Wednesday, April 12 - Ft Walton Beach, FL to Chipley, FL

 Ft Walton Beach to Chipley Florida.  Today we left the Gulf area and headed East.  It was our last opportunity (or maybe we are gluttons for punishment) to do 100 miles.  It was either 86 or 100, so not that very much difference.  We rode by Elgin Air Force Base in the morning and there were many airplanes out front with historical significance through the various wars.  I could have spent several hours looking, but we had to get going.  I included just a few below.  Today the terrain was rolling but not too bad, but it was gray with another day of headwinds.  We only have 5 days left and tomorrow is more of the same.

Tuesday, April 11 - Gulf Shores, AL to Fort Walton Beach FL

Gulf Shores, Alabama to Fort Walton Beach, Florida. Today we had a flat profile to ride but as it always happens, we had a very strong headwind. Frankly we have had a headwind since West Texas. The tour director said it has been a weird year. I always have the luck. We came into Florida, our last state crossing, this morning from Alabama. We came into Pensacola soon afterward and then we crossed Pensacola Bay Bridge onto Santa Rosa Island. Another quite tall and long bridge crossing. The island was very pretty with lots of dunes and white sand. We continued to fight the wind until we crossed back over on the Navarre Beach Causeway and then we continued into Fort Walton Beach to our hotel. A quite tiring day, but blackened fish and sweet potato fries did the trick for supper.

Monday, April 10 - Rest Day in Gulf Coast, AL

Today was out last rest day and we spent it by the beach in Gulf Coast, AL.

Sunday, April 9 - Moss Point, MS to Gulf Shores, AL

 Moss Point, Mississippi to Gulf Shores, Alabama. Happy Easter! We crossed into Alabama this morning, and everybody said, “roll tide!” ha! Anyway, it was cold today and windy and overcast and I wanted to “get it done” is what I thought. We made our way onto Dauphin Island after coming over a tall bridge where the wind buffeted us and made us think of how we froze coming across a mountain in El Paso several weeks back. Once across the bridge and surviving we waited in the cold for the ferry to come. Once we got on the boat the water was so rough that most of us waited in our sag van. Some braved the wind and water that showered over the deck. We ate lunch on the other side of the ferry ride. We got warm and then battled the wind biking into Gulf Shores, Alabama. Hopefully tomorrow we will see the beach on our last rest day of the trip. We ate at Acme Oyster House tonight. I had soup!