Day 42, Palatka to Anastasia State Park, 47 miles

3052 miles! 42 days on the road! Eight states! We actually did it by just pedaling our bikes. It was an adventure of seeing backroad America and meeting so many helpful and kind folks.

For the last time the rooster alarm went off and for the first time Ruth got out of bed before Mary Jo. After seeing the beginning of the sailboat race on the St. Johns River, we started off for the last time.

We helped another turtle across the road and helped some workers pick cucumbers. Later this summer, the workers will be in northern Ohio picking cucumbers.

It was becoming hot and the wind was coming from the east. We approached St. Augustine and passed the park where Mary Jo ended her East Coast Ride nearly five years ago.

We went over The Bridge of Lions to Anastasia Island. With our excitement and maybe a few tears in our eyes we almost missed the entrance into the state park. We quickly turned around and there were Don and Bill with a congratulatory banner. Now we were crying.

We cycled down the park road to the beach, pushed our bikes through the sand, and reached the ATLANTIC OCEAN! The front wheels were bathed by the surf.

After setting the bikes down we ran into the cool, refreshing waves. We did it, we found the Atlantic Ocean.

Mary and George, who we have been sharing the road with these last few days, appeared to congratulate us. Next year they are planning to do a transamerica crossing.

The guys had done their usual and brought a picinic lunch to us. I don't have to tell you where the sandwiches were from. Then four champagne glasses appeared with a bottle of champagne.

Two beautiful trophies appeared; Ruth had a red bike on her trophy and Mary Jo had a blue bike. (Thank-you Evelyn.) We ate the best picnic lunch ever!

We arrived at the Super 8 motel with another congratulatoy message.

Tonight we eat a healthful dinner, hopefully no fried food. Tomorrow we head back to Cincinnati and we will try to remember how to live a normal life.

When we return to Cincinnati, we will do one more blog.

"It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end." - Ursula K. LeGuin