We set the alarm for 6:15. It was still dark out, but it would be light by the time we would be ready to leave. We wanted to get an early start in case traffic on I-10 was bad. There wasn’t much to do because I had prepped the camper for departure before we left yesterday. We did our usual morning routine and pulled out with the sun already up at 8:15. Amazingly, traffic was lighter than expected.
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We did see lots of fuel tankers being escorted by law enforcement vehicles and utility trucks going east. At the rest stop, we saw lots of people on the move going west talking about evacuating and the traffic. Law enforcement was out heavy along the Interstate. We had a chance to ask a sheriff about it and he said they were expecting heavy volumes of traffic on Friday for the whole state. His words were, “The whole state will be jammed up!” We crossed over into the Central Time Zone around lunch and gained an hour. Crossing over Pensacola Bay, it looked calm on this beautiful sunny day– a cooler 83 degrees with no humidity. What a pleasant change!
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Looking out Pensacola Bay into the Gulf of Mexico, it looked hazy. We arrived at our destination for tonight, Pensacola RV Park, at 12:30 CST. Our original plan had us staying here for 2 nights to revisit some of the sights, but that changed in order to go home on Tuesday. We had spent our vacation here in the Panhandle last year and had seen most of the sights, so it wasn’t too disappointing. We set up camp and spent a relaxing afternoon enjoying the day.
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It was great not to be moving–fast OR slow. The owner of the park said we were the first of 20 reservations to check in today. He said he was getting so many calls from people who wanted longer stays because they were evacuating, but he was going to be full. Other campers continued to arrive all afternoon and by dinner time the place was packed. We walked Auggie after dinner and got to talk to people who had evacuated from all over the state. It is a scary time for most people. The reports are that there are gas shortages everywhere in the state creating even more stress for people. At least we have a full tank and are heading to New Orleans tomorrow. Bob is looking forward to having some Jambalaya! We keep our friends and neighbors in our thoughts and prayers as they make plans for themselves and hope that they stay safe!