Panama City Beach Bound
The day FINALLY arrived! We are all packed and itching to get on the road. We are splitting the ride into two days. We are headed from Charlotte to Sandersville, GA on the first day and from there, proceed to PCB. We have also opted to avoid the major highways. This will take a bit more time for driving but less miles (and definitely a more scenic drive).
The first day took us about 6 hours (approx. 250 miles. We could not leave friday until 2:30pm due to work. We did have to stop for gas once and take a break for a quick snack and drink.
We managed to pull into the hotel right at dusk. Great timing since night riding on unfamiliar roads is not preferred. We tossed our bags in the hotel and looked for a local place to eat. We went to a local sports bar. The food was good and there was not a wait. After finishing dinner, we went back to the hotel to cover and lock up our bikes for the evening. We were both tired so it was not long before we hit the sack.
The next morning, we got up and ate the free breakfast at the hotel. They had fruit, coffee, cereal, yogurt along with a few hot items. We ate, packed up, and got gas next door. We hit the road again. The day started cool but as the day progressed and we headed further south, the temperatures started climbing AND the sun decided to appear. One of the big changes - WIND! And plenty of it.
The scenery was great and the roads were a lot of fun but with our bags AND the wind, our gas mileage was suffering. We stopped at a Pilot for gas and a break.
We hit the road once again. We were both hungry and began to look for places to eat in the various small towns we drove through. Once thing about back woods america is how many of the small towns have been hit very hard. Many places stand empty especially manufacturing buildings. These towns still have their own charm. As we were driving, we did happen to see what looked like a food style truck in the middle of nowhere.
We turned around and sure enough, Andy's Rib Crib. We stopped and order some food. We got the Beef Brisket platter (beef, sauce, slaw, beans, and bread).
Keep in mind that the wind is blowing VERY hard and the EZ Up they usually have setup for folks eating there could not be setup so we opted for the ground. The food was excellent and really hit the spot. After cleaning up, we hit the road once again heading for the beach.
A few hours later, we pulled into the garage of the beach front house. Unpacked our bikes, changed into more comfortable beach wear, and found a nice home for our bikes.
It took us about 6 hours of riding (exlcluding our stops). Total trip riding time was a bit over 11 hours. Not too bad. Now it is time to sit back and watch the sunset.
Once down here, we plan on giving SAND riding a try. Should be fun!