Season 2 Episode 24 (10/17-10/18): Flip a Coin. Amelia Island to St. Augustine to New Smyrna Beach, FL

Season 2 Episode 24 (10/17-10/18): Flip a Coin. Amelia Island to St. Augustine to New Smyrna Beach, FL – 

10/17 Amelia Island to St. Augustine  58 miles and flat. 

Sunrise over the Atlantic bodes well.

Like many days, the whole day was a series of mini-rides, each with its own character. The first 20 miles to a ferry was one ride full of natural, unspoiled and undeveloped, scenic beauty. We rode through Amelia Island State Park and then “the Talbots” - Talbot, Big Talbot Island State Park, and Little Talbot Island. It was like another world from the developed beach area in which we stayed last night. 

Riding off the island over the Nassau River, the old bridge next to us is put to good use as a fishing pier.

Riding through Little Talbot Island State Park.

Waiting for the short 15-minute ferry ride from Fort George Island to Mayport.

After the ferry, we re-entered the developed world and rode through Neptune Beach (cute town) and Jacksonville Beach. It was a mix of older, very plain houses and newly renovated nice homes on the ocean, still all modest compared to what was to come. 

And then we came to a world unto itself - Ponta Vedra Beach, home to the PGA Tour and Players Championship. It’s so obviously wealthy that cycling on a public road we felt like we were cycling for miles through an exclusive country club. The homes lining the ocean on Ponte Vedra Boulevard were large and magnificent. (After a few days of riding south and looking constantly to our left to gaze at the Atlantic or the homes, we both remarked how our necks were sore from doing so.) Most were modern but a few were done in an older style reminding me of Mediterranean palacios. We were undecided whether we prefer the homes with lots of glass such that we could look right through and see the ocean through the other side, or dislike the lack of privacy. The homes on our right, on the creek side or golf course side, were pretty incredible as well. 

The downside to oceanfront home ownership is when a Hurricane erodes the sand and structure beneath your home as this two-story home had done in Vilano Beach.

And the last mini-ride was into urban development and a city. Arrival in St. Augustine was such a contrast to nearly a year ago when we arrived here after 46 days cycling from San Diego. I am still chasing the same Fountain of Youth as Ponce de Leon when he landed here in 1513. But whereas last year I was overcome with emotion on the conclusion of our epic ride, which coincided with the 25th anniversary of my mom’s death, today I felt little emotion. Today I noticed many homeless people sleeping on the street. The town seemed sad to me. I wondered if this was a new problem from a year ago, or I was wrapped up in my own world a year ago and missed seeing it. 

Am I Drinking from the Fountain of Youth or Just Bottled Water?

The highlight in St. Augustine was seeing our young friends Austin and Bryan. They drove an hour from Gainesville to see us and for dinner. We hosted them through WarmShowers on their ride FL to Maine in July 2021 and their family hosted us last Fall on our ride. What an honor for us “old folks” to have our young friends come visit!

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10/18 St. Augustine to New Smyrna Beach, FL. 71 miles and flat. 

About 5 minutes into our ride from our hotel, we turned left in the center of St. Augustine’s onto the Bridge of Lions towards the beach and southwards. And right then it hit! On that bridge I had goosebumps and was overwhelmed with emotion flashing back to our final 30 minutes of riding a year ago. I caught up to Heather (she was stopped as the drawbridge was up) and was thinking she will not believe this, and to my amazement she said the same thing. Both of us were swept back in time to when Alan Brown of the Reeve Foundation greeted us a year ago. I also imagined our finish in Key West in less than two weeks. 

Amazing emotional moment standing on same beach spot as when we rode Pacific to Atlantic last fall. 

So interesting to know what goes into a name. How many of the town’s people know they live in “slaughter”?

Palm Coast and Painters Hill and more large oceanfront homes.

Then we get to nearby Beverly Beach and it's “old-Florida” campers by the beach. It's good to still see access for many.

Quaint Town Hall

Along Flagler Beach, there's nothing built on the left so it's all just beautiful open ocean as we ride south.

Typical Home on the Ocean

Classic older look

Modern

We enjoyed favorable, strong tailwinds coming from the north helping us as we mostly rode south. The challenge was each time we rode east or west on a causeway over the intracoastal, we’d feel it strongly blowing our bikes as our panniers catch the wind. It blew us into the traffic or into the railing, so it took intense focus and a firm grip of the handlebars to stay straight. I also learned slowing down helps. On the other hand, Heather found it to be less of an issue. We wonder if that’s because her bike is steel and weighs 31 pounds and mine is aluminum and 21 pounds. 

Heather felt today was the most relaxing ride of the trip. 

Around Ormond Beach, we could see damage from Hurricane Ian. Some walkways over the river were blown away, while other neighboring ones were perfectly intact. 

We came west from the ocean along a street named “the big tree” (special meaning for our family as Jamie wrote a story called the big “chre” in kindergarten) and had a decision to make. Take US 1 south which is more direct, or follow the ACA and Google recommended longer route on SR 5A, about 3 extra miles. Google has the smartest people in the world working for them. The ACA has hundreds of hours of research and feedback to choose their route. So naturally we decided we knew better and took US 1 South. Sure enough, after a half mile the bike path ends and so we doubted our decision. But then after another half mile it resumed. We were vindicated - this time. These types of navigation decisions come up several times a day. 

We arrived in New Smyrna Beach, south of Daytona Beach and shows Daytona raceway-like beach signs.

Our WarmShowers host Marie was so thoughtful and kind. She is a Professor of Literature, and is a transplanted northerner, who now has the southern hospitality charm. She prepared a wonderful dinner and breakfast for us and drove us around the area to see the charming throwback of a beach town and her favorite sunset spot. Her cozy home was largely spared hurricane damage, yet a mere 200 yards away, the street was full of furnishings and belongings that had been ruined and homes were badly damaged. The randomness of the hurricane seemed to me a bit like the randomness of how disease hits or how an injury leading to paralysis comes about. Flip a coin, it could be you instead of another. 

© Copyright Mark Segal 2022