I Love When a Plan Comes Together

I was up at dawn to photograph the 7:28 sunrise over the Atlantic with pelicans flying and a boarder paddling.  At 9:00 we started our 58-mile ride to St. Augustine.  We began with a smoothly paved bike lane heading south with ocean views through residential neighborhoods and state parks.  By only two minutes, we missed the 10:15 ferry across the St. John River and feigned dismay by clawing at the gate while our companions pulled away from the terminal.  But only a half hour later we got the next ferry for the ten minute crossing.  From there, Bob, Larry and I rode together.  The bike lane continued with few interruptions through a commercial strip in eastern Jacksonville.  But further south the traffic diminished and the ocean views resumed, now with a tailwind.  We rode to St. Augustine where we stopped at the Fountain of Youth.  63-year-old, salt-and-pepper bearded Charlie was already there, having gotten his "before" photo taken while drinking therefrom, and waiting for a younger male to put on his jersey for the miraculous "after" photo.  Larry headed for the hotel pool, while Bob and I headed for a DQ lunch two blocks from the hotel.  This is what I imagined Florida biking might be.  We have one more day to learn if this was normal or aberrational.  (No cracks about aberrational bike riders.)