Simple Plans Aren’t Always Easy

Today’s plan was a simple one. Get to Fort Myers Beach. It was simple because it would be another mostly flat ride and it was only about 65 km (40 miles) away. I pedalled that far by noon yesterday. The only thing that could really make this day challenging would have to come from forces of nature. So, as I was saying, today was a challenging day.

Knowing I had a short ride today, I got started a little later than the past couple of days. When I walked outside shortly after 10:00, I was pleasantly surprised to notice that I wouldn’t be needing my long-sleeve shirt to start my ride. It was already 24 degrees (75F) and I could feel a beautiful warm breeze. The beautiful warm breeze became significantly less beautiful when I realized it was warm because it was coming from the south. And it wasn’t so much a breeze as a full on wind. All of which would be fine if I were heading north. But I wasn’t. It was going to be one of those days.

I finished packing up my gear and loaded my bike before having a nice (but brief) conversation with Barb, my Warm Showers host. Our schedules (both yesterday and today) didn’t leave much time to chat as much as I have with other hosts but I enjoyed my visit and appreciated her offer to host on such short notice.

With the wind at my back, it was a beautiful day for a ride. Sadly, the wind at my back lasted all of about four minutes before I arrived at the trail and turned south. It was still a beautiful day for a ride but I was going to have to work harder than yesterday to get my destination.

Despite the warmth, the first hour of the ride was somewhat unpleasant. The wind was slowing my pace significantly – I even dropped below 20 km/h (12.5 mph) at times. That’s about 30% slower than much of yesterday’s pace. Of course there was nothing I could do about it so I just kept pedalling and reminding myself that it was only a 60 km day.

By the time I reached Fort Myers, the worst was over. I still had another 25 km (15 miles) to go to get to Fort Myers Beach but my heading turned to the southwest which meant the headwind was now more of a crosswind. This made a huge difference. The rest of the ride was pretty enjoyable and even scenic at times. I’ve noticed that I really like the look of a street lined with palm trees and I got to see that in abundance as I arrived in Fort Myers.

After crossing the bridge into Fort Myers, it became obvious that I had to make a bit of a detour. My intended route was blocked by a boat show – there are more than a few boats here! As I was looking for a new route I had a quick chat with a couple of the security guards working the boat show. They were both very interested and impressed with my journey. They even offered me a bottle of water. They also directed me to a parallel route and I was once again on my way. Of course, it wasn’t until after I left that I realized I didn’t get their names. And I should’ve taken a picture. Oh well. I told them about my blog so maybe they’ll say hello in the Guestbook.

My target destination at Fort Myers Beach was the Ebb Tide RV Park which, according to their website, also has tent sites available. It turns out their website isn’t entirely accurate. Or remotely. This fact did not seem to matter to the office manager that I called upon my arrival. The website also failed to mention that the office is closed on Sundays. So, note to all cycle tourists – don’t go to the Ebb Tide RV Park.

A quick search on Google revealed another RV Park just a few minutes away. Their website also indicated the existence of tent sites. I decided to call first. There was good news and bad news. The good news is they did in fact have tent sites. The bad news is that they were $56. I’d say I don’t understand their pricing system but it’s really quite simple. Money. Money. Money. With no options left, I accepted their terms of being personally violated and proceeded to my campsite.

As campsites go, this one is pretty nice. Not $56 nice. But still pretty nice. The campground overlooks water and I actually saw a couple of dolphins swim by. There is also a sign indicating the presence of manatees but I’ve yet to see any.

I’m now sitting in my tent hiding from the tiny little bugs (aka. no-see-ums) that were attempting to devour me while I ate. Somewhat ironic, I guess (in an Alanis Morissette kind of way). Side note: Dinner included a beer courtesy of the campers across the road.

In terms of my plan for tomorrow, well … that’s where things could get interesting. I’m supposed to take the Key West Express ferry from Fort Myers Beach to Key West. However, it’s a passenger ferry and taking a fully loaded bike might cause an issue. I’m actually a little concerned as to whether they’ll let me board their boat. If they don’t, I’m going to need a new plan. One that doesn’t include Key West. How sad.

Today’s totals:
Distance travelled: 66.05 km
Time on bike: 3:10:51
Maximum speed: 28.01 km/h
Average speed: 20.74 km/h