Day 12

Pensacola, florida, to atachua, florida, 384 miles.
FROM SCOTT:
The day started out great. We found a starbucks, then found my cousin dan, his wife tabby and their kids just north of Pensacola. Had a great time catching up with them. And there was some catching up to do. Dan and I figured we hadn’t seen each other in decades, and I had never met tabby or the kids. I’ll see dan’s parents, hank and ruth, when I’m in ohio later on the trip. Hank helped get me interested in baseball when I was a little kid. Then I visited the family in northeast Australia when hank and ruth were living there as linguistic missionaries. Even though that visit was more than 35 years ago, much of it remains vivid. After our visit with dan and tabby and their family, the day had its twists and turns. We planned to go back to the gulf coast and follow it for quite a few hours, figuring we’d stop once in a while to play on the beach or in the water. But as soon as we got to the beach road, we also encountered unbelievably heavy traffic. After spending about an hour in traffic that was at best going about two mph – and with the top down in 90 degree weather BECAUSE WE WERE AT THE BEACH – and not knowing how many more days the traffic might be like that, we decided to go back to the freeway and put some miles behind us. Did that for a while, then headed onto some back roads to take a straighter line to Gainesville, florida. Saw a lot of cows. A lot of cows. Mostly dairy cows. Smelled a lot of cows as well. So now Olivia has been on the road for two days, and neither – with the exception of the time we had with dan and his family – has gone as we’d hoped. But we have reservations at key west, and we’ll be there in a couple of days. Good night danny and tabby and family. Good night, danny’s sister carol and her husband john in Africa. Good night steve, danny’s brother in ohio. Good night, Jeff, olivia’s friend who’s playing in a baseball tournament in Yakima this weekend.
FROM OLIVIA: (tan still better)
HAYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So basically today was ubber amounts of fun… well at least the first 3 hours of the morning were... so we went and visited some people.. had lots of fun.. learned that it’s ok to take your jacket off if your playing a game of basketball outside, and it’s like 90-100 degree weather outside. But I also learned how much I really appreciate the A/C, and how hot black leather seats get going top down on the florida coast… hahahahahahahan I’m still a little jet lagged, so basically it’s only 2 in the afternoon for me instead of 10 at night.. eek! So yep.. I think I’m gonna call people now.. buhbye!
TOMORROW: atachua, florida, to the area of fort myers, florida.