Happy Memorial Day!

Fort Pickens National Park, Pensacola Florida

A huge thank you and shout out to all veterans, especially those in combat previous and present.

Pensacola Florida

 Today I left my parents house in Central Florida to start my drive out to San Francisco. I sprinted in light traffic for about 425 miles and secured a campsite at Fort Pickens National Park in Pensacola by mid afternoon. The place is wonderful and more desolate than I expected. The park sits on a barrier island named Santa Rosa, at the entrance to Pensacola's voluminous bay. The Fort was erected in 1824 and has multiple batteries facing the sea to repel invaders.

It is very beautiful here as you may be able to gather from the pictures. I set up shop and headed to the beach for a swim. The water must be in the 80's, calm and teeming with life.  A gaggle of bat rays went swishing by me as I was standing in water up to my knee's. I pressed further into the park on the bay side and was really bummed to see a fleet of boats deploying boom along all the bayside beaches. I suppose it is good, in the sense that they are getting ready, just in case the dreaded Gulf Oil Spill impacts Florida.

I've now set up a small base of operations at my picnic table  at campsite Delta 23, where I am typing to you from. Wonder how I get on the internet? My Blackberry is tethered to the Macbook. What cool technology for those of us who like to be connected.

I plan on pulling stakes tomorrow morning and heading for New Orleans. First time for me in the Big Easy. I'll catch up with you all then.

Camper Chris