Update #4 - Jan 19th, 2002
Gautier, MS - 525 miles

The last few days in Florida went really well. The rains stopped so that I could get back on the road from Appalachicola Jan. 15th. I met some really great people. In Mary Esther, FL, I stopped for the Wednesday night service at the First Baptist Church. I was invited to the Family Supper which was really great. After the service, the pastor offered to put me up for the night in a motel in nearby Fort Walton Beach. I would have been satisfied if he had just offered the Fellowship hall for the night. The motel turned out to be a resort motel so the room was very nice. The room turned out to be like a studio apartment with a kitchen that had dishes, etc.

From Fort Walton Beach, the ride to Pensacola went really well along U.S. 98. Temperature was in the sixties. It was almost dusk when I got into Orange Beach, AL. Since I had a little extra money from my speaking engagements in Sopchoppy, FL, I decided to get a motel room. The manager gave me a discount and I didn't have to pay tax. This saved me seven dollars.

Yesterday, Jan. 18th, I was able to take the ferry from Fort Morgan to Dauphin Island. It was closed last year so I had to make the long ride up to and through Mobile. This ferry ride saved me two days of travel. I got into Bayou La Batre, AL before five p.m. I stopped at the police station to see if somebody there could help me contact a minister. There was a fifty percent chance for rain. The officer on duty told me that I should contact the Catholic priest across the street. I was warrmly welcomed and offered the use of the high school room in the old Catholic school. I had a pretty good night.

This morning, I had a thirteen mile ride to the Mississippi State Line. Today, it is somewhat overcast. There was to be a seventy percent chance for rain today but I've missed it. I'll be stopping somewhere near Biloxi tonite.

I still haven't decided on whether to ride through New Orleans or go around it when I get into Louisiana. I do have friend in New Orleans that I haven't seen in a couple of years. I'll probably be in Louisiana on Monday if I can't reach somebody at the Methodist retreat center in Waveland. It might be hard to reach somebody since it will be the M.L.K. holiday.