We had a very short ride (2.5 miles) to get to the ferry this morning. We all lined up for the 8:00 AM sailing from Dauphin Island to Fort Morgan.
Once on board we had a 45 minute ride. There were a few among us who are prone to seasickness (not me), but it seems like they did OK.
The wind was from the SSE, not a good thing when we are traveling east and south... you can see the wind strength in the flying of the US and Alabama flags.
In the photo below you can see Dianne, Kathie, Nancy, and me during our voyage.
The rigs that dotted the horizon at the gulf beach and in Mobile Bay are natural gas (not oil) rigs. That's a good thing considering how long it will take for the gulf to recover from last year's massive oil spill.
As we neared shore at Fort Morgan we saw dolphins cavorting in the water alongside our ferry. Pelicans and other water birds were diving for fish... while some just rested and looked pretty.
We exited the ferry and got right on hwy 180, which runs along the beach for miles.... there was a nice wide shoulder. A little bit of sand and trash and a dead fish (this was about a half mile from the beach!) kept us alert as we pedaled head down directly into the wind.
After about 25 miles we were in Gulf Shores, where we turned on to SR 59 for a mile--it was a busy 5-lane highway with lots of spring break traffic. There was a zoo and an amusement park and several souvenir shops.... this was all within a mile! Then we turned onto SR 182 and directly into the wind again. But there was a bike lane on this road. We were right on the beach, so there was a little sand, but it was a beautiful ride.
At around 34 miles we crossed a high bridge (where I took the photo above) and then we were in Florida! The road turned into SR292 when we crossed the state line, but we still had a nice wide shoulder and were still heading into the wind. We were starting to get tired by then.
As we got close to Pensacola the traffic picked up. The wind continued, but we all made it in fine. Dianne and I walked to lunch at a nearby cafe, then showered and played Scrabble until it was Margarita time. This was our last state line crossing so I guess it's our last Margarita party. It was especially poignant for those who rode all the way from San Diego.
Once on board we had a 45 minute ride. There were a few among us who are prone to seasickness (not me), but it seems like they did OK.
The wind was from the SSE, not a good thing when we are traveling east and south... you can see the wind strength in the flying of the US and Alabama flags.
In the photo below you can see Dianne, Kathie, Nancy, and me during our voyage.
The rigs that dotted the horizon at the gulf beach and in Mobile Bay are natural gas (not oil) rigs. That's a good thing considering how long it will take for the gulf to recover from last year's massive oil spill.
As we neared shore at Fort Morgan we saw dolphins cavorting in the water alongside our ferry. Pelicans and other water birds were diving for fish... while some just rested and looked pretty.
We exited the ferry and got right on hwy 180, which runs along the beach for miles.... there was a nice wide shoulder. A little bit of sand and trash and a dead fish (this was about a half mile from the beach!) kept us alert as we pedaled head down directly into the wind.
After about 25 miles we were in Gulf Shores, where we turned on to SR 59 for a mile--it was a busy 5-lane highway with lots of spring break traffic. There was a zoo and an amusement park and several souvenir shops.... this was all within a mile! Then we turned onto SR 182 and directly into the wind again. But there was a bike lane on this road. We were right on the beach, so there was a little sand, but it was a beautiful ride.
At around 34 miles we crossed a high bridge (where I took the photo above) and then we were in Florida! The road turned into SR292 when we crossed the state line, but we still had a nice wide shoulder and were still heading into the wind. We were starting to get tired by then.
As we got close to Pensacola the traffic picked up. The wind continued, but we all made it in fine. Dianne and I walked to lunch at a nearby cafe, then showered and played Scrabble until it was Margarita time. This was our last state line crossing so I guess it's our last Margarita party. It was especially poignant for those who rode all the way from San Diego.
1 comment:
Are you ready to come home yet
Bill
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