Upwardly Mobile

August 31, 2016

Now that we were reunited with team S, we had a simple agenda for the day - get to Mobile Alabama and snap a picture of the state line as we exited Mississippi. A secondary objective was to avoid dehydration along the way.

We quickly found ourselves riding through piney woods interspersed with cotton fields. That was expected, but something was wrong. What happened to our pan flat route? Why did it feel like we were constantly going up a false flat?

To help with the dehydration objective, we were able to make rest stops about every 16 miles, neatly separating the ride into 4 equal parts. People at the rest stops, workers and customers alike, were uniformly friendly. It seems to be easier to strike up a conversation in the South.

Rest stop observation: It is possible to make a one size fits all hat. The best you can do with a vest is one size fits most.
Has this changed over time? Are our bellies growing faster than our brains? Does the future hold one size fits some vests?

Beautiful cypress trees. We were almost tempted to go for a swim to cool off.

As we approached the state line, the road surface was terrible, chip seal with lots of pot holes. Looking back as we crossed the line, we saw an attractive sign saying "Welcome to Mississippi". Looking forward, the sign simply read "Alabama State Line". On the other hand, the Alabama pavement was perfect. All things considered, I'm glad they spent their money on nice pavement instead of a nice sign.

Leaving Mississippi after more miles than any other state so far.
We still have a lot of Florida miles ahead of us.

Welcome to Alabama. The sign looks shot but the road surface is good.

We were able to tick off our primary objectives. The dehydration thing needs work. It's challenging to take in electrolytes as fast as we sweat them out. Perhaps dill pickle therapy will help.

Alain's bike shoes are starting to show a little wear.

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