I left my house at a little after 8 this morning.  Unfortunately, I didn’t sleep well last night probably due to both anticipation coupled with quite a bit of nervousness.  So, driving while tired made it sort of a rough first leg (and it is one of my longest).  After about three hours, I knew that I had to stop for obvious reasons and figured Chloe needed the same relief.  Normally, I stop at drugstores as they have very clean bathrooms and you don’t have to buy something; but, I had Chloe with me and wasn’t sure they would allow her inside with me.  The doggy seat I bought converts to a carrier but I looked for a place where that wouldn’t be a necessity and a light bulb went off when I saw a Lowes and realized it was ideal for our purposes.  I walked Chloe in the grassy area outside, then got a cart and wheeled her to the restroom.  Perfect solution for both of us.

So, we are now in Crawfordville, FL.  This is the county seat of Wakulla County, population of 3,702 at the last census, and is most known for being the headquarters of St. Marks Powder Company which manufactures something called ball propellant which is used for more than 95% of the U.S. Military small arms ammunition.  I did pass this company on my drive here but didn’t see any reason to stop.  Apparently, this place is also the birthplace of Nigel Bradham, a linebacker for the Super Bowl winners, the Philadelphia Eagles.

Crawfordville was not planned as one of my “destinations” but rather a stopping point.  As you can see by the above map, this unincorporated community lies in the eastern portion of the Florida Panhandle and tomorrow I continue my drive on Route 98 along the scenic Florida “forgotten” coast.  Tonight, we are staying at the Magnuson Hotel Wildwood Inn where I found out that if I wanted, I could go swimming, fishing, canoeing, and hiking.  Also, there’s an adjacent golf course as well as an onsite fitness center.  Chloe and I decided to take it easy and walked around the grounds until we found a pretty little gazebo with a swing.  At first, Chloe seemed a bit scared of the movement but got into relaxing while I was reading.  Despite reports by www.weather.com stating today in Crawfordville was an 89 degree day, it was actually quite nice out with a light breeze and low humidity.

To conclude for the day, I must commend my traveling partner as she never once tried to get out of her doggy seat during the ride and she barked only twice the first two times I left the room to get some things from the car (and I stayed in the hallway to make sure she didn’t continue).  I just ran out to get more ice and she didn’t bark at all.  I guess she is finally realizing that I am coming back for her.