Day 8-11: R&R in Gulf Shores

Well, stage 1 is officially complete.  St. Augustine to Gulf Shores, Alabama.  After getting breakfast with Jeb (pic below) our host from the night before we rode the last 36 miles into Gulf Shores, Alabama (checking off the first state of many on my list) to meet my mom and sister for a few days or rest and relaxation.

Just a few numbers for you.... We rode a total of 528 miles in 6 full days of riding and 2 half days which comes out to 75.4 miles per day and we averaged 13 mph throughout this section.  Not too shabby if I do say so myself.  

Today marks our first true day off where we don't get on the bikes at all.  Although we did pick up a few needed supplies for the journey going forward today at Infinity Bike Shop here in Gulf Shores...I picked up a new hand pump to replace my broken one, got a CO2 Cartridge Pump as a backup, and also got some dog repellent for my ride in Mississippi and Louisiana which I was told was a necessity by a fellow Southern Tier traveller who had just come through those states.  

I'll be using these days today, Saturday and Sunday to recharge (although my body feels exceptionally well after the first 8 days of riding, minus the sunburn on the legs) for the next stage which will take me from Gulf Shores to Austin, Texas where I will take another 2 days off before heading out through the rest of Texas towards San Diego...

Thanks for all of the support and I will be back to the blog posts by Monday after I get back on the road.