I left New Orleans with a bit of regret, but it did feel good to get back on the road, and there are things left unseen/undone for my next trip to New Orleans, and trust me, there will be one.
I rode east on I10 through Mississippi into Mobile, AL, and then bailed, choosing US 98 that runs along the Gulf coast. As my trip odometer hit 2,000, the "Welcome to Florida" sign magically appeared. Though I haven't seen the beaches, the sand dunes on the edge of the road are made of sand that's almost sugar-white! Really pretty.
Near Pensacola, I was treated to a practice performance by the Blue Angels!! Totally cool to watch that.
At about the same time, I noticed two other things: 1) my knapsack had come loose due to a broken zipper, which I'd need to fix later, and 2) some extremely dark clouds were building all around and the wind was picking up.
Instead of pushing on to Panama City, and getting soaked unnecessarily, I decided to stop in the great beach town of Destin. It's got loads of stuff to do, so I'm even going to stay on an extra day and look around. The bartender at Hog's Breath Saloon told me where to go and what to do.
So I'm back at the room watching the rest of NASCAR, the knapsack is fixed, and I'm taking it easy. Feels strange staying in. Lin, Charlie, and I have been out every night for a damn week!!
Beach report to be filed tomorrow. I might even ride in shorts!! Hey, there's no helmet law here, so I took a long slow (sorta) ride along the beach remembering the good old days.
Cowboy
