Left key west this morning around ten, once again it was a great drive out of the keys. Saw things I missed driving the other way the first time. Got on the florida turnpike at its start and stayed on it most of the day. Total tolls were about $15 but worth it to bypass most of the traffic. Only place the turnpike had traffic was the Orlando area. Was kinda of boring in terms of scenery.
Hit a thunder storm around 3, so I pulled over and took shelter under a bridge with a few other riders. A group heading to North Carolina pulled over briefly to put on rain gear and kept going. I waited it out until the rain stopped while having a snack. About 40 minutes later I put on my rain gear even though the rain had stopped in case it started up again. That was a mistake. It was complete sunny for the next 100 miles, so I was just hot and sweaty in gear that doesn't breathe. Pulled over to remove rain gear, pulled over to get gas, pulled over to get food, pulled over to go to the bathroom. Should have combined those stops into one. Back on the road, and sure enough after about 60 miles I hit another thunderstorm. This time I had already stowed my pockets contents in my bag, and had my backpack in plastic so I just kept going. I knew the weather was heading east, and I west, so it passed quickly. Still, my jeans and front were soaked to the bone. Ironically, because I was so hot from wearing the rain gear when it wasn't needed, the down pour was actually a relief. I went from too hot, to too wet, to dry again in all of about an hour.
The service stations on the turnpike have these car spray things to was your windshield with. You pull your car up next to it and the hose at the side of the lay-by comes on. I haven't been able to figure out if they were just water or water with an additive of some sort. I wanted to pull under one to cool of but wasn't sure. Aside: Kitchen chicken has good chicken sandwiches.
Got off the turn pike north of Gainesville to head west, which will be my new prevailing direction for the next week. I was hoping to make it as far as pensacola for the night, but with all the poorly planned stops for rain and such I only made it as far as a Perry. Its a small town south of Tallahasse. Passed a large prison, and jail house on the way in, reminding me how many more convicts the US has. Stopped at grocery store to get 2 bananas, 2 apples, a bottle of milk, oatmeal (motel has microwave and bar fridge in room) and 1L bottle of infused water for breakfast tomorrow. Bought a small can of Pringles for good measure just so the cashier wouldn't think I am some sort of health nut, as everyone else in the store was overweight and I already don't blend in.
All in all, I still covered just shy of a 1000 kilometers today. Tomorrow, probably New Orleans.