Good to See an "Old" Friend

It was a treat for me today to have a visit from my good friend Penny.  She lives in Orlando and made the drive over first thing this morning to meet us at the hotel and then travel along with us all day.  We went for lunch in Port Orange and had a nice visit before she had to head back home.  She even got to help change a flat tire! (not mine).  Thanks Penny.  

We had to ride about 4 miles before we got back to the river, then enjoyed a lovely 10 km ride along Indian River Drive.  

It is so nice to see the live oaks and spanish moss that was so prevalent at the end of our Southern Tier ride.  Also - the road kill is starting to pick up.  Today - armadillo, turtle, possum, turkey vulture, and many unidentified decaying lumps.  

We spent quite a bit of time on US 1 highway - a 4 lane divided road.  But - traffic was pretty mild (being Saturday) and the shoulders were quite good, often with a designated bike lane.  We passed through a number of small towns, but also started to see some hints of agriculture.  Farm supply stores, cows, horses and goats.  

Our first SAG stop was in Titusville.  Just before reaching that point we passed the turnoff to the Kennedy Space Centre and the Astronaut Hall of Fame.  I would have loved to have visited, but alas not on the schedule.  From our SAG stop we could see the launch facilities at Cape Canaveral.  

After some more mileage on US 1 we turned onto a beautiful 10km stretch on Riverside Drive.  Again - river on the right and beautiful homes on the left.  Lovely landscaping and lots of trees.  It was also  a happenin' wildlife spot.  I saw dolphins jumping in the water and then two herons flying low over the water, followed by two pelicans.  On our final stretch into town I saw this fellow walking down the sidewalk.  

Stats for the day:  110 km.  We had a bit of a tailwind, which made for a relatively easy and enjoyable ride.  GPS says I burned less than 1000 calories :(.  Maybe I didn't need snacks, lunch and dinner.  I haven't been hungry since we set out.  Hmmm  -  trying not to gain weight this time around.  Not sure that's working out so well.  Imperceptible elevation (other than a few bridges).  Temperature ranged from 22C to 36C + a bit of humidity.  Drinking lots and lots and lots of water.