Pelicans and giraffes

September 4, 2016

We spent our Saturday rest day hanging out around Pensacola. Jeanna has already reported on our failed attempt to visit the National Museum of Naval Aviation. I agree that it is an unfortunate policy that cyclists cannot ride to the museum, but it was nice to take a relaxing ride without our panniers.

On our way back, we stopped at a gas station with a convenience store where our understanding of stalactites was called into question. While visiting a limestone cave in southern Indiana, we had been told that if we were to touch a cave wall, minute traces of oil from our hands would prevent the formation of stalactites. Yet here under the eaves of the convenience store were robust stalactites! Was it possible that the roof had been constructed without being touched by human hands? Or perhaps the roof was not limestone. We may never unravel this mystery.

Pensacola is a very walkable city. We ditched our bikes and walked around admiring the numerous pelicans and enjoying the farmers market. There is a wide variety of restaurants and we enjoyed several good meals. Breakfast at the B&B was interesting. We were joined by a mother dropping her daughter off for her first day of college and by a couple from Denver. The male Coloradan was a runner and was wearing a Boulder Boulder T-shirt that said "Sea level is for sissies".

Not all of the pelicans were serving their country.

We have often bragged about how lucky we are at avoiding rain. Perhaps you have been thinking that sooner or later those cocky Two Far riders will face a day of reckoning. Today was that day. It rained during the night and never really stopped all morning. It wasn't a heavy rain, but it was messy to ride in.

We waited on the porch of the B&B for a brief break in the rain, so at least we could ride a couple of rain free blocks. We crossed Pensacola Bay on a long bridge and then rode along Santa Rosa Sound. Quick, geographers, what is the difference between a Bay and a Sound? Is it related to size? Something else?

Our original route took us along the South side of Santa Rosa Sound on a narrow barrier island. Because of the rain, we opted to ride on a busier road (US 98) on the North side of the sound. The bigger road had frequent services where we could shelter from rain if needed.

There was one other advantage to staying on US 98. We passed by Gulf Breeze zoo. On August 2nd, while we were struggling with Kentucky hills on our way from Augusta to Dry Ridge, Gabby the giraffe was giving birth to Gibson the baby giraffe at the Gulf Breeze zoo. A 15 month pregnancy and a 6 foot tall baby was probably more work than climbing Kentucky hills.

The giraffes seemed interested in passing tandems. We probably reminded them of two humped camels.

As far as the difference between a Bay and a Sound, normally I would trust Wikipedia, but I'm not happy with the Wikipedia definition: "In geography a Sound is a large sea or ocean inlet, larger than a Bay, deeper than a bight, and wider than a fjord."

That sounds like a lame Valentine's day poem - my love is deeper than a bight... I'm inclined to go with a Bay having a single opening to another body of water, while a Sound has two or more connections to other bodies of water.

One final point of confusion; when it comes to hounds, to bay is to make a sound.

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