South of Tupelo, Mississippi, the terrain begins to flatten out and the deciduous forest gives way to the Pine Belt of the Southeastern States. Openings in the veneer of trees along the highway revealed pockets of clear cutting, which explained the logging trucks that rumbled along the road. Hemmed in by the pines, we saw little wildlife other than black vultures and the occasional egret.
Indeed, vistas were limited all the way to Mobile, Alabama, where we skirted that port city, crossed Mobile Bay and headed for a late lunch in Pensacola, Florida. There we enjoyed a meal along Pensacola Bay, bathed in sunshine but chilled by a cool breeze; even along the Northern Gulf Coast it has been a relatively cold and wet spring. Brown pelicans, unfazed by the chill, dove for their afternoon meal and ruddy turnstones foraged along the seawall.
We have decided to spend the night in Pensacola and will finish our journey to Longboat Key tomorrow. When you're old and retired, there is no need to rush!
