On to Mexico Beach, FL

We left Keaton Beach, FL on Thursday and drove 150 miles across the panhandle via Route 98. Might be our upbringing, but we never seem to range very far from the salt water where ever we go, and Route 98 definately hugged the coastline on the way here. It was a great sunny drive with vistas on the Gulf. The highways have been especially good the last couple of driving days in terms of being flat, smooth, and sparsley populated. Great for hauling our little rig.

Some of the towns we passed thru on the way here were Perry, Newport, Sopchoppy, Eastpoint, Carrabelle, Apalacicola, and Port St. Joe. The neatest looking place might have been Ho-Hum RV Park, a very small park, right on the beach somewhere along the way, but we stuck to plan and made it to Rustic Sands RV Park, a half mile from the Gulf here in Mexico Beach, FL.

We've been relaxing here, got stocked up on groceries yesterday, and today went out to the beach at the west end of town. It is said to be 26 miles of white sand between here and the next settled area, Panama City. As you noticed, dogs are allowed on this particular beach, unlike those on the east end of town where the hotels and restaurants are found. Before we went out there to run Dixie today I cleaned the screens and windows in the RV (all 7) while Anne did a single load of laundry.

There is a huge Air Force base down the road west of here, Tyndall AFB. Always an exciting drive past something like that and to see and hear the fighter jets as our boys practice. Very impressive, and gives one a sense of pride.

Tomorrow morning, Sunday, we leave here for Helena, AL just outside Montgomery, 281 miles north. We must get an early start because the Celtics/Lakers game is on national TV at 2:30pm our time. I forgot to mention we found ourselves in the Central Time Zone after arriving here, and I'm guessing we'll remain in it as we go up thru Alabama. It's a good thing cell phones change time zones automatically, very nice feature. We'll spend one night at Cherokee Campground in Helena, then get up and drive 104 more miles up to Decatur, AL where we'll stay at Point Mallard RV Park visit with good friends we love for a day or two.

From there, plan is to jump across state borders directly from Decatur, and travel diagonally across Mississippi southwest on the Natchez Trace Scenic Parkway on our way to Louisianna.