Update from Florida!

Greetings from Florida!
It's been a while since I have been able to update my blog, so let me catch you up on where I've been and a few of the highlights. We were only in Mississippi a few days, and then on Sunday, the 20th, we rode to Dauphin Island, Alabama. It is a beautiful resort-type of Island, and it made a wonderful place for a rest day. The big event in riding there was crossing over a humongus bridge, 3 and a half miles long, and very high. Our efforts were rewarded by getting to stay at some beautiful condos on the beach. I had my first swim in the Gulf of Mexico, and was surprised by how warm the water was. The next morning I went to the Audubon Bird Sanctuary where I saw lots of wildlife, including a gator!
On Tuesday we rode to Pensacola, Florida. It's my first time to be in Florida and I was very excited about it! The beaches were beautiful, with blue-green water, and beautiful white sand. After a lunch stop, several of us went to the Pensacola Naval Air Museum, home of the Blue Angels. We saw a great IMAX movie on fighter jets, and then spent a few minutes trying to see the Museum. There was far more to see than we could possibly take in, and it was frustrating not to be able to spend a few hours there. The last 5 miles of our ride in Pensacola took us along Scenic highway 90. Let me just say, it was a harrowing experience! The road was narrow, with no shoulder, and very fast moving, impatient motorists, who were not inclined to give bicyclists a break. A few of us had near misses with cars and motorcycles!
We are continuing our way into the Panhandle of Florida. It is very warm 85-87 degrees, and very humid. Yesterday we did a 90 mile ride along US 90--it was long a hard, just because it was so warm, and the scenery never changed much. We continue to see critters--snakes (even rattlesnakes!), turtles, and bugs, bugs, bugs.
It is hard to believe we are so close to the end. We arrive at our destination in St. Augustine next Thursday. We are talking about what it will be like to be done and return home to our families, jobs, and responsibilities. "Re-entry" is a term we are talking about a lot these days. I am anxious to be home, but know I will miss my friends on the tour, and the days of riding. After I return home, I will try to get all my pictures loaded on my Picassa page, and you can just click on the "My Photos" link on the right and see all of them.