Gulf Shores, Alabama (Pop. 15,218)

Last night's storm passed by with just a little thunder and rain. Sorry for all those north of us in its path.

I headed out this morning just before 7:30. I really enjoy leaving earlier, as I have more energy, and mentally, it just feels better. I crossed the bridge that took me into Pensacola and then turned west for the rest of the day. Getting through the city was fine, though I had to cross several three-lane highways. Luckily, it was early Sunday morning, and the traffic was very light. Before long, I was out of the city and passing through small towns and villages. In reality, I never hit the countryside, as this section is mostly beach, both to the north and the south. We are fully immersed in the Gulf of Mexico region. As you can imagine, there is waterfront construction everywhere—though on the Gulf side, less so, because much of it is public beach access. Some areas were a bit run down, but others were quite swanky.

This morning, before leaving, I noticed my tire was flat. I had been having some issues with the valve and assumed it might be the same problem. So, I pumped up the tire and headed out. About 15 miles in, I felt the back tire getting squishy, so I stopped to check it out. Sure enough, it was going flat. I pumped it up again and figured it would be easier to refill it every 15 miles than to change the tube. However, about 5 miles later, it was squishy again, so I stopped to fix the problem. I pulled off the tire and found a small staple sticking through it. I pulled out my handy dandy multi-tool, removed the staple, patched the tube, and ate lunch. I was on a bike path off the road, so I had all the room I needed.

By now, I was halfway through the day, but the wind was picking up, turning it into more of a grind as the miles clicked by. These are the times when I set short-term goals—like making it 5 more miles before stopping for a drink. I need those little milestones to push through the tougher stretches.

I was about 8 miles out when I was directed off the main road and onto a paved trail through some wooded sections. It was peaceful and winding. It certainly wasn’t the shortest route to my destination, but I enjoyed the ride and was glad for the break from the wind.

I arrived at our PLUM, and Dana was waiting for me. She quickly informed me that there was an ice cream shop and a beignet shop nearby. I cleaned up, and she headed out with her bike to ride the trail. She returned 22 miles later. After she cleaned up, we went to get ice cream, promising ourselves that tomorrow morning we’d start the day with some beignets. Sometimes waking up is not hard to do.

After a dinner of chicken and mashed potatoes, we are settling down and hoping for a peaceful night.

Tomorrow, we have about 21 miles to a ferry that will take us from the tip of this strip of land to Dauphin Island. From there, we will cross onto the mainland via another quite lengthy bridge. The ferry leaves every hour and a half, so we’ll see when we disembark and how much farther we can get for the day.

I crossed the 500 mile mark today.

"Peace, love, and understanding" is our motto—and hopefully our way of life. Be well and keep doing good.Weiterlesen