy. On a bike it’s completely different and even 7 hours can wear you out mentally and make you rather sore. With the extreme miles for today we had to go highways for pretty much the whole way.
Riding further inland into Florida made the palm trees give way to regular foliage and farms started to pop up more and more. Eventually a gas stop and lunchtime happened together. We pulled off of 75 at a town called Alachua, just north of Gainesville. Initially we were going to eat at, what I think was, a restaurant with an alien/space theme. We didn’t anticipate much, but it was unique and right off the highway. Luckily for us it was closed. Then I looked up on my phone for nearby restaurants. One place down the road got good reviews and off we went. One of the reviews mentioned it was vegan friendly. Apparently it is also completely vegetarian. Next! I noticed a cluster of restaurants further down a separate road and off we went again. This time we discovered we were on the main street of Alachua. It had a really nice feel to it and was well taken care of.
The first place that we checked out, “Main Street Pie Company, a pizzeria” was decided because of its name. The storefront looked nice and we noticed the sign out front. They were including complimentary samples of their mango Italian ice. Believe me, it was very hot that day and we were pretty toasty standing there in our leather jackets and helmets. The Italian ice was a huge plus for us. Then we noticed the price, and we went inside. Inside, the atmosphere was familial and the décor welcoming. The owner was very friendly and we chatted a bit about our trip before sitting down.
Due to the hot weather, we had our mango Italian ice before the meals. It was both delicious and refreshing with the right sweetness to ice ratio. I ordered a pizza while Mike had the Stromboli and both were great. I particularly liked the crust. I couldn’t finish mine, but luckily that just meant that I’d have a couple slices when we set up camp in the evening. As we were leaving, the owner then gave us each a brownie on the house for later on. If you’re reading, thanks for that! The brownies also proved to be amazing campsite food; they were rich and moist. So, if you happen to be in the Gainesville FL area, hit up Main Street Pie Company in Alachua. Both of us agreed that so far they’re the best random restaurant find of the trip.
With our backs and butts desperately in need of some rest away from the bikes, we finally arrived at our destination for the day. We could instantly see where the State Forest got its name “Pine Log” as all of the trees in the area were tall pines with bare trunks ready to be made into logs. With a short ride down some dirt and gravel roads we arrived at the campgrounds and quickly bypassed a sketchy looking camper that looked like a mobile meth lab. We walked around a bit and picked out the campsite that best suited our hammocks. In the process we saw a turtle on his back that had fallen off a ledge. We were a little unsure if he was still alive or not, but thankfully he collapsed into his shell as we got near. He hissed at me as I picked him up, that ungrateful little reptile! I still decided to put him down right next to the pond though and as soon as I turned my back he was away into the water.
No comments:
Post a Comment