Saturday, April 11, 2015

Didn't ride very far today.  Pensacola.  I had another cyclist ride by me this morning only to find him waiting for me down the road.  I thought he might need some help with repair, but it turns out that he is planning a long bike tour and he just wanted to chat.  He will be getting out of the Navy soon and wants to do a ride before life takes over.  It was fun talking bikes, training, maps, etc.  

I am staying at a United Methodist Church tonight.  They provide a nice shelter for cyclists - especially those doing the cross country tour.  The gentleman who showed me around did a cross country tour through the middle of the country ( including Wyoming) a couple of years ago, and this is his way of giving back for all of the nice people who helped him and his friend on their trip.  We had a good talk about his trip and he shared a photo albm and stories. 

I am always a little anxious coming into a bigger city like Pensacola.  Quite often the route takes us through some tougher parts of town.  Today was no exception.  Just when I was getting discouraged, the neighborhood changed  dramatically. There were cafe's with people eating on the sidewalk,  musicians performing outdoors,  a farmers market and an art market.  All right close to the church. A dynamic  place to hang out after a day's ride. A good day. Til later.