2017 11-04 Dauphin Island to Pensacola Naval Air Station (56.3 miles)

We broke camp, had breakfast, made lunch and headed over to the ferry landing, which was scheduled to depart at 8 AM.  Some decided to wait for the ferry at the landing instead of hanging around the camp ground any longer.  Those that waited at the landing were treated to another fantastic sunrise, one made especially beautiful by the fact that it was over Mobile Bay! The sunrise was short lived, so hanging out at the campground even 5 more minutes would have caused one to miss this treat. 

Taking the ferry was a relaxing way to start the day, enjoying the sights, sounds and smells of the bay.  We were treated to sea gulls being fed at the back of the ferry by some car passengers who were throwing them bread, and whipping them into a feeding frenzy.  Several pelicans flew by, some landing on the pilings along the shore.  They are indeed an interesting looking bird.  As the ferry docked on the east shore of the bay we spotted several dolphins just breaking the surface of the water close to the ferry, but none stayed on the surface long enough to capture on camera.

Located a short distance from the ferry landing is historic Fort Morgan.  Several of us decided it was worth a stop, delaying the days ride a little longer to sample some history.  Fort Morgan is located on Mobil point, at the end of Fort Morgan Peninsula.  It stands guard where the bay meets the Gulf of Mexico, and played a major part in the Battle of Mobil Bay in August of 1864.  It was constructed between 1819 and 1833, after the war of 1812 made it clear the United States needed better defenses against invaders.

The ride from Fort Morgan to the second stop of the day, a lunch stop, was pleasant, relaxing, enjoyable and refreshing.  There is just something magical about cycling near water.  Our lunch stop was at LuLu’s , a very nice sea food restaurant on the water.  

After enjoying a great seafood lunch, we cycled on to our destination, a campground on the grounds of the Pensacola Naval Air Station.  By the way, some of us would rather have climbed onto a hammock instead of our bikes after such a filling, delicious lunch.  Four of the riders from the group are retired military personnel, which is the only reason we are allowed to stay at this facility.  They have easy access to the base, the rest of us are their guests, and we must be accompanied by one of them to enter the base.  While it is interesting to stay at this facility, it makes exploring on a layover day a bit of a challenge.  Chris decided to stay at a hotel and that his freedom was more important than staying at the base, and perhaps he made the right call.

While cycling to the base after lunch we achieved a big milestone, we entered the seventh and final state in our journey, Florida!  Reaching this point of our journey gives one a feeling that can not be easily put into words.  To date we have cycled 2494 miles, and we still have 9 more days of cycling, and about 450 more miles to pedal, but the end is so very close.  We will be deviating from the official route for a few days, as many of the riders want to spend more time along the Gulf shores.

Pictures

Map

Trip Total Map