| Page 19 Day 82 - Friday 4-5-02 - mileage today 45.3 - climbed today 0 We had a nice day of cycling. We have been very lucky with the weather. I know the time is coming when we get 100-degree days with 95% humidity, but for now we will enjoy. We stopped in Panama City Beach, to shower and do laundry. We are being eaten alive and we think the little buggers are in our clothes and sleeping bags. So, we decided to wash everything including ourselves. I hope it does the trick. I look like I have the mumps. My arms and legs are full of bites. Myron itches but doesn’t have any mump-bumps like I do. After we cleaned and hopefully killed every thing we continued on, it wasn’t to long before we were in Panama City. Panama City is the largest city we've been in since being in Florida. We road thru many areas and ended up in Parker, Fl were we were running out of light. We needed to find a place to sleep. We thought we had one at Big Oaks City Park but they close the park. We asked at the Citco station and they gave us some ideas but we needed to ask permission first. So I called the Police Department, whom put me thru to Laura a city employee who had suggestions then she put me in touch with Chief Kelly of the Fire Department. Everybody was concerned and helpful. Chief Kelly suggested we go to the Nautical Point RV Park. It was just a few blocks away. I told him that we would try but in our experience most RV parks don’t want tenters. Chief Kelly suggested we try anyway and if we had any problems to call him back and he would find us a place. We went to the RV Park and talked with Marvin the owner. We told him we needed a place to set up our tents for the night. Marvin without hesitation said “sure, come on in while I put my shoes on”. We entered and we started talking. Before we knew it an hour had gone by. Marvin kindly offered us the use of a trailer fully furnished and fully functional. We didn’t expect that and hesitated a moment, but took Marvin up on his kind offer. He gave us the key and showed us the trailer. We asked him if there was a restaurant in the area we could get dinner. Fortunately there were several. We walked to the Raceway, Foot and Yard Restaurant next to the Racetrack gas station. Myron and I were both really happy to see they had Spaghetti and meatballs on the menu. We ordered and Marvin walks in. We asked him to join us. We ordered him a beer, it was the least we could do for him. Marvin joined us for dinner and drinks. We sat and talked for about 1-1/2 hours. Myron and I both enjoyed having someone to join us for dinner and conversation. It was getting late and time to leave. Myron got up to pay for the meals. But, Marvin told the waitress this is my regular place and I insist on paying. We said we would like to pay for your meal, it is the least we could do for all your generosity. Marvin would not allow that. Not only did he give us a great place to stay, he bought us dinner and beers. When Myron and I set out on this trip we wanted to meet our people. We have the greatest nation in the world. Everybody knows that when something bad happens, be it a bad earthquake, a terrorist attack, a coup or a natural disaster, here at home or somewhere else in the world. Americans stand up and stand strong, to help right a wrong. (That kind of rhymes, it wasn’t planned), but it works and it is true. Myron and I on our little adventure are seeing America and her people one person at a time. We are can’t believe all the generosity given to us. It is proof positive that we live in a country full of kind, caring people. We are proud to Americans. Day 83 - sat. 4-6-02 - mileage today 39.4 - climbed today 0 TIME TWO CHANGE We got up and started to pack and Marvin came over to say he has breakfast cooking. We went to his house and had a great breakfast. He cooked eggs, ham, toast, fried potatoes, coffee and juice. It was a feast for sure. Marvin made us to feel like family. He gave us his card and said if we need anything to call. We had such a good time visiting with Marvin and his friends; we didn’t leave until about noon. We have two time changes today, #1 is when we set our clocks back when we cross into the Eastern Time zone just after Mexican Beach. The other is later tonight when we spring forward into daylight savings time. We had a beautiful riding day along the beaches of Florida’s Panhandle watching all the spring breakers out of college. It is times like this I wish I was a young hard bodied stud. I was going to say, “again" but I never was one to begin with. Oh well, we all have our lot in life, mine just isn’t stud man to the babes. The last part of the day the road turned inland toward the wet woodlands. We are camped in a clearing under a lookout tower for fires. As the sun set the birds got really loud. I wish you could hear them. They are active. It is what I would imagine a South America jungle to sound like. Bird calls more like screams than whistles. Day 84 - Sunday 4-7-02 - mileage today 48.2 - climbed today 0 DONT DRINK THE WATER, PLEASE !!! We got up about the same time as usual. I don’t have a watch, so often I don’t know what time it is, nor do I care. The sun is my clock. I get up as the sun rises, and go to my tent when it gets dark. We recently gained two hours, due to spring forward and also crossing into the Eastern Time zone. Myron on the other hand, is very time oriented. He has to know the exact time to the second. I heard Eddie, the fire lookout tower man, as he drove up. I got up to explain why there are two tents next to his tower. We packed up and talked with Eddie for a while. We rode into Apalachicola, for breakfast. Karen our waitress was a kick. Karen lives and goes to school in Atlanta. She is in Florida for just a short time, unless I really like it she says, and then she will stay. She would like to live in the mountains of the west, Maybe Utah or Wyoming she said. I get the feeling that Karen wants to experience many different places. I can relate. Myron and I were in the parking lot getting ready to take off, I went back to get a bottle filled with water. Karen walked up to me with a tray full of glasses filled with water for the table next to us. She said could I help you? I asked her to fill my bottle, she said with Apalachicola water? Yes I said, Karen- DONT DRINK THE WATER --- PLEASE!!! There is a very high rate of unexplained cases of cancer here. Please use bottled water around here. I was thankful she thought so much of us to warn us.( thank you ) Karen. We continued on to east point to dry our sleeping bags. We washed them the other day but, we didn’t dry them completely. We slept in wet down sleeping bags last night. It doesn’t keep you very warm. I had to sleep in my raingear in order to stay dry and warm last night. On our way to out of town a red pickup truck passed us and through a partial bottle of beer at us. It whizzed right in front of me spraying me with beer. Yesterday the same thing happened with a Burger King Pepsi. When we started this trip I would not have thought that we would get this kind of backwoods treatment in Florida. I would have thought maybe Louisiana or Mississippi but just the opposite happened. The people of Louisiana and Mississippi are among the most courteous friendly people anywhere. We have only had four incidences in Florida. Considering the Population that isn’t bad. We wont let those few genetically challenged individuals spoil our feelings of all the other wonderful people we met in Florida. We are camped in the woods off the road near the junction of 98 and 319 just after Carrabelle. |
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