Apalachicola, FL to Sopchoppy, FL
This epic adventure is nearing its end, so I thought I'd book a massage for the day after I return. No such luck! My regular CMT is still out on maternity leave, and her substitute does not have any openings until the day before Thanksgiving. Hmmm... I don't want to wait that long, so I looked locally, here in Apalachicola, and wouldn't you know it, a CMT across the bridge in Eastpoint has an opening at 0930. I hurried up and packed my bags, loaded the bike, and off I went, departing at 0930.
I stopped near downtown Apalachicola, at the Dr. John Gorrie State Historical Park. Dr. Gorrie' medical research involved the study of tropical diseases, and the theory that bad air caused diseases. He urged draining the swamps and the cooling of sickrooms. He gave up his medical practice to pursue refrigeration products, and was granted a patent for a machine to make ice. He died destitute and died in seclusion in Apalachicola, after his venture failed. More can be learned about Dr. Gorrie on the internet. The museum was closed when I rode by, but I did get a couple photos outside the museum.
Riding through town toward the bridge, I came across a gentleman walking his dog. This was a residential neighborhood, with no traffic. As I rode up from behind, all of a sudden the dog ventured from the right side of the road to the left, on his very long retractable leash. Needless to say, I had to stop in a hurry! No worries - there was no collision with the leash or the dog! (Or the owner!)
At the edge of this small town is the US 98 bridge between Apalachicola and Eastpoint, a 5 mile bridge. At first, the bridge crosses the Apalachicola River to an island, then a short causeway, and a long, low bridge over the wetlands and Apalachicola Bay. At mile 7, I came to Paula's Massage. Paula and the other ladies in the building (hair, nails, etc.) are all very proud of this area of North Florida, and they were so happy to have a bicyclist riding through town. They claimed that residents here do not want this area to become like Panama City Beach, or even Destin. They cherish the small town atmosphere, and want to keep it that way. Paula's massage was very nice, although too short. I certainly wasn't ready to get back on the bike, but I did! Thirty-seven more miles to go.
It was a cold and blustery day, with overcast skies and a crosswind from the north. I stopped just outside of Carrabelle for lunch at Emsy's Cafe, and had a brunch burger, complete with hamburger patty, egg, and hash browns, all in a hamburger bun, with fries. Not the healthiest meal, but it filled me up.
Leaving Emsy's, it started to rain. A mile or two up the road, still in Carrabelle, I pulled into a pizza place to stay dry, as I knew the rain was just passing over. I remained indoors for about 30 minutes, then pulled out my raingear from the bottom of my pannier. I wore the rain jacket for the next hour, although it was only misty at first, then stopped. The road never really got wet, although it was cold due to the wind.
A little known fact about Carrabelle is that the beach was used for practice for the D-Day landing. A placque commemorates the location, as shown in the photo below.
Another photo warns of bears. These signs appear at the entrance to each of the small coastal towns along this part of the Gulf. It caught me by surprise, as I did not expect such a sign. There are plenty of bears on the west coast, especially California, even in my neighborhood, but we don't see signs like this. Maybe we should?
At the intersection of US 98 and FL 319 was a sign stating Sopchoppy to the left, Panacea to the right. What a dilemma - which way to go? Our destination was Sopchoppy, so that was my Panacea. Once I made th3e turn north on FL 319, I had a headwind for the next 14 miles. It was still cold, but I had to remove my rain jacket, as I was more wet inside than outside, as it does not breath. Next time, I will splurge on a breathable jacket!
Arriving at the City Park in Sopchoppy, I set up my tent on the grass, showered, relaxed on the pavilion. Some in the group set up their tents on the pavilion, thus avoiding the morning dew. After a hearty dinner of steak, salad, fruit salad, and garlic bread, we had ice cream for dessert. Seems to be a recurring theme, one which will cease when I return home!
Speaking of home, during the long rides through straight, flat, tree-lined roads, one of the thoughts in my head is that I am soooo ready for this trip to be over. Not that I don't enjoy it - I do, but after two months away from home, I am ready for the comforts that await - my own bed, my recliner, my computer (instead of the tablet I am currently using), my family, and my dog - not necessarily in that order.
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