I must be really stoked for this trip. I set my alarm for 5:30 am, but I popped awake at 4. I looked at Facebook for a few minutes, then got myself going. I had breakfast, packed the bike, and was on the road just before 6 am.

I put my rain suit on from the start. It rained off and on all day. At first there was just heavy mist. At times it was light rain, but there was never any heavy rain, thank goodness.

It’s not easy to write about travel days. I see things along the way that are interesting, but usually nothing to write about. I did see a woman bump her mini van into a work truck in front of her. There was no damage, but we had to wait for the two drivers to agree.

I have traveled Route 19 in Florida many times. Today I decided to observe the trees that line the highway. There are live oaks, palms, and other species I don’t recognize. The ground is covered with palmettos and bushes. Most of the tress are draped with vines. As a result of all this vegetation, you can’t see into the woods. There’s just a wall of green on both sides.

As I made my way north, the temperature dropped. I was getting chilly, so I stopped at a rest area to put on my jacket liner. I happened to park my bike in line with a huge, red auto carrier. While they were brothers in color, the truck dwarfed the bike.

I stopped for lunch at the Alabama welcome center on US-231. This was Stop 2 on the Plane Crazy Iron Butt ride. I got a picture of my bike and the Huey.

The rest of the day was spent just riding. I made it to the hotel in Bessemer, AL by 3:30 and covered 550 miles. My friend, Richard from North Carolina will be joining me soon. Tomorrow we’ll pound the super slab and end up near Dallas.