Taking The Back Roads

Day 2 - Lake City, Fl to Navarre Beach Fl. - 315 miles

Woke up to another beautiful day, hope our luck holds out a little longer. We only drove a few miles on the Interstate then dropped down to rural roads out of Live Oak. Quite a pleasant surprise, a nice road with lovely pastoral views. Florida has a wildflower program and the roadside was carpeted with lovely shades of lilac and yellow.

We drove along Routes 51, 27, 30 and 98. All were in good condition, scenic and lightly traveled....until Destin and points west, of course.

We stopped at an intersection by a closed business and I looked up to see this sign. I love to take photos of funny signs.

Norman got hungry and made us stop for lunch at a sleepy little gulf town of Carrabelle, mostly a fishing village. We pulled over in a parking lot near a marina. This entire section of Florida from the Big Bend area east of Apalachicola all the way to Panama City is very, very depressed. Business after business is closed and so many houses for sale and abandoned real estate projects. Post Katrina insurance is so costly in these areas coupled with the downturn in the economy hasn't helped. Very sad.

*Norman* enjoying some time outdoors

This is what we have to look at while eating...damn beggers!


Going over the causway to Apalachicola

We decided to stay in Panama City Beach for tonight and the next couple of days, just kicking back and relaxing...soaking up the sun and enjoying the peace and quiet of the beautiful gulf beaches.

Then, while passing through a tiny town 20 miles east of Panama City Beach, we noticed a sign that read - *Welcome Bikers* Huh? Now, why would bikers be staying in the sleepy, one stoplight town? Unless... this was just a place that they'd be passing through...ON THEIR WAY TO PANAMA CITY BEACH! I called the resort that we'd chosen and asked if this weekend was 'bike week' and she confirmed that it indeed was, and they were fully booked. Nothing against the bikers, but I'm sure they want to party and we're more of the age that we like to sleep. Thin walls on RVs and some of those bikes are loud.

Well, so much for not making any plans...so we continued on to Navarre Beach where we stayed last May and loved the campground. In fact, the photo at the top of this page (header) is from that stay.

Our campground for the next three days

Tomorrow we'll go over to Santa Rosa Island, enjoy the ocean beach (this beach at the campground is on the sound) and/or bike around out there. Last time it was too hot.

Boring blog today, but honestly I am too tired to be creative. I promise it will get better as I get back into the routine of traveling and get faster on Blogger!