Heading West

February 18

It was a not so quiet night at Wal-Mart. It was not due to being in the parking lot. The wind picked up over the evening and rocked the rig a bit. Then, at 5:11 a.m., the rig filled with light for a millisecond, and then a thunder clap followed within seconds. The rain came down in sheets for about an hour. By the time we were ready to leave, the rain and wind had stopped. The compass revealed our present course, due west, on our slow way home. We traveled the back roads, of course, highway 98 along the coast. We drove through Panacea and did not stop. I had been told so many times, “There is no Panacea …” There is one. But it is not much of a town so the phrase might as well be, “ It is no use to go to Panacea…”

There is a lot of real estate for sale along the gulf. Some of the lots bearing “For Sale by Owner” signs were void of vegetation. Often the remains of a building’s foundation is visible, evidence of a life before the 2005 hurricanes. But there is still so much here. Old villages appear to have dealt with the challenges. Old wooden structures still stand and life continues on as normal. New construction is built with the hurricanes in mind. New businesses, homes and condos near the shore are built on cement pillars with the first floor 12 to 20 feet above the ground. The windows are small and are bordered by wooden shutters.

We are camped at St. Andrews State Park in Panama City Beach, FL. It reminds us a bit of Ft. Stevens Park near Seaside Oregon. St. Andrews is a former military installation located on a peninsula on the Gulf. However, there are no structures from that time. The grounds are extensive and natural, set minutes from an urban metropolitan area. Just a few blocks down the road there is a 5 star campground that charges $125 a night. It is $25 here and we are one row off the water and have a view of a bay, just off the Gulf. Community parks are my favorite. Some families are on midwinter break. As Barb and I rode our bikes around yesterday, we met young families, singles, and snowbird couples, interacting together in enjoying the beauty of this area. It is cold, though. It only reached the mid 60’s.