Day 101 – Lakeland, FL > Temple Terrace, FL

The journey continues…

After spending 17 days in Lakeland in the incredibly comfortable and enjoyable home of my Aunt Linda and Uncle Paul it was time to get back on the bicycle under the hot August sun and pedal towards Los Angeles.

The heat index was got up to 103, but I was able to put in 20 miles before having to stop for too cool down and have lunch on the other side of Plant City. I went into a Circle K and asked how much it would cost to fill my water bottles with ice and the nice lady behind the counter said I could do it for free. Once I mixed it with the warm water I was carrying in my trailer, it was the perfect frosty temperature to cool me down. I’m going to try that anytime I’m near an ice dispenser.It was only a 39 mile ride, but with the heat it felt like 150. Only two more week before the heat starts to abate.

Temple Terrace is a small town north of Tampa where I am staying with Randy, my first couch surfing.com host. He actually found me because I sent a request to someone else and there is the option of also listing yourself so others can offer you a place to stay. He mentioned in his offer that my trip was inspiring him to get back on his bicycle again. It’s always nice to hear that I’m inspiring to others 🙂

I got to his place at 4:30 and he was in the middle of preparing two massive slabs of chinook salmon – the kind with the deep red colored flesh. In addition to creamy red potatoes, pasta with marinara, steamed vegetables and french bread. To say I was stuffed would be an understatement. Afterwards he treated me to two flavors of Working Cow ice-cream that was out of this world.

Tomorrow I plant to head into Tampa to see Ybor City. It was the center of cigar manufacturing in the US until the Great Depression and also a place that resisted Jim Crow laws in effect in most other areas of the South. I plan to go into more detail tomorrow after I see it.