Day 52 – Connections

Miles Completed: 75.4

Cumulative miles: 2758.9

Miles to St Augustine: 343

We rode from Miramar Beach to Mexico Beach FL today. This was the last long ride scheduled at 75 miles. The rest of the way we will have rides of 65 miles or less.

Today’s planned route kept us on Highway 98 about the first 30 miles. But after talking with my friends James and Katie last night, I discussed a change that would take us closer to the Gulf coast and go through some coastal communities. I had decided to take that alternative route for a couple reasons but the main ones were that it had a bike path the entire route and it also went very close to James and Katie’s house. Pat had also met up with a friend who recommended the alternative route and by the end of the discussion we all decided to take that route which was Highway 30A.

Now James and Katie live only 3 blocks off of Highway 30A so I swung by their home and visited for a brief 10 minutes. They are getting ready to move into their carriage house for a whole house renovation. It was great to see their style of beach house living and to connect one more time before riding off.

Some of the cities along the way were bustling with bikers, walkers, and farmer’s markets. Santa Rosa Beach, Seaside, Rosemary Beach and others all had many restaurants and shops along the way.

I didn’t take many pictures along the way because it was a longer ride and I wanted to get to Mexico Beach in time to watch or listen to the end of the Packers game. I was able to listen to much of the game on my bike through SiriusXM radio, but then my phone died and I couldn’t find my battery pack (I found it later). I was only a few miles from my destination…a brewery in Mexico Beach. But without my phone navigation I went about a mile past it and had to ask a local where it was. He pointed me back and I made it in plenty of time to catch a few beers with Dana and Felix and hear the end of the Packers victory over the New York Giants. Go Pack Go!

As soon as the game ended, we finished the final 3 miles to camp and then Dana and I were in charge of cooking.

We took a simple approach this time. We had fried chicken from the grocery store, Dana steamed some corn on the cob, and we had a salad to go with it. And a grocery store apple-pear pie for dessert. Simple, but everyone enjoyed it.