Day 203 Feb 17, 2017 Orange Beach to Daphne, AL

All good times must come to an end. After delaying over breakfast, we bid good bye to Al and Pat, our friends from Grand Rapids, who had hosted us in their condo for the last three days. We hope to see more of them when we are back in MI.



Cool, mostly overcast ride today, with a few wrinkles. Our route for the day: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/18993625

The trails in Gulf State Park are well kept, paved, and beautiful. A great resource, and judging by the number of people we met on the trial, well used.

 
Marks the entrance to the trail off of AL-161


Here, gator, gator, gator.


Lots of benches along the trail.



We initially missed our right hand turn at mile 4.2, probably because it was blocked by a six foot high, chain link gate. Google maps sometimes does make mistakes. With the help of some other cyclists, we eventually found our way to our first climb of the day, the Foley Beach Parkway bridge.

 
 Yep, needed granny gear.

View from the top






Also a toll bridge; $3.50 for the bike and trailer.


The route was pretty flat after we got over the bridge. We did run afoul of another of Google's foibles at mile 11.2. (We added 2.4 miles getting lost on the trail. The mileage figures quoted are from the Ride with GPS map link above.) Our right hand turn is just before the red SUV.



Yep, dirt/sand road.




We did not fall, but it was close.

 Approaching Foley, AL (not the catheter).


 These things are everywhere


 Great live oak.

The 20 mile stretch on US-98 from Foley to Barnwell gave us some rolling 2% ups and downs. We also spotted some trees planted in rows. Couldn't figure out what and why.



The answer.



In Barnwell we changed to alt US-98, and after a nice descent, turned north onto seven newly paved miles of flat road. With a 0 to 2 mph tail wind we pedaled along at 14-15 mph, anticipating lunch at the Two Sister's Bakery and Deli.

Peeks at the bay through the trees.






Lunch.





After lunch, the day's climbing began.






We did pass a nice butterfly sanctuary.










At last. The last down hill, which gave us nice nice coast into our motel.



Ran long on this, sorry, but it was a fun day with lots to see. Tomorrow and the next day we plan on Uber'ing into Mobile for Mardi Gras. We will be riding again on 2/20.

Day 201 Feb 14, 2017 Pensacola, FL to Orange Beach, AL

This mural was just finished in January, 2017. It depicts the history of Pensacola, FL.

While in Pensacola, we took a Pub Tour, long on pub a bit short on tour. We were joined by a group of eighteen cousins ranging from the 55 yrs. old birthday boy to several in their 20s. It was a happy group and we had a good time.

We began at 5 1/2, a cocktail bar. It was separated from the beer bar next door with a curtain. If you wanted a beer you had to go next door. Next, we went to a piano bar, and from there an historical bar that has been in continual use for 100 plus years. Between bars we walked by and heard about historical buildings in the downtown area. It turns out Pensacola was originally, but unsuccessfully, colonized 30 years before St Augustine (the first colonized city in the USA).

The Spanish, according to our guide, sent 1,500 people to the new world who landed in what is now called Pensacola (named after the indigenous people in the area). Early on, they were hit by a hurricane which killed off more than half of the settlers. A year later they were down to 300. At that point, the Crown decided to abandon the settlement. 137 yrs later, the Spanish tried again in the same spot. This time a hurricane hit them as they neared shore, four of their ships were sunk in the bay and the rest of the settlers died of disease etc. Not being ones to give up on a bad plan, the Spanish tried again. This time they settled on the barrier island outside of Pensacola. They were hit by a hurricane and died. Sigh, some folks never learn.

Our trip into Orange Beach was only 24 miles long with sunny skies and warm breezes. We were headed to our friends, Mac and Pat in Orange Beach, AL. We'll be in Orange Beach for three days and then we head to Mobile for Mardi Gras!

.

John and I were wondering if this was military land since, it was not only higher than normal but topped by barbed wire.
Then we saw the sign that said, "Government property, keep out"

..and then the red warning above. Yike, I don't think I'll test it

We see this plastic lining many roads.
It appears to be sunk into the soil. If you know why the road commission does it, let us know. 

State number 17!

John and Mac on Orange Beach.

Beautiful sunset over Orange Beach. 

Day 201 Feb 11, 2017. Milton to Pensacola, FL

Just 21.6 miles to ride today, but every day should start with a good breakfast.


Pecan waffles at The Waffle House. According to Anthony Bourdain, one of the finest finest meals to be found for breakfast anywhere. Don't bother to look for it in Michigan; the closest one is in Indiana.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Waffle_House

Today's route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/18950163

Turns out we needed the energy, as we faced a significant headwind. The wind blew all day, and we were only able to get some relief from it once we got off US-90 onto FL-291 in the outskirts of Pensacola. Buildings do tend to block wind.


Yep, wind


Leaving Milton on US-90


Views while crossing the causeway over the Simpson and Escambia Rivers






I-10 in the distance.










At last, we were about to find some shelter from the wind. All we had to do is work our way across three lanes of heavy traffic.




Working our way into Pensacola.

We got to our motel at about noon, too early to check in. We solved that problem with our usual resourcefulness.



Fountain/sculpture at our motel.



We plan to spend three nights here before heading to Alabama.

Day 200! Feb 10, 2017. Mossy Head to Milton, FL

After 3 days of riding into the wind and over hills, we were prepared to take a rest day in Mossy Head but, much to our surprise, we ended Thursday'a ride feeling good and decided to move on.

A tail-wind was more than welcome.

We've been riding next to this
rail-line for two days. No trains have
gone by, much to John's chagrin.
Then we hear them all night long!

And what a day it was.  Dawning sunny and cool, within 2 hours the temperature had risen to the the mid-sixties. Best of all, we had  a tail-wind! Many cyclists call wind, the hill you cannot see, and that is how it feels. Add real hills and the days get long. Today we sailed along, averaging 13.5 miles an hour.

Once again, our route was straight forward. Turn left onto Rt 90 , ride for 45 miles and stop at the Regency Inn and Suites. We made such good time that we had to stop for lunch before we could check into the hotel.

Tomorrow we head to Pensacola and a three day rest! Woo Hoo!

The Walkin Lawson trail. was suggested as a way to get off

of Rt 90 but 3 miles of brick path didn't appeal to us. 

The trail is named after Senator Lawson who walked the length

and breath of his district to meet his constituency.  

Day 199 Feb 9, 2017. Chipley to Mossy Head, FL

We were both a bit worried by today's ride. It wasn't the distance, or the climbing, it was the wind. The forecast was for 16-18 mph winds out of the ENE, clocking to N. Hell of a quartering headwind to cross wind. Today's route: https://ridewithgps.com/routes/18840330

 As you can see, nothing complicated about the route. Basically ride 2.5 miles north from the motel, turn left on US-90 and ride 50 miles, turn left into motel.

We had a good ride. Sometimes the wind almost blew us over with gusts, but most of the time we were protected by the pine forests that grew up next to the road.


My protectors.

Most times the road was pretty open, but we occasionally had some traffic.


About 18 miles into the ride, we went through Caryville. Population about 220.


As we left Caryville, we crossed the Choctawhatchee River, and notched a railway bridge paralleling us.



Does anyone know what the things sticking up from the western span are?

Sometimes, a sign can say it all.



Yep.

Our ride went so well that we arrived at our hotel too early to check in. So we left the bike at the hotel, and walked across the street and had a Coke.


Tomorrow we ride 45 miles to Milton, FL.

Goodnight.

Day 198 Feb 8, 2017. Snead to Chipley, FL

Traveling the way we do, I end up leaving a lot of motel reviews. Most are complementary, some have criticisms of issues that cannot be overlooked. Today looking at the review space I was torn. On one hand, the front desk person offered to pick up pizza for us since it was raining and she knew we had no car, on the other, we had no towels in the room (a fact I discovered after showering) and the hotel did not even offer coffee in the morning. No. Coffee. None. Not even the nearly undrinkable stuff that you make yourself. Normally, it's not a big deal, but Chipley has no restaurants open in the AM for 20 miles. 

On an episode of Parts Unknown, Anthony Bourdain's guest
waxed poetic about the Waffle House's Pecan Waffle and its
Patty Melt. Since we had already tried the Pecan Waffle and
found it to be delicious, it was only fair that we try the
Patty Melt too.

We had decided we should leave as early as possible, because the forecast called for possible rain storms in the afternoon, but more importantly, a headwind that would begin as a light breeze and build to a real challenge as the day wore on. Thus, we found ourselves outside a Piggly Wiggly eating Lunchables at 8:30 AM. Twenty odd miles later, we were both hungry and decided to stop at a Waffle House for a Patty Melt. Waffle House's Patty Melt is a 900 calorie, artery clogging trip to heaven. I added a cup of black coffee and my day became decidedly better.

Google insisted the last 15 mile would be "mostly flat". They lied.

With only 20 miles left, we headed out on Rt 90 and headed to the Days Inn in Chipley. As predicted, we had to battle wind, but once again we made it in before the rain fell.

Tomorrow, we go to Mossy Head, another middle of no where town in the Florida Panhandle. It is supposed to be flatter which will be welcomed, but with a strong headwind, which will not.