by Arend-Jan Koning
Sunday, July 2nd 2000
Pensacola, FL to De Funiak Springs, FL; 85 miles, 700’ climbing
It’s the first day of PAC Tours’ Eastern Mountains. For some, especially the novices, a reason to be nervous or apprehensive, but for a lot of the recidivists the knowledge that they are in good hands with PAC Tour and its crew, make them eager to hop on the bike and start rolling. It’s an event everybody has been training for and looking forward to; the excitement fills the air.
According to the forecast, it’s going to be hot and during breakfast, served between 6 and 6.30 am, the riders make sure to get well hydrated besides getting well fed. With the wide and ample available foodstuff, this is no problem whatsoever. Standards are so high that after returning home afterwards, ordinary breakfast will seem quite insufficient and bland.
The first stretch of the route leads us through Pensacola Beach with its beautiful beach houses and through the Santa Rosa National Wildlife Area with beautiful white sand dunes and nesting birds who defend their nests by dive bombing the riders, getting really close to our heads. Just behind the dunes is the Gulf of Mexico, the calm waters tempting the swimmers; we simply blast by.
After about 20 miles we leave the narrow stretch of land that lies in front of the main shore and set foot on the mainland. This is not really an improvement since route 98 is a major highway with a lot of traffic. Even at the early time of about eight o’clock, temperatures and humidity force the riders to take the danger of dehydration seriously.
The best part of the mainland is the stretch between Niceville and Mossy Head where we ride through a forest on a good road without much traffic; we’re having a blast. Since today’s ride is rather short, the lunch is served at the motel in De Funiak Springs.
The grassy area alongside the driveway up to the Best Western Motel serves as our al fresco dining room, providing shade and area to sit down. With the room keys not yet available, the complete group is having lunch, getting rehydrated and share (tall) stories. It’s great.
In the evening a large bunch of the group walks down to nearby McLain’s Steak House to have dinner. Afterwards, the proprietor gives us a drive back to the motel, so we don’t get wet, because it started to rain during our dinner. If this kind of kindness is typically for the rest of our tour, we’re going have a great tour.