Apparently we have past C2Cers to thank for the short day today.  Bubba’s route used to be a 40 minute ferry ride followed by an almost 90 mile day (always in a headwind) into Milton.  We got to split the long day, overnight in Pensacola (a pretty nice town), and enjoy a leisurely day on the bike today, although we don’t get much closer to the Atlantic.

Start city: Pensacola, FL
End city: Milton, FL
Miles: 31
Total miles to date: 2473
Miles in Florida: 55
Pedaling time: 2 hours, 2 minutes
Avg. speed: 15.3 mph
Feet climbed: 1100
Fatigue factor: 3 out of 10
Wind: SE 10-15 mph, almost-helpful today
Road condition: 5 out of 5
Temperature extremes: 70 at ride start, 80 at ride finish

We appreciate the route change. The ride is mostly urban (shopping center after shopping center!), but with a bike lane and occasional glimpses of the pretty gulf shoreline.

Overall, though, this is one butt-ugly part of Florida.

The old chimney is cool.

Showing the benefits of all-brick construction, it’s all that’s left from a lumber mill that was built in 1850.

We also pass wetlands areas which appear to be protected and pristine.

There is an OMG moment listed on our route sheet, and it certainly is that!

An over-the-top estate on many acres of beautiful property, with a Bentley and a “John Lennon” Rolls Royce in the driveway. Huh?

The caretaker tells us that Lennon owned this car. Further research reveals he did not.

We enjoy an early lunch at the Shrimp Basket and top it off with a visit to the Milton Bakery about a mile further down the road. Yum!

Tonight we host more special visitors.

Heidi and Al live in St. Augustine and will greet us at the end of our journey. They want to be a part of the Bubba experience and enjoy Anne’s cooking talents, so they planned a trip to intersect with us in western Florida!

Tomorrow: seven rides left. We are eastbound and down in rural Florida.