George: Monday, 9OCT’17 – Dauphin Island, AL to Pensacola, FL

It was an outstanding day to ride a bicycle. But it didn’t seem so at 7:00am when the heavens watered the already saturated beachfronts in Dauphin Island. We breakfasted out of the cooler since the island businesses have not awakened as yet from Nate’s arrival two days earlier. The plan was to use the ferry to cross the channel to Ft. Morgan, AL. The ferry phone number had an ambiguous recording that didn’t make us hopeful. 

After breakfast, Sara and I saddled up for the four-mile ride to the ferry dock with Susan in tow. We learned that the ferry was docked in Mobile because of Nate, and it would not be at Dauphin Island for a few days. We loaded the bikes in the car and drove the 2-1/2 hours around Mobile Bay to Ft. Morgan. It was 10:00am when we began the ride from there.

The first 20 miles was rather peaceful riding the only road between Ft. M. and Gulf Shores. The road and surrounding area had a significant amount of standing water. From there we used SR 182 for 10 miles to the AL-FL border where the highway changed names (Florida SR 292). Seven miles later we had our second stop for a rest and lunch. We had 19 miles left when we exited the Black Oasis into the sweltering, Florida afternoon sauna. Five miles east on SR292A took us to SR 173. On this leg, a cyclist caught us from behind. A stout fellow in his mid fifties, he moved the bike efficiently down the road. He was the same rider that we saw out on SR 182 about twenty miles back, but moving west against our own direction. I asked him how far he was going and he said, “About 1000 more feet.” He asked me the same question to which I replied, “St. Augustine, but we started in San Diego.” He asked a few quick questions before he pulled off to the right into a gated community.

Shortly after leaving our cycling friend, we turned north on SR 173 with 12 miles to go. Lucky for us the wind was from the south at about 20 mph, scooting us down the road at 17-18 mph. Unlucky for us, we had a 3-foot berm and a continuous stream of 45 mph traffic the entire distance.

Today we entered our last state, Florida. We have six more days of riding before we reach the Atlantic Ocean.  Each day but the third is a 70+ miler. Will we take a rest day? Stay tuned.     

Taking off from a soggy Fort Morgan

Flooded roads between Fort Morgan and Gulf Shores

SR 182 just before the AL-FL border