Florida's Panhandle

Today’s journey started from the Perry KOA campground (Perry, FL) at 9:30 a.m. under overcast skies although the rain stopped falling well before dawn.  We drive through Perry and it seems to be a small town that prosperity and growth have passed over, similar to so many other forgotten little towns across the nation we have traveled through.  Here, the townspeople are not even maintaining the status quo as building after building is boarded up or abandoned aside from an auto repair shop, a tiny Post Office and a few other businesses that appear to be barely hanging on.  A feel of the deep south permeates a cross street along our route with moss covered trees overhanging a porch.  Its early morning occupants enjoy rocking chairs as they observe those of us passing by in the yet misty air.  I can imagine the warmth of their coffee cups passing into fingers entwined about ceramic mugs.  I wonder what subject they discuss expressed in broad smiles between them?

North of Perry miles of tree farms interspersed with watery hammocks and the continuing sight of newly sprouted red leaves dominate the landscape with sparse evidence of settlement on U.S. 19 heading northwest toward Interstate 10 and ultimately Tallahassee.  Tallahassee became the state capital of Florida in 1824 and now is known as a college town-home to Florida State and Florida A&M Universities.  Unlike Perry, Tallahassee has the fastest growing manufacturing and high tech economies in Florida.  We could not see the city from I-10 but I spied our bird of the day, a red cardinal, as we entered the ramp to the freeway.  Later at a rest stop for lunch, we observed another for much longer as we sat at our dining table.  Foraging for food, he was oblivious to our presence.

There is a small town of just about 2,600 people also near Tallahassee called Monticello situated on just 3.4 square miles.  Monticello is the county seat of Jefferson County named after Thomas Jefferson and the town bears the name of his estate.  Notably, this city has the distinction of having the highest confirmed recorded temperature in Florida at 109 degrees!

Surprise of the day…long horned cattle grazing in the pastures of a ranch bordering I-10.  “Hey, Toto is this Texas?  Nope!”

Also I-10 is called the “Pearl Harbor Memorial Highway” in Florida as well as Arizona so I now realize that it carries that name across the nation.  Impressive, since I am a daughter of a Pearl Harbor survivor.

The “To Do List” got two other items added to it for the return trip.  We will have to plan a stop at the Tallahassee Museum of History and Natural Science.  A two and a half hour tour yields views of rare historic buildings, amazing native animals and beautiful natural grounds and is ranked as one of the top attractions to see in Tallahassee.  The second stop in the Florida Panhandle will have to be “Florida Caverns State Park” which I was surprised to learn existed here near Marianna, FL and the home of the only air-filled caves accessible to tourists.  Typically limestone fissures in Florida stop at the sinkhole stage not developing into caves.

We finally find sun near Gretna and Greensboro around 11:00 am.  Crossing the Apalachicola River we enter the Central Time Zone and gain an hour.  Panama City is next along I-10 (the largest city between Tallahassee and Pensacola) with both a Naval and Air Force base.  It was named Panama City during the building of the Panama Canal in an attempt to garner new residents from publicity related to construction of the canal.  Subsequently we learn of the National Naval Aviation Museum near Pensacola which seems logical knowing of Panama City’s military presence.

Shortly before we stop for the day in Milton, FL we see car carriers pass us heading west from the Daytona 500 Race in Daytona Beach.  They are traveling faster than us-onward to the next race but we do spy one at our park for the night later in the day.  In Milton we visit the local “Piggly Wiggly” grocery store before enjoying a homemade dinner put on by our KOA park.  This was a great opportunity to visit with other travelers and share a few laughs.  Where else can you get ham and bean soup with salad, scalloped potatoes and dessert for $3 a piece?!

Snoopy’s Corner:
I had a great day today.  Mom made a bed for me with a blue blanket I love.  I slept there most of the day.  In between though I talked to Puff and she told me all about the race car carriers.  She was pretty excited about them.  She feels great since the big tune-up and she’s doing a fabulous job taking us through the pine forests and rolling hills of the Florida Panhandle.  We heard it is supposed to get cold tonight.  Puff doesn’t mind.  She’ll keep us warm and keep those wheels turning toward Arizona and warmer weather.  We’ll get to Louisiana tomorrow.  Now, back to my next nap.

P.S.   Mom says she'll have more interesting photos soon when we get further down the road.  We're busy putting the "pedal to the metal" as they say, so right now so we are only getting shots out of Puff's windows.