Another Day in Pensacola Beach? Maybe, Maybe Not: Nope. On to Orange Beach
Well, today promised warmer and clearer weather, and sure enough, that’s how the day started! Still some wind, but definitely coming out of the right direction, SE and SSE (as if SE or SSE made much difference!). Yesterday, I decided to move on at least halfway to Dauphin Island, my goal for Thursday night. I had thoroughly enjoyed my stay in Pensacola Beach but was concerned about making a 65-mile trek to Fort Morgan and catching a ferry to the island. Not that I haven't ridden well before under deadline, but why do it if not required? So I decided to de-stress myself and leave Pensacola Beach a day early and, as it turned out, knock out 38 miles from tomorrow’s ride. That way, I could enjoy Dauphin Island, arriving on an earlier ferry, and then be able to explore the island a bit. The alternative would be to arrive much later and likely more tired. So that was really an easy decision.
So, after reversing all the instructions for opening up the house, I closed it down and headed out. Originally, I was going to aim for Native Cafe for breakfast. I had lunch there yesterday, and it was OK, but I didn’t see a place to park the bike. Then I noticed there was (yes) a Waffle House in Gulf Breeze, five miles down the road and over the first bridge crossing of the day. Easy decision for me! So off I went. It was a beautiful morning. Sunshine and warmth and a tailwind. What more does a cyclist want?
Well, company! As I was cycling along, this great guy fell in with me for several miles and chatted me up. He was definitely on a faster bike, but it was good to talk about where each of us had been and where we were going. We parted right after the toll plaza for the first major bridge crossing, as I was taking a more leisurely pace than him . . . and wanted pictures to prove it. Nice guy!
Looking north towards Gulf Breeze on what must have been the old crossing . . . now a fishing pier. My crossing is on the left.
Then, onto the bridge. Note there are three women ahead of me, all in civvies and all on upright bikes, also making the crossing. That's a good sign for biking that they felt that comfortable!
As you can see, the crossing has a nice shoulder. And that continued into a bike lane on the far side to the flyover that joins you onto US-98/FL-30 (remember US-98/FL-30?) . . . but then it becomes a curb and gutter section with no bike lanes. But they have provided sharrows (shared lane pavement markings). I believe most people do not understand how sharrows really work, but that said, I wasn't going far before I made a U-turn and arrived at the Waffle House (which was on the opposite side of the divided highway).
I won't bore you with more details on Waffle House and their breakfast offerings (or at least my favorite, from which I do not stray often). If you follow me, you know the routine. The next challenge was the 3-1/2 mile crossing of the Pensacola Bay, and according to Google Maps, there was construction activity ahead. Sure enough, there certainly was! Significant construction. So after returning to US-98/FL-30, I took the sharrows seriously and occupied my lane (as opposed to riding the sidewalk). I guess I was a little pumped from the great weather after two days of overcast skies. But all worked out well, and it really was a fairly short distance (two miles) before "the bridge." I've done the Seven Mile Bridge in the Florida Keys and knew this bridge had a good shoulder. I just wasn't sure about how the construction activity might impact all of that. Fortunately, as it turned out, not at all.
As you can see, there is a lot of construction going on. Exiting the far side was a bit tricky (as you might expect), and rather than fighting my way over to Bayfront Parkway, which didn't have any shoulder room or bike lanes, I instead diverted to E Gregory Street, a one-way, three-lane roadway with little traffic. I knew the street grid would eventually allow me to return to my course. Flexibility and quick thinking is everything sometimes . . . and by the time I navigated to Bayfront, traffic seemed more calm than when coming off the bridge.
So there is nothing special to write about for this section. While my goal was to follow the coastline, in retrospect, it would have been just as easy and more pleasant to ride one of the parallel streets further inland. W Government Street looks like a good option. But, for me, in short order, crossing the Bayou Chico was my third major bridge of the day.
The approach to Bayou Chico. I chose to ride on the sidewalk.
At this point, US-98 and I had parted ways . . . and I'm not sure we will see each other again. But there are other US highways to conquer! For now, I was on FL-292, a fairly nondescript road with a bike lane and/or good shoulders.
I only got that one shot of the many (and I mean many) planes flying overhead. I really wanted one of a four-wing formation, but honestly, they come up so fast and then disappear; I was lucky to get that one. And they fly very low, which I don't understand, unless they are all Blue Angels in continuous practice. I even stopped and waited to see what I could see (as others I saw were doing), but after a short while I decided to move on. Another time, maybe. There are more bridges to cross. On to Perdido Key!
And further to my surprise, I arrived early to a ready room! That was the best news of the day (after the weather), so I quickly cleaned up and hit the Jacuzzi to relax my biking muscles. Dark clouds were starting to gather, but no rain came. Actually, it was more sun in followed by sun out. But I was content, especially after meeting a slew of high school Norwegian foreign exchange students, so we had an interesting conversation to while away the time . . . until it was time for dinner. I'm ready for a ribeye, and it was only ten minutes away.
Today's ride: 39 miles (63 km) Total: 576 miles (927 km)
