Day Six
My night at Stephen Foster Folk Culture Center State Park passed quietly. In spite of the tent site being gravel, sleeping on the ground was surprisingly not too uncomfortable without anything more than my sleeping bag and a single layer of the tarp beneath me. The gift shop did not open until 9, so I was in no hurry to get up early.
I rose about 7 and packed away the tarp and sleeping bag and got the bike ready for the day. I had been having some noise from the non-functional tachometer, so I removed the inner cable to quiet it, checked the oil, and got everything ready for departure as soon as I was done at the gift shop. While I waited I wrote the Day Five blog entry and after my meeting I posted it using the gift shop's Wi-Fi connection.
It was about 9:30 when I rolled south out of White Springs. Just around the corner from the State Park I spied a structure that looked like maybe a replica of the Globe Theatre so I spun around to take a look. It turns out that white springs back in the late 1800s was known for its springs and was a mecca for those seeking its healing waters. The structure I saw was built around the spring for those visitors.
The Sulphur White Springs Building
US 41 took me out of White Springs and in Lake City I once again caught US 441 which took me under I-75 and all the way south to High Springs, where I took the fork following US 41/27. I followed that under clear skies and on empty roads until Williston where I continued south on US 41 while US 27 headed south-southeast. US 27 goes right into Lake Wales, but it passes through Gainesville and Ocala first which are stop and go stretches with numerous stoplights.
Where I caught 41, I parked in a shady spot at a restaurant and ate lunch. After eating I went out to the bike and started adjusting the synch on the carbs wich I had noticed earlier had gotten way off, the right throttle moving long before the left. As I got to synching the bike I saw that both throttle screws were completely loose. I removed the tanks back mount and lifted it up, wedging my electrical tester under the front so I could get my hand in to adjust the carbs.I had also been hearing a lot of clatter from the motor and decided it was the cam chain adjuster needing adjustment, but decided it could wait until I got home. After a half hour or so of messing with the bike I hit the road again.
US 41 took me to Floral City where I turned left onto CR48 to Bevilles Corner. Here I headed south past Webster to US 50 east. 50 took me to Gorveland and US 33 south. 33 rolled straight through the Green Swamp and to Polk City where I turned south on what would become Berkely Road in Auburndale. I was almost home and I took various local backroads until I arrived back in Lake Wales about 4:30.
The day's ride was 222.9 miles. The day before was 487.6 miles. The riding in the mountains (days two through four) was 320.5 miles in total. The ride up on day one was 586.2 miles. That puts total mileage for the entire trip at 1617.2. Fuel consumption averaged 54 mpg, with a high of 60 mpg and a low of 50 mpg. (I didn't figure mileage and fuel consumption while in the mountains.)
I am tired with an unbelievably sore butt, but happy. I loved Maggies Valley and the Blue Ridge Mountains, and I will be back.
Cheers,
Road Dog
