Day 45 - Pensacola, FL to Milton, FL

31.5 miles today
2,352.3 total trip miles
11.1 mph average
1,007’ climbing
FF - 2
MP - brother-in-law Mike & family.  He is the youngest of 9 children, but never felt compelled to follow or copy his siblings (except he married the sister of a woman his brother married, but I don’t think that counts).  He has made his own life & career based on what makes him & his family happy - I admire that.  He’s also the biggest hockey fan I know.  He likes to both watch it & play it.

This was an easy day - almost too easy.  A couple of hills leaving Pensacola, but not much mileage.  I kind of took my time, stopped a lot, didn’t pedal hard & still reached our destination by noon.  I kind of wonder why Bubba doesn’t add some miles to today & take them off somewhere else.

The views of the Gulf were also better today.  Yesterday as we went through Gulf Shores there were lots of hotels & resorts that blocked the view, but today everything seemed to open up.

Those of you who have been following me across the country may remember that in Texas it was a big deal to have an entry gate at your ranch to make a statement.  I noticed in Louisiana, Alabama & now sometimes in Florida that they don’t so much have entry gates, but they sometimes put a lot of energy into their mailbox enclosures.

It probably prevents vandals from knocking over the mailbox, but it would never work up north because when the snowplow hit it there would be some real damage (maybe to the snowplow).

Last night for the first time on this trip we stayed overnight at a YMCA.  It was a great facility with lots of warm showers & modern facilities.  I think Bubba should look for more opportunities like that.  The men’s locker room also had a scale, the first one I’ve seen since I left Wisconsin.  One of the topics of discussion among the group has been “Have I lost any weight after biking over 2,000 miles?”  We sure haven’t been watching our diets much.  I think I have eaten more food in the last 7 weeks than I have eaten in the previous 7 months.  So . . .

WDYLT - ILT I have lost a total of 7 pounds so far on this trip.  That means I am going to have to really change my eating habits when it’s over or I might explode.