sunday 27th march
Gainesville FL to Pensacola FL 373 miles
Woke at 5:30 and on computer. Had slim but good breakfast downstairs and then left hotel to seek out University of Florida stadium. There are 49000 students in this town of 150,000, went past huge campus. Found stadium, went in, down to pitchside. Lots of people in there running up stairs on terraces, keeping fit etc. Took photos, left, got on road at 8.15, heading for Tallahassee, via Gulf Coast at Panama Beach. Drove to Tallahassee on I-10; it started raining at 11am and didn’t stop till 5pm. Sky went dark and the rain pissed down so that wipers struggled to cope. Stopped for late lunch after Tallahassee at IHop in Panama City, drove on to Panama City Beach, along scenic drive, through Seaside and other apparently beautiful places – rain continued and skies gloomy all the way. Found Hotel Crowne Plaza Train Station hotel – fabulous – in Pensacola, and were upgraded to 14th Floor with spectacular view of rail line and harbour etc. At 6:30 we went into town looking for a bar; looked dead, Easter Sunday and all that. Then came upon a street of life, bars, food - lovely salad - great place, listened to live band, ate, drank three very strong beers and chatted to 3 very large African-American women, one of whom was very drunk, who were on vacation from Indiana or Alabama they claimed. Left at 9:30 to have a free drink at the hotel bar, courtesy of Mick’s IHG membership.
Woke at 5:30 and on computer. Had slim but good breakfast downstairs and then left hotel to seek out University of Florida stadium. There are 49000 students in this town of 150,000, went past huge campus. Found stadium, went in, down to pitchside. Lots of people in there running up stairs on terraces, keeping fit etc. Took photos, left, got on road at 8.15, heading for Tallahassee, via Gulf Coast at Panama Beach. Drove to Tallahassee on I-10; it started raining at 11am and didn’t stop till 5pm. Sky went dark and the rain pissed down so that wipers struggled to cope. Stopped for late lunch after Tallahassee at IHop in Panama City, drove on to Panama City Beach, along scenic drive, through Seaside and other apparently beautiful places – rain continued and skies gloomy all the way. Found Hotel Crowne Plaza Train Station hotel – fabulous – in Pensacola, and were upgraded to 14th Floor with spectacular view of rail line and harbour etc. At 6:30 we went into town looking for a bar; looked dead, Easter Sunday and all that. Then came upon a street of life, bars, food - lovely salad - great place, listened to live band, ate, drank three very strong beers and chatted to 3 very large African-American women, one of whom was very drunk, who were on vacation from Indiana or Alabama they claimed. Left at 9:30 to have a free drink at the hotel bar, courtesy of Mick’s IHG membership.
