Long ride on Saturday, some through rain. Kind of tired. I’ll update later.
UPDATE: Okay, it’s Sunday afternoon. Now I’ll post the pictures.
Hot and humid this morning. Not as bad as Mississippi or Louisiana. Here, there was at least a little wind.
I guess they avoided calling it “Style” to minimize spurious calls from guys looking for something else.One of many bridges crossed today.This guy was stopped at an intersection, so I pulled up and asked him if he was going long distance. He said yes but didn’t seem interested in further conversation.I stopped at a Dollar General just at the outskirts of Milton. The other cyclist pulled into the lot, also, but when I went out to say hello, he moved about a hundred feet away. I had an Outshine Coconut popsicle, and while I was eating it, tried to figure out what this stone, left on the window of the store, said. The area is Pace / Milton, if that helps. I lingered a while at the store to get back into line, so I could hand the cashiers one of my cards.Just up the road, there was an accident. One car was in the ditch, and one car was smashed on the front right, with men pushing it. There was debris all over the road. I must have just missed it. Had I not lingered at Dollar General, I might have been in it. As I pulled past it, I heard an ambulance coming from behind. The ambulance paused at the accident, but then went on, suggesting to me that no one was seriously hurt.The sky began to darken by degrees. And just when I thought it couldn’t darken any more, it would go one shade darker. This picture was not taken at dusk; it was 3 pm. I knew what was coming, so went to rain protocol.
The rain began to come down hard. It wasn’t uncomfortable, but I was concerned that it might present a visibility problem for cars behind me.
I took shelter at Dollar General in Holt to let the most intense part of the downpour pass. DG only has eaves over the entrance, so my bike was out in the deluge. Multiple customers were pooling up under the eaves, trying to decide whether to make a dash for their cars.
CYCLIST’S TIP: One very nice feature of Dollar General stores is that they have water fountains inside, which are helpful for refilling bottles.
I resumed riding when the rain had reduced to a light shower.
The Crestview Inn was the first motel that I encountered in town. It was listed on the ACA map, so I knew it couldn’t be bad.
The co-owner warned me that it would be expensive for a room on Saturday. $80. That was higher than places in Pensacola, but I felt good that she warned me. Sunday would be only $55. The room was not as newly-remodeled as a chain would be, but it was in good repair, which is more than I could say for the previous place. Wi-fi worked. I’d call this place a far better value at $80 than the $75 one last night.
I’m all showered and changed, and enjoying the seafood gumbo from Wayne’s Catfish. Came with a little rice in it, but a whole lot of crackers, too. Of course, I used them all. Very good soup.This is the rest of my meal, crabcakes and 2 sides. For me, the side vegetables are always better than the main dish.
I found myself nodding off after dinner, so went straight to bed with only a brief blog update. I had already determined that there were a few churches nearby.
