Day 6, Sebastian Inlet Marina - Jonathan Dickinson
Sebastian Inlet Marina - Jonathan Dickinson State Park: terrorized by a racoon
Thursday February 5, 2015, 65 miles (105 km) - Total so far: 303 miles (488 km)
That's right. After finishing up my blog post I returned to my tent to
find the zipper had come apart. Wow. Didn't expect a zipper fail. Things
were fine when I left it. I'd gotten to the campsite pretty wasted and
just threw everything into the tent to relax on the screened patio and
watch the sunset. About 7 miles from the inlet I'd stopped at a Subway
and gotten a sandwich to go. I was looking forward to eating that
sandwich back at my tent.So I found a gap in my zipper. I worked it
back on track and crawled in, zipped up and--where was my Subway
sandwich? I felt totally violated. All that night I heard the racoon
skittering around the campsite. I was totally freaked out he would break
in again.
The next day I told the ranger what happened and with a note of pride in his voice he said, I told you he was smart. Then as if talking about a native son, he added, he was raised around here.
The day was filled with several stress factors. One was the bridge out was going to close. No one knew when, so I was up and out early. Also I had to pack up in the rain. It was supposed to clear up, but turn extremely windy. So I tried to hurry.
I got in 40 miles by lunch.
I was on track to make it to Jonathan Dickinson by 4:30. I passed under a beautiful canopy of banyan trees on St. Lucie Rd.
Now very tired and there was a big rain cloud following me. I emptied out onto 1 from A1A and there was no shoulder or apparent bike lane, then it started pouring, and the traffic was atrocious. Rush hour. I ventured onto 1 and risked my life. Eventually there was a bike lane, then a bike trail. I was soaking wet when I reached the park entrance. The ranger said they were full.
I told him I wasn't leaving. It was totally dark with the rain and almost 6 pm. I wasn't going out on 1 with measly bike lights.
He eventually found me something. I paid $28.00 for: an RV pad with no shelter from the wind. Nothing. And I wasn't able to drive my tent spikes into the RV pad. So in the wind and rain, with my tent blowing, I dragged it to some bushy grass and put it up there. I was wet and tired. And the rain and wind tried to get in.
But I was safe from raccoons, at least.
The next day I told the ranger what happened and with a note of pride in his voice he said, I told you he was smart. Then as if talking about a native son, he added, he was raised around here.
The day was filled with several stress factors. One was the bridge out was going to close. No one knew when, so I was up and out early. Also I had to pack up in the rain. It was supposed to clear up, but turn extremely windy. So I tried to hurry.
I got in 40 miles by lunch.
 |
| Indian River Road |
 |
| Egret by lunch spot |
 |
| St. Lucie Road |
Now very tired and there was a big rain cloud following me. I emptied out onto 1 from A1A and there was no shoulder or apparent bike lane, then it started pouring, and the traffic was atrocious. Rush hour. I ventured onto 1 and risked my life. Eventually there was a bike lane, then a bike trail. I was soaking wet when I reached the park entrance. The ranger said they were full.
I told him I wasn't leaving. It was totally dark with the rain and almost 6 pm. I wasn't going out on 1 with measly bike lights.
He eventually found me something. I paid $28.00 for: an RV pad with no shelter from the wind. Nothing. And I wasn't able to drive my tent spikes into the RV pad. So in the wind and rain, with my tent blowing, I dragged it to some bushy grass and put it up there. I was wet and tired. And the rain and wind tried to get in.
But I was safe from raccoons, at least.
Comments