Day 8 – Sunday 6/5/22

Cantonment, Florida to Bay Minette, Alabama – 42.5 Miles

Today’s ride was the shortest of the trip. The Adventure Cycling Association’s Southern Tier route follows a line that runs directly through downtown Pensacola and along the Gulf Coast, before turning north toward Mobile. Having spent the night about 15 miles northwest of the city, a check of the map showed that sticking to the official route would add about 100 miles to the total distance. The alternate I came up with was a straight shot to Bay Minette, which is only 6 miles off the path I’d eventually take through Alabama. Although a ride along the Gulf Coast would have been scenic, an additional 100 miles in the saddle, another night in a hotel and dealing with tourist traffic on a weekend were three good reasons to change the plan. So, I did.

After saying goodbye to cousin Kathy and husband Roy, I made it about 2.5 miles down the road before I was lured into a convenience store by the thought of the snacks inside. I should be forgiven for this, however, as there were no other stores until Bay Minette, which meant possible catastrophe if I didn’t act now. Two Rice Krispies bars, one bag of Chips Ahoy minis, a packet of honey roasted peanuts and a banana nut muffin later, I felt the confident that I would not die of starvation enroute. With my mind and stomach now at ease, I rode on.

The first, and only, significant event of the day occurred at 11:19 AM Central Time, when I crossed the Perdido River and entered Alabama. As I celebrated this accomplishment with a self-directed photo op and a well written speech that has since been lost, several cars passed by unaware of the historical significance of the occasion. I’ll let the reader reflect on these images in hopes that it will inspire some to cross state borders more often.

What does “Beautiful” Alabama look like? To me, it looks just like North Florida. They have:

I wasn’t in a hurry today, so Bay Minette didn’t come into view until about 2:30 in the afternoon. I rode around the mostly deserted downtown area for about a half-hour, looking for places of interest. Government offices and services occupy most of the city, while commercial businesses are closer to the highway.

Tonight’s hotel is the Log Cabin Inn, whose architecture suggests the same. The room is clean, the Wi-Fi is good and the “Shrimp Basket” restaurant a ten-minute walk away was decent. Tomorrow’s ride could be up to 80 – 85 miles, ending in Grove Hill. Hotel rates are going down as I get away from the coast, which is a welcome development. If I ever find a comfortable room for $50 a night, there will be much rejoicing.