Once again, I seriously lack the ability to just sit still. The hostel I am staying at is just outside of Everglades National Park, so I decided to see it on bicycle. Of course, taking a bus in to the park is completely unreasonable, why not go for a ride.
Oh yeah, because it's a 90+ mile round trip. From the hostel to the end of the road is about 47 miles. Sure, sounds like a great idea. I won't have any gear on my bicycle, so I'll be able to go way faster. Besides, it will be great training for the IM.
Right out of the gates, I was blasted by winds in my face. They would continue all the way to the end of the road. No fun.
The second challenge of the day was a pack of stupid dogs. Gosh, I'm barely into this trip and dogs are already firmly planted in my 'least favorite' list. I was a few miles away from the park entrance, and all of the sudden 5 dogs are chasing me. One from the left, and 4 from the right. Adrenaline spikes, the hair on my arms is tingling, and I'm desperately trying to ride as fast as I can into the wind. All of these dogs were at least 60lbs, and were barking viciously. Some dogs that chase are wagging their tails, and acting like it's a game. This situation was not the case. Dog on the left cut in front of me, almost getting run over in the process. They proceeded to chase me for approx. 1/2 mile, which seemed like forever.
Onwards to the park.
Everglades National Park is a huge park, and most of it is only accessible by water (canoe, kayak, or fan boat) but I was still very pleased with what I was able to see. The change in landscape from the edge of the park to the water is a cool thing to witness, especially when travelling as slowly as I was. The outer edges are somewhat like a Kansas prairie. Lots of open fields of grass. Then some coniferous trees begin to appear, and it feels almost like Cape Cod. Soon enough, the coniferous trees are being overtaken by ferns and other more tropical species. The feeling of the Cape is gone, and the feeling of the jungle has arrived.
As I was riding, I was convinced that I'd be able to see some alligators, and maybe even catch one Steve Irwin style. Nope, they are crafy animals. Each time I'd pass a small watering hole, I'd peer in to see if there were any leftover dinosaurs. The first time I passed one, I slammed on the brakes, pulled out my camera and turned back to see nothing more than a few ripples in the water. Rats!
The wind continued to punish me, and with each passing mile, I was getting closer and closer to giving up. I hadn't seen any alligators, and I had a terrible feeling that the wind was going to shift and give me even more headwind the whole way back. However, soon enough I saw another little baby alligator, stopped quickly enough to take a picture of him before he dove back into the water. Success! My energy levels were quickly lifted and I started to ride with a positive attitude again.
No more than a mile later, I saw a huge alligator sunning itself outside of the water. Again, I slammed on my brakes, turned back and snapped a photo, expecting him to slither away quickly.
Only this guy (or gal) could care less about my presence. I was able to walk up and back the road, taking as many pictures as I wanted. My bravery started to climb, and I took one step closer, then another, then another...
The 'gator still wasn't phased. It barely moved its head, but that was enough for me to give up on this silly game of chicken. While the odds were high it would go for the water, there was enough of a chance in my mind it would come for me. You win, alligator.
With even more new found excitement, the last few miles to the turnaround went smoothly. I ate some snacks, reloaded the 3 water bottles I finished on the way in and turned back.
I saw a few more 'gators on the way out, and I was only fast enough to get a picture of one. Look closely, you can barely see the eyes.
Even though I had the wind behind me on the way out, I was pretty spent after the ride in. Some stretches would go smoothly, others not so much. The riding in Everglades National Park is pretty great. Flat as I could possibly imagine, and zero stop signs or lights. The only part that wasn't perfect was the road surface. Many miles of chattery paving started to give me a headache. Luckily, there was a 4" wide strip of smooth asphalt on the very edge of the road for most of this. A good way to work on holding a line I suppose.
The end of the park was reached, and then I was back in civilization. Now my worry was those stupid dogs again. This time I outsmarted them. As I got close, I slowed down and waited for the next passing car. Once it passed me, I went into a dead sprint, and tried to tail the truck as closely as I could. It worked! The dogs didn't hear or see me until I was already past most of them. By the time the barked and started running, I was way ahead and they gave up quickly.
Back to the hostel where I enjoyed my final night there. Off to Miami tomorrow.
Day 10 - 95 miles
Trip to date - 465
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