pensacola to tallahassee

the day i left the boat in pensacola was rainy for the first half. i had a hard time deciding whether to stay or go, but got some signs that it was time to move on. it took me long enough to get ready that the rain passed and i was given sunny weather to ride in again. i stopped and talked to the four guys at the 'occupy' camp on the way to the natural food store. they informed me that there are a few community gardens and one of them is at the food bank. i was glad to hear this, but did not want to take the time to check them out. at the store garden i made the second deposit of compost from the boat. the general manager of the store happened to walk by as i was finishing up, covering the deposit with leaves. he inquired about my story and we chatted for a while. i told him that it would helpful if the juice bar, who seem to be the main contributors, could be instructed to cover with straw or leaves every time. he appreciated the input. he was very nice and said he would be making a trip to seattle area soon actually, which was a funny coincidence, me being from there.

i reached the beaches that the folks of this area are so proud of and rode east through a landscape of white sand bar. in navarre i went for a dip in the shallow, waveless bay and then slept under one of the low stilt houses. i picked one that looked unused and where people could not see me easily from the street. i've not found opportunities to approach locals about lodging recently. i do look for them before seeking other options.

at a fresh fish market (storefront) in destin i got a 1/3 lb. hunk of cobia, a fish i have never eaten before. at lunch i ate it raw with miso paste. one of my favorite things about the gulf coast is the availability of fresh, local seafood.
this was the first day i did much riding in the rain. i had to bust out the oversized plastic bag and put it over the baggage on my rack. it was not pouring so i didn't put on the raincoat. have not used the coat once yet! in destin i realized i had left my new bicycle pump behind somewhere. i thought it was at the library, so i backtracked the six miles, riding into the wind, to see if it was there. it was not! i think what happened is i left it sitting outside when i unlocked my bike and somebody took it. this is the second pump i have donated to a needy stranger. it bummed me out, but i got over it.

the weather cleared after i ate lunch under the awning of a store in destin called 'haight/ashbury', which i found to be a comforting place. so i headed on and proceeded onto highway 30. this relatively narrow highway goes through some very wealthy beach communities. there was quite a crowd, like the atmosphere of a festival, in the watercolor/seaside stretch of 30 because of spring break. i ate dinner, showered and meditated at the public restrooms of watercolor. i pitched the tent and slept off a forested path just past seaside.

note to cyclists: you can find free showers at public restrooms in watercolor and another one at the public beach just after getting back on highway 98.

at one gas station where i stopped i met this guy from new york who has been traveling for 16 months by foot! we had a very pleasant exchange and wished each other well. i am always very pleased to meet others who are on this kind of path.he said he meets nice people everywhere he goes. just like i do!

when i i reached highway 79 in panama city beach i thought i should look at a map to see whether i should take that route instead of going through panama city. i went into a gas station and looked at a map. inside i overheard someone say something about a big storm rolling in. outside i noticed a guy in a pickup with his window open just texting or something on his phone. i followed the strong impulse to see about getting a ride with him. turned out he was headed to tallahassee, but not 'til the evening. i knew this would mean paying a share of gas, which cuts into my limited funds, but i remembered what i had been told earlier in this trip, that i should never worry about money as what i need will always become available. so we agreed to meet up later.
i went down to the beach and within an hour i had sold three bracelets to some wonderful girls from virginia. this was a strong confirmation. i felt elated. i set out my sign and hung out there until rain caused me to go seek shelter elsewhere. i found a church not too far away and waited out the thunder storm there. back at the beach i set up again in the same spot and met some folks from indiana. one of them took these pictures.

































the guy i rode with to tallahassee was an hour late, but it all worked out in the end.
while waiting at the gas station i met another traveler who said he has been doing this for 19 years! what? i felt honored to make his acquaintance. he was handing out these little flyers, much like the ones i write on the back of scratch paper with my blog address on them, with the web address for his site. i found him to be ultra real and pleasant to interact with. he said he had spelt in some abandoned houses by the beach.