Day 36, Dauphin Island to Milton, Florida, 85 miles

We found it! We found Florida!

This morning along with Bubba's group we took the ferry from Dauphin Island to Fort Morgan. The winds were calm. Yesterday the ferry stopped running because of the high winds.

After passing Ft.Morgan we cycled along a peninsula where on the left we saw the Mobile Bay and on the right the Gulf of Mexico.

We took a bike trail into Gulf Shores and soon entered Florida - Finally - The end is in sight! But, we are not finished yet; we still have the long length of the Florida Panhandle.

With the wind at our backs we easily pedaled into Pensacola. Homes and condos lined the Bayfront Parkway.

We stopped for lunch at a sandwich shop in a park and the next customer in line was a strange bird.

In the afternoon, we followed a scenic highway with beautiful views of the Escambia Bay.

We continued following Route 90 into Milton. With our recovery day yesterday and the winds at our back, it was an easy ride. We are hoping the next six days will go as well.

Thank-you for all your comments and encouragement. We are excited that this blog has enticed Bill's Aunt Marion to discover the Internet!

Mary Jo and Ruth

Gatorade, our drink of choice, was named for the University of Florida Gators where the drink was first developed.

Day 35 Rest Day on Dauphin Island

A relaxing day with a slight breeze!

Day 34, Van Cleave to Dauphin Island, Alabama, 62 miles

The only time my knees have hurt on this trip was last night as I curled in the fetal position trying despertely to stay warm in our tent. Ruth's knees are fine but she claims that she only slept for twenty minutes. We did hear the bull frogs croaking throughout the night. We were not prepared for sleeping in the cool night air because Don and Bill took our clothes for warmth back to Cincy.However we were truly grateful for the shelter and paid our fair share.

We ate a bagel, said good-bye to Bubba (below), his crew, and the other cyclists before breakfast was served.

The early morning ride took us through beautiful cyprus swamps.

After riding fifteen miles we stopped at a Waffle House for eggs, potatoes, and waffles but no grits.

When we left the Waffle House the skies were becoming cloudy and the winds were picking up. We shortly entered Alabama and had our picture taken by another cyclist.

Shortly up the road there was a shortcut of smooth hardpacked oiled dirt. The six mile shortcut was recommended by our maps and this time the shortcut worked. We continued cycling hard but the wind was picking up and naturally it was in our face.

We entered the marsh land of the Mobile Bay area and exhausted we finally reached the causeway and high bridge that would take us to Dauphin Island. Bubba and his staff were at the entrance to the causeway warning their cyclists that the winds were fierce and advising the cyclists not to cross the bridge. He was loading the bikes into a trailor and carrying the cyclists in a van across the bridge.

Even though some of the cyclists did ride across the bridge we took advantage of the offer. We are especially vulnerable with the wind because of our bags.

We were dropped off at the campsite and rode our bikes two miles back to our motel. This is the view of the Mississippi Sound from our terrace.

We arrived with thunder rumbling in the distance. We are now waiting for the storm to stop so we can eat dinner at a nearby restaurant. Tomorrow is a rest day. On Sunday we will take a ferry to the mainland and enter Florida!

"We had a tailwind all day! We've just been going the wrong direction." - Janice of Salt Lake City, a member of Bubba's group

Day 33,Poplarville to Vancleave, 75 miles

The Gods are looking after us. We started cycling before seven - the early morning is cool and quiet. We had a little fog but the road we were on had no traffic. In the morning we always have our blinking lights on and wear our reflective clothing.

Around nine we were approaching Perkinston. Jim arrived and informed us that the route does not go through the town. The closest Subway was at least three miles away. Perkinson was the only place to purchase food on the route. Jim had told us about a service station on the busy State Route 49.

We carried our bikes over the RR tracks to the service station and found packaged sandwiches and chex mix for our lunch.

We continued cycling through the forest when a truck approached us and asked if we needed water, food, air for our tires, or tubes. It was Bubba!

We chatted with him for a while and when he found out that we were staying at a certain campground(there are no motels in the area,) he exclaimed that the place we had chosen to rent a cabin is a dangerous place and the owners would probably be in a methane daze!" Bubba invited us to spend the night with his group at the White Sands Campground located on a beautiful river site.

Bubba is a retired policeman from St. Louis. He saw a need of providing tents and air mattresses for cyclists on organized camping trips. This is his first cross country trip and he is supporting fifteen riders. Bubba's Pampered Pedalers-BIKERBUBBA@AOL.COM

We have been treated royally by Bubba and his staff and the other cyclists. We have a large tent with two thick air matresses and two sleeping bags. The showers are luxurious for a campground. And the most wonderful thing is that we do not have to go out and scavege for food tonight. We are having spaghetti tonight and we will have breakfast tomorrow morning and then head off for Dauphin Island. We have reservations for a motel tomorrow night. Bubba's group will be camping on the island.

"the traveler sees what he sees. The tourist sees what he has come to see .". G. k. Chesterson.

Day 32, Franklinton to Poplarville, Mississippi 55 miles

We have been yearning for a bountiful breakfast and finally there was a McDonalds in town and we ordered the big breakfast - eggs, sausage, hash browns, pancakes, and orange juice. Well nourished we started cycling shortly after seven.

After the town of Bogalusa, we crossed the Pearl River and entered Mississippi!

The remainder of the route was spent on very back roads. There were pine forests, bogs, and pastures for cattle and horses.

One horse was brave enough to try one of our healthy odwalla bars which he spit out. Apparently he thought the bar was just as tasteless as we had discoverd. ( Which one of the ladies do you think had a horse as a child?!!)

By noon we had reached Poplarville and had lunch at the Pearl River Community College - fried chicken that was plump and tasty.

The students came up and talked to us. Some of the students live on campus and after two years they can transfer their credits to the University of Mississippi. ( we asked them to clown for the picture.)

We spent the afternoon exploring Poplarville- an art studio, a secondhand book store, and a drug store with a with a soda fountain in the back of the store where we relished two chocolate ice cream sodas.

For dinner, we decided on a repeat performance at the college  cafeteria, since we are tired of all the usual fare. Once again, it  was tasty and economical at only five dollars. The staff there was extremely kind and interested in our trip.   People have been so very  nice

Tomorrow, off to Van Cleave, where we will be seeing Bubba and his  group again, we hear. That should be lively!

"And what's the reason?" Asked by a young man when hearing about our trip.