Today was a very different day from our usual daily rides. We started out a little early (7:00am), after being awakened around 4:00am with thunder, lightning, and a significant amount of rain, which persisted until around 8:00am, when we boarded a ferry. The ferry ride lasted about 35 minutes, and emptied us out at Fort Morgan, on the Gulf Shores. From there, we cycled through Fort Morgan, Gulf Shores, and Orange Beach, where we crossed the border into Florida at “Flora-Bama”, one of “the world’s top beach honky-Tonks”, located on the Florida – Alabama state line. From there, we passed through Perdido Key, Florida, and met up with 3 – 4 servicemen on bikes at a Winn-Dixie grocery store, who ultimately escorted us to the Pensacola Naval Air Station, where we had a tour of the National Naval Aviation Museum. Only another 8-9 mile cycle took us to our lodging for tonight, which is at the First United Methodist Church in Pensacola.
A quick note about the Methodist Church here. Founded in 1821, the First United Methodist Church in Pensacola is the oldest Protestant church in the area, and the oldest Methodist Church in Florida. It records a membership that exceeds 3,000 people. The facilities here are pretty impressive for a church, and they have graciously allowed us to stay in their gymnasium for the evening.
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida panhandle, with a population of approximately 55,000. Pensacola is the site of the first Spanish settlement within the borders of the continental US, predating the establishment of St. Augustine by 6 years. One of the largest US Naval Air Stations is located here, and serves as the base for the Blue Angels flight demonstration team, (Hi Benny!) and the National Naval Aviation Museum, which we toured. They actually told us that the Blue Angels practice maneuvers here on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, so I was a little disappointed that we weren’t here to listen and watch the angels in action. Pensacola is nicknamed at “The City of Five Flags”, due to the five governments that have ruled it during it’s history. (Spain, France, Great Britain, the Confederate States of America, and finally the US flags have all flown here). Of particular note is that Emmett Smith, former running back for the Dallas Cowboys, is from Pensacola.
I also learned that instead of dropping a typical New Year’s Eve ball to mark the new year, Pensacola had implemented a Pelican Drop, instead. At the stroke of midnight on December 31st (or January 1st, if you prefer), a pelican, the city’s mascot, was dropped. (I’m assuming it was not a REAL pelican). Since 2008, the Pelican Drop had been a significant attraction in the area, drawing in crowds in excess of 50,000. It was considered one of the biggest celebrations on New Years in the central time zone. Unfortunately, in 2019, the Pelican Drop was canceled due to financial issues and the burden the event had caused on the local police. Fortunately, Mobile, Alabama picked up the slack, where instead of a “ball” or a pelican, they drop a Moon Pie. (I am NOT making this up!). I plan to take the family to Mobile this December. Care to join me?
Yet tomorrow is a new day, with new possibilities and opportunities for old and new dogs to chase me across Florida. Our route tomorrow has us moving from Pensacola to Milton, Florida. The plan is to take some of the many bike lanes they have here, (thank you, Pensacola!), through the Escambian Bay through the Blackwater Heritage State trail to our next stopping point. Tomorrow will mark a significant milestone, as we have only one more week of cycling left before we get to our final destination in St. Augustine. Here’s to a significant amount of blessings and luck, good weather, and a tailwind. There will always be more to write about, so I will catch up with you all tomorrow. Thanks for reading, and thanks for all of your support!
The Walking Machine 