Day 63 - Hiding from the Snow

Todays mileage: 57
Total mileage: 3,184
End point: Pensacola, FL

Todays rather bizarre blog title will be explained in tomorrows rest day blog posting, which will be short and probably completely unrelated to anything to do with cycling!

Last night I finally got a good nights sleep; exhaustion with a good sea breeze being the key ingredients. I left the state park without paying after being attacked my an army of ants which seemed to be running military operations around my tent, my bag and other random objects. Indeed when I stopped today they were still swiftly moving around my bike and so due suspected bites on my body I have had to apply DEET to my frame - surely this is a first?

I'll keep todays blog brief as I am desperately hungry. This morning I managed to book a hotel in Pensacola using priceline again. I had hoped to get somewhere on a beach but this was a minimum of $100 a night, so I settled for downtown and managed to get the days inn well below published rate and its right next to the bike shop.

I decided to use google maps bicycle today to see if it could plot me an interesting route, I'm more happy to do this when I know I am surrounded by main roads and a wrong turn isn't going to send me into the wilderness of idaho. Most of its route was good, some unpaved and finally it took me onto the 'spanish trail' which I think is the old highway before interstate 10 was built. As alan pointed out earlier, roads ending in 0 are pan-ameican highways, and as I have now figured out they ascend as you go north - at least that's my theory, I wait to be corrected.

After 30 miles or so of cycling, I approached the florida state line with dark clouds in the distance and lightening striking the ground. Thankfully I managed not to get drenched, just some light rain. It seems ages and ages ago that I last saw rain. This cleared the humididty somewhat and lowered the temperature, but lead to a huge amount of mist and steam on the road. Thankfully on the Florida side shoulders seem to return and I think they were even trying to pretend they were bike lanes - see the above photo.

I got into Pensacola, once again the northern part was a bit scrappy but nothing on Mobile's scale. I went passed the prison and saw a huge amount of bail bond agents. I presume these are people who find you $500,000 security whilst you promise your house, grandma and the cat as security. I like Sheila's best of all, sounds very trustworth! I found my way to the bike shop, and the guys in their are great. They have a rim and will be rebuilding my wheel tomorrow, and its going to only be double figures. Tom was especially helpful recommending places for dinner. And with that I must go to dinner, I've just had a massive power nap which I don't usually get to take. Its raining but nothing is going to keep me from my steak.

Oh yes - and I'm in my final state!! But the florida pan-handle is very very long! This is ofcourse assuming I don't nip into Georgia for some day trippin towards the end to get the stats up :)