26 April 2014
Dauphin Island, AL to Gulf Beach, FL
43 miles (Total Miles = 2,459)

“No wonder you’ve had 4 flats.” This is Gina’s response when I point out the massive wad of chewing gum now stuck to the bottom of my left bike shoe; this following the dog crap that had been stuck to the bottom of my right bike shoe earlier today. I had my vision checked before we left on this adventure but obviously there’s a problem.

It’s hotter than hell and we are camped in the blazing sun in Gulf Beach, Florida. And by camped I mean sitting in camping chairs in the sliver of shade by the bushes, the tent still rolled up in its bag over there on the gravel. Yes, gravel. Nothing more comfortable than laying your head down to rest on gravel. It’s not that this is a bad campground – it’s really a quite lovely State Park – but I can barely move from the oppressive heat and humidity, putting me in a grumpy mood. And with that sentiment, welcome to Florida! Our eighth and final state on the Southern Tier.

Besides the makings of a heat rash, what has Florida brought us thus far? Well, there was the annual Interstate Mullet Toss, which to us meant cycling past a lot of backed-up traffic at the state line but to thousands of others meant drinking canned Coors behind the wheels of their cars. Then there was the Let’s Find Some Shade game that we’ve already spoken of before things really got a lot better, with the evening’s dinner at the beach followed by an alligator sighting. Alligator! Right there in the campground. Well, not in the campground with the tents – there we just had raccoons and armadillos – but on the campground property. Cool and creepy all at once.

Okay, so time for a few thoughts on Alabama:

LSU is not welcome here. Out with the purple and gold, in with the Crimson Tide.

A one-night-stand does not a relationship make. Two days, one night – not enough time to form a solid opinion on much of anything about Alabama. But I can say it was enjoyable.