Ground Hog’s day

Random thought: I get better mileage than a Prius. I also use a different type of gas for propulsion.


Friday, OCT 29: Pensacola, FL to Dafuniak Springs, FL


I forgot to mention that Donna, our Pensacola host, is a huge Gonzaga fan. Smart woman.

We left Pensacola and were going to take a picture of the bay, but I realized my camera battery was dead. This will become important later.

Although we had a pretty good headwind, we made some good time. As I was coming around the six mile mark outside a town called Milton, I realized my rear wheel felt funnier than normal. I decided to jump off the bike to inflate the tire a little and straighten the wheel a bit with my tools. After I turned the bike over, I saw that my wheel had cracked. It almost looked like a tee pee. No bueno.

I looked on my phone to see if Milton had a bicycle shop. Luckily, it did. I called the shop to see if they had a wheel that would fit my bike, and just as they told me that they did indeed have a wheel that would work, a man in a truck pulled off the road and offered a ride to the shop. Immaculate timing.

I headed into Truly Spoken bicycle shop and the guys there really did a great job. They set me up with a new touring rear wheel and tire. Thanks guys!

I ate a quick lunch and was on my way. I was almost back to the spot where I stopped earlier and remembered I was a fool. I forgot that I had plugged in my camera battery and charger into the wall at the bike shop. Stupid. Stupid. Stupid. I was only six miles out, so I decided to head back to reclaim my belongings. I did so and then saw the same stretch of Milton roads for the third time.

Jacques had gone ahead of me to get to our host family’s house in Defuniak Springs, FL. I made my way slowly but surely, talked to some nice folks, and finally arrived in Defuniak after thirty minutes of night riding.

The Gillis family provided an amazing place for us to stay, tasty spaghetti and meatballs, and a refreshed memory of what being in high school band was like. Thanks Gillis Family!

Tomorrow: Chattahoochee. I’m going to be singing that Alan Jackson song all day tomorrow. I just need to find the lyrics.
Good night.