Gainesville Rock City

We pulled into town at 11pm on the 31st and went to the first bar we saw, The Top on Main Street. That night we found a sweet campsite on the University of Florida's campus on Museum Road, between the old Natural History Museum and some parking lot. On the 1st we got up late and went to a used bookstore with a cafe. I got rice, black eyed peas and collards soup, commonly known as Hoppin' John down here. It's a southern tradition to eat this soup on New Year's Day, brings good luck. After dropping off the rental car at the airport we biked back into town in search of a cafe or bar. Everything was closed, or so it seemed. As we were giving up and heading back to our UF campsite we saw Durty Nelly's Irish Pub. Sweet! And that spelling's right.

The barkeep allowed us to bring our loaded bikes inside and we bellied up to the bar for "crappy hour", as bartender Rich lovingly called it. We found ourselves drinking Sierra Nevada Pale Ales for the next six hours or so and chatting with an array of locals. Rich told us about Tallahassee and his travels with his lady to New Zealand and how on returning to the States he realized how in your face US advertising in with billboards and all. I also chatted with another guy originally from Panama City, Florida who is planning to hike the Appalachian Trail this spring. I told him about my hike on the AT and wished him luck. A UF professor, Louise, bought us a round of drinks and Shira took a nap on the stage while I ordered and ate some pizza. I found her before I finished the whole thing and woke her up. Jason told us BMX stunt stories and explained his ideas for a Radical Rick movie before getting kicked out for being a crazy BMXer who spills beer on people.

On a suggestion from Rich we went to Jeff's Deli in northwest Gainesville for breakfast the next morning. Good bagels with NYC yiddish humor thrown in the mix. Down the street from the deli was Bikes & More bike shop, a cool little shop we happened across. Inside we found Elli and John (I think that was his name!) and spent some time hanging out while my bike got looked over. The shop owner builds his own track frames called Villin Bikes. Beautiful frames, pictures to come I hope. After spending about an hour in the shop we were leaving as Elli offered the use of her shower and stove at her house. Awesome.

Before going to Elli's we stopped by the Florida Museum of Natural History. Northwest Florida is full of caves and sink hole formed from the dissolving of the limestone base of the land. Mammoths and Mastodons used to roam around way back in the day. Even remains of huge sharks, now extinct, have been found in the Saint John's River. The Devil's Millhopper and River Rise and Sink are examples of Florida sinkholes. The Santa Fe River travels underground for 3 miles between River Sink and River Rise. Crazy.

That night we ended up sleeping at Elli's house with black cat Inky and golden retriever Buddy. We were very grateful to have a nice couch to relax on and a roof over us, because it poured early the next morning.

All in all, Gainesville completely reminded me of Allston, Mass. I even met a guy who had been at the Silhoutte in Allston a couple days before. Yeah.

Just like James I'm drinkin' Irish tonight!